How To Buy Diamonds For Less And Still Satisfy Your Champagne Taste

By Stephen Daniels

How can one purchase the fire and scintillation desired in a diamond at a reasonable price? This is the question diamond lovers everywhere who are deterred by high gemstone prices are asking. The once popular, inexpensive synthetic substitute, cubic zirconia (CZ), is heavier and far less fiery than real diamond, and larger CZs can't even pass for real to the naked eye. However, all is not lost. Lab- created diamonds are finally here, and they aren't pale imitations of the real thing any longer. These flawless gems ARE the real thing -- chemically and visually identical to natural stones.

Lab produced stones, often called "cultured" diamonds, are the same carbon crystals that can be found in diamond mines. They have identical chemical, optical and physical properties to stones that occurred naturally, and this results in them having the same brilliance, sparkle, fire and scintillation. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grades cultured gems by the same standards it uses for the mined ones. In fact, the GIA acknowledges that these ARE genuine diamonds. The only difference is the rating will describe the stones as "laboratory grown."

In nature, certain impurities will result in colored diamonds - nitrogen will create yellow, boron will create blue, and so forth. Because high quality colored stones are rare in nature, they are usually very expensive. In addition to being flawless, lab-created diamonds can easily be colored. The costs for these highly coveted colored stones is pretty comparable to the cost for colorless stones.

Man-made diamonds are available for purchase loose, or already set in jewelry of every kind. However, you probably won't find these cultured stones in the majority of jewelry or department stores. They have only recently been released into the market, and still represent only a small fraction of the total diamonds available.

Regarding lab produced diamonds, here are some differences you should know about: 1. Typically, cultured stones are 1-2 carats in weight. While larger stones are made, they are less available. 2. Most man-made stones are colored, rather than colorless. This is exactly the opposite of natural diamonds. 3. Only experts can utilize very expensive special equipment in order to detect cultured gems to differentiate them from natural ones. 4. Finding "matched pairs" of natural stones for use in jewelry has historically been difficult, and thus, expensive. It is far easier to find matching identical stones in cultured gems.

If you are concerned that someone may try to pass off a created diamond you are interested in purchasing as "the real thing," rest assured that this scenario is not all that likely. Firstly, lab-grown diamond producers are very proud of the gems they are able to create. Secondly, cultured diamonds are absolutely genuine, not "cheap" imitations. Thirdly, the difference between natural and cultured is detectable. Finally, jewelers have every incentive to preserve the integrity of the natural diamond market. Thus, a jeweler will readily help you identify the stone in question.

Basically, opting for lab-grown diamonds will allow you to purchase more for less. However, this isn't a "champagne on a beer budget" scenario. You can expect to pay about one third less for cultured stones than for natural stones. Lab-produced stones can be easily found via the internet, and these sites proudly advertise that their offerings are "synthetics." But, similar to other online purchases, you'll want to investigate the vendor carefully prior to making your purchase. - 33380

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How To Find Wholesale Silver Jewelry - What To Look For When Purchasing Silver Jewelry

By Jacques Lemierre

Silver jewelry has always been very much in style. Do you want to buy wholesale silver jewelry at wholesale prices. Look no further than Wholesale Silver Jewelry Sources. Now read on for some exciting wholesale silver jewelry buying tips. It is necessary to be fully educated when purchasing silver jewelry.

Silver jewelry is the perfect addition to virtually any outfit, and it is often more affordable than gold. Silver wholesale jewelry offers even greater savings, and it is very easy to find. A simple Internet search will offer a whole world of shopping opportunities, right at your very own fingertips.

The search for perfect silver wholesale jewelry should begin online. There are countless jewelry wholesalers on the web, and many of them specialize in silver jewelry. Buying from wholesale jewelry sources means that you'll pay a fraction of the price you'd find at typical retail stores. I recommend Salehooas your wholesale silver jewelry source. They have a huge directory of wholesalers. You can purchase silver jewelry for personal usage or to sell for profit.

Silver jewelry, like any product, must be purchased with care. Whether you're buying wholesale silver jewelry at a retail location, or purchasing online, you must make sure that you are purchasing real sterling silver jewelry. Sterling silver is almost always marked with the numbers '925', proving that it is the highest quality of silver available, whether wholesale or retail. Regardless of what some jewelers or retail outlets will try to tell you, there is no such thing as 'high quality' or 'lower quality' sterling silver. Sterling silver comes in one quality. Sterling silver. The weight of the silver used in the piece is the determining factor in the cost. If the item was hand-made, it will usually cost more than a mass-produced piece.

Silver jewelry tarnishes easily, whether it is sterling silver or not. It's important to clean and polish your silver jewelry on a regular basis. This helps it keep its beauty and luster. There are many different brands of silver polish available to keep your jewelry looking its absolute best. If you don't have any polish on hand, make a point of picking some up when you purchase your silver wholesale jewelry, and plan on cleaning your jewelry on a weekly basis.

Another awesome thing about silver is not only in its innate beauty, but also in its relatively decent price. You can find gorgeous and affordable pieces, and you can save even more when buying silver wholesale jewelry. Just make sure that you are purchasing sterling silver to ensure the very best quality. If settings and stones are incorporated into the piece, take the time to ensure that they also meet your expectations for quality and value. You need to insure that the piece is solidly constructed, and that the gems are authentic rather than synthetic stones. Of course, real gems such as diamonds will raise the price of the piece considerably.

Silver jewelry has remained the uncontested world fashion leader for thousands of years, and with good reason. Purchasing silver wholesale jewelry allows you to complete your collection at a great price. I hope you enjoyed this wholesale silver jewelry tutorial. - 33380

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Diamonds - Man-Made Versus Natural Mined Stones

By Stephen Daniels

An understanding of the differences between a lab produced gemstone and a naturally mined one is quite useful when considering the purchase of diamond jewelry.

In the past, man-made diamonds were considered to be of inferior quality. Synthetic stones, often known as cubic zirconia, were frequently maligned by the jewelry industry. However, the latest technology allows scientists to produce gem-quality synthetics in laboratories across the country. Instead of taking millions of years, a lab produced gem may be created in a matter of days. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the leading research and grading body in gemology, legitimizes some of these lab grown stones as real diamonds.

Two basic methods are used to create man-made gems. HPHT (high pressure high temperature) is a decades-old process that simulates the natural way that mother earth makes these precious gems. Physically, visually, and chemically the resulting stones are are almost exactly the same as those found in the earth. However, these synthetic stones can be identified by a trained gemologist using standard gem-testing equipment.

Chemical Vapor Deposition, or CVD, is a newer process that grows gems at low pressure and relatively low temperatures. The resulting crystals are not merely suitable for faceting for jewelry purposes; they are also "purer" than those grown the HPHT way, and are quite difficult to detect.

The most obvious reason for purchasing created gems is to save money. However, the amount saved will vary based on the type of stone selected. Color or "fancy" diamonds, which are extremely rare in nature, are far more available via lab created gems. While this ready availability lowers the price as compared to natural stones, high quality man-made gems are certainly not priced as inexpensively as cubic zirconia.

Increasingly, environmentalists and advocates of social responsibility are openly declaring a preference for lab produced stones. This is similar to the movement in favor of faux fur over animal hides. Often, it is difficult to know the exact sourcing of a natural stone. This is an issue because gems mined in war zones to raise money for civil wars and terrorism, commonly referred to as "blood diamonds," comprise up to ten percent of the total supply. Also, mining processes can be extremely damaging to the environment. Purchasing lab cultured stones removes the environmental concerns as well as the war and terrorism concerns, and saves money at the same time.

If the authenticity of a stone is in question, there are some basic methods that can help distinguish natural from created stones. Lower price is one sign, and another is color. Most natural colored diamonds have colors that are less vivid and bright than synthetically produced gems. Also, most natural stones contain small mineral deposits called inclusions. These show up as dark spots under a jeweler's loupe. While flawless natural stones do exist, they are rare and very expensive. Thus, a lack of inclusions may be a sign that a stone is lab produced, but is not conclusive proof.

"Cultured" is a code word for man-made. As with cultured pearls, this is meant to inform you that man has interfered with the natural process. Thus if a gem is advertised as cultured, it is almost certainly lab created. Any reputable jeweler will be happy to inform customers as to which pieces contain man-made stones.

Whether due to the reduced cost, social and environmental concerns, or simply the pleasure of having a vividly colored stone that would otherwise be nearly impossible to procure, there are many excellent reasons why more and more people are purchasing and enjoying lab produced diamond jewelry. - 33380

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You Can Change Your Life With A New Gold Nose Ring

By Jilly Tinit

Your bride will probably want to have a ring that complements her engagement ring when you go to choose your wedding rings. Highly decorated platinum wedding rings will possibly be more noticeable on the finger than the engagement ring and that would never do! The circular shape of your wedding ring is a symbol of eternity and the lasting commitment that two people make to be with each other. Gift giving between bride and groom is an ancient tradition which spawned the wedding ring.

A more modern approach to this custom is the bestowing of an eternity ring to the bride as the last gift. More and more couples are now having them engraved with a personal message that is special to them and also makes them more unique. An attempt to choose a ring that embodies both your personalities would be most wise. Just remember, they are for you both so whatever you choose will be right.

Throughout your marriage do not forget the importance of this item and its meaning because it is not like any other jewelry you will buy and shouldn't leave your finger. Spend the very best you can afford on the bands as it well be something you will regret if you decide not to. Cheap rings make a mockery of the whole process so do not sell yourself short by taking a thoughtless action. Platinum wedding rings will be expensive anyway ad being a hard metal, it should last; however, they really need to fit well otherwise they will not look their best.

Enlist the service of a qualified jeweler to ensure a proper fit of your rings. Having the wedding rings made to measure ensures that they are not too tight to put on or so loose that they fall off. Don't rush the jeweler if you want a good job; give him plenty of time before the big day to get the work done. As there may be other work to be carried out on your platinum wedding rings in addition to size adjustments, give the jeweler at least two months to get the work done.

Don't forget there are now a wide range of styles for you to choose from and it may take you a while to choose. Dont get stuck in trying to find something to trendy because before you know it, it will be out of style. If your choice in rings were done well it will brighten up your life every time you look at them for decades to come. - 33380

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Replace The Strap On Your Watch With Replacement Watch Straps

By Mark Ferguson

Have you recently broken the strap on your best watch? Perhaps the adjustment hole wore out and ripped. Maybe you stretched the band too far and it snapped. But no matter how it broke, it's now ruined. What are planning to do? Buy a brand new $100 watch as a replacement? This action isn't necessary when you purchase replacement watch straps to replace the band.

You can get original factory replacement watch straps online for a nominal fee, oftentimes much less than the cost of buying another watch. Replacement straps come in different sizes, styles, and colors, and can be purchased to match the one that broke, or to provide a different look if you're ready for a change.

Replacements for clasps, screws, bands, and other breakables can be purchased when you lose these items on your watch. It's often difficult to keep tabs on small objects as you're replacing bigger parts, as these are not hard to lose.

You don't have to rely on local retailers to supply you with new parts or strap for your watch. Usually, they don't want to help you replace something that's broken; they either want to change a battery or sell you an entirely new watch. But when you order replacement straps online, you can save yourself the hassle of working with a retailer.

Replacement watch straps are available for a number of different watch brands. From the generic companies on up to high class manufacturers, you can get a replacement strap in just about any size. Plus, these replacements have specific measurements for length to choose from, so you don't have to be concerned about cutting the strap to length once you receive it.

There are several reasons you should think about getting a replacement watch strap. All you need to figure out is the style, size, and type of watch you own, and you can replace a band in no time. - 33380

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An Article On Jewelery

By John B. Emmerson III

Jewelery or jewelry is an item of individual decoration, such as a necklace, ring, brooch or bracelet, that is worn by a person. It may be made from gemstones or valuable metals, but may be from any supplementary material, and may be appreciated because of geometric or other patterns, or meaningful symbols.Earrings and other body rings are also considered to be jewelery, while body art is not.

Also, items affixed to a garment, such as buttons, are not considered to be jewelery, even if they are unusual and highly decorative.

The word jewelery is derived from the word jewel, which was Anglicized from the Old French "jouel" circa the 13th century.Further tracing leads back to the Latin word "jocale", meaning plaything.Jewelery is one of the oldest forms of body decoration, recently found 100,000 year-old beads shaped from Nassarius shells are thought to be the oldest known jewelery.

Jewelery is sometimes seen as wealth storage or functionally as holding a garment or hair together. It has from very early times also been regarded as a form of personal decoration. The first pieces of jewelery were finished from common materials, such as bone, animal teeth, shell, wood and carved stone. More exotic jewelery was most likely finished for wealthy people or as indications of social status. In some cases people were buried with their jewelery.

Jewelery has been made to decorate nearly every body part, from hairpins to toe rings and many more types of jewelery. While high-quality jewelery is made with gemstones and precious metals, such as silver or gold, there is also a growing requirement for art jewelery where design and creativity is prized above material cost. In addition, there is the less costly dress jewelery, complete from lesser value materials and mass-produced. - 33380

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Having Bridesmaid Jewelry

By Janeth Green

Bridesmaid jewelry is now gaining more popularity and as such many brides would really inched their way out to ensure that all their bridesmaids will look as stunning as they are by handing them out the best jewelry perfect for the occasion. It is now becoming part of modern weddings regardless of its theme. Hence, it is construed as the bride's way to reciprocate the precious time of those ladies who made it to be with her on the most memorable event of her life.

These ladies from all walks of life would really not hesitate to spend anything pertinent to their acceptance of having such a rule in a wedding. Moreover, they are also expected to spend for their gifts for the couple. Above all, it is also a normal gesture for these ladies to spend even more for their dress and other accessories just to make sure they will look superb when the walk down the aisle with the dashing bride.

Whatever kind of these jewelries they wish to have they can either spend for it themselves or have it from the bride. Hence, it is no longer a surprise to see these ladies with the most gorgeous pieces of bridesmaid jewelry. Bridesmaid should flaunt it with pride and gusto by having to make sure it matches with the kind of personality they do have.

Both the bride and her bridesmaids no longer need to worry about getting the best yet the most affordable jewelry that will definitely make them look stunningly beautiful. There are now many affordable pieces of bridesmaid jewelry as more and more manufacturers offer them with big discounts just to stay afloat with the competition getting stiffer each day. Both brides and bridesmaids need not have to spend too much for this kind of jewelry. Hence, it is much easier to find different styles to match with every girl's personality and is practical for all kinds of budget.

Necklace and earrings or a set of these are just among the most common favorite types of bridesmaid jewelry. Now that these are gaining popularity, manufacturers are trying to compete with each other by trying to come up with the trendiest design that women will surely love. But even with the many designs now out in the market, there are still many ladies who would prefer to have the classic designs.

It is also very essential to consider the design and the materials used for these kinds of jewelry. Hence, it should be well selected based on these parameters for it to serve its purpose well. It must always match the dress of which it shall be worn with regardless of the personality of the person wearing this type of jewelry especially made for the occasion.

All ladies should therefore take note of all those. They should be guided by those parameters to be able to choose only the best pieces. Having all those in mind will surely keep them on the right track.

Now that modern day weddings would seem incomplete without the bridesmaids wearing this type of jewelry. Hence, it is indeed a must for all bridesmaids to walk down the aisle with the dashing bride also flaunting their own jewelry. It is important to ensure that it will not only complement with the gown but should also match the personality of ladies wearing bridesmaid jewelry. - 33380

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