'Extraterrestrial crystal ball' hits the auction block at Christie's

[Admin]

Spectacular space rocks from Mars and the moon could fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars at a Christie's auction.

'Extraterrestrial crystal ball' hits the auction block at Christie's : Read more

 

[sam85geo]

I'm always amazed at what amounts of hard earned money people will pay at an auction for items that other people will throw out in the trash or put into antique/pawn shops. Touching the human psyche and experience renders an item a collectable. That can and does change with time and taste. What doesn't change is the cold reality behind such items. E.G.: A rock from the Moon is still a rock; it's how that rock got to Earth that's wonderous. By the same concept, a cut and polish diamond which long ago was produced in a volcano with many, many others has economic value based upon emotional customs rather than intrinsic worth.

 

[COLGeek]

I'm always amazed at what amounts of hard earned money people will pay at an auction for items that other people will throw out in the trash or put into antique/pawn shops. Touching the human psyche and experience renders an item a collectable. That can and does change with time and taste. What doesn't change is the cold reality behind such items. E.G.: A rock from the Moon is still a rock; it's how that rock got to Earth that's wonderous. By the same concept, a cut and polish diamond which long ago was produced in a volcano with many, many others has economic value based upon emotional customs rather than intrinsic worth.

...and said diamond is still a rock.

 

[sam85geo]

Yep! A diamond still a rock, but perhaps a uniquely special rock. Since I've only had 3 cups of coffee, I'm in my semi-hyper state, so I forgot to add that in mostly western cultures, a cut and polished diamond, irrespective of caret, at least initially, is the reason that a lot of us are here to read the entries.