By Lisa Arons
Jewellery (spelled jewelry in American English) refers to
ornamental devices worn by persons, typically made with gems and
precious metals. Costume jewelry is made from less valuable
materials. However, jewelry can and has been made out of almost
every kind of material. Examples include bracelets, necklaces,
rings, and earrings, as well as items like hair ornaments or
body piercing jewelry. Jewelry, particularly when made with
precious materials, is generally considered valuable and
desirable. Some cultures have a practice of keeping large
amounts of wealth stored in the form of jewelry. Jewelry can
also be symbolic, as in the case of Christians wearing a
crucifix in the form of jewelry, or, as is the case in many
Western cultures, married people wearing a wedding ring. And
what can symbolize love and, of course, the wedding ceremony
more than a diamond?
Diamonds are graded by four characteristics: cut, carat
(weight), clarity, and color. All four of these properties
determine how much a diamond is worth.
Cut – What is the proportion of the diamond? Round brilliant
diamonds are commonly cut with 58 facets. The better
proportioned these facets are on the diamond, the more light
will be reflected back to the viewer’s eye. This is extremely
important. When cut properly, the diamond will sparkle more.
Diamond cuts are measured by the table percentage, so always ask
for it. Cut also refers to the shape such as: round, pear, and
oval.
Carat – How big is the diamond? Larger diamonds often cost more
per carat due to their size. There are 100 points to a carat.
Hence a 50 point diamond is 1/2 a carat. (There are 5 carats to
a gram.)
Clarity – How clear is the stone? Clarity ranges from flawless
(perfect) to I (included). Here is a summary:
Color: Diamond colors generally range from D – X for white and
yellow diamonds. D is the whitest. Around S they become “Fancy”
yellow Diamonds. One can also find green, pink, red, blue and
brown diamonds – though these are usually irradiated.
Diamonds are often treated. If you are concerned about getting
true value for your money, know what you are getting. Be sure to
read the fine print.
Diamonds with inclusions are sometimes filled with glass to
make them appear clearer. An inclusion is an imperfection
internal to the diamond. Filler can be damaged by heat,
ultrasonic cleaning, and by re-tipping. The filling does not
repair the inclusion, it just makes it less visible. They can be
painted to offset a yellow tinge. The paint wears off rather
quickly.
Finally, now that you have that precious stone, here are some
tips as to how to take care of it. Diamonds are often thought to
be unshatterable. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Diamonds
are brittle: If you hit a diamond hard, they WILL crack or chip
if mishandled. Don’t wear your diamond when doing rough work.
Storage: Store diamonds separately. When stored with other
jewelry, diamonds may scratch other jewelry (or each other).
Cleaning: The best method for cleaning is a jeweler’s polishing
cloth. Many jewelers will clean your diamond ring for free if
you are making another purchase in the store.
About the Author: Lisa Arons is a writer at
Beautiful-Earrings.com where you can find a variety of
articles and items including necklaces, rings and bracelets.
Visit www.beautiful-earrings.com for additional jewelry
information and merchandise.
Source: www.isnare.com
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By James Brown
When I think of beads I think of Africa – South Africa to be
exact. There is nothing the Zulu can’t make with beads. They sit
in Durban, next to the sea on the sidewalk, and the work their
miracles with beads: Long beads, thin beads, round beads, small
beads, and large beads – Beads of every shape or size. Some
beads go into the making of placemats, table mats, doormats or
pot covers. Most beads, though, go into the making of Jewelry,
and most go into the making of bead earrings.
The Western world also has a history with beads. Neanderthal
man is the earliest we find in bead history. These were
discovered in France and dated back as far as 38 000 BCE. They
were pendants and earrings made from grooved teeth and bones.
Other findings include prayer beads dated back to the Middle
Ages which are still in use in the Roman Catholic Church today.
Also, the “eye bead” was used to meet the age-old need for
“protection against evil” – Which is where the saying “evil eye”
comes from. The “eye beads” served as protective amulets as it
looks like there are eyes on the beads that can see in every
direction. They encourage those who look at them to look away
from the person who is wearing it and keep him/her safe. In
archaeological findings, beads are one of the most common items
found in ancient graves, showing that beads have always been
popular.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries Venetian and
Bohemian factories traded glass in Africa through middle men.
Here they were worked by Africans into jewelry and sold again,
being exported back to the Western World. Europeans exchanged
glass beads for almost anything, from beaver pelts in North
America, to spices in Indonesia, and then for gold, ivory and
slaves in Africa. In Africa, beads are an important part of a
communication. In all African societies, adornment, mostly with
beads, communicate cultural values. These values are portrayed
as a type of symbolic language that shows rank, religion,
politics and artistic outlook on life.
In India, the history of jewelry goes back over 5000 years to
the prehistoric past. In different regions of India there are
styles that are unique to each region. Some work mainly in
silver, some use the delicate art of enameling, the temple
jewelry concentrate on the setting of semi-precious or precious
stones in gold and they are now world famous. The wide variety
of silver beads found all over India are also well known.
In India jewelry is made for practically every part of the body
in a great variety of ornaments. This ensured that the jewelers
and craftspeople of India became very skillful in designing and
making Jewelry. Indian jewelry consist of nose rings, earrings,
bracelets, tiaras, rings, anklets, amulets and necklaces, in any
metal and styles. In some regions designs are inspired by
nature. In other regions, gold is used to craft long funnel
shaped beads which are used with shells, animal claws and teeth
and precious and semi-precious stones. Jewelry is crafted not
only for humans but also for the Gods, which is why Indian
jewelry is so excellent. In the Western world we take the Bead
for granted, but when we truly think of their use they become
part of a story in our history that reflects the past and
present, and also our future.
Today you find beads wherever you go. In Africa, you find them
in every marketplace. In New Zealand, there is an online
wholesale bead shop called “Bead Gallery.” You only need to do
an online search to find beads in your area.
Now that you know the history of the bead, wear your fashion
bead earrings knowing they come from a rich history.
About the Author: James Brown writes about
www.simplybestcoupons.com
Source: www.isnare.com
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By Glen B. Porter
For some reason when I think of bamboo, I think of torches. Now
maybe that’s because the material is large in my mind. This
favorite treat of the Panda bear closely brings images of Safari
adventures as well as the Orient to mind. Come to think of it, I
really never considered bamboo earrings as a possibility.
Though, they are quite possible and extremely attractive.
Currently both natural fabrics and natural colors are hot. The
perfect accessories to match up to your relaxed natural attire
are bamboo earrings that bring the earthy colors together
seamlessly. Earthy tones reveal a laid back style that is all
the rage today amongst both the young and the old.
In general, the attractiveness of the earthy styles may reflect
our common interest in the earth. We are continually becoming
more and more conscious of significant issues like global
warming, pollution and fossil fuels. The drive for a “green”
collective unconscious may be a sign of the emerging popularity
of bamboo earrings also. This jewelry captures the attitude of
the earth-minded population.
Though you may not believe that there is a link between hybrid
automobiles and bamboo earrings but there just may be. More than
often we wear our hearts on our sleeves and our conscious on
bodies. The bamboo earrings hold an earthy quality that they
resemble their own element. In other words they look like
bamboo.
There has been a constant drive for hybrid automobiles, which
in turn reflects emerging interest in nature along with
society’s emerging concern for keeping things natural. Bamboo
earrings reflect our interest in keeping nature pure as they do
not come out to be processed like gold or silver jewelry.
Additionally the natural material communicates a harkening back
to using the pure elements in their novel state rather than
distorting and processing the earth’s resources to our
advantage. Though this may be quite a stretch, it does not make
quite a bit of sense. We are beginning to pack away the glitter
and we are starting to pull out the cotton. Accent jewelry like
bamboo earrings blend much better with cotton than with glitter.
One will notice that these bamboo earrings maintain their
original state. Though, they are covered with a protective glaze
that gives them a look of sheen and they are shaped to suit
quite a few tastes. Bamboo earrings aren’t always poker
straight; they can be shaped into either hearts or hoops to
match with the emerging rage in clothing.
This cool earthy attire can be found on TV through Old Navy
advertisements that prides itself of having the latest in
natural colors and designs. Of course, the perfect pair of
bamboo earrings would pull the look together, naturally.
About the Author: Glen B. Porter provides readers with
up-to-date commentaries, articles, and reviews for
www.the-fashion-magazine.com,
www.all-recreation-resource.com as well as other related
information.
Source: www.isnare.com
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By Catherine Olivia
Today all we see splashed all over the internet, magazines and
television are visions of famous people like Paris, Britney, and
Lindsay carrying the hottest designer bags and wearing the best
clothes and shoes. While Paris and Britney and Lindsay probably
get a lot of their clothing, handbags and shoes for free from
the designers just so they’ll wear them (there isn’t any better
advertising for a designer),you and I have to pay $1000 for that
BE&D handbag that they carry, and those Tag jeans worn by
Jessica Simpson will cost you at least $200.
If you desire to carry a designer handbag but can’t handle the
cost the place for you to visit is Bag, Borrow or Steal. They
have wide array of designer handbags which they rent out
monthly, or for however long you want. You can choose handbags
from dozens of top designers such as Dooney & Bourke, Perlina,
Salvatore Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton and Chanel. These bags are
guaranteed to arrive to you in like new condition, and you
decide how long you carry it. Just like Lindsay and Paris and
Britney you can carry the designer bag of your dreams. Imagine
how envious your friends will be when they see you carrying a
Fendi bag one month and a Yves Saint Laurent bag the next.
Another thing to remember is that there are plenty of clothing
options out there that are reasonably priced and just as
fashionable as their high-priced designer label counterparts. If
you have the pocketbook to shop at eluxury that’s a wonderful
thing, but if you don’t there are lots of alternatives for you.
Stores such as Carabella, Lew Magram, Avenue and Monterey Bay
have wonderful women’s fashions for a fraction of the cost of
high-end designers. A fairly recent arrival on the fashion scene
is the House of Dereon. The fashions from the House of Dereon
are classic and multi-generational. Their fashions would look
good on any 20-something, 30-something, 40-something and even on
a fashionable 50-something.
About the Author: To learn more about Women’s Fashions please
visit www.fashionblast.net
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