Thursday 22 September 2011

world most expensive pen

10. CREW 60TH White Gold – Tibaldi fountain pens
Price: $43,000

TIBALDI Pens CREW 60TH are a landmark in pen making history with Bentley, the automobile giant creating its own handcrafted pen sets in association with the world’s best Italian luxury designer pen maker, Tibaldi.

These expensive Tibaldi for Bentley pens have a two-tone 18-carat yellow gold nib covered in rhodium and ruthenium. The pen’s barrel has the fine finish identical to Bentley’s dashboard. This finish was first used in Bentley’s earliest car with a technique called engine tuming. The pen’s cap and upper and lower barrel parts are knurled for a good grip while writing for the executive. You can see the level of ink through the transparent window of the Tibaldi for Bentley pens. A handmade tie shaped clip on the pen marks Tibaldi’s signature.

The Tibaldi for Bentley Crewe 60th white gold fountain pen collection is a limited edition of 40 solid white gold fountain pens

9. Gaia High Luxury – Omas Fountain Pens
Price: $43,000


Gaia high Luxury fountain pens and rollerball pens by Omas are a glimpse into the dark and deep recesses of the earth. The impenetrable inner core of the earth has inspired wonder, curiosity and interest in man since creation. A miscellany of precious materials such as the white and yellow 18K gold, the Onyx, the Crystal rock, the hematite and the vegetal resin has been utilized into the making of this mystic model by Omas.

Gaia High Luxury fountain pens and rollerball pens are a presentation in the celebration of Jules Verne’s futuristic vision of the world. It also commemorates the one hundredth death anniversary. Depicting geographical wonders of the world, the pen absolutely differs from pens that reflect the classic essence of history. The dark grey color of the metal that it is made of, symbolizes the trip to the dark interior of the earth. The body of the pen from top to toe features the engraved images of gigantic spiders, carnivorous plants, and water beasts. The blend of fear and wonder in the engraving of these horrors makes this particular model different from a range of pen collections.

8. MARTE – Omas Fountain Pen
Price: $43,000
Omas Fountain Pen MARTE is part of the Viaggi dell’Uomo, Travel of Man, Masterpieces collection of custom design fountain pens, rollerball pens and pen sets. The Marte (Italian for Mars) is actually a map of Mars made from classic rose gold to represent the pink-red hue of the planet. Deserts, mountains and craters all feature on the barrel of this pen and four rubies mark the landing points of the Russian and American probes. The cap is encrusted with 2K of small diamonds reminiscent of the polar ice caps and the clip details astronomer Tycho Brahe’s Mural Quadrant. Even the rose gold nib is engraved with a representation of the Greek God Mars! There are just 30 of these fountain pens in circulation, so they are perfect for the pen collector to add to his expensive pen collections, or for the executive who enjoys writing with designer pens.

7. Visconti – The Forbidden City H.R.H. Fountain Pen
Price: $50,500.00
The Visconti brand is known for best quality, style and creativity. This distinguished Visconti pen is the Forbidden City H.R.H. Limited Edition fountain Pen. Made of black resin, 18K gold and diamonds and boasting of Power Filler innovative filling system invented by Visconti, it is sold for $50,500.00.

6. Visconti – Alchemy H.R.H. Fountain Pens
Price: $ 57,000
The beautifully handcrafted Alchemy HRH by Visconti is part of the HRH collection of handmade fountain pens and rollerball pens from this fine pen maker. This luxury pen, unlike other fountain pens, has two nibs, two ink reservoirs and is trimmed with two different metals � exquisite gold and silver vermeil. Both nibs are of the best 18K gold and come in different sizes to suit every writing style. Even those used to writing with rollerball pens will love using the Alchemy.

The body is made from a classic, rich, red resin and the gold and silver trim is decorated with expensive 4K diamonds and rubies. One cap has gold trim, the other silver, and these trims interlace to create a cosmic map with alchemic symbols – stunning!

5. Visconti – Ripple H.R.H. Fountain Pen
Price: $ 57,000
One of the most remarkable Visconti pens is Ripple H.R.H. Limited Edition fountain pen. Made of 18K white gold and diamonds and with two-tone 18K gold nib, it costs $57,000.00. It has double reservoir filling system and is sold in two variations – white gold and black.

4. Omas Phoenix Platinum – Fountain Pen Luxury Limited Edition with Diamonds
Price: $60,000
With overwhelming price tag of $60,000, this truncated cone shaped pen is a true embodiment of fact and fancy. Made with 950 platinum and yellow Enamel, with considerable length and diameter, 18K gold rhodiated engraving nib.

3. La Modernista Diamonds – Caran d’Ache
Price: $265,000
La Modernista Diamonds was made by the Swiss company Caran d’Ache in 1999 in homage to Antonio Gaudi (1852-1926), the most famous of Modernist architects. This amazing fountain pen was sold in Harrods, London, for $265,000, becoming the most expensive pen in GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS in 2001. La Modernista Diamonds is made of rhodium-coated solid silver components. It boasts of an 18-carat rhodium-coated gold nib and is set with a total of 5,072 Wesselton diamonds weighing in at 20-carats, as well as and 96 rubies totalling 32-carats. The pen was hand-made by master jeweler Robert Perron and it took him six months to complete this true masterpiece of writing instruments.

2. Mystery Masterpiece – Mont Blanc and Van Cleef & Arpels Limited Edition

Price: $730,000

To commemorate the centenary of these two renowned brands, Montblanc and Van Cleef & Arpels have collaborated on this fine, limited editions Mystery Masterpiece. Three individual editions, each set with either rubies, sapphires, or emeralds, will be crafted. Using the “Mystery Setting” technique for the gemstones, these intricate writing instruments are set to stun with their extravagant design, and equally-extravagant price: at US$730,000 each, they are truly a fitting homage to a century of each brands’ respective history.

1. Aurora Diamante fountain pen
Price: $1,470,600

The Aurora Diamante is the most expensive writing instrument till date. Only one is for sale per year. The Aurora Diamante contains over 30 carats of De Beers diamonds on a solid platinum barrel. It has a two-tone, rhodium-treated, 18KT solid gold nib and is personalized with a coat of arms, signature or portrait. Aurora Pens says it is the only over 30 carat pen in the world.






















Thursday 1 September 2011

Discoverer of X-Ray's


Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen: Discoverer of X-Rays



Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen was born on March 27, 1845, in Lennop, a small town in the Rhineland of Germany. His father was a wealthy textile merchant, his mother was a Dutch lady born in Appledoorn, Holland. During his boyhood years Wilhelm already had a passion for experiments, but above all he loved nature. In school he was not very successful, not so much because of his performance but because of his behavior. He had trouble with his teachers, resisting their authority which finally led to his dismissal. Wilhelm ended his school years without any certificate. Because he wanted to pursue an academic career, he had to find another way to achieve his goal. A friend suggested the newly established Poly-Technical Institute in Zurich, Switzerland. There, he applied himself and easily earned a degree in mechanical engineering. He did not know what he wanted to do with this degree, so for awhile he did nothing. He caroused with his friends. It was during this time that he met Berthe Anna Ludwig, who later became his wife.
He decided to continue with post-graduate studies with the encouragement of Dr. August Kuntz. By studying hard and concentrating on the task at hand, he was able to obtain a doctorate in physics with a thesis on gasses. When Dr. Kuntz accepted a position at the University of Wuerzburg, Germany, he persuaded Dr. Roentgen to go with him. In Wuerzburg he could not find work, so he tried his luck in two other cities. Eventually the Institute of Physics at the Wuerzburg University did offer him the coveted professorial chair, which he accepted, and in 1888 Professor Roentgen was elected Chancellor of the University. He taught during the day and spent many evenings experimenting in his lab.
On the evening of November 8, 1895, while experimenting with electric current flow, using a spark conductor, he generated high voltages in a partially evacuated glass tube. The tube began to glow. He noticed that crystals of barium platino cyanide scattered on the table began to give off light when the tube glowed. An experienced researcher, he knew he was on to something. Further tests showed that paper, wood, aluminum and some other materials were transparent to these strange rays. Even at a distance of 2 meter the rays were still penetrating a wooden door. The professor realized that he was dealing with invisible electro-magnetic rays, which under certain conditions could stimulate certain materials to fluorescence. He exposed everything he could think of to these strange new rays, among them his weight box, a wire coil in a box and many different materials. He worked like a man possessed and he even slept in his lab. He found that lead glass is permeable to light but not to these rays, while wood stopped the light, but the rays passed through it. Then his thoughts turned towards bones. The bones seemed to screen the surrounding tissues. This monumental discovery enabled man to look inside the human body for the first time.
Dr. Roentgen was uncertain of the nature of his findings, so he called this phenomena " X-Rays ". He took a highly systematic approach to his studies and his experiments. He published a paper about the discovery and in December 1895 he held a demonstration with his first X-Ray pictures, along with one of his wife's hand. The discovery caused much excitement in scientific and medical communities throughout the world. Scientists in many countries started to experiment with these new rays, and progressive doctors very quickly used them as a diagnostic tool. A colleague, Dr. Kollicker, suggested in January 1896 to call these new rays after its discoverer. So it was done in Germany, a doctor orders a Roentgen picture, which is taken in the Roentgen Department of the hospital------- to this day.
During the next decades it became obvious that X-Rays caused injury to various human tissue and to vision. Radioactivity was at that time not being related to these new rays. Many researchers developed radiation burns and cancer; more than 100 people died. These tragedies led to greater awareness of radiation hazards for health care workers. Early in the new century X-Ray equipment was being encased, and lead barriers and lead aprons were being introduced after the hazards became known. All this eventually led to a new branch of science: Radiobiology.
In 1900 Professor Roentgen accepted a position at the University of Munich. One year later he received the first Nobel Prize for Physics for his discovery of X-Rays in Stockholm, Sweden. When his parents died, he inherited 2 million marks, which elevated him to the upper classes in the young German Empire. He traveled extensively with his wife to Italy and France, but most often they spent their vacation in Switzerland. He had fame and wealth and a feudal hunting lodge, but Dr. Roentgen was never really happy in Munich. He spent very little time furthering his research.
Early in the century tuberculosis was still rampant. X-Ray examinations in mobile units throughout Germany detected the disease early and prevented it from spreading. Soon X-Rays were widely used in medicine, industry and scientific research. It became an important tool in the fight against cancer in the form of radiation therapy, along with surgery and chemotherapy. Today computer tomography is used in medicine and material testing. Since the 1960's X-Ray TV has enabled surgeons to monitor their operations. In the mid 70's micro-electronics entered the field of radiography. Today botanists use computer tomography to examine trees for disease, and archaeologists to examine fossils, relics, artifacts and monuments.
Dr. Roentgen once took an X-Ray picture of his gun. Perhaps he had a sense of things to come. One can hardly imagine airport security today without X-Rays. It is still the only devise that will detect an object of potential danger in luggage or on someone's person.
X-Rays are not only generated here on earth; the universe has been full of X-Rays for billions of years. On June 1, 1990 an X-Ray satellite was launched to explore the structure and the developments of planets and the stars of the heavens.
Dr. Roentgen's wife, Bertha, died in 1919 after a lengthy illness, during which he had virtually lived isolated in Munich. War and inflation had eroded his small fortune. Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen died four years later, on February 10, 1923 in Munich at the age of 78. His monumental discovery made a considerable contribution to the welfare of mankind. It also helps to unravel the secrets of nature he had loved so well.