Thursday, July 19, 2007
Operating Under Umbrellas
Chaim Even-Zohar writes about the way (s) diamond banker (s) think and make decisions + transparency and accountability + an insider view + other viewpoints @ http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullEditorial.aspTextSearch=&KeyMatch=0&id=25974
Gold Rush
Eileen Kinsella writes about Gustav Klimt and his paintings + the price factor (s) + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=2193
Like art, gemstones are an imperfect market, with a sale possible only when there is a willing buyer and all prices are open negotiation. Many were shocked when Gustav Klimt's Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907) was sold at $135 million, surpassing ($104.2 million) Picasso's Blue Period Boy with a Pipe (1905). The reason may be the painting's provenance + history. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
The story of Hancock Red Diamond is a good comparison. In the 1980s the heirs of Warren Hancock owed the IRS a million dollars. In order to pay the bill they shipped off the gem collection their dad stashed away for years to the Sotheby's in New York for evaluation. Sotheby's picked out three, the largest of the trio, a 0.95ct red diamond was bought for $880,000 + 10% buyer's premium; that set a world record of $926,000 per carat. Warren Hancock had bought all three diamonds from his local jeweler for less than $20000 combined.
On February 15, 2006, for a 8.62 carat cushion-cut ruby (Burmese) Lawrence Graff paid a price of US$425,000 per carat. Again, the reason may be the stone's provenance, beauty + a good story.
In my view, because of gemstone's beauty, rarity, durability + portability, the stones should fetch more than paintings.
Like art, gemstones are an imperfect market, with a sale possible only when there is a willing buyer and all prices are open negotiation. Many were shocked when Gustav Klimt's Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907) was sold at $135 million, surpassing ($104.2 million) Picasso's Blue Period Boy with a Pipe (1905). The reason may be the painting's provenance + history. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
The story of Hancock Red Diamond is a good comparison. In the 1980s the heirs of Warren Hancock owed the IRS a million dollars. In order to pay the bill they shipped off the gem collection their dad stashed away for years to the Sotheby's in New York for evaluation. Sotheby's picked out three, the largest of the trio, a 0.95ct red diamond was bought for $880,000 + 10% buyer's premium; that set a world record of $926,000 per carat. Warren Hancock had bought all three diamonds from his local jeweler for less than $20000 combined.
On February 15, 2006, for a 8.62 carat cushion-cut ruby (Burmese) Lawrence Graff paid a price of US$425,000 per carat. Again, the reason may be the stone's provenance, beauty + a good story.
In my view, because of gemstone's beauty, rarity, durability + portability, the stones should fetch more than paintings.
Harry Collins: The Royal Jeweler
Harry Collins, a small family-run business is the Queen of England's new royal jeweler, who will be responsible for the maintenance of the royal jewelry collection.
Fibrolite (Sillimanite)
Chemistry: Aluminum silicate
Crystal system: Orthorhombic; long slender prisms without distinct termination; often in parallel groups; also massive.
Color: Transparent to translucent; blue to blue/green, brown; phenomena: frequently fibrous giving cat’s eye.
Hardness: 6 - 7.5
Cleavage: Perfect: 1 direction, parallel to one long prism face.
Specific gravity: 3.25
Refractive index: 1.658 – 1.678; Biaxial positive; 0.02
Luster: Vitreous to silky.
Dispersion: Low.
Dichroism: Strong: pale green/dark green/blue.
Occurrence: Schists, gneisses and granites; Burma, Sri Lanka, USA.
Notes
Frequently fibrous; alternate name Sillimanite (after B Sillimand, a one-time professor at Yale University, USA); often reserved for fibrous massive variety found in Idaho, USA; polymorphous with andalusite and kyanite; fluorescence: weak red in transparent blue material; indistinct spectral bands in blue 462, 441, 410nm; faceted and cat’s eye (cabochon).
Crystal system: Orthorhombic; long slender prisms without distinct termination; often in parallel groups; also massive.
Color: Transparent to translucent; blue to blue/green, brown; phenomena: frequently fibrous giving cat’s eye.
Hardness: 6 - 7.5
Cleavage: Perfect: 1 direction, parallel to one long prism face.
Specific gravity: 3.25
Refractive index: 1.658 – 1.678; Biaxial positive; 0.02
Luster: Vitreous to silky.
Dispersion: Low.
Dichroism: Strong: pale green/dark green/blue.
Occurrence: Schists, gneisses and granites; Burma, Sri Lanka, USA.
Notes
Frequently fibrous; alternate name Sillimanite (after B Sillimand, a one-time professor at Yale University, USA); often reserved for fibrous massive variety found in Idaho, USA; polymorphous with andalusite and kyanite; fluorescence: weak red in transparent blue material; indistinct spectral bands in blue 462, 441, 410nm; faceted and cat’s eye (cabochon).
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Is She Smiling For Two
Visual observation (s) alone won't help identify paintings and gemstones. The concept/technique (s) used for identifying origin / treatments of paintings are very similar to origin and treatments detection of gemstones with analytical instruments. The results are always surprising.
Laurie Hurwitz writes about the advanced three dimensional high resolution laser scanning system the experts used for extensive analysis of the Mona Lisa portrait + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=2194
Laurie Hurwitz writes about the advanced three dimensional high resolution laser scanning system the experts used for extensive analysis of the Mona Lisa portrait + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=2194
21 Grams
Memorable quotes from the movie:
Paul Rivers (Sean Penn): How many lives do we live? How many times do we die? They say we all lose 21 grams... at the exact moment of our death. Everyone. And how much fits into 21 grams? How much is lost? When do we lose 21 grams? How much goes with them? How much is gained? How much is gained? Twenty-one grams. The weight of a stack of five nickels. The weight of a hummingbird. A chocolate bar. How much did 21 grams weigh?
Paul Rivers (Sean Penn): How many lives do we live? How many times do we die? They say we all lose 21 grams... at the exact moment of our death. Everyone. And how much fits into 21 grams? How much is lost? When do we lose 21 grams? How much goes with them? How much is gained? How much is gained? Twenty-one grams. The weight of a stack of five nickels. The weight of a hummingbird. A chocolate bar. How much did 21 grams weigh?
JCOC.tv
On August 1, 2007, the Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council (JCOC.net) will be launching its video uploads, a cross between You Tube and The Knot : to entertain and educate consumer (s) to buy gems, jewelry and watches.
For more information contact Melina Trujillo at (800) 421-9339 ext.103, mtrujillo@mvimarketing.com or visit JCOC.tv
For more information contact Melina Trujillo at (800) 421-9339 ext.103, mtrujillo@mvimarketing.com or visit JCOC.tv
Mixed Signals From Botswana
Chaim Even-Zohar writes about Botswana government's beneficiation policy + diamond manufacturing rush in Botswana + foreign direct investment in the diamond sector + attitude (s) toward foreigners + other viewpoints @ http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullEditorial.asp?TextSearch=&KeyMatch=0&id=26043
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