TIDBITS 02/24/08

1-Lest you think jewelers in general can not rise above their craft ... I pose you this query. Otto Rohwedder was a jeweler. What was it he invented?

2-How large is the largest diamond in the universe?

And now ... on to insects. Why do we wear them as jewelry? Are they truly so intrinsic a part of our lives that we need to let them rest in auric splendor upon our collective bosoms? Let me tell you this ... let me bring it to your consciousness ... they live inexorably within us with greater prominence than most would suspect. In cartoons ... ever hear of a little tyke called Jiminy Cricket? Music you ask? How about Flight of the Bumblebee? Classical literature ... Kafka's Metamorphosis anyone? Science Fiction anyone? How about The Fly? Deification you ask? How about the Egyptian Scarab? The ancient Greek cult of Artemis worshipped the bee. Are you industrious ... as is an ant perhaps? Does the butterfly remind you of love ... and is it also a symbol of sleep?

The Blackfeet believed the butterfly brought us our dreams. The Navajo believed in a bisexual god named Begochidi who was a leader of the butterfly people and served the sexual needs of both male and female Lepidoptera.

The answer to question number 1: Born and died from 1880-1960, Otto Rohwedder invented sliced bread. Look him up. Don't tell me jewelers ain't useful. This man understood the order of the importance of things.

So--to digress back--here's this insect without a description ... formed in the 19th century as a gold and gem-set lapel watch with diamond and ruby wings and ruby cabochon eyes hanging from a triple chain tidied up with a bow at the end. It was worth around $12000 in

1993. I can not imagine what it is worth today what with inflation and all. You want to see it?

But first ... the answer to question number 2: The largest diamond in the universe 10 billion trillion trillion carats. It was discovered in 2004. It is 50 light years away in the constellation Cetaurus and it is 2600 miles across. How would you like to make a mounting for that little baby? Platinum of course. Nothing but the best for the biggest ... eh wot?

For those of you who are new to this thing called Tidbits...may I direct you to my home page at

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where you will scroll down the left side menu till you get to the area that says Current Tidbits ... and then click on it in order to view a Gold and Gem-Set Lapel Watch

And there ya have it. That's it for this week folks. Catch you all next week. Benjamin Mark