Friday, March 14, 2008
Colored Stone Market Update
White sapphires are in high demand for color enhancements (coating + surface diffusion), especially beryllium treatment + colorless/white sapphires are also perceived as diamond simulants, but now beryllium treatment has dramatically changed the market landscape + many of the small colorless sapphires used in inexpensive jewelry are synthetic flame fusion sapphires.
Heard On The Street
The colored gemstone treaters from Thailand are always ahead of the gem testing laboratories in the treatment vs. detection challenge.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
D Diamond Concept
I found the new concept restaurant + lounge bar called 'D Diamond' @ the Elements shopping mall in Hong Kong, by Damiani, brilliant! + I believe it's one-of-a-kind restaurant embedded with Damiani jewels in special showcases + Italian/Japanese cuisine.
Useful link:
www.damiani.it
www.hiphongkong.com
Useful link:
www.damiani.it
www.hiphongkong.com
Lord Of War
Victor Bout, one of the world’s most famous + wanted arms traffickers + blood (conflict) diamond dealer, was arrested in Thailand here + he inspired the Nicholas Cage movie 'Lord of War'.
Useful links:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399295
New York Times magazine profile of Bout
Useful links:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399295
New York Times magazine profile of Bout
Caire’s Theory Of The Gradual Evolution Of The Brilliant Cut
(via Diamond Cuts in Historic Jewelry:1381-1910) Herbert Tillander writes:
For about two hundred years now, people writing about diamonds have been speculating about how the Brilliant Cut came into being. None of the writers of the eighteenth century, not even Jeffries (1750) or Dutens (1776), concerned themselves with the historical aspects of the diamond industry. In fact, Caire, the Paris jeweler, appears to have been the first person to take an interest in how cuts developed.
He began by studying Jeffries’ sequence for the faceting of a Brilliant. In this, the rough pyramidal crystal was first symmetrized and lowered in height and then bruted into the shape of an old Table Cut with four crown facets. These were split into eight and then into sixteen facets before the stone was finally ‘brillianteered’. Caire suggested that what he called the Single Cut was achieved by slicing off the corners of the Table Cut, and the Double Cut by splitting the resultant eight facets.
Obviously he had to substantiate this theory by illustrating the sequence. As actual specimens did not exist, he selected the nearest thing he could find, four poorly fashioned Indian Cut diamonds from among stone imported simply as raw material to be fashioned into Brilliants. However, his examples were unconvincing, so he produced names of ‘inventors’ for two phases: Cardinal Mazarin for the Double Cut and purely fictitious character, Peruzzi, for the Brilliant Cut itself. In his revised edition of Bauer’s Edelsteinkunde (1932), the gem expert Schlossmacher unwisely reiterated Caire’s ideas and supplemented them with sketches of his version of the Peruzzi design. Caire’s theories were accepted as gospel and are still considered so by many people.
Not, however, Tom Brunés, who believed that ancient cabalistic geometry was the origin of the design of the Square Brilliant. In his monograph The Secrets of Ancient Geometry, he reproduced a diagram of a symbol that was already accepted several thousand years ago: a circle with a square, with two inverted triangles. To this, two more triangles were added. When the circle is removed, we are left with an eight-pointed star, a symbol widely used in architecture, especially in ancient temples, mosaic floors, stained glass windows, etc. It is in this star within a square that we can really see where the basic pattern of a Square Brilliant originated. A few more points are joined, a few more parallels ruled, and there we have the completed design of the Peruzzi Cut! As in ancient geometry, no measuring device is needed.
For about two hundred years now, people writing about diamonds have been speculating about how the Brilliant Cut came into being. None of the writers of the eighteenth century, not even Jeffries (1750) or Dutens (1776), concerned themselves with the historical aspects of the diamond industry. In fact, Caire, the Paris jeweler, appears to have been the first person to take an interest in how cuts developed.
He began by studying Jeffries’ sequence for the faceting of a Brilliant. In this, the rough pyramidal crystal was first symmetrized and lowered in height and then bruted into the shape of an old Table Cut with four crown facets. These were split into eight and then into sixteen facets before the stone was finally ‘brillianteered’. Caire suggested that what he called the Single Cut was achieved by slicing off the corners of the Table Cut, and the Double Cut by splitting the resultant eight facets.
Obviously he had to substantiate this theory by illustrating the sequence. As actual specimens did not exist, he selected the nearest thing he could find, four poorly fashioned Indian Cut diamonds from among stone imported simply as raw material to be fashioned into Brilliants. However, his examples were unconvincing, so he produced names of ‘inventors’ for two phases: Cardinal Mazarin for the Double Cut and purely fictitious character, Peruzzi, for the Brilliant Cut itself. In his revised edition of Bauer’s Edelsteinkunde (1932), the gem expert Schlossmacher unwisely reiterated Caire’s ideas and supplemented them with sketches of his version of the Peruzzi design. Caire’s theories were accepted as gospel and are still considered so by many people.
Not, however, Tom Brunés, who believed that ancient cabalistic geometry was the origin of the design of the Square Brilliant. In his monograph The Secrets of Ancient Geometry, he reproduced a diagram of a symbol that was already accepted several thousand years ago: a circle with a square, with two inverted triangles. To this, two more triangles were added. When the circle is removed, we are left with an eight-pointed star, a symbol widely used in architecture, especially in ancient temples, mosaic floors, stained glass windows, etc. It is in this star within a square that we can really see where the basic pattern of a Square Brilliant originated. A few more points are joined, a few more parallels ruled, and there we have the completed design of the Peruzzi Cut! As in ancient geometry, no measuring device is needed.
Once In Golconda
Once in Golconda – A true Drama of Wall Street 1920-1938 by John Brooks is a great book and I see similarities all around, even though the setting is 1920s and 30s Wall Street, the story is familiar + I enjoyed it.
The Victorian Age
(via The Outline of Art) William Orpen writes:
4
In the same year as Stevens, namely 1817, there was born in London another great artist, who, though he certainly gained honors and rewards during his lifetime, nevertheless found himself hampered by the circumstances of his time in carrying out the desires of his art. George Frederick Watts was born in London on February 23, 1817, the son of a Welsh father, who encouraged his artistic bent and permitted him to study at the Academy schools and also under the sculptor William Behnes (1795-1864). When he was twenty five Watts entered the competition for the best designs for decorating in fresco the new House of Lords, and won the first prize of £300 with his ‘Caractacus led Captive through the Streets of Rome.’ This was competition in which both Alfred Stevens and Ford Madox Brown were unsuccessful. On the strength of this prize Watts in 1843 went to Italy, where he remained for four years, mostly in Florence, and was befriended by Lord Holland. Returning to England, Watts entered another competition in 1847 for decorating the House of Lords, this time in oils, and again won the first prize of £500 with his ‘Alfred inciting the Saxons to resist the Danes.’ As a result of these successes Watts was employed for the next ten years on mural decorations, painting ‘St George overcoming the Dragon’ for the House of Lords and his allegory of ‘Justice’ for the great hall of Lincoln’s Inn; but though his desire was to continue painting in this style, further opportunities were denied him. He offered to give his time freely in painting decorations for Euston railways station, but the offer was declined, and balked of his intention to create elevating works of art in public buildings, he began that great series of painted allegories with which his name is most closely associated.
Explaining his own ideals Watts once said: ‘My intention has not been so much to paint pictures that charm the eye, as to suggest great thoughts that will appeal to the imagination and the heart, and kindle all that is best and noblest in humanity.’ Successful in his early years and never covetous of great wealth, Watts was able in his middle years to paint exactly as he pleased without thinking of sales and patrons. He painted portraits, but he never painted any person he did not respect and admire, and the noble series of portraits of the great men of his time which he gave to the National Portrait Gallery shows how little, even in portraiture, did Watts paint for money. Similarly, the pick of his allegorical paintings, a cycle of the history of humanity, was kept for years in his own gallery at Little Holland House, till in 1897 he generously presented the collection to the Tate Gallery. Watts was essentially a philosophical artist and he has not inaccurately been described as ‘ a preacher in paint,’ for, in his opinion, it was not enough for an artist to portray noble aspirations, he must also ‘condemn in the most trenchant manner prevalent vices,’ and utter ‘warning in deep tones against lapses from morals and duties.’ All aspects of Watts art may be seen to advantage in the room devoted to his works at the Tate Gallery, where his beautiful ‘Hope’ and his ‘Love and Life’ reveal noble aspirations of humanity, while his unforgettable ‘Mammon’ and ‘The Minotaur’ condemn prevalent vices and warn against lapses from morals.
As a sculptor Watts is represented at the Tate Gallery by his bronze bust of ‘Clytie,’ but his most important work in this medium is his equestrian group ‘Physical Energy,’ originally designed as a monument to Cecil Rhodes and set up over the empire-builder’s grave on the Matoppo Hills, South Africa. A replica of this fine statue has been placed in Kensington Gardens.
The life of Watts was long and full of honors. He was elected A.R.A and R.A in the same year, 1867; twice he was offered and refused a baronetcy, but two years before his death he accepted the Order of Merit. He died in 1904 at the great age of eighty-seven, his last years having been spent chiefly in his country house at Compton, Surrey, where a large permanent collection of his works is still visible to the public.
The Victorian Age (continued)
4
In the same year as Stevens, namely 1817, there was born in London another great artist, who, though he certainly gained honors and rewards during his lifetime, nevertheless found himself hampered by the circumstances of his time in carrying out the desires of his art. George Frederick Watts was born in London on February 23, 1817, the son of a Welsh father, who encouraged his artistic bent and permitted him to study at the Academy schools and also under the sculptor William Behnes (1795-1864). When he was twenty five Watts entered the competition for the best designs for decorating in fresco the new House of Lords, and won the first prize of £300 with his ‘Caractacus led Captive through the Streets of Rome.’ This was competition in which both Alfred Stevens and Ford Madox Brown were unsuccessful. On the strength of this prize Watts in 1843 went to Italy, where he remained for four years, mostly in Florence, and was befriended by Lord Holland. Returning to England, Watts entered another competition in 1847 for decorating the House of Lords, this time in oils, and again won the first prize of £500 with his ‘Alfred inciting the Saxons to resist the Danes.’ As a result of these successes Watts was employed for the next ten years on mural decorations, painting ‘St George overcoming the Dragon’ for the House of Lords and his allegory of ‘Justice’ for the great hall of Lincoln’s Inn; but though his desire was to continue painting in this style, further opportunities were denied him. He offered to give his time freely in painting decorations for Euston railways station, but the offer was declined, and balked of his intention to create elevating works of art in public buildings, he began that great series of painted allegories with which his name is most closely associated.
Explaining his own ideals Watts once said: ‘My intention has not been so much to paint pictures that charm the eye, as to suggest great thoughts that will appeal to the imagination and the heart, and kindle all that is best and noblest in humanity.’ Successful in his early years and never covetous of great wealth, Watts was able in his middle years to paint exactly as he pleased without thinking of sales and patrons. He painted portraits, but he never painted any person he did not respect and admire, and the noble series of portraits of the great men of his time which he gave to the National Portrait Gallery shows how little, even in portraiture, did Watts paint for money. Similarly, the pick of his allegorical paintings, a cycle of the history of humanity, was kept for years in his own gallery at Little Holland House, till in 1897 he generously presented the collection to the Tate Gallery. Watts was essentially a philosophical artist and he has not inaccurately been described as ‘ a preacher in paint,’ for, in his opinion, it was not enough for an artist to portray noble aspirations, he must also ‘condemn in the most trenchant manner prevalent vices,’ and utter ‘warning in deep tones against lapses from morals and duties.’ All aspects of Watts art may be seen to advantage in the room devoted to his works at the Tate Gallery, where his beautiful ‘Hope’ and his ‘Love and Life’ reveal noble aspirations of humanity, while his unforgettable ‘Mammon’ and ‘The Minotaur’ condemn prevalent vices and warn against lapses from morals.
As a sculptor Watts is represented at the Tate Gallery by his bronze bust of ‘Clytie,’ but his most important work in this medium is his equestrian group ‘Physical Energy,’ originally designed as a monument to Cecil Rhodes and set up over the empire-builder’s grave on the Matoppo Hills, South Africa. A replica of this fine statue has been placed in Kensington Gardens.
The life of Watts was long and full of honors. He was elected A.R.A and R.A in the same year, 1867; twice he was offered and refused a baronetcy, but two years before his death he accepted the Order of Merit. He died in 1904 at the great age of eighty-seven, his last years having been spent chiefly in his country house at Compton, Surrey, where a large permanent collection of his works is still visible to the public.
The Victorian Age (continued)
James Andreoni
I found an interesting piece in the NY Times Magazine on What Makes People Give + what really intrigued me is the 'Warm Glow' theory (translation: In the warm-glow view of philanthropy, people aren’t giving money merely to save the whales; they’re also giving money to feel the glow that comes with being the kind of person who’s helping to save the whales.)
I think James Andreoni was spot on. He is right.
Useful link:
http://econ.ucsd.edu/~jandreon
I think James Andreoni was spot on. He is right.
Useful link:
http://econ.ucsd.edu/~jandreon
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