### The Art of Crafting Premium Art Supplies

Hagoromo chalk captivates mathematicians with its unique formula, ensuring smooth writing and minimal dust for a superior teaching experience.

### Preserving Artistry: The Craft of Rare Art Supplies
* ✏ From the iconic **Hagoromo chalk** in South Korea to the luxurious **Calacatta marble** from Italy, the world of rare art supplies is rich with **tradition and craftsmanship**.
* 🎨 Álvaro Lozano-Robledo, a UConn mathematics professor, passionately advocates for Hagoromo chalk, which is prized for its **smoothness and low dust production**, making it a favorite among educators.
* 💎 The unique formula of Hagoromo chalk, which consists primarily of **calcium carbonate and kaolin**, is what sets it apart from cheaper alternatives, with prices ranging from **200 won for white chalk to 600 won for fluorescent varieties**.
* 📏 Meanwhile, Faber-Castell produces **2.3 billion pencils annually**, ensuring each pencil core has the **perfect balance of pigment and filler** for optimal performance, with their colored pencils designed for **durability and blendability**.
* 🏛 The extraction of Calacatta marble is a meticulous process that requires skilled miners like Enrico, who have **honed their craft over decades**, and results in slabs that can **cost over $10,000** due to their rarity and quality.
* 🖌 In England, the Series 7 brushes are crafted with **kolinsky sable hair**, which is **more expensive than gold by weight**, highlighting the dedication to quality that keeps these brushes in **high demand among artists**.
* 🌍 Lastly, in Morocco, artisans create handmade cement tiles, emphasizing the **beauty of imperfection** and the growing appreciation for **unique, character-rich materials** in modern design.
* 💖 As demand for these high-quality art supplies continues to rise, the balance between **preserving traditional techniques** and **meeting contemporary needs** remains crucial in the world of artistry.

### Preserving Traditional Arts: Challenges and Innovations in Craftsmanship
* 🎨 The journey of creating pastels begins with the initial struggle of forming them correctly, with early attempts often resulting in **flat, pancake-like shapes**.
* 🔪 Innovations like Henri Roche's cutting technique have streamlined the process, allowing artisans to **cut pastel sticks in one go**, significantly **reducing production time**.
* 👩 When Isabelle took over the family business in 2000, she faced the daunting task of **revitalizing a company with little inventory and an aging customer base**, as her aunts had not produced much for the past **two decades**.
* 🌈 Her efforts to regenerate supply led to the reconstitution of **250 to 300 colors**, while also focusing on the niche market of artists who require **specialized pastel colors**.
* 🖌 Despite lacking an artistic background, Isabelle collaborated with artists like Claude Bauret Allard to create colors that met their needs, such as the **much-anticipated indigo blue**.
* 🖼 The history of pastels is contrasted with the enduring popularity of oil paints, which have been utilized since the Renaissance, with **high-quality pigments often fetching prices higher than gold** due to their rarity and production difficulty.
* 💰 The intricate process of making oil paints involves careful mixing and grinding of pigments, with the best paints containing **up to 75% pigment** for durability and vibrancy, a testament to the **labor-intensive nature of the craft**.
* 🏺 As artisans across various mediums, including porcelain and Bidri art, face challenges from rising costs and declining interest, the importance of **preserving these traditional crafts** becomes increasingly critical for **future generations**.

How 13 Rare Art Businesses Fighting To Survive | Business Insider Marathon | Business Insider

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Hagoromo Chalk: A Schoolteacher Saves an Iconic Brand

Introduction to the documentary focusing on rare art supplies and ancient crafts.

A mathematics professor's preference for Hagoromo chalk due to its smooth texture and ease of use.

The brand's unique formula and production methods contribute to its superior quality.

The chalk's main ingredient is calcium carbonate, with a confidential formula for its smooth texture.

Pricing of Hagoromo chalk varies based on color and type, with fluorescent chalk being the most expensive.

Near collapse of Hagoromo in 2015 due to the original owner's illness and difficulty finding a successor.

A schoolteacher's acquisition of the company and relocation of production to South Korea.

Faber-Castell Colored Pencils: Precision and Quality

The meticulous process of pigment selection and blending for Faber-Castell colored pencils.

The manufacturing process, including core creation, baking, coating, and quality control.

Comparison of Faber-Castell pencils with other brands, highlighting differences in texture and application.

A colored pencil artist's perspective on high-end brands and their blendability.

Faber-Castell's lightfastness testing and its impact on the price and longevity of their pencils.

Introduction to Calacatta marble and its high price compared to other marbles.

The challenging extraction process and the importance of miners' experience and precision.

The processing of Calacatta marble, including slicing, resinating, and polishing.

Reasons for Calacatta's high demand, including its rarity, luxury appeal, and timeless design.

Increasing demand for Calacatta marble and its environmental impact.

Handmade Cement Tiles: Moroccan Craftsmanship

The manual process of making cement tiles in Morocco, from pigment preparation to mold filling.

Factors influencing the price of cement tiles, including design complexity and production time.

The cost of cement tiles and its relation to the construction industry and global cement prices.

Growing popularity of cement tiles and their timeless appeal in interior design.

Installation process of cement tiles, highlighting its similarity to other tile installations.

Series 7 Paintbrushes: Kolinsky Sable and Expert Craftsmanship

History of Series 7 paintbrushes and the meticulous process of making them.

The skills and training required to make Series 7 brushes, emphasizing the role of women in the craft.

The high cost of kolinsky sable hair and its unique properties that make it ideal for paintbrushes.

Emphasis on quality and hand skills in the brush-making process.

Preservation of knowledge and skills through apprenticeships, highlighting the generational aspect of the craft.