L U X U R E L L A

Amber

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 12:29:05 +0000

Amber has always provoked people’s interest and astonishment not only because of its qualities as a semiprecious stone, but also because of the chance it gives to us to take a look in the distant past. Its warm color is a reason for admiration, and our imagination is captivated by the remarkable inclusions it has. Small bugs and insects are transported from the past to the present like with a time machine. At the beginning of its journey, the amber was just resin, produced by the trees millions of years ago. The best known specimens of amber originate from various tree species which are now extinct. Baltic amber for example comes from a resin of a tree called Pinites succinifer – in appearance it looked like a fir or spruce. Originally resin was used by the trees as a defense mechanism against insects, parasites and tree mushrooms.Once detached form the tree, the resin has gone through many transformations until it becomes amber. The first transformation is on molecular level and as a consequence the resin becomes harder. After the completion of this process, the resin is called copal. The next level is the evaporation of the oils contained in the copal. They slowly seep out of it, as the process takes millions of years. It is supposed that one or two levels of the development of amber must be in an environment without air or in a sea water. Amber, that is exposed to the open environment for several years will oxidize and cover with crust. Under constant exposure to such conditions after many years, the amber becomes brittle and breaks into small pieces. The oldest amber in the world is 120 million years old and it is no wonder that it could be found only in small fragments. Baltic amber, which is about 40 million years old can be found in very large blocks, in some cases reaching few kilograms. Interesting is that the largest known piece of Baltic amber weighs 21.5 pounds and was found near Setin, Poland in 1860, as it is currently set out in the Berlin Museum. The largest piece of amber discovered in the world weighted 150 pounds and was found on the island of Borneo, during the removal process, it was broken into four pieces.

FACTS ABOUT AMBER

The quantities of resin which have been accumulated in the Baltic deposits are huge. The commercial mining of amber is dating back to 1264 and continues to present days. Unfortunately, a vast amount of this production was converted to varnish. The amber is soft and its melting point is between 150-180 degrees Celsius. The colors of amber are different. They range between almost white to all shades of red, yellow and brown. There are even examples of blue and green amber.There are two main reasons for the blue and green color: infiltration of minerals from the soil, or the resin encountered volcanic dust when it was emitted from the tree. No matter how it is achieved, it results in an amber impregnated with unusual ingredients, which give these remarkable shades. One of the most interesting aspects of amber are plants, insects and small animals that are forever frozen inside. These frozen moments from the past give us the opportunity to peep into the world of flora and fauna of that time as direct observers. Most often in the amber are included midges, wasps, cockroaches, small lizards. In an American museum there is an unique example of gecko in amber which is twenty-five million years old. Other unusual findings are the remains of a frog, preserved in an amber found in the Dominican Republic. Initially it was suggested that the remains are of a frog, but further tests revealed that the remains are of more than one frog, or the frog in question had six feet. It is assumed that the remains may be from a nest of frog eating birds, located near the spot where ,the tree emitted some resin. Other remains, preserved in amber are hairs from mammals and even mammoth. An interesting fact is that there are traces of animals preserved in amber. An example is an amber, which has cat paw trace in it.

COUNTERFEITS

Real amber is used for some of the best known counterfeits. A hole is made in a piece of amber and an insect is put in the hole. Then the insect and the hole are covered with melted resin. The result is a perfect piece of amber that would pass all tests.

Most amber studies are based on European and American culture. The Chinese also valued the amber and the earliest written evidence dates back to 92 AD. Tibetans had perhaps the most beautiful name for amber – pyo-she, which in translation means-scented crystal.

Photo: Flickr

The Jewelry And Memoirs Of A Geisha

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:33:33 +0000

The New York jewelry company Me & Ro and the designer Coleen Atwood created a unique collection of jewelry and hair ornaments used in the movie “Memoirs of a Geisha”. Working together with the 2003 Oscar winner and multiple nominee, the jewelry designers of Me & Ro found inspiration in Arthur Golden’s novel. Usually the jewelry that the Japanese geisha and their apprentices ” maiko ” wear, are richly decorated with ornaments in a shape of flowers. The flowers are very important and respected in Japanese culture. The areas where most geishas work are called “hanamachi”, which in translation means “city of flowers”. One of the main duties of a geisha is to know how to make ikebana – the art of arranging flowers. The floral motives have main accent in geisha’s accessories, so this is why they are the logical inspiration of the modern collection of Me & Ro – The Geisha Hair Ornament Collection. The company created five combs with floral motives. All of them are handmade. They are made in silver, 10 carat gold, pearls, garnets and corals. All five combs that are used in the movie have different designs. One of them is featuring rich bouquet of silver and golden flowers with coral beads, with smaller flowers hanging on chainlets. Another design resembles a gentle chrysanthemum of silver. One of the designers of Me & Ro says, that the flowers are universal. They symbolize beauty, growth and nature. The hair accessories are part of the language of the geisha, a way of expression. Me & Ro did an excellent job and created incredible accessories, that discreetly help in creating the authentic atmosphere of the film and are a real pleasure for the jewelry fans.

The Lomme Bed – Awaken Reborn

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:11:03 +0000

Latest in design and functionality for rest and rejuvenation. The Lomme Bed combines latest technology with one of the oldest organic shapes in nature – the egg, The Lomme is an unique combination between nature, art and design. Its clean lines create a feeling of desire and make this amazing bed pleasing to the eye. The Lomme Bed is a result of two years of research into common sleep problems and natural therapies. Those who have this bed will benefit from its light and sound therapy, which allow you to wake naturally feeling refreshed and full of energy. The producers of this bed claim that it not only comfortable but it is also the best looking bed on the planet. Lomme’s design brings sleep into focus and is creating a wave of interest about the environment in which we all spend a third of our lives. The objective of the Lomme’s project is to convert thousands of hours of unsatisfactory, interrupted sleep into a deep, replenishing natural rest. What is Lomme: It is a design platform for any creative ideas taking them from concept to reality. Its purpose is to manifest peoples dreams and bring them to life. The Lomme Bed is their first product.

Features of the Lomme Bed:

Light therapy
Sound system (iPod)
Muscle relaxing system
High quality mattress
Storage compartments
hight: 149.1 cm
width: 315.4 cm

source: Lomme

The One Million Dollar Laptop by Luvaglio

Thu, 01 May 2008 19:41:15 +0000

The 27 year old entrepreneur Rohan Sinclair Luvaglio believes that the luxury market is ready for a change and re-establishment of value “made for you by someone who knows you”. His company has worked with a team of craftsmen to create the first hand-crafted One Million Dollar Laptop. Luvaglio says that the jewelry and stones used in the Laptop have functions and are not there just to add value. He also claims that his team did not just re-case an ordinary laptop but they utilised pioneering technologies which volume-based companies can not and their laptop has solid state storage, Blu-Ray, built in USB memory stick and MP3 player, integrated screen cleaning and functional jewelry. The design also allows for full upgrades. The laptop will be finished to the в owners choice of precious metals, leathers and real woods. If this news is to be believed the laptop will be launched this summer and “consequent range of creations” will follow .

Philips and Swarovski Partner To Create The Active Crystals

Thu, 01 May 2008 18:46:23 +0000

New fashionable way to store you data. The combination between the leadership of Philips in innovative consumer lifestyle electronics products and Swarovski’s expertise in creating crystal jewelry and handbags collections resulted in a whole range of new and unique products that take technology to new levels. The first fashionable innovations created by Philips and Swarovski are the Active Crystals range of products which will be launched this summer and include sound accessories and storage devices.

Luminoso from MOBIADO

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 11:06:43 +0000

The manufacturer of CNC machined luxury mobile phones unveils the Luminoso, the first and only 3G luxury mobile phone. The Mobiado Luminoso utilizes a dual illumination technique that lights the keypad area from beneath and from above through the buttons. Creating the most unique and innovative looking mobile phone as well as maximizing the illumination of the keypad. Luminoso combines aluminum, sapphire crystal, and stainless steel to create new standard in luxury. The aluminum frame is created from aircraft aluminum to build a strong/stiff yet light body, it is filtered glass bead blasted, and then hard anodized coated to produce a rock hard ceramic coating with twice the thickness of traditional anodizing for the toughest of uses. The buttons are sapphire crystal and stainless steel, the camera window is sapphire crystal, and the front screen is coated with DiamondShieldВ®, the most advanced coating available for polymer substrates with diamond like properties. A daring design, combining luxury and technology in perfect harmony. The Mobiado Luminoso is the world’s first 3G luxury mobile phone. The phone is unlocked and will work with any GSM network operator. It has WCDMA 2100 and tri-band GSM coverage on up to five continents (GSM/EDGE 900/1800/1900). It is equipped with a large QVGA display, 2 megapixel camera and video camera, supports microSD cards up to 2GB, surround sound through stereo speakers, push to talk over cellular, Bluetooth technology, infrared, speaker phone, and a music player that supports MP3, MP4, eAAC+ and AAC music files.

Behold The World’s Most Expensive Computer Mouse

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 10:39:00 +0000

Are you a high-net-worth shopper searching for this one truly unique gift? Look no further! The computer mouse producer Pat Says Now offers you an extraordinarily exclusive toy. Let us introduce you to the worlds most expensive computer mouse, cast from 18-carat white gold and set with 59 brilliants “the Diamond Flower”. At a price of 28 800 Swiss Francs (18 600 Euro), the precious office accessory, working both with PC and Mac, is bound to thrill and delight any woman. Upper case and buttons are made from pure white gold and the brilliants have a total weight of 2 carat. So, if you can not decide between that new Rolex and a sparkling necklace: the Diamond Flower is a perfectly beautiful alternative. Upper case and buttons of the Diamond Flower are made of 750 white gold. This means that 750 parts out of 1000 are pure gold. The gold gets its white color from the alloy metal palladium, a precious metal of the platinum family. The palladium content is 13% or 130 parts. In a further step, the white gold is rhodinized. The galvanic coating with rhodium, another metal from the platinum family, gives the white gold its characteristic color. 58 brilliants with a diameter of 2mm and 1 brilliant with diameter of 4mm are separately set to form a lily. The total weight of all brilliants is two carats. The brilliants used on the Diamond Flower meet the CIBJO norm and were rated as natural and ntreated. They are NOT conflict diamonds originating in countries sanctioned by the UN (supplier declaration of Diamanthaus, Bern, Switzerland).

Tech Specs

Design Mouse with optical sensor and high-quality fitting.
Optical Sensor (800 dpi) by AGILENTВ©
Suitable for every computer
3 years warranty

source: http://www.pat-says-now.com