Thursday, February 21, 2008

Antique Engagement Rings - One of a Kind

By Andrew W John

Antique engagement rings can be bought through a dealer in second hand ring stores, or there might be an antique ring that has been passed down in a family - often a man will want to offer this to his sweetheart when he proposes. Whatever way you decide to do things an antique engagement ring could bring years of happiness and joy to a man and woman.

When a couple have been dating for a while there comes a time when their thoughts turn to marriage and a longer term commitment - this is often the point where the man begins to think about a proper proposal and choosing an engagement ring.

It is a very happy time when a couple go out together to choose an engagement ring. For the girl and the guy who want something different; then an antique ring might be the answer. An antique engagement ring is usually distinguished from other rings because of the way the stones are cut and set. Diamond settings especially seem to come and go out of fashion so an antique diamond ring might be just the thing for a couple who aren't necessarily taken up with following the current trend.

More than a century ago the most popular cuts of diamond were the mine cut and the cushion cut. These particular cuts were designed to be shown off in candle light as the facets of the stone would glimmer and shine, throwing back the light of the candles in a way that doesn't happen now.

Some dealers would regard any pre-nineteen fifties ring as antique but this is because the word refers to a number of different periods, such as the Georgian period which ran from the mid eighteenth century to 1837, then followed the Victorian period which lasted until 1900. Following these the most sought after twentieth century antique engagement rings are the Art Nouveau period which ran from the eighteen nineties to 1919 and the Art Deco period which can be dated to between nineteen twenty and nineteen thirty five. All of these had their own unique design elements and many of them are available on the antique jewelery market today.

If you do decide to go for an antique ring that is not a family heirloom then you should go to a reputable dealer or auction house where there is an expert on hand who can identify which period the ring came from and whether it is a genuine antique. Once the ring is purchased you can then begin to enjoy the engagement period and hopefully the rest of your lives together.

For one of the largest selections of antique engagement rings available anywheres in North America, please visit our website at Natalia-Diamonds.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_W_John

Where Our Diamonds Are Mined

By Jan Smith

Argyle mine is located in the Kimberley region in the far north east of Western Australia. Owned by Rio Tinto, this mine is the world's largest single producer of volume of diamonds. However, due to low proportion of gem quality diamonds it is not the value leader. It does produce 90-95% of the world's supply of pink diamonds. These are just some of the stones used in wedding rings and engagement rings throughout the western world.

Diavik is also owned by Rio Tinto, located in Canada it is a very large mine. It is located north of Yellowknife and south of the Arctic Circle on an island. The island is connected by an ice road. It is also an important part of the regions economy employing more than 700 people and producing more than 8 million carats annually.

Ekati diamond mine is owned by BHP Billiton and located south of the arctic circle in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The Ekati is Canada's first operational diamond mine. Diamonds mined here are sold under the Aurias trade name Authenticity is verified through Canada Mark service. CanadaMark service is also owned by BHP Billiton Diamonds, Inc.

Baken diamond mine is located along the lower Orange River in South Africa. It is owned and operated by Trans Hex. The average size stone for 2004 was 1.29 carats. In 2004, this mine produced a 78.9 carat D color flawless diamond that sold for more than 1.8 million dollars (US), as well as a 27.67 pink diamond that was sold for over 1 million US dollars.

Merlin is the second of only two diamond mines in Australia. No longer operating it was owned by Rio Tinto and sold to Striker Resources, who has explored the possibilities of reopening the mine.

Orapa is the world's largest diamond mine. It us located 240 Km west of Francistown. The mine is owned by "Debswana" which is a partnership between DeBeers and the government of Botswana. This mine operates 7 days a week. It maintains pre primary and primary schools for its employee's children. There is also a 100 bed hospital and game park. This mine began production in 1971 and is the oldest mine owned by the Debswana Company.

The Premier mine located in Cullinan, South Africa produced the largest gem diamond ever in 1905. The Cullinan Diamond weighed 3,106.75 carats. This mine also produced the Golden Jubilee diamond which weighed 545.67 carats. This mine is owned by the De Beers Company and was renamed The Cullinan Diamond Mine in 2003 in celebration of its centennial.

The McArthur River mine in the Northern Territory of Australia, produces many industrial grade diamonds but frequently has flooding problems from the McCarthur River which is an important river system in the N.T. The N.T only has two seasons a year ~ the 'wet' and the 'dry'. During a typical monsoonal 'wet' season the heavy rainfalls close the mine each year.

Due to it's extremely remote location, it is only reachable by road for six months out of every year so keeping supplies going into the minesite is a very expensive exercise. The mine personnel work a 2 week out, 1 week in fly-in/fly-out roster. It's a lifestyle that many city dwellers are very unfamiliar with but these are some of the conditions under which our Diamonds are mined.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jan_Smith

The Value Of Gold - Today And Yesterday

By Alan Beggerow

Every culture throughout history has known of gold and treasured it. Unlike many other metals, gold can be found in its natural state as nuggets that can be very pure without further refining. Gold may have been the first type of metal ever known to humans, for archeologists have found small nuggets of natural gold in caves that were inhabited by humans as long ago as 40,000 B.C.E. The oldest solid evidence of gold are pieces of jewelry from ancient Egypt around 3000 B.C.E. These items are also the oldest known examples of jewelry of any kind that have been found.

The discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb in the 1920's revealed the extent and mastery of working in gold that ancient Egyptians possessed. Among some of the items found in this 2000 B.C.E. tomb were many pieces of gold jewelry and a sarcophagus that weighed over 3,000 pounds. Inside the sarcophagus were 3 coffins nested inside each other, with each coffin more elaborate than the other. The two other coffins were made from wood and were covered with sheets of gold. The inner coffin was pure gold, and weighed over 240 pounds. Inside this coffin the face of the mummified king was covered with a death mask that was made from pure gold and precious gems that weighed 220 pounds.

While gold was treasured by the ancient Egyptians, it wasn't used as money for trade and exchange. Barley was the favored material for use as a medium of exchange, while gold was given an even higher spiritual value in that the metal could help pay the departed's way into the next world. The first evidence of gold being used as a form of currency occurred in the 7th century B.C.E. in what is now western Turkey.

So why has gold always been and continues to be valued so highly? Gold has some very unique qualities:

* Pure gold's luster does not tarnish or corrode.

* One ounce of pure gold can be hammered into a sheet as thin as 5 millionths of an inch thick and cover over 100 square foot. That is so thin that 1,000 of these sheets piled on top each other would equal one thickness of a sheet of newspaper.

* Gold is a very dense metal. One cubic foot of pure gold would weigh more than a half of a ton.

* The visual beauty of the metal also plays a part in its value.

All of these attributes are part of the reason for gold's high value, but the main reason is its scarcity. Even with the estimation that 75 percent of all gold that has been produced has been extracted since 1910, gold remains one of the rarest metals found on earth. How rare? Imagine using a simple kitchen measuring cup, and measuring out 1 million cups of earth into a pile. How much gold would be contained in this pile of earth? 4 thousandths, or 0.004 of a cup! Compare that with the 56,000 cups of iron contained within the same pile of earth and you can get an idea of how rare gold is, and the reason for its value today and yesterday.

Alan Beggerow owns and operates Cathleen's Bargain Basement, an online business that offers custom made apparel and hand crafted teddy bears by Cathleen, and also offers a selection of jewelry, home decor, Asian motif items, and much more. http://www.cathleensbargainbasement.com

Alan Beggerow is also a free lance writer. For further examples of his writings, visit his political and current events blog Random Thoughts at http://www.winkle52.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Beggerow

Class Rings - Making Your School Ring Special

By Ilse Hagen

Class rings are typical memorabilia for high school and college graduates. They are usually engraved with the school's insignia, motto or any other type of symbol for the class along with the class' graduation year. They are made of usually inexpensive alloy although there are those that are actually made of platinum, gold and sterling silver. For many students, such rings are one of the only tangible reminders of what the class went through together. The responsibility of selecting a ring design as well as the metal to be used for the ring rests on the school administrators. The design is usually agreed upon by the graduating batch but the alloy to be used depends on the school's budget as well as that of the students who will be availing of the rings.

Gemstones

Some schools opt to engrave more than just the school's insignia on the ring. To make it look more elegant, you can have semiprecious stones in your school's colors placed on your class rings. Such embellishments may only be attractive to the female batch so you may want to make sure that you create a design that will work for both sexes. Anything too flashy may not suit the taste of your graduating class.

Engravings

Another good idea for your class rings is to have each one engraved with the student's name or nickname. It would make each ring personalized and extra-special especially if the student found that the ring seemed to have been made exclusively for him.

Other design options

While the general rule suggests creating a ring that will be suitable for both sexes, you may want to consider a thicker band for males and a more delicate one for females.

More information on Class Rings is available in Picky Guide, one of the fastest growing online magazines giving free consumer reviews and information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ilse_Hagen

Alexandrite Rings - What You Need To Know About Alexandrite Rings

By Ilse Hagen

Alexandrite is a variety of chrysoberyl common in locations such as Brazil, Madagascar, Myanmar, and Russia. With a greenish shade that can sometimes turn to red purple when you view it under artificial light, it is a rare gem, costly, and believed to be a stone for good omens. And as with most kinds of jewelry, alexandrite rings are normally set in sterling silver, yellow or white gold, or platinum.

Kinds to choose from

Solitaire: A solitaire alexandrite ring is made up of a single stone set in prongs, with the stone cut in a variety of styles including round, marquise, square, or oval.

Diamond: A diamond alexandrite ring, on the other hand, can be made up of one or more alexandrite stones alongside diamonds arranged in a certain patterns or designs, normally depicting a flower, a heart, or the sun.

Three-stone: As the name implies, a three-stone alexandrite ring has three stones. The stones are horizontally arranged and may be set with other precious stones as well.

Five-stone: A five-stone alexandrite ring has five stones. And like the three-stone version, the stones are horizontally arranged and may also combine the use of other precious stones.

Buying alexandrite rings

Aside from being a good omen stone, alexandrite is also attributed with healing abilities, most especially for spleen or pancreatic problems so you can greatly consider buying one if you're suffering from those. Aside from health conditions, this is also believed to rid one of low self-esteem. Take note that alexandrite is also the birthstone for Geminis and the anniversary stone corresponding to 45th or 55th wedding anniversaries so these rings also make good gift ideas.

More information on Alexandrite Rings is available in Picky Guide, one of the fastest growing online magazines giving free consumer reviews and information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ilse_Hagen

Are Diamonds a Good Investment?

By Neil William

Even though the diamond industry looks very complicated on the surface, it actually is very simple. Diamonds are often associated with being precious, mysterious, magical and romantic token of love.

Purchased at the right price, diamonds most certainly retain their value; in fact they actually increase in value over time. Over the last 20 years Diamond prices have been steadily increasing. Though there is no absolute certainty it is unlikely that diamonds will ever loose their value.

Thinking of these stones as the main part of financial or retirement investment is not advisable but when considered as a timeless and beautiful gift that symbolizes love and commitment, diamonds are an excellent investment. But if someday you have to dispose of your diamonds they will almost always be appraised by those who are found of this precious stone. The resale value of a fine stone will always yield better money. Fine diamonds will almost always find a buyer if they are offered a little under the market price.

Of all the tangible assets of investment diamonds are most advantageous:

• protection from inflation, bank bankruptcy, market collapse, currency reforms
• anonymity (no registration required)
• world-wide convertibility - diamonds are the only international accepted alternative currency which has the same value all over the world
• tax free betterment
• no maintenance costs
• very prestigious

You can also enjoy wearing diamonds in the form of jewelry. Lasting for a lifetime, diamonds are the only assets that serve as secure investment and also bring to you the wonderful feeling of beauty, luxury and passion.

B2cjewels

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Neil_William

Body Jewelry Will Make Heads Turn Around

By Manny Charro Ramirez

Jewelry is something women can associate themselves with completely. Of late body jewelry seems to be the ideal fashion statement and is taking off the fashion markets by storm. The teenage girls cannot seem to take their eyes off those sexy belly buttons or those cute nose-pins. Well this is the effect of body jewelry among the sect of the fashion conscious folks. Body jewelry seems to be the perfect accessory when you desire to accentuate your halter neck corset teamed with a pair of leather Capri's. In fact it lends to your persona a tinge of funk as well as extreme poise with which a female is said to be blessed with.

Nowadays it is often seen that the college-goers are in the lookout for some ornamental pieces which would give them a sporty and cool look. It is here where the body jewelry plays its magic. It is hard to believe the fact that the men are also seen getting inclined day by day on these cute pieces of body art. They also love to pair their denims and tees with those funky ear studs or those dazzling finger rings or armlets. Most of the men sport body jewelry on arms and legs and some of them even turn out to be bold enough to don them in the male genitals. Body jewelry is available in the contemporary markets in an assortment of styles and designs and comes in various shades and composure. Some of them are even embellishes with semi-precious stones. Many people love to sport body jewelry which is expensive and is crafted out of gold, platinum, silver, copper or other ornamental metals.

There are many people who believe that body piercing is not safe but the doctors have cleared this misconception and it is regarded as an extremely safe procedure to pierce different parts of the body to adorn them with body jewelry. It is also seen that after body piercing some people develop some kind of infection or injury but these particular incidents cannot be credited to the professionalism of the body piercing professionals. The cause of these infections can be solely personal and can even result from the sensitive of that particular body part of the client. In some cases the teenagers are seen to be seeking parental consent while others are often found to consult a doctor before opting for this fashions phase. So what are you holding yourself for? Get set to zoom in the next party season by sporting some of the exotic body jewelry available in the local designer stores.

Manny Charro Ramirez is the webmaster and writer of Bcheap Fashion Body Jewelry store site, where you can find more information about body jewelry and navel jewelry. Read more and find great deals on BCheap

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Manny_Charro_Ramirez