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Jadeite Becomes the Most Expensive Mineral Worldwide

A March 2023 Money Inc. article reported that the mineral jadeite became the most expensive worldwide. Jadeite, which comes from the gemstone jade, costs $3 million per carat. A rare and beautiful mineral, Jadeite is very expensive for several reasons.

Myanmar, the largest source of Jadeite, produces 70 percent to 90 percent of the total, according to an August 2022 Financial Times article. However, Kazakhstan, Russia, Guatemala, Japan, and the United States, specifically California, also have sources of this mineral.

In ancient times, Jadeite designated power and rank worn by imperial families and of healing and knowledge. The Chinese wore Jadeite to ward off evil spirits and treat ailments. The stone handles high temperatures without splitting or breaking, making it useful in crafting pendants, figurines, and earrings.

The high price of Jadeite relates to its unique properties, particularly its exceptional durability. The interlocking crystals and chemical structure make it harder than most other stones and resistant to scratches. This strength allows a higher polish, further enhancing its value.

Moreover, the variety of colors adds to its value, including translucent imperial green, characterized by its emerald green color and transparency. At one time in China, the imperial court held a standing order of imperial jade. Today, this version of Jadeite is the costliest. Kingfisher jade is less rich than imperial jade, another highly valued gemstone from Jadeite.

Other highly sought-after colors are the apple jade, which contains yellowish-green colors, and the moss-in-snow jade, which has striations of green within the translucent white stone. The gemstone often comes in shades of green, from greenish-white to white with green spots. It may also be white, blue, lavender, reddish, orange, pink, black, or orange, and the more intense the jadeite color, the higher its value.

Jadeite is also a valuable mineral because it is translucent, owing to the chromium in the mineral. This substance creates the glowing, illustrious appearance of the stone. The highest-quality jadeite stones come from northern Myanmar and are very translucent, making the stone appear as if it is glowing. These pieces differ from Jadeite of lesser value in that the latter has cloudy, opaque patches or is entirely opaque. Jadeite has a smooth, even texture and comes in fine, medium, and coarse crystal grain sizes. Incidentally, the same crystal structure contributes to its smoothness.

All these attributes contribute to the rarity of Jadeite, with the finest quality commanding the highest prices. Jadeite production has decreased in China and other parts of Asia, but the demand has not, causing prices to spike.

The rarity made it an attractive investment to Chinese investment during COVID-19. Investors held onto their capital. Therefore, they had much to invest, according to an August 2022 Financial Times article. Investors chose Jadeite to diversify their portfolios. During COVID-19, high-quality jadeite jewelry became the investment choice for wealthy Chinese who wanted assets they could hold onto without relying on financial institutions.

With the increasing demand for the gem, the market saw marked price increases. Furthermore, the production of Jadeite is decreasing, which adds pressure to an already tight market.

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Places to Visit in the Middle East for International Travelers

The Middle East boasts a natural allure, with paradisiacal cities and vibrant communities that captivate travelers worldwide. For international adventurers, one must-visit destination in the Middle East is Doha. It is fast becoming a popular travel destination, attracting several expats and tourists with its charming and quaint essence.

Visitors to Doha can marvel at its modern skyline, explore captivating museums and mosques, relax on pristine beaches, and indulge in other attractions. Doha seamlessly blends modernity with tradition, offering an unforgettable holiday experience.

Amadiya is another location in the Middle East that beckons travelers. Nestled atop a flat-topped mountain, this picturesque village boasts a rich history, being renowned as the reputed home of the three wise men who journeyed to Bethlehem bearing gifts for the newborn Jesus Christ. International visitors flock to Amadiya to explore its ancient ruins from the Assyrian era, visit the remnants of a synagogue, pay homage to the tomb of Ezekiel, and more.

Dubai stands out as a premier travel destination in the Middle East, often lauded for its breathtaking sights. With iconic landmarks like the towering Burj Khalifa, the bustling Dubai Creek, the mesmerizing Dubai Fountain, and others, the city boasts awe-inspiring architecture and infrastructure. International travelers to Dubai can also embark on exhilarating desert safaris, adding an adventurous twist to their Middle Eastern experience.

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https://joelbartsch.medium.com/ar-technology-bringing-new-life-to-museums-b0e2ec4ae8f3

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Navigating a Career in Museum Management

Museums are essential in preserving and exhibiting art, history, and culture. A lot goes into managing a museum, from setup to the management of exhibitions. The management of a museum is responsible for the planning, coordinating, and implementing all that goes on and must work to ensure that events and exhibitions are presented in a way that both resonates with and educates visitors. To effectively manage a museum, individuals should be equipped with a specific set of skills and expertise.

To be hired in a museum, it is best to have a master's degree in an area such as museum studies, history, strategic studies, or even business. It is also important to have a firm understanding of the history, management, and various practices of museums.

When pursuing a career in this area, the importance of experience cannot be overemphasized. Many entry-level jobs in museums require a few years of experience in volunteer or internship positions. This is a basic requirement to ensure the individual has experience in museum management or another related field, such as marketing, event planning, or brand management.

Knowing how to network can be very beneficial in museum management, as it can bring about great opportunities, such as donations, sponsors for exhibitions, and fruitful relationships for the museum. Therefore, it is advisable for museum management employees to actively attend seminars, conferences, and workshops that foster strategic networking. Aeveral professional organizations support professionals in this field, such as the American Alliance of Museums, the American Association for State and Local History, and the American Institute for Conservation. These organizations can be valuable sources of information, professional development, and networking opportunities.

Many museums have a flexible mode of operation, so it is important for management staff to be flexible and know how to adapt. Museums change to meet the ongoing needs, vision, and desires of their visitors, stakeholders, and community. To ensure that a museum continues to grow and thrive, one must be willing to embrace change and adapt with the situation.

Excellent communication skills are also important in museum management. One must communicate effectively in order to network, collaborate with the museum team, and engage with potential buyers, sponsors, and stakeholders. This can help in achieving the goals of the museum, its management team, and its stakeholders.

As in any career, passion and commitment goes a long way. For individuals in museum management, understanding the dynamics of a museum and its role in preserving culture and history can lead to a fulfilling career, high morale, and productivity.

It is also important to have strong leadership skills. This is especially true when there is a need to motivate, inspire, communicate, and make decisions that help move the museum forward. Strong leadership skills are also needed to create a positive work culture that fosters creativity, innovation, and teamwork. A museum's management staff should strive to create an environment where other staff members feel supported, valued, and empowered to contribute to the museum's success.

A career in museum management can be both rewarding and challenging. It requires a solid dedication to the museum's objectives and mission. Professionals who work in museums are essential to the preservation and presentation of collective cultural heritage, as well as the advancement of the comprehension of art, culture, history, and science. 

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The Role and Significance of the Museum Today

A museum ensures people know more about themselves and the world around them. The museum helps document and preserve critical materials and events that guide understanding current socioeconomic and cultural issues. The importance of museums cannot be overemphasized because it helps to put the present into context while having a good picture of the future.

Museums are responsible for collecting, keeping artifacts safe, and ensuring their accessibility. Museums collect artifacts to assist in the understanding of or to help tell a story about a subject. The collection might involve acquiring a random sample of a certain painting style or a thorough catalog of papers relating to a particular era.

While preservation involves keeping materials or artifacts for subsequent generations, museums preserve artifacts in climate-controlled spaces with limited or no access. Accessibility involves encouraging the present generation to use the information and knowledge in the museum for their instruction and pleasure.

The history of humanity may be viewed at museums and galleries. And although no museum may profess to give a full perspective, the insights you can draw from historical occurrences and catastrophes are inestimably valuable when you visit a museum.

Consequently, museums must teach and instruct, whether through intellectual exertion or merely holding up previous errors as proof of where such behavior might very well lead. These days, it's difficult to overlook the rising conflicts between countries, political groups, and other cultural identities. It appears that differences in class, race, and gender are widening rather than closing. Museums are valuable instruments to help people realize the importance of unity, ultimately building bridges of reconciliation.

Museums bring people together locally as well as socially, and politically. Local museums serve as an excellent resource for learning about a certain region's history while fostering peace and togetherness.

Museums serve as a pleasant reminder of the accomplishments and major discoveries closer to home, connecting people together as technology and digitalization cause people to become more and more globally connected.

To enlighten the public, museums organize open events, seminars, and lectures that help unite people physically. They often collaborate with nonprofits and community organizations to investigate and respond to initiatives.

Research has been at the core of humans' major scientific and cultural advancements. Therefore, museums serve as research hubs beyond merely displaying artifacts and monuments. This underscores the museum's dual function, which includes education and preservation. This explains why thousands of researchers, scientists, and students visit museums yearly.

In the United States, museums play a big role in tourism. Many millions of tourists, both local and foreign, come to see historical materials. They captivate tourists with items that tell the stories of the globe and provide a feeling of the location while showcasing the finest of the country's heritage and arts to the most diverse audiences.

Further, visitors to museums contribute to the local economy through their purchases. The economy benefits from museums. Hence, it's critical that artifacts continue to provide visitors with a worthwhile experience and value for their money. This calls for the proper maintenance and upkeep of museums.

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Unique Venues at the Houston Museum of Natural Science

Established in 1909, the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) is one of the best attended museums in the United States and one of the most popular attractions in Houston. HMNS at Hermann Park consists of five stories of permanent exhibits and rotating special events. The museum also manages a number of additional venues on site, including the Burke Baker Planetarium, the Cockrell Butterfly Center, and the Wortham Giant Screen Theatre.

The museum’s Burke Baker Planetarium opened to the public in 1964, and has since provided millions of visitors and field trip participants with a variety of astronomical programming. The planetarium has been updated several times over the decades, and now operates off the premier Digistar 6 digital planetarium software and projection system. Digistar 6 allows museum patrons to explore a multitude of cosmic settings, from planetary surfaces to asteroid fields. The Burke Baker Planetarium also hosts special events, such as high definition screenings of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, and joint projects with other museum departments, including the Death of the Dinosaurs show.

The Cockrell Butterfly Center and Brown Hall of Entomology, meanwhile, make up one of the most interactive and visually stunning venues at HMNS. Children and families can walk through a living butterfly habitat, as well as an archive of preserved specimens, consisting of some of the largest and most interesting arthropods on the planet. As an educational resource for children, the center also features a number of puzzles and quizzes. From 2022 to 2023 the Cockrell Butterfly Center was temporarily closed to complete a number of renovations and improvements. New additions range from a three-story glass dome built over a 50-foot waterfall, designed to recreate a tropical rainforest environment, to the Cockrell Butterfly Center Flight School.

Finally, the Wortham Giant Screen Theatre became the first ever IMAX theater in the city of Houston when it opened it 1989. Over 16 million individuals have seen a movie or educational film at the 4K, high-dynamic-range screen. The screen measures 60 feet tall and 80 feet wide, and the stunning visual experience is supported by the latest in six-track sound system technology. Films screened at the Wortham Giant Screen Theatre address a myriad of historical and scientific subjects, including what the continent of Antarctica looked like during the time of the dinosaurs and the story of the Great Barrier Reef.

In addition to these venues at Hermann Park, HMNS operates the George Observatory and HMNS at Sugar Land. A collaboration between HMNS and Brazos Bend State Park, the George Observatory welcomes stargazers every Saturday night. Star-gazing options at the observatory include a range of deck and dome telescopes, live camera feeds, constellation laser tours, and a staff of amateur astronomers happy to guide newcomers through their first observatory visit. Individuals interested in a trip to the George Observatory should visit hmns.org for more information, as space and telescope access is limited.

HMNS at Sugar Land hosts a series of educational, interactive classes and exhibits for children and families, as well as special events and permanent exhibits. The venue has extensive experience running student labs and field trips with local schools. HMNS at Sugar Land is open all day from Thursday through Saturday.

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Kremlin Gold: 1000 Years of Russian Gems and Jewels

A mineralogist with over 40 years of experience curating and holding leadership positions at museums, Joel A. Bartsch has served as the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s (HMNS’s) president and CEO since 2004. To spread knowledge of rare specimen collections to wider audiences, Joel Bartsch publishes books and brochures, like Kremlin Gold: 1000 Years of Russian Gems (Kremlin Gold).

Kremlin Gold was published in 2,000 to accompany two exhibits of the same name. The first ran at the HMNS between April 15, 2000, and September 4, 2000, while the second occurred at the Field Museum in Chicago, from October 21, 2000, to March 30, 2001. Kremlin Gold displays pieces initially stored in the Moscow-Kremlin State Armoury Museum. Spanning about 1,000 years of history, the works encompass natural and manmade objects comprised of gold and many rare jewels that were seldom shown in any exhibitions, within or outside Russia.

Bartsch curated the 120 pieces in collaboration with Irina Rodimtseva, director of The State Historical-Cultural Preserve, Moscow Kremlin. H.N. Abrams published Kremlin Gold in April 2000.

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George Observatory at the Houston Museum of Natural Science

Joel A. Bartsch has worked for several museums across the United States. In 2004, Joel Bartsch became the president and CEO of the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) in Texas.

In 1909, the Houston Museum and Scientific Society established HMNS based on the belief that science could enhance human life. Today, over 1.5 million people visit the museum annually to see its artworks, exhibits, and side attractions, such as George Observatory.

George Observatory opened in 1989, but HMNS took possession and closed it for renovations in 2009. In 2021, HNMS reopened the stargazing center and maintains it as a satellite facility.

George Observatory houses three domed telescopes, including the Gueymard Research Telescope, one of the largest in the United States. Through this telescope, visitors can see the Milky Way, Jupiter’s cloud belts, and many other astronomical objects.

The observatory has astronomers who guide visitors on a constellation laser tour. When the skies are too cloudy for stargazing, visitors can enjoy a display of photographs recorded by Astrophotographers and listen to experts talk about space.

Students can visit the Challenger Learning Center, which houses a simulation of the Challenger where students can imagine they are scientists and engineers on space missions.

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A Brief Description of the Emirates’ Culture

In the eastern section of the Arabian Peninsula, you will find the United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven emirates: Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, Ajman, Umm Al-Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Abu Dhabi, the capital city and wealthiest of all emirates. In 2019, the United Arab Emirates recorded 25.28 million tourist visits, amassing $38.41 billion. There are several reasons to visit the Emirates; one is to explore their way of life as Arabs.

Language is a crucial aspect of culture. Though the official language of the UAE is Arabic, their courts permit Russian, Chinese, French, Russian, Hindi, and English, the most spoken language in the federation. Besides English, other widely recognized dialects include Farsi, Bengali, Urdu, Malayalam, and Turkish.

Nevertheless, as a tourist, it is usual to hear phrases such as “Salaamu aleikum,” which translates to “ Peace be unto you.” It shows hospitality; the response will be “ Wa aleikum a-salaam,” which means you also wish them peace. However, Arab hosts typically show hospitality when they say “Ahlan wa sahlah,” which means “welcome.”

Concerning religious beliefs, Islam is the official and predominant religion of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Research by the CIA World Factbook shows that UAE comprises 76 percent Muslims and about 9 percent Christians. Meanwhile, the remaining 15 percent were people of other religious beliefs like Hinduism and Buddhism.

Islam has five foundational pillars: charity, pilgrimage, fasting, the profession of faith, and prayer. Muslims pray in open spaces, so it is not unusual to see such occurring in the UAE. They also have important festivals, one being Ramadan which involves one month of fasting. To honor the period, Muslims refrain from smoking or feasting from after sunrise up until sunset.

So, when visiting the UAE during Ramadan, it would be best to respect their culture by not eating or smoking in public. And you can also extend the traditional Ramadan greeting to people around you—” Ramadan Kareem.” In addition, family is everything in Arabic culture, and this is evident during Ramadan since families break their fast by eating a meal called iftar. So, you can attend an iftar to learn more about family life.

Culture is non-existent without food. A few popular cuisines in the UAE include shawarma, stuffed camel, Al Machboos, Ghuzi, Mehalbiya Dish, and Hummus. Hygiene is also necessary since eating from hand to mouth is an essential custom in Muslim countries, including the UAE. So, in Arab homes, the food may be served without utensils.

Once that happens, it would help to wash your hands thoroughly and combine your index, middle, and thumb to form a scoop. However, avoid eating with your left hand since custom regards it as filthy. Though not compulsory, when you leave tiny food portions after eating, it symbolizes politeness.

Next, the Muslim culture despises pork consumption. But the UAE permits regulated pork sales in Dubai supermarkets due to the number of international visits. Generally, in the Middle East, communal eating is predominant since they believe it is among the ways to express friendship. When you enter an Arab’s home, they will offer you coffee or tea as hosts. It would be best to accept the offer to show respect.