Alternative Assets | wealthymatters

Nirav Modi’s Jewellery Advice

February 15, 2013 2 Comments

Nirav Modi’s Golconda necklace and coloured diamond ear pendants that was auctioned by Christie’s for 16 Crores

1)Where you get your diamonds certified is a big a deal as most labs have varying standards. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), with its stringent standards is recommended by NiravModi.

2) Diamonds are an excellent way to store wealth. They don’t leave a messy paper trail, and government permissions aren’t so stringent. Also, according to Nirav, diamonds that weigh 3-carats and more appreciate very well. Prices will double every 10 years.This has been noticed over an 80-90 year period.

3) Given the current dismal economic climate, investing in diamonds, especially coloured diamonds like pink diamonds, might be a good idea. These precious stones have been consistently out-performing gold, silver and shares in the recent past.

4) The blue Tanzanite stone, found only in Tanzania, is a great alternative to the ‘cursed’ sapphire.

5) Basra pearls are no longer available because of the situation in Iraq. So any Basra pearl necklace should immediately becomes a rare heirloom and treated with care.

Filed under Alternative Assets, Tool Kit Tagged with Basra Pearls, Christie's jewellery auction, Diamonds, Golconda, investing in 3 carat diamonds, investing in coloured diamonds, investing in diamonds, investing in gemstones, pink diamonds, postaday, Tanzanite alternative to Blue Sapphire, The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Certification

Agricultural Insurance Company Of India Limited

February 10, 2013 Leave a comment

wealthymatters

Freak weather incidents are becoming increasingly frequent .This makes farming more risky nowadays.Add to that,modern farming is more capital intensive.So it makes sense to protect one’s investment with crop/weather insurance.

IFFCO-Tokio’s weather insurance is better publicized.But there is one other private alternative: ICICI-Lombard’s Weather Insurance.However the lion’s share of the covers are provided by the Agricultural Insurance Company Of India (AIC).

AIC was incorporated on 20 December 2002 with an authorised capital of Rs. 1500 crore. The initial paid-up capital was Rs. 200 crores, which was subscribed by the promoting companies, General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC) (35%), NABARD (30%) and the four public-sector general insurance companies (8.75% each), viz., National Insurance Co. Ltd., Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd., New India Assurance Co. Ltd., and United India Insurance Co. Ltd. AIC is under the administrative control of Ministry of Finance, Government of India, and under the operational supervision of Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. Read more of this post

Filed under Alternative Assets, Entrepreneurship, Paper Assets, Tool Kit Tagged with agricultural insurance, Agricultural Insurance Company Of India (AIC), crop insurance, General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC), ICICI-Lombard's Weather Insurance, IFFCO-Tokio's Barish Bima, Insurance, IRDA, NABARD, National Agricultural Insurance Scheme, National Insurance Co. Ltd, New India Assurance Co. Ltd, Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd, postaday, public-sector general insurance companies, United India Insurance Co. Ltd, WBCIS - Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme, weather insurance

Pablo Picasso’s Painting Of Marie-Therese Walter

February 6, 2013 1 Comment

wealthymatters

A canvas by Pablo Picasso called ‘Femme Assise Pres d’une Fenetre ,translated-‘Woman Sitting Near a Window’ went under the hammer, in London, yesterday evening. at Sotheby’s ‘Impressionist and Modern Art sale’ and sold for £28,601,250. i.e. 45.76 million dollars.The original estimated cost of the painting, dated 1932 and depicting the artist’s muse, Marie-Therese Walter, had been between £25 million and £35 million.

Marie-Therese fascinates collectors because of her profound influence over Picasso.They embarked on a passionate affair in 1927 after meeting in Paris when Marie-Thérèse was 17 and Picasso was 45 and still living with his first wife, Olga Khokhlova. Their love affair is among the most compelling in 20th century art history.She became the subject of many of his most admired paintings and so the primary emblem of love, sex and desire in 20th century art.Marie-Thérèse bore him a daughter, Maya, in 1935. But their relationship ended later that year when Picasso began an affair with Dora Maar, a surrealist photographer and artist. Read more of this post

Filed under Alternative Assets, Tidbits Tagged with Bust, collecting art, Cubist, Dora Maar, Femme Assise Pres d'une Fenetre, Galerie Georges Petit in Paris, golden muse, Green Leaves, investing in art, Kunsthaus in Zurich, La Lecture, Marie-Therese Walter, Nature Morte aux Tulipes, Nude, Olga Khokhlova, Pablo Picasso, Pablo Picasso Art, Pablo Picasso's Paintings, postaday, Sotheby’s 'Impressionist and Modern Art sale', Surrealist, Woman Sitting Near a Window

Poor Trillionaires

February 1, 2013 7 Comments

Wealthymatters On the left is a complete set of bank notes from Zimbabwe ranging in value from a single Zimbabwean Dollar to 100 Trillion Zimbabwean Dollars.

Zimbabwe’s economy went into free-fall at the turn of the millennium, after President Robert Mugabe began seizing white-owned farms. The move demolished investor confidence, paralyzed production, prompted sanctions and scared off tourists.Since then, in the intervening dozen years or so,the country suffered hyper-inflation of 231 million per cent.This series of bank notes is now abandoned and replaced by foreign currencies in Zimbabwe.However they are hot collectibles for bank note collectors the world over. Read more of this post