New Tanzanite Treatment

According to the American Gem Trade Association Gemological Testing Center (AGTA-GTC) + American Gemological Laboratories (AGL), a color-enhancing coating on tanzanite containing cobalt have been detected in faceted samples of tanzanites provided by their clients. Obviously the purpose of the treatement have been to improve the overall appearance of the stones, but with standard gemological testing + advanced analytical tools like X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, the treatments are identifiable. Coatings are not considered permanent.

Useful links:
www.agta.org
www.agta-gtc.org
www.aglgemlab.com
www.ftc.gov

Mobile U.S Dollar + The Diamond Industry

The diamond/jewelry industry are concerned because every level of the pipeline in the industry are being affected by the U.S. dollar’s weakness + calculating diamond/gold prices in the mobile U.S. dollar has become unprofitable for many diamond/jewelry companies worldwide.

Are there any stable currencies in the world? Swiss franc? Who knows!

ArtTactic Update

(via livemint) ArtTactic’s latest survey of the Indian art market shows a 13 percentage point dip in its Indian Art Market Confidence Index, a measure based on the responses of 80 experts to questions on the current and future prospects of the economy and the primary and secondary markets for art. The sample of 80 respondents included a mix of collectors, gallery owners, auction houses, dealers and advisers. It included no artists.

Useful link:
www.arttactic.com

There might be a slowdown in external factors, but Indians still have the money to buy.
- Ganieve Grewal, Christies India

How true!

Jim Collins

Jim Collins has served as a teacher to senior executives and CEOs at over a hundred corporations. He is a well-known author + his work has been featured in Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Harvard Business Review, and Fast Company.

Useful link:
www.jimcollins.com

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

(via Wiki) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a Tony-nominated play by Tennessee Williams. The play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1955. The big-screen version of the play was made in 1958 by MGM, and starred Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor, Judith Anderson, Jack Carson.

Useful links:
www.cat2008onbroadway.com
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

It's a great movie.

African Contemporary Art

I found the article on African contemporary art @ http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=11436150 interesting, because I think African art works are wonderfully vibrant and evocative, it will be a matter of time that collectors will be chasing the artists with impressive prices.

Useful links:
www.caacart.com
www.chrisspring.co.uk

Disney + Popley

It has been reported that Popley Group + Disney Consumer Products will be launching Disney fine jewelry across India.

Useful links:
www.popleys.com
www.disney.in

The Diamond Development Initiative

The Diamond Development Initiative (DDI) has released standards and guidelines for Sierra Leone's artisanal diamond mining sector @ http://www.ddiglobal.org/login/Upload/Standards%20&%20Guidelines.pdf

Useful link:
www.ddiglobal.org

I hope through proper education and dialogue with artisanal diamond miners and their communities, let diamonds become a catalyst for individual and national development.