Richard Dadd's Paintings

I found the Economist article Blood On The Tracks @ http://www.economist.com/daily/columns/artview/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10904659 interesting + in my view Richard Dadd's paintings show customary care with details, creating a powerful picture with natural looks that connect the dots.

Useful links:
http://www.noumenal.com/marc/dadd
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dadd

Toxic Elements In Jewelry

The California Department of Toxic Substance Control is enforcing a new state law that regulates lead in jewelry, especially piercing jewelry, effective March 1, 2008.

I hope other countries will do the same. If in doubt always consult a reputed gem and jewelry testing laboratory.

Useful links:
www.dtsc.ca.gov
www.epa.gov

Ivory Coast

According to Global Witness, Ivory Coast's northern rebels are still operating a war economy of illegal taxes on cocoa and diamonds which is hindering peace plan + affecting regional stability and economy.

I think the vested interests have a genuine reason to keep the region unstable for obvious reasons + as long as diamonds and cocoa are available it's show time for the rebels.

Useful link:
www.globalwitness.org

Jewelry Update

With gold prices going yo-yo, we are seeing a new trend: people are selling gold jewelry they no longer wear opposed to buying. Signs of the time!

The Loire Valley

(via Wiki) The Loire Valley wine region includes the French wine regions situated along the Loire River from the Muscadet region near the city of Nantes on the Atlantic coast to the region of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé just southeast of the city of Orléans in north central France. In between are the regions of Anjou, Saumur, Bourgueil, Chinon, and Vouvray. The Loire Valley itself follows the river through the Loire province to the river's origins in the Cévennes but the majority of the wine production takes place in the regions noted above. The area includes 87 appellations under the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC), Vin Délimité de Qualité Superieure (VDQS) and Vin de pays systems. While the majority of production is white wine from the Chenin blanc, Sauvignon blanc and Melon de Bourgogne grapes, there are red wines made (especially around the Chinon region) from Cabernet franc. In addition to still wines, rosé, sparkling and dessert wines are also produced. With Crémant production throughout the Loire, it is the second largest sparkling wine producer in France after Champagne. Among these different wine styles, Loire wines tend to exhibit characteristic fruitiness with fresh, crisp flavors-especially in their youth. The Loire Valley has a long history of winemaking dating back to the 1st century. In the High Middle Ages, the wines of the Loire Valley were the most esteemed wines in England and France, even more prized than those from Bordeaux.

They are delicious! Don't miss it!

Useful link:
www.loirevalleywine.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loire_Valley_%28wine%29

Daniel Day-Lewis

I think Daniel Day-Lewis is a superb actor + his chilling performance as Daniel Plainview, a ruthless silver-miner-turned-oil man in the movie There Will Be Blood was so vivid and natural, it was great, a real American masterpiece + the milkshake analogy was memorable, the best revenge scene in a long time:
Drainage! Drainage, Eli, you boy. Drained dry. I'm so sorry. Here, if you have a milkshake, and I have a milkshake, and I have a straw. There it is, [He holds up his index finger] that's a straw, you see? [He turns and walks away from Eli and turns around] You watching? And my straw reaches acrooooooossssss [walking back toward Eli] the room, and starts to drink your milkshake: I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThZI-p8SKe0

Brilliant!

Useful links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Day-Lewis
www.imdb.com/name/nm0000358
www.dd-l.net
www.therewillbeblood.com

Gregorian Music

Heiligenkreuz Abbey is a Cistercian monastery on the territory of the town of Heiligenkreuz in the southern part of the Wienerwald, eight miles north-west of Baden bei Wien in Lower Austria + now the brothers from the Monastery of the Holy Cross have wowed the Universal Music group with their magical and evocative sound, and later this year their first (Gregorian chant) album will be released for the international market + I believe the sudden popularity has to do with the soundtrack to the best-selling computer game Halo.

Useful links:
www.stift-heiligenkreuz.org
www.music.princeton.edu/chant_html
www.enigma.de
www.enigmamusic.com

Double Stellar Cuts

(via Diamond Cuts in Historic Jewelry:1381-1910) Herbert Tillander writes:

The French Blue has already been dealt with in great detail. It is included here primarily on the basis of its being a Double Stellar Cut diamond. It was fashioned by Louis XIV’s diamond cutter Pitau in 1673 from a next to rough diamond purchased by the king from the French traveler Tavernier in 1669. Eventually, it was refashioned into an oval Brilliant, the Hope diamond, now in Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.

The Bazu diamond, the second largest diamond on the Golden Fleece of King Louis XV of France, was delivered to the king of Bazu, a lapidarian and dealer, in 1669. It has disappeared and any information about it is inconsistent.