Nelson Mandela and the Diamond Industry

Nelson Mandela and Charles TaylorMost of us tend to think of Nelson Mandela as an iconic figure, a representative of human rights and the ideal of reconciliation. However, he was more (or less) than that. He was also a politician who governed a country in an extraordinary transition.

Part of the duties and responsibilities of a politician mean making tough choices, even when there is the possibility of strong criticism from an idealistic base.

That’s the case with the Nelson Mandela’s support of the mining industry in South Africa.

His support was based upon his recognition of the industry’s contributions to South African economic growth.

A lighting rod in discussions about Mandela’s choice in supporting the South African mining industry appears to center on a 1997 event where he hosted celebrity guests including Mia Farrow, Naomi Campbell and Charles Taylor, then the newly elected president of Liberia. The event occurred a month after Taylor’s election. (Taylor is in the grey suit next to Mandela.)

Taylor, a former diamond warlord, went on to become one of the worst actors in African history and is now serving a 50 year sentence in British prison for crimes against humanity including aiding and abetting the Sierra Leone rebels during that country’s civil war.

Back then, the issue of “blood diamonds” hadn’t yet percolated into public discussion. It did a couple of years later with groundbreaking reports from Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada.

Many, particularly in the West, expected Mandela to denounce the entire mining industry. He didn’t. Instead, about that time, he reportedly said: “The diamond industry is vital to the South African and southern African economy. We would be concerned that an international campaign on these issues did not damage this vital industry.”

What’s important here is the distinction between the South Africa mining industry, which while certainly responsible for human rights abuses in the past, did reform itself and the horrific abuses associated with blood diamonds.

Mandela occasioned surprise and some dismay from (particularly) some in the West again years later with the release of the movie “Blood Diamonds.” Instead of promoting the movie, Mandela again had concerns about its impact on the diamond industry. In a letter to the movie’s director, Edward Zwick, Mandela wrote that “it would be deeply regrettable if the making of the film inadvertently obscured the truth, and, as a result, led the world to believe that an appropriate response might be to cease buying mined diamonds from Africa.” Mandala also went on to say, “We hope that the desire to tell a gripping and important real-life historical story will not result in the destabilization of African diamond-producing countries, and, ultimately their peoples.” (This is the part of the statement that is often omitted by critics.)

(Zwick dismissed those concerns in an interview with jewelry industry publication JCK calling them “just a little bit silly.”)

 Recently the South African Chamber of Mines, the industry association group, claimed that a full four-fifths of the country population “directly” benefit from mineral mining in South Africa. In addition, the group claims that more than 60 percent of the owners of the country’s mines are no longer Europeans, but native South Africans and much of the stock in the mines is owned by South African pension funds.

The mining industry, including the diamond industry, is stable, productive and benefits the populace of South Africa. This is another aspect of the Mandela legacy and shouldn’t be forgotten.

Posted in Conflice Diamonds, Jewelry History | Tagged , , ,

Customer Question: Why Buy From You?

jewelry making, making jewelryA couple of weeks ago, I received an email from someone who inquired whether the DVDs taught her anything she didn’t already know or anything that wasn’t already freely available on youtube.

The question is a good one, although obviously I can’t guess at what she may or may not already know.

Youtube is an invaluable resource. It is second only to google as a search engine and for people like me who love video, it’s the go-to search engine for questions about any number of issues.

The explosion of interest in jewelry making over the past couple of decades has resulted in dozens of people and companies (including myself) posting videos on youtube providing great content in an effort to interest potential customers in services or products.

So, the question is why develop a Professional Pearl and Bead Stringing course at all?

Well, there are three, possibly four, answers to that question.

  • My work is directed at a specific niche within the jewelry making community and that is, those people who are seriously interested in developing professional level skills, whether they choose to monetize those skills or not.This means have at their fingertips a comprehensive understanding of the necessary skills, gemological knowledge and typical customer questions. I created the DVDs to meet those goals.
  • The seemingly overwhelming reliance on crimps — a technique readily available on youtube — to create jewelry minimizes the importance of other skills and obscures their importance. I want my students to be as comfortable repairing a $30,000 pearl necklace as they are creating one from Swarovski crystal. I want them to be comfortable handling, discussing it and providing their clients with solid advice. I believe the DVDs provide a important building block in enabling this confidence.
  • Confidence comes with hard work. While some pearl and bead stringing skills are easy to learn, especially crimping, others are not. Tying a clasp to a strand of gemstones takes practice. So, too, does tying knots. (This by the way is a partial explanation of why I believe metal bending has become so popular. While I think knowing how to bend metal is an essential tool for pearl and bead stringers, frankly, it’s a lot easier to learn.) My research on youtube suggests that while there is plenty out there teaching people how to smash crimps, there’s far less available on the proper way to tie knots, and there is little if any that shows people how to properly attach a clasp to a necklace. Without banging the drum too loudly, I also believe my teaching methods are far more effective than anything I’ve seen anywhere.
  • My DVDs also share some of the specialized knowledge I’ve developed over the years, particularly in cross-sharing materials, techniques and tools. I believe this is entirely unique to me.

So, there you have it: a specific niche, skills development and enhancement, confidence and specialized knowledge.

I admit I was a little taken back at the blunt nature of the original inquiry, but her point was well taken. After a couple of e-mail exchanges, she did after all buy the DVDs. I haven’t heard from her since and I hope she is satisfied.

 

 

Posted in Jewelry Design, Manufacturing Tips | Tagged , , , ,

Little Known Gilded Age Jeweler

 

When we think of the Gilded Age, we think of the excesses of the wealthy a period from about 1870 to the turn of the century.

Great wealth accumulated as the Industrial Revolution catalyzed  new industries, railroads, steel, mining, among others. Innovations abounded. Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone. Thomas Edison invented the phonograph and the light bulb. And, 1871 Mark Twain asked “What is the chief end of man? – to get rich. In what way? –dishonestly if we can; honestly in we must.”

Although Gilded Age excesses were seen all over the country, New York was the epicenter of what we think of as the period. And, although a 150 years later we may wince at its excesses, as jewelry designers we shouldn’t ignore the new styles produced in that period.

Some of the great designers of the period are names that are familiar to us. Louis Comfort Tiffany, Rene Lalique, Peter Carl Faberge are designers whose work we all have at least a passing acquaintance with.

Other designers aren’t as well known. Theodore Burr Starr is one of those names. Starr was born on August 6, 1837 in New Rochelle, NY and was a partner from 1864 to 1877 with Herman Marcus in New York City, operating luxury retail outlet as Starr & Marcus. When Marcus left the firm to join Tiffany & Co., Starr worked from 1877 to 1900 as a jeweler and merchant in New York as Theodore B. Starr & Co.  His son took over the business and in 1918 the company was bought by Reed and Barton, the silver firm. It closed its doors in 1923.

In 1882, the New York Times carried a piece entitled “Exhibition of Jewelry” describing Starr’s work. In it, the anonymous writer declaimed that art jewelry “Recognized as that art which must be in a certain measure indifferent to the costly materials which enter into its composition, it seeks to enhance the beauty of the gems and the gold by making them subservient to human skill. Barbaric and uneducated tendencies care for huge surfaces covered with stones, where crude masses of gold are displayed…”

The writer goes on to describe the exhibit as containing many “exquisite jewels. “riveres of diamonds,” a “bracelet of diamonds and emeralds and “pearls of various hues that the real magic of the jeweler’s art if brought most in prominence.”

There is more, of course. The writer concludes that “the exhibition of a great house which caters to those who are the most appreciative presents a class of artistic objects not second to those hung on the walls of a picture gallery.”

Unfortunately, I can find only a few examples of his jewelry whose provenance is clear. Far more images of Starr’s silver work are available. However those that I can find clearly illustrate the jewelry trends of the period, an interest in nature, colored stones and in the flowing lines we associated with Art Nouveau.

I should also add that for the most part, the little I’ve been able to uncover of his work suggests that at least in the jewelry area, his work is largely derivative, borrowing from the prominent themes and designs of the period. I could be absolutely wrong, here, though.

Despite that, the work is beautiful. Here are some images.

Theordore Starr calling card

 Art Nouveau broochGriffin broochGuilloche steel blue pocket_watchArchitectural RingRepousee sterling silver tea set

Posted in Jewelry Design, Jewelry History | Tagged ,

Male Jewelry “Tomfoolery”

 

Photos of men wearing "tom" - pieces of jewelry.

Photos of men wearing “tom” – pieces of jewelry.

A really marvelous article by Beatrice Behlen recently appeared in London’s The Telegraph newspaper.

Its subject: tomfoolery.

As it turns out, “tomfoolery” is the name Cockneys give to male jewelry and Beatrice Behlen is the curator of a new show on the subject at the Museum of London. (The term is absolutely new to me in its reference to men’s jewelry.)

Behlen admits she’s had some difficulty in pinpointing “rules” governing male jewelry, but she identifies a few and they’re fascinating.

Note gold earring in this famous portrait

Note gold earring in this famous portrait

Functionality appears to predominant. Behlen quotes Cecil B. Hartley’s advice to gentlemen in 1860 to never wear jewels for “mere ornament” but to let their jewelry “have some use” and, says Behlen, “functionality, real or pretended, seems to dominate male jewelry.” (Cecil B. Hartley was the author of A Gentleman’s Guide to Etiquette” published in 1875. “A Gentleman’s Guide” was published by the Gutenberg Project and is free on Amazon and other websites, if you want a peek.)

Behlen gives it as her opinion that this may be the reason why male earrings have not caught on in a big, mainstream way since the sixteenth century when Sir Walter Raleigh wore a double-pearl earring.  She notes the gold earring in the Chandos portrait of William Shakespeare and a couple of other notable earrings but concludes that “Sadly, the 17th century was the last time the male earring would be accepted in polite society for several hundred years…”

In the 18th century, the watch chain was born as men had difficulty carrying watches in skin-tight pantaloons. Cravats demanded pins; ties demanded clips, slides and ties.

Charles I at 15 years wearing pearl earring.

Charles I at 15 years wearing pearl earring.

Signet rings could still be put to their original use, she notes.

In 1952, Amy Vanderbilt’s Complete Book of Etiquette disallowed male earrings, but allowed antique seal rings. It rejected rings with stones, class and fraternity rings with the admonition that the “decoration….was just plain theatrical and affected.”

More than a decade later, the Duke of Bedford advised readers of his Book of Snobs to choose jewelry “with the utmost care and caution.” Bedford rejected tie clips, watch chains and large cuff links, allowing only god watches and a “signet ring on the little finger of the left hand.”

Tomfoolery is a photography exhibit of men who “clearly discarded the advice of etiquette books,” says Behlen. The photographs are mostly by Ross Trevail of men who wear some of the “tom” every day.

Finally, her charming article on the show ends with this: “Whether you choose to follow the rulebook or not, Vanderbilt’s suggestion for the unfortunate recipient of a platinum watch chain ‘with tiny diamonds between the links’ still stands: ‘He should return it to the jeweller who was talked into making it and go to Palm Beach on the proceeds or put them on the nearest fast horse.’”

Posted in Fashion, Jewelry History | Tagged , , , ,

Pearl of the Orient

 

Pearl of the OrientI’ve been working on a project recently where I came across the image posted here.I’m always interested in the history of jewelry and I have a specific interest in pearls, so to me, the image was arresting.

So, I did a little research. It turns out this is a color lithograph from a company called Major & Knapp Engraving, Manufacturing & Lithographic Co., New York, NY and dates from between 1860 to 1870.

It also turns out that the lithograph is an ad for a tobacco product, although I’ve been unable to determine what kind of tobacco product.

Of course, to 21st century eyes the use of an innocent child to sell tobacco is a little creepy, but what was the advertiser trying to accomplish in (approximately) 1860 when the ad was created?

The title of the ad is “Pearl of the Orient.” This, in the 19th century, was a reference to Hong Kong, an exotic, mysterious and glamorous locale. The rich ambiance portrayed in the lithograph, the large red tasseled cushion, the gilded mirror, the engraved box, and, of course, the pearls, suggest luxury.

The pearls, in fact, are the most interesting element. Why would they be selected as a product to sell tobacco? In all probability, they weren’t.  Back in the 19th century, pearls were sourced in the “Orient” and were considered luxury products, so it may just have been that association that the designer relied upon in creating the image.  

Matches (a nearly indispensable product for convenience in smoking) were created in 1852 and between 1853 and 1855, the British learned the practice of smoking cigarettes or “Papirossi” from their Turkish allies during the Crimean War. The practice quickly jumped the Atlantic and by 1858 the first cigar shop opened in New York. (Interestingly, the medical journal The  Lancet ran an article on the health effects of smoking that same year.)

By 1860, tobacco was issued as a ration by both the armies of the North and South. To many Northerners, the practice was new, however, Southern men would have known about tobacco because the commodity was grown in the South.

So, although tobacco chewing was still most popular, by 1860 cigarettes were known here and would have been well on their way to displacing the “chaw.”

Given the “Oriental” or “Turkish” cast of the ad (the two terms were often used interchangeably), this might have been an early cigarette ad. The message of course is tying cigarettes to luxury and wealth with a hint of the exotic or novel.

Who knew that pearls were ever used to sell tobacco or cigarettes? Not I. What still remains however from this ad of more than 150 years ago is the indelible association of pearls with luxury.

Posted in Business, Pearls | Tagged , ,

New Design Director for Tiffany & Co.

Sterling Silver JewelryI rarely actually shop at Tiffany, but when I’m in the vicinity of a store, I love to Handmade jewelryglance at its offerings. Tiffany is, of course, one of the giants in the development of American jewelry and style. So, it’s also of interest when the department store announces the appointment of a new director of design as it did today.

The new design director, according to the press release, will oversee design “all product categories.” She is Francesca Amfitheatrof, a British jewelry designer and metalsmith.

Amfitheatrof has some impressive credentials. According to the press release, “her designs have been sold internationally, including at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Colette in Paris. She has also developed jewelry for fashion brands, including Chanel, Fendi and Marni. In addition, she has acted as an art consultant, curator and advisor for major collections and private individuals. Most recently, she served as the founding partner of RS&A, a London-based agency representing contemporary artists. She is a graduate of Royal College of Art, Beaded NecklaceCentral Saint Martins and Chelsea Art School. this week.”

So what do her designs look like. I’ve posted a sample. Here is how Tiffany & Co. characterizes her work: “Tiffany has a brilliant legacy of legendary style and design. When we combine this legacy with Francesca’s passion for jewelry and craftsmanship we have an exciting opportunity to interpret Tiffany in a new way for the modern, global consumer,” said Michael J. Kowalski, chairman and CEO, Tiffany & Co.

The italics are mine. I’m not knowledgeable enough about the high end retail business to make any kind of informed evaluation whether Amfitheatrof is brilliant pick for Tiffany or not. Based upon what I can see of her designs, that is, Amfitheatrof designs that are readily available on the web, it may well be a risky pick.

We shall see.

 

Posted in Business, Fashion, Jewelry Design | Tagged , , ,

Pearl Styles: Connecting the Dots

 

Chanel pearls, courtesy Style MagazineStyle magazine recently ran an interesting story on pearls and the style connection between those worn by Carey Mulligan in recent The Great Gatsby movie and the “funky” look associated today’s celebrities and the way they wear pearls.

The writer, Francesca Fearon, asserts that the pearls worn by the actresses in the movie “kicked off” a pearl revival this summer. This is certainly an overstatement. The movie was apparently a bust and although Tiffany & Co. collaborated with the producers to provide period jewelry, the era is associated with designs by Cartier, not Tiffany. This, however, is nitpicking. All of us welcome public attention to jewelry, especially a favorite gemstone such as pearls, so there are no complaints from me.

The writer then connects the dots between today’s “edgier,” “funky” designs and the designs we associate with the 1920s, which were considered edgy in their day.

The third “look” mentioned by the writer is the “old lady” image which I suppose applies to those of us who still occasionally wear a single strand of pearls.

Roaring 20s look, courtesy Style MagainzeConnecting the different styles through different periods are pearls which never lose their appeal.

Here are specific observations by the writer. “Designers are shedding that ‘old lady’ image of pearls by making them look edgier. Pearls are paired with contracting materials, such an onyx in black gold settings, for a more dynamic look. Chanel, for instance, has created a yin and yang effect with their pearl and onyx beaded bracelets and tassel earrings.”

A second designer mentioned by the writer is Shaun Leane whose “Cherry Blossom collection uses thorny branches of gold vermeil to contrast with the sweet enamel blossoms and pearl buds.”

While I don’t wish to sound overly-salesy, I would make the observation that students who have taken my courses can make every necklace pictured in this article.

"Edgy" Pearls, courtesy Style MagazineBy the way, apparently the Victoria and Albert Museum in London is doing a very comprehensive look at pearls and the Orients. The exhibit runs September 21 through January 19 and should be well worth a look if you’re in London during that period.

Posted in Fashion, Jewelry History, Pearls, Reference | Tagged , , , , ,

New Sustainable Practice for Tahitian Pearls?

 

Kamoka Pearl Farm Tahitian PearlsThe National Geographic has just produced a marvelous essay about a farm in French Polynesia that is incorporating “sustainable” practices into its pearl farming.

Josh Humbert, owner of Kamoka Pearl farm, didn’t start with a goal of developing a model for sustainable practices into pearl farming. But when he stumbled upon one that minimizes the environmental impact of farming, he embraced it and most important, shared it.

As most of you know, pearl cultivation occurs in several steps with some variation to accommodate the needs of specific mollusks.

Tahitians pearls are cultivated from spats, baby mollusks that attach themselves to a solid object placed in the lagoon. After a period of growth, usually about six months to a year, the mollusks are placed in baskets or nets to protect from predators and allowed to grow until they can accept a graft, the insertion of a bead. The bead of course stimulates nacre production and results in a pearl.

All of this takes time, lots of time. Farmers let a mollusk grow for two years before nucleation. The mollusk is then allowed to grow for another eighteen months. Sometimes a small bead is replaced with a larger bead and the mollusk experiences another period of growth.

During all this time, the mollusk has to be protected.

Part of the protection involves removing the barnacles, sponges and other marine organisms that crust the mollusk when it is grown in a net or basket.

According to the National Geographic, the mollusks in these contained growing environments are far more likely to be covered up by this crust than mollusks left exposed in open water.

If the mollusks are not cleaned, they don’t make pearls as large, so cleaning is a priority.

Farmers had a couple of standard ways of cleaning their mollusks.

The basic practice is to pull the crusted mollusks onto the deck of a boat and blast them with a powerful stream of water. However, if the wash goes back into the water, it could lead to algal blooms and deoxygenation, a small “dead” zone. That’s because the organic material being returned to the water may be too much for fish and other organisms to break down right away.

The National Geographic says “The process can also spread unwanted invertebrates like sponges around the farm or introduce them to places in high numbers that upset the ecological balance.”

A second response to the need to clean the oysters is to bring mollusks onto land to wash them. But this resulted in pools of nutrient-rich water which when put in a holding pond turned into a smelly mess.

Humbert discovered a different process. When the mollusks need cleaning they are moved to what the National Geographic calls “very shallow water.” Here, apparently dwell a number of different and hungry fish which scour the mollusks clean in several days. So, it’s a natural cleaning and feeding process.

The process is being studied by researchers at Old Dominion University in Virginia headed by Professor of Biology Kent E. Carpenter.

It’s also getting attention from the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining at the University of Queensland in Australia and at the University of Vermont. Representatives from these groups have developed a website www.sustainablepearls.org and are planning a conference next year.

This really is a marvelous and interesting development. If you’d like to read the full article, here is the link.

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Posted in Pearls | Tagged , ,

Storing Jewelry and One Big No-No

 

Jewelry Pouches for Beaded JewelryOne of the most frequent questions you will get from clients is how to store jewelry.  Here are some do’s and don’ts for metals and for beaded jewelry plus I’ve allowed myself to indulge in a short rant.

One of the most irritating products I see are those necklace trees where jewelry, especially necklaces, are hung.

 Well-meaning people on pinterest and other sites post “cute” or “creative” ways of hanging jewelry by using towel racks, nails in picture frames or closet hangers, etc., etc.

Avoid these. Don’t use them yourself and never recommend them to your clients. Creativity should be used for other, more productive, projects. Hanging jewelry is not the way to go for either beaded jewelry or metal jewelry.

The one exception to this is of course sculptural jewelry, that is, jewelry that is made to be shown, not worn.

The reason these trees, whether commercial or individually constructed, should be avoided is that they shorten the life of beaded jewelry and encourage tarnish on metal jewelry. So, on the one hand, they shorten the manufacturing life of beaded jewelry while on the other hand they create polishing work on metal jewelry. Why on earth would anyone bother with this?

As you know, thread is a primary manufacturing element in beaded necklaces. One of the primary objectives of a professional pearl and bead stringer is to manufacture jewelry that will last as long as possible which is why we devote such attention to thread choices versus design decisions. But, ultimately, all thread stretches. It just does. Thread also gets dirty.

If you hang a beaded necklace on one of the trees, the weight of the necklace will pull and stretch the thread and the knots between the beads. Obviously, this damages the jewelry.

Just don’t do it and never recommend it. Again, save the creativity for something more productive.

Jewelry Trees and Metal Jewelry

I have a similar objection to using those trees for metal jewelry. With very few exceptions, metals tarnish when exposed to air. This is called oxidation and is particularly acute in polished silver jewelry. However, it also occurs in jewelry where a thin layer of gold is fused to sterling. (Many jewelers are using these metals today as the cost of gold remains so high.)

Pure gold (24k) does not tarnish, that is, it doesn’t react to air. But most gold is alloyed, that is, it contains other kinds of metals, coppers, silvers, etc., and these metals tarnish.

So by hanging metal jewelry on jewelry trees, a client is creating polishing work for herself. Advise against it.

Store Jewelry Flat and Store Pieces Separately

The best way to store jewelry is to store each piece in its own silk pouch. The most common ones and the ones I like the best are from China. You see them at all the gem shows and jewelry supply companies; they’re very inexpensive and are available in a variety of sizes.

In addition, gem show vendors will frequently show unusual silk pouches that are quite lovely, so keep your eyes open for these.

When I ran the gallery, I always had a supply of gorgeous silk pouches and one accompanied every sale. Clients really appreciated them and they were a signal to clients of the value I placed on the jewelry I sold.

Metal and beaded jewelry should be stored separately in silk pouches like those pictured above. The key concern for beaded jewelry is to protect the thread; the key concern for metal jewelry is that you don’t want metals rubbing against each other and scratching polished surfaces.

In addition, metals that tarnish easily should be stored in zip locked plastic bags to minimize oxidation. For clients, put the piece of jewelry in a zip lock bag and insert that into a silk pouch. Then tell them why you’ve done it.

Most serious jewelry collectors know not to use these jewelry trees, but they can be tempting and you’ll occasionally get a question about one from this group. Young collectors, however, may not have considered the harm the trees can do, so be prepared to give them good advice. They’ll thank you for it.

 

Posted in Business, Gold, Manufacturing Tips, Sales | Tagged , , , , , , ,

Free Book on Pearls Available Today & Tomorrow

Everything you need to know about pearlsI’ve recently gotten interested in Kindle, not especially as a money-making venture, I don’t for a minute believe all the get rich quick claims marketers are making. But I do see Kindle as an extraordinary opportunity to get information out there, information that can serve your community and introduce you to others.

In any event, I put together the pamphlet showed opposite. It really is a compilation of fast facts about pearls. It’s intended as a reference guide for anyone…shopper, browser or pearl and pearl stringer who may need to have facts about pearls available.

It’s organized so the most important facts are first and covers the great categories of pearls, differences between them, pricing, quality factors, grading systems and care. I also added some myth and lore about pearls at the end of the book although these “facts” aren’t necessarily in order of importance.

The book is free today and tomorrow on Amazon. If you have any interest in this wonderful subject, please download it. I also hope you’ll take the time to review it if it has any merit. Here, again, is the link.

I enjoyed doing this. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it.

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