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Archive for April, 2010

“I’ll show you who’s boss!” is what the sight of lion jewelry says — no, roars! In a crowded room, the people most likely to shine out and be the lives of the party may well be wearing lion jewelry. These people are take-charge, charismatic and naturally the stars of the show — much like the lion in their accessories.

This is because people who choose lion jewelry are often strong-willed and proud types. They are also quite often leaders, so don’t be surprised if your high-powered corporate boss happens to be sporting a solid-gold lion’s head ring or pendant! People who wear lion jewelry don’t just do it for show — well, all right, maybe mainly for show. But they also send a message out to the world, and that message is “I’m in control!”

The lion motif in jewelry is frequently associated with the Western zodiac sign Leo. As with rabbit jewelry, it might be reasonable to assume that people sporting the lion motif were born under this zodiac sign. The Leo is dominant, spontaneous, creative and extroverted. They are most comfortable in a position of command. Leos are fun and effective communicators. They are gifted with the unique ability to shine out and take charge in any occasion.

Even in private, Leos like to be fussed over and given full attention. All eyes on the king! The worst thing you can do to a Leo loved one is to wound his or her pride, to belittle his or her achievements.

Leos are idealistic and single-minded — when they are dedicated to a cause, you will know it! They are good at drawing people into their circles, a whirlwind schedule of alternating charity parties and outreach events are nothing to them. They are adventurous, but they are by no means sloppy. Leos are known to suddenly plan getaways like backpacking across Europe — and they will accomplish it, even on a surprisingly small budget!

Add an extra sparkle to your Leo’s eyes with a surprise gift of lion jewelry. Or treat yourself to a few choice bracelets and rings, and feed the lion within!

If you are in search of a great e-commerce business, be sure to take a strong look at the wholesale jewelry business.  Since the advent of the internet more and more people are doing their shopping online.  This shopping includes people who are scouring the internet in search of quality jewelry at a great price.  The online market for wholesale jewelry companies has been increasing every year, and there is no end in sight.  People are in need of these products for work, their social wardrobe, or for gifts.  But before deciding to go into this business, be sure to do a lot of research.  It is important to know what you are getting yourself into before you start.

The first step to success would be to do some research on the companies that are currently selling online.  Take notes on what you like and do not like about their operation.  This way you can incorporate these ideas into your new business.  Next, attempt to contact the owners of these companies and ask about their finances.  See how much start-up money it took, and how long it was before they started to turn a profit.  Finally, take into consideration how you will get your name in front of prospective buyers.  Putting together a marketing plan can be one of the most important aspects of starting a wholesale jewelry business.

Overall, it is important to remember to do a lot of research before you start.  This research will provide you with ideas, as well as help you to avoid any unwanted mistakes.

Why Should I Buy Gold?

The world has been in love with gold ever since it was discovered. It is called a precious metal because it has a high economic value and is relatively scarce in relation to the level of demand for it. Gold was the standard in which the values of many currencies around the world were based until recently; because of confidence in its ability to hold it’s value over the long haul. At times of trouble, people always default to valuable portable property such as gold, diamonds and other valuable gems.

Gold has been the preferred metal for wedding rings in the west for a long time. It is very rare that couples exchange rings other than gold rings when getting married. In fact, in some Asian cultures, wealth is transferred unto the newlyweds in the form of gold jewelry.

Gold is very malleable and so has been the preferred metal for jewelers over centuries. It also does not rust or decay. If it gets dull, just applying a quick polish restores it’s luster and shine.

Gold is virtually indestructible and everlasting.

Gold keeps it’s value over time and is easily marketable
Gold is easy to work with so you will get the most beautiful jewelry made out of gold
Everybody loves gold.

What kind of Gold Should I Buy?
Before buying gold jewelry the most important thing to ask yourself is the reason why you are buying. This is important because it will help you determine how much to budget for your purchase, what quality and type of jewelry to buy and from where to buy it.

If you are only interested in buying a gold ring for fun, then you might not care too much about the quality of the ring or the supplier as long as it looks good on your finger. If, however, you are buying an engagement ring, an anniversary ring or a wedding ring, you had better pay more attention to the quality of the ring and the service you can expect from the supplier. A wedding ring, we hope, will be appreciated for a long time and you will want your partner to know that you put some thought into the selection of their ring. You want the perfect ring so you need to make sure that your supplier has a good return or exchange policy and that they are easily contactable.

There are different qualities and colors of gold used in jewelry. The different types of gold jewelry are determined by the metals mixed in with the pure gold, and whether the piece of jewelry is formed as a solid piece, plated or maybe hollow.

Gold Quality:
Pure gold does not rust or tarnish, and people that are allergic to some metals are rarely allergic to pure gold. However, pure gold is very soft and easily bendable. It is also very expensive. So to make it practical for jewelry that can be worn everyday it is mixed with different metals.

Gold jewelry is generally marked 18K, 14K, or 10K. The higher the Karat (k) the higher the percentage of pure gold to other metals in the jewelry.
· 24K gold is pure gold.
· 18K gold contains 18 parts gold and 6 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 75% gold.
· 14K gold contains 14 parts gold and 10 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 58.3% gold.
· 12K gold contains 12 parts gold and 12 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 50% gold.
· 10K gold contains 10 parts gold and 14 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 41.7% gold.

10K gold is the minimum karat that can be called “gold” in the United States. A high proportion of gold Jewelry is made in 10K gold.
European Markings:
Jewelry from Europe may be marked is a different manner with numbers that indicate their percentage of gold like this:
· 18K gold is marked 750 to indicate 75% gold
· 14K gold is marked 585 for 58.5%
· 12K gold is marked 417 for 41.7%

Genuine gold jewelry should have, in addition to the karat marking, a hallmark or trademark that identifies its maker. Sometimes the item’s country of origin might also be included. The hallmark or country of origin may sometimes be left out in very small and delicate pieces of Jewelry.

Colors of Gold:
Pure gold is, of course, gold in color. However, gold can be made into jewelry of different and exciting colors by adding different metals to it. When other metals are added to pure gold the result is called an alloy. Any gold alloy from18K, down to 10K can still be called solid gold. Anything less that 10k is not solid gold.
White Gold: Created by adding Palladium or Nickel to pure gold.
Rose Tint Gold: Created by adding copper to pure gold.
Greenish Cast Gold: Created by adding silver to pure gold

Gold Coated Jewelry
Applying a coating of gold on lesser value metals has always been a way of producing jewelry that looks as valuable as gold but not as expensive to manufacture. This is OK as long as the buyer is aware that the piece of jewelry they are buying is not SOLID gold and as long as they are also aware of the quality of the plating.
Gold Filled Jewelry:
Gold filled jewelry is usually 14k gold heavy-layered over sterling silver. More recent gold-filled jewelry have markings that indicate how much and what type of gold was used for the layer. A marking that says 1/20 12K G.F. means that the jewelry is at least 1/20th 12K gold by weight. Gold filled jewelry generally retain their coating longer than gold plated jewelry.
Gold Plated Jewelry:
The gold layer in gold plated jewelry is usually thinner than the gold in gold-filled jewelry. This means that the goal plating usually wears away more quickly. However, all gold plating is not the same. Some will be thicker and more even than others and thus may provide you with long lasting true gold finish, sometimes comparable to gold-filled jewelry.

Dangers to Watch out for
Gold plated jewelry can provide a great deal of satisfaction and joy to the buyer as long as they know what they are buying. It is unfortunate, but there are still unscrupulous people out there that try to pass off gold plated jewelry as solid gold. The only way to protect yourself from this is to look carefully at the markings on the jewelry; observe the color; feel the weight in relation to the size of the jewelry; and most importantly, know whom you are buying your jewelry from. If you’re not sure take an expert with you when buying.

So Now You’re Ready To Take The Step
When buying gold always aim to buy solid gold if your budget allows. This will last you a lifetime, many lifetimes actually. Anything from 10k to 22k or 24K is good.
If you are allergic to nickel or other metals then you should aim to buy the higher karat gold jewelry such as 18k or 22k gold. It will cost more but you can offset this by buying a smaller piece of jewelry or by buying fewer pieces and only buying ones with higher pure gold content. Your skin is still your most important and valuable piece of jewelry and you should treat it accordingly.
Gold plated and gold-filled jewelry is great for fashion jewelry that will not be subject to heavy usage. And oh yes, try not to wear your gold plated or gold filled jewelry when washing up or using any form of detergents. Although not as valuable or durable, gold plated and gold filled jewelry are cheaper and can last for years if treated kindly.
When wearing Jewelry always remember that a confident and happy wearer can make almost any piece of Jewelry look more beautiful and valuable.

A Diamond is a crystalline form of carbon. A diamonds hardness and high dispersion of light makes it particular useful for industrial applications and in jewelery. Diamonds are specifically renowned as a mineral with superlative physical qualities. Thus making them great abrasives because they can only be scratched by other diamonds. This feature also means they hold a polish extremely well and retain luster. Approximately 120 million carats, 25 000 kilograms of diamond are mined annually. These diamonds have a with a total value of nearly nine billion united states dollars.

“diamond”, the name, comes from an ancient Greek word that means “impossible to tame”. Treasured as a gem ever since their use as religious icons in India almost 2,500 years ago. “Diamond’s are a girl’s best friend”. They have been widely used in drill bits and engraving tools dating back to early human history for their physical properties. Due to improved cutting and polishing techniques the popularity of diamonds has gone up since the early 19th century. Almost 4 times the amount of natural diamonds are produced syntheticly each year. These synthetic diamonds are typically classified with poor-quality specimens and as a result are suitable only for industrial-grade use.

The majority of natural diamonds come from central and southern Africa. On the other wise of that though, significant sources of the mineral have been discovered in Russia, Canada, Brazil, and Australia. Generally, diamonds are mined from volcanic pipes. Volcanic pipes are deep in the Earth where the high pressure and temperature enables the formation of the crystals. Subject to frequent controversy, the mining and distribution of natural diamonds, has raised large concerns over the sale by African paramilitary groups.

As previosuly mentioned, humans have been able to adapt diamonds for many uses because of their extraordinary physical characteristics. The most recognized of all these properties, is a diamond’s extreme hardness.

If you are fond of vintage items, you don’t have to depend entirely on your ancestors to acquire a few of these heirlooms. Heirloom-quality jewelry from the Victorian, Edwardian, art deco and other periods is now readily available. When you wish to gift a rare piece of jewelry to your beloved, choose a unique vintage item that she will preserve for the rest of her life. Antique jewelry, a term applied to jewelry over a hundred years old, is now a favorite with the prospective brides, too. With everything that is old now coming back into fashion, most brides walking down the aisle are adorning vintage jewelry with pride.

Among the jewelry pieces that you can pick up are antique engagement rings, studded necklaces, bracelets, brooches, crosses, pendants, lockets and other extraordinary pieces of timeless art and beauty.

These antique jewelry pieces come to you through antique jewelry auctions, fairs and sales that are frequented by the jewelers to bring you pieces of extraordinary charm and elegance. Some of the jewelers also specify the age of the antique jewelry on display. For instance, some may claim to keep pieces from 1900 to 1950 (Edwardian, art deco and retro jewelry), and some may have heirloom pieces that are at least two centuries old (late Georgian or Victorian jewelry)!

Shopping for antique jewelry has an added advantage. It acquaints you to the history and culture of the era to which it belongs. You would be interested to know how the fashion of wearing delicate dresses in the Georgian era favored the use of small, light jewelry. Pendants with miniature paintings of loved ones were also prevalent in the late-Georgian era. In a similar way, jewelry belonging to each era is a reflection of the changing fashions. So, with every piece of antique jewelry, you also buy memories of a long lost era.

The close field reference monitor is the solution to minimize as much as possible the interaction of sound with the room. Because they are positioned close to you, you hear the sound directly. Because they are so close you need less volume, so less of the sound travels to walls and corners and bounces back at you. Because close field reference studio monitors can reduce unwanted acoustical effects within the listening space, speaker placement is critical. Begin by setting up the monitoring system symmetrically within the room, positioning your speakers with the high frequency elements at ear level and each monitor aimed slightly inward. The distance between speakers should be the same as the distance from each speaker to your ears, forming an equilateral triangle.

This creates a “sweet spot” where the listener is precisely on axis with each monitor. The most accurate perception of sound is attained from this position, because the sonic character of many speakers changes dramatically when heard off axis. To improve the sound quality and imaging of your monitors, it’s a good idea to acoustically isolate, or decouple, them from the surface they’re on. The typical do it your self solution is to set your monitors on a thick piece of foam or rubber. Auralex Mo Pads are a set of inexpensive wedges made of high density polyurethane foam that not only decouple your monitors from the stand or desktop, but also let you tilt them up or down slightly.

This phenomenon, known as off axis coloration, can be demonstrated by referencing a sound while facing the monitor and comparing that to the sound heard after taking a step to either side of the same monitor. Typical symptoms of off axis coloration are a loss of high frequency information or a change in the mid range characteristics. Since low frequency information is largely non directional, bass response generally is unaffected by off axis listening.