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Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning jewelry. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Pendant Necklace
February 2, 2008
Champagne: How the World’s Most Glamorous Wine Triumphed over War and Hard Times, by Don & Petie Kladstrup, is one of those lovable books that entertain while informing and educating. Despite all the historical facts one learns from reading this book, the contents are not straight-laced or highbrow, but they contain real-life vineyard stories of human interest, the intricacies in the life of champagne as it evolved into the most glamorous drink, and colorful descriptions of the Champagne region.
The history of the Champagne region is conscientiously noted from the First Crusade and the times of the Huns, to the end of World War II, to our day when the writers walk through the Oise-Aisne American cemetery. In this cemetery, the poet Joyce Kilmer is buried as well as many American soldiers and the writers visit a chapel here, inside which the names of fallen soldiers whose bodies were never recovered are carved in marble. Since this region has become so closely connected to US history, reading this book brought its subject even closer to this American’s heart.
Before the First Crusade, Champagne used to be a wool region where wool-trading was the most significant business. With the First Crusade, Champagne region evolved into a hub for trade routes, replacing the quiet countryside that it was earlier. During this time, the church took control of the region, which led to the invention of champagne.
It was the monk Dom Perignon who became the inventor of champagne. Dom Perignon improved wine-making by adding bubbles to the wine through the use of yeast. Those bubbles made Champagne the drink of all history; the oddity was that Dom Perignon, all through his life, tried to find a way to keep the bubbles out of the wine after adding the yeast. Later, Napoleon’s conquering armies introduced this new wine to the world.
Among the most interesting parts of the book for me were the fight over champagne as armies ran over the region and drank up its reserves and supplies, the smuggling of champagne into Russia and the United States during the Prohibition, and the Damascus rose that became the symbol of the region with its image etched–without thorns–into buildings’ fa?ades and printed on anything printable.
The introduction, This Hallowed Soil, reads like poetry at places, and the style of writing and diction is sincere, simple, and relaxed throughout the book. Following the introduction are nine chapters, an epilogue, author notes, bibliography and acknowledgements.
Black and white reproductions of paintings, drawings and photos of the figures important to champagne’s history add a special touch to this 286-page, hardcover book in its middle. The ISBN for the book is 0060737921.
The authors, Don and Petie Kladstrup, are journalists. They have a previous book ‘Wine and War: The French, the Nazis, and the Battle for France’s Greatest Treasure,’ which was released in 2002. Donald Kladstrup, a foreign correspondent for ABC and CBS television news, is the winner of three Emmys and the Alfred I. DuPont–Columbia University, Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, and Overseas Press Club of America awards for journalism. His wife, Petie Kladstrup, is a freelance writer who writes about France and French life.
Read the book. I loved it.
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Joy Cagil is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/
which is a site for Writers
Her portfolio can be found at http://www.Writing.Com/authors/joycag
January 30, 2008
What do denim, a white shirt and the ?little black dress? have in common? Each is easy to wear and can be worn by everyone. Classic material and designs make these pieces essential in the wardrobes of young and old. If you are lucky enough to discover a well-made vintage example, don?t pass it up.
Denim
The word Denim originated from, ?de Nimes?, a little town in the south of France, where the cloth was originally woven and dyed indigo. In 1850, Levi Strauss started supplying gold miners with pants made of denim. The waist overalls Strauss created were so strong and durable they were nearly indestructible. These garments were nicknamed jeans.
The 1930?s saw an explosion of western movies, with Cowboys clad in jeans. During WWII, soldiers had sported jeans in their off duty time, taking the fad worldwide. After the war, new manufacturers of denim clothing entered the market, with Lee and Wrangler competing with Levi for popularity. The youth of the 1950?s loved jeans but the older crowd felt that it was a symbol of the rebel. This fuss assured the popularity of denim.
By the 1960?s, the free to wear what you want decade, most everyone liked them. In the 1970?s designers came out with the slim cut, boot cut, tight jean, baggy jean, hip-hugger, Capri length? the list goes on. Women established the denim jean as an essential and diverse garment. Adding a pair of heels transformed jeans into ultra feminine and sexy attire. And denim wasn?t just used for pants - skirts, dresses, jumpsuits, jackets, coats, vests and shirts became popular in the 1980?s.
The youth of the 1990?s rebelled. Not to be caught dead in something their parents were wearing, they turned to other fabrics and styles - cargo pants, khakis and branded sportswear. During this time, it wasn?t fashionable to shop in conventional jeans stores. The contradictory youth of the time, didn?t give up jeans altogether. They found aged, authentic, vintage jeans, discovered in markets, and second-hand stores as acceptable attire. Most likely something their parents once wore, years ago.
In the year 2000, denim jeans made a comeback with designers like Chanel, Chloe, Dior and Versace. Denim has been making an appearance for more than 150 years. With every return, it demonstrates its enduring and incredible versatility. Denim is genuine, straightforward and pure ? it shows that ?we are not trying to look good, we just do?.
The White Shirt
The modern white collared cotton shirt was born in the 1920?s when the Prince of Wales (later the Duke of Windsor) was seen everywhere in a shirt with soft turned down collars. The previous decades of stated stiff, high, detachable collars were gone for good. It was much better to appear to be able to afford a fresh clean shirt everyday rather than just a fresh clean collar. At this time, the white shirt went with business suits, not casual wear.
In the 1950?s the white shirt made its appearance as a button down style collared shirt. Women began wearing oversized men?s white shirts with pedal pusher jeans and saddle back shoes. Even though trendsetters like Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn sported their crisp white shirts, women still tended to chose more feminine, fancy and printed blouses. In the 1970?s the white collared shirt, which went well with the preppy skirts and pantsuits of the era, became a necessity in everyone?s wardrobe.
With an abundance of styles to choose from, the white shirt remains a wardrobe staple, you can wear with just about anything. Like denim, the plain white collared shirt says, ?you don?t have to look good, you just do.?
The Little Black Dress
Always simple, elegant, sexy and of course black - the little black dress is an essential item for all ladies. A must have in every closet.
The debut of the term ?the little black dress? was by Coco Chanel, in a 1920?s Vogue magazine. Black was previously reserved for funerals and periods of mourning. Truly simple and sexy, Chanel?s design was a sleeveless sheath cut just above the knee. Chanel summed up the fashion of the little black dress when she stated, ?Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury.?
The little black dress endured through the 1940?s becoming the little wasp waist dresses of the 1950?s. The famous knew a little black dress could be perfect for most occasions. Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 film, ?Breakfast at Tiffany?s? wore a sleeveless Givenchy shift. She continued wearing the same shift to cocktails parties and even on a visit to Sing Sing? looking perfect on every occasion.
The little black dress is always sexy, whether it is a simple sleeveless satin sheath or a slip dress. Usually slimming, when selecting your little black dress, do choose the silhouettes that most flatter your body type. It can be a chemise from the 1920?s or a sheath from the 1960?s. Look for simple tailoring with fine details and luxurious fabrics. Again, ?The Little Black Dress? says, ?you don?t have to look good, you just do.?
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Karen Richards grew up surrounded by collections of all kinds. She inherited her love of anything with a history from her parents who have collected and dealt in antiques for over half a century. Her passion is vintage fashions and catalogues. She owns The Cats Meow- Classics in Vintage Clothing and Accessories a great place to find that one of a kind quality garment ? gently used, vintage, vintage inspired and designer clothing. Visit her online at www.catsmeowclassics.com.
January 29, 2008
Blue sapphire engagement rings have been known to be preferred by royalty because the blue sapphire stone is even more rare than a diamond and is almost as hard. This is a nice factoid to share with your number one queen as you slip a blue sapphire engagement ring on her ring finger. Blue sapphires come in a range of shades from a light to deep blue. The blue color is due to the level of titanium in the stone: the more titanium, the richer the color. However, too much color can actually create a dull black effect, reducing the price of the stone.
Most blue sapphires are found in Sri Lanka, Burma, and Madagascar. Burmese sapphires tend to cost more than those from Sri Lanka and Madagascar due to their brilliant color. Kashmir blue sapphires are the most rare and expensive of all as the supply found in a remote region of India was exhausted around a 100 years ago, thus escalating price and demand.
Prices for blue sapphires depend on whether or not they’ve been treated (with untreated costing much more) as well as color, cut, tone (lightness or darkness of stone), saturation (degree to which hue is hidden by other shades), and clarity. One carat blue sapphires can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.
Buy your ruby engagement rings with pride! Don’t let anyone tell you that diamonds are better as engagement rings. Only you and your potential spouse should decide what fits in with your style, taste, and budget……..not popular opinion…. or your future mother-in-law. Besides, you can always tell the nay-sayers that large rubies are even more rare than diamonds. Rubies belong to the corundum family. Any other color besides red from this family is considered a sapphire. Rubies are almost as hard as diamonds. Diamonds are considered a ‘10′ on the hardness scale while rubies come in at a 9. Rubies have somewhat less clarity than other gemstones and tend to have at least some small inclusions. Most rubies are heat-treated to improve their color, but stones in their natural form do exist. Cushion cut and oval rubies are the most common shape. Burmese rubies are considered to be the most desirable.
You may be able to save money by purchasing a ruby with a slightly off-shade i.e. a little bit lighter or darker than what is considered ideal… a vivid red color. You can also save some dough by purchasing synthetic versus natural rubies. Rubies belong to the corundum family. Any other color besides red from this family is considered a sapphire.
Rest assured that buying opal engagement rings for your partner will not bring them bad luck but perhaps even the opposite. Concerning the opal gemstone superstition, some still feel that it is bad luck to purchase an opal for oneself, but good luck if someone else gives one to you. Throughout history there have been negative connotations associated with opals. Interestingly enough, it is said that the diamond dealers became nervous in the 18th and 19th century about the beatiful gemstone stealing away diamond customers and further perpepuated stereotypes of the opal to prevent this from happening. The powers that be tried hard to defeat this bad luck urban legend when huge amounts of opals were found in Australia.
I personally love opal engagement rings. With their rainbow hues, I just think opals are some of the prettiest stones around. The rainbow shades are oftened referred to as a ‘play of color.’ Most of the opal supply come from our Aussie friends in Southern Australia.
Here’s the science behind the opals. Opals are a noncrystalline form of the mineral silica which are formed from amorphous ‘balls’ or ‘lumps’ of silica. In other words, water in the ground carrying dissolved silica seeps through sand and dirt, where the silica particles are deposited in cracks. As the water evaporates, the silica particles cement together to form the opal. The color is caused by the diffraction of light. Where the tiny spheres of silica are of a similar size and arrangement, the light reflecting from them is divided into its spectral colors, and the stone appears to contain all the colors of the rainbow. Where the spheres are larger and less uniform, the range of color is more limited.
One of the major downfalls of opal engagement rings compared to diamonds is that opals are a much softer stone. While the diamond is considered to be a 10 on the Mohs hardness sclae, the opal rates between a 5 and a 6. This means that over time, it is possible for the opal to break and you must be careful to treat it with care and look for a ring setting that best preserves its integrity (i.e. semi-bezel is a good choice).
Opals exhibit an impressive color range. They can be white, pink, green and blue, gray, or black. Australian boulder opals are the most durable of opals as well as the most robust in color. As a result, they are considered to be valuable and are pretty pricey Black opals are actually the most rare and expensive. They have a dark backdrop with a rainbow colors or deep blue-green hues. Fire opals, which have any color backdrop but exhibit an unusual amount of red color play are also fairly rare
There are a thousand legends and stories related to the opal gemstone.
The Ancient Greeks believed opals fell from heaven during flashes of lightning and provided individuals with the ability to see into the future.
The Romans thought that wearing opals made one more lucid in thought and spontaneous in action.
Can you believe this? In his play ‘Tweltfh Night,’ Shakespeare made use of the gemstone to make an analogy between the opal’s changing colors and the ever-changing moods of a woman. Hmmmmmmmm…….not sure if I like the comparison.
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The author just recently celebrated her one year anniversary and sports a beautiful ascher cut diamond on her ring finger. She and her husband put together http://ultimate-engagement-ring-guide.com to help you find the perfect engagement ring.
January 27, 2008
Mille Miglia 2002 Chronograph runs on an automatic movement with ETA caliber with Dubois Depraz chrono mode. It has 38 jewels and 40 hours of power reserve with COSC-certification for chronometer.
It uses stainless steel case with polished finishing. Its diameter is 40.5mm and has a thickness of 12.5mm. Its sapphire crystal is curved and treated with anti-reflective on both sides.
The caseback has the embossed Mille Miglia race run logo and a sapphire crystal showing the movement within. Its water resistance is up to 50m.
The dial is black and the subdials are decorated with circular beads. It has luminescent Arabic numerals as well as luminescent baton central hands that are rhodium-plated. The bezel is engraved with tachometer scaling.
There are three counters on the dial which are all silvered and decorated with circular beads. The counters indicate the small seconds at 3 (with the famous red arrow that indicates ?1000 Miglila?), the hour counter at 6, and the minute counter at 9.
Its second hands running around the center has a red arrow at its tip. The minute track with a 1/5 of a second division marked by luminescent triangular markers is printed on the dial. Its date display is located between 4 and 5.
It uses a very special rubber that has treading that resembles the Dunlop Racing tires used in the 1960s. It has steel clasp for its buckle. The other version available is the yellow gold comes in 250 pieces limited edition.
More information on Chopard
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Copyright 2006, Leroy Fong and Mens-Watches-Guide.com
Reprinting this article is allowed provided all references and acknowledgement to the author, the website, and the URL remain intact.
Leroy Fong
Mens Watches Guide | Wrist Watches for Men | Mens Dress Watches
January 26, 2008
Looking to buy watches online? We can help! Once you have located the exact model and brand you want, how do you know if the merchant you are dealing with is reliable and will deliver the good. Most importantly how do you know if the watches especially the higher-end ones are genuine but not replicas.
Approved By Accredited Body
The oldest but the most safest way is to speak to a friend whom you know who have dealt with the merchant but even better than this and the testimonials posted on the merchant’s site is through the endorsements done by 3rd parties, such as accredited bodies namely, BBB Online.
BBBOnline is a subsidiary of the more well known Better Business Bureaus. As of this writing, BBBOnline has over 27,000 website merchants that are enrolled into their Safe Shopping program to identify trustworthy businesses on the web.
A merchant who is enrolled into this program has basically met the minimum requirement of operating 1 year in business, a satisfactory complaint handling record, provides verified information on the company ownership and management with street address and telephone number at which they conduct their business.
Return Policy
Another way to ensure the watches you purchased is in good working condition is by checking out the merchant’s return policy. Typically a 14-30 day return policy is not uncommon. On your end to make the return a smooth one, you should ensure the product is unused and make sure all materials are returned and this includes, manual, box, and warranty card.
Take special note that shipping charges are not refundable and there is usually a 5% restocking fee if you are exchanging for another watch instead. If the watch is faulty, a good merchant should cover the cost of shipping the replacement items to you.
Fraud Protection
Web security is an often overlook feature by most consumers. To ensure that your payment details are not stolen by unscupulous hackers, make sure the merchant you deal with has put in place at least one of the following protection mechanism on their ecommerce site such as VeriSign Secured, GeoTrust, CyberSource, Amex Fraud Protection or HackerSafe.
If you are still undecided about buying watches online and would like a summary of the merchants which you can buy watches online from, please visit http://www.Swiss-Watches-Guide.com Our findings will help you even if you are not buying swiss watches. We have done the due diligence based on pricing, availability of models, reliability and customer experience to arrive at the following merchants for your purchase convenience.
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Copyright Statement
This article was written by James Lam and may be reproduced on any jewelery-related website provided this copyright statement is displayed unedited in its entirety at the foot of the article and you use the exact same HTML code to ensure a clickable link back to the author’s site. Further articles are also available. Contact the author for more information.
Copyright ? http://www.Swiss-Watches-Guide.com
January 24, 2008
Jewelry has become a popular seller online in recent years, so you’re bound to see thousands of designs while shopping for jewelry on the Web. How do you choose what type of jewelry and where to buy it? It’s easy with this free shopping guide.
Types of Jewelry
Finding the right type of jewelry involves several factors: favorite designs or styles, colors and size of the jewelry.
Matching Jewelry with Your Outfit
Everyone has his or her favorite jewelry designs or styles. Whether it’s silver or gold, costume jewelry or any other type, there are thousands of designs to choose from. Let’s start with stones. Stones are used in rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and even body jewelry. There are real diamonds, birthstones, cubic zirconium, crystal stones, gems, pearls, black onyx and many others. Some jewelry has multiple stones while some uses only one stone. Stones might represent one color or come in a blend of colors.
Choose stones that match the colors in your clothing for maximum appeal. But don’t stop there! You can also choose stones to match the occasion. Pearls are beautiful for formal gatherings, but not so much for a ball game! On the other hand, a black onyx necklace or bracelet would go beautifully with a business suit or formal attire.
Another part of design to consider is how the jewelry is presented against clothing or the skin. Do you like jewelry to ‘hang’ loosely or lay flat? Do you like necklaces to be long, short (against the neck) or somewhere in between? The best way to find out is to try on several pieces of jewelry to see what looks best on you. If possible, wear your matching outfit when you go shopping for jewelry. This enables you to match the jewelry to your outfit right there in the store! If ordering online, hold your outfit near the photo of the jewelry on your computer screen to get a match. It really works!
Theme Jewelry
Theme jewelry is very popular today as well. Choose themes for the occasion or just to express your likes. Some jewelry themes include:
*Animals (cows, birds, snakes, cats, frogs, rabbits, elephants, leopards, etc.)
*Nature (trees and flowers)
*Holidays (Christmas, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving)
*Patriotic
*Funny (clowns, jokers, sayings
*Religious (crosses, emblems)
Jewelry Gifts
When shopping for jewelry gifts, observe the jewelry the recipient wears to get an idea of the styles they like. Consider the recipient’s age. Is he/she an adult, teen or young child? Shopping online enables you to search for jewelry by category: Women’s Jewelry, Men’s Jewelry, Children’s Jewelry, and Teen Jewelry. This makes it much easier to sift through thousands of jewelry products.
Online Shopping Tips
When searching for jewelry on the Web, be sure to narrow your search to the types of jewelry you like. Use the styles and themes mentioned above to narrow your search. It’s even better if you can find an online mall and search for jewelry all in one place. These malls offer categorized jewelry items with photos for easy shopping.
Don’t be shy of malls that offer other products. These usually divide their jewelry into one convenient section. You can even do your other online shopping while there. Many of the online malls offer a variety of products, including electronics, cell phones, outdoor supplies, sporting goods, computer supplies, collectibles and many others.
Shopping for jewelry has never been easier. With online resources, you can find jewelry for yourself or gifts for others in no time!
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Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Learn more about At-Home Shopping Guide for Jewelry or Majon’s Jewelry directory.
January 23, 2008
If you’re pressed for time during the holiday season, you can find all the gifts you need at an Internet shopping mall. Many holiday shoppers are turning to Internet shopping malls as an alternative to department stores. Why? They can do their shopping online from home or work (during break, of course), and they can buy many of their holiday gift items at only one website. This leaves more time to spend with family and friends, and less time to worry about when they’re going to get their holiday gift shopping done. You can do the same! Just use the tips below.
Finding a Dependable Internet Shopping Mall
To find a great place to shop online, use the search engines for starters. You can search specifically for an Internet shopping mall or for specific holiday gift items you’ll need. For example, if you need to buy a backpack for a friend who loves to hike, search for ‘backpacks mall’ or a similar phrase. If you plan to buy a new computer for your spouse, search for ‘computers mall’ or a similar phrase. The same goes for other holiday gifts such as digital cameras, luggage, IPods, radios, portable DVD players, phones, lingerie, etc.
Once you locate an Internet shopping mall, take time to look around at all the mall’s merchandise. Ask yourself these questions:
*Does the mall offer plenty of products so you’ll have a variety of choices?
*Does the mall have secure ordering?
*How much are shipping costs, or will the site combine shipping for multiple orders?
*Are there any hidden processing fees when you order?
*Does the mall offer quality brand names?
If you feel comfortable after answering these questions, then it’s time to shop!
Shopping Around
Searching for products at an Internet shopping mall is fairly easy. Most malls offer a general search or advanced search that enables you to locate products easily. For example, if you want to buy pet supplies, simply type in ‘pets or pet supplies’ in the search box. If you plan to buy a portable DVD player as a holiday gift for your loved one, type in ‘portable DVD player.’ It’s that simple.
General Categories
Maybe you’re not sure which holiday gift you want to buy. The great news is that many Internet shopping malls have their items categorized for easy shopping. You can browse categories such as ‘Electronics,’ ‘Pet Supplies,’ ‘Lingerie,’ etc. This enables you to narrow your search to specific types of products. You may still browse through hundreds or thousands of products in one particular category, giving you many possibilities for holiday gifts.
One you find the Internet shopping mall that’s right for you, just sit back and relax as you shop for holiday gifts. Take your time, look around, and enjoy being home while shopping. It beats fighting the holiday crowds any day!
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Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Learn more about Gifts at Internet Shopping Malls or Majon’s Shopping - General directory.
6 Rules for Avoiding Ripoffs and Finding a Great Stone at a Good Price
Are there great bargains in gemstones on the internet, as many people claim? Or it as risky as the tourist who buys gems on the street in Bangkok, hoping to sell them at a profit back home, only to find out he’s bought worthless glass?
The simple answer is that some buyers of gemstones on the internet do get ripped off, or at the very least, get less than they paid for. But at the same time, experienced buyers routinely find excellent buys ? perhaps not the fantastic bargains that some claim, but choice and value that far exceed what they can find in retail outlets where they live.
So what do you need to know to buy gemstone online? Do you need to be a gemologist in order to tell the fake stones from the real? What about all the gem treatments that people talk about — heating and ‘cooking’ of gems? How can you tell whether a gem has been treated? Or does it really matter?
Here are 6 rules that will help you become a successful buyer. Follow them faithfully and your chances of finding excellent values in gemstones online will be as good as the experienced buyers who had to learn the hard way.
1. Know why you?re buying
There are 3 main reasons why people buy gemstones ? because they are collectors, or because they are investors, or because they want a lovely stone to set in a piece of jewelry.
If you’re an investor, you want a gemstone that will appreciate in value so you can sell it for a profit later. Our advice: don’t even think about buying an investment-grade gemstone on the internet. The stones that appreciate most are rare stones, and rare stones are expensive (we’re talking tens of thousands of dollars). Find reputable dealers near your home and establish a business relationship. Insist on lab certifications to protect your investment. And good luck. As much as we love gemstones, we think we’ll stick with mutual funds for our retirement.
If you’re a collector, you might want to buy stones on the internet. There are many reasons to collect gems, just like collecting cars or stamps. A collector might aim for breadth in his collection, and try to collect samples of all the different varieties of gemstones. Or he might focus on one gem and collect sapphires from all the different regions where they’re mined (Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Madagascar, Tanzania, etc.). The possibilities are endless.
The collector usually has a shopping list, so the internet is a very good way for him to locate items for his collection from many different dealers. Of course if he is looking for very rare items, he becomes more like the gem investor ? as soon there are very large amounts of money on the line, the rules change. Then he’s better off dealing in person with dealers near his home.
Finally, we have the most typical buyer ? someone who is looking for a very nice stone to have set in a custom piece of jewelry. This includes craftspeople who are making jewelry, either for their friends or as a small business. If you’re willing to spend a little time, you can find a tremendous choice of gems and many excellents values online. But you need have some idea of what you want. If you don’t make a list of requirements you’ll be overwhelmed by the variety of gemstones, colors and shapes. You need to focus on specific gems and educate yourself about the specific kind of stone you want to buy.
2. Know what you want
So what do you want this gemstone for? A ring? A pendant? Earrings? It’s an important question because some gemstones are suitable for some ‘applications’ but not for others. Every gemstone has a hardness rating (on a scale of 1 to 10). Some stones are very hard (like diamond, ruby and sapphire) and some are quite soft (like opal, sphene and fluorite). Softer stones are not suitable for rings, because rings typically take a lot of knocks and scrapes. But softer stones are fine for pendants or pins or earrings, where they are less likely to be damaged.
Next, think about your preference for gem type, color, shape and size. If you have your heart set on a sapphire, that makes your search easier. But if you know only that you want a brilliant red-orange stone for a pendant, you want to narrow your search to a group of gems, such as citrine, fire opal and garnet.
Finally, decide how much you?re willing to spend. Attractive natural gems come in all price ranges, from $5 to thousands. You’re not going to find a nice sapphire or ruby for $5, but you can find many beautiful stones in the garnet and quartz families, for example, for very affordable prices (under $25).
The key to a successful buy is getting the best possible stone for the best price. It’s all about value.
But it’s not just about buying the best possible sapphire, for example, that you can buy for $300. The fact is, the sapphire that meets that description might not be the right thing for you at all. The best sapphire for $300, based on gemological critieria, might be only 1/4 of a carat! But you may be looking for a stone of at least 1 carat for a ring. So it’s a question of what you can find that meets all your criteria. The gemological critieria are actually only one factor in this buying decision. You need to buy the best stone for you.
3. Know who you’re buying from
Five years ago it was hard to find online gemstone dealers. Now there are thousands of them. Who can you trust? Who has the best prices? Who ships reliably? Who has a fair return policy?
These days there are many online gemstone companies who are honest and reliable and sell quality product. If they’re not, they don’t stay in business very long. Negative information travels fast in the global internet village and good companies guard their reputation as much as they do their bottom line. So selecting a reputable company is extremely important. Check the search engines for negative comments on companies you’re considering ? if their customers have been unhappy, you’ll find plenty of references.
Here’s a short list of what to look for:
* Does the dealer provide his company name, physical address, phone, fax and email? Don’t deal with someone who tries to hide his identity.
* Has the dealer has been in business for at least a few years? Bad companies rarely survive that long.
* Is the dealer committed to customer satisfaction? Some dealers just want to make a sale, but real businesses want you as a long term customer. It’s usually easy to tell the difference.
* Does the dealer provides photos and descriptions for each individual stone? Some dealers have stock photos and descriptions and can’t be bothered to photograph every stone. Don’t buy a stone without detailed information of that specific stone.
* Is the dealer forthcoming with information about gem treatments? An honest dealer will disclose all treatments. Does he provide lots of reference information so you can educate yourself about the gems he has for sale?
4. Use a safe payment method
Pay for online purchases with a payment method that offers you some consumer protection, such as a credit card or PayPal. Do not ever, repeat ever, pay by money order or wire transfer or any method that leaves you no recourse if you are unhappy with your purchase.
5. If you can’t return it, don’t buy it
Your best protection in any purchase is your ability to return the item for a full refund. Buying a gemstone on the basis of a photograph and a description is not foolproof, and if you’re not completely delighted with what you’ve bought, return it. If the dealer doesn’t have a ‘no questions asked’ return policy, buy from someone else. If the dealer stands behind his product, he’s unlikely to be trying to pull any fast ones on you. His money-back guarantee mean he’s very confident that you’ll be happy with your purchase. Beware of unreasonable restocking fees — anything over 5% is not really a money-back guarantee.
6. Understand the economics of the gems business
Use your economic common sense. The gemstone business is just like any other business ? people buy material, they add value to it, and then they find a way to reach the market. If the seller buys a lot of material, he gets it at a lower price. If the goods have to pass through many hands before they reach the consumer, then those goods are going to be more expensive. If the dealer has a lot of expenses ? high labor costs, a big marketing budget — you’re the one paying for it. Companies become successful when they are committed to their business and have many happy customers.
So what does all this wisdom mean for you? I can sum it up for you in this way:
* Buy close to the source. If you’re buying on the internet, your supplier is never further away than 3 days by air courier. So cut out the middlemen whenever possible.
* Buy from suppliers who have a significant stock ? it means they are volume buyers and have lower costs.
* Buy from a vendor who is committed to the online business. Check to see if new content is added regularily to his website, and if the gem stock is current. Don’t buy a gem unless the vendor can guarantee that the specific stone is in his stock.
OK, so you?re still a little worried, right? What about all those ripoffs? What about the fake stones and the heat treatments and all the technical stuff that gemologists go on about?
A large part of your problem is solved by choosing a reputable dealer. Reputable dealers don’t sell fake stones. As a business strategy, it’s simply stupid and risky. No one wants to put his whole business at risk for the sake of a little extra profit. Do be aware that there is a market for synthetic (i.e, lab-created) stones. In the case of a sapphire, for example, this is a not a fake stone ? it’s real corundum, the same stuff as a genuine sapphire ? but it’s not a ‘natural’ stone. A dealer selling such a stone will always label it as ’synthetic’.
As far as gem treatments are concerned, assume that the gems you are buying are treated, with heat or irradiation or chemicals or a combination. For the most part, these treatments are permanent and do not affect the physical integrity of the stone. It’s a fact of the gem business today that most gems are routinely treated to improve color. It’s the reason why there are affordable gemstones at all in the market. If you?re buying a $10,000 ruby that the seller claims is untreated, then you need to get a lab certification on that gem before you pay that kind of money. We don’t recommend buying $10,000 rubies online. But when you?re buying a very nice sapphire for $300, you can be fairly sure that it’s a treated stone. What matters is that you find it beautiful, and that you’re delighted with the the final result.
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Ron Nash
GemSelect www.gemselect.com
January 18, 2008
Clothes can tell what is inside a person’s head; it depicts the personality and character of a person. There was a time when people wore animal skin and covered their bodies with leaves and god knows what. Clothing trends have experienced centuries of revolutions. The general trend that the world experiences right now is uncomplicated. The essence is the same throughout whether you look eastward or westward. The same old pants, the same old shirts and the same old frocks and gowns. The same thing repeated over and over again with new styles.
This repetitive chain is broken away by a distinguished culture. African, Pakistani, Indian and a few others stand as odd ones out. People wear different kinds of clothes and they just don’t wear it to become distinguished, they have certain cultures and trends because of which they have to wear these kinds of clothes. The fact is that there are people who have mixed the clothing of different cultures and made them into one. You can see people in the eastern countries wearing all kinds of odd dresses. They have long gowns that they swathe themselves into and there are people now who have started wearing long shirts called kurtas over a pair of jeans. And then there are people you can see wearing turbans and head cover with their clothes instead of caps. They give you an impression of people living in deserts.
These dresses are called shalwar and kameez. They are similar for ladies and gents. When they have to attend weddings and certain traditional ceremonies they wear heavily laden dresses. These dresses are called ghagara choli. They are decorated with beads, laces, pearls and what not. And they are very attractive. They have a shirt and a long skirt with it. They even take a long decorated piece of cloth along with it and that is known as a dupatta.
The Asians are on their way towards dominating the fashion industry and they are succeeding in making their dresses universally known. What ever they wear appears to be odd but it is not odd in a bad way in fact these dresses are now even attracting the fashion designers from all over the world.
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