Synthetic Diamonds Update

According to Financial Times, a Luxembourg subsidiary of De Beers, has set up a $100 million venture fund to promote the use of synthetic diamonds in such devices as artificial hips and water purifiers. The company, Element Six, is the world’s largest manufacturer of synthetic diamonds, used primarily in industrial devices.

Useful link:
www.e6.com

Place Vendôme Update

Suzy Menkes writes about festivities at the Place Vendôme + other viewpoints @ http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/08/style/fjewel.php

Useful links:
www.salondesantiquaires.fr
www.boucheron.com
www.buccellati.com
www.kremlin.museum.ru
www.chanel.com
www.vancleef-arpels.com
www.dior.com
www.chaumet.com

Dancing

'Dancing' (by Matt Harding) is definitely a piece of Internet art. It is short + pleasing + its content is open to a multitude of interpretations. However you interpret it, you cannot watch
'Dancing' for very long without feeling a little happier. Great idea. I liked it.

Useful link:
www.wherethehellismatt.com

Africa Investment Horizons

Africa Investment Horizons by award-winning producer, Carol Pineau, follows the money, in Africa. There are risks but there seem at last to be genuine signs of economic vitality in the continent. Slowly the optimistic image of Africa starting to stand on its own feet is becoming plausible.

Useful links:
www.africainvestmenthorizons.com
www.africaopenforbusiness.com

Environmental Performance Index

Environmental Performance Index, or EPI, is jointly produced by Yale's Center for Law & Environmental Policy + Columbia's Center for International Earth Science Information Network. It provides comprehensive assessment of the world's environmental challenges and how individual countries are responding to them. The data may not be perfect but still, I think the EPI is the best measure we have of how nations are faring in the battle to save the environment.


Useful link:
http://epi.yale.edu

The Forgotten Half Of Change

The Forgotten Half of Change: Achieving Greater Creativity through Changes in Perception by Luc de Brabandere is an interesting book about the warning signals of change. Great read.

Useful link:
www.bcg.com

Simon Sainsbury Collections

Art collections from Simon Sainsbury, a generous philanthropist, who left to Tate Britain and the National Gallery, will go on display to the public for the first time. The paintings will be displayed at the Tate until October, 2008, before becoming part of the galleries' permanent collections.

Useful links:
www.tate.org.uk
www.nationalgallery.org.uk
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7493571.stm

Nasser Azam

Nasser Azam is a leading British contemporary artist, living and working in London. Nadia Dahabiyeh writes about his latest project, Life in Space + other viewpoints @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7490227.stm

Useful link:
www.azam.com