May 31, 2016

Australia: Heart Of The Nation Photo Series: A Selection


                                                               

Something about the (complex) way this photo was taken makes it strangely compelling.

Picture: Peter Solness

                                                                 


A portrait of a firefighter looks out across the Winton Wetlands, near Wangaratta, Victoria. 

Picture: Rene Martens

                                                                   


Kelly Brooks grew up on a beef farm at Rubicon in Victoria’s High Country, tearing around on motorbikes with her two brothers and playing guitar around the campfire. She is now an aspiring country singer, based in Queensland with her kelpie, Dusty.
 
Picture: Luke Marsden.

                                                                     


Why do some creatures get a bad rap even though they’re amazing? Take this native fish, which is found in freshwater habitats all along the east coast of Australia. This one’s in the pond at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens, where it will lead a pretty mundane life preying on crustaceans, insects, fish and ducklings for the first 90 per cent of its existence. 

Picture: Matty Smith
                                                                         


Grumblebum developed a taste for beer when his owner, Crockett Paterson, inadvertently poured him one one hot summer day. It’s now a weekly treat, and XXXX Gold is his preferred bevy. 

Picture: David Sproule

                                                                     

A blessing of the fleet, featuring statues of the Virgin Mary, a throng of people and an archbishop, who prays for a safe and bountiful year. Sounds like medieval Italy, doesn’t it? In fact, it's in hip, modern Fremantle. 

Picture: Tony McDonough

                                                                     


Human endeavours always look different from the air. Take the St Ives gold mine near Kambalda, WA. Photographed from a plane, the mine’s tailings dump resembles an abstract charcoal artwork, with tiny flecks of colour that turn out to be bulldozers. 

Picture: Sheldon Pettit  


                                                                      

It takes a certain type of courage to step out over a 200m abyss. 

Picture: Richard McGibbon 

Click to enlarge.

With many thanks to The Australian






May 27, 2016

Caitriona Balfe: A Role Model After Outlander And Money Monster


                                                                     


                                                                       

I am really enjoying this mini-series and can recommend it!

For Caitriona Balfe, walking away from the catwalk and into the acting world after a successful, decade-long career modelling for brands such as Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana was a leap of faith. “Especially at 30, which is a dirty number in the [film] industry, you know,” she says.
Although modelling to acting is a well-trodden path in Hollywood, the 36-year-old Irish actress says crossing the threshold between the industries was the most challenging thing she has done. “I had no idea how to get into the industry: how I was going to get an audition, let alone a job,” she tells Review from Los Angeles.

                                                                    


It was, in fact, something of a full circle for Balfe, who, at age 18, had been studying theatre at the Dublin Institute of Technology before being approached by Ford Models. “After a while it became clear that modelling wasn’t a passion, and that was getting very frustrating,” she says. In 2009, Balfe dropped everything to pursue her original career choice. “For me it was now or never. I think when you have a passion or a dream in life you have to give it a shot, because if you don’t, you’ll be miserable”.

Balfe has certainly landed on her feet with a breakout role in TV’s Outlander as Claire Fraser, and now a major role in Jodie Foster’s upcoming film Money Monster, which also stars George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Dominic West.(The Affair,Burton And Taylor and others).

Money Monster is a part of the growing genre of financial thrillers: here, a leading investment firm, the fictional Ibis Clear Capital, has lost $800 million overnight and Balfe’s character, Diane Lester, is its righteous and determined communications officer. Meanwhile, financial television host Lee Gates (Clooney) has been taken hostage by an irate investor demanding answers.

Balfe says that only a few weeks before she read the script, she had been deeply affected by a Rolling Stone article about Alayne Fleischmann, the whistleblower at JPMorgan Chase who, after the financial meltdown of 2008, gave evidence that resulted in a US$9 billion settlement to the US government.

It was the correlation between Fleischmann’s story and the character of Diane that resonated with Balfe. “There is a sense of naivety to her, which I quite liked,” she says. “Diane believes in the company she works for and has no reason to question what she’s being told. But once she begins to grasp the full picture of the consequences of her job, she very quickly becomes a truth-seeker”.

Money Monster is Foster’s fourth film as director and Balfe revelled in the opportunity to be involved in the project. “She is just this incredibly generous, down-to-earth person who knows exactly what she wants and is able to express that in such a direct and succinct way; it was really incredible to watch,” she says.

“One thing I found surprising was her technical knowledge. Of course she’s been around film sets all her life, but I wasn’t expecting her to have such prowess. She would even ask if I wanted to be taught about different things, which was great. I always think that it helps you as an actor to have all the information; yes, you’re a cog in this big wheel, but it’s so great to know what that whole wheel is doing.”

Far from the world of economic hostages, Balfe has returned to our screens in a second season of Outlander. Based on the bestselling books by Diana Gabaldon, Outlander is a historical drama whose first season is set in the rugged Scottish Highlands.

 It follows Claire, a married nurse during World War II, who is transported back in time to 1743 where she falls in love with a highlander named Jamie (play­ed by Sam Heughan). In the second season, which premiered on Foxtel’s SoHo in April, Claire and Jamie are in France to undermine the Jacobite rebellion and change the course of history.

Since 2014, Outlander has garnered critical acclaim worldwide, gained a fiercely loyal fan base, and received multiple award nom­inations, including at last year’s Golden Globes.

Balfe can’t pinpoint the precise reasons behind the show’s success, but mentions a “special alchemy” on set she hoped would translate to the screen. “Obviously we knew that it was a very popular book series and you kind of hope that those core fans will transfer their love over to the show. But I don’t think anyone was prepared for the sheer amount of success. It’s done so well, I think most of us still get bowled over … We’re like, ‘really?!’ ”

Described by Buzzfeed as the “feminist Game of Thrones”, Outlander is praised for its balanced representations of sex. The show has what Balfe refers to as “the best male feminist you could ever have at the head of a show” in the form of executive producer Ronald D. Moore. “In my first ever conversation with Ron he was very adamant that the sex and the violence was never going to be gratuitous, that it would only be present if it was necessary to tell a certain part of the story of this couple,” she says.

Women account for half of the Outlander writers’ room and female directors are the norm. “It’s always been important for us to keep that balance,” Balfe says. She says Gabaldon’s source material has also enabled the characters, regardless of their sex, to be developed beyond surface level concerns. “It’s a great thing about our show: yes, we have a central female character, but the male characters are just as well written and as complex as Claire,” she says. “I think you can get the converse on some shows where it’s a central male character, the female characters are just so thinly drawn and you don’t get a balanced view of relationships. It’s something that I’m very proud of”.

So what does the future hold for Balfe? A third season of Outlander is likely, but not yet confirmed. (Moore recently revealed on Twitter: “Nothing official yet but I’m very, very optimistic and we’re actively starting to plan.”)

Balfe is reluctant to discuss potential upcoming projects but says she is keen on challenging roles. She is also happy to rule out a return to the catwalk anytime soon.

“There’s just too much I still want to try. I would love to do theatre and I would love to ­direct and produce at some point,” she says. “For me it’s about having a long career, keeping myself interested and hopefully continuing to be employable — that would be good.”

Money Monster opens nationally on Thursday. Outlander airs on SoHo, Sundays at 8.30pm.

                                                                   

By Emily Ritchie

The “Oppenheimer Blue" Diamond Sells For $57.6 million at Christie's


                                                                 


GENEVA - The “Oppenheimer Blue,” the largest and finest fancy vivid blue diamond ever offered at auction, sold for a world record 56.837 million Swiss francs ($57.6 million) on Wednesday after dramatic see-saw bidding, Christie's said.
“It's the most expensive jewel ever sold at auction,” Christie's spokeswoman Alexandra Kindermann told Reuters.
The rare rectangular-cut stone, which weighs 14.62 carats, previously belonged to Sir Philip Oppenheimer, who controlled the Diamond Syndicate in London. It had a pre-sale estimate of $38 million-$45 million.
The packed Geneva saleroom broke into applause as Rahul Kadakia, Christie's International Head of Jewellery, brought down the hammer after two phone bidders ended a 20-minute battle for the gem. The buyer's identity was not immediately known. ($1 = 0.9866 Swiss francs)
- See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/566815/lifestyle/blue-diamond-soars-to-world-record-57-6-million-at-christie-s#sthash.6PLnwDqt.dpuf
GENEVA - The “Oppenheimer Blue,” the largest and finest fancy vivid blue diamond ever offered at auction, sold for a world record 56.837 million Swiss francs ($57.6 million) on Wednesday after dramatic see-saw bidding, Christie's said.
“It's the most expensive jewel ever sold at auction,” Christie's spokeswoman Alexandra Kindermann told Reuters.
The rare rectangular-cut stone, which weighs 14.62 carats, previously belonged to Sir Philip Oppenheimer, who controlled the Diamond Syndicate in London. It had a pre-sale estimate of $38 million-$45 million.
The packed Geneva saleroom broke into applause as Rahul Kadakia, Christie's International Head of Jewellery, brought down the hammer after two phone bidders ended a 20-minute battle for the gem. The buyer's identity was not immediately known. ($1 = 0.9866 Swiss francs)
- See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/566815/lifestyle/blue-diamond-soars-to-world-record-57-6-million-at-christie-s#sthash.6PLnwDqt.dpuf
GENEVA - The “Oppenheimer Blue,” the largest and finest fancy vivid blue diamond ever offered at auction, sold for a world record 56.837 million Swiss francs ($57.6 million) on Wednesday after dramatic see-saw bidding, Christie's said.
“It's the most expensive jewel ever sold at auction,” Christie's spokeswoman Alexandra Kindermann told Reuters.
The rare rectangular-cut stone, which weighs 14.62 carats, previously belonged to Sir Philip Oppenheimer, who controlled the Diamond Syndicate in London. It had a pre-sale estimate of $38 million-$45 million.
The packed Geneva saleroom broke into applause as Rahul Kadakia, Christie's International Head of Jewellery, brought down the hammer after two phone bidders ended a 20-minute battle for the gem. The buyer's identity was not immediately known. ($1 = 0.9866 Swiss francs)
- See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/566815/lifestyle/blue-diamond-soars-to-world-record-57-6-million-at-christie-s#sthash.6PLnwDqt.dpuf




GENEVA - The “Oppenheimer Blue,” the largest and finest fancy vivid blue diamond ever offered at auction, sold for a world record 56.837 million Swiss francs ($57.6 million) on Wednesday after dramatic see-saw bidding, Christie's said.


“It's the most expensive jewel ever sold at auction,” Christie's spokeswoman Alexandra Kindermann told Reuters.


The rare rectangular-cut stone, which weighs 14.62 carats, previously belonged to Sir Philip Oppenheimer, who controlled the Diamond Syndicate in London. It had a pre-sale estimate of $38 million-$45 million.


The packed Geneva saleroom broke into applause as Rahul Kadakia, Christie's International Head of Jewellery, brought down the hammer after two phone bidders ended a 20-minute battle for the gem. The buyer's identity was not immediately known. ($1 = 0.9866 Swiss francs) 


With many thanks to Reuters
Picture credit: Sputnik News              




Padmanabhaswamy Temple Treasure: Worth $22 Billion 

The Most Expensive Coloured Diamonds in the World
  

"Pink Star" Diamond sells for record $89m

Elizabeth Taylor's famous pearl sells for $11.84m at NYC auction

Sotheby's to sell 400-year-old diamond - The Beau Sancy

Christie's To Auction 'Perfect' Diamond: Mined in Botswana

White diamond set to fetch record $39 million at Sotheby's auction

Archduke Joseph Gem To Fetch At Least $15m at Auction

Elizabeth Taylor Quotes

South Africa's Cullinan Mine Unearths 'Exceptional' 29.6-carat Blue Diamond 

Why Diamond Engagement Rings Are A Scam

Cartier Exhibition Features Pieces Once Owned By Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly 

The Bahia Emerald - The 400 Million Dollar Rock 

25 Things You Didn't Know About Jewelry

 The Royal Jewels

Argyle Diamonds: Pretty In Pink 

Up On Sale Pink Diamond Could Fetch $28 million

The Rare ‘Blue Moon’ Diamond Is All Set To Become The Most Expensive Jewel, When It Goes Up On Sale
 
‘Fascination’: Graff’s $40 Million Diamond Transformable Watch 

A Brand New Phase Of Carbon Has Been Discovered

World’s Second-Largest Diamond Found In Botswana


The Virgin Rainbow: World's Most Beautiful Opal

The World’s Priceless Treasures

Some Of The Rarest Jewels In The World

Pakistan Claims Koh-i-Noor Diamond

Australian Company Lucapa Finds Huge Diamond In Angola

Hermès Birkin Bag Sells For $US298,000

Argyle Violet Diamond Expected To Fetch Up To $4m At Auction

The Lesedi la Rona Diamond Could Fetch $US70m

Marilyn Monroe's Belongings Up For Auction

Ancient Gemstone Lapis Back In Fashion

Top Ten Lost Treasures of the World


Elizabeth Taylor's Bulgari Jewellery Goes On Show In Melbourne

The Foxfire Diamond