A veteran Australian prospector and onetime dotcom entrepreneur is planning to scoop precious metals from the bottom of the ocean. He believes that it’s also the solution to all the ills that land-based mining has caused.
Read on to learn more @ http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.03/undersea.html
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Jewelry By Architects
By Barbara Radice
Rizzoli International Publications, Inc
1987 ISBN 0-8478-0798-3
Barbara Radice writes:
The pieces of jewelry presented in this book have been designed from Cleto Munari by sixteen architects from all over the world during a span of four years. Munari has been promoting works of design for more than ten years. His curriculum vitae, from his debut with the gold and silver cutlery designed by Carlo Scarpa to the present day, has maintained his reputation as an adventurous entrepreneur.
The jewelry project began almost by chance in 1982 when Munari asked Michele De Lucchi to design a ring for his wife Valentina, and soon after made a similar request of Sottsass. Enchanted with the first designs and prototypes, Munari became more and more enthusiastically involved in assembling an increasingly international collection, to the point of setting up a small company to employ goldsmiths with the exclusive task of producing the pieces by hand as they were designed by various architects. Today the collection comprises over one hundred fifty pieces and, quite apart from its worth in gold, gems, and craftsmanship, it cost in patience, dedication, and astuteness, indispensable skills when it came not only to dealing with extremely busy architects but also to convincing them to divert their talents from their customary obsession and devote them to secondary activities.
When talking of very famous architects, no more than about thirty names are likely to be raised. They are the same names that come up again and again on the panels of international shows and competitions, the same who exchange polite criticisms and views in the pages of newspapers. They are the beloved protagonists of the great architectural telenovela incessantly fueled by corporate and society gossip broadcast by magazines and reviews and echoed by students, intellectuals, and pursuers of celebrities.
There is no cultural event of significance that can do without their very special presence, support, or advice. Their success as a category is perhaps due to the fact that they are forced by circumstances to be at the same time artists, intellectuals, businessmen, and managers. They are not always able to pull this off but it does make them into the most complex, protean Renaissance figures in the whole professional scene.
Big architects are often progressive intellectuals; even those regarded as more conservative always manage to cultivate some fad or snobbism that sets them apart. In general, they are better dressed than artists, travel a great deal and are always calling each other on the phone. When they are not talking about the financial problems which eternally afflict them or about work, they know how to have a good time and are open to adventure. They can be recognized by a special quality in their gaze, conveying an amused, cynical detachment, and by the sly smile of those who possess secret information.
The fifteen architects (Peter Shire is a designer) who have designed jewelry for Cleto Munari are all renowned; many of them are real superstars. It is no coincidence that the collection is a rather extraordinary event. It represents the debut of postmodernism in the jeweler’s craft, or, if you like, the first true figurative modernization of jewelry design as an applied art since the twenties and thirties. The creative exploits of artists like Calder or Picasso, Man Ray, De Chirico, Braque, Dali, Fontana or Stella in this field have never succeeded in creating a new trend in the design of jewelry or to alter its figurative canons in the way that the historical avante-garde movements did at the beginning of the century.
Like all postmodern phenomena, the collection, made up of figurative and abstract pieces that are architectonic, symbolic, or ritual to varying degrees, is figuratively heterogeneous but homogeneous in its intellectual approach to the theme, in the eclecticism of the solutions and in the curious uniformity of the materials used: almost exclusively yellow gold and semi-precious stones, apart from the odd ironical touch provided by some synthetic gemstone or slab of small brilliants used as a luminous plane in the combination with other volumes.
The spurning of precious stones, already given a clear thumbs down by the masters of Art Deco, is a rejection of the status symbol based on cost and a reaffirmation of the superior power and value of the design over that of gems, as was the case during the Renaissance.
The architects have designed their jewelry as a formal exercise, as an extension of their work with architecture. They have conceived them as purely decorative objects or as talismans charged with symbolic meaning. Perhaps the most fascinating thing about these one hundred and fifty odd pieces of jewelry is that they have nothing to do with any other set of jewelry designed over the last two thousand years. On the other hand they have an affinity with, if not a real resemblance to, other much more ancient examples of jewelry, such as Sumerian or Minoan, or primitive ornaments from Africa or Melanesia. They draw on the most distant past, a past that is mysterious because it is forgotten. They do not repeat styles but seek out ritual cadences, concealed fragilities, tenuous figurative suggestions, or powerful and solemn forms.
They are very moving objects, serious, intense, even nostalgic. Whatever their origin or inspiration, they translate into gold the most advanced figurative research of the last twenty years.
About the author
Barbara Radice is the author of Memphis, published by Rizzoli in 1984.
Rizzoli International Publications, Inc
1987 ISBN 0-8478-0798-3
Barbara Radice writes:
The pieces of jewelry presented in this book have been designed from Cleto Munari by sixteen architects from all over the world during a span of four years. Munari has been promoting works of design for more than ten years. His curriculum vitae, from his debut with the gold and silver cutlery designed by Carlo Scarpa to the present day, has maintained his reputation as an adventurous entrepreneur.
The jewelry project began almost by chance in 1982 when Munari asked Michele De Lucchi to design a ring for his wife Valentina, and soon after made a similar request of Sottsass. Enchanted with the first designs and prototypes, Munari became more and more enthusiastically involved in assembling an increasingly international collection, to the point of setting up a small company to employ goldsmiths with the exclusive task of producing the pieces by hand as they were designed by various architects. Today the collection comprises over one hundred fifty pieces and, quite apart from its worth in gold, gems, and craftsmanship, it cost in patience, dedication, and astuteness, indispensable skills when it came not only to dealing with extremely busy architects but also to convincing them to divert their talents from their customary obsession and devote them to secondary activities.
When talking of very famous architects, no more than about thirty names are likely to be raised. They are the same names that come up again and again on the panels of international shows and competitions, the same who exchange polite criticisms and views in the pages of newspapers. They are the beloved protagonists of the great architectural telenovela incessantly fueled by corporate and society gossip broadcast by magazines and reviews and echoed by students, intellectuals, and pursuers of celebrities.
There is no cultural event of significance that can do without their very special presence, support, or advice. Their success as a category is perhaps due to the fact that they are forced by circumstances to be at the same time artists, intellectuals, businessmen, and managers. They are not always able to pull this off but it does make them into the most complex, protean Renaissance figures in the whole professional scene.
Big architects are often progressive intellectuals; even those regarded as more conservative always manage to cultivate some fad or snobbism that sets them apart. In general, they are better dressed than artists, travel a great deal and are always calling each other on the phone. When they are not talking about the financial problems which eternally afflict them or about work, they know how to have a good time and are open to adventure. They can be recognized by a special quality in their gaze, conveying an amused, cynical detachment, and by the sly smile of those who possess secret information.
The fifteen architects (Peter Shire is a designer) who have designed jewelry for Cleto Munari are all renowned; many of them are real superstars. It is no coincidence that the collection is a rather extraordinary event. It represents the debut of postmodernism in the jeweler’s craft, or, if you like, the first true figurative modernization of jewelry design as an applied art since the twenties and thirties. The creative exploits of artists like Calder or Picasso, Man Ray, De Chirico, Braque, Dali, Fontana or Stella in this field have never succeeded in creating a new trend in the design of jewelry or to alter its figurative canons in the way that the historical avante-garde movements did at the beginning of the century.
Like all postmodern phenomena, the collection, made up of figurative and abstract pieces that are architectonic, symbolic, or ritual to varying degrees, is figuratively heterogeneous but homogeneous in its intellectual approach to the theme, in the eclecticism of the solutions and in the curious uniformity of the materials used: almost exclusively yellow gold and semi-precious stones, apart from the odd ironical touch provided by some synthetic gemstone or slab of small brilliants used as a luminous plane in the combination with other volumes.
The spurning of precious stones, already given a clear thumbs down by the masters of Art Deco, is a rejection of the status symbol based on cost and a reaffirmation of the superior power and value of the design over that of gems, as was the case during the Renaissance.
The architects have designed their jewelry as a formal exercise, as an extension of their work with architecture. They have conceived them as purely decorative objects or as talismans charged with symbolic meaning. Perhaps the most fascinating thing about these one hundred and fifty odd pieces of jewelry is that they have nothing to do with any other set of jewelry designed over the last two thousand years. On the other hand they have an affinity with, if not a real resemblance to, other much more ancient examples of jewelry, such as Sumerian or Minoan, or primitive ornaments from Africa or Melanesia. They draw on the most distant past, a past that is mysterious because it is forgotten. They do not repeat styles but seek out ritual cadences, concealed fragilities, tenuous figurative suggestions, or powerful and solemn forms.
They are very moving objects, serious, intense, even nostalgic. Whatever their origin or inspiration, they translate into gold the most advanced figurative research of the last twenty years.
About the author
Barbara Radice is the author of Memphis, published by Rizzoli in 1984.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Reinventing The Wheel: The OMF Concave Factor
(via Lapidary Journal, November 1997) Andy Oriel writes:
The story of the concave faceting machine is a revolutionary one—which could be said about any machine that revolves on several axes. But in the case of the OMF faceters, which stands for optically magnified facets, the description is justified.
Developed about 10 (20) years ago by Dough Hoffman of Polymetric Instruments, the machine is capable of cutting both concave and convex facets. Instead of grinding a stone against a flat lap as in conventional faceting, concave facets are ground against rotating copper and plastic cylinders of varying diameters, which are charged with abrasive compounds and move forward and back to prevent grooving.
“There are two main benefits to concave faceting,” says gem artists Mark Gronlund, slipping into teaching mode. “The first is the ability to cut new and unusual shapes. With flat facets you’re limited to shapes like rounds, ovals, marquise, and emeralds. But with the combination of flat and concave faceting, there are almost no limitations to shapes or girdle outlines.
“The second benefit,” he explains, “is an increase in the brilliance of a stone.” In a conventional stone, when light enters through the table and hit a pavilion facet, it is reflected in only one direction. By contrast, with a concave pavilion, which from the top of the stone appears as a convex surface, the light is scattered in many directions.
“Basically what we are doing is putting a bunch of magnifiers and diffusers into a stone, like little eyeglass lenses,” he says. “The convex surfaces focus light and the concave surfaces diffuse it.”
“Flat faceting is a three-step process with a rough cut, a final cut, and then polishing. With concave faceting, you still have to lay in all the flat faces first—the same first two steps. But then you transfer the interchangeable mast from the faceting machine to the OMF for an additional three to sometimes six more steps.”
If it sounds complex, it is. Suffice it to say that concave cut stones are several magnitudes brighter than normal, as if fire works were going off inside them; they appear to have many more facets than they actually have; and they tend to look slightly darker than otherwise, all of which have thrown the traditional colored stone industry a curve ball.
Less valuable stones, such as citrines and light aquamarines, are transformed from bridesmaid into blushing brides. A happy side effect of the phenomenon is that a cutter’s budget for rough is considerably stretched. And from the buyer’s point of view, large, precision-cut stones can be purchased for the price of mediocre, more traditionally precious ones.
There are imitations, however. Already dark stones, such as garnets and sapphires, tend not to benefit from the treatment. And small stones tend to become overly busy-looking like gliding a lily.
The story of the concave faceting machine is a revolutionary one—which could be said about any machine that revolves on several axes. But in the case of the OMF faceters, which stands for optically magnified facets, the description is justified.
Developed about 10 (20) years ago by Dough Hoffman of Polymetric Instruments, the machine is capable of cutting both concave and convex facets. Instead of grinding a stone against a flat lap as in conventional faceting, concave facets are ground against rotating copper and plastic cylinders of varying diameters, which are charged with abrasive compounds and move forward and back to prevent grooving.
“There are two main benefits to concave faceting,” says gem artists Mark Gronlund, slipping into teaching mode. “The first is the ability to cut new and unusual shapes. With flat facets you’re limited to shapes like rounds, ovals, marquise, and emeralds. But with the combination of flat and concave faceting, there are almost no limitations to shapes or girdle outlines.
“The second benefit,” he explains, “is an increase in the brilliance of a stone.” In a conventional stone, when light enters through the table and hit a pavilion facet, it is reflected in only one direction. By contrast, with a concave pavilion, which from the top of the stone appears as a convex surface, the light is scattered in many directions.
“Basically what we are doing is putting a bunch of magnifiers and diffusers into a stone, like little eyeglass lenses,” he says. “The convex surfaces focus light and the concave surfaces diffuse it.”
“Flat faceting is a three-step process with a rough cut, a final cut, and then polishing. With concave faceting, you still have to lay in all the flat faces first—the same first two steps. But then you transfer the interchangeable mast from the faceting machine to the OMF for an additional three to sometimes six more steps.”
If it sounds complex, it is. Suffice it to say that concave cut stones are several magnitudes brighter than normal, as if fire works were going off inside them; they appear to have many more facets than they actually have; and they tend to look slightly darker than otherwise, all of which have thrown the traditional colored stone industry a curve ball.
Less valuable stones, such as citrines and light aquamarines, are transformed from bridesmaid into blushing brides. A happy side effect of the phenomenon is that a cutter’s budget for rough is considerably stretched. And from the buyer’s point of view, large, precision-cut stones can be purchased for the price of mediocre, more traditionally precious ones.
There are imitations, however. Already dark stones, such as garnets and sapphires, tend not to benefit from the treatment. And small stones tend to become overly busy-looking like gliding a lily.
Gigi
Memorable quote (s) from the movie:
Gigi (Leslie Caron): Who gave it to you, Aunt?
Aunt Alicia (Isabel Jeans): A King
Gigi (Leslie Caron): A great king?
Aunt Alicia (Isabel Jeans): No, a little one. Great kings do not give very large stones.
Gigi (Leslie Caron): Why not?
Aunt Alicia (Isabel Jeans): In my opinion it's because they don't feel they have to.
Gigi (Leslie Caron): Well, who does give the valuable jewels?
Aunt Alicia (Isabel Jeans): Who? Oh the shy, the proud, and the social climbers because they think it's a sign of culture; But it doesn't matter who gives them, as long as you never wear anything second rate. Wait for the first class jewels Gigi. Hold on to your ideals.
Gigi (Leslie Caron): Who gave it to you, Aunt?
Aunt Alicia (Isabel Jeans): A King
Gigi (Leslie Caron): A great king?
Aunt Alicia (Isabel Jeans): No, a little one. Great kings do not give very large stones.
Gigi (Leslie Caron): Why not?
Aunt Alicia (Isabel Jeans): In my opinion it's because they don't feel they have to.
Gigi (Leslie Caron): Well, who does give the valuable jewels?
Aunt Alicia (Isabel Jeans): Who? Oh the shy, the proud, and the social climbers because they think it's a sign of culture; But it doesn't matter who gives them, as long as you never wear anything second rate. Wait for the first class jewels Gigi. Hold on to your ideals.
The Truth About Gemstone Smuggling
Gem smuggling requires patience, knowledge of local and international customs and traditions, special skills to locate the source and find local and international buyers, the ability to collect money on time so that you are able to continue your ‘creative’ trading practices for a living. Some may do it for fun, but most transactions are serious businesses. Law enforcement agencies around the world may care about gem smuggling when it is linked to terrorism, money laundering, drug smuggling or organized crime. Smuggled gems are sometimes discovered in connection to one of these activities, but gem smuggling by itself is a relatively low priority. The situation is compounded because of the inability to ascertain the origin of stones.
Read on to learn more @ http://www.colored-stone.com/stories/jul04/smuggling.cfm
Read on to learn more @ http://www.colored-stone.com/stories/jul04/smuggling.cfm
Turquoise: The Gem Of The Centuries
By Oscar T Branson
Treasure Chest Publications, Inc
1975
Oscar T Branson writes:
There is a haunting fascination to turquoise, a feeling that takes hold of a person who comes in contact with it for a time. This fascination has been the same down through the centuries and its popularity has spread through many countries of the world. The Egyptians some 70 centuries ago were captivated by it. The evidence is a bracelet of carved turquoise and gold found on the mummified arm of an Egyptian queen. This is the oldest known example of jewelry and was made over seven thousand years ago. For the next several thousand years the Pharaohs sent expeditions of hundreds of men into the Sinai Desert to mine this coveted stone. It was used in almost every decorative way imaginable from beads in jewelry to the lavish decoration of sarcophagi. The Egyptian tombs with their hoards of gold were too great a temptation to looters and thieves and consequently there is pitifully little left for us to see.
In Persia the earliest mention of turquoise is in a story about the mine of Isaac, the father of Israel, who lived about 2100 B.C. Turquoise has been mined in Persia since before that time. It was used as lavishly in Persia as it was in Egypt. Persian writings tell of large vases carved from huge pieces of turquoise. One of the largest had the capacity of six gallons.
The origin of the use of turquoise in Tibet is thought to be very early as the Tibetan word for it is original and not borrowed from another language, as it has been in most languages. Practically everyone in Tibet has a love for turquoise; in fact this fascination almost amounts to a mania.
In China turquoise was used in very early times and much has always been worn in jewelry. Large quantities were made into beads and traded into Mongolia, Tibet and other countries. This is also done today. Due to the occurrence in China of large pieces of turquoise of carving quality, the stone gained an ornamental status. Many carvings of large size are known and some are still being made. The Chinese are greatly fascinated by turquoise, and to them it is second only to jade.
In our own Southwest, turquoise mines were worked by Indians before the time of Christ. In fact many of the mines that are producing today were worked in prehistoric times. Here in America today thousands of people are becoming aware of it and the old fascination is taking hold. Down through the ages and especially now, fine gems and jewelry have been a commodity more stable than money. In other words it is and always has been a good investment. Turquoise and silver jewelry is a pleasure to wear and enjoy. While one is enjoying it, they are aware that is something of value, both intrinsic and esthetic.
Some people think turquoise is a fad. If this is so, it has been a fad for over 7000 years.
Treasure Chest Publications, Inc
1975
Oscar T Branson writes:
There is a haunting fascination to turquoise, a feeling that takes hold of a person who comes in contact with it for a time. This fascination has been the same down through the centuries and its popularity has spread through many countries of the world. The Egyptians some 70 centuries ago were captivated by it. The evidence is a bracelet of carved turquoise and gold found on the mummified arm of an Egyptian queen. This is the oldest known example of jewelry and was made over seven thousand years ago. For the next several thousand years the Pharaohs sent expeditions of hundreds of men into the Sinai Desert to mine this coveted stone. It was used in almost every decorative way imaginable from beads in jewelry to the lavish decoration of sarcophagi. The Egyptian tombs with their hoards of gold were too great a temptation to looters and thieves and consequently there is pitifully little left for us to see.
In Persia the earliest mention of turquoise is in a story about the mine of Isaac, the father of Israel, who lived about 2100 B.C. Turquoise has been mined in Persia since before that time. It was used as lavishly in Persia as it was in Egypt. Persian writings tell of large vases carved from huge pieces of turquoise. One of the largest had the capacity of six gallons.
The origin of the use of turquoise in Tibet is thought to be very early as the Tibetan word for it is original and not borrowed from another language, as it has been in most languages. Practically everyone in Tibet has a love for turquoise; in fact this fascination almost amounts to a mania.
In China turquoise was used in very early times and much has always been worn in jewelry. Large quantities were made into beads and traded into Mongolia, Tibet and other countries. This is also done today. Due to the occurrence in China of large pieces of turquoise of carving quality, the stone gained an ornamental status. Many carvings of large size are known and some are still being made. The Chinese are greatly fascinated by turquoise, and to them it is second only to jade.
In our own Southwest, turquoise mines were worked by Indians before the time of Christ. In fact many of the mines that are producing today were worked in prehistoric times. Here in America today thousands of people are becoming aware of it and the old fascination is taking hold. Down through the ages and especially now, fine gems and jewelry have been a commodity more stable than money. In other words it is and always has been a good investment. Turquoise and silver jewelry is a pleasure to wear and enjoy. While one is enjoying it, they are aware that is something of value, both intrinsic and esthetic.
Some people think turquoise is a fad. If this is so, it has been a fad for over 7000 years.
The Truth About Gemstone Smuggling
Gem smuggling requires patience, knowledge of local and international customs and traditions, special skills to locate the source and find local and international buyers, the ability to collect money on time so that you are able to continue your ‘creative’ trading practices for a living. Some may do it for fun, but most transactions are serious businesses. Law enforcement agencies around the world may care about gem smuggling when it is linked to terrorism, money laundering, drug smuggling or organized crime. Smuggled gems are sometimes discovered in connection to one of these activities, but gem smuggling by itself is a relatively low priority. The situation is compounded because of the inability to ascertain the origin of stones.
Read on to learn more @ http://www.colored-stone.com/stories/jul04/smuggling.cfm
Read on to learn more @ http://www.colored-stone.com/stories/jul04/smuggling.cfm
Monday, March 12, 2007
Looking One Use For Those Old CDs?
(via November 2001 Colorado Springs’ “Pick & Pack”, volume 41, number 9) Lapidary Journal writes:
Try using them for the final polish on your faceting machine. Rinse with water and a little detergent, then place it on top of the last cutting wheel. Center it reasonably well, as the hole is slightly larger than the shaft; then clamp it down. Spray the surface with 14000-grit diamond polishing compound; the charged CD should polish several stones.
Try using them for the final polish on your faceting machine. Rinse with water and a little detergent, then place it on top of the last cutting wheel. Center it reasonably well, as the hole is slightly larger than the shaft; then clamp it down. Spray the surface with 14000-grit diamond polishing compound; the charged CD should polish several stones.
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