The Beneficiation Of Antwerp

Chaim Even-Zohar writes about the Belgian diamond sector + reorganization and splitting up of the HRD + Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC)'s main products (HRD certificates + gemological educational programs) + the new rough diamond distrubution models + other viewpoints @ http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullEditorial.asp

Classics Of Everyday Design

(via The Guardian) Jonathan Glancey's classics of everyday design @
Classics of everyday design No 26
Classics of everyday design No 27
Classics of everyday design No 28
Classics of everyday design No 29
Classics of everyday design No 30

I liked this one.

Louise Bourgeois

(via The Guardian) Louise Bourgeois is 95 and still making art + her total internal reflections @ http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/visualart/story/0,,2184670,00.html

Ex-Abs

Deidre Stein Greben writes about artists switching camps, from abstraction to representation or vice versa + total internal reflections of artists + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1634

Gold Hallmarking In India

Finally the Indian government has decided to act. From New Year (2008) it will become mandatory for gold to be embossed with Bureau of Indian Standards' hallmarking + the measure (the percentage of impurity in the yellow metal is 11-39 per cent) not just protects the public, but also boosts export of jewelry. The experts estimate that India consumes on an average 800 tonnes of gold each year. We shall wait and see how the standardization across the industry is going to work.

The Man Who Listens To Horses

Good Books: I am not an expert on horses, but a friend of mine asked me to read about Monty Roberts. There is so much more to Monty's story that I find applicable to the gem and jewelry markets, and to life. The book is called, The Man Who Listens to Horses. It's a must read.

De Beers’ Supply Structure

It's amazing to see in less than a decade, the diamond industry evolving from a single-channel supply industry into a multi-channel supply industry + De Beers’ century long dominance of the diamond market and its fall – from 90 percent of the rough diamond supply to about 40 percent + the diamond market impact + the new players and market-driven concepts.

The Fourth Antwerp Diamond Conference to be held on October 15 - 16, 2007 will bring together key players including Gareth Penny, managing director of De Beers; Varda Shine, managing director of the Diamond Trading Company; Sergey Vybornov, president of Alrosa; Jean-Marc Lieberherr, general manager of Rio Tinto Diamonds; Chris Ryder, marketing director of BHP Billiton Diamonds + representatives from middle-tier diamond mining companies. As usual there will be a lot of talk + interesting discussions + a grand reception.

Import Ban On Burmese Gemstones

Jewelers of America (JA) represents 11,000 member stores in the US. They are asking the U.S. Congress to amend the Burmese Freedom & Democracy Act of 2003, which bans the importation of products from Burma, so that it includes gemstones mined in that country. JA wants effective democratic reforms in Burma. They also want to make sure the sourcing of gemstones are done the right way. Even though the US may be perceived as the largest consumer market for gems and jewelry, I think the industry as whole should take a common stand and find innovative/practical/realistic ways to enforce compliance rules and regulations. No one has ever come up with a brilliant plan/ideas to do so instead it's hard talk with no results. Only an educated consumer (s) could make the big difference. If they stop buying, then there is no business for Burmese stones. It's Catch-22. Many businesses will go under. What's Plan B? What are the alternatives?