Fake Diamond Rough

(via Bangkok Post, Friday August 01, 2008): A stolen stone, which the owner claimed was a 2,100-carat uncut diamond valued at 315 million baht has been found to be a fake worth just a few hundred baht. According to Somchai Pornjindarak, president of the Thai Gem and Jewellery Traders Association, said the stolen item was not a diamond, but merely a cubic zirconia, or artificial diamond.

A real comedy show. I was at the site (the gem testing laboratory) in Bangkok when the media broke the news.

Art Update Asia

Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop writes about art projects by international artists presented at an exhibition held during the International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA) 2008 + other viewpoints @ http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/01/arts/jessop.php

A must read.

Useful link:
www.isea2008singapore.org

I think electronic art is niche within the niche. We will be seeing more spinoffs in the coming years.

The Climate Group Report

According to a report by the Climate Group, China is on the way to overtaking developed countries in creating clean technologies. Go to www.theclimategroup.org for further information.

Lithium Debate

I found Danny Bradbury's article on lithium + other viewpoints @ http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/31/motoring.energy interesting.

Go to www.worldlithium.com/An_Abundance_of_Lithium_1.html for further information.

Data from USGS puts total world resources of lithium metal at around 14m tonnes. The total world resource includes all the lithium metal we know about, whether it is commercially viable to extract it or not. But the USGS data is based on a 1976 National Research Council report. A lot has changed in 32 years. Back then, most lithium came from a mineral called spodumene.

Random Thoughts

I’ve had the good fortune of being around smart investors my whole life, including my father. But I’d have to say learning from what works and what doesn’t is how you really become a better investor. In the end, the market is the best teacher.

- Wayne Cooperman

Heard On The Street

How big is the free economy? Whichever definition you like, there's a lot of money to be made around free.

A New Gemstone

(via The Journal of Gemmology/2008/vol.31/no.1/2) R Chapman, I F Mercer, A H Rankin and J Spratt writes:

Thortveitite
Relevant factors in considering the origin of the studied stone may be summarized as thus:
- This gemstone was originally purchased as a waterworn pebble in Bangkok 2004. Of course, this could be simulated in a tumbler but given the lack of a developed gemstone market for this material, could this be a chance appearance?
- If material of this size, color and clarity is indeed synthetic, then more may have entered the market. If it has in fact been manufactured specifically for the gem market, it could be expected that further synthetic specimens are likely to have come to light during the past four years or more.
- The chemistry reveals a fairly pure scandium end-member material, which suggests possible synthesis.
- The inclusions are not particularly characteristic of synthetic material but thtey do indicate a likely hydrothermal origin. Published information on synthesis of thortveitite is currently confined to non-hydrothermal methods.
- Recent geological fieldwork results suggests that scandium minerals are more widespread than has hitherto been inferred.

My view is Bangkok is still perceived as an important gemstone refinery of the world. Gemstones species, both known and less known arrive in Bangkok one way or another from all corners of the world for processing. Top/commercial quality natural stones may be sold as natural or synthetic, synthetics as natural or synthetic, treated stones as treated, natural or synthetic. When colored stones are purchased in a mixed parcel of rough, anything is possible. But the discovery of thortveitite in a mixed lot in Bangkok is an interesting story. The stone could be a simulant for many purplish blue colored stones.

One-Of-A-Kind Art Work

Here is what Visionaire 54 Sport's website says about their first wearable publication:

Using the most advanced printing technologies, Visionaire produces full-coverage, full-color, photographically-printed Lacoste polo shirts featuring artwork by photographers Nick Knight, Peter Lindbergh, Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin with M/M (Paris), Phil Poynter; artists Thomas Demand, Thomas Ruff, T.J. Wilcox; designer Karl Lagerfeld; filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar; musicians David Byrne, Michael Stipe; and painter Richard Phillips. This issue is a collaboration with Lacoste, currently celebrating its 75th anniversary.

Go to www.visionaireworld.com for further information.

Brilliant concept. I liked it.