Дополнительный словарь:
inch – дюйм
|
bezel – гнездо (для камня)
|
gauge – калибр
|
board – доска
|
list – список, перечень
|
to stick – втыкать, колоть
|
plenty – множество
|
pin – булавка
|
tight – плотный, компактный
|
to slip – скользить
|
flat – ровный, плоский
|
firmly – крепко, прочно
|
permission – позволение, разрешение
|
to fit – подгонять, быть в пору
|
bell – колокольчик
|
to insert – вставлять
|
matter – дело, вопрос
|
to squeeze – прижимать, впихивать
|
ribbon – лента
|
to assemble – монтировать
|
stable – устойчивый, прочный
|
patiently – терпеливо
|
to dip – погружать, опускать
|
safely – в сохранности
|
snippet – отрезок
|
to push – нажимать, проталкивать
|
to place – помещать
|
to rub – тереть
|
to pop off – стрелять
|
rinsing – полоскание
|
13.4. Answer the questions:
1. What is necessary for filigree manufacturing?
2. How must be prepared the wire to make filigree jewelry?
3. What for is a jig used?
4. How to make a jig for filigree?
5. What the wire must be to hold its shape?
6. What operations are necessary for solder winding filigree ear-ring?
7. What may burnish on filigree earring?
13.5. Find the following word combinations in the text:
1) паяльный инструмент;
2) шаблон для филиграни;
3) круглая серебряная проволока;
4) тонкая лента;
5) кручение проволоки;
6) гнездо для кабошона;
7) изогнуть спираль на конце проволоки;
8) скрутить петлю вокруг булавки;
9) множество частиц припоя;
10) высохший флюс.
Text 2.
Beads
Anyone can learn to make a string of beads. It is a perfect specialty for a lapidary weary of slabs and cabochons. The first step is the selection of material. If soft material is chosen, the beads may be made by hand. Ordinary steel tools can be used for alabaster, talc, gypsum, shell, coral, and ivory. If lapidary wants to make beads of harder materials, he can use his lapidary machines. Forming a bead with a saw and a grinding wheel is not much different than making a cabochon, or a sphere. Of course, beads are not necessarily round, so forming a bead on a wheel can be a miniature exercise in carving.
If you wish to make a lot of round beads, a bead mill is the answer. Such a machine, available from the manufacturer with complete instructions, will rapidly grind perfect spheres from rough performs. A good bead mill will shape about 80 hard gem beads, 10 mm round, in about ten minutes. The roughed out spheres are sandwiched between a slowly revolving rubber covered lap, above, and a faster turning cast iron lap, below. A perforated plate maintains an equal distance between the turning beads. Separate motors turn the laps, and the upper lap both lifts and swivels. The beads are then polished in a tumbler, perhaps quite a small tumbler as only beads of one kind should be polished together. Good tumbling action and plenty of buffering material, which also acts as a carrying agent, are essential for this process.
Not all beads are drilled through the center as the round ones are. Some are drilled through one end so they have a dangle drop shape. There are a number of ways for drilling beads. Very small holes can be made with steel needles and diamond abrasives. Then there are tube or core drills. Automatic machines with an up and down motion should be carefully started, and then slowed when the hole is just about through. For a finished appearance with older drills, it may be necessary to reverse each bead and drill through from the opposite direction. Bead drilling, even by machine, used to be a rather tedious process.
Beads can be strung on metal, thread, filament, ribbon, velvet, or leather. If strung on a velvet cord or leather thong, sometimes only a few beads are needed, as the stringing material itself is the filler. Braided nylon is strong, uniform, and easy to use. It has a tendency to stretch if beads are heavy and if subjected to moisture. Braided silk is not as strong for its diameter, but is better for knotting pearls, and is preferred for more expensive beads of medium weight, particularly round traditional beads.
Дополнительный словарь:
slab – пластина
|
to revolve – вращать
|
weary – потерявший терпение
|
cast – поворот, отклонение
|
to choose – выбирать
|
to perforate – просверливать
|
miniature – миниатюра
knotty – узловатый, сложный
|
to maintain – сохранять, поддерживать
|
carving – резная работа
|
to swivel – вращаться
|
grind – размалывание
|
tumbler – барабан для голтовки
|
to sandwich – помещать посередине
|
perhaps – возможно
|
slowly – медленно
|
kind – сорт, вид
|
fast – быстрый
|
buffer – амортизатор
|
to cover – покрывать
|
to dangle – качаться
|
tedious – утомительный
|
filler – наполнитель
|
core – стержень
|
braid – шнурок, тесьма
|
thread – нитка
|
to stretch – вытягивать, растягивать
|
filament – волокно, нить
|
moisture – влажность
|
thong – ремень
|
|
13.6. Answer the questions:
1. What is beginning in manufacturing beads?
2. What equipment is used for soft and hard materials?
3. What machine is used to make a lot of round beads?
4. May plenty of beads be polished in a tumbler together?
5. What else is in a tumbler besides the polished material?
6. What methods can be used to drill holes?
7. What materials are used for stringing beads?
13.7. Translate into English the following sentences:
1. Каждый может научиться делать бусы.
2. Если для бус выбран мягкий материал, например, кость, коралл, перламутр, тальк, то первоначально можно пользоваться стальными инструментами.
3. Для более твердого материала понадобится гранильное оборудование.
4. Бусины можно сделать округлыми в дробилке либо придать им любую форму с помощью шлифовального диска.
5. Затем бусины полируют в голтовочном барабане.
6. Просверлить отверстия можно различными способами.
7. Подготовленные бусины нанизывают на разнообразные шнурки, нити из шелка, нейлона, кожи и резины.
Text 3.
The Gilson opal triplet and how to make it
The opal triplet is a three-piece gemstone made by cementing together a thin piece of precious opal sandwiched between a backing piece and a layer of optical quartz or other hard clear material. Gilson opal is specifically made for triplet. It was created to satisfy the wishes of countless opal lovers for the ideal material. Cap material are optical quartz (natural or synthetic), sapphire or hard optical glass. Base material can be used various, for example, jade, opal potch, agate, jasper, obsidian, glass or plastic.
The individual method of grinding flat surfaces depends upon available equipment, personal preferences or techniques such as abrasives of various sizes used on a sheet of flat glass; wet or dry abrasive paper used on a flat surface; faceting laps; flat-faced diamond disks. How thin will be the opal depends upon personal preference in color? Usually the thinner the opal is the darker the color. As a starting point begin at 0.20 millimeter slices and if you feel it is necessary work the opal thinner until the color suits you. Base thickness may be 1.6 millimeter or as desired to fit mounting. Cap thickness can vary from 1.6 to 6 millimeters. The thicker the cap the more the magnification effect, but also the heavier the triplet becomes.
Before cementing any triplet components together we come to a very important subject, cleanliness, which is the secret of a good bond. Clean all surfaces, which are glued together with acetone, then clean with alcohol.
When all three parts of the triplet have been prepared they then are joined together, two pieces at a time. Mix epoxy gently to avoid air bubbles and apply epoxy in thin layer to both surfaces, which you join together. These two components should be warm when put together. Put the two pieces together with firm finger pressure and a sliding motion to squeeze out air bubbles and surplus epoxy. Use little clamps, clothespins, weights, etc., to hold parts together until epoxy sets properly (24 hours). The use of lampblack in the epoxy gives a bright black shiny surface.
Finishing the triplet is simply the process of making a cabochon. It is assumed that the reader has mastered the techniques of lapidary.
Дополнительный словарь:
clear – прозрачный, чистый
|
preference – предпочтение
|
cleanliness – чистота
|
mounting – установка, монтаж
|
to back – подкреплять
|
slid – скольжение
|
wish – желание
|
surplus – излишек
|
desire – пожелание
|
clamp – зажим
|
countless – бесчисленный
|
properly – должным образом
|
to master – владеть, справиться
|
lampblack – черная краска
|
cap – верхушка
|
to assume – предполагать
|
13.8. Explain in English the meaning of the following words:
Triplet
Gilson opal
Cap and base material for the opal triple
UNIT 14
Grading and appraisal of diamonds
14.1. Read and learn necessary words:
balance – весы
|
to evolve – развивать
|
familiar – близкий, знакомый
|
to accept – принимать, допускать
|
mirror – отражение, зеркало
|
to mount – монтировать
|
top – верхушка
|
to pass – проходить, передавать
|
retention – сохранение
|
to spread – распространяться
|
to match – соответствовать
|
to offer – предлагать
|
14.2. Find synonyms for words:
top –
distinction –
expensive –
to evolve –
hence –
14.3. Find at the right part translates of left words:
1. absence
|
А. увеличиваться
|
2. break
|
Б. блеск
|
3. scratch
|
В. внешний дефект
|
4. blemish
|
Г. яркость
|
5. durability
|
Д. оттенок
|
6. to select
|
Е. скопление
|
7. brilliance
|
Ж. ударять
|
8. brightness
|
З. трещина
|
9. hue
|
И. повреждение
|
10. flaw
|
К. груша
|
11. melee
|
Л. выбирать
|
12. to strike
|
М. долговечность
|
13. pear
|
Н. царапина
|
14. to increase
|
О. отсутствие
|
Text 1.
The four Cs
The first primitive grading system for diamonds developed thousands of years ago, in India. Since the beginning of the seventeenth century, Western experts have revised the standards for judging relative quality and value in diamonds. These visions have evolved into various grading systems, but far and away the most universally accepted is that developed by GIA and based on the Four Cs: carat weight, color, clarity, and cut.
The unit of weight used for diamonds (and other gems) is the metric carat, which is 0.200 grams. Weight is the most objective of the four Cs since loose diamonds can be weighed directly and precisely on a balance. Mounted diamonds cannot, but their weights can be calculated from careful measurements.
Color has two meanings in the diamond industry. Usually, it refers to an absence of color – a diamond said to have ‘fine color’ frequently has no visible color at all. On the other hand, we use the fancy color to describe naturally colored diamonds with distinct, attractive tints. Artificially colored diamonds are called treated. Most diamonds are slightly yellow or brown, and are graded by how closely they approach colorless; the less color, the higher the value. But with fancy colors, the grade and value increase with color intensity.
Clarity refers to the presence of internal features such as breaks or foreign bodies, called inclusions, within a diamond, and to external imperfections such as scratches (these are called blemishes). Both blemishes and especially inclusions lower clarity grade (and hence the value) of a diamond, but in most cases they have very little effect on a stone’s beauty or durability.
Generally, cut can mean facet design (as in step cut), shape (round, pear, marquise, etc.), or both (emerald cut, for example). In another sense, cut means the proportions and finish of a diamond. The term proportions refers to the relationships between size, shape, symmetry, weight distribution, and cutting angles in a stone, while finish refers to the details of facet shape, placement, and polish.
Дополнительный словарь:
to revise – исправлять
|
directly – полностью, точно
|
to judge – считать, полагать
|
precisely – точно
|
vision – взгляд, видение
|
to approach – приближаться
|
tint – ненасыщенный тон
|
sense – смысл, чувство
|
loose – свободный
|
placement – размещение
|
14.4. Find Russian equivalent for the following words:
primitive
expert
universally
objective
metric carat
14.5. Answer the questions:
1. Where did first grading system for diamonds exist?
2. What parameters are important for grading of diamonds?
3. Why weight is the most objective unit among the four Cs?
4. What characteristic of color is the best for diamond?
5. How to describe aright the fancy color?
6. What does consider in cut of diamonds?
14.6. Find the following word combinations in the text:
1) измерить точно на весах;
2) закрепленные бриллианты;
3) точные размеры;
4) природные окрашенные / искусственно окрашенные;
5) почти бесцветный;
6) присутствие внутренних включений и внешних дефектов;
7) детали ограненной формы;
8) углы огранки.
Text 2.
Color, life, and fire
When gem professionals speak of color, they usually mean bodycolor, the basic color of an object. It results from selective absorption, which causes most of what we normally think of as color. This is how it works: all white light is a balanced blend of different colors of light. When white light is reflected by, or passes through, an object, the object may absorb some of the colors; we see the remaining blend as the object’s bodycolor.
Brilliance is the total amount of light returned to the eye by reflections from within the stone and from its surface. When light strikes the surface of a gem, part of it is reflected immediately and part of it enters the stone. The part reflected from the surface is the external component of brilliance.
Cutters try to fashion gems so the back facets create an internal mirror effect, reflecting light that comes in from above to bounce back out through the top of the stone. This is the internal component of brilliance; it is largely responsible for the brightness and “life” of the stone. Because of this mirror effect, a diamond will reflect the colors of its mountings, as well as the walls, lights, and anything else around. This can mask its body color. On the other hand, in a well-proportioned stone, the mirror effect reinforces bodycolor: all light travels farther through a material, more of it gets absorbed, making the color deeper.
Dispersion, or fire, is a spreading and separating of white light into its component, spectral hues. Prisms produce the most familiar examples of dispersion. Diamonds are more dispersive then most gems, and when consumers spot the rainbow colors, they tend to mistake them for what you are calling the color of the stone.
Дополнительный словарь:
blend – смесь
|
responsible – ответственный
|
through – сквозь, через
|
to reinforce – усиливать
|
to enter – входить
|
to spot – видеть, опознать
|
bounce – отскок, прыжок
|
|
14.7. Answer the questions:
1. What does basic color of gem present?
2. What color do we see when a part of light is absorbed by a stone?
3. What happens when light strikes the surface of a diamond?
4. What is called external component of brilliance?
5. What is largely responsible for “life” of the diamond?
6. When may the color of the stone look deeper?
14.8. Translate into English the following sentences:
1. Белый свет – это смесь различных цветов света.
2. Блеск – это общее количество света, возвращенного от поверхности камня.
3. Огранщики стараются огранить бриллиант так, чтобы нижние грани создавали внутренний эффект отражения света.
4. Стены, освещение и все окружающие предметы могут повлиять на цвет камня.
5. Игра бриллианта – это радуга спектральных оттенков.
Text 3.
The diamond market
Trading in diamonds is thousands of years old, but the international industry of which we are a part developed just over 100 years ago. Since diamond prices fluctuate radically, to steady the market, De Beers cut back on the number of rough diamonds offered to sight holders in larger sizes of good color and clarity. Since melee diamonds were less expensive and more readily available, jewelry designers looked for more ways to use them. Pave and channel settings utilized small diamonds to great advantage. The multi-stone anniversary ring became especially popular, as did the tennis bracelet. Annual jewelry design competitions offered by the Diamond Information Center – Diamonds Today, Diamonds International, and Diamonds of Distinction – continued to stimulate creative efforts to make the most of diamonds.
The aftermath of the diamond investment fad found buyers more aware of the importance of proportions in cutting. Although the round brilliant remained the industry standard, diamond cutters promoted a variety of new cuts designed to maximize weight retention while still producing a pleasing gem. Triangular-shaped brilliants, for example, were developed to make best use of the diamond macle; introduced in the 1970s, the Trilliant and the Trillion – especially in matched pairs as side stones in a ring to set off an important stone. The Radiant cut, which gave additional life to straight-edge cut diamonds, contributed greatly to the acceptance of fancy-color diamonds, especially yellows and pinks. Square-cut brilliant diamonds were developed partly because they could be calibrated to fit snugly in channel settings, and partly because their retention of weight from octahedral rough is considerably greater than for a round brilliant. The Quadrillion, introduced in 1981, and the Princess, introduced in 1984, are two trademarked square-cut brilliants available in the diamond trade. The Central Selling Organization commissioned Marcel Tolkowsky’s grandnephew, Gabi Tolkowsky, to develop new diamond cuts for odd-shaped and off-color rough. Five cuts were officially presented at the 24th World Diamond Congress in 1988 – Zinnia, Dahlia, Marigold, Sunflower, and Fire Rose.
There is also an interest in fancy-color diamonds, stimulated in part by the publicity given to fancy pink diamonds from Australia. The excitement surrounding fancy-color diamonds reached a peak, when Christie’s auctioned a 0.95-ct fancy purplish red diamond for the unprecedented price of $926,000 per carat. Large colorless diamonds made a comeback toward and also were sold well at auctions. Following their red diamond success, Christie’s sold a D-color internally flawless 64.83-ct pear-shape stone for $6,380,000.
Дополнительный словарь:
to steady – делать устойчивым
|
aware – знающий
|
sight – взгляд, зрение
|
to promote – выдвигать
|
to utilize – использовать
|
acceptance – принятие, одобрение
|
anniversary – юбилейный, годовщина
|
snug – достаточный, удобный
retention – сохранение
|
competition – конкуренция
|
grandnephew – внучатый племянник
|
effort – попытка, усилие
|
odd – необычный
|
aftermath – последствия
|
excitement – волнение
|
investment – инвестиция, вклад
|
unprecedented – беспрецедентный
|
fad – прихоть, причуда
|
straight-edge – правило
|
macle – треугольное плоское срастание (в алмазах)
|
success – успех
|
14.9. Compose the questions to the following sentences:
1. The modern international industry of diamonds developed just over 100 years ago.
2. The multi-stone ring became especially popular, as did the tennis bracelet.
3. Jewelry design competitions continued to stimulate creative efforts to make the most of diamonds.
4. The round brilliant remained the industry standard.
5. Diamond cutters promoted a variety of new cuts designed to maximize weight retention.
6. The Radiant cut contributed greatly to the acceptance of fancy-color diamonds, especially yellows and pinks.
7. The Princess cut is introduced in 1984.
14.10. Find the following word combinations in the text:
1) колебания цен на бриллианты;
2) сделать устойчивым алмазный рынок;
3) важность пропорций в огранке;
4) максимальное сохранение веса;
5) фантазийно окрашенные алмазы.
UNIT 15
Collection stones
15.1. Read and learn necessary words:
collection – коллекционирование
|
storage – хранение
|
lens – лупа
|
keeping – содержание
|
label – этикетка
|
fund – запас
|
wrap – обертка
|
exposition – выставка
|
to chip – откалываться
|
to exhibit – выставлять
|
representative – представительный
|
priceless – бесценный
|
guide – проводник
|
singular – исключительный
|
cliff – крутой обрыв
|
private – частный
|
quarry – карьер
|
worldwide – всемирный
|
permanent – постоянный
|
authentic – подлинный
|
to detail – излагать подробно
|
to auction – продавать с аукциона
|
nugget – самородок
|
to dominate – преобладать
|
15.2. Find at the right part translations of left words:
1. hammer
|
А. собирать
|
2. edge
|
Б. внимание
|
3. to split
|
В. составлять
|
4. magnification
|
Г. увеличение
|
5. wealth
|
Д. топор
|
6. to fall
|
Е. втыкать
|
7. ancient
|
Ж. лезвие
|
8. antique
|
З. сокровищница
|
9. to collect
|
И. античный
|
10. bed
|
К. составлять
|
11. to stick
|
Л. подвергаться
|
12. care
|
М. падать
|
13. treasury
|
Н. богатство
|
14. to preserve
|
О. сохранять
|
15. to undergo
|
П. древний
|
16. to constitute
|
Р. залежь
|
Text 1.
Collecting rocks and minerals
Collecting rocks and minerals is a fascinating and rewarding hobby, and can be done either on your own or with others. Local libraries often have information about a local geological society where enthusiasts meet.
To study rocks and minerals, some basic equipment is required. First, you will need a good hand lens, with a magnification of about x10, and a geological hammer for field work. This should have a square head and a pick or chisel edge. A chisel may be useful for splitting open rocks. Each specimen should be numbered instantly using a felt tip pen, either directly, or on a label stuck on the specimen. The number should be entered into a notebook, together with notes on the locality, the date, so on. Wrap specimens in newspaper to avoid chipping.
A local museum is a good place to start, because it often contains representative samples of local materials. Once you decide to go on a collecting expedition, study a local geological map. This will not only guide you to interesting rocks but may also help you to avoid major misidentifications, which newcomers to the field can make all too easily. Also, study the topography so that you can set out suitably clothed. Make sure someone knows where you are going, especially in rugged terrain. Good places to start are road cuttings, cliffs, quarries or stream beds. Take care to ask permission before venturing onto private land. When possible, collect from mine dumps, or from rock fallen from cliffs rather than indiscriminately hammering at fresh faces. Quite often the best specimens are found in this way.
Insoluble specimens may be cleaned with water and a little detergent, using a soft brush. Each specimen should be given a permanent number, written onto the specimen in Indian ink, or onto a spot of white acrylic paint. The specimen details and number should then be entered into a catalogue. It is then ready for display or storage. If you have difficulty in identifying a specimen, your local museum will be happy to help.
Дополнительный словарь:
fascinating – пленительный
|
once – однажды
|
rewarding – стоящий
|
to decide – решать
|
done – сделанный
|
newcomer – вновь прибывший
|
local – местный
|
rugged – неровный, суровый
|
to venture – рисковать
|
terrain – местность
|
society – общество
|
road – дорога
|
head – голова, обух (топора)
|
private – личный
|
pick – остроконечность
|
dump – отвал
|
chisel – резец
|
indiscriminately – неразборчивый
|
instantly – немедленно
|
insoluble – неразрешимый
|
paint – краска
|
detergent – моющее средство
|
misidentification – ложное опознание
|
brush – щетка
|
15.3. Find Russian equivalent for the following words:
1. enthusiast
2. expedition
3. topography
15.4. Answer the questions:
1. What basic equipment is required for beginning collector?
2. With what you have to begin study of rocks and minerals?
3. Have you to study local maps before your collecting expedition?
4. What places are the best for founding minerals?
5. What must you do with collected specimens?
Text 2.
Treasury of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)
For the purpose of preserving the wealth of the people of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), a Treasury has been formed at the GOHRAN Sakha Republic Government Committee for precious metals, stones and currency. It will house specialized funds, which are being formed at present, for permanent keeping and for exhibiting in the Diamond Museum. This task is not an easy one and has many aspects to it. Already today the Sakha Republic Diamond Museum exposition is a priceless collection of unique precious stones, native gold and platinum nuggets and a rich variety of semi-precious stones, works of jewelry and applied arts.
Diamond and brilliant constitute the core of the Sakha Republic Treasury collection. This collection includes unique “named” diamonds weighing over 20 carats, big industrial diamonds of over 190 carats, as well as diamonds of various shapes and quality. The pride of the Treasury is the first brilliant, produced in Yakutia, the first diamond cut in jewelry factories of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). Especially noted among the exhibits should be the diamonds and brilliants with patterns, diamond scalpels and instruments, produced by different factories in the Sakha-Yakutia, using a dimensional processing method invented by Yakut scientists.
Nuggets have great aesthetic, scientific and purely material value. They undergo a special selection procedure and are used as museum exhibits and elements of jewelry. There are many young and talented jewelers working at the three jewelry factories and several dozens of jewelry workshops of the Sakha Republic, at the touch of which wonderful and original works of art are created.
Дополнительный словарь:
scalpel – скальпель
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to invent – изобретать, выдумывать
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currency – валюта
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purely – чисто, исключительно
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pride – предмет гордости
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dozen – дюжина
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dimensional – пространственный
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talented – талантливый
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15.5. Answer the questions:
1. What purpose has been The Treasury of the Sakha Republic formed for?
2. What is presented in the Sakha Republic Diamond Museum?
3. What kind of diamonds are included in the Treasury collection?
4. What meaning have nuggets of precious metals in this collection?
15.6. Translate into English the following sentences:
1. Алмазный музей экспонирует бесценную коллекцию драгоценных камней, уникальных золотых и платиновых самородков.
2. Под управлением республиканского комитета по драгоценным металлам, камням и валюте создана Сокровищница Якутии.
3. В коллекции Сокровищницы хранятся именные ювелирные алмазы весом более 20 карат.
4. Особую гордость коллекции представляет первый бриллиант, ограненный в Якутии.
5. Сокровищница хранит оригинальные работы молодых и талантливых ювелиров.
6. Самородки золота и платины, которые хранятся в музее, имеют интересную форму и узоры на поверхности.
7. Запасы Сокровищницы бесценны и составляют гордость республики.
Text 3.
Trends in antique jewelry
There is heightened interest in antique jewelry, to which the prominent auction houses contributed greatly. Previously dominated by dealers and a select group of collectors, auctions are now attracting more private clients. The quiet stream of private buyers experienced a torrent in 1987, when Sotheby’s sold the jewels of the Duchess of Windsor in Geneva. For the first time, jewelry associated with British royalty was auctioned, and the media blitz had worldwide impact. Experts at Sotheby’s conservatively estimated the collection’s value at $7 million. When the gavel fell on the final lot, the sale totaled an amazing $50.3 million. The excitement generated made the public aware that, through auction houses, a private individual could purchase a small bit of well-documented history.
Well before the Windsor auction, however, the auction houses noticed a growing demand for authentic antique and modern jewelry. Art Nouveau’s fanciful and naturalistic jewels were in favor initially, but these were soon eclipsed by the geometric precision of Art Deco that was more in keeping with the high-tech. “Retro” jewels – from the 1940s and early 1950s – became popular, while Victorian and Edwardian pieces also strengthened in sales. To satisfy the expanded market for these jewels, contemporary manufacturers began to produce exact replicas and close imitations. Modern designers not only used ancient metalsmithing techniques, but they also revived ancient and antique styles.
Дополнительный словарь:
to heightened – усиливать, повышать
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demand – требование
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prominent – известный
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fanciful – причудливый
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bit – небольшое количество
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favor – одобрение
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torrent – отток
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initially – начальный
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royalty – королевское достоинство
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to eclipsed – заслонять
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media – средний
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precision – точность
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blitz – блицкриг, разгром
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to strengthen – усиливаться
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conservatively – умеренный
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to expand – расширяться
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gavel – молоток (аукциониста)
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exact – точный, аккуратный
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amazing – поразительный
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replica – точная копия
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to generate – вызывать
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to revive – воскрешать
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authentic – подлинный
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15.4. Answer the questions:
1. What significance have auction houses?
2. Who dominate to buy antique jewelry?
3. What lot had amazing increasing of value on Sotheby’s auction?
4. What else prominent auctions are noted in this text?
5. What do modern designers make to revive ancient and antique jewel art?
15.5. Find the following word combinations in the text:
1) античное ювелирное искусство;
2) избранная группа коллекционеров;
3) поток частных клиентов / покупателей;
4) вызывать волнение;
5) требование к подлинности древних предметов;
6) расширяющийся рынок;
7) близкие имитации;
8) древние методы металлообработки;
9) геометрическая точность в стиле;
10) первоначальная оценка коллекции.
ТЕКСТЫ ДЛЯ САМОСТОЯТЕЛЬНОГО
И КОНТРОЛЬНОГО ЧТЕНИЯ
Текст 1
Using of stones
Since the earliest times, people have been fascinated by rocks and minerals. Part of the attraction lies in their economic importance. Indeed the terms Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age indicate periods of history when the uses of these materials were discovered and exploited. Since the onset of the Iron Age, materials from the Earth’s crust have been used in myriad ways. Stones, bricks, sand and cement are used in buildings and roads, and iron and steel in engineering. Aviation, ceramics, electronics and metal coating are among the many modern industries that utilize the Earth’s mineral resources.
Apart from their uses, many rocks and minerals are attractive in appearance and are sought by eager collectors. Special features, such as hardness, brilliance, durability or scarcity, enhance the worth of many specimens, including precious stones and metals. For example, its rarity, appearance and resistance to discolouration gives gold a unique place in international commerce. Other materials, throughout history, have had magical or curative properties ascribed to them.
Minerals and rocks have long given pleasure to many people, both professionals and amateurs. Their study has also enabled us to locate important resources such as oil, and has led to improved techniques for extracting many materials. Several aspects of these sciences, such as crystallography and the dating of rocks, have been established for some time. On the other hand we are gaining new insights into processes that operate inside the Earth. The revolutionary theory of plate tectonics was established only in the 1960s and is still developing. By studying such processes, scientists are able to unravel further the fascinating story of the history of the Earth.
Текст 2
History of the carat
Weighing commodities as small and precious as gems demands a very small, uniform unit of weight. To meet this need, early gem traders turned to plant seeds that were reasonably uniform in size and weight. Two of the oldest were wheat grains and carob seeds. Both were common in the gem producing and trading areas of the ancient world. Wheat was a dietary staple, and individual wheat grains provided a plentiful and relatively uniform weight standard. Our modern pearl grain, troy grain, and avoirdupois and apothecaries grains all derived from the wheat grain. (Diamond weights are sometimes approximated in grains; you will learn more about this in the next assignment.)
The carob, or locust tree, produces edible seed pods that are still important as feed for livestock and as a flavoring. Traders used the inedible seeds as a standard weight from which our modern metric carat evolved. Carat weight was standardized in the early twentieth century. If you had purchased a “one-carat” diamond in 1895, it might have weighed anywhere from 0.95 to 1.07 metric carats, depending on where you bought it. But between 1908 and 1930, the standard metric carat was adopted throughout most of Europe and in Japan, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, the US, and Russia.
Consumers sometimes confuse the terms carat and karat. Although in some countries the two are synonymous, in the US, karat refers to the fineness of gold alloys (pure gold is 24 karat; 14 karat is 14 parts gold and 10 parts other metal or metals) and carat refers to gem weights.
Текст 3
Gemstones
Diamond
Diamond is composed of pure carbon, like graphite. But the atoms in diamond have been forced into a compact three-dimensional structure by the high pressures in the upper mantle, where it is formed. Hence diamond is much harder and has a higher specific gravity than graphite. This is reflected in its name, which comes from the Greek word for “invincible”. Gem-quality diamonds are colourless, transparent and unflawed. Low-quality diamonds are used as industrial abrasives. Varieties of diamond are bort, which has a rounded, fibrous, radiate structure, and carbonado, which is black and microcrystalline. Diamond is mined from kimberlite pipes and alluvial deposits. The largest recorded diamond is the Cullinan, from the Transvaal in South Africa. Uncut it weighed 3106 carats.
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