<p class="financial-disclaimer"><i>When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. <a href="https://www.insider-inc.com/commerce-on-insider-inc/">Learn more.</a></i></p><p><a href="https://www.pjatr.com/t/TUJGR0VKTUJGSEhLR01CRkxLSExI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgorjana.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored nofollow sponsored"></a></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong><a href="https://www.pjatr.com/t/TUJGR0VKTUJGSEhLR01CRkxLSExI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgorjana.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored nofollow sponsored">Gorjana</a> is a Laguna Beach-based jewelry brand specializing in unique everyday jewelry.</strong></li><li><strong>I was won over by the quality of the materials and how opulent their pieces look and feel, especially given that the brand is relatively affordable.</strong></li><li><strong>My favorite styles are <a href="https://www.pntrs.com/t/TUJGR0VKTUJGSEhLR01CRkxLSExI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgorjana.com%2Fcollections%2Fparker-collection%2Fproducts%2Fparker-necklace" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored nofollow sponsored">The Parker</a> and <a href="https://www.gopjn.com/t/TUJGR0VKTUJGSEhLR01CRkxLSExI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgorjana.com%2Fcollections%2Fparker-collection%2Fproducts%2Fparker-gem-necklace-natural-agate" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored nofollow sponsored nofollow sponsored">Parker Gem layering necklaces</a>, which are $65 and $75, respectively.</strong></li></ul><iframe src="https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5f32db5b5fa9a4294b1554f4&amp;type=small&amp;live=true" width="100%" height="150%" frameborder="0" style="position:absolute; top:0; left: 0"></iframe><iframe src="https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5f32db68f0f4193e15755074&amp;type=small&amp;live=true" width="100%" height="150%" frameborder="0" style="position:absolute; top:0; left: 0"></iframe><p>Though most of us are still mainly relegated to the safety of our homes, the jovial nature of the summer season does seem to bring out the desire to adorn oneself a bit. Seeing as most social and work engagements are now conducted via Zoom, there's no better way to show off a bit of <keyword id="7" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="style">style</keyword> or flair than by adding a necklace to an otherwise normal everyday quarantine ensemble. </p><p>If you're not yet familiar with <a href="https://www.pjatr.com/t/TUJGR0VKTUJGSEhLR01CRkxLSExI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgorjana.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Gorjana</a>, prepare to become obsessed in short order. This jewelry brand was founded by a husband-and-wife team out of Southern California (Laguna Beach, to be precise). That laid-back, supremely cool beach vibe permeates all of Gorjana's pieces, making them ultra-wearable and easy to layer.</p><p>What started off as a small collection sold out of the couple's apartment has grown into a huge business with over 1,000 retailers nationwide as well as their own brick-and-mortar locations on both coasts. <a href="https://www.pjatr.com/t/TUJGR0VKTUJGSEhLR01CRkxLSExI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgorjana.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Gorjana</a> prizes versatility, collaboration, and authenticity in their jewelry, and those values resonate within the company culture, which prioritizes giving back to the local community. The company routinely partners with local charities such as Children's Hospital of Orange County, With My Own Two Hands Foundation, various food drives, and more. </p><h2>We've tested several pieces of jewelry from Gorjana, but its necklaces are a particular standout.</h2><p><a href="https://www.pntrs.com/t/TUJGR0VKTUJGSEhLR01CRkxLSExI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgorjana.com%2Fcollections%2Fparker-collection%2Fproducts%2Fparker-necklace" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored"><div type="image" title="Gorjana parker3" height="900" width="1200" msid="77811098" hostid="261"></div></a></p><p>You can shop all manner of jewelry at <a href="https://www.pjatr.com/t/TUJGR0VKTUJGSEhLR01CRkxLSExI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgorjana.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Gorjana</a>: necklaces, earrings, rings — you name it, they've got it. All of them are versatile and effortlessly appropriate for all occasions. These are the kinds of pieces that can make any old outfit feel special. Their delightful earrings caught my eyes early on thanks to unique designs such as tiny bejeweled cacti and skull studs, but it's their necklaces that officially got me hooked on the brand.</p><p><a href="https://www.pjatr.com/t/TUJGR0VKTUJGSEhLR01CRkxLSExI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgorjana.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Gorjana's</a> necklaces were all made to complement each other, making them the perfect layering — whether you follow the rule of three or like to bedeck yourself in necklaces until you feel like you're going to tip over.</p><h2>My personal favorite is the Parker necklace collection, which features a distinctive clasp that can be worn alone or adorned with charms.</h2><p>Available in 18-karat gold-plated brass, the <a href="https://www.pntrs.com/t/TUJGR0VKTUJGSEhLR01CRkxLSExI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgorjana.com%2Fcollections%2Fparker-collection%2Fproducts%2Fparker-necklace" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">original Parker necklace</a> is an elevated link chain with a slightly retro vibe that exudes freshness and originality. At just $65, this necklace looks much more expensive than it actually is. It adds a simple, yet bold, touch and looks beautiful whether worn alone or layered. The clasp is designed to look like it's part of the necklace, and you can add charms to give it a little extra something or leave it as-is.</p><p><a href="https://www.pntrac.com/t/TUJGR0VKTUJGSEhLR01CRkxLSExI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgorjana.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dparker%2Bnecklace" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored"><div type="image" title="Gorjana Necklace Review 4x3" height="1250" width="1667" msid="77811099" hostid="261"></div></a></p><p>The <a href="https://www.gopjn.com/t/TUJGR0VKTUJGSEhLR01CRkxLSExI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgorjana.com%2Fcollections%2Fparker-collection%2Fproducts%2Fparker-gem-necklace-natural-agate" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored nofollow sponsored">Parker Gem necklace</a> uses the same clasp, and comes in three different stones: natural agate, turquoise, and opalite glass, for $75 each. Unlike the OG Parker necklace, this 18-inch chain can't be shortened, but you can add a charm to the clasp.  Some of the stones on these necklaces contain a slight color variance, but it only makes them more unique.</p><p>Senior editor Sally Kaplan has been wearing her original Parker link necklace for almost two years now. After rarely taking it off and showering with it almost every day, she says it still looks brand new. </p><div type="image" title="Gorjana necklace" height="1512" width="2016" msid="77811102" hostid="261"></div><iframe src="https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5f32db5b5fa9a4294b1554f4&amp;type=small&amp;live=true" width="100%" height="150%" frameborder="0" style="position:absolute; top:0; left: 0"></iframe><iframe src="https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5f32db68f0f4193e15755074&amp;type=small&amp;live=true" width="100%" height="150%" frameborder="0" style="position:absolute; top:0; left: 0"></iframe><h2>Other styles we love</h2><p>We'd be remiss if we didn't mention that Gorjana's other jewelry styles are as special as the aforementioned necklaces. The brand does an equally wonderful job of elevating everyday basics when it comes to staples like stud earrings, simple bracelets, and rings. The ring sets, in particular, are especially stunning. We're partial to the <a href="https://gorjana.com/collections/rings/products/hudson-ring-set-set-of-3-9">Hudson</a> set, which features three delicate gold and opalite rings. The limited sizing is a bit of a bummer, but getting three gorgeous rings in a single set for only $60 is pretty radical. </p><p>A few other pieces that have us swooning include the <a href="https://gorjana.com/collections/bracelets/products/bespoke-plate-adjustable-bracelet">Bespoke Plate Adjustable Bracelet</a>, because a sweet ID bracelet never goes out of style, and the <a href="https://gorjana.com/collections/earrings/products/farrah-huggies">Farrah Huggie earrings</a>. We're also obsessed with the fact that you can buy individual studs like the <a href="https://gorjana.com/collections/shop-all/products/palm-charm-stud">Palm Charm Stud</a> to mix and match one's ear decor. Ease, elegance, simplicity, and charm permeates Gorjana's entire line. </p><iframe src="https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5f490fef4dca687b5e629d67&amp;type=small&amp;live=true" width="100%" height="150%" frameborder="0" style="position:absolute; top:0; left: 0"></iframe><iframe src="https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5f490fea5af6cc79517a787e&amp;type=small&amp;live=true" width="100%" height="150%" frameborder="0" style="position:absolute; top:0; left: 0"></iframe><iframe src="https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5f4910025af6cc79653f855e&amp;type=small&amp;live=true" width="100%" height="150%" frameborder="0" style="position:absolute; top:0; left: 0"></iframe><iframe src="https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5f491011f34d051cc43c5e6a&amp;type=small&amp;live=true" width="100%" height="150%" frameborder="0" style="position:absolute; top:0; left: 0"></iframe><h2>Cons to consider</h2><p><a href="https://www.gopjn.com/t/TUJGR0VKTUJGSEhLR01CRkxLSExI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgorjana.com%2Fcollections%2Fparker-collection%2Fproducts%2Fparker-gem-necklace-natural-agate" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored nofollow sponsored"><div type="image" title="Gorjana beaded parker" height="900" width="1200" msid="77811106" hostid="261"></div></a></p><p>It would be nice if we could shorten the Parker Gem necklaces like one can with the original Parker chain, but it's definitely not a deal breaker. Because the necklaces are all the same length, the only option for any kind of variation is to pair a shortened Parker chain with a Parker Gem necklace. </p><p>The circular clasps are larger than traditional necklace clasps, making them easier to grip, but the locking mechanism can feel a bit precarious at times. It took me a few wears to get used to the way the clasp needs to be firmly locked into place. At times it can be more difficult to get the mechanism to click properly into place, so it's definitely something the wearer needs to be mindful of so as to not lose it.  And as with pretty much all necklaces, those with long hair do run the risk of getting a bit of a tangle in the back which, while unpleasant to extricate one's mane from, is not the end of the world.</p><p>While shoppers are able to return and exchange non-sale items, Gorjana has not updated its policy in light of the many shipping issues that have arisen as a result of COVID and the current USPS crisis. Giving someone 30 days to decide whether they want to keep something and then return it doesn't quite feel sufficient in these unreliable times, and it would be nice if Gorjana extended the grace period, as so many other brands have in recent months. </p><p>Additionally, those who are looking for stud earrings with gold or gold-plated brass posts will be disappointed to find that the majority of Gorjana's earring selection contain surgical steel posts. It helps keep the prices relatively low but means bad luck for those with metal sensitivities or those who are looking for solid gold studs.</p><h2>The bottom line</h2><p>At the end of the day, these are simply gorgeous necklaces. You'd be hard-pressed to find any real reason not to incorporate them into your daily looks, quarantine or not. It's not often one finds truly high-end jewelry for under $100 that is timeless and elegant while still feeling up-to-date and kicky. And while generally we're all for splurging on investment pieces, it's always a delight to find reasonably priced jewelry that doesn't feel like it's about to fall apart in your hands or look cheap. It's not an easy tightrope to walk, but <a href="https://www.pjatr.com/t/TUJGR0VKTUJGSEhLR01CRkxLSExI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgorjana.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored nofollow sponsored">Gorjana</a> has achieved this near flawlessly with the <a href="https://www.pntrac.com/t/TUJGR0VKTUJGSEhLR01CRkxLSExI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgorjana.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dparker%2Bnecklace" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored nofollow sponsored">Parker necklaces</a>. They feel easy, clean, and light, and despite their minimalist design add a burst of bling without looking too trendy. </p><h2><a href="https://www.pjatr.com/t/TUJGR0VKTUJGSEhLR01CRkxLSExI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgorjana.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Shop jewelry from Gorjana here</a>.</h2>

Gorjana is an affordable jewelry brand that makes some of the best layering necklaces and accessories we've worn

Meet the next generation of luxury entrepreneurs selling millions in real estate, creating art galleries, and building fashion empires

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I tested a 2020 <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/audi">Audi</a> S7, a suave fastback luxury sedan that was priced at a well-optioned $89,990, just slightly higher than the already well-optioned base of $83,900.</li><li>The updated S7 has lost a V8 engine choice, but a 444-horsepower, twin-turbo V6 is a perfectly satisfying alternative.</li><li>The S7 also has one of the best technology packages in the auto industry.</li><li>I couldn't find anything to dislike about the <keyword id="6363321" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="audi">Audi</keyword> S7 — and the car remains a standout in the upscale four-door market.</li></ul><p>Sedans are supposed to be over, at least in America. Even in the luxury market, the creeping conventional wisdom goes, buyers want SUVs. But that overlooks something obvious: automakers are offering more good luxury sedans than ever before, along with plenty of great ones.</p><p>The Audi S7 is in that company and the word that came to mind while I drove all over the New York and New Jersey suburbs, with a road trip thrown in, was "magnificent." But <em>qualified</em> magnificent. The S7 is subtle, but if you like your four-doors to hint at grandeur without actually overdoing it, this Audi is a worthwhile reward for a life well-lived.</p><div type="image" title="Audi S7" height="1500" width="2000" msid="78477198" hostid="261"></div><p>The S7 is the jazzier version of the A7, which itself is a fastback iteration of the A6, the core sedan in Audi's lineup. You can also step up to the RS7, which gives you a bigger motor — a V8, an option no longer available for the S7 — and a whiff of Porsche-ness, given that this platform shares a stable with the Panamera on the VW ranch. </p><p>At $89,990 (as-tested), the S7 is expensive, but as far as the overall luxury saloon realm is concerned, the S7 is what I'd call "not too," as in "not too fast," "not too fancy," and "not too sporty." The S7 is a car for somebody who has made it but isn't interested in showing off, but who likes a bit of speed and wants to point the front end at a corner and have some fun.</p><p>And given that one could spend well over $90,000 for other cars aimed at such a customer, I'd also say the S7 is "not too" pricey, in its context.</p><h2>A great-looking set of wheels</h2><div type="image" title="Audi S7" height="1500" width="2000" msid="78477199" hostid="261"></div><p>Like most big Audi sedans, the S7 is extremely appealing. My "Navarra Blue Metallic" tester was gorgeous, and the "Rotor Gray" interior cooperated with the exterior tones to make for a dynamite package. I go round and round with fastbacks: Most of the time, I think the smooth curve from the windshield to hatch is the way to go, but then I look around and see almost every sedan adopting the basic form, and I long for a simple, flat trunk lid.</p><p>Not so with the S7. The fastback treatment gives this car a sense of ceaseless motion from front to rear. The whole design suggests effortless flow. Declaring the S7's styling "tailored" is a clichéd expression of bespoke sheet metal (complete with a $1,750 "Black Optic" exterior package), but here the cliché is apt. The 21-inch wheels, with a "V" design, were the ideal finishing touch. </p><div type="image" title="Audi S7" height="1171" width="1561" msid="78477202" hostid="261"></div><p>Standing still, the S7 comes off as planted, but ready to leap into action. For me, the S7 is too large to be a true sports sedan, but it's not excessively plushed-out for executive limo duty. The image that consistently occurred to me was of a former Olympic-level downhill skier, retired and moved to a successful post-jock phase, but still capable of tackling some tough mountains.</p><h2>The turbo V6 is dandy</h2><div type="image" title="Audi S7" height="1082" width="1442" msid="78477204" hostid="261"></div><p>Providing motivation is a 2.9-liter, twin-turbocharged V6, making 444 horsepower with 443 pound-feet of torque (I wondered if the actual measurement was 443.49 and therefore wasn't rounded up to the optically alluring 444 pound-feet, to match the horsepower, a completely Germanic decision). The power is piped to the legendary Audi Quattro all-wheel-drive system through a crisp-shifting eight-speed automatic, with paddles for manual mode. </p><p>There's also an electric, 48-volt, forced induction unit added to the drivetrain, a kind of on-demand hybrid that improved turbocharger performance. My 0-60 mph assessment yielded about 4.5 seconds, plenty fast for this kind of car. Fuel economy, burning premium, is fair: 28 mpg highway, 18 city, and 22 combined, according to the EPA.</p><div type="image" title="Audi S7" height="1028" width="1371" msid="78477207" hostid="261"></div><p>I drove the S7 to the Catskills and back, a journey of about 250 miles round trip, and even with some puttering around our suburban New Jersey test center, I didn't drain the tank. That isn't to say that the S7 is economical to operate. But for a sedan organized around the values of power and torque and all-wheel-drive, I was surprised.</p><h2>Basically perfect on the inside</h2><div type="image" title="Audi S7" height="1500" width="2000" msid="78477209" hostid="261"></div><p>On the inside, the S7 is comfortable without being smushy and suave without needless bling. Some diamond-shaped quilting on the Valcona leather upholstery and a bit of elegant ash-wood trim was all that proclaimed the four-door's tax-bracket aspirations. Otherwise, the now-familiar Audi attitude that less is more was on exhibit. Except with the cargo hold, which boasts a considerable 25 cubic feet.</p><div type="image" title="Audi S7" height="1500" width="2000" msid="78477212" hostid="261"></div><p>From the perforated, topstitched leather of the multifunction steering wheel to the roomy yet not capacious rear seats to the panoramic moonroof, the S7 made me feel like I usually do in an Audi sedan: successful, but in no mood to make a fuss about it. BMWs work hard to convince me that I'm a better driver than I am, and Mercedes cocoon me in sumptuous materials, but Audis take a form-follows-function approach and consider how I might best interface with the machine.</p><p>That doesn't mean the S7 lacks anything on the visceral front, but I'll get to that in a second. For the moment, let's dig into the tech, a defining aspect of this Audi and representative of the brand's thinking about gadgetry.</p><h2>The best tech in the business</h2><div type="image" title="Audi S7" height="1500" width="2000" msid="78477215" hostid="261"></div><p>The S7 combines Audi's MMI infotainment system with its "Virtual Cockpit" feature, enabling the driver to transform the digital instrument cluster into a large, customizable display. I like to set the view to the GPS map function so that my route is right in front of me.</p><p>The central infotainment touchscreen is big and responsive, and below it is a secondary touchscreen that can handle climate control duties and transform into an input interface for other functions. I've experienced this layout before, but the S7 was my first crack at using a fingertip-stylus technique to send the navigation system instructions, and I discovered that it both works well and doesn't require the driver to take his or her eyes off the road. You can scribble and steer and the system figures it out.</p><div type="image" title="Audi S7" height="1500" width="2000" msid="78477216" hostid="261"></div><p>Beyond that, my S7 provided easy Bluetooth pairing, USB connectivity for devices, wireless charging, and a Bang &amp; Olufsen premium audio system that sounded exceptional in the Audi's environs. For what it's worth, Audi's system won our Infotainment System of the Year award twice in a row, so it's always been a standout. And if for whatever reason you don't like it, then there's always Apple CarPlay or Android to fall back on.</p><h2>A smooth cruiser that can raise the blood pressure at the push of the button</h2><div type="image" title="Audi S7" height="1503" width="2000" msid="78477218" hostid="261"></div><p>The upshot with the Audi S7 is that I wouldn't call this car youthful, but having an "S" rather than an "A" in its moniker and bringing some satisfying "Sportback"-ness (Audi's term for fastbacks) to the party makes the sedan far from stodgy. </p><p>Is that enough for discerning drivers of significant means? I'd say so, and because the S7 is so well-executed, stem to stern, the car ends up being sort of addictive. I wasn't thrilled to fire it up whenever I punched the start-stop button, but I looked forward to getting the rubber on the road and savoring the S7's freeway-cruising prowess that, with a flick of the drive-mode selector, could shift to curve-wrangling enthusiasm for spirited driving. </p><p>I couldn't find anything, really, to complain about, apart from the S7's extreme composure: if you'd like your car to, when asked, to give you a kick in the pants, the S7 isn't what you want. But let me tell you, it's easy to outgrow instability, no matter how thrilling. And if you think the Audi S7 is going to be all mellow and mannered, think again.</p>

REVIEW: The Audi S7 is just about the closest thing to luxury sedan perfection that almost $100,000 can buy

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="9287520" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="julia-fox">Julia Fox</keyword> talked to Insider about life after being the breakout star of "<keyword id="8551856" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Uncut-gems">Uncut Gems</keyword>."</li><li>Fox talked about going out to Los Angeles to audition for Hollywood projects but being back in New York during the quarantine has made her refocus on creating projects.</li><li>She's written an episode of the podcast series "Day by Day."</li><li>She's also finished the first draft of her memoir.</li><li>Meet this unique star who has done everything from posing for Playboy to getting into arguments that has drawn the attention of Page Six.</li><li>"Uncut Gems" is available on <keyword id="128682" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword> beginning Monday.</li></ul><p>It's September 2019 at the Toronto International Film Festival and Julia Fox is in the back of a large Escalade that's driving up to the premiere of the highly anticipated <keyword id="126162" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Adam-Sandler">Adam Sandler</keyword> movie she's starring in, "Uncut Gems."</p><p>Dressed in a see-through crystal skirt and black bodysuit, her Escalade pulls up to the red carpet, which is already buzzing with a crowd of onlookers and dozens of photographers. As the car door is about to open Fox's publicist turns to her and asks, "Are you ready?"</p><p>With no hesitation Fox answers back: "I was born ready."</p><p>To say Julia Fox has confidence in herself would be like saying Michael Jordan never liked to lose. Both statements are laughably understated.</p><p><div type="image" title="Julia Fox Arthur Mola AP" height="825" width="1100" msid="75976273" hostid="261"></div></p><p>The late twentysomething (her team won't confirm her actual age, which only just adds to her mystique) has done more already than many will ever do in a lifetime. She's dabbled as a fashion designer, had an art show, posed for Playboy, and has been in <a href="https://pagesix.com/2015/07/14/case-dismissed-against-hipster-hotspot-manager/">Page Six</a>.</p><p>"I would get stopped on the street before the movie," Fox pointed out matter-of-factly to Insider over the phone. "I always had a taste of what it's like to have a public persona."</p><p>And it's that confidence that made her the perfect fit to play the love interest to Sandler's most unique role to date.</p><p>In "Uncut Gems" (available on Netflix on Monday) Sandler plays Howie Ratner, a New York City jeweler known for blinging out celebrities and sports stars but also is a degenerate gambler. Fox plays Julia, who works at Howie's showroom and is also his mistress. She's got a no-nonsense attitude, dabbles in photography, and when things get really tough between her and Howie, she goes to the extreme lengths of professing her love by tattooing his name on her rear end.</p><p>The performance is electric. Though Fox had no acting experience before this, she has an incredible natural gift to performing that makes you do a double-take in scenes where she's arguing with Sandler outside of a club or in Mohegan Sun sweet-talking a very tan high roller in a key moment at the movie's thrilling conclusion. And then with her porcelain skin and doll eyes, she's got that classic Hollywood starlet look.</p><p>Some of that natural feel to her performance is because a lot of the things that happen to the Julia character in the movie has happened to Julia Fox in real life.</p><p><div type="image" title="Julia Fox Uncut Gems A24" height="500" width="1000" msid="75976280" hostid="261"></div>"Uncut Gems" directors Josh and Benny Safdie have built a reputation for casting people who have never been on camera before but just have a raw natural talent for performing. It heightens the authenticity of their <keyword id="406" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Movies">movies</keyword> tenfold. And often they will fill the characters those people are playing with things that have happened to them in their lives.</p><p>So the Julia character being into photography, tattooing a guy's name on her, even having an all-out fight with a guy in front of a club are all things from Fox's real life (though the tattoo of an ex is not on her rear end).</p><p>"I'm kind of known for that," Fox said with a laugh about her real argument at a club. "But it was much more dramatic when it happened to me."</p><p>This is all why Fox is not your typical up-and-comer in Hollywood. As most who get their first taste of stardom are starry-eyed and geeking out at every <keyword id="6355064" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Celebrity">celebrity</keyword> within an arm's length, Fox says she doesn't get like that.</p><p>She's already had the spotlight, now she wants to be the one holding the light.</p><h2>Fox lived a teen life straight out of 'Kids,' but it led to opportunities</h2><p>Fox was born in Milan, Italy, and at 6 years old moved to New York City where she lived in Yorkville, Manhattan — the setting of Larry Clark's landmark "Kids," which followed a group of kids drinking, smoking, fighting, and having sex throughout the neighborhood on a hot summer day. Fox says she had a similar teenage life.</p><p>By high school she had moved to the Lower East Side and at 18 became a dominatrix to earn quick money. Then in 2015, she posed for Playboy in what would be the final nude issue of the magazine.</p><p>She was quickly becoming a young New York City socialite, but was also feeding her creative cravings. She launched a now-defunct womenswear line, Franziska Fox, with her best friend. She spent time in New Orleans where she got into photography. It led to an exhibit in 2017 titled "R.I.P. Julia Fox," which featured nude photos and canvas illustrations claimed to be made from Fox's own blood.</p><p>By this time Fox had befriended Josh Safdie, who had told her about the "Uncut Gems" project (which was still in its infancy). For years, Fox and Safdie would talk on and off about the character. And as the project grew in Hollywood prominence with Sandler attached as well as mega-producer Scott Rudin, the role of Julia was no longer guaranteed to Fox. She would have to audition.</p><p>Going up against hundreds, she fought for the role and got the part that was written for her.</p><p><div type="image" title="Uncut Gems A24" height="512" width="1024" msid="75976287" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Because the role had so much of herself in it, she says she wasn't anxious about the work. Though there were challenges. The big fight in front of the club was tough because it brought back old memories. And then there was the day of shooting when she found out a good friend of her's had died.</p><p>It so happened that the morning she heard of her friend's death she had to shoot the scene where a smoothie goes all over her after an encounter with Howie.</p><p>"It took a few takes to get it because my energy was just so dull," Fox said. "So there I was getting a smoothie spilled on me multiple times."</p><p>But she has nothing but great things to say about the experience. And along with the "It" girl proclamations once people saw the movie, Fox was nominated for a Breakthrough Actor Gotham Award.</p><p>Fox was on her way. She got an agent at WME and packed up for Los Angeles.</p><p>Then the coronavirus happened.</p><h2>Stuck at home, Fox has made the most of it by writing a story for a podcast and the first draft of her memoir</h2><p>Fox has been in the Lower East Side since the pandemic. She had moved out to LA to further her acting career, but had to fly back she said to empty out a storage unit. Once New York issued a stay-at-home order, she was stuck there.</p><p>But going back to her home town may have been the best thing for her. Since "Uncut Gems" was released on Christmas in 2019 she was in LA hustling from one audition to another trying to prove to Hollywood that she can be more than just Julia Fox.</p><p>"It was mostly TV stuff," Fox said of the auditions she went on. "Two projects seemed really cool but the rest were not necessarily things that I was very excited about. It was more like, <em>I have to do something else, the spotlight is on me</em>. I just felt this urgency."</p><p>But that's all over now. Fox said she's going to be more selective in the acting roles she's going after from now on.</p><p>In the meantime, she's back to her hustle of self-starting projects.</p><p>She connected with Jamie Dolan and Adam Faze, who created the <a href="https://linktr.ee/daybyday">audio podcast series "Day by Day."</a> All the stories are centered around life during the pandemic. Fox wrote and starred in the series' second episode, "Love Sick."</p><p>Fox pitched the idea to Dolan and Faze about a married couple forced to quarantine in the midst of their divorce. Eventually the two realize why they fell for one another in the first place, but in a cruel twist they both get coronavirus and believe the other gave it to them.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAVe1jXjdz4" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">ℭ      @gq photos by @richieshazam   </a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by    ☆ (@juliafox) on May 18, 2020 at 9:18am PDT<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-05-18T16:18:59+00:00">May 18, 2020 at 9:18am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><p>Dolan and Faze loved the idea and Fox went and wrote it in three days. She plays opposite character actor P.J. Byrne ("Wolf of Wall Street," "Rampage") in the episode.</p><p>"We were blown away," Dolan told Insider of working with Fox, who they originally assumed Fox would just want to act in the series until coming to realize she actually wanted to write one. "When we were told about her passion as a storyteller we never anticipated it."</p><p>Faze added: "And she has absolute confidence but zero ego. She just wanted to make this the best possible production."</p><p>Both Dolan and Faze point to Fox agreeing to be in the second episode of the series as the reason they have since landed talent for future episodes like Lucas Hedges ("Manchester by the Sea," "Honey Boy"), Camila Mendes ("Riverdale"), and Elsie Fisher ("Eighth Grade").</p><p>Fox said quarantine has also been filled with moments of reflection. She likes to go out at night to take jogs. Or she'll go on the rooftop of her building and take in the unusual quietness of New York City. It has all been beneficial creatively as she's been writing a memoir looking back on her colorful life. She said she's finished the first draft and has been spending the week going it over with her agent.</p><p>The one thing she won't be doing is watching "Uncut Gems" on Netflix. Not because she doesn't like the movie, she is extremely proud in her work on it. But she doesn't want to dwell on the past. She wants to find the next thing that will get her to her goal.</p><p>"My dream is to not even be in front of the camera," she said. "My dream is being in the writer's room. Writing, directing, and producing something. To me that's success. Having my work speak for itself."</p><p>"I feel that my whole life I've been trying to put things out there to show I'm not just this pretty girl," she continued. "I'm an artist. I'm a creator. But it has always been overshadowed by what I look like."</p><p>It's the only time in our chat where Fox presents a hint of vulnerability. But as quickly as it shows up it's gone and her confidence returns.</p><p>"I'm sure I will be able to give something my all again."</p>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/uncut-gems-star-julia-fox-profile-2020-5">Insider</a>

Meet Julia Fox, the breakout star of 'Uncut Gems' who wants to be more than the next Hollywood It Girl

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55e05f0fdd08956e408b464a-2667-2000/gettyimages-147375671.jpg" alt="diamonds crown tiara rich money jewels" data-mce-source="Bethany Clarke/Getty Images"><p class="source"><span>Bethany Clarke/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Bling bling.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Leanne Kemp has set herself an ambitious goal: Stamping out diamond fraud and theft.<p>She's the founder and CEO of Everledger, a startup launched in 2015 which took part in the Barclays Techstars accelerator ending in June. It has built a global digital ledger - the first of its kind - that collects dozens of cross-reference-able data points on each recorded diamond in an attempt to inject transparency into the market and eliminate associated criminal activity. And that's just the beginning.</p><p>Diamond fraud is a big issue. In April, a London gang was&#xa0;convicted of "running boiler rooms that sold dozens of coloured diamonds to investors at up to 30 times their true value," <a href="https://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/advice-and-support/fraud-and-economic-crime/fraudsquads/fraudsquad-News/Pages/Organised-crime-gang-convicted-of-running-City-of-London-diamond-scam.aspx">the City of London announced at the time</a>. The gang promised exorbitant potential for profit on the stones, and netted more than £1.5 million from dozens of victims. Everledger thinks its tech can tackle this: It makes it possible to check the provenance of diamonds by cross-referencing them against the ledger, preventing buyers from being ripped off.</p><p>Likewise, Everledger hopes to drastically reduce diamond theft. The existence of a ledger recording the ownership and origin of the jewels will make them far harder to sell on without recutting to obscure their identifying features or serial code - and lowering their value in the process.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55e05f0fdd08956e408b464b-1200-900/aaeaaqaaaaaaaallaaaajdkxzjzknduxltu4zmetnduyns05ymjilwviotrjzti0mmfjng.jpg" alt="leanne kemp everledger" data-mce-source="Leanne Kemp/LinkedIn"><p class="source"><span>Leanne Kemp/LinkedIn</span></p><p class="caption">Everledger CEO Leanne Kemp.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Everledger's ledger is built on the blockchain - the same decentralised record book that underpins bitcoin. It means there's no one centralised server running things - instead, data is distributed across the network. Leanne Kemp told Business Insider that Everledger uses the blockchain as its basis because of its immutability. When a bitcoin transaction is written into the blockchain it cannot be altered; similarly, it is impossible to change an entry on Everledger's ledger once it has been written.<p>This permanence is vital in tackling fraud, meaning the ledger cannot be amended later to disguise criminal activity.</p><p>(Paper certificates for diamonds certifying provenance <em>do</em> already exist, but there's nothing like Everledger's ledger, which is continually updateable and accessible from anywhere in the world.)</p><p>Since March, 830,000 diamonds have been added to the ledger, Kemp says. It's a small team - just her and two others - and thanks to the accelerator, the startup is funded through to 2016.</p><p>Everledger began with diamonds, but Kemp has far larger ambitions. The startup is looking to&#xa0;move into other luxury goods, she says, and is speaking with select retailers with an eye to including high-end watches in the next 100 days. Again, the benefits are obvious: proof of ownership, tackling fraud, and a deterrent to theft. An API could also be offered to online retailers like Amazon or eBay to help prevent stolen goods being resold through their platform.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55e05f10dd08956e408b464c-1703-900/screen%20shot%202015-08-28%20at%2010.42.34.png" alt="everledger ambition" data-mce-source="Leanne Kemp/YouTube" data-link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2pPTtLThlw"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2pPTtLThlw">Leanne Kemp/YouTube</a></span></p><p class="caption">Everledger's ambitions.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Speaking at the Barclays Techstars Demo Day, Kemp made the potential scope of Everledger clear. Following diamonds, jewellery and fine art, and luxury goods, comes electronic devices - and finally, "any asset with a serial number."<p>"Diamonds are just the start, and our vision is so much bigger, she told the audience. "We're going to help in combating counterfeiting, and that's not a fifty-billion-dollar problem - that's 1.7 trillion."</p><h2>Here's Leanne Kemp speaking at the Barclays Demo Day Techstars accelerator:</h2><p><div><iframe width="800" height="450" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/V2pPTtLThlw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/clear-out-iphone-storage-space-2015-6">How to clear out a ton of space on your iPhone superfast</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="5qcmxndToofREk2JFghn1wjMFTZOXP_E" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', '5qcmxndToofREk2JFghn1wjMFTZOXP_E',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

This London startup could make diamond theft a thing of the past -&#160;and that's just the start

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56702b0672f2c15b028b5a68-1200-900/coty_volvo_xc90.png" alt="Volvo XC90 COTY" data-mce-source="Business Insider" /><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Volvo is one of those brands that has firmly embedded itself in the American consciousness. For a period of time in the 1980s and 1990s, you could just look at folks from a certain demographic and say, "Yep, drives a Volvo."</p><p>The Swedish carmaker's boxy, no-nonsense vehicles appealed to unpretentious, no-nonsense people. And they drove them until the wheels fell off, which they almost never did. In some parts of the country there are well preserved, 30-year-old Volvo 240s happily humming along with over 1 million miles on the odometer.</p><p>But the carmaker's own trajectory hasn't been quite so steady. Volvo was owned by Ford until the financial crisis hit, forcing the American carmaker to sell the brand to shore up its core business. </p><p>The crisis among US automakers coincided nicely with the explosive growth of China's car industry, and so a natural buyer emerged. China's Geely Group saw a rare opportunity to pick up an international brand and swept in.</p><p>When Geely took control of Volvo in 2010, critics of the $1.5 billion deal were curious as to whether it would all end in tears. After all, Chinese companies have had a relatively poor track record integrating their foreign acquisitions. Many were concerned Geely would meddle with the special Swedish sauce that made Volvo such a special brand for its fans.</p><p>Instead, Geely took a hands-off management approach, retained Volvo's existing engineering and manufacturing setup and even sought to accentuate the brand's Swedishness. At the same time, the Chinese firm gave Volvo the $11 billion it needed to develop its next generation of cars, engines, and technology.</p><p>So many things could have gone wrong. None did.</p><p>And this year, Volvo refuted any notions that it was undergoing some kind of identity crisis under Chinese ownership - with one car.</p><p>We're pleased to announce that the vehicle, the XC90 crossover SUV, is Business Insider's Car of the Year for 2015.</p><p>Man, oh man, was the competition fierce this time around. The XC90 found itself up against the new BMW 7 Series, the Audi S3 sports sedan, the Lamborghini Huracán supercar, the McLaren 675LT track-ready supercar, and the Tesla Model X.</p><p>All in all, the XC90 is a fine successor to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chevrolet-corvette-stingray-business-insider-car-of-the-year-2014-12" target="_blank">last year's Car of the Year winner</a>: Chevrolet's spectacularly good Corvette Stingray.</p><p>The Business Insider Car of the Year is chosen by BI's <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="transportation">transportation</keyword> team: Matt DeBord, Ben Zhang, and Bryan Logan, who took the XC90 on a long road West Coast trip earlier this year. Only cars that have been driven by the reporters are eligible, and we consider everything from the driving experience to the story that the car tells.</p><p>And it wasn't an easy decision. Matt - who, as the father of three and a former owner of two Volvos, is actually an ideal customer - took some convincing.</p><p>In the end, though, it was a week spent sampling the car - in top-level "Inscription" trim, tipping the cost scales at almost $67,000 - in its natural environment, suburban New Jersey, that made it a unanimous decision.</p><p>Several major factors guided our choice.</p><p>Ben made the strong case that the XC90 demonstrates that a Chinese company can handle the stewardship of a major brand that has built up an impressive level of equity over the decades, especially in the US, where it was for many years synonymous with safety.</p><p>The XC90 is the first all-new car to emerge from Geely's cash injection. It features both Volvo's new "Scalable Product Architecture" platform that will underpin all of the company's next generation of cars as well as the Drive-E engines that will power its complete lineup.</p><p>Bryan focused on the XC90's subdued yet impressive level of luxury. This isn't a blinged-out ride for those who want to roll large, but it isn't a dowdy chariot for suburban sports parents, either. Volvos have often been derided for driving in exactly the opposite direction of the rest of the luxury and near-luxury or mid-luxury market, catering to the tastes of folks who think it's a hot time when they get to break out the flannel-lined khakis.</p><p>Volvos aren't supposed to be shiny. They're supposed to look good when they haven't been washed for a year and have back seats adorned with old wool blankets, dog hair, lacrosse sticks, and thermoses of homemade hot chocolate.</p><p>If Volvo was going to keep on keeping on, it was going to have to appeal to anyone who's eyeing, say, an Acura MDX or an Audi Q7, and asking why Volvos can't cut it in the valet lines.</p><p>Matt is used to the whole Volvo thing, but he's also a student of seven-passenger family-transportation contraptions. (His last Volvo, a V40 wagon, was succeeded by a Honda Odyssey minivan.) While the XC90 ticked off numerous boxes on the luxury and versatility front, he had a tough time with the turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder engine. Although 316 horsepower is nothing to sneeze at, he wanted more obvious oomph, from a good old-fashioned six-banger.</p><p>Then he sampled the all-wheel-drive crossover for a week and had half a tank of gas left when all was said and done. The XC90 made good on its EPA estimated 22 mpg city/highway combined fuel-economy rating.</p><p>That's a college-saving plan right there, folks.</p><p>The bottom line is the XC90 has so much going for it that it was ultimately a challenge to <em>not </em>choose it. However, in our rundown of the runners-up, we explain what was great about each of those cars, so check it out if you'd like a window into our decision-making process.</p><p>While the Volvo might not be as luxurious as a Mercedes G Class or as robust under the hood as a BMW X Series, and we're unsure of whether its reliability can challenge Acura or Lexus, there's no doubt that it's feature- and technology-packed, a joy to drive, and exceptionally versatile and comfortable.</p><p>For Volvo, it's a triumphant move in a new but not radically different direction. It's earned all the great press it's gotten in 2015. And it's a worthy BI Car of the Year!</p>

The Volvo XC90 is Business Insider's 2015 Car of the Year

6 ways to look good in blue this season

<p><em><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/51af6ae769beddc339000015-590-443/india-gold-6.jpg" border="0" alt="india gold" /><p class="source"><span><a href="http://pictures.reuters.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult_VPage&amp;VBID=2C0BXZL74W5PB&amp;SMLS=1&amp;RW=1461&amp;RH=815#/SearchResult_VPage&amp;VBID=2C0BXZL74W5PB&amp;SMLS=1&amp;RW=1461&amp;RH=815&amp;PN=3">Reuters/Savita Kirloskar</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Hike in Indian gold tax to fight trade imbalance squeezes wedding budgets, spurs smuggling</em></p>
<p>MUMBAI, India (AP) - With India's wedding season in full swing, the glass sales counters in Mumbai's famed Zhaveri gold bazaars are crowded with customers eyeing elaborate headpieces, nose rings and necklaces.</p>
<p>No one does jewelry quite like an Indian bride, who by tradition wears all the gold she can stand up in and her family can afford.</p>
<p>These days, though, even the most ambitious bridal budgets don't bring the bling like they used to, thanks to hikes in import duties and a rise in local gold prices that have shoppers like Rajanikant Mehta grumbling.</p>
<p>Mehta, who owns a factory outside the capital, had planned to spend about 100,000 rupees ($1,800) on a necklace for the woman marrying his son late this month, but he's unhappy about what he's getting for his money. Gold prices in India, which imports nearly all its gold, have risen 50 percent over the past three years to about 87,000 rupees, or about $1,400, an ounce.</p>
<p>Thanks to the new tax and weaker rupee, that's about a 20 percent premium over the world market price, hovering just under $1,200 an ounce.</p>
<p>"The price of gold should be lower," Mehta complained. "This is a globalized world. If the prices are similar to the prices elsewhere, then the purchase of gold will increase."</p>
<p>More gold-buying, though, is exactly what the Indian government is trying to stop by raising import duties three times this year to 10 percent on gold bullion - up from 2 percent in January - and 15 percent on gold jewelry.</p>
<p>Gold is India's second-biggest import behind oil, and purchases have soared in recent years as rising incomes from a decade of economic growth sent Indian consumers on a buying streak.</p>
<p>The problem is that the greater buying of the precious metal has dealt a blow to India's economy by increasing the flow of money out of country compared to inflows. As a result, the current account deficit rose to a historic high of 4.8 percent of India's gross domestic product in the fiscal year that ended in March.</p>
<p>That in turn has helped weaken the rupee by about 10 percent this year, making many products more expensive by raising the cost of oil, priced in dollars, and other raw materials.</p>
<p>But in trying to discourage gold-buying, India is taking on a passion that dates back thousands of years and is deeply entwined in Indian culture. In some Hindu legends, Brahma, the god who created the universe, was born from a gold egg. The goddess Lakshmi is portrayed with a golden complexion and gold coins flowing from her hands. It's considered good luck to give gold, especially to a bride.</p>
<p>Still, the tax measures appear to have worked, with gold imports down 32 percent in the July-September quarter and India on track to lose its status as the world's No. 1 consumer of gold to China this year.</p>
<p>The drop has eased pressure on the current account deficit, now on track to reach a more comfortable annual average of 3 percent of GDP. The government hasn't said what it plans to do with the extra revenue, but the country faces a big fiscal deficit, so every bit helps.</p>
<p>The official numbers tell only part of the story, though, since the higher import duties have also given birth to increasingly creative smuggling schemes.</p>
<p>According to Indian media reports, customs authorities have busted people with gold bars hidden in mobile phone battery compartments, a man with gold necklaces wrapped around his legs and another man who had fashioned 109 solid-gold staples, painted them gray and stapled them to the box of a television he was legally importing. Local media reported the staples weighed a total of 755 grams (26.6 ounces) and were valued at 1.9 million rupees (about $30,500).</p>
<p>The seizures are probably only a fraction of the amount of smuggled gold getting through, according to the U.K.-based World Gold Council.</p>
<p>"Going by the number of seizures that have been made at airports and elsewhere, there is enough evidence to say that smuggling probably has doubled this year," said Somasundaram, the India director for the World Gold Council.</p>
<p>It's impossible to know the exact amount being successfully smuggled in, said Somasundaram, who uses just one name. But the council has noted a 125 percent rise in third-quarter gold sales in Thailand over the same period the previous year, to more than 35 tons. That suggests Indian smugglers may be buying much of their gold there.</p>
<p>Despite the steps to limit imports, India's demand for gold remains robust. It's plainly evident during wedding season, which runs from November through January.</p>
<p>The custom of adorning brides with gold is both spiritual - gold is a powerful symbol of purity - and practical. The wife's wedding adornments belong to her as insurance against a bad marriage, even though many men confiscate it.</p>
<p>In the southern state of Kerala, the escalation of bridal jewelry extravagance is so dramatic that the local women's commission has even proposed a law limiting how much a bride can wear - a measure bound to meet popular opposition.</p>
<p>"Everyone likes gold. Marriage happens just once in your life," Abhirami Damodaran said as she shopped for her wedding jewelry.</p>
<p>The daughter of a real estate businessman in Kerala, she plans to flaunt a whopping 3.2 kilograms (about 7 pounds) of gold worth about 9.6 million rupees, or $150,000, on her big day.</p>
<p>"When we wear gold, it's not only the bride who is happy, but her parents as well," she said. "They are giving gold as part of a future investment."</p>
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<p>Copyright (2013) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</p>
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Gold Smuggling Spikes In India As Tax Meets Bridal Season

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<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d931636da811f0260cebde-546-403/ginsburg-2.jpg" border="0" alt="Ruthy Bader Ginsburg" /><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/nyu-stories/notorious-rbg.html">NYU Stories</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div>You may have seen her likeness-frilly collar and all-on a <a href="http://notoriousrbg.tumblr.com/post/90467851346/fear-the-frill-tees-all-proceeds-benefit">t-shirt</a>, or read <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/06/best-lines-hobby-lobby-decision">roundups</a> of her zingers online. She's inspired <a href="http://notoriousrbg.tumblr.com/post/64166798122/rbg-nail-art">nail art</a> and <a href="http://abovethelaw.com/2013/11/atls-legally-themed-halloween-costume-contest-the-finalists/7/">Halloween costumes</a> and many a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY1TJ8JazkQ">tribute song</a> on YouTube.</p>
<p>Yep-over the past year or so, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the petite, 81-year-old Supreme Court justice, has become the unlikeliest of pop icons. That's thanks, in part, to NYU <keyword id="6355470" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Law">Law</keyword> student Shana Knizhnik, who launched the tumblr <a href="http://notoriousrbg.tumblr.com/">The Notorious R.B.G.</a> last summer with this withering Ginsburg quote (from her dissent in <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/12-96_6k47.pdf">Shelby County v. Holder</a>, the case that struck down Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act): "Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet."</p>
<p>Since then the blog, its name a winking reference to hip-hop idol Notorious B.I.G., has become a repository for all things R.B.G.-from the justice's musings on the progress of women to user-created images and gifs of Ginbsurg decked out in bling and paired with popular song lyrics. It's received more than a quarter million hits, and Knizhnik has sold thousands of Notorious R.B.G. t-shirts.</p>
<p>This summer, Ginsburg is back in the news (and the tumblrverse) for her dissent to the court's 5-4 <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/13pdf/13-354_olp1.pdf">Burwell v. Hobby Lobby</a> ruling that the government can't require employers to provide insurance coverage for methods of contraception that conflict with their religious beliefs. The <em>Washington Post</em> recently declared "Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a meme. Again," and <em>The New Republic</em> ran a piece called "How Ruth Bader Ginsburg Became the Most Popular Woman on the Internet," in which Rebecca Traister <a href="http://www.newrepublic.com/article/118641/ruth-bader-ginsburg-memes-how-internet-fell-love-her">praises</a> Knizhnik's tumblr as a leading example of "a new vocabulary, a library of visual and aural iconography that warmly appreciates female power in not just its nubile, but also its senior, its brainy, its furious, and its professionally brawny forms."</p>
<p>Knizhnik recently checked in with <em>NYU Stories</em> by phone-between court hearings in Washington D.C., where the soon-to-be third year law student is working for the Public Defender Service this summer. Below is a conversation on Ginsburg fandom and what it means for the future of feminism. </p>
<p><em>-Eileen Reynolds</em></p>
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<p><strong><span class="float_right"></span>Why does Ruth Bader Ginsburg work as a meme?</strong><br />First of all, people really find her <keyword id="6358883" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Politics">politics</keyword> powerful. She's standing up to the conservative majority, who also happen to be men. So here's this liberal feminist voice from the court, writing with a lot of force-and she's also a 90-pound Jewish grandmother, which makes for a really amazing juxtaposition with the hip-hop reference in the name of the blog. She is an image of feminist rebellion, while still being a demure, quiet person in real life. People really find that attractive-and funny.</p>
<p><strong>In addition to the <em>Shelby County v. Holder</em> and <em>Burwell v. Hobby Lobby</em> dissents, what makes your greatest hits list of RBG moments?</strong><br />I think I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Virginia Military Institute case (<a href="http://www.oyez.org/cases/1990-1999/1995/1995_94_1941"><em>United States v. Virginia</em></a>), which was the first major women's rights case that she wrote the opinion for. We studied it in Constitutional Law. The court deemed that a state military institution cannot be single gender-for men only.</p>
<p>And as someone who wants to be a public defender, I find her writing on criminal justice powerful as well. On the blog I just featured a <a href="http://notoriousrbg.tumblr.com/post/90582969651/although-the-police-have-probable-cause-and-could">quote</a> from her dissent in the recent <em><a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/13pdf/12-7822_he4l.pdf">Fernandez v. California</a></em> case, which had to do with whether you can consent to a house search on behalf of someone else in the house.</p>
<p><strong>In <em><a href="http://www.newrepublic.com/article/118641/ruth-bader-ginsburg-memes-how-internet-fell-love-her">The New Republic</a></em> Rebecca Traister connected The Notorious R.B.G. to Tweets from Hillary and memes championing Wendy Davis' pink sneakers. Were you conscious of participating in a particular online movement when you created your blog?</strong><br />I definitely did not expect for Notorious R.B.G. to blow up the way it did, but it's definitely true that it has become part of this canon of feminist imagery that combines pop culture with powerful women. [Traister] asked me if I remembered anything like this from my youth, any images celebrating powerful women, and I couldn't really think of anything. So we are seeing a change with user-created content on platforms like tumblr-people are participating in a way that wasn't possible before. It's also a testament to the fact that the new feminism is not opposed to pop culture.</p>
<p><strong>People often toss around phrases from political speeches, but it seems unusual for lines of legalese to make it into the blogosphere. What is it about Ginsburg's writing that makes it so quotable?</strong><br />Ginsburg really makes a point to focus on the human aspect of the cases. When you're talking about a political campaign speech, there's a factor of lowest common denominator. You're trying to appeal as many people as possible, so there are platitudes, and you have to massage things in a certain way. But when you're dealing with a particular case, as the Supreme Court does, there are actual people involved with lives and interests at stake. And when Ginsburg writes, it's really clear that she's focused on the implications for people's lives.  </p>
<p><strong>Have you heard what Justice Ginsburg thinks of the blog-if she's even aware of it?</strong><br />I have heard through various channels that she has seen it. A friend of mine just emailed me to say that he asked her about it at an intellectual property conference in Italy, and she said that she loves it. He said she gave out [Notorious R.B.G.] swag to her clerks, so I'm pretty sure she both knows about it and likes it. That makes me feel good.</p>
<p><strong>What will Ginsburg's legacy be? Will her eloquent dissents make the history books-or will this be a time remembered for decisions by the conservative majority?</strong><br />I'm hopeful that it's the former rather than the latter. We're in a time with politics more fragmented and polarized than most people have ever seen before. People talk about the fact that if R.B.G. were nominated for the Court today with the same record that she had back when she was appointed in 1993, she probably would not be confirmed. She worked for the ACLU, which is kind of a death mark for judicial nominations nowadays.</p>
<p>And of course there is a lot of talk about her retiring, basically as preventative measure in the event of a Republican president in 2016. As a rational matter, maybe that's right. But thinking about her as a person, I think she should be doing the job for as long as she can. There's a quote on the blog about how she writes dissents for a future age-that's how she thinks about it. And there are ways that dissents can change the law and set out what should happen in the future.</p>
<p><strong>Do you think she'll ever write a memoir?</strong><br />I hope she does! Her life story is remarkably inspiring: She's the second woman appointed to the Supreme Court, and before that she litigated several of the major women's rights cases of the '70s. And while she was in law school, she would take notes and type up her husband's papers because he was ill-all while going to school during the day and then coming home to take care of her child. As someone who's currently in law school, it's impossible for me to fathom that!</p>
<p><strong>Any other feminist pop-culture blogs we should keep our eye on?</strong><br /><a href="http://beyoncevoters.tumblr.com/">Beyonce Voters</a> is really the one to watch right now. Basically it takes Beyonce and other hip-hop and R&amp;B lyrics and matches them with powerful public figures. (Obama's on there too, even though he's a man.) The phrase "Beyonce voters" came from someone on <a href="http://mediamatters.org/video/2014/07/01/foxs-watters-single-women-are-beyonce-voters-wh/199948">Fox News</a> talking about single women who are supposedly dependent on the government because they have no husbands to depend on-as if those are the only two options. So it's clearly this was meant to be a negative thing, and now we're sort of taking it back. </p>
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