Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Globalization Of Golconda
(via Rediff): Sanjaya Baru writes about the history of Golconda + the thriving trade in textiles, rice, iron and steel, tobacco, indigo and diamonds + the European link + other viewpoints @ http://www.rediff.com/money/2007/nov/12spec.htm
The Pointed Star Cut
(via Diamond Cuts in Historic Jewelry:1381-1910) Herbert Tillander writes:
This Point Cut is an important and almost forgotten diamond cut dating from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Its faceting design was eventually transferred to the faceting of pavilions of Brilliant Cuts and small complementary diamonds. The pattern was no doubt originally inspired by a natural crystal with a very similar distribution of faces—the hexoctahedron. But the basically octahedral faces of this crystal are in such low relief that cleaved-off slices had no appeal in their natural state and were usually faceted into a trihedral design instead. The cut can be described as being pavilion-based, with a crown with eight lozenges radiating from an elevated central point, and eight small upper girdle facets between the main facets. The pavilion was sometimes faceted in the same way, though it often had fewer facets.
One of the four-face points of the dodecahedron became the apex of the gem; the crystal’s ‘equator’ became the girdle, and the stone was then symmetrized above and below by applying facets to the four main edges and thus creating eight main facets. Girdle facets were applied as well. If for any reason it proved necessary to reduce the depths of the pavilion, this was usually left with four facets and a culet. One occasionally comes across a Pointed Star Cut with six-part symmetry. These were either developments of the Burgundian Point Cut or had been fashioned directly from dodecahedral rough with one of the three-face apexes facing the viewer.
Conventional representations of celestial bodies were often used as symbols of rank and authority, and this is one reason why important Star Cut diamonds are occasionally found in portraits of kings and queens. But another reason for the popularity of this cut was that, if the gem was fashioned from a perfectly formed dodecahedron, it was possible to retain far greater weight with this style than with a Table Cut. However, Pointed Star Cuts never became really common—the Burgundian Point Cut, made from the same type of rough, remained the fashionable cut along with the Pyramidal Point Cut and the various Table Cuts that still dominate the market.
This Point Cut is an important and almost forgotten diamond cut dating from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Its faceting design was eventually transferred to the faceting of pavilions of Brilliant Cuts and small complementary diamonds. The pattern was no doubt originally inspired by a natural crystal with a very similar distribution of faces—the hexoctahedron. But the basically octahedral faces of this crystal are in such low relief that cleaved-off slices had no appeal in their natural state and were usually faceted into a trihedral design instead. The cut can be described as being pavilion-based, with a crown with eight lozenges radiating from an elevated central point, and eight small upper girdle facets between the main facets. The pavilion was sometimes faceted in the same way, though it often had fewer facets.
One of the four-face points of the dodecahedron became the apex of the gem; the crystal’s ‘equator’ became the girdle, and the stone was then symmetrized above and below by applying facets to the four main edges and thus creating eight main facets. Girdle facets were applied as well. If for any reason it proved necessary to reduce the depths of the pavilion, this was usually left with four facets and a culet. One occasionally comes across a Pointed Star Cut with six-part symmetry. These were either developments of the Burgundian Point Cut or had been fashioned directly from dodecahedral rough with one of the three-face apexes facing the viewer.
Conventional representations of celestial bodies were often used as symbols of rank and authority, and this is one reason why important Star Cut diamonds are occasionally found in portraits of kings and queens. But another reason for the popularity of this cut was that, if the gem was fashioned from a perfectly formed dodecahedron, it was possible to retain far greater weight with this style than with a Table Cut. However, Pointed Star Cuts never became really common—the Burgundian Point Cut, made from the same type of rough, remained the fashionable cut along with the Pyramidal Point Cut and the various Table Cuts that still dominate the market.
Crown24K
Nimbus Systems has launched Crown24K, a unique software that could benefit jewelry manufacturing + precious metal, stone, diamond management + jewelry inventory management + jewelry POS + financial accounting, CRM, promotions management + bar coding, RFID support + image linking + human resource management + business reports + MIA + more for the gem and jewelry industry.
Useful link:
www.crown24k.com
Useful link:
www.crown24k.com
Portable UV-Vis Spectrometer
It has been reported that SSEF will be introducing a small but portable UV-Vis spectrometer for pros + the concept could speed up the gem identification process on-site with unique absorption spectra database + standard microscope observations.
Useful link:
www.ssef.ch
Useful link:
www.ssef.ch
Burmese Jade
It has been reported that supplies of top quality Jadeite Jade from Burma is getting scarce + the prices are high due to tense political situation in the country. But for real traders business will be as usual + without regular visits / purchases there won't any business, especially for dealers in Hong Kong. It will be interesting to see what happens at the rough Jadeite Jade auction in Rangoon, in mid-November 2007.
Judy Garland
(via YouTube): Judy Garland 'Get Happy' (Summer Stock, 1950)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U-rBZREQMw
Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bpuoS-icGY
Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland (1963) - 1 of 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iip7u1LyL0I
Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland (1963) - 2 of 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_M-4Anu450
Judy Garland - Somewhere Over The Rainbow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10w_sEcHlGs
Real gems from a different generation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U-rBZREQMw
Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bpuoS-icGY
Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland (1963) - 1 of 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iip7u1LyL0I
Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland (1963) - 2 of 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_M-4Anu450
Judy Garland - Somewhere Over The Rainbow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10w_sEcHlGs
Real gems from a different generation.
Kona Coffee
Karin Stanton writes about Hawaii's Kona Coffee + new ways of attracting new consumers + the creativity and business angle + other viewpoints @ http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/071111/kona_coffee_japan.html?.v=2
Weakening Art Sales Rattle Sotheby's, Christie's
AFP writes about the sharp downturn in US stock markets + the unpredictable upsides and downsides in the art market + the unsold major works including a Van Gogh + other viewpoints @ http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071110/ts_afp/entertainmentartusauction_071110024929
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