Memorable quote (s) from the movie:
Professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison): I know your head aches; I know you're tired; I know your nerves are as raw as meat in a butcher's window. But think what you're trying to accomplish. Think what you're dealing with. The majesty and grandeur of the English language, it's the greatest possession we have. The noblest thoughts that ever flowed through the hearts of men are contained in its extraordinary, imaginative, and musical mixtures of sounds. And that's what you've set yourself out to conquer Eliza. And conquer it you will.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Ageing Is When.......
(via Wahroongai News, Volume 24, No.6, June, 1990)
Everything hurts and what doesn’t hurt, doesn’t work.
You feel like the night after, and you haven’t been anywhere.
You get winded playing chess.
You little black book contains only names ending in M.D.
Your children begin to look middle-aged.
You’re still chasing women but can’t remember why.
You know all the answers, but nobody asks you the questions.
Your knees buckle and your belt won’t.
You stop looking forward to your next birthday.
You burn the midnight oil until 9:00 pm.
Everything hurts and what doesn’t hurt, doesn’t work.
You feel like the night after, and you haven’t been anywhere.
You get winded playing chess.
You little black book contains only names ending in M.D.
Your children begin to look middle-aged.
You’re still chasing women but can’t remember why.
You know all the answers, but nobody asks you the questions.
Your knees buckle and your belt won’t.
You stop looking forward to your next birthday.
You burn the midnight oil until 9:00 pm.
How Well Do You Know Jewelry?
(via JQ magazine, July/August 1996) Naaz Aalund writes:
The questions in this quiz have been gathered from experts in the jewelry industry as the most often asked questions. While some of the multiple choice answers contain correct information, the right answer is the one that concisely presents the best information to the customer.
Have fun.
1. Are platinum and white gold the same thing?
a. There is no true white gold
b. There is no difference—they are the same thing.
c. Platinum is a noble metal that is naturally white, while white gold is combined with zinc, nickel and silver to give the naturally yellow gold a white color.
d. Platinum is more rare, more pure, more dense and more demanding to work with, so it’s more expensive.
Answer: c
2. Are tanzanites too fragile to wear in rings?
a. No. Wear them all the time and don’t give it a second thought.
b. Yes. Tanzanite should only be worn in pendants and earrings.
c. Tanzanites are thermo-sensitive, so it is not advisable to wear them while cooking.
d. Tanzanites are 6.5 on the Moh’s hardness scale, which means if they are not cared for properly, they may get scratched. Opals are only a 6, and pearls are only a 3, so if they can be worn in rings, so can tanzanite.
Answer: d
3. With colored gemstones, is darker always better?
a. Intensity of color is all a matter of personal preference.
b. Intensity of color is good even if the gemstone is so dark that color and light can no longer be seen in it.
c. Actually, lighter is better—as with diamonds, colorless is best.
d. Intensity is good up to a point. When a gemstone becomes too dark, it is not as valuable.
Answer: d
4. Is eighteen karat gold too soft? Is fourteen karat gold stronger?
a. Only fourteen karat gold is tough enough to take daily wear.
b. High quality jewelry is made heavy enough for eighteen karat gold to be acceptable.
c. In tests done on eighteen karat and fourteen karat gold, both wore evenly under similar conditions, with fourteen karat showing cracking from fatigue more quickly than eighteen karat.
d. Fourteen karat is best for thin wire jewelry.
Answer: c
5. Are diamonds the rarest of gemstones?
a. De Beers maintains a limited supply and keeps demand high with advertising.
b. Rarity is dependent on many factors, including color, carat weight and clarity. Often a ruby, spinel, or tsavorite of exceptional quality will be more rare than an average diamond.
c. A ‘D’ color flawless diamond is not only the rarest of diamonds; it is also the most rare of all gemstones.
d. Rarity of a gemstone is dependent upon whether the gemstones can be made in a laboratory.
Answer: b
6. Can a ring be sized to any size, larger or smaller?
a. No problem. Gold is a very flexible metal, and it can be bent easily.
b. A ring can be sized smaller much more easily than it can be sized larger.
c. The goldsmiths can compress or stretch the gold as needed to make a ring smaller or larger.
d. Sizing a ring more than two sizes larger or smaller may structurally damage the ring and cause gemstones to break or fall out.
Answer: d
7. What is the difference between precious and semi-precious gemstones?
a. Precious gemstones are diamond, ruby, emerald and sapphire; everything else is semi-precious.
b. Rarity and beauty determine a gemstone’s value. An extremely large Paraiba tourmaline would be more valuable, and thus more precious, than a pale and included emerald. These terms precious and semi-precious do not truly indicate a gemstone’s value.
c. Semi-precious gemstones include cubic zirconia, synthetic sapphires and emeralds and all laboratory grown gemstones, while precious gemstones are all natural.
d. Precious gemstones are the twelve birthstones, one for each month of the year, and semi-precious are the gemstones that aren’t birthstones.
Answer: b
8. Why is platinum jewelry so much more expensive than gold?
a. Platinum is more demanding to work with, so it requires greater skill in manufacturing, making labor more expensive.
b. Platinum is twice as dense as fourteen carat gold. In jewelry that is the same size and shape, platinum will weigh more, making it more expensive.
c. Platinum is 90 percent pure platinum. Whereas fourteen carat gold is only 58 percent pure gold, platinum is alloyed with iridium, another platinum-family metal which keeps its value high.
d. All of the above.
Answer: d
9. Why does it take 4-6 weeks to custom-make a jewelry item?
a. At any given time, a designer and his staff may be making 200 pieces of jewelry or more, so for a client’s job to get the attention it needs, other work must be cleared away first.
b. In each step of the jewelry making process, there is a specialist that must complete her part of the job to the best of her abilities for the jewelry item to have the high quality of craftsmanship the client deserves.
c. Jewelry is still in large part made by hand by craftsmen and women who have practiced their craft for a lifetime to achieve mastery. Yet even the finest master craftsperson, when rushed, may overlook flaws that compromise quality.
d. All of the above.
Answer: d
10. Why can’t I wear my jewelry all the time? If it’s good quality jewelry, shouldn’t it last even when I wear it during sports and to bed?
a. Jewelry last hundreds of years and never wears out. Don’t worry about wearing your jewelry all the time.
b. Like a fine silk blouse or a mink coat, jewelry and gemstones can be damaged if not cared for and worn properly.
c. The investment you have made in your jewelry will be lost if you wear it in way that will damage it.
d. Like everything that is around us, things will wear out and, unfortunately, jewelry is no exception. To minimize the wear and tear that can detract from your jewelry’s longevity and beauty, it is advisable to remove it during activities and at bedtime.
e. Answers b & d.
Answer: e
The questions in this quiz have been gathered from experts in the jewelry industry as the most often asked questions. While some of the multiple choice answers contain correct information, the right answer is the one that concisely presents the best information to the customer.
Have fun.
1. Are platinum and white gold the same thing?
a. There is no true white gold
b. There is no difference—they are the same thing.
c. Platinum is a noble metal that is naturally white, while white gold is combined with zinc, nickel and silver to give the naturally yellow gold a white color.
d. Platinum is more rare, more pure, more dense and more demanding to work with, so it’s more expensive.
Answer: c
2. Are tanzanites too fragile to wear in rings?
a. No. Wear them all the time and don’t give it a second thought.
b. Yes. Tanzanite should only be worn in pendants and earrings.
c. Tanzanites are thermo-sensitive, so it is not advisable to wear them while cooking.
d. Tanzanites are 6.5 on the Moh’s hardness scale, which means if they are not cared for properly, they may get scratched. Opals are only a 6, and pearls are only a 3, so if they can be worn in rings, so can tanzanite.
Answer: d
3. With colored gemstones, is darker always better?
a. Intensity of color is all a matter of personal preference.
b. Intensity of color is good even if the gemstone is so dark that color and light can no longer be seen in it.
c. Actually, lighter is better—as with diamonds, colorless is best.
d. Intensity is good up to a point. When a gemstone becomes too dark, it is not as valuable.
Answer: d
4. Is eighteen karat gold too soft? Is fourteen karat gold stronger?
a. Only fourteen karat gold is tough enough to take daily wear.
b. High quality jewelry is made heavy enough for eighteen karat gold to be acceptable.
c. In tests done on eighteen karat and fourteen karat gold, both wore evenly under similar conditions, with fourteen karat showing cracking from fatigue more quickly than eighteen karat.
d. Fourteen karat is best for thin wire jewelry.
Answer: c
5. Are diamonds the rarest of gemstones?
a. De Beers maintains a limited supply and keeps demand high with advertising.
b. Rarity is dependent on many factors, including color, carat weight and clarity. Often a ruby, spinel, or tsavorite of exceptional quality will be more rare than an average diamond.
c. A ‘D’ color flawless diamond is not only the rarest of diamonds; it is also the most rare of all gemstones.
d. Rarity of a gemstone is dependent upon whether the gemstones can be made in a laboratory.
Answer: b
6. Can a ring be sized to any size, larger or smaller?
a. No problem. Gold is a very flexible metal, and it can be bent easily.
b. A ring can be sized smaller much more easily than it can be sized larger.
c. The goldsmiths can compress or stretch the gold as needed to make a ring smaller or larger.
d. Sizing a ring more than two sizes larger or smaller may structurally damage the ring and cause gemstones to break or fall out.
Answer: d
7. What is the difference between precious and semi-precious gemstones?
a. Precious gemstones are diamond, ruby, emerald and sapphire; everything else is semi-precious.
b. Rarity and beauty determine a gemstone’s value. An extremely large Paraiba tourmaline would be more valuable, and thus more precious, than a pale and included emerald. These terms precious and semi-precious do not truly indicate a gemstone’s value.
c. Semi-precious gemstones include cubic zirconia, synthetic sapphires and emeralds and all laboratory grown gemstones, while precious gemstones are all natural.
d. Precious gemstones are the twelve birthstones, one for each month of the year, and semi-precious are the gemstones that aren’t birthstones.
Answer: b
8. Why is platinum jewelry so much more expensive than gold?
a. Platinum is more demanding to work with, so it requires greater skill in manufacturing, making labor more expensive.
b. Platinum is twice as dense as fourteen carat gold. In jewelry that is the same size and shape, platinum will weigh more, making it more expensive.
c. Platinum is 90 percent pure platinum. Whereas fourteen carat gold is only 58 percent pure gold, platinum is alloyed with iridium, another platinum-family metal which keeps its value high.
d. All of the above.
Answer: d
9. Why does it take 4-6 weeks to custom-make a jewelry item?
a. At any given time, a designer and his staff may be making 200 pieces of jewelry or more, so for a client’s job to get the attention it needs, other work must be cleared away first.
b. In each step of the jewelry making process, there is a specialist that must complete her part of the job to the best of her abilities for the jewelry item to have the high quality of craftsmanship the client deserves.
c. Jewelry is still in large part made by hand by craftsmen and women who have practiced their craft for a lifetime to achieve mastery. Yet even the finest master craftsperson, when rushed, may overlook flaws that compromise quality.
d. All of the above.
Answer: d
10. Why can’t I wear my jewelry all the time? If it’s good quality jewelry, shouldn’t it last even when I wear it during sports and to bed?
a. Jewelry last hundreds of years and never wears out. Don’t worry about wearing your jewelry all the time.
b. Like a fine silk blouse or a mink coat, jewelry and gemstones can be damaged if not cared for and worn properly.
c. The investment you have made in your jewelry will be lost if you wear it in way that will damage it.
d. Like everything that is around us, things will wear out and, unfortunately, jewelry is no exception. To minimize the wear and tear that can detract from your jewelry’s longevity and beauty, it is advisable to remove it during activities and at bedtime.
e. Answers b & d.
Answer: e
Dictionary Of Australian Gemstones
Edited by Bill Myatt
Paul Hamlyn Pty Ltd
1974 ISBN 0-600-07240-1
Paul Hamlyn writes:
The glow of Australian dazzling variety of gemstones reflects from the pages of this specialist dictionary. From the thunder egg in the agate family to the majesty of the black opal…from flawless emeralds to the brilliant fire of zircon…the range reflects excitement and beauty. Accompanied by 75 color pictures, the Dictionary of Australian Gemstones provides a comprehensive guide to our exquisite treasures. And more than this, you will learn how to fossick and claim some of these treasures for yourself. You will learn too how to turn the raw beauty you find into jewelry.
The Dictionary of Australian Gemstones is rich reading with the promise of rich rewards.
Paul Hamlyn Pty Ltd
1974 ISBN 0-600-07240-1
Paul Hamlyn writes:
The glow of Australian dazzling variety of gemstones reflects from the pages of this specialist dictionary. From the thunder egg in the agate family to the majesty of the black opal…from flawless emeralds to the brilliant fire of zircon…the range reflects excitement and beauty. Accompanied by 75 color pictures, the Dictionary of Australian Gemstones provides a comprehensive guide to our exquisite treasures. And more than this, you will learn how to fossick and claim some of these treasures for yourself. You will learn too how to turn the raw beauty you find into jewelry.
The Dictionary of Australian Gemstones is rich reading with the promise of rich rewards.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Chiastolite
(via Wahroongai News, Volume 24, No.3, March 1990) Australian Amateur Mineralogist writes:
One of the most intriguing minerals found in interior Australia is the chiastolite of Australian Cross Stone. In nature, the mineral occurs as cigar-shaped crystals in slates which have been ‘heat treated’ by invading granites. Crystals mostly average about 3 or 4 inches in length by an inch in diameter. As they weather from their micaceous (schistose) host rock, they have little obvious beauty. Their shape alone may attract attention.
When broken, an internal cross from is revealed traced in shades of gray, white and sometimes a delicate pink. When cut and polished, true gem status is achieved, and selected examples were once quite popular in the jewelry trade. Like most Australian gem industries, however, indiscrete swamping of markets, careless preparation, and lack of suitable advertising propaganda ruined any wide market possibilities even before they materialized. Its fate was a dismal as the Harts Range ‘rubies’ (or garnet). Even opal had from time to time suffered from similar Australian carelessness. Opal, however, now seems to be enjoying more rewarding popularity on its own merits.
Chiastolites of good internal form occur in but few places in the world, and of these the Bimbowrie Station examples from the Olary district in South Australia undoubtedly are of outstanding quality. At one time, fine specimens could be collected in quality strewn about the slopes of the low schistose hills of the locality. Shearers passing by repeatedly collected them in sugarbags full and returned them to their friends and relatives in the cities. They received wide appeal, but after a time their very abundance weighed against them. Now the picture is different. The old localities are largely worked out as far as surface occurrences are concerned. A day’s collecting will certainly provide many tens of pounds of them, but good ones are no longer over plentiful. Now it appears the stage may be set for real appreciation. The jewelry trade will soon realize their potential.
The origin of these freaks of nature, as indeed they are, is interesting. The mineral is a form of andalusite, a relatively common mineral in the field. In composition, it is a silicate of aluminum, or chemically, Al2SiO5. The reason for its interest is, of course, the cruciform internal structure—a factor of interest, particularly in matters of Christian religion—but also for beauty in its own right.
The cross structure is related to the method of growth of the individual crystal in the presence of minute amounts of carbon as impurities in the enclosing rock medium. The crystals actually grow at the expense of the enclosing aluminous sediment—a redistribution of the alumina and silica of the argillaceous slate occurring to form the crystals. In the present examples small amounts of carbonaceous material occur along with these substances which are excess to the growing crystals requirements. The effects of solution and heat responsible for the minerals growth were not sufficient to remove the carbonaceous matter so they were just pushed aside into less inconvenient situations with in the developing crystal structure.
In this way, the square form of the crystal in section (the mineral crystallizes in the orthorhombic system) imposes a cruciform distribution of the reconcentrated carbon material and leaves other areas relatively free of this substance, and therefore lighter in color.
Actually, the crystal effects redistribution of the carbon in two major patterns, both of which form ‘crosses’ of a type. One is called the ‘Howdenite’ after Mr J Howden, their prospector-discoverer, and the other is unnamed.
Prof Mawson, in his writings on ‘The Geology of the Broken Hill Area’, has dealt with this subject in great detail and earlier in this century produced excellent color reproductions of them. He, too saw their gem potential, and felt that they should have been developed to greater advantage. Perhaps one day we will appreciate them as they deserve, and our ladies will choose them in preference to artificial gems as charms and pendant adornments. I think we shall……….
One of the most intriguing minerals found in interior Australia is the chiastolite of Australian Cross Stone. In nature, the mineral occurs as cigar-shaped crystals in slates which have been ‘heat treated’ by invading granites. Crystals mostly average about 3 or 4 inches in length by an inch in diameter. As they weather from their micaceous (schistose) host rock, they have little obvious beauty. Their shape alone may attract attention.
When broken, an internal cross from is revealed traced in shades of gray, white and sometimes a delicate pink. When cut and polished, true gem status is achieved, and selected examples were once quite popular in the jewelry trade. Like most Australian gem industries, however, indiscrete swamping of markets, careless preparation, and lack of suitable advertising propaganda ruined any wide market possibilities even before they materialized. Its fate was a dismal as the Harts Range ‘rubies’ (or garnet). Even opal had from time to time suffered from similar Australian carelessness. Opal, however, now seems to be enjoying more rewarding popularity on its own merits.
Chiastolites of good internal form occur in but few places in the world, and of these the Bimbowrie Station examples from the Olary district in South Australia undoubtedly are of outstanding quality. At one time, fine specimens could be collected in quality strewn about the slopes of the low schistose hills of the locality. Shearers passing by repeatedly collected them in sugarbags full and returned them to their friends and relatives in the cities. They received wide appeal, but after a time their very abundance weighed against them. Now the picture is different. The old localities are largely worked out as far as surface occurrences are concerned. A day’s collecting will certainly provide many tens of pounds of them, but good ones are no longer over plentiful. Now it appears the stage may be set for real appreciation. The jewelry trade will soon realize their potential.
The origin of these freaks of nature, as indeed they are, is interesting. The mineral is a form of andalusite, a relatively common mineral in the field. In composition, it is a silicate of aluminum, or chemically, Al2SiO5. The reason for its interest is, of course, the cruciform internal structure—a factor of interest, particularly in matters of Christian religion—but also for beauty in its own right.
The cross structure is related to the method of growth of the individual crystal in the presence of minute amounts of carbon as impurities in the enclosing rock medium. The crystals actually grow at the expense of the enclosing aluminous sediment—a redistribution of the alumina and silica of the argillaceous slate occurring to form the crystals. In the present examples small amounts of carbonaceous material occur along with these substances which are excess to the growing crystals requirements. The effects of solution and heat responsible for the minerals growth were not sufficient to remove the carbonaceous matter so they were just pushed aside into less inconvenient situations with in the developing crystal structure.
In this way, the square form of the crystal in section (the mineral crystallizes in the orthorhombic system) imposes a cruciform distribution of the reconcentrated carbon material and leaves other areas relatively free of this substance, and therefore lighter in color.
Actually, the crystal effects redistribution of the carbon in two major patterns, both of which form ‘crosses’ of a type. One is called the ‘Howdenite’ after Mr J Howden, their prospector-discoverer, and the other is unnamed.
Prof Mawson, in his writings on ‘The Geology of the Broken Hill Area’, has dealt with this subject in great detail and earlier in this century produced excellent color reproductions of them. He, too saw their gem potential, and felt that they should have been developed to greater advantage. Perhaps one day we will appreciate them as they deserve, and our ladies will choose them in preference to artificial gems as charms and pendant adornments. I think we shall……….
Sideways
Memorable quote (s) from the movie:
Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti): What about you?
Maya (Virginia Madsen): What about me?
Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti): I don't know. Why are you into wine?
Maya (Virginia Madsen): Oh I... I think I... I originally got in to wine through my ex-husband.
Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti): Ah.
Maya (Virginia Madsen): You know, he had this big, sort of show-off cellar, you know.
Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti): Right.
Maya (Virginia Madsen): But then I discovered that I had a really sharp palate.
Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti):Uh-huh.
Maya (Virginia Madsen): And the more I drank, the more I liked what it made me think about.
Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti): Like what?
Maya (Virginia Madsen): Like what a fraud he was. No, I- I like to think about the life of wine.
Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti):Yeah.
Maya (Virginia Madsen): How it's a living thing. I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing; how the sun was shining; if it rained. I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes. And if it's an old wine, how many of them must be dead by now. I like how wine continues to evolve, like if I opened a bottle of wine today it would taste different than if I'd opened it on any other day, because a bottle of wine is actually alive. And it's constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is, until it peaks, like your '61. And then it begins its steady, inevitable decline.
Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti): Hmm.
Maya (Virginia Madsen): And it tastes so fucking good.
Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti): What about you?
Maya (Virginia Madsen): What about me?
Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti): I don't know. Why are you into wine?
Maya (Virginia Madsen): Oh I... I think I... I originally got in to wine through my ex-husband.
Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti): Ah.
Maya (Virginia Madsen): You know, he had this big, sort of show-off cellar, you know.
Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti): Right.
Maya (Virginia Madsen): But then I discovered that I had a really sharp palate.
Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti):Uh-huh.
Maya (Virginia Madsen): And the more I drank, the more I liked what it made me think about.
Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti): Like what?
Maya (Virginia Madsen): Like what a fraud he was. No, I- I like to think about the life of wine.
Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti):Yeah.
Maya (Virginia Madsen): How it's a living thing. I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing; how the sun was shining; if it rained. I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes. And if it's an old wine, how many of them must be dead by now. I like how wine continues to evolve, like if I opened a bottle of wine today it would taste different than if I'd opened it on any other day, because a bottle of wine is actually alive. And it's constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is, until it peaks, like your '61. And then it begins its steady, inevitable decline.
Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti): Hmm.
Maya (Virginia Madsen): And it tastes so fucking good.
About Birthstones
(via Wahroongai News, Volume 24, No.9, September 1990)
In ancient Egypt, there was an accepted custom of engraving symbols onto certain semi-precious gemstones which had been cut into various symbolical forms. These symbols were taken from a very ancient ritual composition called the Book of the Dead. The symbols were inscribed on exceptional pieces of emerald in matrix, green and red jasper, malachite, lapis lazuli, feldspar, serpentine, turquoise, and carnelian. They were hand-carved in the form of heart-shaped amulets and beetle-shaped scarabs. The ancient symbols were usually inlaid with gold with ornamental gold surrounding the amulets and scarabs. These carved gems were usually placed around the neck of a mummy to assure safe passage of the soul of the deceased through the realm of the dead and to insure protection from all evil influences. One particular amulet called ‘uat’ insured that the deceased would enjoy eternal youth in the realm of the dead. There were many other amulets and scarabs, each with their own unique supernatural powers.
Beginning in the first century A.D., the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus (37 – 95 A.D) set forth the belief that to each month of the year a special stone was dedicated and that the stone of the month was endowed with a particular virtue for those born in that month. This was called their ‘natal’ stone, later to become known as birthstones. However, it was not until the 18th century in Poland that the wearing of natal or birthstones became an accepted custom. This disparity in time and custom may be attributed to the fact that the special virtues of the gemstone were customarily accepted. But is was centuries before what many believed to be a mystic bond between the stone of the month and the person born in that month was fully realized.
Each stone had particularly strong powers for the person born during its month. This belief grew from early studies of the Bible, in particular, the book of Exodus (28: 17 – 20) and Revelation (21: 19, 20). Although the special powers of gemstones were generally accepted, the practice of wearing birthstones attributed to the influence of Jewish rabbis and gem traders who settled there.
Today, the wearing of birthstones is an accepted custom. They are worn now not for their supposed mythical powers, but rather because of their color, brilliance, and beauty.
In ancient Egypt, there was an accepted custom of engraving symbols onto certain semi-precious gemstones which had been cut into various symbolical forms. These symbols were taken from a very ancient ritual composition called the Book of the Dead. The symbols were inscribed on exceptional pieces of emerald in matrix, green and red jasper, malachite, lapis lazuli, feldspar, serpentine, turquoise, and carnelian. They were hand-carved in the form of heart-shaped amulets and beetle-shaped scarabs. The ancient symbols were usually inlaid with gold with ornamental gold surrounding the amulets and scarabs. These carved gems were usually placed around the neck of a mummy to assure safe passage of the soul of the deceased through the realm of the dead and to insure protection from all evil influences. One particular amulet called ‘uat’ insured that the deceased would enjoy eternal youth in the realm of the dead. There were many other amulets and scarabs, each with their own unique supernatural powers.
Beginning in the first century A.D., the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus (37 – 95 A.D) set forth the belief that to each month of the year a special stone was dedicated and that the stone of the month was endowed with a particular virtue for those born in that month. This was called their ‘natal’ stone, later to become known as birthstones. However, it was not until the 18th century in Poland that the wearing of natal or birthstones became an accepted custom. This disparity in time and custom may be attributed to the fact that the special virtues of the gemstone were customarily accepted. But is was centuries before what many believed to be a mystic bond between the stone of the month and the person born in that month was fully realized.
Each stone had particularly strong powers for the person born during its month. This belief grew from early studies of the Bible, in particular, the book of Exodus (28: 17 – 20) and Revelation (21: 19, 20). Although the special powers of gemstones were generally accepted, the practice of wearing birthstones attributed to the influence of Jewish rabbis and gem traders who settled there.
Today, the wearing of birthstones is an accepted custom. They are worn now not for their supposed mythical powers, but rather because of their color, brilliance, and beauty.
World's Poor Represent $5 trillion Market
(via news/yahoo) IFC writes:
The world's estimated four billion people who live under the poverty line represent an untapped global market worth $5 trillion in local purchasing power, according to a new report.
The report by the International Financial Corp., the World Bank's private sector arm, and environmental think-tank the World Resources Institute, measures the size of the market using income and expenditure from household surveys. It comes as domestic and multinational corporations look closer at breaking into this under-served markets, where microlending is already a mushrooming business.
Development projects have focused on the poorest of the poor, but a much larger group are families with incomes below $3,000 a year, who mainly work in the informal sector, have no bank accounts or access to modern financial services, and lack access to clean water, electricity and basic health care.
The report "The Next Four Billion: Market Size and Business Strategy at the Base of the Pyramid," refers to this group as the base of the pyramid markets, or BOP. A wealthier mid-tier group with per capita incomes between $3,000 and $20,000 represents a global market worth $12.5 trillion, but they are better off in general, living mainly in cities and are better served.
"The report backs up the calls for broader business engagement with the base of the pyramid, stressing the need for the private sector to play a greater role in development," said Michael Klein, the IFC's chief economist.
"The report also highlights the need for governments to pick up the pace of reforms to the operating and regulatory environment, so that it becomes easier to do business," he added.
The BOP market is by far the largest in Asia and the Middle East, reflecting the sheer weight of the population, with 2.86 billion people with an aggregate income of $3.47 trillion.
In Eastern Europe, the BOP market totals $458 billion and includes 254 million people, or 64 percent of the region's population, with 36 percent of its aggregate purchasing power. In Latin America, this segment is estimated to include $509 billion and 360 million people, which is 70 percent of the region's population but only 28 percent aggregate purchasing power. In Africa, the BOP market is smaller at $429 billion, but it is by far the dominant consumer market on the continent, representing 71 percent of aggregate purchasing power in the region.
In surveys that look at sector markets for the 4 billion consumers, the report said range from $20 billion for water, $51 billion for technology, $158 billion for health, $433 billion for energy and the largest is $2.89 trillion for food.
According to surveys more than half of these poor households' health care spending is for pharmaceuticals. As incomes rise, the share of household spending for food declines, while the share of spending for transportation and for phone and Internet access rises sharply. For all developing regions except Eastern Europe, firewood is the main cooking fuel, while propane or other modern fuels dominate dominate higher-income segments and urban areas.
The world's estimated four billion people who live under the poverty line represent an untapped global market worth $5 trillion in local purchasing power, according to a new report.
The report by the International Financial Corp., the World Bank's private sector arm, and environmental think-tank the World Resources Institute, measures the size of the market using income and expenditure from household surveys. It comes as domestic and multinational corporations look closer at breaking into this under-served markets, where microlending is already a mushrooming business.
Development projects have focused on the poorest of the poor, but a much larger group are families with incomes below $3,000 a year, who mainly work in the informal sector, have no bank accounts or access to modern financial services, and lack access to clean water, electricity and basic health care.
The report "The Next Four Billion: Market Size and Business Strategy at the Base of the Pyramid," refers to this group as the base of the pyramid markets, or BOP. A wealthier mid-tier group with per capita incomes between $3,000 and $20,000 represents a global market worth $12.5 trillion, but they are better off in general, living mainly in cities and are better served.
"The report backs up the calls for broader business engagement with the base of the pyramid, stressing the need for the private sector to play a greater role in development," said Michael Klein, the IFC's chief economist.
"The report also highlights the need for governments to pick up the pace of reforms to the operating and regulatory environment, so that it becomes easier to do business," he added.
The BOP market is by far the largest in Asia and the Middle East, reflecting the sheer weight of the population, with 2.86 billion people with an aggregate income of $3.47 trillion.
In Eastern Europe, the BOP market totals $458 billion and includes 254 million people, or 64 percent of the region's population, with 36 percent of its aggregate purchasing power. In Latin America, this segment is estimated to include $509 billion and 360 million people, which is 70 percent of the region's population but only 28 percent aggregate purchasing power. In Africa, the BOP market is smaller at $429 billion, but it is by far the dominant consumer market on the continent, representing 71 percent of aggregate purchasing power in the region.
In surveys that look at sector markets for the 4 billion consumers, the report said range from $20 billion for water, $51 billion for technology, $158 billion for health, $433 billion for energy and the largest is $2.89 trillion for food.
According to surveys more than half of these poor households' health care spending is for pharmaceuticals. As incomes rise, the share of household spending for food declines, while the share of spending for transportation and for phone and Internet access rises sharply. For all developing regions except Eastern Europe, firewood is the main cooking fuel, while propane or other modern fuels dominate dominate higher-income segments and urban areas.
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