The Diamond Skull

3rd Eye · Post by **3rd Eye** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:01 am

Looking for an interesting Artifact?

Perhaps you'd like something to use as a piece of treasure, at the end of a tough adventure?

How about a skull covered in diamonds, worth 50 million?

That's 50 MILLION British pounds, friends. A little bit over USD $100,000,000. That certainly qualifies as an Artifact, yes?

Toss in a few powers (and maybe a curse), and you've got yourself a priceless Artifact.

Read the BBC article.

Or the ABC article.

DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:06 am

The demi-lich Acererack decided to bling it up...

Turanil · Post by **Turanil** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:17 pm

Quote:
"British artist Damien Hirst's latest work of art has sold for $100 million to an unnamed investment group and Hirst will reportedly get paid in cash."

What was the name of that criminal organization in James Bond movies?...

Quote:
"British artist Damien Hirst's latest work of art has sold for $100 million . Hirst financed the project himself, and estimates it cost between 10 and 15 million."

Hum, time for me to change of job... Maybe I could try to cover a buffalo skull in gold as my first piece?
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imweasel · Post by **imweasel** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:23 pm

Turanil wrote:
What was the name of that criminal organization in James Bond movies?...

S.P.E.C.T.R.E.

SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion

Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:51 pm

OMG now that is an idea....*scribble scribble scribble*

New artifact!!!!
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Maliki · Post by **Maliki** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:49 pm

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3rd Eye · Post by **3rd Eye** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:24 am

I found this line in the BBC article particularly amusing:

Quote:
BBC:

The 12m-worth of diamonds are said to be ethically sourced.

They tell us this because diamonds are often mined in dangerous conditions by underpaid and exploited miners from humid little 3rd World Countries (often Africans); and they want us to know that even though Damien Hirst is a ghoulish weirdo who makes creepy objects out of parts of dead animals and people and calls them "art" he is nevertheless a socially-progressive, politically-correct and conscientious ghoulish weirdo, who certainly would never contribute to anyone's exploitation

well, anyone except that one poor dead guy, whose skull has now been covered in diamonds and turned into a friggin' museum piece (that's almost certainly cursed), completely against his will and without so much as a 'By your leave.'

But it's nice to know that the diamonds are "ethically sourced" and I guess the human SKULL just doesn't matter. Nice standards, eh?

By the way, the articles say there are 8,601 individual diamonds on that skull. Presumably, the "1" on the end of that number is that big sucker in the middle of the forehead and there appear to be 14 (?) medium-size gems around that one, so that means 8586 of those small ones.

I'd really like to know who that "unnamed investment group" was representing. What kind of person (or group of people) has 50,000,000 laying around, and can afford to just throw it away on a human skull covered in diamonds? How rich must they be, that this macabre and ghoulish thing seemed worth the price tag?

And what are they going to DO with it?

cleaverthepit · Post by **cleaverthepit** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:16 pm

Quote:
But it's nice to know that the diamonds are "ethically sourced" and I guess the human SKULL just doesn't matter.

Nice catch. I didn't notice that when I read the article.

imweasel · Post by **imweasel** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 9:21 pm

The skull is not a human skull, but a platinum skull made from a cast of a real human skull.
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Gleemax Jr · Post by **Gleemax Jr** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 9:35 pm

It was Gleemax. He needs a place to rest, after a hard day's work. This is where the funds from subscribing to the Insider go, don't you know?

gideon_thorne · Post by **gideon_thorne** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 9:47 pm

Quote:
Toss in a few powers (and maybe a curse), and you've got yourself a priceless Artifact.

Or one hell of a nutcracker.
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Turanil · Post by **Turanil** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:25 pm

3rd Eye wrote:
I'd really like to know who that "unnamed investment group" was representing. What kind of person (or group of people) has 50,000,000 laying around, and can afford to just throw it away on a human skull covered in diamonds? How rich must they be, that this macabre and ghoulish thing seemed worth the price tag?

I would like to point out this: Hirst sold the skull at twice its base material value (if I understood well). But Hirst isn't Van Gogh, don't tell me about art when you just cover an item with diamonds. Imagine that Hirst had covered an item with glass beads: nobody would ever notice, as artistically speaking there would be almost nothing in it. So it's probably because of the association: a skull, which is a symbol of death, covered in diamonds, a symbol of wealth. Now, who would waste 50 millions of dollars for such a symbol? (Since intrinsically it has little artistic value, and no more than half its selling price is worth its weigh in diamonds and platinum). It says "unnamed financial investment group". Rich people who reveal in making money from dealing death (pollution, selling arms, whatever)?? Rich people who fancy themselves being the SPECTRE organization?

Just my 2 cents (worth of plastic and glass beads)...
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gideon_thorne · Post by **gideon_thorne** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:56 pm

3rd Eye wrote:
I'd really like to know who that "unnamed investment group" was representing. What kind of person (or group of people) has 50,000,000 laying around, and can afford to just throw it away on a human skull covered in diamonds? How rich must they be, that this macabre and ghoulish thing seemed worth the price tag?

People looking for a tax writeoff/dodge/shelter. Any number of organizations can qualify for that.
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RakintheBlue · Post by **RakintheBlue** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:13 pm

I've been staring at that picture too long, I have this urge now to hurt my closest friends.

I'm calling cursed!

DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:21 pm

I'm still envisioning a Disco Demi-lich with abilities like....

Boogie Knight: 3 times per day the demi-lich can cause its skull to rise in the air and project hundreds of small circular lights around the room while twirling slowly in the air. All characters witnessing this effect get the irresistable urge to place one hand on their hip while thrusting their other hand repeatedly into the air for 1d4 + 1 rounds. This dance worsens their AC by -4 and negates the use of a shield.

DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:28 pm

Yet another adventurer falls before the awful might of the demi-lich Snizzleblix, Dread Lord of the Dance

3rd Eye · Post by **3rd Eye** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 1:46 am

cleaverthepit wrote:
Nice catch. I didn't notice that when I read the article.

After reading imweasel's post, I did some more Googling for other articles about the Diamond Skull, and I discovered that imweasel is correct: Damien Hirst did in fact purchase a genuine human skull in an unspecified shop in North London (and there's a whole side story right there) but the Diamond Skull does not contain the original skull, only a platinum replica cast from it.

That detail wasn't mentioned by the BBC.

In fact, the BBC article certainly appears to suggest the exact opposite

Quote:
BBC:
The 18th Century skull is entirely covered in 8,601 jewels

which makes it all the more amusing that they made a point of assuring their readers that the diamonds were "ethically sourced," while not even paying the skull enough attention to get the friggin' details straight. Hypocritical value system and journalistic sloppiness, all in one. That's the Fourth Estate for you.

ssfsx17 · Post by **ssfsx17** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 1:54 am

Well, people who died as a result of the want for diamonds have died a lot more recently than people who died as a result of the want for skulls. Mainly, it's just journalistic short-term-memory at work.

Tadhg · Post by **Tadhg** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 2:09 am

Hmm, weird. This creeps me out way more than a regular skull, which I've seen and handled.
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3rd Eye · Post by **3rd Eye** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 2:18 am

ssfsx17 wrote:
Well, people who died as a result of the want for diamonds have died a lot more recently than people who died as a result of the want for skulls. Mainly, it's just journalistic short-term-memory at work.

You're right, ssfsx17, and I know that most journalists (including those at the BBC) aren't inherently evil, so much as woefully ignorant.

But it really irks me when I see the Press make complete whores of themselves, trying ineptly to feign the appropriate level of righteous indignation over the latest cause celebre. That's why that note about the diamonds being "ethically sourced" caught my eye, as did the absence of any similar notes about the skull. It disgusts me to see exactly how shallow, crass, and market-driven their alleged "Journalistic Integrity" is and how pathetically blind the Press are to their own hypocrisy.

It's something I like to keep in mind whenever I listen to the Press express their ill-informed opinions on many other subjects, too but I shall diplomatically refrain from pointing out any of the obvious examples.

cleaverthepit · Post by **cleaverthepit** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 2:44 am

ethically sourced diamonds
sure

the entire industry is unethical

then to place them on a skull - a replica none-the-less. as if, somehow, casting someones skull and using it is any better. its seems worse.

then selling it

then publicizing it

then justifying it

i don't know where to begini

Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 2:48 am

cleaverthepit wrote:
ethically sourced diamonds
sure

the entire industry is unethical

then to place them on a skull - a replica none-the-less. as if, somehow, casting someones skull and using it is any better. its seems worse.

then selling it

then publicizing it

then justifying it

i don't know where to begini

the biggest reason I stay away from diamonds is they are the most artificially inflated gemstone in the world. I would rather buy Alexandrite's, Rubies, and Spinel. Those are far rarer than diamond.

Don't believe it? Then why does everyone who wants one have one?

Can't say the same about Alexandrite, Good Ruby, or Spinel. Those are rare in comparison to diamond.

The biggest crime in the diamond industry is how much they make people pay for them. They should only be, based on their actual "rarity", about $15 to $20 per carat. Not $5,000.00 or more.
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