Category Archives: Investment Concepts

Quotations on Gemstones

I’m starting a list of quotable quotes on the subject of gemstones. Let’s see how far I get before I get bored with this. Alexandrite “Look, here it is, the prophetic Russian stone! O crafty Siberian. It was always green … Continue reading

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How Diamonds are Formed

In Known Only to Kings, I give a brief description of what we currently believe about how diamonds form. As I said, there is a lot we still don’t know about it, and if we did know more, it would … Continue reading

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Biancabella and the Snake

This is the original translation of Straparola’s story, which I referred to in my book, Known Only to Kings. I leave it here for those who are interested, however I don’t consider it to be suitable for young readers as … Continue reading

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Diamonds in the Movies – a Select List

Jewellers have a long association with Hollywood. Prestige jewellers began opening branches there in the 1930’s not only to serve the wealthy film stars and producers but also for the influence and recognition their placement of jewellery in the movies … Continue reading

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Diamonds in English Literature – Twentieth Century Novels and Short Stories

King Solomon’s Mines. H Rider Haggard The climax of this novel has the heroes finding a secret cave filled with gold, diamonds and other treasure. But they are trapped in the cave when the evil witch doctor closes the heavy … Continue reading

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Diamonds in English Literature – Victorian Novelists and Poets

The Diamond Necklace. Thomas Carlyle At a time when scientists were just beginning to understand gemstones and how they form, writers were experimenting with ideas that we now call ‘new age’. Spiritualism, Eastern mysticism, even fairies were catching not only … Continue reading

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Diamonds in English Literary Culture – Elizabethan Drama

Love’s Labour’s Lost. William Shakespeare This play has an unusual ending for a Shakespearean comedy. Instead of every character getting married at the end, news of a death causes each couple to separate for a year. In the case of … Continue reading

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Diamond Myths – that De Beers Invented the Engagement Ring

People who say De Beers’ advertising agency is responsible for the tradition of giving a diamond ring to secure a promise of marriage are giving De Beers far too much credit. They point to a famous advertising campaign which started … Continue reading

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The Fate of the Elderly in Japan

With the breaking down of its traditional society, most elderly Japanese people are facing a lonely end to life. One of the social costs needed to build the economic miracle of the 70’s was developing the ‘nuclear family’. A family … Continue reading

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Money Talks

‘Money talks’ because money is a metaphor, a transfer, and a bridge. Like words and language, money is a storehouse of communally achieved work, skill, and experience. Money, however, is also a specialist technology like writing; and as writing intensifies … Continue reading

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