Southern Jewelry News

Six degrees of separation

11:09

July

2008

Rating 5.0/5 [5 Votes] Views: 112

E-mail

Comments 0

The Story Behind the Stone

That classic catch-phrase called the six degrees of separation is an efficient way to communicate just how one person could be found tied to someone (or something) else by a mere span of six “connections.” The whole theory is fun, captivating, and sometimes accurate.

I was in Flint, Michigan recently and enjoyed my own serendipitous moment - or was it actually my first degree of separation, I mused. There it was, glaring at me from the headlines of the local newspaper, The Flint Journal, shrewdly pointed out to me by my mom; “Jeweler’s gems: Sloan Museum to exhibit Nicola Bulgari vintage car collection.” The ne-plus-ultra jeweler to the über-rich, Nicola Bulgari (that Bulgari) had some of his more than 150 classic American cars loaned to the local museum for an exhibit.

The Journal story started out, “Nicola Bulgari, vice chairman of the contemporary Italian jeweler Bvlgari, could have collected any automobile in the world. But he prefers General Motors vehicles, especially Buicks.”
Now, my father worked for over 35 years at Fisher No.1 in Flint, the renowned Body by Fisher General Motors plant that cranked out automobile body parts 24 hours a day in its heyday. Ok, that’s certainly one degree right there.

At last, I may have found my connection to the Bulgari family. I’ve been a life-long Buick lover to the chagrin and eye-rolling snickers of many of my snooty friends, especially those in my former hometown of Beverly Hills. Every car I bought from my very first purchase onward, was a Buick. For those of you who know me well, here’s my disclaimer: You can’t count my current Jaguar, which at least I contend is still ‘American-made.’
So Nicola Bulgari loves Buicks, too. That’s a good one. I mean, that’s my second degree of separation.

It turns out he’s been assembling one of the world’s largest collections for years, and has amassed more than 150 automobiles. Only three of those cars are not American. “I fell in love with the Buicks,” Bulgari is quoted as saying in this Journal article. “To me they were a symbol of America. They had glamorous styling, personality, power and responsiveness. They are luxurious without being ostentatious and offer the quality normally associated with far more expensive import cars.”

This group includes some cars with a movie connection. One such beauty, a woody-sided maroon 1940 Buick Estate Wagon was placed in several Warner Bros. movies and later owned by actress Bette Davis. This Buick Estate Wagon is often displayed with samples of Davis’ film memorabilia.
Wait a minute, I occasionally worked at Warner Brothers, and I also met Ms. Davis through our mutual hairdresser way back when, who told her I owned an ocelot. She wanted to see it - but true to her standoffishness, she conducted our entire meeting through a partially opened screen door.

Is that just another two degrees of separation; so we’re up to three now, right? Ms. D and I lived for a time in the same community just buildings apart - there, that’s four, any way you look at it.

I think it’s wonderful that such an elegant international society figure as Mr. Bulgari, with all the cars in the world from which to fall in love with, chose the classic American made Buick to relish. I find it speaks volumes about his clear vision for what is truly beautiful, irrespective of peer pressure or price. After all, the chrome laden early Buicks were objects of sculptural magnificence; a tour de force of style, comfort and design-chic.

Bulgari’s favorite car it turns out, is a slick 1935 Buick 96S sport coupe painted maroon. And surprisingly, or maybe not, it also turns out to be the lowest-priced car in the 90 series for 1935 - at $1,875.

Several comments found on the website of the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum in Hershey, PA quoting Mr. Bulgari, offer insight into the thinking of this iconic jeweler to royalty. “Bulgari dates his passion for Buicks to his childhood in Rome when Buick was the car of choice for dignitaries, diplomats, heads of state and even the Vatican.”

I think this is all very telling of the man, and if we listen; we’ll hear an example for all of us to model, no pun intended. Some things are just plain beautiful and will stand the test of time, irrespective of what follows later on. The same could be said for jewels. And he should know. Every jewel set in a piece of Bulgari jewelry is individually selected for its appropriateness to the entire object. Then it is gets its own ‘chassis,’ a custom made mounting to secure it onto the entire finished piece of jewelry.

If all of us looked at life with that discerning eye, we might be surprised to discover what other things around us we would value - things that somehow may not have been as elevated in prestige as they should be.

I totally love golden beryl and I don’t see people tripping over themselves to buy it. But it has intrinsic worth irrespective of its market price. So, I’ll keep loving it, and I’ll resist the urge to look out of the corner of my eye to monitor its standing in the popular consensus.

But, on to my degrees of separation - let’s forge ahead. Many of you know my buddy James Caudill, Director, Advanced Instruments at American Gem Society (AGS). One of the things we share in common, besides an inquisitive mind about the nature of gemstones, is a mutual love of the American automobile, specifically the good old General Motors variety from years gone by.

Caudill is one of those inventor-genius-types grabbed up by AGS, clever group that they are, to develop exceedingly complex gemological instruments. But he got his start in, of all places, the auto industry - and was GM trained to boot. For over 15 years, Caudill was a specialist in the car rental industry as a computer systems diagnostician overseeing a fleet of 10 million vehicles. During his tenure, Caudill accumulated a hoard of complex credentials, such as MIT Lean aerospace initiative certification equipping him as microprocessors and sensor specialist.

Caudill ponders: “How did I go from automotive engineering to diamonds? I think you would be amazed at the similarities between what I do now as an inventor/designer of gemological instruments compared to my automotive engineering expertise. Specializing in sensor and microprocessor performance introduced me to crystals, lenses, lasers; infrared technology, palladium, ceramics and a multitude of scientific disciplines that most people are shocked to learn are in their vehicles. Quartz, as an example, produces piezoelectricity when acted upon by mechanical force or pressure and has many applications in science.”

So - how about that leap from the auto industry to the gemstone industry? Caudill explains: “It is really not that big of a stretch. Artisans must create works of art out of crude shapes. What goes into it is a masterful balance of planning, technology and hard work.”

And everyone has their personal preferences for everything. For Caudill, “I have to admit though, when it comes to crystals and cars, I like them old. I have seen the best that science has to offer but still prefer rarity and muscle. The diamond I wear was mined from Mother Earth 1 to 3 billion years ago, and my dream car... mined in Michigan 60 years ago.”

There you go. That makes my fifth degree right there - knowing Caudill and sharing our gemstone slash automotive fanaticisms.

And you are reading my monthly columns, (aren’t you?) year after year, about gemstones - the real stories behind all those stones. Well, this one is about as good of a back story as you can get. There, that’s six - my six degrees of separation. And believe me, I’m as stunned as you are to be discovering my connection to the Bulgari family.

Graduate Gemologist and Registered Master Valuer Diana Jarrett is also a member of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA). She’s a frequent lecturer at conferences and trade shows. Jarrett serves as Colored Stone Editor for Rapaport Diamond Report; with other works regularly appearing in trade and consumer publications. Contact her at info@dianajarrett.com or visit her website: www.dianajarrett.com.