Carol Matlack writes:
Deal making is part of the scenery in Antwerp's centuries-old diamond district. Passing one another on the narrow streets, traders nod in greeting while talking into cell phones. A black-hatted Hasidic broker, spotting a prospective customer, pulls a clear plastic bag of tiny, sparkling stones from his overcoat and launches into a rapid-fire sales pitch. At a nearby café, two men take turns peering through a jeweler's loupe at a pile of diamonds between their coffee cups.
But lately the buzz of commerce has been tinged with anxiety. Over the past 18 months police have repeatedly swept in, raiding offices and hauling away papers and gems as evidence in investigations of money laundering and tax evasion. One trader died of a heart attack during a police search of his home last December, prompting a protest by fellow traders, who shut down the district for a day.
Although fewer than 20 of Antwerp's nearly 2,000 trading companies have been raided, police have seized tens of millions of dollars' worth of diamonds. The gems are held as evidence while the probe continues. Adding to the tension, DeBeers Group's trading arm, which supplies 50 percent of the world's diamonds, warned Antwerp traders that they could be cut off if they don't follow industry rules against money laundering.
Traders say the pressure is spooking suppliers and customers alike, sending them to rival centers in Dubai, India, and Israel. Imports of rough diamonds, the uncut stones that are Antwerp's main business, fell 20 percent in April, though year-to-date figures remain above 2006. "People are afraid and upset," trader Shashin Choksi says, sitting in his office next to a refrigerator-size safe full of jewels.
Moving Money
No question, the $70 billion-a-year global diamond business has some ugly facets. Easy to transport and hard to trace, the precious stones are a favored vehicle for financing illicit activity, from drug trafficking to terrorism. "The diamond industry is very secretive. Large amounts of money can be moved around, and it's relatively easy to misstate the value," says Alex Vines, a former U.N. diamond-trade investigator who now heads the Africa program at Chatham House, part of London's Royal Institute of International Affairs.
Belgian authorities won't discuss their investigation. But the Diamond High Council, a quasi-governmental agency that oversees the Antwerp trade, says recent raids stemmed from a probe of a diamond shipping company, Monstrey Worldwide Services. Agents searched the company in October, 2005, and arrested its owner in a money-laundering investigation. Monstrey has shut its doors and no one from the company could be reached for comment, but police have seized the inventories of at least 16 traders who were its customers.
Antwerp traders fear the crackdown could end the city's reign as the world's No. 1 diamond center. Antwerp's first exchange opened in the 15th century, and although most cutting and polishing has relocated to cheaper locales such as China, 80% of the world's uncut diamonds still pass through the city. "If rough diamonds disappear from Antwerp, it is finished," says Koen Smets, a Belgian who buys diamonds from local traders and sends them to a factory in China for finishing.
The threat to their livelihood has united Antwerp's multicultural diamond community as never before. Over the past decade a growing population of Indians has gradually displaced Orthodox Jews as the dominant group of traders. But now, says third-generation Jewish trader Ziv Knoll, "we're all in the same boat." Knoll says he knows several traders who are relocating to Dubai and Tel Aviv. If the raids continue, he says, he may do the same. "We can't continue to work with constant harassment."
Matlack is BusinessWeek's Paris bureau chief.
More info @ http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,484949,00.html
Monday, May 28, 2007
Azim Premji’s Wisdom
Azim Premji, the software czar and the chairman of Wipro Ltd decided to share his successes, setbacks and the lessons he learnt during his corporate journey. He does it in an e-mail sent on April 09 to the Wiproites. We bring you some excerpts from his words of wisdom as it would be beneficial to every forward-looking person.
(via manoramaonline / Executive Knowledge Lines) Azim Premji writes:
My own successes and setbacks along the way have taught me some lessons. I wish to share them with you and hope you will find them useful.
Lesson #1
Be careful to ask what you want. You may get it. What this means is that do not ask too little either of yourself or the others around you. What you ask is what you get. When I look back at the time when I joined Wipro, I was 21. If you ask me whether I thought that Wipro would grow so by someday, the honest answer is that I did not. But neither did I think it would not. We constantly stretched ourselves to higher and higher targets. Sometimes, it seemed possible, sometimes fanciful and sometimes plain insane. But we never stopped raising limits. And we got a lot more than what we bargained for.
Lesson # 2
Respond, don't react Always be aware of your emotions and learn to manage them. There is a huge difference between people who react impulsively and those who can disengage themselves and then respond at will. By choosing to respond differently, we can prevent another person from controlling our behaviour. I remember a small story that illustrates this well. There was once a newspaper vendor who had a rude customer. Every morning, the customer would walk by, refuse to return the greeting, grab the paper off the shelf and throw the money at the vendor. The vendor would pickup the money, smile politely and say, Thank you, Sir. One day, the vendor's assistant asked him, Why are you always so polite with him when he is so rude to you? Why don't you throw the newspaper at him when he comes back tomorrow? The vendor smiled and replied, "He can't help being rude and I can't help being polite. Why should I let his rude behaviour dictate mine?''
Lesson # 3
Intuitions are important for making decisions. It is important to realise that our intuition is a very important part ofdecision making. Many things are recorded by our subconscious. Use both sides of the brain. Even that is not enough. Some decisions need the use of the heart as well. When you use your mind and heart together, you may get a completely new and creative answer.
Lesson # 4
Learn to work in teams. The challenges ahead are so complex that no individual will be able to face them alone. While most of our education is focused in individual strength, teaming with others is equally important. You cannot fire a missile from a canoe. Unless you build a strong network of people with complimentary skills, you will be restricted by your own limitations. Globalisation has brought people of different origins, different upbringing and different cultures together. Ability to become an integral part of a cross-cultural team will be a must for your success.
Lesson #5
Never lose your zest and curiosity. All the available knowledge in the world is accelerating at a phenomenal rate. The whole world's codified knowledge base (all documented information in library books and electronic files) doubled every 30 years in the early 20th century. By the 1970s, the world's knowledge base doubled every seven years. Information researchers predict that by the year 2010, the world's codified knowledge will double every 11 hours. Remaining on top of what you need to know will become one of the greatest challenges for you.The natural zest and curiosity for learning is one of the greatest drivers for keeping updated on knowledge. A child's curiosity is insatiable because every new object is a thing of wonder and mystery. The same zest is needed to keep learning new things. I personally spend at least 10 hours every week on reading. If I do not do that, I will find myself quickly outdated.
Lesson # 6
Put yourself first. This does not mean being selfish. Nor does it mean that you must become so full of yourself that that you become vain or arrogant.It means developing your self-confidence. It means, developing an inner faith in yourself that is not shaken by external events. It requires perseverance. It shows up in the ability to rebound from a setback with double enthusiasm and energy. I came across a recent Harvard Business Review which describes this very effectively: No one can truly define success and failure for us. Only we can define that for ourselves. No one can take away our dignity unless we surrender it. No one can takeaway our hope and pride unless we relinquish them. No one can steal our creativity, imagination and skills unless we stop thinking. No one can stop us from rebounding unless we give up. And there is no way we can take care of others, unless we take care of ourselves.
Lesson # 7
Have a broader social vision. While there is every reason to be excited about the future, we must not forget that we will face many challenges as well. By 2015, we will have 829 million strong workforce. That will make India home to 18% of global working-age population. The key challenge is to transform that into a globally competitive work-force. This will not be an easy task. Despite all the rapid economic expansion seen in recent years, job growth in India still trails the rise in working-age population. It is important that gains are spread across this spectrum, so that the divide between the employed and the under-employed, is minimised. Education is a crucial enabler that can make this growth as equitable as possible.
Lesson # 8
Play to win. Playing to win is not the same as playing dirty. It is not about winning all the time or winning at any cost. Playing to win is having the intensity to stretch to the maximum and bringing our best foot forward. Winning means focusing on the game. The score board tells you where you are going, but don't concentrate too much on it. If you can focus on the ball, the scores will move by themselves. I recently came across this story that I thought I would share with you. A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went into the kitchen. He returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal-some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite and asked them to help themselves to coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to wantonly the best for yourselves, you were more concerned about comparing your cups but what you really wanted was coffee. Yet you spent all your time eyeing each other's cups. Now if life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to contain life, but cannot really change the quality of life. Sometimes, by over concentrating on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee."
(via manoramaonline / Executive Knowledge Lines) Azim Premji writes:
My own successes and setbacks along the way have taught me some lessons. I wish to share them with you and hope you will find them useful.
Lesson #1
Be careful to ask what you want. You may get it. What this means is that do not ask too little either of yourself or the others around you. What you ask is what you get. When I look back at the time when I joined Wipro, I was 21. If you ask me whether I thought that Wipro would grow so by someday, the honest answer is that I did not. But neither did I think it would not. We constantly stretched ourselves to higher and higher targets. Sometimes, it seemed possible, sometimes fanciful and sometimes plain insane. But we never stopped raising limits. And we got a lot more than what we bargained for.
Lesson # 2
Respond, don't react Always be aware of your emotions and learn to manage them. There is a huge difference between people who react impulsively and those who can disengage themselves and then respond at will. By choosing to respond differently, we can prevent another person from controlling our behaviour. I remember a small story that illustrates this well. There was once a newspaper vendor who had a rude customer. Every morning, the customer would walk by, refuse to return the greeting, grab the paper off the shelf and throw the money at the vendor. The vendor would pickup the money, smile politely and say, Thank you, Sir. One day, the vendor's assistant asked him, Why are you always so polite with him when he is so rude to you? Why don't you throw the newspaper at him when he comes back tomorrow? The vendor smiled and replied, "He can't help being rude and I can't help being polite. Why should I let his rude behaviour dictate mine?''
Lesson # 3
Intuitions are important for making decisions. It is important to realise that our intuition is a very important part ofdecision making. Many things are recorded by our subconscious. Use both sides of the brain. Even that is not enough. Some decisions need the use of the heart as well. When you use your mind and heart together, you may get a completely new and creative answer.
Lesson # 4
Learn to work in teams. The challenges ahead are so complex that no individual will be able to face them alone. While most of our education is focused in individual strength, teaming with others is equally important. You cannot fire a missile from a canoe. Unless you build a strong network of people with complimentary skills, you will be restricted by your own limitations. Globalisation has brought people of different origins, different upbringing and different cultures together. Ability to become an integral part of a cross-cultural team will be a must for your success.
Lesson #5
Never lose your zest and curiosity. All the available knowledge in the world is accelerating at a phenomenal rate. The whole world's codified knowledge base (all documented information in library books and electronic files) doubled every 30 years in the early 20th century. By the 1970s, the world's knowledge base doubled every seven years. Information researchers predict that by the year 2010, the world's codified knowledge will double every 11 hours. Remaining on top of what you need to know will become one of the greatest challenges for you.The natural zest and curiosity for learning is one of the greatest drivers for keeping updated on knowledge. A child's curiosity is insatiable because every new object is a thing of wonder and mystery. The same zest is needed to keep learning new things. I personally spend at least 10 hours every week on reading. If I do not do that, I will find myself quickly outdated.
Lesson # 6
Put yourself first. This does not mean being selfish. Nor does it mean that you must become so full of yourself that that you become vain or arrogant.It means developing your self-confidence. It means, developing an inner faith in yourself that is not shaken by external events. It requires perseverance. It shows up in the ability to rebound from a setback with double enthusiasm and energy. I came across a recent Harvard Business Review which describes this very effectively: No one can truly define success and failure for us. Only we can define that for ourselves. No one can take away our dignity unless we surrender it. No one can takeaway our hope and pride unless we relinquish them. No one can steal our creativity, imagination and skills unless we stop thinking. No one can stop us from rebounding unless we give up. And there is no way we can take care of others, unless we take care of ourselves.
Lesson # 7
Have a broader social vision. While there is every reason to be excited about the future, we must not forget that we will face many challenges as well. By 2015, we will have 829 million strong workforce. That will make India home to 18% of global working-age population. The key challenge is to transform that into a globally competitive work-force. This will not be an easy task. Despite all the rapid economic expansion seen in recent years, job growth in India still trails the rise in working-age population. It is important that gains are spread across this spectrum, so that the divide between the employed and the under-employed, is minimised. Education is a crucial enabler that can make this growth as equitable as possible.
Lesson # 8
Play to win. Playing to win is not the same as playing dirty. It is not about winning all the time or winning at any cost. Playing to win is having the intensity to stretch to the maximum and bringing our best foot forward. Winning means focusing on the game. The score board tells you where you are going, but don't concentrate too much on it. If you can focus on the ball, the scores will move by themselves. I recently came across this story that I thought I would share with you. A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went into the kitchen. He returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal-some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite and asked them to help themselves to coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to wantonly the best for yourselves, you were more concerned about comparing your cups but what you really wanted was coffee. Yet you spent all your time eyeing each other's cups. Now if life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to contain life, but cannot really change the quality of life. Sometimes, by over concentrating on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee."
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Showdown
Memorable quote (s) from the movie:
Billy Massey (Dean Martin): Do you like sheriffing?
Chuck Jarvis (Rock Hudson): It's a job.
Billy Massey (Dean Martin): What kind of salary do you get?
Chuck Jarvis (Rock Hudson): No salary, I...
Kate Jarvis (Susan Clark): Oh, he gets two dollars for serving a warrant, three dollars for arresting anybody...
Chuck Jarvis (Rock Hudson): And thirty cents a mile for chasing idiots...
Kate Jarvis (Susan Clark): Like you.
Billy Massey (Dean Martin): Well then, you ought to thank me for doubling back. I let you make a few extra bucks.
Billy Massey (Dean Martin): Do you like sheriffing?
Chuck Jarvis (Rock Hudson): It's a job.
Billy Massey (Dean Martin): What kind of salary do you get?
Chuck Jarvis (Rock Hudson): No salary, I...
Kate Jarvis (Susan Clark): Oh, he gets two dollars for serving a warrant, three dollars for arresting anybody...
Chuck Jarvis (Rock Hudson): And thirty cents a mile for chasing idiots...
Kate Jarvis (Susan Clark): Like you.
Billy Massey (Dean Martin): Well then, you ought to thank me for doubling back. I let you make a few extra bucks.
How To Judge Different Styles Of Cut
Cutting style is the category under which facet shapes and arrangements are classified. Generally, a faceted gem will fall into one of the categories listed below, although the cutting may sometimes be so poor as to render the cutting style unidentifiable. A facet is a flat, polished surface on a fashioned gemstone.
Brilliant cut: The brilliant cut is probably the best-known cut because most diamonds are cut in this style. Its design is aimed at providing a combination of brilliance, dispersion ('fire') and scintillation ('sparkle'). All facets except the table and culet are triangular or kite shaped; this style is very common in diamonds, but is also seen in many other gems.
Step cut: The step or emerald cut consists of facets cut with parallel sides which are arranged in steps. This style is very common for emeralds, but is also seen in many other colored stones. Its chief attribute is the ability to show off a gem's color.
Mixed cut: The objective of the mixed cut is to obtain as much weight as possible from the rough. As the name implies, the mixed cut is a mixture of two styles, the brilliant and step cuts. Optically, it can also be attractive. Rubies and sapphires are frequently cut in this style, as are many other gems.
Scissors cut: This is not a particularly common cut, because it tends to waste large amounts of rough. Because of this, it is mainly limited to cheap synthetic materials. Hence, a scissors cut will indicate, but not prove, the possibility of a synthetic gem. The scissors cut is a series of long triangular- and kite-shaped facets on a rectangular stone.
Native cut: This is not so much a cutting style as a lack of style. The term native cut generally is synonymous with poorly cut. Facets are often misshapen and may not even be flat. In the Sri Lankan version of this cut, the table facet is often square or rectangular instead of the usual octagonal shape. Proportions are frequently lumpy, as the stones are cut with only weight retention in mind.
Princess cut: This is a relatively new cut but is a variation of the Barion Cut. The stones have ordinary step crowns. All of the pavilion facets except the long break facet along each side are usually no more than four degrees greater than the culet angle. A good number of facets end as a point at the girdle. The stones remain true squares, rectangles, triangles, etc. by having the facets end at the long break facet. The stones are exceedingly brilliant throughout. The square princess has twenty eight pavilion facets.
Cabochon cut: One of the oldest cutting styles, the cabochon employs no facets at all. Rather it is a smooth, polished dome which can be very high, very low, or some variation in between. It is the best style to display fine colored gems of lesser transparency. Hence, highly-flawed rubies, emeralds, etc., may be cut as cabochons; also jadeite, nephrite, star rubies and star sapphires. Cabochons come in two main types: single cabs and double cabs.
Brilliant cut: The brilliant cut is probably the best-known cut because most diamonds are cut in this style. Its design is aimed at providing a combination of brilliance, dispersion ('fire') and scintillation ('sparkle'). All facets except the table and culet are triangular or kite shaped; this style is very common in diamonds, but is also seen in many other gems.
Step cut: The step or emerald cut consists of facets cut with parallel sides which are arranged in steps. This style is very common for emeralds, but is also seen in many other colored stones. Its chief attribute is the ability to show off a gem's color.
Mixed cut: The objective of the mixed cut is to obtain as much weight as possible from the rough. As the name implies, the mixed cut is a mixture of two styles, the brilliant and step cuts. Optically, it can also be attractive. Rubies and sapphires are frequently cut in this style, as are many other gems.
Scissors cut: This is not a particularly common cut, because it tends to waste large amounts of rough. Because of this, it is mainly limited to cheap synthetic materials. Hence, a scissors cut will indicate, but not prove, the possibility of a synthetic gem. The scissors cut is a series of long triangular- and kite-shaped facets on a rectangular stone.
Native cut: This is not so much a cutting style as a lack of style. The term native cut generally is synonymous with poorly cut. Facets are often misshapen and may not even be flat. In the Sri Lankan version of this cut, the table facet is often square or rectangular instead of the usual octagonal shape. Proportions are frequently lumpy, as the stones are cut with only weight retention in mind.
Princess cut: This is a relatively new cut but is a variation of the Barion Cut. The stones have ordinary step crowns. All of the pavilion facets except the long break facet along each side are usually no more than four degrees greater than the culet angle. A good number of facets end as a point at the girdle. The stones remain true squares, rectangles, triangles, etc. by having the facets end at the long break facet. The stones are exceedingly brilliant throughout. The square princess has twenty eight pavilion facets.
Cabochon cut: One of the oldest cutting styles, the cabochon employs no facets at all. Rather it is a smooth, polished dome which can be very high, very low, or some variation in between. It is the best style to display fine colored gems of lesser transparency. Hence, highly-flawed rubies, emeralds, etc., may be cut as cabochons; also jadeite, nephrite, star rubies and star sapphires. Cabochons come in two main types: single cabs and double cabs.
How To Examine Gemstones With The Loupe And Tweezer
Upon first glance, the examination of a stone with the loupe and tweezer seems simple. However, the proper technique not only will help in locating inclusions, but it will show that the user has experience in handling and examining gemstones.
Below are a few tips for using the loupe and tweezer:
Loupe
Clean the stone carefully with a piece of cotton cloth and then pick it up directly with tweezers. Touching the stone with fingers may leave grease marks which might resemble inclusions.
If the right eye is to be used, hold the loupe in the right hand. Hold it as close as possible to the eye (or glasses), for the closer it is to the eye, the larger the field of view.
The stone to be examined should be held with tweezers and both hands should be in contact with each other. This eliminates shaking and unsteadiness.
Lighting is the next consideration and is of vital importance. One commonly used but ineffective method is to place the light directly behind the stone. The result is that rear facets reflect the light away from the stone. This leaves the stone's interior dark and the eyes blinded by glare. A much better technique makes use of a table lamp positioned so that the light faces straight down. The stone is held just next to the edge of the lamp shade so that light enters the stone from the side. Now the glare is eliminated and inclusions are much more readily seen.
Tweezer
A good pair of tweezers is another essential piece of equipment. These should be specifically designed for gemstone use. To avoid corrosion, tweezers should be made of stainless steel. Critical is the knurling found on the inside of the tips, to keep the gem from slipping. Better examples actually include a groove designed to grip the gem's girdle.
In terms of color, black is best, because it eliminates reflections. Brushed (not polished) steel is also okay; avoid brass-colored tweezers, which make rubies appear redder. In terms of tip size, the narrow tips work best with melee, but are difficult to use on large stones. For stones of 1 ct or more, a wider tip is preferred.
Below are a few tips for using the loupe and tweezer:
Loupe
Clean the stone carefully with a piece of cotton cloth and then pick it up directly with tweezers. Touching the stone with fingers may leave grease marks which might resemble inclusions.
If the right eye is to be used, hold the loupe in the right hand. Hold it as close as possible to the eye (or glasses), for the closer it is to the eye, the larger the field of view.
The stone to be examined should be held with tweezers and both hands should be in contact with each other. This eliminates shaking and unsteadiness.
Lighting is the next consideration and is of vital importance. One commonly used but ineffective method is to place the light directly behind the stone. The result is that rear facets reflect the light away from the stone. This leaves the stone's interior dark and the eyes blinded by glare. A much better technique makes use of a table lamp positioned so that the light faces straight down. The stone is held just next to the edge of the lamp shade so that light enters the stone from the side. Now the glare is eliminated and inclusions are much more readily seen.
Tweezer
A good pair of tweezers is another essential piece of equipment. These should be specifically designed for gemstone use. To avoid corrosion, tweezers should be made of stainless steel. Critical is the knurling found on the inside of the tips, to keep the gem from slipping. Better examples actually include a groove designed to grip the gem's girdle.
In terms of color, black is best, because it eliminates reflections. Brushed (not polished) steel is also okay; avoid brass-colored tweezers, which make rubies appear redder. In terms of tip size, the narrow tips work best with melee, but are difficult to use on large stones. For stones of 1 ct or more, a wider tip is preferred.
Color patterns In Opal
The vast majority of precious opal may show unique pattern to the play-of-color. The major patterns tend to fall into one of the following categories:
Pinfire: This is a mass of pinpoints, flashing different colors as the stone is moved. All colors may be seen, but red is most desirable. This pattern is fairly common and is the least sought after.
Harlequin or mosaic: Harlequin is the rarest and one of the most beautiful arrangements of play-of-color in opal; resembling a harlequin clown's costume. The true harlequin pattern appears as squares of equal size and regular arrangement. The pure pattern is particularly valuable. The color display consists of units of uneven size with distorted angles. Some dealers use the term only for the rare pattern described above, whereas others will allow more irregularity.
Flash: Flash refers to opals in which the play-of-color appears in sudden flashes that disappear or change as the stone is moved. The colors may be any shade from blue (most common) through the progressively rarer green, yellow, orange and red, with an occasional flash of violet or purple.
Red flash is most prized, but opals with violet or purple are also highly desirable due to their rarity. However, just the presence of a particular color does not make for a valuable stone; the full range of colors should be present. Stones which display all the colors, and which have colors that change with the angle of view are the most valuable opals of the type.
Exploding flash: The pattern moves outwards in all directions as the stone is moved, with red usually changing to orange or green.
Rolling flash: The patch of color moves as the stone is turned.
Broad flash: This pattern is made up of color flashes larger than 2 mm in size which are visible only at certain angles. If the flash covers a wide area it is called 'sheen'. Many precious opals fall into this category.
Other patterns include:
Floral: Resembles floral patterns seen on printed dress fabrics. The units of color are large than pinfire, more or less rounded, but slightly irregular.
Peacock's tail: Green and blue radiating out like a peacock displaying its tail feathers.
Palette: Resembles an artist's palette with patches of paint.
Pinfire: This is a mass of pinpoints, flashing different colors as the stone is moved. All colors may be seen, but red is most desirable. This pattern is fairly common and is the least sought after.
Harlequin or mosaic: Harlequin is the rarest and one of the most beautiful arrangements of play-of-color in opal; resembling a harlequin clown's costume. The true harlequin pattern appears as squares of equal size and regular arrangement. The pure pattern is particularly valuable. The color display consists of units of uneven size with distorted angles. Some dealers use the term only for the rare pattern described above, whereas others will allow more irregularity.
Flash: Flash refers to opals in which the play-of-color appears in sudden flashes that disappear or change as the stone is moved. The colors may be any shade from blue (most common) through the progressively rarer green, yellow, orange and red, with an occasional flash of violet or purple.
Red flash is most prized, but opals with violet or purple are also highly desirable due to their rarity. However, just the presence of a particular color does not make for a valuable stone; the full range of colors should be present. Stones which display all the colors, and which have colors that change with the angle of view are the most valuable opals of the type.
Exploding flash: The pattern moves outwards in all directions as the stone is moved, with red usually changing to orange or green.
Rolling flash: The patch of color moves as the stone is turned.
Broad flash: This pattern is made up of color flashes larger than 2 mm in size which are visible only at certain angles. If the flash covers a wide area it is called 'sheen'. Many precious opals fall into this category.
Other patterns include:
Floral: Resembles floral patterns seen on printed dress fabrics. The units of color are large than pinfire, more or less rounded, but slightly irregular.
Peacock's tail: Green and blue radiating out like a peacock displaying its tail feathers.
Palette: Resembles an artist's palette with patches of paint.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
The Mirror Crack'd
Memorable quote (s) from the movie:
Vicar (Charles Lloyd Pack): Oh, Mr. Rudd. I understand that you are a fillum producer.
Jason Rudd (Rock Hudson): Oh, no, sir. A director.
Vicar (Charles Lloyd Pack): Is there any difference?
Jason Rudd (Rock Hudson): Yes, sir. The, uh, producer supplies all the money; the director spends it. Then the producer yells that the director is spending too much money; the director doesn't pay any attention, and goes right on spending. The director gets all the credit; the producer gets an ulcer. You see, it's all very simple; excuse me.
Vicar (Charles Lloyd Pack): Oh, Mr. Rudd. I understand that you are a fillum producer.
Jason Rudd (Rock Hudson): Oh, no, sir. A director.
Vicar (Charles Lloyd Pack): Is there any difference?
Jason Rudd (Rock Hudson): Yes, sir. The, uh, producer supplies all the money; the director spends it. Then the producer yells that the director is spending too much money; the director doesn't pay any attention, and goes right on spending. The director gets all the credit; the producer gets an ulcer. You see, it's all very simple; excuse me.
Santa Maria Aquamarine
Here is an interesting story of a designer and her beautiful creation of jewelry with Santa Maria Aquamarine. The real Santa Maria Aquamarine is well known among collectors as one of the best qualities in the world. As always beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
(via Journal of Gemmology, Vol.27, No.5, January 2001) Francisco Bank, Prof Hermann Bank and Elena Villa writes:
Abstract
A Santa Maria aquamarine is the inspiration for the design of a necklace. Details of the stone are given, as well as the description of the design and make-up of the necklace.
The Aquamarine
Aquamarine of the highest quality and the finest blue has for many years been called ‘Santa Maria’ after such material was found at the small locality of Santa Maria in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Since there are so many places called Santa Maria in Brazil, it may have been better to have named the aquamarine after the nearby town, Itabira.
The story is told that in 1925 a mule had fallen down a hole and had broken a leg; the owner of the mule saw blue crystals in the hole and so discovered what came to be the most famous aquamarine locality in the world. For some years blue aquamarines have been mined in several ‘lavras’ (mines) in the region of Santa Maria, and were of such a good sky blue color (like the blue of tropical skies) that after 75 years people still dream today of the super color of Santa Maria aquamarine. After World War II more aquamarines were found near the original localities, but although similar, they did not quite equal the extraordinary stones of 1925.
In c.1990 blue beryls were found in a secondary deposit in Mozambique which were similar to the Brazilian ‘Santa Maria’ aquamarines and these have been called ‘Santa Maria Africana; however, in comparison they appear to have a more steely appearance than the lovely sky blue of the original Brazilian stones.
Gemological properties
Santa Maria aquamarines have the following properties:
RI = 1578-1581 (1.585-1.588)
Birefringence = 0.007-8
Specific gravity = 2.68-2.70
Spectroscopic investigation of the stone used for the necklace gave absorption lines at 370, 426, 557, 833 and 891nm. The equipment used was a Perkin Elmer Lambda 12 spectroscope.
The necklet
A Santa Maria aquamarine of 16.75ct was the inspiration for a necklet designed by one author (Elena Villa) and made by Hans Dieter Krieger of Idar Oberstein, Germany. The inclusions are disc-like and oriented parallel to each other with a rather filmy appearance.
The design
The color of the aquamarine and the inclusions ‘reflecting the shiny waves of the ocean’ inspired the creation of this unique piece of jewelry named the ‘Light Tree Water Being’. Elena Villa writes about the concept and development of the piece as follows:
“Like any other real existing being, the invented being also should have a history. Where does it come from? How has it been called into being? For me nature on earth, under water and in space, offers the richest variety of colors and shapes. Inspired by this natural diversity, the basic idea for this piece of jewelry was born. The coincidence of the strong concentrated forms of energy, light, water and earth, as well as the grace of each of these natural elements, unified in the delicate expressiveness of a jewelry piece, stimulated a new interpretation of nature through jewelry.”
“Evolution in its progress is thrilling and cannot be foreseen. The attraction to create new forms of expression, and also new possible forms of living, was more than enough reason to realize an evolutionary association between a gem and an invented being. Under such circumstances the gem can rise to life because it is no more just immobile and beautiful, but pat of a living being. The form of living and the gem turn to a symbiosis and reach a stage of subtle living effect.”
“The aim was not to have a motionless new piece of jewelry but to compose a new living being with the facilities of jewelry creation design. The result is a decorative independent individual who inspires the fantasy of the wearer as well the viewer, free and powerful with personal radiation.”
Manufacture
The piece was cast in platinum, the gold sections being formed by hand and soldered to the platinum. The aquamarine was set and then all pieces were connected by laser; the piece was finally polished with selected areas finished in a satin surface.
(via Journal of Gemmology, Vol.27, No.5, January 2001) Francisco Bank, Prof Hermann Bank and Elena Villa writes:
Abstract
A Santa Maria aquamarine is the inspiration for the design of a necklace. Details of the stone are given, as well as the description of the design and make-up of the necklace.
The Aquamarine
Aquamarine of the highest quality and the finest blue has for many years been called ‘Santa Maria’ after such material was found at the small locality of Santa Maria in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Since there are so many places called Santa Maria in Brazil, it may have been better to have named the aquamarine after the nearby town, Itabira.
The story is told that in 1925 a mule had fallen down a hole and had broken a leg; the owner of the mule saw blue crystals in the hole and so discovered what came to be the most famous aquamarine locality in the world. For some years blue aquamarines have been mined in several ‘lavras’ (mines) in the region of Santa Maria, and were of such a good sky blue color (like the blue of tropical skies) that after 75 years people still dream today of the super color of Santa Maria aquamarine. After World War II more aquamarines were found near the original localities, but although similar, they did not quite equal the extraordinary stones of 1925.
In c.1990 blue beryls were found in a secondary deposit in Mozambique which were similar to the Brazilian ‘Santa Maria’ aquamarines and these have been called ‘Santa Maria Africana; however, in comparison they appear to have a more steely appearance than the lovely sky blue of the original Brazilian stones.
Gemological properties
Santa Maria aquamarines have the following properties:
RI = 1578-1581 (1.585-1.588)
Birefringence = 0.007-8
Specific gravity = 2.68-2.70
Spectroscopic investigation of the stone used for the necklace gave absorption lines at 370, 426, 557, 833 and 891nm. The equipment used was a Perkin Elmer Lambda 12 spectroscope.
The necklet
A Santa Maria aquamarine of 16.75ct was the inspiration for a necklet designed by one author (Elena Villa) and made by Hans Dieter Krieger of Idar Oberstein, Germany. The inclusions are disc-like and oriented parallel to each other with a rather filmy appearance.
The design
The color of the aquamarine and the inclusions ‘reflecting the shiny waves of the ocean’ inspired the creation of this unique piece of jewelry named the ‘Light Tree Water Being’. Elena Villa writes about the concept and development of the piece as follows:
“Like any other real existing being, the invented being also should have a history. Where does it come from? How has it been called into being? For me nature on earth, under water and in space, offers the richest variety of colors and shapes. Inspired by this natural diversity, the basic idea for this piece of jewelry was born. The coincidence of the strong concentrated forms of energy, light, water and earth, as well as the grace of each of these natural elements, unified in the delicate expressiveness of a jewelry piece, stimulated a new interpretation of nature through jewelry.”
“Evolution in its progress is thrilling and cannot be foreseen. The attraction to create new forms of expression, and also new possible forms of living, was more than enough reason to realize an evolutionary association between a gem and an invented being. Under such circumstances the gem can rise to life because it is no more just immobile and beautiful, but pat of a living being. The form of living and the gem turn to a symbiosis and reach a stage of subtle living effect.”
“The aim was not to have a motionless new piece of jewelry but to compose a new living being with the facilities of jewelry creation design. The result is a decorative independent individual who inspires the fantasy of the wearer as well the viewer, free and powerful with personal radiation.”
Manufacture
The piece was cast in platinum, the gold sections being formed by hand and soldered to the platinum. The aquamarine was set and then all pieces were connected by laser; the piece was finally polished with selected areas finished in a satin surface.
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