Good Books: The book The Economic Way Of Thinking, by Paul Heyne + Peter J. Boettke + David L. Prychitko provides a set of economic principles and concepts--then applies these tools of analysis to a wide variety of familiar situations. Example (s) + Application (s) = Good teaching. A must-read book.
Here is what the description of book says (via Amazon):
The Economic Way of Thinking develops the basic principles of micro-and macroeconomic analysis, and rigorously employs them as tools rather than ends unto themselves. This book introduces readers to a method of reasoning; to think like an economist—teaching through example and application. It even teaches by showing learners how not to think, by exposing them to the errors implicit in much popular reasoning about economic events. Chapter topics include opportunity cost and the supply of goods, supply and demand, profit and loss, competition and monopoly, price searching, competition and government policy, the distribution of income, markets and government, the overall performance of economic systems, the supply of money, monetary and fiscal policies, national policies and international exchange, employment and unemployment, promoting economic growth, and the limitations of economics. For individuals seeking a deeper understanding of the effects of world events on the economy and vice versa.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Thursday, November 01, 2007
The Art No One Sees
(via The Guardian) Robert Tait writes about Tehran's museum of contemporary art + cultural isolationist beliefs of the present regime + general clampdown on social, intellectual and cultural freedoms + other viewpoints @ http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/news/story/0,,2201065,00.html
The New Visionaries
Barbara Pollack writes about contemporary artists vs. self-taught artists + the do-it-yourself style (s) + the outsider art concept (s) + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1436
Reliance Jewelry India
It has been reported that Reliance Retail, part of Reliance Industries, the crown jewel of corporate India, will be launching Reliance Jewelry, with branding options + sourcing agreement with Rosy Blue, one of the largest jewelry manufacturers, for operations. It's part of the company's lifestyle retail concept, which includes books and music, cosmetics, lifestyle accessories and home solutions. According to consultants Technopak Advisors the Indian jewelry market + the branded jewelry is estimated to grow by 15 per cent + 30 percent annually.
Useful links:
www.ril.com
www.rosyblue.com
Useful links:
www.ril.com
www.rosyblue.com
Roman Jewelers And Lapidaries
(via Roman Book On Precious Stones: 1950) Sydney H Ball writes:
As to the cutting of gems, Pliny states that cut stones with a smooth level surface are preferred to those which exhibit depressions or other irregularities. An oblong shape is best; next to it, the lenticular; after this, circular stones are admired, those which are irregularly angular being held in the least esteem. In explanation, flat stones were preferred to those capable of being cut only cabochon, as the former were suitable for engraving. The oblong had evidently supplanted the ancient lenticular form while the angular was perhaps only used when to cut the rough gem in one of the more desired forms would drastically reduce the weight of a stone. The only stone Pliny mentions as faceted was the beryl (and its variety emerald) and this only by polishing the six faces of the natural prism; a method believed to be the best to increase the stone’s brilliancy. The Hindus, in Pliny’s stime, preferred long hexagonal beryl beads and these, pierced, were strung on elephant’s hair, it being the only stone they wore without gold setting. The piercing evidently improved the color adn transparency of some beryls although the finest were not pierced but were held in place by studs of gold attached to the ends. Beads of plasma and garnet also cut into prisms are from time to time found in Roman ruins, so abundantly indeed that graded necklaces can be made from them. These presumably postdate Pliny’s time. The sardonyx was also pierced and worn in neck ornaments by the poorer people of India. In Pliny’s time, the presence of a hole pierced in the stone proved it of Indian origin, an indication still in instances used by precious stone dealers. The lapidaries of the day hollowed out the lower side of garnets of deep color to give them a lighter and more pleasing hue. While shaped into cups, garnet ‘offers the most obstinate resistance to the graver’. Other stones were most easily cut, that of the callaina (turquoise) being ‘easily done’. Topazos (peridot) is the ‘only stone of high value that yields to the action of the file, the rest being polished by the aid of the stone of Naxos’ (emery). Peridot ‘wears with use’, its softness being the reason why we today rarely set it in rings. Unusually perfect rock crystals called acontetta (without flaw) were set uncut in jewelry.
Pliny states that the skilled artisan can hide the imperfections of rock crystal by cutting and engraving the stone. Tavernier, sixteen hundred years later, warned merchants to examine, with particular care, Indian diamonds with many facets, for the Hindu diamond cutter hid flaws with facets.
The garnets found on the hill of Orthosia in Asia Minor were cut ‘to perfection by the Alabandians’ in the nearby city of Alabanda. The early existence of this cutting center, exclusively for colored stones, is interesting.
Softer stones were shaped by a file but emery was used to cut and polish most gems. The emerald and the sapphire were rarely engraved and, as to the latter, the lapidary usually only polished the surface of the original pebble.
Pliny lists as famous engravers Pyrgoteles, Apollonides, Cronius, and Dioscurides, all Greeks. Alexander the Great permitted Pyrgoteles alone to engrave his likeness. Dioscurides cut a signet with an excellent likeness of Emperor Augustus, a seal thereafter used officially by the Roman Emperors. Gem engraving reached its height under Augustus adn continued on a high plane until the time of Hadrian when it began to deteriorate. Indeed, in general, the decline of classical art appears to have been more or less continuous from about 400 B.C to 200 A.D.
Seneca is the first Roman to speak of cameos (to be specific, a ring set with the head of Tiberius in relief), intaglios having preceded them by thousands of years. A few cameos, however, were cut in Greece and in Etruria early in the 5th century B.C but cameos only became relatively common a couple of centuries later when Indian layered stones were available to the Greek lapidaries. The Babylonians, centuries before, had rather crudely cut a few poor cameos. In Rome cameos which could only be used ornamentally, were never as popular as intaglios which were not only beautiful but also had their practical use as signets.
As to the cutting of gems, Pliny states that cut stones with a smooth level surface are preferred to those which exhibit depressions or other irregularities. An oblong shape is best; next to it, the lenticular; after this, circular stones are admired, those which are irregularly angular being held in the least esteem. In explanation, flat stones were preferred to those capable of being cut only cabochon, as the former were suitable for engraving. The oblong had evidently supplanted the ancient lenticular form while the angular was perhaps only used when to cut the rough gem in one of the more desired forms would drastically reduce the weight of a stone. The only stone Pliny mentions as faceted was the beryl (and its variety emerald) and this only by polishing the six faces of the natural prism; a method believed to be the best to increase the stone’s brilliancy. The Hindus, in Pliny’s stime, preferred long hexagonal beryl beads and these, pierced, were strung on elephant’s hair, it being the only stone they wore without gold setting. The piercing evidently improved the color adn transparency of some beryls although the finest were not pierced but were held in place by studs of gold attached to the ends. Beads of plasma and garnet also cut into prisms are from time to time found in Roman ruins, so abundantly indeed that graded necklaces can be made from them. These presumably postdate Pliny’s time. The sardonyx was also pierced and worn in neck ornaments by the poorer people of India. In Pliny’s time, the presence of a hole pierced in the stone proved it of Indian origin, an indication still in instances used by precious stone dealers. The lapidaries of the day hollowed out the lower side of garnets of deep color to give them a lighter and more pleasing hue. While shaped into cups, garnet ‘offers the most obstinate resistance to the graver’. Other stones were most easily cut, that of the callaina (turquoise) being ‘easily done’. Topazos (peridot) is the ‘only stone of high value that yields to the action of the file, the rest being polished by the aid of the stone of Naxos’ (emery). Peridot ‘wears with use’, its softness being the reason why we today rarely set it in rings. Unusually perfect rock crystals called acontetta (without flaw) were set uncut in jewelry.
Pliny states that the skilled artisan can hide the imperfections of rock crystal by cutting and engraving the stone. Tavernier, sixteen hundred years later, warned merchants to examine, with particular care, Indian diamonds with many facets, for the Hindu diamond cutter hid flaws with facets.
The garnets found on the hill of Orthosia in Asia Minor were cut ‘to perfection by the Alabandians’ in the nearby city of Alabanda. The early existence of this cutting center, exclusively for colored stones, is interesting.
Softer stones were shaped by a file but emery was used to cut and polish most gems. The emerald and the sapphire were rarely engraved and, as to the latter, the lapidary usually only polished the surface of the original pebble.
Pliny lists as famous engravers Pyrgoteles, Apollonides, Cronius, and Dioscurides, all Greeks. Alexander the Great permitted Pyrgoteles alone to engrave his likeness. Dioscurides cut a signet with an excellent likeness of Emperor Augustus, a seal thereafter used officially by the Roman Emperors. Gem engraving reached its height under Augustus adn continued on a high plane until the time of Hadrian when it began to deteriorate. Indeed, in general, the decline of classical art appears to have been more or less continuous from about 400 B.C to 200 A.D.
Seneca is the first Roman to speak of cameos (to be specific, a ring set with the head of Tiberius in relief), intaglios having preceded them by thousands of years. A few cameos, however, were cut in Greece and in Etruria early in the 5th century B.C but cameos only became relatively common a couple of centuries later when Indian layered stones were available to the Greek lapidaries. The Babylonians, centuries before, had rather crudely cut a few poor cameos. In Rome cameos which could only be used ornamentally, were never as popular as intaglios which were not only beautiful but also had their practical use as signets.
Gem Markets
Gem markets have unique rhythms. One quality the market shares with music is the mother-of-all-surprise (s). Music giants like Bach, Mozart, Beethoven were masters of deception and expert at weaving rhythms across bars. Look what's happening in the diamond, ruby and sapphire + emerald market (s). The migration of market (s) + sequences = shortage of good quality gemstones.
Think And Grow Rich
Good Books: I recommend a timeless classic by Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich. It is should be read time and time again.
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