(via Indiaqua, 49/1988; Extracted from ‘M’ The Civilized Man, 1985)
Harry Oppenheimer’s first deal involved one of the last of the big time eccentric prospectors. John Williamson, a one time Anglo employee who had wandered off in search of his dream mine and, in 1940, found the Mwadui mine, one of the richest diamond pipes ever discovered, in Tanganyika.
An independent sort, he treated his mine like a sovereign state, even flying his own flag with his initials on it overhead. And shortly after he went into production, he pulled his diamonds out of the syndicate’s distribution system, saying he could make more selling them himself.
“Well, he got his desire and found his mine, and he became very rich,” Oppenheimer recalls, “but in the course of this he simply destroyed his health and took to drink in a major way. He was not the sort of person who drinks too much at dinner, then goes to bed and suddenly drinks a case of whiskey. But he was an attractive fellow, inspired loyalty in his people. He didn’t form a company sell his shares; he owned the whole thing, and lived on the mine.”
There he built his own little paradise; a home filled with fine antiques and first editions—and mongrel dogs everywhere. Williamson took up knitting, and twice in a row won the Aylesbury Women’s Institute Silver Distaff Award for needlework. He liked to tell visitors that diamonds were so abundant at Mwadui they could find them lying on the ground. Inevitably, someone would find a huge pink diamond, only to learn it was a plastic replica of the 54 carat stone Williamson had given Princess Elizabeth as a wedding present. He also like to carry scissors in his pocket to snip off people’s ties.
Shortly after the war, Harry was assigned by his father to bring Mwadui, and this character, back into the fold. “I did establish quite a relationship with him, and I think that was because I happened to like him, “he says. “But he was the sort of person who, if you talked to him about business matters, you had to proceed very slowly. If you said anything quickly……it was as though you had a rather nice wild animal but if you move quickly, it sort of take frights.”
At one negotiating meeting in Williamson’s office, Oppenheimer determined not to say anything until Williamson known for his long, unexplainable silences, spoke first. Oppenheimer gave up after 20 minutes. Eventually, however, he did succeed in getting a new contract for Williamson’s production.
“Finally he died,” says Oppenheimer, “and he left the mine to his family, left control of it to his brother Percy, who was a garage proprietor in Edmonton (Ontario). And this fellow, there was no vice in him at all, but he was entirely unsuited to such a thing; he found tropical Tanzania much less agreeable than living among the snows of Edmonton. Finally I went up there and we bought the mine. “Bought it, that is, with a sales contract that he drew up himself on the spot, without the aid of company lawyers.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Colored Stone Grading—To Be Or Not To Be
2007: Still there are no international standards for colored stone grading. Much work remains to be done.
(via Gemological Digest, Vol.2, No.3, 1998) Richard Hughes writes:
To mention the subject of colored stone grading to many gem dealers is to tell a Jew that Hitler was a great humanitarian—they immediately begin to foam at the mouth, snarling and growling in your general direction. A touchy subject? Not at all. Just don’t drop in into your conversation upwind of an ICA congress. Well, at the risk of getting bitten, I would still like to say a few words on the subject of colored stone grading.
The idea of grading gemstones is as old as the gem business itself. Learning to separate gems into different quality categories is one of the first things learned by most gem dealers and, in fact, their success in business rides to a large degree on their ability to do just that. However, idea of gem labs grading colored gemstones for the trade and public was first realized only in the late 1970s. This coincided with a general boom in the colored market. All booms, though, are usually followed by busts, at least in business. When this occurred in the early to mid 1980s, many dealers pointed at colored stone grading by labs as the major culprit. I do not believe that this is entirely a fair assessment. The issuance of grading reports by labs may have been responsible for part of the downturn, but they were certainly not the major cause.
Early attempts at laboratory grading were (and still are) crude, at best. This is true in the development of anything that is new. If you were to look back at first airplanes you would see that they were hardly satisfactory. Clumsy and dangerous, they often crashed and killed their occupants. Even today crashes occur. Airplanes remain far from perfect and probably never will be. Few people today would argue against their use on that score, but in the beginning many did. ‘Man should not attempt to fly. It is against God’s will. If man were meant to fly, God would have given him wings.’ I guess if man were meant to drive, he should have been born with wheels and horn, too.
Due to the primitive state of colored stone grading today, many dealers have stated that this subject is beyond the ability of humans to resolve (I must confess that I too once held this opinion because of the many difficulties involved). The grading of colored stones is so complex that it can never be summarized on a short report, they claim. When I hear this argument I am reminded of some of the books written on opal prior to 1965. Certain authors (Eyles, W.C., 1964), in discussing the play of color effect seen in opal, stated that it was a mystery that would probably never be solved by humans. For this reason, they claimed opal would never be synthesized. In 1965, however, scientists did discover the cause of this play of color and only six months later these same scientists had produced the first synthetic opal. The lesson here is not to just say no, to paraphrase Nancy Reagan, but instead, to never say never. What is needed is to less science, but more decent science.
I will be the first to admit that colored stone grading (and diamond grading) as practiced today is extremely unreliable and, in my opinion, not reproducible within a reasonable degree of error. I do not believe that any of the labs issuing these reports today (for anyone else, myself included, for that matter) have a firm enough grasp of the subject to do a good job of it. Colored stone grading today is comparable to the airplanes of 1910. Crashes occur far too frequently, and anyone who is offered a ride should definitely be warned of the considerable risks involved. Labs (and appraisers) which do not warn their customers of these risks are guilty of negligence, pure and simple. Too often these risks are swept under the carpet. Of course, you may argue that one does not learn to fly by remaining on the ground, and this is perfectly true. But it seems rash to be taking on passengers, unless they are properly informed of the risks. By risks, I refer to the degree of reproducibility of the grades. This should be clearly stated on the document, both for colored stone grading and diamond grading reports. If the risks are clearly described, however, I see nothing wrong with issuing these reports.
I must confess that the organization I work for, AIGS, also issued colored stone grading reports at one time. We no longer to so, mostly for the reason stated above—lack of a reasonable degree of reproducibility of the grades. We believe that there is still much to be learned about colored stone grading.
The trade’s inability to produce a high standard colored stone grading today does not mean that it should abandon the idea altogether. That would be akin to throwing out the baby with the bath water. The benefits of accurate grading system are too great to quit at the first sign of problems. Instead, we must keep working to develop and refine the grading techniques so that they can be made more reproducible.
Change inevitably brings about certain uneasiness in people, particularly as they age. Some feel this more than others. Many colored stone dealers have considered the changes in the business wrought by the introduction of diamond and colored stone grading reports and have deplored them. Some of the major criticisms leveled against colored stone grading by labs were discussed in 1985 by Reuven Sadkiel (Gemwatch, Feb, 1986), the President of the Israel Precious Stones and Diamonds Exchange. In his 1985 address to the Second European Precious Stones Congress in Antwerp, Sadkiel described colored stone grading by labs in the following terms:
1. It takes the factor of color appreciation and preference away from human taste and senses and replaces it with the judgment of a technical device.
2. It brings us to an artificial and unreal rating of what are supposedly the preferred color ranges.
3. It may bring about a stepped-up demand for certain colors, which are considered preferred when their availability in nature is rather rare.
4. It is absolutely unrealistic to impose a scientific conclusive scale of color preferences when in practice the desirability of color is a matter of personal taste and the natural daylight conditions in different geographic regions greatly influence the perception of color. The same stone has a different color appearance in different regions.
5. Grading and rating systems will cancel the element of illusion which is familiar to all of us, the all important subjective beauty and attraction of a specific rough or cut stone. An appreciation of the stone based on the skills, experiences and professionalism gained by the dealers over many years will become irrelevant the moment a mechanical device establishes a rating and value for the stone.
6. And, perhaps most disturbingly, the trade will de facto transfer the responsibility of setting the value of the goods we deal in to outside gemologists, laboratories, and their devices.
In conclusion, I want to restate unequivocally that it is impossible to allow the trade to accept color grading systems, even if they may seem helpful or practical. These grades will lead to value ratings and preference scales—which totally contradict the market realities which characterize our trade. It will lead first to trading with certificates and eventually to trading in certificates. It will eliminate the special role of dealers in the precious stone business. It will transfer the decision as to prices and preferences from the markets to the laboratories. It will destroy the norms and principles under which the business has flourished for many generations. It will take away the element of illusion, one of the most beautiful aspects of the trade. It will lead our business into chaos. It is up to us to avoid all this by saying ‘no’ to color rating systems.
After reading the above, one may wonder whether, in the opinion of Mr Sadkiel, colored stone grading might also cause hair to grow on the palms of one’s hand. Seriously, I do believe that a number of Mr Sadkiel’s criticisms have a certain amount of truth to them. But at the same time they do not tell the whole story.
Colored stone dealers today often see themselves as the last of the great adventurers, considering that they are among the first travelers to make the journey East since the time of Marco Polo. American dealer, Ray Zajicek, summed up this attitude when he said, “The colored stone dealer must go all over the world to seek his gems, sometimes imperiling his life in distant places such as Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.” (Everhart, 1987). Traveling to foreign lands to obtain the goods, they often visit areas which ordinary tourists shun. And similar to the European travelers of the Middle Ages, they often exaggerate the dangers of such travels. During the Middle Ages, European travelers to Asia often returned with fanciful accounts of their journeys. Dragons, mountains that spit fire, yetis, etc., were said to be the dangers of Asian travel during these times. Today these have replaced by smuggling, difficult access to mining areas, local wars, and simple culture shock at that. The purpose of such stories, I believe, is two fold. First, they tend to discourage any would be competitors, by representing the journeys as being much more hazardous than they actually are. Secondly, they lend a certain romance, or illusion, if you will, to the profession. Many gem dealers believe that colored stone grading would somehow remove this aspect of the trade, but this is not necessarily so.
The important thing to remember about colored stone grading is that it is a creation of humans, and so can be made to be anything that we want it to be. It is not, and should not be, a static entity created in a vacuum. A useable colored stone grading language can only be created by combining the scientific expertise of gemologists and other scientists with the practical expertise of the dealers. If the experts (i.e., dealers) believe the romance factor to be important and essential to the business, then there is no reason why it could not be incorporated into the grading. An additional romance grade could be added to the report. Perhaps gems mined or purchased in countries where a guerilla war is currently underway could be given five bonus points. Are their bandits along the access roads to mines? That would certainly worth a few extra points. Mines located above 4000 meters elevation might fetch ten extra points. Is there a language problem or do the taxi drivers overcharge you in the place where the gems are bought? Separate categories could be created for each of these (of course, a negative scale might also be needed. Male buyers making their purchase in Bangkok, famous for its active nightlife, generally enjoy themselves quite a bit while there, and so, logically, would be penalized. This, however, would not apply to female buyers, at least in Bangkok). The bottom line is that colored stone grading can incorporate anything that we want in to.
Similarly, the idea of different lighting conditions in different parts of the world can also be addressed. Studies can be undertaken to discern exactly what these differences are, or if, in fact, they exist at all. I, myself, as with most dealers, believe that these differences do exist, but until the problem is studied in more detail it would seem somewhat rash to say absolutely that they are detectable (let us not forget that, up until recently, most experts believed the world to be flat). If these differences are found to be important, they can then be incorporated into the report. Regional reports can be made for individual areas where the stone is going to be sold. However, to state that these differences will never be quantifiable is, in my opinion, shortsighted.
One of the biggest problems that we at AIGS have found in developing an effective colored stone grading language is that many experts (i.e. dealers) do not understand color terminology, as used by color scientists in other fields. An example of this is given by common dealer descriptions of rubies. If one asks an average dealer what the difference is between Burmese and Thai rubies, most will tell you that Thai ruby is too purple in terms of its hue positions. In fact, we have found that most Burmese rubies are more purple than their Thai counterparts.
The real difference between a fine ruby and a poor one is the saturation (intensity) of the hue rather than a shift in the hue position itself. We have found this to be the case with most colored stones. Too often dealers tend to refer to differences in color between one gem and another solely in terms of hue position, when saturation differences are the crucial factor. Certainly, an important factor in developing an effective colored stone grading language will be reaching agreement among both dealers and gemologists as to the proper vocabulary to be used in describing the appearance of the stones. And it is the overall appearance of the stone that is the crux of the issue here, not just the gem’s color.
As to market tastes in different countries, most dealers state that appreciation of color varies from one country to another. Colored stone grading reports, it is claimed, would dictate to the market which color is best, rather than the market making this decision. This is not necessarily so. True, certain markets tend to purchase certain colors over others, but I’ve observed that there is general agreement among connoisseurs as to what constitutes the best or better colors. Consequently, these better colors consistently fetch the highest prices in the market. As for the lower grades, yes, certain colors are purchased more for certain markets than for others. Rather than being a disagreement as to what is best, however, it is more a function of the buying power of the customers in that market. For example, Swiss buyers of corundum consistently purchase the better (i.e. more expensive) grades because their customers are generally more wealthy and so can afford to buy the best. In contrast, buyers from England must sell to customers in a market where the economy is depressed, and so are forced to settle for stones of lower quality. This is not to say that the people in England prefer to buy the lower grades. They just do not have enough money to purchase the best. The point here, and it is an important one, is that buyers will purchase the qualities which are most easily saleable in their home markets. Some may say that the English prefer darker rubies, while the Japanese prefer more pinkish stones. It is not that the Japanese and English buyers cannot agree upon what is best. They can. If given an unlimited amount of money to spend and if offered to a broad selection of rubies where side by side comparisons can be made, virtually all experienced buyers will choose the same stone almost every time. That is why these top quality stones fetch the highest prices in the Bangkok market.
One of Mr Sadkiel’s major objections to colored stone grading by labs was that it might bring about a stepped up demand for certain colors which are considered preferred when their availability in nature is rather rare. I fail completely to see the logic in this argument. Should we avoid telling people that Picasso and Van Gogh were great artists simply because they didn’t produce enough paintings to put one in everybody’s home? I think not.
It is interesting to note that the highest prices for the very best qualities are usually paid in the producing country itself. This is because the dealers in the country where the gem is found almost always have the most experience in buying that stone. They know the full range of qualities possible for that stone and so are better able to recognize the very top quality when it is shown to them. This may seem to contradict what I have just said about all experienced dealers agreeing on what is the best quality. The problem here is that the color memory of humans is extremely poor. Given side by side comparisons, humans are able to differentiate literally millions of colors. This ability shrinks very quickly, however, if the colors are examined one at a time. With colored gemstones, it is often not possible to make side by side comparisons—especially for the best qualities, due to their great rarity. Thus, dealers are forced to rely upon their memories when making a decision as to just where a particular stone lies within the color quality spectrum (many dealers carry with them reference stones for this purpose, because human color memory is so unreliable). Dealers in the producing countries have the most experience in judging that particular variety, and so are better able to place an individual stone in its proper rank within the spectrum. Were side-by-side comparisons are possible, dealers in the producing countries would not necessarily have such an advantage. Again, in side-by-side comparisons, my experience is that there is agreement as to which stone has the best color, even among dealers from many different countries.
The lesson to be learned here for those involved in colored stone grading is that, since side-by-side comparisons for the very rare top grades are not often possible, it will be necessary to come up with some other calibrated references (such as the GIA’s ColorMaster), as well as to consult with the most experienced dealers to determine just what constitutes the best for each individual variety. These dealers will generally not be found in the consuming countries, but instead, in the producing countries themselves.
True understanding of all colored stones is much too complex for this knowledge to be gathered into the head of a single person. Instead, I believe that increasing specialization will be required. It we want to learn and define what is best in corundum, we must go to Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, India, Australia and East Africa. If we want to learn what is best in emerald, we must seek out experts in Colombia, Zambia, Israel, Brazil, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. If we want to learn what is best in Jade, we must seek out experts in Burma, China, Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan. These are the experts who are most qualified to judge what is best, because it is they who have the most experience in examining that particular type of stone.
Because of the tremendous difficulties involved in assimilating all of this expertise from such widely ranging sources, great mistakes in grading have occurred in the past. Many dealers are familiar with the mistakes in grading rubies made by AGL (American Gemological Laboratories) in New York during the early 1980s. Their grading of rubies was based mainly upon the hue position of the stone, in part because of the incorrect terminology used by dealers in describing such stones. As I stated earlier, dealers often describe color differences solely in terms of hue position when saturation is actually the key. Burmese rubies are said to be more red, while Thai rubies are described as being too purple. Actually, the reverse is true. The result of this lack of a properly defined color vocabulary was that AGL awarded its highest color grades to the dark Thai rubies which were the purest red in hue position (AIGS Type D, daeng dum). Burmese rubies, which have traditionally fetched the highest prices in the market (due largely to their higher saturation of color), were given lower grades because they were more purple in hue position.
Dealers quickly picked up on this discrepancy and began buying up these dark red rubies in Thailand where they were relatively cheap compared with Burmese stones, because they were graded highest in New York at AGL. Eventually AGL realized its mistake and corrected the situation, but not before considerable damage was done. To reiterate, for an effective colored stone grading language to be developed, it will require both scientific expertise as well as dealer expertise. And the dealer expertise is generally greatest at source, not just in the consuming countries.
Assimilating the knowledge from experts at the source is certainly one of the most difficult tasks facing the trade in the development of an effective colored stone grading system. There does appear, however, to be some promise for the future. Specifically what I am referring to is the establishment of gemological institutes and journals in the producing nations. The first such institute in a major producing country was the founding of AIGS in Bangkok ten years ago. Its success should provide a model for similar institutes in other producing nations.
During the nineteenth century the British were able to glean and distribute a tremendous amount of information about Asian countries and their cultures by establishing Asiatic Societies and their associated journals in a number of Asian nations. These societies provided the framework for a direct exchange of information pertaining to Asia and the rest of the world. Similarly, AIGS and this journal will also allow information about Asian gems to be distributed from the source to the rest of the world. What is needed now are similar institutes and associated publications in other major producing and trading centers. India and Sri Lanka have recently founded gemological journals which provide both fascinating and useful information about their markets. The Sauer family and others are presently working to establish an institute along the lines of AIGS in Brazil. We need institutes and journals in Burma, Colombia, China, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Mexico, in all the places where gems are produced. This is the only way in which the rest of the world can tap into that special knowledge and expertise that is available at the source. I am not trying to discount the importance of the work done by GIA, AGL, AGMS, DgemG, GAGB, GAA, CGA, SSEF, GAAJ, AFG, Gubelin, and others in the consuming nations. These organizations will continue to be essential in the future development of colored stone grading, particularly with regard to new and improved technologies. Today, however, very little information is being disseminated from the producing nations themselves. We must find a way to tap into the expertise at the source. Establishment of institutes and journals in the producing nations offers the most viable means of accomplishing this goal.
In summary, it is clear that much remains to be learned about colored stone grading, much work remains to be done. This will require cooperation among dealers and gemologists. Each has something to learn. Rather than looking upon one another as adversaries, let us look upon each other as colleagues, sharing in the development of something exciting, something new. Rather than looking wishfully back at the past, let us look forward to the future. Colored stone grading is here to stay, no matter how much some people might wish otherwise, because the consumers want it. And our trade exists for the consumers. They are the ones who buy our product. A great adventure awaits us. Colored stone grading can be anything that we make it. Let us work together, dealers and gemologists, to make it right.
(via Gemological Digest, Vol.2, No.3, 1998) Richard Hughes writes:
To mention the subject of colored stone grading to many gem dealers is to tell a Jew that Hitler was a great humanitarian—they immediately begin to foam at the mouth, snarling and growling in your general direction. A touchy subject? Not at all. Just don’t drop in into your conversation upwind of an ICA congress. Well, at the risk of getting bitten, I would still like to say a few words on the subject of colored stone grading.
The idea of grading gemstones is as old as the gem business itself. Learning to separate gems into different quality categories is one of the first things learned by most gem dealers and, in fact, their success in business rides to a large degree on their ability to do just that. However, idea of gem labs grading colored gemstones for the trade and public was first realized only in the late 1970s. This coincided with a general boom in the colored market. All booms, though, are usually followed by busts, at least in business. When this occurred in the early to mid 1980s, many dealers pointed at colored stone grading by labs as the major culprit. I do not believe that this is entirely a fair assessment. The issuance of grading reports by labs may have been responsible for part of the downturn, but they were certainly not the major cause.
Early attempts at laboratory grading were (and still are) crude, at best. This is true in the development of anything that is new. If you were to look back at first airplanes you would see that they were hardly satisfactory. Clumsy and dangerous, they often crashed and killed their occupants. Even today crashes occur. Airplanes remain far from perfect and probably never will be. Few people today would argue against their use on that score, but in the beginning many did. ‘Man should not attempt to fly. It is against God’s will. If man were meant to fly, God would have given him wings.’ I guess if man were meant to drive, he should have been born with wheels and horn, too.
Due to the primitive state of colored stone grading today, many dealers have stated that this subject is beyond the ability of humans to resolve (I must confess that I too once held this opinion because of the many difficulties involved). The grading of colored stones is so complex that it can never be summarized on a short report, they claim. When I hear this argument I am reminded of some of the books written on opal prior to 1965. Certain authors (Eyles, W.C., 1964), in discussing the play of color effect seen in opal, stated that it was a mystery that would probably never be solved by humans. For this reason, they claimed opal would never be synthesized. In 1965, however, scientists did discover the cause of this play of color and only six months later these same scientists had produced the first synthetic opal. The lesson here is not to just say no, to paraphrase Nancy Reagan, but instead, to never say never. What is needed is to less science, but more decent science.
I will be the first to admit that colored stone grading (and diamond grading) as practiced today is extremely unreliable and, in my opinion, not reproducible within a reasonable degree of error. I do not believe that any of the labs issuing these reports today (for anyone else, myself included, for that matter) have a firm enough grasp of the subject to do a good job of it. Colored stone grading today is comparable to the airplanes of 1910. Crashes occur far too frequently, and anyone who is offered a ride should definitely be warned of the considerable risks involved. Labs (and appraisers) which do not warn their customers of these risks are guilty of negligence, pure and simple. Too often these risks are swept under the carpet. Of course, you may argue that one does not learn to fly by remaining on the ground, and this is perfectly true. But it seems rash to be taking on passengers, unless they are properly informed of the risks. By risks, I refer to the degree of reproducibility of the grades. This should be clearly stated on the document, both for colored stone grading and diamond grading reports. If the risks are clearly described, however, I see nothing wrong with issuing these reports.
I must confess that the organization I work for, AIGS, also issued colored stone grading reports at one time. We no longer to so, mostly for the reason stated above—lack of a reasonable degree of reproducibility of the grades. We believe that there is still much to be learned about colored stone grading.
The trade’s inability to produce a high standard colored stone grading today does not mean that it should abandon the idea altogether. That would be akin to throwing out the baby with the bath water. The benefits of accurate grading system are too great to quit at the first sign of problems. Instead, we must keep working to develop and refine the grading techniques so that they can be made more reproducible.
Change inevitably brings about certain uneasiness in people, particularly as they age. Some feel this more than others. Many colored stone dealers have considered the changes in the business wrought by the introduction of diamond and colored stone grading reports and have deplored them. Some of the major criticisms leveled against colored stone grading by labs were discussed in 1985 by Reuven Sadkiel (Gemwatch, Feb, 1986), the President of the Israel Precious Stones and Diamonds Exchange. In his 1985 address to the Second European Precious Stones Congress in Antwerp, Sadkiel described colored stone grading by labs in the following terms:
1. It takes the factor of color appreciation and preference away from human taste and senses and replaces it with the judgment of a technical device.
2. It brings us to an artificial and unreal rating of what are supposedly the preferred color ranges.
3. It may bring about a stepped-up demand for certain colors, which are considered preferred when their availability in nature is rather rare.
4. It is absolutely unrealistic to impose a scientific conclusive scale of color preferences when in practice the desirability of color is a matter of personal taste and the natural daylight conditions in different geographic regions greatly influence the perception of color. The same stone has a different color appearance in different regions.
5. Grading and rating systems will cancel the element of illusion which is familiar to all of us, the all important subjective beauty and attraction of a specific rough or cut stone. An appreciation of the stone based on the skills, experiences and professionalism gained by the dealers over many years will become irrelevant the moment a mechanical device establishes a rating and value for the stone.
6. And, perhaps most disturbingly, the trade will de facto transfer the responsibility of setting the value of the goods we deal in to outside gemologists, laboratories, and their devices.
In conclusion, I want to restate unequivocally that it is impossible to allow the trade to accept color grading systems, even if they may seem helpful or practical. These grades will lead to value ratings and preference scales—which totally contradict the market realities which characterize our trade. It will lead first to trading with certificates and eventually to trading in certificates. It will eliminate the special role of dealers in the precious stone business. It will transfer the decision as to prices and preferences from the markets to the laboratories. It will destroy the norms and principles under which the business has flourished for many generations. It will take away the element of illusion, one of the most beautiful aspects of the trade. It will lead our business into chaos. It is up to us to avoid all this by saying ‘no’ to color rating systems.
After reading the above, one may wonder whether, in the opinion of Mr Sadkiel, colored stone grading might also cause hair to grow on the palms of one’s hand. Seriously, I do believe that a number of Mr Sadkiel’s criticisms have a certain amount of truth to them. But at the same time they do not tell the whole story.
Colored stone dealers today often see themselves as the last of the great adventurers, considering that they are among the first travelers to make the journey East since the time of Marco Polo. American dealer, Ray Zajicek, summed up this attitude when he said, “The colored stone dealer must go all over the world to seek his gems, sometimes imperiling his life in distant places such as Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.” (Everhart, 1987). Traveling to foreign lands to obtain the goods, they often visit areas which ordinary tourists shun. And similar to the European travelers of the Middle Ages, they often exaggerate the dangers of such travels. During the Middle Ages, European travelers to Asia often returned with fanciful accounts of their journeys. Dragons, mountains that spit fire, yetis, etc., were said to be the dangers of Asian travel during these times. Today these have replaced by smuggling, difficult access to mining areas, local wars, and simple culture shock at that. The purpose of such stories, I believe, is two fold. First, they tend to discourage any would be competitors, by representing the journeys as being much more hazardous than they actually are. Secondly, they lend a certain romance, or illusion, if you will, to the profession. Many gem dealers believe that colored stone grading would somehow remove this aspect of the trade, but this is not necessarily so.
The important thing to remember about colored stone grading is that it is a creation of humans, and so can be made to be anything that we want it to be. It is not, and should not be, a static entity created in a vacuum. A useable colored stone grading language can only be created by combining the scientific expertise of gemologists and other scientists with the practical expertise of the dealers. If the experts (i.e., dealers) believe the romance factor to be important and essential to the business, then there is no reason why it could not be incorporated into the grading. An additional romance grade could be added to the report. Perhaps gems mined or purchased in countries where a guerilla war is currently underway could be given five bonus points. Are their bandits along the access roads to mines? That would certainly worth a few extra points. Mines located above 4000 meters elevation might fetch ten extra points. Is there a language problem or do the taxi drivers overcharge you in the place where the gems are bought? Separate categories could be created for each of these (of course, a negative scale might also be needed. Male buyers making their purchase in Bangkok, famous for its active nightlife, generally enjoy themselves quite a bit while there, and so, logically, would be penalized. This, however, would not apply to female buyers, at least in Bangkok). The bottom line is that colored stone grading can incorporate anything that we want in to.
Similarly, the idea of different lighting conditions in different parts of the world can also be addressed. Studies can be undertaken to discern exactly what these differences are, or if, in fact, they exist at all. I, myself, as with most dealers, believe that these differences do exist, but until the problem is studied in more detail it would seem somewhat rash to say absolutely that they are detectable (let us not forget that, up until recently, most experts believed the world to be flat). If these differences are found to be important, they can then be incorporated into the report. Regional reports can be made for individual areas where the stone is going to be sold. However, to state that these differences will never be quantifiable is, in my opinion, shortsighted.
One of the biggest problems that we at AIGS have found in developing an effective colored stone grading language is that many experts (i.e. dealers) do not understand color terminology, as used by color scientists in other fields. An example of this is given by common dealer descriptions of rubies. If one asks an average dealer what the difference is between Burmese and Thai rubies, most will tell you that Thai ruby is too purple in terms of its hue positions. In fact, we have found that most Burmese rubies are more purple than their Thai counterparts.
The real difference between a fine ruby and a poor one is the saturation (intensity) of the hue rather than a shift in the hue position itself. We have found this to be the case with most colored stones. Too often dealers tend to refer to differences in color between one gem and another solely in terms of hue position, when saturation differences are the crucial factor. Certainly, an important factor in developing an effective colored stone grading language will be reaching agreement among both dealers and gemologists as to the proper vocabulary to be used in describing the appearance of the stones. And it is the overall appearance of the stone that is the crux of the issue here, not just the gem’s color.
As to market tastes in different countries, most dealers state that appreciation of color varies from one country to another. Colored stone grading reports, it is claimed, would dictate to the market which color is best, rather than the market making this decision. This is not necessarily so. True, certain markets tend to purchase certain colors over others, but I’ve observed that there is general agreement among connoisseurs as to what constitutes the best or better colors. Consequently, these better colors consistently fetch the highest prices in the market. As for the lower grades, yes, certain colors are purchased more for certain markets than for others. Rather than being a disagreement as to what is best, however, it is more a function of the buying power of the customers in that market. For example, Swiss buyers of corundum consistently purchase the better (i.e. more expensive) grades because their customers are generally more wealthy and so can afford to buy the best. In contrast, buyers from England must sell to customers in a market where the economy is depressed, and so are forced to settle for stones of lower quality. This is not to say that the people in England prefer to buy the lower grades. They just do not have enough money to purchase the best. The point here, and it is an important one, is that buyers will purchase the qualities which are most easily saleable in their home markets. Some may say that the English prefer darker rubies, while the Japanese prefer more pinkish stones. It is not that the Japanese and English buyers cannot agree upon what is best. They can. If given an unlimited amount of money to spend and if offered to a broad selection of rubies where side by side comparisons can be made, virtually all experienced buyers will choose the same stone almost every time. That is why these top quality stones fetch the highest prices in the Bangkok market.
One of Mr Sadkiel’s major objections to colored stone grading by labs was that it might bring about a stepped up demand for certain colors which are considered preferred when their availability in nature is rather rare. I fail completely to see the logic in this argument. Should we avoid telling people that Picasso and Van Gogh were great artists simply because they didn’t produce enough paintings to put one in everybody’s home? I think not.
It is interesting to note that the highest prices for the very best qualities are usually paid in the producing country itself. This is because the dealers in the country where the gem is found almost always have the most experience in buying that stone. They know the full range of qualities possible for that stone and so are better able to recognize the very top quality when it is shown to them. This may seem to contradict what I have just said about all experienced dealers agreeing on what is the best quality. The problem here is that the color memory of humans is extremely poor. Given side by side comparisons, humans are able to differentiate literally millions of colors. This ability shrinks very quickly, however, if the colors are examined one at a time. With colored gemstones, it is often not possible to make side by side comparisons—especially for the best qualities, due to their great rarity. Thus, dealers are forced to rely upon their memories when making a decision as to just where a particular stone lies within the color quality spectrum (many dealers carry with them reference stones for this purpose, because human color memory is so unreliable). Dealers in the producing countries have the most experience in judging that particular variety, and so are better able to place an individual stone in its proper rank within the spectrum. Were side-by-side comparisons are possible, dealers in the producing countries would not necessarily have such an advantage. Again, in side-by-side comparisons, my experience is that there is agreement as to which stone has the best color, even among dealers from many different countries.
The lesson to be learned here for those involved in colored stone grading is that, since side-by-side comparisons for the very rare top grades are not often possible, it will be necessary to come up with some other calibrated references (such as the GIA’s ColorMaster), as well as to consult with the most experienced dealers to determine just what constitutes the best for each individual variety. These dealers will generally not be found in the consuming countries, but instead, in the producing countries themselves.
True understanding of all colored stones is much too complex for this knowledge to be gathered into the head of a single person. Instead, I believe that increasing specialization will be required. It we want to learn and define what is best in corundum, we must go to Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, India, Australia and East Africa. If we want to learn what is best in emerald, we must seek out experts in Colombia, Zambia, Israel, Brazil, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. If we want to learn what is best in Jade, we must seek out experts in Burma, China, Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan. These are the experts who are most qualified to judge what is best, because it is they who have the most experience in examining that particular type of stone.
Because of the tremendous difficulties involved in assimilating all of this expertise from such widely ranging sources, great mistakes in grading have occurred in the past. Many dealers are familiar with the mistakes in grading rubies made by AGL (American Gemological Laboratories) in New York during the early 1980s. Their grading of rubies was based mainly upon the hue position of the stone, in part because of the incorrect terminology used by dealers in describing such stones. As I stated earlier, dealers often describe color differences solely in terms of hue position when saturation is actually the key. Burmese rubies are said to be more red, while Thai rubies are described as being too purple. Actually, the reverse is true. The result of this lack of a properly defined color vocabulary was that AGL awarded its highest color grades to the dark Thai rubies which were the purest red in hue position (AIGS Type D, daeng dum). Burmese rubies, which have traditionally fetched the highest prices in the market (due largely to their higher saturation of color), were given lower grades because they were more purple in hue position.
Dealers quickly picked up on this discrepancy and began buying up these dark red rubies in Thailand where they were relatively cheap compared with Burmese stones, because they were graded highest in New York at AGL. Eventually AGL realized its mistake and corrected the situation, but not before considerable damage was done. To reiterate, for an effective colored stone grading language to be developed, it will require both scientific expertise as well as dealer expertise. And the dealer expertise is generally greatest at source, not just in the consuming countries.
Assimilating the knowledge from experts at the source is certainly one of the most difficult tasks facing the trade in the development of an effective colored stone grading system. There does appear, however, to be some promise for the future. Specifically what I am referring to is the establishment of gemological institutes and journals in the producing nations. The first such institute in a major producing country was the founding of AIGS in Bangkok ten years ago. Its success should provide a model for similar institutes in other producing nations.
During the nineteenth century the British were able to glean and distribute a tremendous amount of information about Asian countries and their cultures by establishing Asiatic Societies and their associated journals in a number of Asian nations. These societies provided the framework for a direct exchange of information pertaining to Asia and the rest of the world. Similarly, AIGS and this journal will also allow information about Asian gems to be distributed from the source to the rest of the world. What is needed now are similar institutes and associated publications in other major producing and trading centers. India and Sri Lanka have recently founded gemological journals which provide both fascinating and useful information about their markets. The Sauer family and others are presently working to establish an institute along the lines of AIGS in Brazil. We need institutes and journals in Burma, Colombia, China, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Mexico, in all the places where gems are produced. This is the only way in which the rest of the world can tap into that special knowledge and expertise that is available at the source. I am not trying to discount the importance of the work done by GIA, AGL, AGMS, DgemG, GAGB, GAA, CGA, SSEF, GAAJ, AFG, Gubelin, and others in the consuming nations. These organizations will continue to be essential in the future development of colored stone grading, particularly with regard to new and improved technologies. Today, however, very little information is being disseminated from the producing nations themselves. We must find a way to tap into the expertise at the source. Establishment of institutes and journals in the producing nations offers the most viable means of accomplishing this goal.
In summary, it is clear that much remains to be learned about colored stone grading, much work remains to be done. This will require cooperation among dealers and gemologists. Each has something to learn. Rather than looking upon one another as adversaries, let us look upon each other as colleagues, sharing in the development of something exciting, something new. Rather than looking wishfully back at the past, let us look forward to the future. Colored stone grading is here to stay, no matter how much some people might wish otherwise, because the consumers want it. And our trade exists for the consumers. They are the ones who buy our product. A great adventure awaits us. Colored stone grading can be anything that we make it. Let us work together, dealers and gemologists, to make it right.
Colored Stone Grading And The Question Of Nomenclature
(via Gemological Digest, Vol.2, No.3, 1988) William J Sersen writes:
Abstract
There is today no standardized nomenclature for color-related terms in use in the jewelry industry. It seems that every dealer and colored stone grading system designer utilizes his own version of nomenclature, often defining the same term in different ways. The net result is a lack of communication within the industry on matters pertaining to the quality grading of colored stones.
After describing some of the difficulties that can do arise from nomenclature use/misuse, the author proposes a set of terms to standardize gemstone and color descriptions. Only by adopting a standardized color nomenclature will effective color communication in the gem trade become a reality.
Introduction
Imagine for a moment that you are listening to someone describe their pet. Judging from the words they choose, you assume it is a cat they are talking about. You are later shocked to discover that their pet is in fact a dog.
Unfortunately, the current state of color communication among gemstone buyers and sellers is at times not far removed from this cat versus dog analogy. Just suppose that you see a colored stone (any colored stone will do) described on a price list as ‘fine color’. Upon actually viewing the piece, you discover that the seller’s concept of ‘fine’ corresponds roughly with your concept of ‘good’, ‘fair’, or perhaps even ‘poor’. In other words, what you thought was going to be a pedigreed cat has turned out to be a rabid dog.
As this article will demonstrate, a standardized and well-defined nomenclature of color-related terms is necessary before there can be effective color communication in the jewelry industry.
Color Terms Now Used In The Trade
Of the many colored stone grading systems that have appeared over the past ten years, some have used the same terms (tone, pleochroism, etc) to communicate different or slightly different concepts. In addition, many in the trade have coined still other terms to describe color attributes of colored stones. This creates confusion when people try to compare one system with another, or communicate with a dealer in the language of a grading system with which he is not familiar. Attempts at comparing different colored stone grading systems have never been easy; the lack of nomenclature standards has made this task even more difficult.
Before effective color communication is a reality, there must be a common language of color related terms in use both by people in the gem trade and by those involved in designing and using grading systems. That is, nomenclature must be defined in a consistent manner, without overlap, inconsistency, vagueness or redundancy in meaning. A standardized nomenclature of this sort would facilitate user comparisons of different grading systems. Users could then learn more than one system (if desired) without having to tackle yet another ‘dialect’ of color terms.
Typical examples of terms used inconsistently or redundantly are ‘overtone’, ‘pleochroism’ and ‘secondary color’. Let’s apply those terms to red spinel and ruby. One colored stone grading (AGMS:Valente, 1986) would have us think of the orangy red presence seen on certain facets in many red spinels as pleochoism, despite the fact that the pleochroism is possible only in DR stones, spinel being SR (color differences on different facets in spinel and other singly refractive gems are actually due to differences in path length or color zoning, not pleochroism). Other people might label that orangy red presence ‘absorption color (GIA: 1983) or ‘overlay color’ (Huffer: 1983), as opposed to the red ‘dominant’ color, itself sometimes called ‘primary color’ (Huffer: 1981) or ‘main color’ (Huffer: 1983; Ramsey: 1985). True color differences due to pleochroism (seen face-up on many rubies) are variously called ‘secondary color’ (Huffer: 1981), ‘pleochroism’ (AIGS and GIA) and ‘overtone’ (Ramsey: 1985), the latter suggesting the orange is superimposed over the entire crown. Overtone has also been used to designate any colors that are seen in addition to the stone’s main color (Ramsey: 1985).
Matlins and Bonanno (1987) refer to the ‘purplish cast’ (in actuality, a low saturation red) on some Thai rubies as an ‘undertone’. One American dealer recently suggested to the author that this was an incorrect use of undertone, the proper designation being ‘overcast’.
Besides referring to pleochroic color differences, secondary color has at times been associated specifically with ‘girdle facet color’ (color on facets near the girdle, viewed face up) and ‘window color’ (color on facets which show a window, viewed face up; AGMS: Valente, 1986). Varley (1980) say of secondary color that ‘the term is largely obsolete.
‘Body color’ is a prime example of a term used differently by different people. It has been thought of as a window color (Ramsey: 1985), ‘pavilion color’ (the color seen on the pavilion when a gem is placed table down; Yu: 1980) and ‘overall crown color’. Ramsey (1985) goes so far as to say that body color can be assessed by window and pavilion color, an interesting comment in that with colored stones these two colors are usually quite different.
‘Tone’, which GemDialogue has called ‘zone’ (Huffer: 1983), is another word used inconsistently. As we will see later, tone (in gems) usually describes the degree of lightness to darkness of the overall stone when viewed face up. But, this word has been used to denote ‘the amount of total color in a stone,’ a definition that misleadingly overlaps in meaning with ‘saturation’.
‘Saturation’, by the way, is called ‘intensity’ by some (AIGS, formerly) and ‘chroma’ by others, though there are those who relate the effect to ‘modifier’ (AGMS: Valente, 1986). The latter term describes degrees of desaturation, as evident by the amount of existing ‘gray’. GemDialogue has used a similar desaturation concept, known as ‘color mask’ (Huffer: 1983). Color mask, together with ‘brightness’, equates roughly in that system with the GIA’s concept of saturation (GIA: 1983). Even so, while some systems associate desaturation with gray or brown (Huffer: 1983; GIA: 1983), others associate it with gray only (AGMS: Valente, 1986), contending that brown is not a desaturant.
Are you just a little bit confused at this point? To simplify matters, I have listed but a few of the terms currently in use. The list of candidates for inconsistent/vague/redundant nomenclature usage goes on and on….
Why Do Nomenclature Problems Arise?
Dealers and gemologists together have described/created a plethora of technical terms—many of which have been borrowed or adapted from terminology in use by color scientists—for their respective methods of grading colored stones. As such terms are not always defined in the same way, defined unclearly, or constitute synonyms, it is no wonder that color communication has suffered; it is inevitable that it would suffer under such circumstances.
We can take some solace in fact that nomenclature problems are not limited to gemology and the gem trade. The development of meaningful semantic systems for describing sensory perceptions has long been a matter of concern in other fields as well, the audio and computer industries being notable examples. Let us take, for instance, the term ‘artificial intelligence’ as applied to the computer world. The question of whether it is misleading to use the word ‘intelligence’ in this context has been the object of much debate by computer people; at least one software engineer has suggested ‘artificial instinct’ as the more appropriate designation. If industries on the whole were always in agreement on the definitions and applications of technical terms, then there would be less need for organizations like ASTM (American Society For Testing And Materials), NBS (National Bureau Of Standards) or ANSI (American National Standards Institute).
Nomenclature problems in industry are further exacerbated by the tendency (often of marketing people) to believe that if the name of something is changed, it will somehow change or improve the products salability. Does the word ‘Bufferin’ sound better to you than just plain “Aspirin’? Is Tanzanite somehow more palatable than Blue Zoisite? Similarly, is ‘zone’ more appropriate than ‘tone’ for describing essentially the same thing?
Does The Answer Lie In Objective Grading?
Certain gemologists have stated that many of the present ills of colored stone grading will be removed once ‘objective (i.e.’machine’) grading is perfected. While such a goal is certainly desirable, can one really say that any color related term is objective? For that matter, does the often heard expression, ‘objective colored stone grading’, actually mean what is implies?
The Merriam Webster Dictionary (1974) defines objective as ‘…existing outside and independent of the mind….treating or dealing with facts without distortion by personal feelings or prejudices..’ Subjective is conversely defined by the same source as meaning ‘…..of, relating to, or arising within oneself or mind in contrast to what is outside…Personal…’
Now when someone makes a visual assessment of a gem’s color, is that not what a somewhat personal and hence, subjective analysis of the color? ‘Visual’ means the human eye/brain combination is a conditioning factor. Devices such as computers, image grabbers and high resolution color monitors may play the secondary role of electronically collecting, storing, sorting and ‘pigeon-holing’ color date; this does not, however, negate the eye’s role as a determinant or conditioning factor with the aid of which a grade is ultimately derived. While we certainly do look forward to the day when an electro-optical device can replace the human eye, such a day seems quite far off. That this is so is shown clearly by the fact that there is no color monitor or photographic apparatus available today which can approach the human eye/brain in its ability to resolve images. Has anyone ever seen a video image or photograph that was not immediately recognizable as such? If you have, then let us know. The fact is that the resolution ability of the eye is far greater than any device yet devised.
Can color scientists other professionals shed further light on the matter of the role of the eye? Yes they can. Many agree that people with so-called ‘normal color vision’ do not all perceive identically the full range of colors or more specifically, subtle color blends. Moreover, different ‘color normals’ vary in their aptitude to detect small color differences. The ASTM people (1987) go so far as to say that ‘persons employed in visually evaluating color differences should score near or within the ‘superior’ range of color aptitude (on Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue Test).
In other words, using the human eye to distinguish and assess subtle color differences does not appear to be an exercise in objectivity. We therefore submit that given the present state of colored stone grading, the phrase ‘objective colored stone grading’ should be avoided as it carries implications that are the least misleading. When instruments alone can accurately color grade gemstones with near 100% repeatability/reproducibility and without assistance from the human eye, then we can consider using the term ‘objective grading’. Unfortunately, this instrument does not yet exist. If and when it does appear, colored stone grading will become more a ‘science’ than ‘art’ and individual color terms can then assume a truly ‘objective’ status.
A Closer Look At The Main Terms
So, who is correct when assigning/defining color related terms for gem grading purposes? To help answer that question, let’s examine more closely the definitions of the major color attributes—the concepts of hue, tone and saturation—given by thirteen sources consisting of color scientists, gemological institutes, gemologists and trade journalists alike.
Hue
All sources use this term and agree on its broad meaning: ‘the position of a color on a color wheel’ (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet and purple, or colors intermediate between adjacent pairs of these). This ‘hue position’ includes pure spectral colors, color blends and so-called additional colors. Depending on the source, blends and additional colors are sometimes referred to as overtones, secondary colors or pleochroic colors. Some use the term pleochroism in the strict gemological sense (viz, GIA and AIGS); others (AGMS: Valente 1986) apply it more loosely. (The term ‘purity’ is often used in very different ways. Some (AIGS) use it to describe the location of a hue on a color wheel, with a pure red, for example, falling exactly midway between orange on the one side and purple on the other. Others use purity to denote the saturation of the hue; ‘pure’ red being slightly saturated red.)
Tone
Different sources use different terms to convey this concept. Six sources prefer using the word ‘tone’; four prefer ‘lightness’; three prefer ‘value’. Tone, lightness and value are at times used interchangeably.
Unfortunately, not all sources are consistent in the way they think of tone/value/lightness. The common and consistent denominator is relative darkness or lightness, with some (viz, Arem, Metheun and AIGS) describing the concept as a function of overall reflectance or transmittance (or conversely, overall absorption). Colorless (or white for opaque stones) would represent the lightness tone (zero), as none of the light striking the gem is absorbed. The greater the percentage of light absorbed, the darker the tone, with black having the darkest tone (100) as none of the light entering the gem is reflected back or transmitted through to the eye. As the term is used by AIGS, a zero tone (colorless or white) represents 100% absorption. All other colors would have tones between zero and 100.
In defining tone as the amount or quantity of total color in a stone, Huffer (1981, 1983) and Farrell & Thomas (1983) confuse the issue, as most people would associate that definition of tone with saturation than tone. Indeed, that definition of tone corresponds almost literally with Billmeyer & Saltzman’s (1981) definition of chroma (saturation).
Some associate tone/value/lightness intimately with saturation. Manson (1982) describes ‘tone’ a combination of saturation and blackness, though he elsewhere implies that tone is merely a synonym for blackness. AGMS (Valente, 1986) thinks of tone as the sum of value and ‘modifier’, the latter term meaning lack of saturation as evident by increasing presence of gray. Elsewhere, they note that tone is a combination of chroma and value. Varley (1980), in speaking of lightness compared with black or its darkest value…compared with white,’ is consistent with AGMS’(1986) definition of tone (=value + modifier).
Arem (1987) is one of the few who defines lightness/value without specific reference to chroma/saturation.
As if the issue were not complicated enough, the color scientists Overheim & Wagner (1982) observe that synonyms used for Munsell ‘value’ also include brightness, brilliance and luminosity. In the opinion of AIGS, there is a certain relationship between tone and saturation. In all cases it is correct to say that, if tone is defined in terms of overall reflectance or transmittance, increases in saturation always result in increases in tone, because higher saturation always result in increases in higher absorption. However, and it is here that confusion often exists, increases in tone do not always result in higher saturation. It is perfectly possible to have a very high tone (due to high absorption – low reflectance/transmittance), but still have a low saturation. Increasing saturation always result in increasing stone, but increasing tone does not always result in increasing saturation.
Saturation
Though the majority of sources prefer the term ‘saturation’ that term is often used interchangeably with intensity and chroma. The common denominator in most instances is the idea of color vividness. That is, how much color is present? How vivid is the color?
Some associate intensity/saturation/chroma with color purity, in the sense that the more pronounced the saturation, the more pure is the color. They think of ‘purity’ as freedom from color dilution. But, dilution by what? Here is where there is some disagreement.
Overheim & Wagner (1982) speak of dilution as freedom from black, white, gray. This is consistent with Varley (1980). However Brownlow (1983), in his article ‘Color Grading Terminology Unscrambled’, scrambles the issue somewhat when stating that a highly saturate color lacks dilution by white, black, gray and other colors. He gives as an example a yellowish green emerald, which is less saturate than a pure emerald green, saturation referring to the purity of a color. If saturation is just purity (in Brownlow’s sense of the word), then a pale yellow sapphire, with no color but yellow present, should be considered as having maximum saturation. The problem, of course, is that most people would not consider such a stone ‘vivid’ in color.
Many sources speak of saturation in a way that associates it with the absence or presence of gray, or in a few cases, gray or brown. Generally, the word gray simply refers to the amount of saturation. For example, the more gray a stone the less saturate or vivid is its color. AGMS (Valente, 1986) uses the word ‘modifier’ to describe relative degrees of color saturation in accordance with amount of gray present. Though not using the word ‘modifier’, the GIA (1983( similarly associates more ‘gray’ with the lower saturation levels.
For Metheun (1983), intensity or saturation means the density of hue present. ‘The denser the color appears, the more distinct is also the hue. A color with a distinct hue is described as being intense or saturated’. This is consistent with the AIGS definition of the term, ‘saturation’ referring to the vividness or intensity of the hue.
Analysis
With few exceptions, there is consensus on the definition and use of ‘hue’. But, there is inconsistency in how the concepts ‘tone’ and ‘saturation’ are defined. Specifically, the confusion seems to lie in defining the exact relationship of tone with saturation.
The GIA (1983b) says of tone:
‘Estimating the tone of low saturation stones can be frustrating at first. Because they tend to look grayer (or browner), it is natural to want to call them dark. Don’t confuse low saturation with dark tone. Instead, try to imagine low saturation stones as if you were looking at them on a black and white TV. Disregard the strength of hue and just ask yourself where the whole stone would fall on scale of light to dark.’
The statement: ‘don’t confuse low saturation with dark tone’ is simply not always true. Intensity/saturation/chroma—whatever you want to call it—refers to a scale of color vividness. Some ‘dirty green’ tourmalines, indicolites an many Australian blue sapphires have an overall dark appearance (= dark tone) and at the same time show color flashes of relatively low saturation. That is, the flashes are by no means strong or vivid.
Color plates or chips are useful for illustrating the concept of dark tone accompanied by low saturation. We start by selecting two plates, each containing the same amount of chromatic ink. The plates are chosen such that the first has little or no achromatic (gray) ink; the second plate is overprinted with so much gray ink as to give it a very dark (inky) appearance. The hue will appear less distinct or vivid on the second plate. The second plate is less saturate and of darker tone than the first.
It is true that three dimensional colored stones seldom display the same uniformity in color one finds with chips or plates. This is partly why one judges hue position and saturation from the flashes showing brilliancy and tone from the overall (face up) stone. With our green tourmaline, indicolite and sapphire examples, a very dark overall tone happens to correspond with relatively unsaturated brilliancy flashes. Type ‘D’ ruby exemplifies dark tone accompanying highly saturate brilliancy flashes.
Manson’s (1982) description of tone as the sum of saturation and blackness is a little confusing, in that many would think blackness and tone are the same anyway, as Manson himself seems to imply at one point in his article. So, do we infer from this that tone = saturation + tone? What exactly does that mean?
Conclusions
The research and development of colored stone grading systems is a fairly recent activity. Only the naïve would consider these systems—including that used at AIGS—as more than crude attempts at addressing the problems at hand: crude and very subjective. That so many color related terms have sprung up has a positive aspect. Marketing motives aside, new nomenclature does not arise without thought why that nomenclature is needed. This at least indicates that people are thinking of the subject. Regrettably, though, more people seem to think of the subject when colored stone prices are rising than during periods of price decline. Perhaps that is just a coincidence?
The jewelry trade must continue to research and develop colored stone grading techniques. Yet at the same time, efforts must be directed toward a standardized nomenclature so that these techniques/systems are more readily comparable and mutually translatable. Only when it becomes relatively easy to compare grading techniques will end users take the time to do so; and it is the end user who should have the final word on the matter. Standardized nomenclature will make the task all the more easy for that person.
A first step towards nomenclature standards is to get back to the basics. This means using terms that have a solid basis in color science, are familiar to the majority of gemologists, lend themselves minimally to misrepresentation and, ideally have prior acceptance by recognized color standards committees, such as ASTM.
Toward meeting these criteria, we suggest universal and consistent use of hue, lightness and saturation for describing the color appearance of gemstones, defined as follows:
Hue: The position of a color on a color wheel (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and purple, or colors intermediate between adjacent pairs of these).
Lightness: The relative darkness or lightness of the hue as a function of overall reflectance or transmittance (or conversely, overall absorption).
Saturation: The vividness or intensity of the hue.
All three terms are included in ASTM’s E-284 Standard Definitions of Terms Relating to Appearance of Materials. The majority of colored stone grading system designers and color scientists use hue, and we are generally consistent when defining it. Most of these same people prefer the term saturation to express the concept of color vividness. Lightness, it is true, is cited by only two of our gemological sources (Arem and Brownlow). But, the term is used extensively by color scientists, and does not lend itself to readily to the kind of misinterpretation one finds with tone, lightness being an almost self-explained term.
We propose that use be discouraged of terms like modifier, zone, overtone and body color. The first two are little more than synonyms for existing terms (saturation and lightness, respectively); the last two have always meant far too many things to too many people. None of the four have any widespread use in color science or are recognized by ASTM.
The term pleochroism or pleochroic color (s) seems preferable to other color descriptive designations like secondary color (which could refer to just about anything) to describe that color phenomenon. However, in keeping with standard gemological usage, pleochroism should be applied only to doubly refractive stones which do display visible pleochroism in the face-up position, as confirmed by examination through a calcite (not Polaroid) dichroscope.
It is the author’s firm belief that if progress is to be made in the field of colored stone grading, the gem trade must first take steps to standardize the terminology used in describing the color appearance of gemstones. Without a uniformly defined and applied color nomenclature, effective color communication will remain but a pipe dream.
Abstract
There is today no standardized nomenclature for color-related terms in use in the jewelry industry. It seems that every dealer and colored stone grading system designer utilizes his own version of nomenclature, often defining the same term in different ways. The net result is a lack of communication within the industry on matters pertaining to the quality grading of colored stones.
After describing some of the difficulties that can do arise from nomenclature use/misuse, the author proposes a set of terms to standardize gemstone and color descriptions. Only by adopting a standardized color nomenclature will effective color communication in the gem trade become a reality.
Introduction
Imagine for a moment that you are listening to someone describe their pet. Judging from the words they choose, you assume it is a cat they are talking about. You are later shocked to discover that their pet is in fact a dog.
Unfortunately, the current state of color communication among gemstone buyers and sellers is at times not far removed from this cat versus dog analogy. Just suppose that you see a colored stone (any colored stone will do) described on a price list as ‘fine color’. Upon actually viewing the piece, you discover that the seller’s concept of ‘fine’ corresponds roughly with your concept of ‘good’, ‘fair’, or perhaps even ‘poor’. In other words, what you thought was going to be a pedigreed cat has turned out to be a rabid dog.
As this article will demonstrate, a standardized and well-defined nomenclature of color-related terms is necessary before there can be effective color communication in the jewelry industry.
Color Terms Now Used In The Trade
Of the many colored stone grading systems that have appeared over the past ten years, some have used the same terms (tone, pleochroism, etc) to communicate different or slightly different concepts. In addition, many in the trade have coined still other terms to describe color attributes of colored stones. This creates confusion when people try to compare one system with another, or communicate with a dealer in the language of a grading system with which he is not familiar. Attempts at comparing different colored stone grading systems have never been easy; the lack of nomenclature standards has made this task even more difficult.
Before effective color communication is a reality, there must be a common language of color related terms in use both by people in the gem trade and by those involved in designing and using grading systems. That is, nomenclature must be defined in a consistent manner, without overlap, inconsistency, vagueness or redundancy in meaning. A standardized nomenclature of this sort would facilitate user comparisons of different grading systems. Users could then learn more than one system (if desired) without having to tackle yet another ‘dialect’ of color terms.
Typical examples of terms used inconsistently or redundantly are ‘overtone’, ‘pleochroism’ and ‘secondary color’. Let’s apply those terms to red spinel and ruby. One colored stone grading (AGMS:Valente, 1986) would have us think of the orangy red presence seen on certain facets in many red spinels as pleochoism, despite the fact that the pleochroism is possible only in DR stones, spinel being SR (color differences on different facets in spinel and other singly refractive gems are actually due to differences in path length or color zoning, not pleochroism). Other people might label that orangy red presence ‘absorption color (GIA: 1983) or ‘overlay color’ (Huffer: 1983), as opposed to the red ‘dominant’ color, itself sometimes called ‘primary color’ (Huffer: 1981) or ‘main color’ (Huffer: 1983; Ramsey: 1985). True color differences due to pleochroism (seen face-up on many rubies) are variously called ‘secondary color’ (Huffer: 1981), ‘pleochroism’ (AIGS and GIA) and ‘overtone’ (Ramsey: 1985), the latter suggesting the orange is superimposed over the entire crown. Overtone has also been used to designate any colors that are seen in addition to the stone’s main color (Ramsey: 1985).
Matlins and Bonanno (1987) refer to the ‘purplish cast’ (in actuality, a low saturation red) on some Thai rubies as an ‘undertone’. One American dealer recently suggested to the author that this was an incorrect use of undertone, the proper designation being ‘overcast’.
Besides referring to pleochroic color differences, secondary color has at times been associated specifically with ‘girdle facet color’ (color on facets near the girdle, viewed face up) and ‘window color’ (color on facets which show a window, viewed face up; AGMS: Valente, 1986). Varley (1980) say of secondary color that ‘the term is largely obsolete.
‘Body color’ is a prime example of a term used differently by different people. It has been thought of as a window color (Ramsey: 1985), ‘pavilion color’ (the color seen on the pavilion when a gem is placed table down; Yu: 1980) and ‘overall crown color’. Ramsey (1985) goes so far as to say that body color can be assessed by window and pavilion color, an interesting comment in that with colored stones these two colors are usually quite different.
‘Tone’, which GemDialogue has called ‘zone’ (Huffer: 1983), is another word used inconsistently. As we will see later, tone (in gems) usually describes the degree of lightness to darkness of the overall stone when viewed face up. But, this word has been used to denote ‘the amount of total color in a stone,’ a definition that misleadingly overlaps in meaning with ‘saturation’.
‘Saturation’, by the way, is called ‘intensity’ by some (AIGS, formerly) and ‘chroma’ by others, though there are those who relate the effect to ‘modifier’ (AGMS: Valente, 1986). The latter term describes degrees of desaturation, as evident by the amount of existing ‘gray’. GemDialogue has used a similar desaturation concept, known as ‘color mask’ (Huffer: 1983). Color mask, together with ‘brightness’, equates roughly in that system with the GIA’s concept of saturation (GIA: 1983). Even so, while some systems associate desaturation with gray or brown (Huffer: 1983; GIA: 1983), others associate it with gray only (AGMS: Valente, 1986), contending that brown is not a desaturant.
Are you just a little bit confused at this point? To simplify matters, I have listed but a few of the terms currently in use. The list of candidates for inconsistent/vague/redundant nomenclature usage goes on and on….
Why Do Nomenclature Problems Arise?
Dealers and gemologists together have described/created a plethora of technical terms—many of which have been borrowed or adapted from terminology in use by color scientists—for their respective methods of grading colored stones. As such terms are not always defined in the same way, defined unclearly, or constitute synonyms, it is no wonder that color communication has suffered; it is inevitable that it would suffer under such circumstances.
We can take some solace in fact that nomenclature problems are not limited to gemology and the gem trade. The development of meaningful semantic systems for describing sensory perceptions has long been a matter of concern in other fields as well, the audio and computer industries being notable examples. Let us take, for instance, the term ‘artificial intelligence’ as applied to the computer world. The question of whether it is misleading to use the word ‘intelligence’ in this context has been the object of much debate by computer people; at least one software engineer has suggested ‘artificial instinct’ as the more appropriate designation. If industries on the whole were always in agreement on the definitions and applications of technical terms, then there would be less need for organizations like ASTM (American Society For Testing And Materials), NBS (National Bureau Of Standards) or ANSI (American National Standards Institute).
Nomenclature problems in industry are further exacerbated by the tendency (often of marketing people) to believe that if the name of something is changed, it will somehow change or improve the products salability. Does the word ‘Bufferin’ sound better to you than just plain “Aspirin’? Is Tanzanite somehow more palatable than Blue Zoisite? Similarly, is ‘zone’ more appropriate than ‘tone’ for describing essentially the same thing?
Does The Answer Lie In Objective Grading?
Certain gemologists have stated that many of the present ills of colored stone grading will be removed once ‘objective (i.e.’machine’) grading is perfected. While such a goal is certainly desirable, can one really say that any color related term is objective? For that matter, does the often heard expression, ‘objective colored stone grading’, actually mean what is implies?
The Merriam Webster Dictionary (1974) defines objective as ‘…existing outside and independent of the mind….treating or dealing with facts without distortion by personal feelings or prejudices..’ Subjective is conversely defined by the same source as meaning ‘…..of, relating to, or arising within oneself or mind in contrast to what is outside…Personal…’
Now when someone makes a visual assessment of a gem’s color, is that not what a somewhat personal and hence, subjective analysis of the color? ‘Visual’ means the human eye/brain combination is a conditioning factor. Devices such as computers, image grabbers and high resolution color monitors may play the secondary role of electronically collecting, storing, sorting and ‘pigeon-holing’ color date; this does not, however, negate the eye’s role as a determinant or conditioning factor with the aid of which a grade is ultimately derived. While we certainly do look forward to the day when an electro-optical device can replace the human eye, such a day seems quite far off. That this is so is shown clearly by the fact that there is no color monitor or photographic apparatus available today which can approach the human eye/brain in its ability to resolve images. Has anyone ever seen a video image or photograph that was not immediately recognizable as such? If you have, then let us know. The fact is that the resolution ability of the eye is far greater than any device yet devised.
Can color scientists other professionals shed further light on the matter of the role of the eye? Yes they can. Many agree that people with so-called ‘normal color vision’ do not all perceive identically the full range of colors or more specifically, subtle color blends. Moreover, different ‘color normals’ vary in their aptitude to detect small color differences. The ASTM people (1987) go so far as to say that ‘persons employed in visually evaluating color differences should score near or within the ‘superior’ range of color aptitude (on Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue Test).
In other words, using the human eye to distinguish and assess subtle color differences does not appear to be an exercise in objectivity. We therefore submit that given the present state of colored stone grading, the phrase ‘objective colored stone grading’ should be avoided as it carries implications that are the least misleading. When instruments alone can accurately color grade gemstones with near 100% repeatability/reproducibility and without assistance from the human eye, then we can consider using the term ‘objective grading’. Unfortunately, this instrument does not yet exist. If and when it does appear, colored stone grading will become more a ‘science’ than ‘art’ and individual color terms can then assume a truly ‘objective’ status.
A Closer Look At The Main Terms
So, who is correct when assigning/defining color related terms for gem grading purposes? To help answer that question, let’s examine more closely the definitions of the major color attributes—the concepts of hue, tone and saturation—given by thirteen sources consisting of color scientists, gemological institutes, gemologists and trade journalists alike.
Hue
All sources use this term and agree on its broad meaning: ‘the position of a color on a color wheel’ (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet and purple, or colors intermediate between adjacent pairs of these). This ‘hue position’ includes pure spectral colors, color blends and so-called additional colors. Depending on the source, blends and additional colors are sometimes referred to as overtones, secondary colors or pleochroic colors. Some use the term pleochroism in the strict gemological sense (viz, GIA and AIGS); others (AGMS: Valente 1986) apply it more loosely. (The term ‘purity’ is often used in very different ways. Some (AIGS) use it to describe the location of a hue on a color wheel, with a pure red, for example, falling exactly midway between orange on the one side and purple on the other. Others use purity to denote the saturation of the hue; ‘pure’ red being slightly saturated red.)
Tone
Different sources use different terms to convey this concept. Six sources prefer using the word ‘tone’; four prefer ‘lightness’; three prefer ‘value’. Tone, lightness and value are at times used interchangeably.
Unfortunately, not all sources are consistent in the way they think of tone/value/lightness. The common and consistent denominator is relative darkness or lightness, with some (viz, Arem, Metheun and AIGS) describing the concept as a function of overall reflectance or transmittance (or conversely, overall absorption). Colorless (or white for opaque stones) would represent the lightness tone (zero), as none of the light striking the gem is absorbed. The greater the percentage of light absorbed, the darker the tone, with black having the darkest tone (100) as none of the light entering the gem is reflected back or transmitted through to the eye. As the term is used by AIGS, a zero tone (colorless or white) represents 100% absorption. All other colors would have tones between zero and 100.
In defining tone as the amount or quantity of total color in a stone, Huffer (1981, 1983) and Farrell & Thomas (1983) confuse the issue, as most people would associate that definition of tone with saturation than tone. Indeed, that definition of tone corresponds almost literally with Billmeyer & Saltzman’s (1981) definition of chroma (saturation).
Some associate tone/value/lightness intimately with saturation. Manson (1982) describes ‘tone’ a combination of saturation and blackness, though he elsewhere implies that tone is merely a synonym for blackness. AGMS (Valente, 1986) thinks of tone as the sum of value and ‘modifier’, the latter term meaning lack of saturation as evident by increasing presence of gray. Elsewhere, they note that tone is a combination of chroma and value. Varley (1980), in speaking of lightness compared with black or its darkest value…compared with white,’ is consistent with AGMS’(1986) definition of tone (=value + modifier).
Arem (1987) is one of the few who defines lightness/value without specific reference to chroma/saturation.
As if the issue were not complicated enough, the color scientists Overheim & Wagner (1982) observe that synonyms used for Munsell ‘value’ also include brightness, brilliance and luminosity. In the opinion of AIGS, there is a certain relationship between tone and saturation. In all cases it is correct to say that, if tone is defined in terms of overall reflectance or transmittance, increases in saturation always result in increases in tone, because higher saturation always result in increases in higher absorption. However, and it is here that confusion often exists, increases in tone do not always result in higher saturation. It is perfectly possible to have a very high tone (due to high absorption – low reflectance/transmittance), but still have a low saturation. Increasing saturation always result in increasing stone, but increasing tone does not always result in increasing saturation.
Saturation
Though the majority of sources prefer the term ‘saturation’ that term is often used interchangeably with intensity and chroma. The common denominator in most instances is the idea of color vividness. That is, how much color is present? How vivid is the color?
Some associate intensity/saturation/chroma with color purity, in the sense that the more pronounced the saturation, the more pure is the color. They think of ‘purity’ as freedom from color dilution. But, dilution by what? Here is where there is some disagreement.
Overheim & Wagner (1982) speak of dilution as freedom from black, white, gray. This is consistent with Varley (1980). However Brownlow (1983), in his article ‘Color Grading Terminology Unscrambled’, scrambles the issue somewhat when stating that a highly saturate color lacks dilution by white, black, gray and other colors. He gives as an example a yellowish green emerald, which is less saturate than a pure emerald green, saturation referring to the purity of a color. If saturation is just purity (in Brownlow’s sense of the word), then a pale yellow sapphire, with no color but yellow present, should be considered as having maximum saturation. The problem, of course, is that most people would not consider such a stone ‘vivid’ in color.
Many sources speak of saturation in a way that associates it with the absence or presence of gray, or in a few cases, gray or brown. Generally, the word gray simply refers to the amount of saturation. For example, the more gray a stone the less saturate or vivid is its color. AGMS (Valente, 1986) uses the word ‘modifier’ to describe relative degrees of color saturation in accordance with amount of gray present. Though not using the word ‘modifier’, the GIA (1983( similarly associates more ‘gray’ with the lower saturation levels.
For Metheun (1983), intensity or saturation means the density of hue present. ‘The denser the color appears, the more distinct is also the hue. A color with a distinct hue is described as being intense or saturated’. This is consistent with the AIGS definition of the term, ‘saturation’ referring to the vividness or intensity of the hue.
Analysis
With few exceptions, there is consensus on the definition and use of ‘hue’. But, there is inconsistency in how the concepts ‘tone’ and ‘saturation’ are defined. Specifically, the confusion seems to lie in defining the exact relationship of tone with saturation.
The GIA (1983b) says of tone:
‘Estimating the tone of low saturation stones can be frustrating at first. Because they tend to look grayer (or browner), it is natural to want to call them dark. Don’t confuse low saturation with dark tone. Instead, try to imagine low saturation stones as if you were looking at them on a black and white TV. Disregard the strength of hue and just ask yourself where the whole stone would fall on scale of light to dark.’
The statement: ‘don’t confuse low saturation with dark tone’ is simply not always true. Intensity/saturation/chroma—whatever you want to call it—refers to a scale of color vividness. Some ‘dirty green’ tourmalines, indicolites an many Australian blue sapphires have an overall dark appearance (= dark tone) and at the same time show color flashes of relatively low saturation. That is, the flashes are by no means strong or vivid.
Color plates or chips are useful for illustrating the concept of dark tone accompanied by low saturation. We start by selecting two plates, each containing the same amount of chromatic ink. The plates are chosen such that the first has little or no achromatic (gray) ink; the second plate is overprinted with so much gray ink as to give it a very dark (inky) appearance. The hue will appear less distinct or vivid on the second plate. The second plate is less saturate and of darker tone than the first.
It is true that three dimensional colored stones seldom display the same uniformity in color one finds with chips or plates. This is partly why one judges hue position and saturation from the flashes showing brilliancy and tone from the overall (face up) stone. With our green tourmaline, indicolite and sapphire examples, a very dark overall tone happens to correspond with relatively unsaturated brilliancy flashes. Type ‘D’ ruby exemplifies dark tone accompanying highly saturate brilliancy flashes.
Manson’s (1982) description of tone as the sum of saturation and blackness is a little confusing, in that many would think blackness and tone are the same anyway, as Manson himself seems to imply at one point in his article. So, do we infer from this that tone = saturation + tone? What exactly does that mean?
Conclusions
The research and development of colored stone grading systems is a fairly recent activity. Only the naïve would consider these systems—including that used at AIGS—as more than crude attempts at addressing the problems at hand: crude and very subjective. That so many color related terms have sprung up has a positive aspect. Marketing motives aside, new nomenclature does not arise without thought why that nomenclature is needed. This at least indicates that people are thinking of the subject. Regrettably, though, more people seem to think of the subject when colored stone prices are rising than during periods of price decline. Perhaps that is just a coincidence?
The jewelry trade must continue to research and develop colored stone grading techniques. Yet at the same time, efforts must be directed toward a standardized nomenclature so that these techniques/systems are more readily comparable and mutually translatable. Only when it becomes relatively easy to compare grading techniques will end users take the time to do so; and it is the end user who should have the final word on the matter. Standardized nomenclature will make the task all the more easy for that person.
A first step towards nomenclature standards is to get back to the basics. This means using terms that have a solid basis in color science, are familiar to the majority of gemologists, lend themselves minimally to misrepresentation and, ideally have prior acceptance by recognized color standards committees, such as ASTM.
Toward meeting these criteria, we suggest universal and consistent use of hue, lightness and saturation for describing the color appearance of gemstones, defined as follows:
Hue: The position of a color on a color wheel (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and purple, or colors intermediate between adjacent pairs of these).
Lightness: The relative darkness or lightness of the hue as a function of overall reflectance or transmittance (or conversely, overall absorption).
Saturation: The vividness or intensity of the hue.
All three terms are included in ASTM’s E-284 Standard Definitions of Terms Relating to Appearance of Materials. The majority of colored stone grading system designers and color scientists use hue, and we are generally consistent when defining it. Most of these same people prefer the term saturation to express the concept of color vividness. Lightness, it is true, is cited by only two of our gemological sources (Arem and Brownlow). But, the term is used extensively by color scientists, and does not lend itself to readily to the kind of misinterpretation one finds with tone, lightness being an almost self-explained term.
We propose that use be discouraged of terms like modifier, zone, overtone and body color. The first two are little more than synonyms for existing terms (saturation and lightness, respectively); the last two have always meant far too many things to too many people. None of the four have any widespread use in color science or are recognized by ASTM.
The term pleochroism or pleochroic color (s) seems preferable to other color descriptive designations like secondary color (which could refer to just about anything) to describe that color phenomenon. However, in keeping with standard gemological usage, pleochroism should be applied only to doubly refractive stones which do display visible pleochroism in the face-up position, as confirmed by examination through a calcite (not Polaroid) dichroscope.
It is the author’s firm belief that if progress is to be made in the field of colored stone grading, the gem trade must first take steps to standardize the terminology used in describing the color appearance of gemstones. Without a uniformly defined and applied color nomenclature, effective color communication will remain but a pipe dream.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Eleven Steps To A Better Brain
This article makes one think. Gemologists, lab gemologists, gem dealers, jewelers and consumers should read this article.
(via issue 2501 of New Scientist magazine, 28 May 2005, page 28) New Scientist writes:
It doesn't matter how brainy you are or how much education you've had - you can still improve and expand your mind. Boosting your mental faculties doesn't have to mean studying hard or becoming a reclusive book worm. There are lots of tricks, techniques and habits, as well as changes to your lifestyle, diet and behaviour that can help you flex your grey matter and get the best out of your brain cells. And here are 11 of them.
Smart drugs
Does getting old have to mean worsening memory, slower reactions and fuzzy thinking? AROUND the age of 40, honest folks may already admit to noticing changes in their mental abilities. This is the beginning of a gradual decline that in all too many of us will culminate in full-blown dementia. If it were possible somehow to reverse it, slow it or mask it, wouldn't you?
A few drugs that might do the job, known as "cognitive enhancement", are already on the market, and a few dozen others are on the way. Perhaps the best-known is modafinil. Licensed to treat narcolepsy, the condition that causes people to suddenly fall asleep, it has notable effects in healthy people too. Modafinil can keep a person awake and alert for 90 hours straight, with none of the jitteriness and bad concentration that amphetamines or even coffee seem to produce.
In fact, with the help of modafinil, sleep-deprived people can perform even better than their well-rested, unmedicated selves. The forfeited rest doesn't even need to be made good. Military research is finding that people can stay awake for 40 hours, sleep the normal 8 hours, and then pull a few more all-nighters with no ill effects. It's an open secret that many, perhaps most, prescriptions for modafinil are written not for people who suffer from narcolepsy, but for those who simply want to stay awake. Similarly, many people are using Ritalin not because they suffer from attention deficit or any other disorder, but because they want superior concentration during exams or heavy-duty negotiations.
The pharmaceutical pipeline is clogged with promising compounds - drugs that act on the nicotinic receptors that smokers have long exploited, drugs that work on the cannabinoid system to block pot-smoking-type effects. Some drugs have also been specially designed to augment memory. Many of these look genuinely plausible: they seem to work, and without any major side effects.
So why aren't we all on cognitive enhancers already? "We need to be careful what we wish for," says Daniele Piomelli at the University of California at Irvine. He is studying the body's cannabinoid system with a view to making memories less emotionally charged in people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Tinkering with memory may have unwanted effects, he warns. "Ultimately we may end up remembering things we don't want to."
Gary Lynch, also at UC Irvine, voices a similar concern. He is the inventor of ampakines, a class of drugs that changes the rules about how a memory is encoded and how strong a memory trace is - the essence of learning (see New Scientist, 14 May, p 6). But maybe the rules have already been optimised by evolution, he suggests. What looks to be an improvement could have hidden downsides.
Still, the opportunity may be too tempting to pass up. The drug acts only in the brain, claims Lynch. It has a short half-life of hours. Ampakines have been shown to restore function to severely sleep-deprived monkeys that would otherwise perform poorly. Preliminary studies in humans are just as exciting. You could make an elderly person perform like a much younger person, he says. And who doesn't wish for that?
Food for thought
You are what you eat, and that includes your brain. So what is the ultimate mastermind diet? YOUR brain is the greediest organ in your body, with some quite specific dietary requirements. So it is hardly surprising that what you eat can affect how you think. If you believe the dietary supplement industry, you could become the next Einstein just by popping the right combination of pills. Look closer, however, and it isn't that simple. The savvy consumer should take talk of brain-boosting diets with a pinch of low-sodium salt. But if it is possible to eat your way to genius, it must surely be worth a try.
First, go to the top of the class by eating breakfast. The brain is best fuelled by a steady supply of glucose, and many studies have shown that skipping breakfast reduces people's performance at school and at work.
But it isn't simply a matter of getting some calories down. According to research published in 2003, kids breakfasting on fizzy drinks and sugary snacks performed at the level of an average 70-year-old in tests of memory and attention. Beans on toast is a far better combination, as Barbara Stewart from the University of Ulster, UK, discovered. Toast alone boosted children's scores on a variety of cognitive tests, but when the tests got tougher, the breakfast with the high-protein beans worked best. Beans are also a good source of fibre, and other research has shown a link between a high-fibre diet and improved cognition. If you can't stomach beans before midday, wholemeal toast with Marmite makes a great alternative. The yeast extract is packed with B vitamins, whose brain-boosting powers have been demonstrated in many studies.
A smart choice for lunch is omelette and salad. Eggs are rich in choline, which your body uses to produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Researchers at Boston University found that when healthy young adults were given the drug scopolamine, which blocks acetylcholine receptors in the brain, it significantly reduced their ability to remember word pairs. Low levels of acetylcholine are also associated with Alzheimer's disease, and some studies suggest that boosting dietary intake may slow age-related memory loss.
A salad packed full of antioxidants, including beta-carotene and vitamins C and E, should also help keep an ageing brain in tip-top condition by helping to mop up damaging free radicals. Dwight Tapp and colleagues from the University of California at Irvine found that a diet high in antioxidants improved the cognitive skills of 39 ageing beagles - proving that you can teach an old dog new tricks.
Round off lunch with a yogurt dessert, and you should be alert and ready to face the stresses of the afternoon. That's because yogurt contains the amino acid tyrosine, needed for the production of the neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenalin, among others. Studies by the US military indicate that tyrosine becomes depleted when we are under stress and that supplementing your intake can improve alertness and memory.
Don't forget to snaffle a snack mid-afternoon, to maintain your glucose levels. Just make sure you avoid junk food, and especially highly processed goodies such as cakes, pastries and biscuits, which contain trans-fatty acids. These not only pile on the pounds, but are implicated in a slew of serious mental disorders, from dyslexia and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) to autism. Hard evidence for this is still thin on the ground, but last year researchers at the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting in San Diego, California, reported that rats and mice raised on the rodent equivalent of junk food struggled to find their way around a maze, and took longer to remember solutions to problems they had already solved.
It seems that some of the damage may be mediated through triglyceride, a cholesterol-like substance found at high levels in rodents fed on trans-fats. When the researchers gave these rats a drug to bring triglyceride levels down again, the animals' performance on the memory tasks improved.
Brains are around 60 per cent fat, so if trans-fats clog up the system, what should you eat to keep it well oiled? Evidence is mounting in favour of omega-3 fatty acids, in particular docosahexaenoic acid or DHA. In other words, your granny was right: fish is the best brain food. Not only will it feed and lubricate a developing brain, DHA also seems to help stave off dementia. Studies published last year reveal that older mice from a strain genetically altered to develop Alzheimer's had 70 per cent less of the amyloid plaques associated with the disease when fed on a high-DHA diet.
Finally, you could do worse than finish off your evening meal with strawberries and blueberries. Rats fed on these fruits have shown improved coordination, concentration and short-term memory. And even if they don't work such wonders in people, they still taste fantastic. So what have you got to lose?
The Mozart effect
Music may tune up your thinking, but you can't just crank up the volume and expect to become a genius. A DECADE ago Frances Rauscher, a psychologist now at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, and her colleagues made waves with the discovery that listening to Mozart improved people's mathematical and spatial reasoning. Even rats ran mazes faster and more accurately after hearing Mozart than after white noise or music by the minimalist composer Philip Glass. Last year, Rauscher reported that, for rats at least, a Mozart piano sonata seems to stimulate activity in three genes involved in nerve-cell signaling in the brain.
This sounds like the most harmonious way to tune up your mental faculties. But before you grab the CDs, hear this note of caution. Not everyone who has looked for the Mozart effect has found it. What's more, even its proponents tend to think that music boosts brain power simply because it makes listeners feel better - relaxed and stimulated at the same time - and that a comparable stimulus might do just as well. In fact, one study found that listening to a story gave a similar performance boost.
There is, however, one way in which music really does make you smarter, though unfortunately it requires a bit more effort than just selecting something mellow on your iPod. Music lessons are the key. Six-year-old children who were given music lessons, as opposed to drama lessons or no extra instruction, got a 2 to 3-point boost in IQ scores compared with the others. Similarly, Rauscher found that after two years of music lessons, pre-school children scored better on spatial reasoning tests than those who took computer lessons.
Maybe music lessons exercise a range of mental skills, with their requirement for delicate and precise finger movements, and listening for pitch and rhythm, all combined with an emotional dimension. Nobody knows for sure. Neither do they know whether adults can get the same mental boost as young children. But, surely, it can't hurt to try.
Bionic brains
If training and tricks seem too much like hard work, some technological short cuts can boost brain function.
Gainful employment
Put your mind to work in the right way and it could repay you with an impressive bonus. UNTIL recently, a person's IQ - a measure of all kinds of mental problem-solving abilities, including spatial skills, memory and verbal reasoning - was thought to be a fixed commodity largely determined by genetics. But recent hints suggest that a very basic brain function called working memory might underlie our general intelligence, opening up the intriguing possibility that if you improve your working memory, you could boost your IQ too.
Working memory is the brain's short-term information storage system. It's a workbench for solving mental problems. For example if you calculate 73 - 6 + 7, your working memory will store the intermediate steps necessary to work out the answer. And the amount of information that the working memory can hold is strongly related to general intelligence.
A team led by Torkel Klingberg at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, has found signs that the neural systems that underlie working memory may grow in response to training. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scans, they measured the brain activity of adults before and after a working-memory training programme, which involved tasks such as memorising the positions of a series of dots on a grid. After five weeks of training, their brain activity had increased in the regions associated with this type of memory (Nature Neuroscience, vol 7, p 75).
Perhaps more significantly, when the group studied children who had completed these types of mental workouts, they saw improvement in a range of cognitive abilities not related to the training, and a leap in IQ test scores of 8 per cent (Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, vol 44, p 177). It's early days yet, but Klingberg thinks working-memory training could be a key to unlocking brain power. "Genetics determines a lot and so does the early gestation period," he says. "On top of that, there is a few per cent - we don't know how much - that can be improved by training."
Memory marvels
Mind like a sieve? Don't worry. The difference between mere mortals and memory champs is more method than mental capacity. AN AUDITORIUM is filled with 600 people. As they file out, they each tell you their name. An hour later, you are asked to recall them all. Can you do it? Most of us would balk at the idea. But in truth we're probably all up to the task. It just needs a little technique and dedication.
First, learn a trick from the "mnemonists" who routinely memorise strings of thousands of digits, entire epic poems, or hundreds of unrelated words. When Eleanor Maguire from University College London and her colleagues studied eight front runners in the annual World Memory Championships they did not find any evidence that these people have particularly high IQs or differently configured brains. But, while memorising, these people did show activity in three brain regions that become active during movements and navigation tasks but are not normally active during simple memory tests.
This may be connected to the fact that seven of them used a strategy in which they place items to be remembered along a visualised route (Nature Neuroscience, vol 6, p 90). To remember the sequence of an entire pack of playing cards for example, the champions assign each card an identity, perhaps an object or person, and as they flick through the cards they can make up a story based on a sequence of interactions between these characters and objects at sites along a well-trodden route.
Actors use a related technique: they attach emotional meaning to what they say. We always remember highly emotional moments better than less emotionally loaded ones. Professional actors also seem to link words with movement, remembering action-accompanied lines significantly better than those delivered while static, even months after a show has closed.
Helga Noice, a psychologist from Elmhurst College in Illinois, and Tony Noice, an actor, who together discovered this effect, found that non-thesps can benefit by adopting a similar technique. Students who paired their words with previously learned actions could reproduce 38 per cent of them after just 5 minutes, whereas rote learners only managed 14 per cent. The Noices believe that having two mental representations gives you a better shot at remembering what you are supposed to say.
Strategy is important in everyday life too, says Barry Gordon from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Simple things like always putting your car keys in the same place, writing things down to get them off your mind, or just deciding to pay attention, can make a big difference to how much information you retain. And if names are your downfall, try making some mental associations. Just remember to keep the derogatory ones to yourself.
Sleep on it
Never underestimate the power of a good night's rest. SKIMPING on sleep does awful things to your brain. Planning, problem-solving, learning, concentration, working memory and alertness all take a hit. IQ scores tumble. "If you have been awake for 21 hours straight, your abilities are equivalent to someone who is legally drunk," says Sean Drummond from the University of California, San Diego. And you don't need to pull an all-nighter to suffer the effects: two or three late nights and early mornings on the trot have the same effect.
Luckily, it's reversible - and more. If you let someone who isn't sleep-deprived have an extra hour or two of shut-eye, they perform much better than normal on tasks requiring sustained attention, such taking an exam. And being able to concentrate harder has knock-on benefits for overall mental performance. "Attention is the base of a mental pyramid," says Drummond. "If you boost that, you can't help boosting everything above it."
These are not the only benefits of a decent night's sleep. Sleep is when your brain processes new memories, practices and hones new skills - and even solves problems. Say you're trying to master a new video game. Instead of grinding away into the small hours, you would be better off playing for a couple of hours, then going to bed. While you are asleep your brain will reactivate the circuits it was using as you learned the game, rehearse them, and then shunt the new memories into long-term storage. When you wake up, hey presto! You will be a better player. The same applies to other skills such as playing the piano, driving a car and, some researchers claim, memorising facts and figures. Even taking a nap after training can help, says Carlyle Smith of Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario.
There is also some evidence that sleep can help produce moments of problem-solving insight. The famous story about the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev suddenly "getting" the periodic table in a dream after a day spent struggling with the problem is probably true. It seems that sleep somehow allows the brain to juggle new memories to produce flashes of creative insight. So if you want to have a eureka moment, stop racking your brains and get your head down.
Body and mind
Physical exercise can boost brain as well as brawn. IT'S a dream come true for those who hate studying. Simply walking sedately for half an hour three times a week can improve abilities such as learning, concentration and abstract reasoning by 15 per cent. The effects are particularly noticeable in older people. Senior citizens who walk regularly perform better on memory tests than their sedentary peers. What's more, over several years their scores on a variety of cognitive tests show far less decline than those of non-walkers. Every extra mile a week has measurable benefits.
It's not only oldies who benefit, however. Angela Balding from the University of Exeter, UK, has found that schoolchildren who exercise three or four times a week get higher than average exam grades at age 10 or 11. The effect is strongest in boys, and while Balding admits that the link may not be causal, she suggests that aerobic exercise may boost mental powers by getting extra oxygen to your energy-guzzling brain.
There's another reason why your brain loves physical exercise: it promotes the growth of new brain cells. Until recently, received wisdom had it that we are born with a full complement of neurons and produce no new ones during our lifetime. Fred Gage from the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, busted that myth in 2000 when he showed that even adults can grow new brain cells. He also found that exercise is one of the best ways to achieve this.
In mice, at least, the brain-building effects of exercise are strongest in the hippocampus, which is involved with learning and memory. This also happens to be the brain region that is damaged by elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol. So if you are feeling frazzled, do your brain a favour and go for a run.
Even more gentle exercise, such as yoga, can do wonders for your brain. Last year, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, reported results from a pilot study in which they considered the mood-altering ability of different yoga poses. Comparing back bends, forward bends and standing poses, they concluded that the best way to get a mental lift is to bend over backwards.
And the effect works both ways. Just as physical exercise can boost the brain, mental exercise can boost the body. In 2001, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio asked volunteers to spend just 15 minutes a day thinking about exercising their biceps. After 12 weeks, their arms were 13 per cent stronger.
Nuns on a run
If you don't want senility to interfere with your old age, perhaps you should seek some sisterly guidance. THE convent of the School Sisters of Notre Dame on Good Counsel Hill in Mankato, Minnesota, might seem an unusual place for a pioneering brain-science experiment. But a study of its 75 to 107-year-old inhabitants is revealing more about keeping the brain alive and healthy than perhaps any other to date. The "Nun study" is a unique collaboration between 678 Catholic sisters recruited in 1991 and Alzheimer's expert David Snowdon of the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging and the University of Kentucky in Lexington.
The sisters' miraculous longevity - the group boasts seven centenarians and many others well on their way - is surely in no small part attributable to their impeccable lifestyle. They do not drink or smoke, they live quietly and communally, they are spiritual and calm and they eat healthily and in moderation. Nevertheless, small differences between individual nuns could reveal the key to a healthy mind in later life.
Some of the nuns have suffered from Alzheimer's disease, but many have avoided any kind of dementia or senility. They include Sister Matthia, who was mentally fit and active from her birth in 1894 to the day she died peacefully in her sleep, aged 104. She was happy and productive, knitting mittens for the poor every day until the end of her life. A post-mortem of Sister Matthia's brain revealed no signs of excessive ageing. But in some other, remarkable cases, Snowdon has found sisters who showed no outwards signs of senility in life, yet had brains that looked as if they were ravaged by dementia.
How did Sister Matthia and the others cheat time? Snowdon's study, which includes an annual barrage of mental agility tests and detailed medical exams, has found several common denominators. The right amount of vitamin folate is one. Verbal ability early in life is another, as are positive emotions early in life, which were revealed by Snowdon's analysis of the personal autobiographical essays each woman wrote in her 20s as she took her vows. Activities, crosswords, knitting and exercising also helped to prevent senility, showing that the old adage "use it or lose it" is pertinent. And spirituality, or the positive attitude that comes from it, can't be overlooked. But individual differences also matter. To avoid dementia, your general health may be vital: metabolic problems, small strokes and head injuries seem to be common triggers of Alzheimer's dementia.
Obviously, you don't have to become a nun to stay mentally agile. We can all aspire to these kinds of improvements. As one of the sisters put it, "Think no evil, do no evil, hear no evil, and you will never write a best-selling novel."
Attention seeking
You can be smart, well-read, creative and knowledgeable, but none of it is any use if your mind isn't on the job. PAYING attention is a complex mental process, an interplay of zooming in on detail and stepping back to survey the big picture. So unfortunately there is no single remedy to enhance your concentration. But there are a few ways to improve it.
The first is to raise your arousal levels. The brain's attentional state is controlled by the neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenalin. Dopamine encourages a persistent, goal-centred state of mind whereas noradrenalin produces an outward-looking, vigilant state. So not surprisingly, anything that raises dopamine levels can boost your powers of concentration.
One way to do this is with drugs such as amphetamines and the ADHD drug methylphenidate, better known as Ritalin. Caffeine also works. But if you prefer the drug-free approach, the best strategy is to sleep well, eat foods packed with slow-release sugars, and take lots of exercise. It also helps if you are trying to focus on something that you find interesting.
The second step is to cut down on distractions. Workplace studies have found that it takes up to 15 minutes to regain a deep state of concentration after a distraction such as a phone call. Just a few such interruptions and half the day is wasted.
Music can help as long as you listen to something familiar and soothing that serves primarily to drown out background noise. Psychologists also recommend that you avoid working near potential diversions, such as the fridge.
There are mental drills to deal with distractions. College counsellors routinely teach students to recognise when their thoughts are wandering, and catch themselves by saying "Stop! Be here now!" It sounds corny but can develop into a valuable habit. As any Zen meditator will tell you, concentration is as much a skill to be lovingly cultivated as it is a physiochemical state of the brain.
Positive feedback
Thought control is easier than you might imagine. IT SOUNDS a bit New Age, but there is a mysterious method of thought control you can learn that seems to boost brain power. No one quite knows how it works, and it is hard to describe exactly how to do it: it's not relaxation or concentration as such, more a state of mind. It's called neurofeedback. And it is slowly gaining scientific credibility.
Neurofeedback grew out of biofeedback therapy, popular in the 1960s. It works by showing people a real-time measure of some seemingly uncontrollable aspect of their physiology - heart rate, say - and encouraging them to try and change it. Astonishingly, many patients found that they could, though only rarely could they describe how they did it.
More recently, this technique has been applied to the brain - specifically to brain wave activity measured by an electroencephalogram, or EEG. The first attempts were aimed at boosting the size of the alpha wave, which crescendos when we are calm and focused. In one experiment, researchers linked the speed of a car in a computer game to the size of the alpha wave. They then asked subjects to make the car go faster using only their minds. Many managed to do so, and seemed to become more alert and focused as a result.
This early success encouraged others, and neurofeedback soon became a popular alternative therapy for ADHD. There is now good scientific evidence that it works, as well as some success in treating epilepsy, depression, tinnitus, anxiety, stroke and brain injuries.
And to keep up with the times, some experimenters have used brain scanners in place of EEGs. Scanners can allow people to see and control activity of specific parts of the brain. A team at Stanford University in California showed that people could learn to control pain by watching the activity of their pain centres (New Scientist, 1 May 2004, p 9).
But what about outside the clinic? Will neuro feedback ever allow ordinary people to boost their brain function? Possibly. John Gruzelier of Imperial College London has shown that it can improve medical students' memory and make them feel calmer before exams. He has also shown that it can improve musicians' and dancers' technique, and is testing it out on opera singers and surgeons.
Neils Birbaumer from the University of Tübingen in Germany wants to see whether neurofeedback can help psychopathic criminals control their impulsiveness. And there are hints that the method could boost creativity, enhance our orgasms, give shy people more confidence, lift low moods, alter the balance between left and right brain activity, and alter personality traits. All this by the power of thought.
(via issue 2501 of New Scientist magazine, 28 May 2005, page 28) New Scientist writes:
It doesn't matter how brainy you are or how much education you've had - you can still improve and expand your mind. Boosting your mental faculties doesn't have to mean studying hard or becoming a reclusive book worm. There are lots of tricks, techniques and habits, as well as changes to your lifestyle, diet and behaviour that can help you flex your grey matter and get the best out of your brain cells. And here are 11 of them.
Smart drugs
Does getting old have to mean worsening memory, slower reactions and fuzzy thinking? AROUND the age of 40, honest folks may already admit to noticing changes in their mental abilities. This is the beginning of a gradual decline that in all too many of us will culminate in full-blown dementia. If it were possible somehow to reverse it, slow it or mask it, wouldn't you?
A few drugs that might do the job, known as "cognitive enhancement", are already on the market, and a few dozen others are on the way. Perhaps the best-known is modafinil. Licensed to treat narcolepsy, the condition that causes people to suddenly fall asleep, it has notable effects in healthy people too. Modafinil can keep a person awake and alert for 90 hours straight, with none of the jitteriness and bad concentration that amphetamines or even coffee seem to produce.
In fact, with the help of modafinil, sleep-deprived people can perform even better than their well-rested, unmedicated selves. The forfeited rest doesn't even need to be made good. Military research is finding that people can stay awake for 40 hours, sleep the normal 8 hours, and then pull a few more all-nighters with no ill effects. It's an open secret that many, perhaps most, prescriptions for modafinil are written not for people who suffer from narcolepsy, but for those who simply want to stay awake. Similarly, many people are using Ritalin not because they suffer from attention deficit or any other disorder, but because they want superior concentration during exams or heavy-duty negotiations.
The pharmaceutical pipeline is clogged with promising compounds - drugs that act on the nicotinic receptors that smokers have long exploited, drugs that work on the cannabinoid system to block pot-smoking-type effects. Some drugs have also been specially designed to augment memory. Many of these look genuinely plausible: they seem to work, and without any major side effects.
So why aren't we all on cognitive enhancers already? "We need to be careful what we wish for," says Daniele Piomelli at the University of California at Irvine. He is studying the body's cannabinoid system with a view to making memories less emotionally charged in people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Tinkering with memory may have unwanted effects, he warns. "Ultimately we may end up remembering things we don't want to."
Gary Lynch, also at UC Irvine, voices a similar concern. He is the inventor of ampakines, a class of drugs that changes the rules about how a memory is encoded and how strong a memory trace is - the essence of learning (see New Scientist, 14 May, p 6). But maybe the rules have already been optimised by evolution, he suggests. What looks to be an improvement could have hidden downsides.
Still, the opportunity may be too tempting to pass up. The drug acts only in the brain, claims Lynch. It has a short half-life of hours. Ampakines have been shown to restore function to severely sleep-deprived monkeys that would otherwise perform poorly. Preliminary studies in humans are just as exciting. You could make an elderly person perform like a much younger person, he says. And who doesn't wish for that?
Food for thought
You are what you eat, and that includes your brain. So what is the ultimate mastermind diet? YOUR brain is the greediest organ in your body, with some quite specific dietary requirements. So it is hardly surprising that what you eat can affect how you think. If you believe the dietary supplement industry, you could become the next Einstein just by popping the right combination of pills. Look closer, however, and it isn't that simple. The savvy consumer should take talk of brain-boosting diets with a pinch of low-sodium salt. But if it is possible to eat your way to genius, it must surely be worth a try.
First, go to the top of the class by eating breakfast. The brain is best fuelled by a steady supply of glucose, and many studies have shown that skipping breakfast reduces people's performance at school and at work.
But it isn't simply a matter of getting some calories down. According to research published in 2003, kids breakfasting on fizzy drinks and sugary snacks performed at the level of an average 70-year-old in tests of memory and attention. Beans on toast is a far better combination, as Barbara Stewart from the University of Ulster, UK, discovered. Toast alone boosted children's scores on a variety of cognitive tests, but when the tests got tougher, the breakfast with the high-protein beans worked best. Beans are also a good source of fibre, and other research has shown a link between a high-fibre diet and improved cognition. If you can't stomach beans before midday, wholemeal toast with Marmite makes a great alternative. The yeast extract is packed with B vitamins, whose brain-boosting powers have been demonstrated in many studies.
A smart choice for lunch is omelette and salad. Eggs are rich in choline, which your body uses to produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Researchers at Boston University found that when healthy young adults were given the drug scopolamine, which blocks acetylcholine receptors in the brain, it significantly reduced their ability to remember word pairs. Low levels of acetylcholine are also associated with Alzheimer's disease, and some studies suggest that boosting dietary intake may slow age-related memory loss.
A salad packed full of antioxidants, including beta-carotene and vitamins C and E, should also help keep an ageing brain in tip-top condition by helping to mop up damaging free radicals. Dwight Tapp and colleagues from the University of California at Irvine found that a diet high in antioxidants improved the cognitive skills of 39 ageing beagles - proving that you can teach an old dog new tricks.
Round off lunch with a yogurt dessert, and you should be alert and ready to face the stresses of the afternoon. That's because yogurt contains the amino acid tyrosine, needed for the production of the neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenalin, among others. Studies by the US military indicate that tyrosine becomes depleted when we are under stress and that supplementing your intake can improve alertness and memory.
Don't forget to snaffle a snack mid-afternoon, to maintain your glucose levels. Just make sure you avoid junk food, and especially highly processed goodies such as cakes, pastries and biscuits, which contain trans-fatty acids. These not only pile on the pounds, but are implicated in a slew of serious mental disorders, from dyslexia and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) to autism. Hard evidence for this is still thin on the ground, but last year researchers at the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting in San Diego, California, reported that rats and mice raised on the rodent equivalent of junk food struggled to find their way around a maze, and took longer to remember solutions to problems they had already solved.
It seems that some of the damage may be mediated through triglyceride, a cholesterol-like substance found at high levels in rodents fed on trans-fats. When the researchers gave these rats a drug to bring triglyceride levels down again, the animals' performance on the memory tasks improved.
Brains are around 60 per cent fat, so if trans-fats clog up the system, what should you eat to keep it well oiled? Evidence is mounting in favour of omega-3 fatty acids, in particular docosahexaenoic acid or DHA. In other words, your granny was right: fish is the best brain food. Not only will it feed and lubricate a developing brain, DHA also seems to help stave off dementia. Studies published last year reveal that older mice from a strain genetically altered to develop Alzheimer's had 70 per cent less of the amyloid plaques associated with the disease when fed on a high-DHA diet.
Finally, you could do worse than finish off your evening meal with strawberries and blueberries. Rats fed on these fruits have shown improved coordination, concentration and short-term memory. And even if they don't work such wonders in people, they still taste fantastic. So what have you got to lose?
The Mozart effect
Music may tune up your thinking, but you can't just crank up the volume and expect to become a genius. A DECADE ago Frances Rauscher, a psychologist now at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, and her colleagues made waves with the discovery that listening to Mozart improved people's mathematical and spatial reasoning. Even rats ran mazes faster and more accurately after hearing Mozart than after white noise or music by the minimalist composer Philip Glass. Last year, Rauscher reported that, for rats at least, a Mozart piano sonata seems to stimulate activity in three genes involved in nerve-cell signaling in the brain.
This sounds like the most harmonious way to tune up your mental faculties. But before you grab the CDs, hear this note of caution. Not everyone who has looked for the Mozart effect has found it. What's more, even its proponents tend to think that music boosts brain power simply because it makes listeners feel better - relaxed and stimulated at the same time - and that a comparable stimulus might do just as well. In fact, one study found that listening to a story gave a similar performance boost.
There is, however, one way in which music really does make you smarter, though unfortunately it requires a bit more effort than just selecting something mellow on your iPod. Music lessons are the key. Six-year-old children who were given music lessons, as opposed to drama lessons or no extra instruction, got a 2 to 3-point boost in IQ scores compared with the others. Similarly, Rauscher found that after two years of music lessons, pre-school children scored better on spatial reasoning tests than those who took computer lessons.
Maybe music lessons exercise a range of mental skills, with their requirement for delicate and precise finger movements, and listening for pitch and rhythm, all combined with an emotional dimension. Nobody knows for sure. Neither do they know whether adults can get the same mental boost as young children. But, surely, it can't hurt to try.
Bionic brains
If training and tricks seem too much like hard work, some technological short cuts can boost brain function.
Gainful employment
Put your mind to work in the right way and it could repay you with an impressive bonus. UNTIL recently, a person's IQ - a measure of all kinds of mental problem-solving abilities, including spatial skills, memory and verbal reasoning - was thought to be a fixed commodity largely determined by genetics. But recent hints suggest that a very basic brain function called working memory might underlie our general intelligence, opening up the intriguing possibility that if you improve your working memory, you could boost your IQ too.
Working memory is the brain's short-term information storage system. It's a workbench for solving mental problems. For example if you calculate 73 - 6 + 7, your working memory will store the intermediate steps necessary to work out the answer. And the amount of information that the working memory can hold is strongly related to general intelligence.
A team led by Torkel Klingberg at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, has found signs that the neural systems that underlie working memory may grow in response to training. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scans, they measured the brain activity of adults before and after a working-memory training programme, which involved tasks such as memorising the positions of a series of dots on a grid. After five weeks of training, their brain activity had increased in the regions associated with this type of memory (Nature Neuroscience, vol 7, p 75).
Perhaps more significantly, when the group studied children who had completed these types of mental workouts, they saw improvement in a range of cognitive abilities not related to the training, and a leap in IQ test scores of 8 per cent (Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, vol 44, p 177). It's early days yet, but Klingberg thinks working-memory training could be a key to unlocking brain power. "Genetics determines a lot and so does the early gestation period," he says. "On top of that, there is a few per cent - we don't know how much - that can be improved by training."
Memory marvels
Mind like a sieve? Don't worry. The difference between mere mortals and memory champs is more method than mental capacity. AN AUDITORIUM is filled with 600 people. As they file out, they each tell you their name. An hour later, you are asked to recall them all. Can you do it? Most of us would balk at the idea. But in truth we're probably all up to the task. It just needs a little technique and dedication.
First, learn a trick from the "mnemonists" who routinely memorise strings of thousands of digits, entire epic poems, or hundreds of unrelated words. When Eleanor Maguire from University College London and her colleagues studied eight front runners in the annual World Memory Championships they did not find any evidence that these people have particularly high IQs or differently configured brains. But, while memorising, these people did show activity in three brain regions that become active during movements and navigation tasks but are not normally active during simple memory tests.
This may be connected to the fact that seven of them used a strategy in which they place items to be remembered along a visualised route (Nature Neuroscience, vol 6, p 90). To remember the sequence of an entire pack of playing cards for example, the champions assign each card an identity, perhaps an object or person, and as they flick through the cards they can make up a story based on a sequence of interactions between these characters and objects at sites along a well-trodden route.
Actors use a related technique: they attach emotional meaning to what they say. We always remember highly emotional moments better than less emotionally loaded ones. Professional actors also seem to link words with movement, remembering action-accompanied lines significantly better than those delivered while static, even months after a show has closed.
Helga Noice, a psychologist from Elmhurst College in Illinois, and Tony Noice, an actor, who together discovered this effect, found that non-thesps can benefit by adopting a similar technique. Students who paired their words with previously learned actions could reproduce 38 per cent of them after just 5 minutes, whereas rote learners only managed 14 per cent. The Noices believe that having two mental representations gives you a better shot at remembering what you are supposed to say.
Strategy is important in everyday life too, says Barry Gordon from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Simple things like always putting your car keys in the same place, writing things down to get them off your mind, or just deciding to pay attention, can make a big difference to how much information you retain. And if names are your downfall, try making some mental associations. Just remember to keep the derogatory ones to yourself.
Sleep on it
Never underestimate the power of a good night's rest. SKIMPING on sleep does awful things to your brain. Planning, problem-solving, learning, concentration, working memory and alertness all take a hit. IQ scores tumble. "If you have been awake for 21 hours straight, your abilities are equivalent to someone who is legally drunk," says Sean Drummond from the University of California, San Diego. And you don't need to pull an all-nighter to suffer the effects: two or three late nights and early mornings on the trot have the same effect.
Luckily, it's reversible - and more. If you let someone who isn't sleep-deprived have an extra hour or two of shut-eye, they perform much better than normal on tasks requiring sustained attention, such taking an exam. And being able to concentrate harder has knock-on benefits for overall mental performance. "Attention is the base of a mental pyramid," says Drummond. "If you boost that, you can't help boosting everything above it."
These are not the only benefits of a decent night's sleep. Sleep is when your brain processes new memories, practices and hones new skills - and even solves problems. Say you're trying to master a new video game. Instead of grinding away into the small hours, you would be better off playing for a couple of hours, then going to bed. While you are asleep your brain will reactivate the circuits it was using as you learned the game, rehearse them, and then shunt the new memories into long-term storage. When you wake up, hey presto! You will be a better player. The same applies to other skills such as playing the piano, driving a car and, some researchers claim, memorising facts and figures. Even taking a nap after training can help, says Carlyle Smith of Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario.
There is also some evidence that sleep can help produce moments of problem-solving insight. The famous story about the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev suddenly "getting" the periodic table in a dream after a day spent struggling with the problem is probably true. It seems that sleep somehow allows the brain to juggle new memories to produce flashes of creative insight. So if you want to have a eureka moment, stop racking your brains and get your head down.
Body and mind
Physical exercise can boost brain as well as brawn. IT'S a dream come true for those who hate studying. Simply walking sedately for half an hour three times a week can improve abilities such as learning, concentration and abstract reasoning by 15 per cent. The effects are particularly noticeable in older people. Senior citizens who walk regularly perform better on memory tests than their sedentary peers. What's more, over several years their scores on a variety of cognitive tests show far less decline than those of non-walkers. Every extra mile a week has measurable benefits.
It's not only oldies who benefit, however. Angela Balding from the University of Exeter, UK, has found that schoolchildren who exercise three or four times a week get higher than average exam grades at age 10 or 11. The effect is strongest in boys, and while Balding admits that the link may not be causal, she suggests that aerobic exercise may boost mental powers by getting extra oxygen to your energy-guzzling brain.
There's another reason why your brain loves physical exercise: it promotes the growth of new brain cells. Until recently, received wisdom had it that we are born with a full complement of neurons and produce no new ones during our lifetime. Fred Gage from the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, busted that myth in 2000 when he showed that even adults can grow new brain cells. He also found that exercise is one of the best ways to achieve this.
In mice, at least, the brain-building effects of exercise are strongest in the hippocampus, which is involved with learning and memory. This also happens to be the brain region that is damaged by elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol. So if you are feeling frazzled, do your brain a favour and go for a run.
Even more gentle exercise, such as yoga, can do wonders for your brain. Last year, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, reported results from a pilot study in which they considered the mood-altering ability of different yoga poses. Comparing back bends, forward bends and standing poses, they concluded that the best way to get a mental lift is to bend over backwards.
And the effect works both ways. Just as physical exercise can boost the brain, mental exercise can boost the body. In 2001, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio asked volunteers to spend just 15 minutes a day thinking about exercising their biceps. After 12 weeks, their arms were 13 per cent stronger.
Nuns on a run
If you don't want senility to interfere with your old age, perhaps you should seek some sisterly guidance. THE convent of the School Sisters of Notre Dame on Good Counsel Hill in Mankato, Minnesota, might seem an unusual place for a pioneering brain-science experiment. But a study of its 75 to 107-year-old inhabitants is revealing more about keeping the brain alive and healthy than perhaps any other to date. The "Nun study" is a unique collaboration between 678 Catholic sisters recruited in 1991 and Alzheimer's expert David Snowdon of the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging and the University of Kentucky in Lexington.
The sisters' miraculous longevity - the group boasts seven centenarians and many others well on their way - is surely in no small part attributable to their impeccable lifestyle. They do not drink or smoke, they live quietly and communally, they are spiritual and calm and they eat healthily and in moderation. Nevertheless, small differences between individual nuns could reveal the key to a healthy mind in later life.
Some of the nuns have suffered from Alzheimer's disease, but many have avoided any kind of dementia or senility. They include Sister Matthia, who was mentally fit and active from her birth in 1894 to the day she died peacefully in her sleep, aged 104. She was happy and productive, knitting mittens for the poor every day until the end of her life. A post-mortem of Sister Matthia's brain revealed no signs of excessive ageing. But in some other, remarkable cases, Snowdon has found sisters who showed no outwards signs of senility in life, yet had brains that looked as if they were ravaged by dementia.
How did Sister Matthia and the others cheat time? Snowdon's study, which includes an annual barrage of mental agility tests and detailed medical exams, has found several common denominators. The right amount of vitamin folate is one. Verbal ability early in life is another, as are positive emotions early in life, which were revealed by Snowdon's analysis of the personal autobiographical essays each woman wrote in her 20s as she took her vows. Activities, crosswords, knitting and exercising also helped to prevent senility, showing that the old adage "use it or lose it" is pertinent. And spirituality, or the positive attitude that comes from it, can't be overlooked. But individual differences also matter. To avoid dementia, your general health may be vital: metabolic problems, small strokes and head injuries seem to be common triggers of Alzheimer's dementia.
Obviously, you don't have to become a nun to stay mentally agile. We can all aspire to these kinds of improvements. As one of the sisters put it, "Think no evil, do no evil, hear no evil, and you will never write a best-selling novel."
Attention seeking
You can be smart, well-read, creative and knowledgeable, but none of it is any use if your mind isn't on the job. PAYING attention is a complex mental process, an interplay of zooming in on detail and stepping back to survey the big picture. So unfortunately there is no single remedy to enhance your concentration. But there are a few ways to improve it.
The first is to raise your arousal levels. The brain's attentional state is controlled by the neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenalin. Dopamine encourages a persistent, goal-centred state of mind whereas noradrenalin produces an outward-looking, vigilant state. So not surprisingly, anything that raises dopamine levels can boost your powers of concentration.
One way to do this is with drugs such as amphetamines and the ADHD drug methylphenidate, better known as Ritalin. Caffeine also works. But if you prefer the drug-free approach, the best strategy is to sleep well, eat foods packed with slow-release sugars, and take lots of exercise. It also helps if you are trying to focus on something that you find interesting.
The second step is to cut down on distractions. Workplace studies have found that it takes up to 15 minutes to regain a deep state of concentration after a distraction such as a phone call. Just a few such interruptions and half the day is wasted.
Music can help as long as you listen to something familiar and soothing that serves primarily to drown out background noise. Psychologists also recommend that you avoid working near potential diversions, such as the fridge.
There are mental drills to deal with distractions. College counsellors routinely teach students to recognise when their thoughts are wandering, and catch themselves by saying "Stop! Be here now!" It sounds corny but can develop into a valuable habit. As any Zen meditator will tell you, concentration is as much a skill to be lovingly cultivated as it is a physiochemical state of the brain.
Positive feedback
Thought control is easier than you might imagine. IT SOUNDS a bit New Age, but there is a mysterious method of thought control you can learn that seems to boost brain power. No one quite knows how it works, and it is hard to describe exactly how to do it: it's not relaxation or concentration as such, more a state of mind. It's called neurofeedback. And it is slowly gaining scientific credibility.
Neurofeedback grew out of biofeedback therapy, popular in the 1960s. It works by showing people a real-time measure of some seemingly uncontrollable aspect of their physiology - heart rate, say - and encouraging them to try and change it. Astonishingly, many patients found that they could, though only rarely could they describe how they did it.
More recently, this technique has been applied to the brain - specifically to brain wave activity measured by an electroencephalogram, or EEG. The first attempts were aimed at boosting the size of the alpha wave, which crescendos when we are calm and focused. In one experiment, researchers linked the speed of a car in a computer game to the size of the alpha wave. They then asked subjects to make the car go faster using only their minds. Many managed to do so, and seemed to become more alert and focused as a result.
This early success encouraged others, and neurofeedback soon became a popular alternative therapy for ADHD. There is now good scientific evidence that it works, as well as some success in treating epilepsy, depression, tinnitus, anxiety, stroke and brain injuries.
And to keep up with the times, some experimenters have used brain scanners in place of EEGs. Scanners can allow people to see and control activity of specific parts of the brain. A team at Stanford University in California showed that people could learn to control pain by watching the activity of their pain centres (New Scientist, 1 May 2004, p 9).
But what about outside the clinic? Will neuro feedback ever allow ordinary people to boost their brain function? Possibly. John Gruzelier of Imperial College London has shown that it can improve medical students' memory and make them feel calmer before exams. He has also shown that it can improve musicians' and dancers' technique, and is testing it out on opera singers and surgeons.
Neils Birbaumer from the University of Tübingen in Germany wants to see whether neurofeedback can help psychopathic criminals control their impulsiveness. And there are hints that the method could boost creativity, enhance our orgasms, give shy people more confidence, lift low moods, alter the balance between left and right brain activity, and alter personality traits. All this by the power of thought.
Diamond Report—Technical or Descriptive?
Gabi Tolkowsky has a unique way of explaining diamond concepts. Good info.
Gabi S. Tolkowsky writes:
The End Consumer
What are the major elements which make people take the decision to acquire a diamond? Due to my numerous lectures given worldwide to consumers, and professionals alike, the ‘Live’ conversations with them, their immediate reactions, their questions, comments, requests and their continuous ‘come backs’, I will give such feedback to the audience.
Due to the internet and the multiple publications, our professional language spilled into common knowledge and is employed by the general public as such. Should our professional language adapt itself more towards descriptive senses such as "Rarity", "Beauty", "Dream", "Emotion", "Craftsmanship", "Art"?
I do not Cut a diamond. The word 'Cut' means in English: make an opening or a wound in something, with a sharp tool such as a knife or scissors: To divide and remove something from something large: To reduce something by removing material, etc.
As a professional diamond cutter I would say: "Divide" a diamond if necessary (cleaving, sawing, lasering). As a professional diamond bruter I would say: "Fashion" a shape, a form. As a professional diamond polisher I would say: "Fashion" a shape, a form, and will polish the surface by applying the "Style" of a "Design" with precise "Facets" or "Mirrors".
Should our terminology be "Technical" or should it become more "Descriptive"? Should we have an internal, detailed Technical Diamond Report (for professional use only) and a descriptive external Diamond Report (to the attention of the consumer)?
What is Gemology, and what is a Gemologist (Most of the popular dictionaries and encyclopedias do not refer to such entries)? What means the word - Modified or Variations? What are the meanings of finish, make, proportions, cut grading, finish grading, major symmetry, minor symmetry.
New designs of polished diamonds are subject to very high expenses for protection purposes. The gemological laboratories should be able to maintain a complete and confidential library of past and future "Shapes and Styles", and provide legal protection to creativity and invention as long as such are not yet reaching the open market. New designs as well as past historical designs are presenting parameters which are not yet considered being conventional (depth, table, crown, pavilion, cutlet, shape etc.). Should those be integrated into the general description "Fancies" or should the terminology "Fancy Shape" be described as being "Natural Shapes" (The craftsman protects symmetrically the natural outline of the individual natural rough diamond shape?).
Gabi S. Tolkowsky writes:
The End Consumer
What are the major elements which make people take the decision to acquire a diamond? Due to my numerous lectures given worldwide to consumers, and professionals alike, the ‘Live’ conversations with them, their immediate reactions, their questions, comments, requests and their continuous ‘come backs’, I will give such feedback to the audience.
Due to the internet and the multiple publications, our professional language spilled into common knowledge and is employed by the general public as such. Should our professional language adapt itself more towards descriptive senses such as "Rarity", "Beauty", "Dream", "Emotion", "Craftsmanship", "Art"?
I do not Cut a diamond. The word 'Cut' means in English: make an opening or a wound in something, with a sharp tool such as a knife or scissors: To divide and remove something from something large: To reduce something by removing material, etc.
As a professional diamond cutter I would say: "Divide" a diamond if necessary (cleaving, sawing, lasering). As a professional diamond bruter I would say: "Fashion" a shape, a form. As a professional diamond polisher I would say: "Fashion" a shape, a form, and will polish the surface by applying the "Style" of a "Design" with precise "Facets" or "Mirrors".
Should our terminology be "Technical" or should it become more "Descriptive"? Should we have an internal, detailed Technical Diamond Report (for professional use only) and a descriptive external Diamond Report (to the attention of the consumer)?
What is Gemology, and what is a Gemologist (Most of the popular dictionaries and encyclopedias do not refer to such entries)? What means the word - Modified or Variations? What are the meanings of finish, make, proportions, cut grading, finish grading, major symmetry, minor symmetry.
New designs of polished diamonds are subject to very high expenses for protection purposes. The gemological laboratories should be able to maintain a complete and confidential library of past and future "Shapes and Styles", and provide legal protection to creativity and invention as long as such are not yet reaching the open market. New designs as well as past historical designs are presenting parameters which are not yet considered being conventional (depth, table, crown, pavilion, cutlet, shape etc.). Should those be integrated into the general description "Fancies" or should the terminology "Fancy Shape" be described as being "Natural Shapes" (The craftsman protects symmetrically the natural outline of the individual natural rough diamond shape?).
The Kings Of Jaipur
(via Couture International Jeweler, Spring 2007) Victoria Gomelsky writes:
Motorized rickshaws, mopeds, hand-drawn carts an cows dominate the relentless traffic on Jaipur’s dusty M.I.Road, except for the block that houses the esteemed Gem Palace, where tour buses are a conspicuous and everyday presence.
The retail store—a Jaipur institution since 1852, when the maharaja who ruled the city, capital of India’s Rajasthan province, appointed Kasliwal family crown jewelers—conjures images of such fabulousness among visitors that it is now a regular stop on the tourist circuit, like the pink-honeycombed Palace of the Winds and hilltop Amber Fort. Credit goes to eighth-generation Munnu Kasliwal, the creative genius behind Gem Palace’s treasure trove, and his brothers, Sudhir and Sanjay, who manage the retail and wholesale ends of the business along with their cousins, Ajay and Pappu Kasliwal. Even the ninth generation is represented, the form of Munnu’s son, Siddarth, who recently joined the business. Under the family’s careful stewardship, Gem Palace earns as much respect from contemporary jewel-lovers as it did under the majarajas’ patronage.
“It the mother lode,” confirms a well-groomed American woman, cooing over a pair of carnelian earnings and matching ring on a sunny December afternoon. She’s a media buyer from Maryland on a two-week holiday with her husband in Rajasthan. A visit to Gem Palace was built in their itinerary, making them the latest in a long line of admirers to gawk over the gem-set wonders stocked inside its aging wooden showcases.
Few retailers can claim Jackie Onassis, Bill Clinton, Mick Jagger, Nicole Kidman, Giorgio Armani, Countess Mountbatten of Burma and Diana, Princess of Wales as fans. Then again, few retailers offer visitors an opportunity to purchase baubles in an environment that recalls an era in which jewelry was valued above all other material possessions. Located in a centuries-old Jaipur building with a central courtyard and flat-roof terraces distinguished by Mughal-style minarets, Gem Palace is a veritable museum of Rajasthani craftsmanship, from the mustard-color block prints that blanket the walls, withered and peeling with age, to the carved silver elephants and jeweled objects d’art that litter the floor beneath the showcases, themselves brimming with antique and contemporary interpretations of traditional Indian motifs.
There are spectacular villandi, or Mughal-cut, diamond necklaces, the diamonds flat as cobblestones and almost as large; traditional bell earrings known as jhoomki strung with Burmese rubies, like tiny gem-set parasols; gold cuff lotus flower bracelets laced with pink and green tourmalines; 22-karat gold and diamond rings fashioned in the shape of parakeets, with colorless diamond briolettes swinging from their gilded beaks. The range of jewels includes the eccentric (a 32-piece gold and diamond chess set, anyone?) and the imperial (a Mughal turban ornament known as sarpech is set with pink and purple spinels and is as long as child’s forearm), but there’s a healthy selection of more affordable baubles in rose quartz, moonstone and other semi precious stones, sourced as rough from the hundreds of dealers who congregate inside the walls of the old city.
What’s more, the jewelry on display at Gem Palace is breathtaking down to the details hidden from view. Following the Hindu belief that the body sees what the eyes cannot, the back of Mannu’s creations bear extraordinary detailing, including delicate filigree work, diamond accents and vivid pastoral scenes rendered in red and green enamel, a style known as kundan meena. Gem Palace is also one of the chief practitioners of an ancient Indian gold working technique called kundan, in which precious stones are set into 24-karat gold with a core of lac, a natural resin, the inlay forming a shiny ribbon around each stone.
Beyond the sensory pleasures of touring Gem Palace lies the significant intellectual reward of seeing and touching historical evidence that connects the store to its magnificent home city, founded by ruler Jai Singh in 1727. The salon’s wooden chairs, carved from Burmese teak, look like they could have supported the backside of a Mughal King, and probably did. Against the wall, a stack of 100-year old, poster-size black-and-white prints depict the annual mystic extravaganza that is the Pushkar camel fair. Ornate silver trunks lined in red velvet store historic-gem-encrusted flasks originally crafted for the Singh dynasty. Such touches lend the store an antique atmosphere that belies the whirl of activity going on upstairs and at select location around Jaipur.
“We don’t outsource anything,” says Sudhir Kasliwal, as he leads a visitor through the warren of rooms that constitute the main selling floor. “We have our workers working in their homes for pieces. But everything is done by our staff. This is one place where we do everything, right from cutting and polishing stones to setting. That’s why we can design something and don’t have to look here and there for the stones. Instead, we cut our own.”
Gem Palace employs several thousand people, all under the direction of Munnu, a 49-year old artist whose flair with gemstones is such that London’s Gilbert Collection at Somerset House assembled 250 pieces of his work for a month long exhibition last fall. “Treasures from the Gem Palace” was the brainchild of Harry Fane, an authority on Cartier who grew close to the Kasliwal family over the course of numerous research visits to India.
“The show had 7400 visitors in one day while the Tiffany show across the way attracted 600, so you can see the amount of interest that people in Europe had in us,” Sudhir says, as he walks past a shiny 1912 Mercedes parked in back of the store, one of the numerous vintage cars that make up his personal collection.
Even among the private lives of Jaipur’s citizens, the past is perpetually present. When Jai Singh built this “Pink City”, known for the dusty pink stucco walls that surround the old quarter, he invited artisans from all over the country to move here, part of his campaign to make Jaipur India’s first planned city. Then, as now, the Johari Bazaar, or jeweler’s market, teemed with gem cutters and traders bartering for the best prices on colored stones.
That foundation helped cement Jaipur’s standing as the epicenter of the gemstone trade, a reputation that continues to this day. In the 2005-2006 fiscal year, India imported $110 million in rough colored stones and exported $235 million. Eighty to 90 percent of those gems filtered through Jaipur, says Gaurav Joshi, the assistant director of the Jaipur office of Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council, a quasi-governmental agency charged with promoting India’s gem and jewelry industry.
While emerald and tanzanite are processed in mass quantities here, so, too, are stones from all the corners of the gem world: moonstones from Sri Lanka, tsavorites from East Africa, tourmalines from Brazil, rubies from Burma. To the delight of jewelry connoisseurs the world over, Munnu uses all of them.
But those who can’t make the trek to India to peruse the selection are welcome to schedule a viewing in New York, where Gem Palace recently opened a by-appointment-only salon in a charming brownstone on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The company—familiar to patrons of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Barneys, two venues that regularly sell Munnu’s jewels—chose New York for its first showroom outside of India to augment its fast-rising reputation, bolstered in recent months by fawning coverage in The New York Times, Robb Report and Time Style & Design, among other publications.
In addition to the increased international presence, Munnu’s work—now leaning toward a fusion of Art Deco and rose-cut diamond designs featuring his favorite stones, old Golconda diamonds—also appears in the Diamond Information Center’s new right-hand ring campaign. Women of the world, you know what to do.
Motorized rickshaws, mopeds, hand-drawn carts an cows dominate the relentless traffic on Jaipur’s dusty M.I.Road, except for the block that houses the esteemed Gem Palace, where tour buses are a conspicuous and everyday presence.
The retail store—a Jaipur institution since 1852, when the maharaja who ruled the city, capital of India’s Rajasthan province, appointed Kasliwal family crown jewelers—conjures images of such fabulousness among visitors that it is now a regular stop on the tourist circuit, like the pink-honeycombed Palace of the Winds and hilltop Amber Fort. Credit goes to eighth-generation Munnu Kasliwal, the creative genius behind Gem Palace’s treasure trove, and his brothers, Sudhir and Sanjay, who manage the retail and wholesale ends of the business along with their cousins, Ajay and Pappu Kasliwal. Even the ninth generation is represented, the form of Munnu’s son, Siddarth, who recently joined the business. Under the family’s careful stewardship, Gem Palace earns as much respect from contemporary jewel-lovers as it did under the majarajas’ patronage.
“It the mother lode,” confirms a well-groomed American woman, cooing over a pair of carnelian earnings and matching ring on a sunny December afternoon. She’s a media buyer from Maryland on a two-week holiday with her husband in Rajasthan. A visit to Gem Palace was built in their itinerary, making them the latest in a long line of admirers to gawk over the gem-set wonders stocked inside its aging wooden showcases.
Few retailers can claim Jackie Onassis, Bill Clinton, Mick Jagger, Nicole Kidman, Giorgio Armani, Countess Mountbatten of Burma and Diana, Princess of Wales as fans. Then again, few retailers offer visitors an opportunity to purchase baubles in an environment that recalls an era in which jewelry was valued above all other material possessions. Located in a centuries-old Jaipur building with a central courtyard and flat-roof terraces distinguished by Mughal-style minarets, Gem Palace is a veritable museum of Rajasthani craftsmanship, from the mustard-color block prints that blanket the walls, withered and peeling with age, to the carved silver elephants and jeweled objects d’art that litter the floor beneath the showcases, themselves brimming with antique and contemporary interpretations of traditional Indian motifs.
There are spectacular villandi, or Mughal-cut, diamond necklaces, the diamonds flat as cobblestones and almost as large; traditional bell earrings known as jhoomki strung with Burmese rubies, like tiny gem-set parasols; gold cuff lotus flower bracelets laced with pink and green tourmalines; 22-karat gold and diamond rings fashioned in the shape of parakeets, with colorless diamond briolettes swinging from their gilded beaks. The range of jewels includes the eccentric (a 32-piece gold and diamond chess set, anyone?) and the imperial (a Mughal turban ornament known as sarpech is set with pink and purple spinels and is as long as child’s forearm), but there’s a healthy selection of more affordable baubles in rose quartz, moonstone and other semi precious stones, sourced as rough from the hundreds of dealers who congregate inside the walls of the old city.
What’s more, the jewelry on display at Gem Palace is breathtaking down to the details hidden from view. Following the Hindu belief that the body sees what the eyes cannot, the back of Mannu’s creations bear extraordinary detailing, including delicate filigree work, diamond accents and vivid pastoral scenes rendered in red and green enamel, a style known as kundan meena. Gem Palace is also one of the chief practitioners of an ancient Indian gold working technique called kundan, in which precious stones are set into 24-karat gold with a core of lac, a natural resin, the inlay forming a shiny ribbon around each stone.
Beyond the sensory pleasures of touring Gem Palace lies the significant intellectual reward of seeing and touching historical evidence that connects the store to its magnificent home city, founded by ruler Jai Singh in 1727. The salon’s wooden chairs, carved from Burmese teak, look like they could have supported the backside of a Mughal King, and probably did. Against the wall, a stack of 100-year old, poster-size black-and-white prints depict the annual mystic extravaganza that is the Pushkar camel fair. Ornate silver trunks lined in red velvet store historic-gem-encrusted flasks originally crafted for the Singh dynasty. Such touches lend the store an antique atmosphere that belies the whirl of activity going on upstairs and at select location around Jaipur.
“We don’t outsource anything,” says Sudhir Kasliwal, as he leads a visitor through the warren of rooms that constitute the main selling floor. “We have our workers working in their homes for pieces. But everything is done by our staff. This is one place where we do everything, right from cutting and polishing stones to setting. That’s why we can design something and don’t have to look here and there for the stones. Instead, we cut our own.”
Gem Palace employs several thousand people, all under the direction of Munnu, a 49-year old artist whose flair with gemstones is such that London’s Gilbert Collection at Somerset House assembled 250 pieces of his work for a month long exhibition last fall. “Treasures from the Gem Palace” was the brainchild of Harry Fane, an authority on Cartier who grew close to the Kasliwal family over the course of numerous research visits to India.
“The show had 7400 visitors in one day while the Tiffany show across the way attracted 600, so you can see the amount of interest that people in Europe had in us,” Sudhir says, as he walks past a shiny 1912 Mercedes parked in back of the store, one of the numerous vintage cars that make up his personal collection.
Even among the private lives of Jaipur’s citizens, the past is perpetually present. When Jai Singh built this “Pink City”, known for the dusty pink stucco walls that surround the old quarter, he invited artisans from all over the country to move here, part of his campaign to make Jaipur India’s first planned city. Then, as now, the Johari Bazaar, or jeweler’s market, teemed with gem cutters and traders bartering for the best prices on colored stones.
That foundation helped cement Jaipur’s standing as the epicenter of the gemstone trade, a reputation that continues to this day. In the 2005-2006 fiscal year, India imported $110 million in rough colored stones and exported $235 million. Eighty to 90 percent of those gems filtered through Jaipur, says Gaurav Joshi, the assistant director of the Jaipur office of Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council, a quasi-governmental agency charged with promoting India’s gem and jewelry industry.
While emerald and tanzanite are processed in mass quantities here, so, too, are stones from all the corners of the gem world: moonstones from Sri Lanka, tsavorites from East Africa, tourmalines from Brazil, rubies from Burma. To the delight of jewelry connoisseurs the world over, Munnu uses all of them.
But those who can’t make the trek to India to peruse the selection are welcome to schedule a viewing in New York, where Gem Palace recently opened a by-appointment-only salon in a charming brownstone on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The company—familiar to patrons of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Barneys, two venues that regularly sell Munnu’s jewels—chose New York for its first showroom outside of India to augment its fast-rising reputation, bolstered in recent months by fawning coverage in The New York Times, Robb Report and Time Style & Design, among other publications.
In addition to the increased international presence, Munnu’s work—now leaning toward a fusion of Art Deco and rose-cut diamond designs featuring his favorite stones, old Golconda diamonds—also appears in the Diamond Information Center’s new right-hand ring campaign. Women of the world, you know what to do.
Monday, May 07, 2007
On Beryllium Agreement
On March 14, 2007, representatives of the Thai Gem and Jewelry Traders Association (TGJTA) and Japan Jewelry Association (JJA) announced an agreement regarding the disclosure of beryllium (Be) treatments in corundum. Other signatories were the Thai Department of Export Promotion (DEP) of the Thai Ministry of Commerce; the Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand (GIT); and the Chanthaburi Gem and Jewelry Traders Association (CGA).
The memorandum states that exporters of loose corundum must disclose the treatment on invoices using the following terminology:
Non- Be-Treated
Be Treated
Unconfirmed Be Treatment
The memorandum states that exporters of loose corundum must disclose the treatment on invoices using the following terminology:
Non- Be-Treated
Be Treated
Unconfirmed Be Treatment
Get Shorty
Memorable quote (s) from the movie:
Chili Palmer (John Travolta): Leo, sit down. I don't know how you got this far, you're so fucking dumb. But you're through now, and let me explain why. Ray Bones is the man that you're dealing with now, and when Bones finds out what you did, he's gonna take everything, including the sporty little hat you got on your head. And then most likely he'll shoot you, so you won't tell on him. Now, I'm not gonna do that. I'm not gonna hurt you. Now you got three hundred and ten thousand in the bag here. I'm gonna take the three hundred thousand that you scammed from the airline, and then the ten that's left over, I'm gonna borrow from you and pay back at another time.
Leo (David Paymer): Wait, you take all my money, but you're borrowing part of it?
Chili Palmer (John Travolta): At eighteen percent. Now don't ask another fucking question, I'm leaving.
Chili Palmer (John Travolta): Leo, sit down. I don't know how you got this far, you're so fucking dumb. But you're through now, and let me explain why. Ray Bones is the man that you're dealing with now, and when Bones finds out what you did, he's gonna take everything, including the sporty little hat you got on your head. And then most likely he'll shoot you, so you won't tell on him. Now, I'm not gonna do that. I'm not gonna hurt you. Now you got three hundred and ten thousand in the bag here. I'm gonna take the three hundred thousand that you scammed from the airline, and then the ten that's left over, I'm gonna borrow from you and pay back at another time.
Leo (David Paymer): Wait, you take all my money, but you're borrowing part of it?
Chili Palmer (John Travolta): At eighteen percent. Now don't ask another fucking question, I'm leaving.
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