East Coastmas, Pt. 3

Some frames from NYC.

Shot in Chinatown after getting cheap, delicious dumplings with Claire.

I've been going texture crazy. Not much to say about these.




On the other hand, I have a lot to say about the gemstones exhibit at the Museum of Natural History.

I collected gems and minerals as a kid, and can still tell you the Mohs scale hardness of quite of few of them. Jade was always one of my favorite semiprecious stones (it ranges in hardness depending on the variety, but is in the neighborhood of 6.5) because of the sheer variety of color and pattern. These sculptures are unbelievably ornate and beautiful.

This is the largest star sapphire in the world, about the size of an egg. JP Morgan himself gifted it to the museum, one of his few redeeming acts in my opinion.

I discovered this exhibit only a half hour before the museum closed, and will definitely return. I'm pretty sure I was the only one there with tears of unadulterated awe streaming down my face. No shame. I felt incredibly fortunate to be alive and in the presence of the most amazing collection of natural beauty. I really, really want to go back. It got me thinking about Sebastiao Salgado's photos of miners, and the human suffering that no doubt resulted from the acquisition of these marvelous specimens. There is a flip-side to the beauty... avarice. Perhaps I can explore this concept in greater depth. Anyone want to buy me a ticket to Sri Lanka?