Jewelry As An Anniversary Gift, What You Need To Know

Sam Serio

Jewelry for anniversaries can be the perfect gift. It is widely known that there are lists of birthstones and zodiacal or talismanic stones, there are lists of stones for days of the week, hours of the day, for states of the union, for each of the seasons, and for anniversaries as well!

Anniversary Stones

1. Gold Jewelry 9. Lapis Lazuli25. Silver Jubilee
2. Garnet 10. Diamond Jewelry30. Pearl Jubilee
3. Pearl11. Turquoise35. Emerald
4. Blue Topaz12. Jade40. Ruby
5. Sapphire13. Citrine45. Sapphire
6. Amethyst 14. Opal50. Golden Jubilee
7. Onyx15. Ruby55. Alexandrite
8. Tourmaline20. Emerald60. Diamond Jubilee

Here Are Some Tips For Buying Jewelry As An Anniversary Gift Without Being Ripped Off
1. There's a big difference between 14 karat gold and gold-plated jewelry. Fourteen karat (14K) jewelry contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts of base metal. Gold-plated describes jewelry with a layer of at least 10K gold bonded to a base metal. Gold plating eventually wears away, depending on how often the item is worn and how thick the plating is.
2. If you're buying a watch, determine whether you want one that runs on a battery or one that must be wound daily. Ask if a warranty or guarantee is included, how long it lasts, and what parts and repair problems it covers. Also ask how and where you can get the watch serviced and repaired.
3. Know the difference between laboratory-created gemstones and naturally mined stones. Stones created in the lab are visually identical to stones mined from the earth. The big difference is in the cost: laboratory-created stones are less expensive then naturally mined stones. But because they look much like stones mined from the earth, they must be identified as lab-created. If you want a naturally mined stone, ask if it has been treated. Gemstone treatments- such as heating, dyeing or bleaching- can improve a stone's appearance or durability. Some treatments are permanent; some may create special care requirements. Treatments also may affect the stone's value.
4. Ask whether pearls are imitation or real. Real pearls are made by oysters or other mollusks; imitation pearls are man-made. Cultured pearls are made by mollusks with human intervention; and irritant introduced into their shells causes a pearl to grow. Real pearls that are not cultured are fairly rare and expensive. The cost depends on the size, usually stated in millimeters, and the coating or "nacre" on a real pearl, which gives it its iridescence.
5. When you're buying a diamond, consider four criteria: cut, color, clarity and weight, usually stated as carats. Each factor affects the price. Color is sometimes "graded" on a scale. However, scales are not uniform: a "D" may be the best color for one scale, but not for another. Make sure you know how a particular scale and grade represent the color of the diamond you're considering. A diamond can be described as "flawless" only if it has no visible surface cracks or other imperfections when viewed under 10-power magnification by a skilled diamond grader.


The Authors of the above Article, Sam and Tami Serio have been passionately involved with Jewelry and Gemstones for over fifteen-years. You are cordially invited to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com for a wealth of information about the fascinating world of Jewelry and Gemstones. Together they also shelter 20 abandoned and abused dogs & cats. A portion of their profits goes to the care and feeding of the animals.

The Importance of Travel for A Writer
Maxine Thompson

Copyright 2005 Black Butterfly Press

Dr. Maxine Thompson

http://www.maxinethompson.com
http://www.maxineshow.com

"Don't go into the city alone," the blonde tourist warned me at the port of Belize. "They will cut off your arm for your jewelry."

This was in October 2004, when I went on a Caribbean cruise which, among other islands, stopped in the country of Belize. As I have a friend (whom I'll call Natalia) who grew up in Belize, this made me curious as to how the people actually lived.

Instead of jumping on a tour bus, I decided to get out of my comfort zone and go off the beaten path. I found a group of men standing outside the gates of the port, clamoring for customers to get into their cabs. Finally I chose the most friendly-looking man and climbed into a taxi, which was actually a jitney. On this hour-long ride around the island, I, not only felt deliciously alive, I saw Belize through Natalia's eyes.

My driver, Raoul as I'll call him, assured me that the people would treat me kindly because the island is largely supported by tourism. First, he took me to the richer side of the island. This side of town was comprised of small mansion-like homes, wrapped around by lush palms, which belonged to the prime ministers and the dignitaries. The neighborhood was sedate and quiet as all the inhabitants were at work.

Afterwards, we blundered through the back streets and alleys of Belize, and I met the everyday denizens, including the derelicts.

Looking back, in what Raoul described as the "hood" side of the island, I noticed that the largest house belonged to that of the Obeah woman. This house was chalky white and resembled a mausoleum. It stood out like the Taj Mahal in a trailer camp as it was surrounded by what can only be described as windowless hovels and wooden shacks. Suddenly I realized and appreciated how much Natalia had accomplished by coming to America from this third-world country. (Truly, Natalia had given me an accurate picture as to how underdeveloped the country was.)

But this trip also made me think. How can a writer improve his writing through traveling?

These are just some of the benefits I gained.

1.. Travel gives you a broader frame of reference from which to write.
2..You get to see how people in other parts of the world live.
3..Travel helps you learn how it feels to walk in another man's shoes.
4..Travel satisfies a writer's curiosity and can give you life-changing information.
5..Travel gives you a fresh perspective on life and expands your horizons before you close your eyes in death.

Travel helps you fill out the small details of your writing projects. These were some of the ideas that I gathered while traveling. Some will be used in future projects.

1. From my trip, I absorbed many small details, which eased their way into my novella, Second Chances, a story about renewal and resurrection in life.

2. People are basically generous. As people opened up to me, I found everyone has a story.

3. I learned about the haunted hotels in Galveston, Texas, which is an area of research I'd like to look into.

4. I learned about the flood in Galveston, Texas, which killed over 8,000 people in 1908. I'd like to research this story more.

5. On the cruise, I took classes in traveling around the world safely, which cultivated my desire to travel around the world.

6. I also took a class on feng shui, which I found to be useful as a fictional plotting tool. (Pronounced fung- schway, this is the ancient Chinese art of manipulating and arranging your surroundings to attract positive life energy, or chi, so it can flow smoothly, unblocking any obstructions in your body and environment. Feng Shui evolved from the theory that people are affected for better or worse by their surroundings.)

Most of all, since this trip, I discovered that travel not only broadens a writer's horizons, it is a lucrative way to make money as a travel writer.

As a writer, how would you like to travel the globe and find out how different cultures live? What if you could do this, stay in five-star hotels, and have an all-expense paid for trip? Moreover, what if you could get paid for writing articles about your travels? Wouldn't it be nice to supplement your income as a novelist?

Bottom line. The largest journey is the internal journey that you go on when you travel. I believe the best writing should "Tell me something I don't know." Therefore, when you travel, you will encounter the unknown.
Some resources to help you sell articles, including travel articles are the following:

1. Writer's Market -- this annual publication lists 8,000 or more (mostly North American) publications that buy articles -- travel and others.

2. Writers & Artists Yearbook -- A directory for writers, artists, playwrights, writers for film, radio, and television, designers, illustrators, and photographers. This is a good resource for British and European markets.

3. The Guardian Media Directory -- Also focuses on the British and European markets, this listing contains over 10,000 contacts, from regional newspapers to publishing houses.


Maxine Thompson does 3 Internet radio shows to help authors promote their books and products. They are at www.maxineshow.com., www.vloiceamerica.com, www.artistfirst.com. If you are interested in being a guest, or for help with your writing needs, please contact me at maxtho@aol.com or maxtho@sbcglobal.net.
http://www.maxinethompson.com

Endless Beach Wedding Themes

Cindy English

If you are considering a beach wedding, the ideas are as endless as your imagination!

One thing about choosing a beach wedding theme is that it allows you total creative freedom. Depending on the time of day, the beach can set the mood. At sunrise or sunset, it is a place of serenity, beauty and romance. Mid-day, it is the hub of excitement, activity, and fun. By nature, a beautiful scene has already been set for you. There is no need for many decorations! Are you planning an intimate wedding with just a few guests? Let the beach help you set the stage for your romantic wedding ideas with a dawn or dusk seaside ceremony. The sunrise or sunset will provide a spectacular background for your wedding photos.

On the other hand, if you want to "tell the world" and have a large gathering of people, consider a mid-summer day "beach-side bash" or fantasy beach wedding that includes your guests. That's the fun part of a beach wedding - your guests can participate. Everyone has fun!

Here are a few ideas to get you started...

* Be Cinderella with your Prince Charming. Have him place the "glass slipper" that fits on your foot as a symbol of your perfect union. You could hire a professional sand sculptor to build a beautiful sand castle as a background for your fairytale theme. Leave in a horse drawn carriage.

* Have a Pirate Wedding. Rent costumes and decorate with treasure chests fake gold coins and jewelry. Have a real treasure hunt. When you leave, sail off into the sunset.

* How about an "I Dream of Jeannie" beach wedding theme? Decorate with pretty, colorful bottles in the sand like the one she was found in. At the end of the day, disappear in a cloud of smoke!

* A Western beach wedding theme would be fun! Many beaches allow horseback riding. The reception could be a good old fashioned fireside "camp out" under the stars. Leave on horseback.

* Have a Rainbow Wedding. Create a rainbow to wed under out of brightly colored helium filled balloons tied together. Hold them down with the "pots of gold" at each end. Have everyone bring a colored umbrella to decorate the aisle with. Great back plan up in case it rains!

* Butterfly weddings are popular. Shades of yellow and orange with butterflies woven amongst the flowers in your tiara and bouquet would be beautiful. Use butterflies as boutonnieres for the guys.

* A Surfing theme would be neat. Of course surf boards and "The Beach Boys" come to mind here!

By the way...

Don't rule out you beach wedding ideas because you don't live near an ocean. The definition of a "beach" is - "the shore of a body of water, especially if sandy or pebbly". That includes lakes and rivers. For that matter, you may have a "beach" right by your swimming pool. There are no rules. Be creative!

It is your beach wedding...it can be anything you want it to be - wherever you want it to be! Most of all...have fun!

Cindy English is the publisher of:
http://www.Beach-Wedding-Themes.com
Beach wedding themes full of fun, fantasy and romance
http://www.All-Florida-Beach-Weddings.com
Plan your wedding celebration in Paradise!
© Copyright 2005 by Cindy English


Turquoise is December's Birthstone
Sam Serio

If you're still young enough to remember your birthday, you probably also remember the special birthstone assigned to it. But at your age, we bet you don't really know the SIGNIFICANCE of your birthstone and what power the ancients felt would be bestowed about you by wearing it.
December Birthstone: Turquoise Birthstone Properties: Alternative Birthstone: Lapis Lazuli
Turquoise is the birthstone for December and the traditional gift to commemorate the 5th and 11th years of marriage. It's color is, of course, is referred to as turquoise, but the hue can range widely from the familiar green-blue to a light sky-blue.
It is generally accepted that turquoise gets its name from "pierre turquoise" a French phrase meaning "Turkish stone." Others believe that the name comes from the Persian word "fiouze," meaning the color turquoise. Ancient and yet always at the height of current fashion, turquoise was mined by early Egyptians as early as 6000 BC.
Many people are surprised to learn that the finest turquoise comes from Iran, not the American Southwest. However beautiful specimens are also found in Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, as well as in Australia, Afghanistan and other localities in the Middle East.
Sacred Stone For thousands of years, turquoise has been appreciated as a holy stone, talisman, and a good-luck-charm. The excavation of Egyptian tombs from approximately 3,000 B.C. holds the oldest living proof of man's interest in turquoise, where the gemstone was found decorating artifacts that were buried with the dead. When the tomb of Queen Zer was unearthed in 1900, a turquoise and gold bracelet was found on her wrist, one of the oldest pieces of jewelry ever discovered!
In ancient Persian, the sky-blue gemstones were originally worn around the neck or on the hand as protection to ward off unnatural death. If the stones changed their colour, there was an imminent danger for the wearer.
Turquoise also has a sacred place in the religious rites of North American Indians and by the Tibetans, whose shamans include it in rituals and ceremonies. Turquoise is said to promote mental and spiritual clarity to enhance wisdom, trust, kindness, and understanding.
You've Got the Power Apache Indians believed that turquoise gave warriors and hunters better aim and Zuni tribes believed that it protected them from demons. In Asia, turquoise was considered protection against the evil eye, while Tibetans carved turquoise into ritual objects.
Wherever in the world it is worn and loved, turquoise is believed to promote prosperity
Traveler's Aid For centuries, turquoise was thought to protect riders and horses from falls. Today the beautiful stone is considered a good luck "charm" for aviators, flight staff and other professionals who need to ward off accidents.
Turquoise's bright and happy color is supposed to lend self-confidence to subdued personalities, and it is also very popular as a token of friendship, since Turquoise is reputed to be responsible for faithfulness and reliable relationships


For more information on jewelry and gemstones, we cordially invite you to visit www.morninglightjewelry.com to pick up your FREE copy of "How To Buy Jewelry And Gemstones Without Being Ripped Off." This concise, informative special report reveals almost everything you ever wanted to know about jewelry and gemstones, but were afraid to ask. Get your FREE report at www.morninglightjewelry.com.

Bridesmaid Gift Etiquette

Melissa Pearl

It is customary for the bride-to-be to give each of her bridesmaids a bridesmaid gift to thank them for their time, effort and investment. Gifts can be presented by the bride-to-be anytime all the bridesmaids are together and have quiet moment. Gifts are also given to the junior bridesmaids and, if appropriate, the flower girl.

Often all the bridesmaids receive the same gift; with the exception of the maid of honor, who is usually given a more extravagant gift than the others since her duties exceed the other bridesmaid's. Each bridesmaid gift can also be a variation on a theme (ex. each a different color necklace) or completely different items for each bridesmaid.

Bridesmaid gifts are often jewelry to wear at the ceremony that can also be worn for years to come. But bridesmaid gifts can also include a photo album / scrapbook, spa gift certificate, or even matching gloves to wear at the wedding ceremony.

There are many opinions when it comes to the price of bridesmaid gifts. Generally gifts are purchased a month or so before the wedding, spending up to $100 per gift. Some consider the gift's price should be in alignment with the cost of the wedding; others feel the more time the bridesmaids have spent helping, the more costly the gift; and still others feel the bride-to-be should spend what she sees fit and can afford.

By giving a gift to her bridesmaids, the bride-to-be is thanking her bridesmaids for all of the time (and money) they have invested in her wedding. Bridesmaid's gifts are her token of appreciation and friendship.

No matter what is chosen for the bridesmaid gift, enclosing a card with a handwritten note or poem makes it even more personal.

Melissa Pearl offers affordable, designer-made pearl and crystal illusion necklaces that are perfect for bridesmaid gifts or bridal shower favors.

"How To Decide What To Sell on Your Web Site"
Milana Nastetskaya

When you decide to start an online business, the most
important decision to make is what to sell. There are
three types of products you can sell on your web site:

1. Hard goods

- produce something yourself
- become a reseller for another company
- examples: jewelry, booklets, clothes

2. Services

- can you do something better than others?
- can you perform a service that others are willing to
pay for?
- examples: graphic design, business consulting,
research, translation

3. Electronic product

- develop it yourself
- obtain the rights to it
- examples: software, e-book, tutorial, newsletter

In deciding what to sell consider how much money you can
afford to invest into your business, what is in demand
and most likely to bring you profit, and what your
passions are.

Obviously, the most money-demanding business is the one
selling hard goods. There is inventory to keep, materials
to purchase, contracts to sign and so on.

Services are great to offer on your web site, but keep in
mind that there is only so many hours a week you can work.
Your income will be limited to only the time you can work,
unless you offer other non-service products for sale as well.

Electronic products are the easiest to produce, don't
require a large financial investment, can create an unlimited
revenue, and is extremely in high demand. Computer software
that makes people's lives easier, tutorials that teach them
how to use it, and information on just about any subject in
the world are the hottest products.

If you have any knowledge or experience on a subject that
most people are clueless about AND are willing to pay for
information that teaches them about it, then you've got a
winner.

Write it, sell it, license it, publish it, grow it into a
bigger product - with a consistent and smart marketing plan,
only sky is the limit to your bottom line.

Milana Nastetskaya is a full time web developer
and the author of two books: "Create Your First
Busines Web Site in 10 days" and "65 Instant
Web Design Answers".
http://www.firstbusinesswebsite.com
http://www.instantwebanswers.com

The History of Bracelets

Sher Matsen

Bracelet popularity dates back to the Roman times and continues today.
Roman bracelets shared many of the design patterns of necklaces and earrings from that era. The ever popular ball earrings from that era were nicely matched with a ball style bracelet. Engraved bangles and snake bracelets were very popular during Roman times. Bracelets made of twisted coil with lion head ends were common place, as were the two part bracelets ending with a pair of lion heads. The Heracles knot bracelet is recognized as a Roman era piece. The Roman's were very creative in the designing of their jewelry. However they still borrowed from Greek motifs. Palmettos, fleeing dogs and acanthus leaves, all of Greek origin, were often seen in the designing of Roman jewelry.

Stones and glass were often used in Roman bracelets. . Gem stones were commonly found set in eyes. Open bands were cut to represent a row of ivy and entwined with pearls. Many of the leaf and berry bracelets were heavily adorned with decorative glass. The wealthier women could be seen wearing bracelets layered in bezel set emeralds.

During the Gerogiian times bracelets remained popular. Paris jewelers were known for their gold bracelets set with pearl edging. After the 1820s coral became the "in" fashion statement, so bracelets and other jewelry were heavily set with coral.

During the Gerogiian time it was very fashionable to wear many bracelets at once, including wide ribbon gold mesh bracelets, and silk ribbon bracelets. Gem and Diamond bracelets were designed in geometric patterns. Gold was heavily used during this era.

The Victorian era brought changes to the fashions of women, including jewelry styles. Earrings grew long and dangled, bracelets became rigid and were normally worn in pairs. The buckle bracelet became very fashionable.

The jewelry of the Victorian era expressed sentiment, and bracelets were no exception. Bracelets would contain lockets or charms with pictures or hair of a loved one, and engravings were common

Early Victorian jewelry enjoyed some mystic with hidden meanings being popular. The acrostic bracelets where the first letter of each gemstone spelled a word of friendship were very popular. For example a bracelet set with Lapis, Opal, Vermeil [hessonite garnet] and Emerald would spell Love.

The Art Nouveau period once again saw changes to fashion and jewelry. Chameleons and serpents entwined themselves around bracelets. The mystical Egyptian scarab was found on bracelets and rings. Other popular creatures included dragonflies, butterflies, bees, peacocks, swans, and even bats. This was a very figural period attached to nature.
If jewelry did not depict creatures it depicted flower blossoms or flower buds.

From 1910 to 1939 women's fashions saw sleeveless or short sleeve dresses appear. The result was flexible bracelets and bangles worn on the upper arm. These arm bracelets were often adorned with gemstones or diamonds.
From 1940 to 1949 US designers were greatly influenced by the designs from the French house of Van Cleef & Arpels. Bracelets with ribbon of hexagon lines centered on fine gemstones fastened with heavy clasps became very vogue.

From 1950 to 1960 daytime saw simpler lines for not only gold bracelets but necklaces as well. Gold mesh or twisted wire bracelets were very popular.

From 1960 to 1970 bracelets became more flexible and were often set with gems. Bangles on the other hand became more rigid and were often seen set with random diamond placements.

From 1970 to 1979 bracelets were flexible and often set with tiny baguettes. Delicate and dainty bracelets were vogue.

From the 1980s to now bracelet fashions have been mixed and varied. Bracelet styles have become more of an individual fashion statement than a trend. Gold has always remained popular as have gems, however sterling silver has become very popular and recognized for its versatility and wearability at affordable pricing. In the last few years we've also seen an increase in demand for titanium bracelets.
Today a women's fashion statement is about her! What she likes, what she feels good in. So your bracelet wardrobe can be what ever you want. Wear a dainty gem set gold bracelet or an armful of clunky bracelets, which is very vogue this season.

Your fashion statement is about who you are, so feel free to be you!



© Copyright Sher Matsen, All Rights Reserved.

About the author:
Sher has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing affordable estate jewelry, and a wealth of information on jewelry, fashion, designers, and beauty with on staff industry professionals. Please visit us at Estate Jewelry International.


Media Star Power Book Review
Bonnie Jo Davis

Media Star Power: ABCs to Successful TV, Radio, Print & Net Interviews
Judy Jernudd
MindShelf Publishing
270 North Canon Drive, #1175, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 310-306-6999
June 2003, ISBN: 0-9722398-3-9
194 pages, $14.95
http://www.MediaStarPower.com

Judy Jernudd is a former newscaster and television talk show host turned professional speaker and media coach. Her unique background has given Ms. Jernudd the insight into what makes a great media interview and she shares this insight in her book.

Media Star Power covers the terminology of the media world with concise descriptions, quotes and gold star tips. The book starts with "Advance Work" and ends with "ZZZ" and covers just about everything you need to know about media interviews in between. This book will help you become a media savvy guest, market your product and business, position yourself in the media, improve your confidence and help you prepare for a crisis.

All of the topics covered are helpful but some of the most interesting are: creating an on camera look with tips on dressing and jewelry for both men and women, how to react to the media covering your company crisis and how to manage on camera anxiety. This book is a must have for anyone seeking or preparing for media coverage and is sized just right to fit into a purse or briefcase. Readers can use this guide while launching their own media campaign on a budget or to prepare themselves for working with a media coaching company.

Bonnie Jo Davis is a Virtual Assistant specializing in frugal marketing for her clients. She can be reached at http://www.DavisVirtualAssistance.com.

Protecting Yourself from Miter Saw Hazards

Kaitlin Carruth

A miter saw, also known as a "chop saw," is a circular saw that is mounted on a frame. It is designed to be portable and to make very accurate angled cuts between 45 and 90 degrees. The compound miter saw can cut at an additional angle in order to cut bevels. Miter saws are predominately used in cutting wood but can also be used to cut plastics and light metals. Like any power tool, it is important to follow some safety rules to protect yourself. The following are some guidelines to keep yourself safe while operating you miter saw:

1) Wear protective gear. Make sure to protect your eyes with
safety goggles or safety glasses that currently meet the national safety standard. Wear a full protective face mask when needed or dust mask for dusty projects (some of the dust from projects can contain harmful chemicals). It is also recommended to wear hearing protection (such as ear plugs) with extended use of a miter saw.

2) Avoid wearing any loose clothing. Do not wear anything that could possibly get in the way or fall into the path of the saw. This would include loose clothing, jewelry such as earrings, neck ties, gloves, or any dangling object. Remember to tie back long hair.

3) Keep miter saw clean. The miter saw and area around the miter saw should always be clean and free from debris. Also, inspect material to make sure it is free from nails and any other foreign objects before cutting.

4) Maintain a sharp miter saw blade. Always use a miter saw blade that is sharp and undamaged.

5) Do not over reach. Keep a secure footing and do not over reach. Never attempt to reach around the miter saw while it is on.

6) Use miter saw safety guards. The miter saw should come with an upper hood that covers the top half of the blade along with a lower
blade guard. Do not operate machinery without these guards.

7) Make sure that blade is securely fastened. Loose blades have the ability to fall off. Take care to make sure that the miter saw blade is securely fastened and aligned correctly. To do this, unplug the miter saw and carefully spin blade with finger. The blade should not hit any of the other components of the saw.

8) Keep work material secure. Do not attempt to cut the material freehand. Always make sure that the material being cut is secure against the fence of the miter saw. If the work piece is unstable, then use a clamp to hold it in place. Also, remember to check that the miter saw is on a smooth and stable
surface before beginning a project.

9) Leave miter saw unplugged and in the off position when not in use. Following this guideline will protect you from any accidents that could occur when turning on your miter saw. Never leave a power tool on while unattended. It is also advisable to wait until your miter saw is completely warmed up and come up to speed before starting a project.

10) Be Alert! Always be alert when operating a power tool. If the work becomes monotonous, take a short break. Accidents are prone to happen to those who are not paying attention.

Be sure to follow these miter saw safety tips in order to keep yourself safe.
Remember that these are only general guidelines and that you should stop operation of a miter saw at any sign of abnormality. Always be cautious while operating a miter saw in order to avoid any possible accidents.

Kaitlin Carruth is a client account specialist with 10xMarketing
- More Visitors. More Buyers. More Revenue.
For more information about miter saws, please visit Tool America.

Feng Shui Atrracts Money
Samantha Stevens

The first thing that you need to do is get yourself a good compass and determine what is in the southeastern corner of your home. The Southeastern sector of your home governs both your cash flow as well as your faith in the idea that you will always be able to create money.
According to the classic and traditional rules of Feng Shui (the ancient art of object placement to increase good energy in your life) the items that you place in this part of your should be things that align with the energies of personal abundance.
Things that Create Prosperity:
�The colors purple, red and green. These three colors support prosperity energy in a space. A pleasant still life to attract this energy is a pretty glass bowl containing a purple amethyst, a red carnelian and a green piece of jade. You also might want to consider painting this corner one of these colors or using purple, red and green lighting in this corner. An easy way to enhance the color value in this corner is to purchase a lava lamp in purple, red or green. The great thing about a lava lamp is that it also moves, and in Feng Shui, anything electronic or moving helps keep the money circulating in your life.
�Symbols of wealth: Actual money and gold objects are good to display in this area of your house. A bowl of foreign or antique coins can also augment this sector. You can also find statues of "gold ingots" to your local China Town A wonderful statue to place in this area is of a Prosperity Buddha lifting a gold ingot over his head. You might also want to consider placing a gold or green statue of a Chinese Money Toad (this is a three legged statue of a frog or toad with a coin in it's mouth) or a statue of leaping goldfish
�Fake Money. This is the place to put that fake million-dollar bill you got in a novelty store in a frame and hang it. Some people even keep monopoly money in this area as a symbol of their circulating prosperity. A bowl of foreign coins can also be placed here to magnetize wealth into your life.
�Fountain. This is one the two best places in the entire bagua to place a flowing fountain. The other is your Career sector. Flowing water represents the flowing of money. The Chinese consider wood or bamboo fountains to be especially auspicious when placed in this area.
�Goldfish. This is a great area to put an aquarium. Traditionally the Chinese place eight orange or yellow gold fish and one black goldfish in an aquarium to attract money. The number 8 represents prosperity in Feng Shui. The idea too is that if misfortune hits your family, then the ninth black goldfish will die and receive the misfortune instead of you. You can also buy the traditional Chinese poster of this image in Chinese specialty shops.
�Eight Horses. This is an image of eight horses that can be purchased either a statue or as a poster that adds good chi to this sector. However please note the position of your front door when positioning this poster. Make sure that the direction the horses are running is INTO the house and not out the front or back doors! You can buy this statue in gold, red, green, crystal and orange. When placing it in the southwest, red, green, brass or gold are the best styles to choose.
�Jewels. Treasure chests or displays of real or costume jewelry can help attract the chi of abundance to your southeastern prosperity sector.
�Symbols of Luxury. This is the place-to-place photographs, fine art or statuary that represents the aspiration of "having it all." A toy model of a Porsche, an image of a country mansion or a photograph of a man standing at the highest mountain in the world are the kinds of images that you should consider putting in this corner.
�Jade Plant. The Jade plant is the ultimate symbol of prosperity for the Chinese. It's flat round leaves and compact shape makes it the Asian equivalent of a money tree.
�Fruit Trees. Small orange, lemon or lime trees also contain money-drawing properties and are ideal to place in this sector.
Things That Put You in the Poorhouse:
�Clutter. The planet Venus rules prosperous energy. Venus won't enter a dirty home. Piles of junk serve as an obstacle so that positive energy cannot pool and accumulate in your space.
�Leaks. If you have a kitchen or a bathroom with a leaky faucet in this area than the theory is that your money will also be leaking away.
�Toilets. If you have a toilet in this area and there is nothing you can do about it, then make sure that you keep the lid closed at all times to keep your cash from being "flushed away."
�Kitty litter boxes. Animal toilets have the same negative association as toilets -- especially if they smell bad.
�Broken objects. The theory is that " If it's broke, you probably are too! "Remove anything that doesn't work including clocks that keep the wrong time, dead batteries and similar decrepit items from this area. Also replace any burnt out light bulbs, as it is essential that this area be well lit.
�Dead or withering plants: Anything obviously decomposing is antithetical to the energy of prosperity and should be removed from this area.
�Trash cans. Like the toilet, this item drains vital energy from the prosperity area.
�mages of Poverty or Want: Art that depicts objects or landscapes in a withering, rustic or decomposing state should not be displayed here. Also avoid placing photographs of yourself when you were going through a "broke phase" (such as when you were a student in college or just recently divorced) here. You might repeat the situation!


Samantha Steven's articles have been published in many high-standing
newspapers and she has published several books. If you wish to buy
Samantha's books about metaphysics click here
http://www.insomniacpress.com/author.php?id=110
You can meet Samantha Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she
works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at
http://www.newagenotebook.com

Fabuluous New Wedding Band Styles

Sher Matsen

You've decided to tie the knot and now you've got some wedding band shopping to do. Your wedding band is a ring your going to wear all the time so it's important to choose a ring you "really like," one that truly "touches your heart."

A reader survey completed recently in Bride's magazine found 80% of respondents wanting a "traditional" wedding. In todays world what defines traditional is wide open for interpretation. Many weddings will have the traditional core but be customized to the bride and grooms personal tastes.

Traditional usually means white gown, church ceremony, full reception, completed with a honeymoon getaway. When it comes to wedding bands tradition and modern style are quickly entwining to produce some fabulous new wedding band styles.
So you ask, what is the hottest styles in wedding bands?

Well, one think is for certain. Diamonds are still a girls' best friend and are very quickly becoming a guys best friend too! In the past few years there has been a record number of diamond wedding bands being purchased for guys. Men have finally figured out what women have always known about diamonds. Diamonds are elegant, classy, and sophisticated.
The most popular bands are flush settings in gold, platinum, or titanium. Usually the diamond is one carat or less. Another popular setting is small diamonds placed geometrically around the entire band.

So they say what's good for the goose is good for the gander right? That's why today's brides have no problem wearing matching bands to their new husbands. After all women have always had the finer taste for the beauty of diamonds. Today brides and grooms have many choices.

They can buy matching bands or similar bands that accent each other. Designers are now producing coordinating engagement rings and wedding bands. So rather than choosing a set, you can now mix and match. This allows for more personal taste and for more uniqueness.

Both titanium and platinum are very hot. Both brides and grooms are jumping on the bandwagon for something different that the traditional yellow gold of the past. Guys and gals alike appreciate the beauty of platinum and the wearability of titanium. Today's platinum is no longer mixed with yellow gold. Today high polished platinum is a star all by itself. The popularity of titanium wedding bands is also growing leaps and bonds. Titanium has the same look as platinum with two advantages it's considerably cheaper, and its much more durable than platinum.

Jewelers today are borrowing design ideas from the past. Delicate scroll work and intricate patterns are very popular. Designs from the Art Nouveau and Edwardian period are very popular with their flowing geometric designs. Designs are no longer stiff but flowing and fluid.
Custom designer wedding sets have become very vogue. Today wedding sets are chosen with the same thought a woman puts into purchasing clothing. Women are much more in tune to their entire fashion statement and since their wedding rings are worn all the time they want their rings to reflect who they are. They also like to choose wedding rings that will work with other jewelry pieces they wear.

The most popular diamond shape is the round brilliant cut, however many women are choosing some of the more non traditional cuts for their engagement rings. Emerald cuts, baguettes, and marquis cuts have grown in popularity in the last few years.

Today's choices allow both bride and groom to combine tradition with choices that reflect their personal tastes and their own personalities. Never has their been a time in history when the design of wedding bands and engagement rings was so intricately tied to the individual who would wear it. Price, selection, and style are as wide as the imagination.

© Copyright Sher Matsen, All Rights Reserved.


© Copyright Sher Matsen, All Rights Reserved.

About the author:
Sher has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing affordable estate jewelry, and a wealth of information on jewelry, fashion, designers, and beauty with on staff industry professionals. Please visit us at Estate Jewelry International.


Art Deco and Its Enduring Popularity
Rosana Hart

Elegance and geometrical shapes are among the hallmarks of many of the art deco objects which are still popular today. The art deco movement was at its height during the years between World War I and World War II, roughly 1920 to 1939. The style took its name from the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, so "deco" is short for "decorative."

Art deco became widespread in architecture, interior design including furniture and dishes, clothing, jewelry, poster art, and practically any art form. It started in Europe, but was used even more in the United States.

It drew widely on the many forms of art from the past: Oriental and Middle Eastern art (including Egyptian), Greek and Roman works, Mayan shapes and designs. But it was considered extremely modern and used many machine and automobile design elements like wheels and gears. Rooted in some of the avant-garde painting styles of the era, art deco is characterized by abstraction, distortion, and simplification. Very intense colors were common, as were geometric shapes.

Above all, art deco was a celebration of modern life, an elegant and sophisticated look which was available in many ways. There were luxurious items for the wealthy, and mass-produced items for the middle class. In architecture, there were theaters, restaurants, hotels, ocean liners, and even World's Fair exhibitions. It may seem bittersweet to us so much later, but it represented a joyous delight in the rise of commerce, technology, and speed.

Some design elements were stepped forms, rounded corners, triple-striped decorative elements, vivid colors, and black decoration. The overall format had a clean simplicity to it. For book and poster printing, type faces such as Futura and Broadway were simple and geometrical.

In poster art, the sense of sophistication and suave elegance are often strong elements, as is sensuality. Art deco posters, printed using our modern techniques, are still widely used for decorating today. Art deco posters go well with virtually any style of furnishings, as they themselves draw on so many different things and there is such a wide variety available.


Rosana Hart is a reference librarian turned webmaster. Visit her site at http://www.infoandhelp.com/posters/ for a selection of popular posters and articles about their subjects.

Write a Better Online Personal Ad

Tracy Brant at Datreable.com

This article is available on the web as well as by
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Write a Better Online Personal Ad
By Tracy Brant at Dateable.com

If you are going to invest time or money in using a
matchmaking website, you should really pay some attention to
writing a profile that will get you some responses. People
will not be interested in emailing you if you do not do
something to make yourself stand out from the masses of
people using personal ads.

I administer several dating websites. People frequently
write in saying, "I never get any replies to my ad." And
when I go look at the ad, I find that they have not filled
out the profile, or added a photo. Who can tell if they want
to email you if there is no information? Not quite as bad,
but still ineffective, is a profile that says, "Email me for
details" or "looking for a nice person." You can't bother
to write a paragraph to find the love of your life? Or even
a fun date for the weekend?

Here are some guidelines for writing effective personal ad
blurbs:

INVESTMENT. Decide that this is worth spending some time
on, or don't bother. You wouldn't submit a sloppy resume,
would you? This is about making a good first impression,
because there will be no second chance once someone clicks
to the next ad.

MARKETING. You are marketing yourself... trying to stand
out in a crowd. You are the "product." and the people you
want to meet are your customers. Think about who you want to
meet, and then think about who THEY want to meet! How can
you tell them that YOU are the person they want to meet?
Magazine ads, for example, grab your attention, make you
laugh, they make you think "wow, what a great thing... I
want to buy it." They can be short, but pack a punch. If
they are long, they tell a good story. Marketers test their
different ad campaigns, and you should, too. Try placing
different ads to see what gets you a better result.

PREPARATION. Before you log in anywhere, do some thinking
and writing. Don't wait until you are faced with a blinking
cursor to write your blurb. Give serious thought to how you
will describe yourself and the person you hope to find.
Write at least two paragraphs, one about yourself, and one
about the person you seek. Ask someone you trust to read
those paragraphs and comment on how well they reflect who
you are and what you want. Save that text to cut and paste
into dating website forms. Have a digital photo or two
ready.

OPENING LINES. Use your username... don't be Bob3456... be
PaintBallPrincess or SecretSuperHero or something else that
reflects your sense of humor and yourself. If the ad allows
you a "subject line" also use that well... "Need woman in
Atlanta" doesn't cut it. "Atlanta man on a mission" sounds
more interesting. "Atlanta Knight seeks his Queen" tells a
different story about who you are seeking. Use your username
and subject line to hook people into your ad. Use humor,
drama, a funky metaphor. Then, like any good ad, you want to
show them you are what they need, show them why you are
unique, and invite them to take action... by emailing you!

DETAILS. Write in complete sentences. Spelling and grammar
DO count. We have modern tools to help with that. You want
to look like you find this task important enough to spell
out the words. Unless you are 15 years old, writing "If u r
inrested n me, wrt 2 me" makes you LOOK 15 years old. ALL
CAPS IS LIKE SHOUTING... don't. It is actually harder to
read.

HONESTY. If you are not honest with yourself and others,
you will not find happiness in the personals. Are you
married? You know, people CAN figure that out and will
resent the lie more than the wedding ring. Without making
any value judgements, putting down "married" will not
necessarily stop you from finding matches. If you are just
looking for a casual date, don't imply that you are looking
for marriage just to get more email... it wastes everyone's
time. If you are looking for a long-term thing, don't think
you can "convince" a casual date to spend more time with
you. You are asking for disappointment. Try completing this
sentence: "In a year, I'd like to see us doing...."

STRINGS. Guys, I see many you making a crucial mistake in
your profiles. You will find that women are seldom looking
for a "no strings relationship." There simply is no such
thing... if it is a relationship, it has strings of SOME
sort. If you don't want strings, you are looking for an
escort service. Women of any description can find casual
physical relationships without lifting a finger to a
keyboard. Don't lie, but think about which "strings" are
okay with you. "Seeking Torrid Summer Romance" is fine and
honest. So is, "I am not eager to move in or get married. I
want to have a regular date for parties and cookouts with my
friends." Ladies, this counts for you, too. If your
personal ad sounds like you might be offering paid sexual
services, you are going to get some rude offers. You might
avoid phrases like, "looking for a wealthy man with good
taste in jewelry."

BEYOND PHYSICAL. Have you ever really dated someone just
for their eye color? OK, maybe you have spectacular
eyeballs. But ads tend to reel off personal stats... and
then stop there, as though there were nothing but a body.
Most personal sites let you click things to describe your
eyes, hair, and height... don't waste valuable profile space
on your hair. Talk about who you are first, and what you
look like at the end. Want to know the number one thing
surveyed women look for in a guy? A sense of humor.

AVOID NEGATIVES. This is not the place to list all the
things that drove you crazy about your ex and how you won't
put up with that again. Don't list what you don't want...
discuss what you DO want. Turn your own lifestyle quirks
into positives, not obstacles. Workaholic? Try, "My career
keeps me very busy, so I need someone with a flexible
schedule for spontaneous one-day adventures." Frugal to a
fault? Try "I find it amusing to squeeze a nickel 'til it
screams... help me research for my web column "CheapDates
for CheapSkates." Worried people will regard your children
as an obstacle? "My family is very important to me and I
hope to find someone that will enjoy the attention of a warm
family circle."

POST A PHOTO. Website statistics show that an ad with a
photo is 80% more likely to get a response. A photo that
shows you relaxed and having fun, no matter what you look
like, is even better. Don't use a photo that isn't current..
it isn't worth looking so insecure, or being rejected later.
Don't rush to ask for a photo... you may look like a "pic
trader," someone who is collecting photos rather than
looking for a real date. Don't stress about your looks...
attraction is about more than looks. Yes, we often are first
attracted to someone by looks, when we meet in person. But
on the Internet, if you seem like a jerk, you won't get the
chance to meet in person.

LIFE STAGES. People often say that "age" is not as
important as "life stage." Where are you in your life? Just
starting out in a new career? Settled into life with kids?
Empty-nesting? Exploring new interests? These are things
that matter. Talk about what is important in your life. "I
am established in my career and now turning my attention to
the great books I never had time to read." "I moved to this
state for a job after college, and I am looking for dates
with a lot of outdoors-loving friends to help me build a
sporty new social circle."

FAVORITE THINGS. Listing ALL your favorite things is
dizzying.. Choose one good example and talk about why you
like it. Choose something that gives the reader an insight
into what you enjoy. You want people to be able to spot
things you have in common, but also feel that there is
something new and interesting to learn about you. Interest
them in learning more with a "teaser" about something
fascinating about you. Ask a question for them to answer in
the reply email.

RULES. Never... NEVER include your last name, phone number
or address. Observe the rules of the various websites...
some do not allow you to post web addresses or email
addresses. Many prohibit crude language or sexual
references. Getting your ad removed by breaking rules is a
waste of time.

So... let your personality be shown in a tasteful way, take
the time to do a good job, and have a good photo. Those
things alone will put you far ahead of the misspelled
anonymous pack. Best of luck!

© Dateable.com LLC 2002

Dateable.com is an exciting online community for singles,
couples and romance lovers. Dateable.com has romantic
resources, advice, poetry, greeting cards, and more.
Dateable.com also features specialty matchmaking services.
Whether you are looking for a soulmate or a playmate, visit
http://dateable.com

Take Off the Rose-Colored Glasses When Dating
Susan Dunn, MA, certified Emotional Intelligence Coach

Robin was giving me an anatomy of her divorce. "There were signs," she said. "Plenty of them. I just ignored them."

"The counselor told me to ignore how he treated other people," said Manuela, "and concentrate on how he treated me. But one day I became 'other people.'"

It's typical to do this in the early stages of dating and falling in love because, first of all it's an exciting and complex process getting to know someone, and secondly, there are all those wonderful dreamy chemicals bathing our brains.

It's also a time when we're prone to be "optimistic," to assume everything's going to be marvelous. Nobody starts a new relationship hoping it will be a disaster. We invest a lot of time and energy into it, and we can begin to see what we want to see, not what's really going on.

This, by the way, is one of the catch points about Emotional Intelligence, and about learned optimism. It's recommended in many daily situations, particularly performance situations (like giving a speech or pitching an account), but it is never recommended in situations of great consequence. At those times, we need to take off the rose-colored glasses. Dating is surely one of those times.

While you're enjoying the chemical bath coming from the brain-stem and limbic brains, stay in touch with your neocortex - the thinking brain - and process just exactly what it is you're seeing and experiencing. Working with a coach, BTW, can help you with clarity.

"No hay casualidades," say the Spanish. Roughly translated it means, "nothing happens by accident" or "there are no coincidences."

Each of these things happened early on in someone's dating career and were ignored:

� We were sitting at the kitchen table at his folks' house and heard a mousetrap go off. Edward sprang to his feet, ran over to the trap, freed the mouse and then beat it to death with a fly swatter. Somehow I didn't think that related to anything else but the mouse, though it made me sick at the time.
� Stanton was a good doctor. He had taken a contract and was working from home and made plenty of money and that blinded me. Turns out he'd had a couple of partnerships that had failed because he was so demanding and impossible to work with. Boy did I find out about that later. It's very strange for a doctor to work out of his home. Somehow that never registered on me.
� Leo was always very relaxed with me, but whenever a waiter came around, or he talked about someone from his past, he was so critical, it was like he was examining them with a magnifying glass. Came the day I fell under the magnifying glass and was found to be 'wanting' just like everyone else, in tiny, little inconsequential, fly-speck ways.
� Eino always called his divorce "leaving home." I'd never heard a grown male talk that way, but I ignored the implications. My friends said he was like a kid, but I just couldn't see it until I became the surrogate "mom."
� "You know how those fraternity parties are," said Nita, referring to her college promiscuity as if it were common place. I had no idea what she meant, but I found out later on. She assumed casual sex with just about anyway was, 'well, you know how it is.'
� Though she was always on her best behavior when we were together, Dalida referred to her secretary, her maid, and her hairdresser as "the help," and demeaned them in front of me.
� Our dates were frugal, because I'm on a budget and Annie seemed to enjoy them. I missed that all her conversation was about how much things cost, and how she noted, as people passed by, the Gucci purse, or the Rolex watch, or the nasty "fake" jewelry.

Hard as it is, try and keep your head about you - that is, don't get "flooded" by those wonderful chemicals to the point where you aren't paying attention to the little things. That's all it is - little things. Watch how they treat all the other people in their life. The Spanish also say, "What goes around, comes around."

You will have learned, or will be learning, that it's best to nip things in the bud. Yes, people can change. And yes, at middle-age we've all had our 'learning experiences.'

Be mindful. Observe. Ask questions. It can save you from looking up one day and saying, "It was there all the time. Why didn't I see it?"

"Choose your life's mate carefully. From this one decision will come 90% of all your happiness or misery." ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr., "Life's Little Instruction Book"

©Susan Dunn, MA Clinical Psychology, The EQ Coach�, http://www.susandunn.cc , helping people like you negotiate the turns of midlife transition. We bring the power of Emotional Intelligence to your life through coaching, distance learning, eBooks and Special Reports. Susan is the author of "How to Live Your Life with Emotional Intelligence" - http://www.webstrategies.cc/ebooklibrary.html . Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for FREE eZine.

What in the World Is Moissanite? The Worlds Newest Jewelry Stone.

Peter Crump

Moissanite is a naturally occurring crystal which occurs in such small
amounts and sizes as to be uncommercial.

It was discovered in 1893 by Henri Moissan in a meteorite which had fallen to earth some 50000 years ago and landed in the Arizona desert.
Dr Moissan started studying small fragments from this meteorite and made an astonishing discovery. Imbedded in it were tiny amounts of what
looked like a new unknown jewel.

Although it occurs naturally on earth it is only in tiny quantities and commercially unviable.

Scientists could see its potential as a brilliant new jewelry stone and so set out to manufacture it in a lab. It's application as a jewel was immediately clear and so a new naturally occurring but also man made jewel was born. The process of making it is very new. It has only been
commercially available in jewelry since 1998, so is only a few years old on the jewelry market.

It is exceedingly hard to make and the process to do so is kept very secret. It can only currently be made in reasonably small quantities.

There are a number of properties of jewels which are common amongst them and are therefore used for comparison purposes. These properties are beauty, colour, brilliance, fire and luster, durability and rarity.

The brilliance of a jewel is created by the cut. A diamond in it's natural state for instance is pretty unimpressive. Give it a proper design and use the diamonds natural refraction of light and it is beautiful. It is the cut that does this, however it is the qualities of the jewel which produce the brilliance once it has been cut. Brilliance can be measured by the amount of light which enters a jewel compared with the amount which comes back when put under a light source.

Fire refers to the ability of the stone to refract light back out in colours. The light rays break up into their original spectrum colours and that is what gives the jewel its special character.

Luster is the amount of light reflected back from the surface of the jewel.

Durability is the toughness, the resistance to scratching, chipping, or splitting. This is detemined by its hardness, and it is also the
hardness which determines the brilliance.

Rarity is reasonably obvious. It is the availability of the jewel.

Moissanite equals or outperforms diamonds just about all categories. In particular it has superior brilliance, fire and luster. The only
category in which it doesn't outperform diamonds is hardness. It is slightly softer than diamond, but only very slightly, and is harder
than all other stones. Jewellers can stuggle to tell the difference between diamonds and Moissanite. In fact there is now a specific
instrument which has been developed to help jewellers to tell the difference between diamond and moissanite as it is so hard to see and
so many cannot tell them apart.

It will not scratch or become cloudy with wear.

In 1999 the US imported 23.4 million carats (karats) of diamond and only .07 million carats of Moissanite. It is very rare.

There are other diamond substitutes available such as cubic zirconia or even glass. Moissanite outperforms all these admirably.

Moissanite is not really a diamond substitute though. It is a new jewel in its own right. It is just so good that it is immediately compared to
diamonds which are always thought of as the best jewel.

If you are thinking of diamond jewelry then moissanite has to be considered. It is far cheaper than a comparable diamond. It is high
quality. It is a great jewel. At the end of the day it is not diamond and so if you are determined to get a diamond then do so. But it is a
very attractive alternative.

It is more and more becoming the choice of the stars.

Kim Cattrall's character, Samantha Jones, wore a brilliant white gold ring featuring Moissanite in an episode during the last season of the
TV hit Sex and the City.

Kiko Ellsworth, one of Hollywood's "Hot" young stars wore a brilliant pair of 2 � ct. Moissanite "Martini Stud" earrings to the premiere of
Bad Boys II, on July 9th in Los Angeles.

Many other stars have been seen wearing moissanite jewelry in the last few years. It is becoming the new fashion in jewelry. It is also becoming one of the most popular engagement ring stones.

Moissanite is the newest and certainly one of the best jewelry stones available. Moissanite is here to stay.



Find out more about Moissanite
as well as Moissanite Engagement Rings at Peter's website, The Magic of Moissanite.
© 2005 Peter Crump.


Taking Care Of and Cleaning Jewelry
Ann Scaling Tucker

First, how susceptible is your jewelry to scratches and chemical products? Hardness is based on a gem-trade standard called the Mohs scale. The higher the Mohs scale number, the harder the stone is. The highest Mohs scale rating is 10 (diamonds). Anything with a Mohs scale rating of less than 7 is easily scratched (such as coral, lapis lazuli, opal, pearl, and turquoise). Gold, silver, and platinum are only Mohs 2-1/2 to 4.

Because a diamond can scratch gold or pearls it is always important to store all jewelry pieces separately. Gold jewelry will last you a lifetime if it is taken care of. Gold can be scratched and dented if you are not careful. Because of where they are worn, gold rings and bracelets will get the most damage, much more so than earrings or necklaces. Chemicals also can cause damage to gold. One of the worst is chlorine. Constant exposure to chlorinated cleaning products will make the gold weak and prone to breaking. Don't wear your gold in the swimming pool or Jacuzzi. Take your jewelry off around the house when cleaning but if you prefer to wear rings and bracelets wear rubber gloves for protection. Even makeup, perfume, hairspray, and perspiration can cause gold jewelry to lose its luster. Clean your jewelry regularly using a good jewelry cleaner. A quick clean can be done with a baby tooth brush and mild soap and a small amount of ammonia. (Never clean in the sink as the jewelry might fall down the drain, always clean in a bowl away from a drain pipe) Grease can be removed from karat gold jewelry by dipping into plain rubbing alcohol. Always rinse thoroughly and dry after cleaning. Keep it wrapped separately in a soft cloth, jewelry box divider or plastic baggie. Keep your eye on prongs that could break and cause the loss of a stone. An occasional visit to a professional jeweler is the best idea.

Platinum is one of the rarest and most durable precious metals. It does not tarnish or get discolored from chlorine. Even though it is very tough you still need to take good care of your platinum jewelry. Store it separately because platinum can be scratched. Platinum can be cleaned in the same manner as other fine jewelry.

You will probably be surprised that sunlight can cause many colored gemstones to fade, change color or become pale. Common stones that are damaged in sunlight (there may be more): Amethyst, Ametrine, Apatite, Aquamarine, Aventurine, Beryl, Celestite, Chrysoprase, Citrine, Fluorite, Kunzite, Rose Quartz, and Smokey Quartz. Pearls are organic stones and quickly react to any form of chemicals like perfumes, hand lotions, hair spray, etc. Chemicals directly attack the nacre, ruining the luster, which causes patches on your pearl. Put your pearl jewelry on last after you have applied your perfumes, lotions, etc. They should not be worn along with any other jewelry items such as chains or even watches. Clean pearls only with lukewarm water. Never brush them in any way. You can then wipe it with a regular cotton cloth. The silk is delicate and gets stretched after a period of time. Always store bead necklaces (such as lapis, pearls, etc) flat as that will keep the silk from stretching. It could break when the strand is worn on a regular basis. You should have them checked, to see if they need to be re-strung, every 3 years if you wear them regularly. Opals are water-based stones. Sudden temperature changes cause them to crack in multiples (known as Crazing). They should thus be cleaned only in room temperature water (68�F - 75�F) and then wiped with a soft cotton cloth. Emeralds, naturally coming out of the ground have several surface breaking inclusions in them. Almost all of them are treated through oiling to hide these inclusions. They cannot be immersed in ultrasonic cleaners or steam machines for this reason. The oiling will either discolor or come out during the cleaning process. Thus they can only be cleaned with room temperature water (68�F - 75�F) and a cotton cloth.

Platinum is one of the rarest and most durable precious metals. It does not tarnish or get discolored from chlorine. Even though it is very tough you still need to take good care of your platinum jewelry. Store it separately because platinum can be scratched. Platinum can be cleaned in the same manner as other fine jewelry.

Your silver jewelry tarnishes when exposed to air. This occurs more quickly in damp and foggy weather and even sunshine, but is inevitable in any climate. Tarnish first appears as a golden hue on your sterling silver then turns to black. Always store in treated paper or cloth, or plastic zip lock bags made of Mylar (turkey cooking bags) or polyethylene. Some plastic contains sulfur compounds which can cause tarnish faster. Never use polyvinyl plastic bags. Tiny zip-lock bags work great for each individual piece. Don't store sterling silver jewelry on wood surfaces as wood usually contains acids that can mar the finish. Also avoid storing silver with other metals like pennies and rubber. Don't wear rubber gloves when washing or polishing silver because rubber promotes tarnish. Dry and polish silver with a soft cloth, not paper towels. You can use a baby tooth brush or a horsehair silver brush but stays away from paper, polyester and course fabrics that contain wood fibers as this can scratch your silver. Ordinary toothpaste is a good, quick cleaner but is mainly recommended for gold, not silver. If you don't want to rub the silver (or you're uncomfortable working with acid), make a dip using baking soda, aluminum foil and hot water. Place a 2' length of aluminum foil into a plastic bucket, and pour 1/2 gallon of hot water over it. Then pour a cup of fresh baking soda into the water (if the soda is fresh, it will begin foaming). Submerge a piece of silver in the water, and allow it to sit for 30 minutes. Then pull out the silver, rinse it, and allow it to dry.

For a more of a heavy duty cleaner get a pickle jar and combine one inch of cleaning detergent (like Top Job or Mr. Clean), one inch of dish washing liquid and one inch of ammonia. Fill the rest of the container with water. Shake well, heat in microwave and pour into an old pot and simmer on stove. Put your silver or gold into the solution and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Remove from solution and rinse with water. Dry well.

About the Author: Elizabeth Ann Scaling Tucker is a retired grandmother of 5. She retired after 35 1/2 years with the Department of Defense. In her retirement years, she is a grandchild sitter and an assistant webmaster for family websites. You can see one of the websites at http://www.diamondengagementweddingrings.com/

Promoting Your Business on CD

Kenny Love

In the Music industry, whenever most independent
musicians release a new recording today, a
certain aspect of their promotion entails their
distribution and giveaway of FREE samples of
their music on a separate promotional compact
disc. This serves as a 'teaser' in enticing
prospects to then go to record stores to buy the
full-length recording.

As 'writeable' promo discs can be purchased
inexpensively at stores such as Wal-Mart, after
which the music samples are copied from the
hard drive to the CD, or by using what is known as
a CD burner (high-speed duplicator), it should
come as no surprise that even the most financially
challenged musicians are now embracing this
invaluable and well proven promotional aspect for
bringing immediate attention to their music.

And, as this method has proven unanimously
beneficial in terms of ease of finance, promotion
and time, there is absolutely no reason that a
similar process cannot also work for your own
business, albeit, a few elements properly
customized (be sure your computer's compact
disc is a "writeable" type, and not simply a
"readable" one).

As such, I am providing a "from start to finish"
outline that you should find very effective, almost
immediately, whether you wish to reach out to your
prospects locally, regionally or nationally.

Hypothetically, let's say you are in the field of
Cosmetology, and own and operate a hair salon.
Though your industry has a ready-made market,
with women repeatedly visiting on a regular basis,
naturally, there is also a fair degree of competition
from other salons in your area as well.

And, as such, you've noticed that your business
sales and clients, have either begun to level off,
stagnate or, possibly, even diminish. What can
you quickly do to maintain and increase your
clientele and, accordingly, your salon's income?

1. Why not take all of the elements of your
business, such as your weekly specials,
information about your salon such as its history,
your web site address, email address, regular
prices, business hours, contact information, along
with the various products and services you offer,
then format them into attractive files and place
them on compact discs for distribution?

Your prospects are certain to be pleasantly
surprised with this new out-of-the-norm promotion
method and anxious to see what surprise awaits
them on the CD.

2. Next, consider all the businesses women might
patronize, such as women's shoe stores, women's
clothing stores, jewelry stores, supermarkets, mall
stores, cosmetic stores, etc. Your goal is to
consider businesses that are complementary to
your own services, yet, are not in competition in
any way.

3. Now, contact the store managers and/or owners,
informing them that you are a fellow local business
owner, and request to know if they will consider
handing out your CD of information to their
customers and/or clients who have computers and,
hopefully, have Internet service. You might even
request to enter into a barter agreement with these
businesses, whereby, you distribute their sales
information as well.

While all contacts you make might not be receptive
to this idea, undeniably, you will acquire more than
a few who will be interested, if for no other reason
than the opportunities to offer their customers a
little something extra and/or to get their own
business information into the hands of new
prospects (your customers) as well.

4. Also, be sure to not only consider distributing
your CDs hand-to-hand on your own, always
having them available on your person ready to
hand out, but also having them available at your
salon to give to your existing and new customers.

5. Another avenue, is to consider doing a local
or regional mail-out campaign. You could simply
contact prospects via telephone and attempt to
qualify them by simply asking if they own a computer
and, if so, that you would like to send them a CD of
info regarding your hair salon and its services.

6. If your budget allows, yet, another method is to
contact an area print publication that specifically
targets women and request if you can pay to have
your CD attached to one of their issues, or
included as an insert.

7. To backtrack for a moment, be sure that your
web site contains a form readily viewable on it so
that when prospects with online service access
your site, your form can readily capture their email
address, as well as their mailing address.

This is vital information that you need in order to
provide your customers with any updates to your
products, services, prices or any other changes
that might occur. And, speaking of the provision
of updates, you should also consider starting a
newsletter for this purpose as well if you have not
yet done so.

Again, you also want to be sure your CD contains
as much vital information for people who don't
have online access although, practically anyone
with a computer these days, also has access.

This aspect of promotion could serve to either
offset and eliminate any print, radio or television
advertisement costs you currently have, or serve
to complement them. Your overall production
costs (bulk rate price and time spent copying files)
on the compact disc will probably be between $.30
and $.40 per unit.

If you distribute, say, 1000 info CDs at a cost of
$400, and gain merely 10% (100) new customers,
I believe you will find that the $400 will be a very
wise and worthwhile investment, not to mention
that you can continue and/or repeat the process
as often as you wished.

And, if you happen to reside in a small rural area,
you could also experience great results by simply
distributing your CD information county-wide, or
regionally.

Again, this promotional analogy is applicable to,
virtually, any business. Further examples include:

1. Auto dealerships working with car parts
suppliers, or vice versa.

2. Lawn services working with lawn mower repair
shops, or vice versa.

3. How about photography services including their
CD of info in their yearly school/student packages?

4. Even in an agricultural community, feed stores
could include a CD of their info in farmers'
purchases.

5. Why not even go a couple of steps farther by
placing audio files or, perhaps, even video files on
the CD as well?

Your audio could include your voiceover giving a
welcome to the prospect at the beginning, and
also serve as a direction to the various business
elements on your disc. Likewise, your video could
integrate animated video for an even more
pleasing experience for your prospective client.

As I stated previously, virtually, everyone, in all
areas of your community has a computer and/or
the availability of online access through friends,
relatives, area schools, libraries, etc. And, the
creativity of any part of the promotional CD is
only limited by your imagination.

So, why not truly give some serious thought to
bringing the marketing and promotion of your
business into the 21st Century? At the very least,
your promotion via CD should certainly get you
noticed far above your area competition.

Kenny Love is a business marketer,
promoter and also authors inexpensive handbooks
on unique but highly-profitable businesses that
many people are unaware of, or simply overlook.
His web site is located at http://www.kennylove.net.

Sterling Silver Jewelry Exposed
Sam Serio

Sterling silver jewelry is enjoying an unprecedented popularity with today's fashion conscious public. You know how beautiful sterling silver jewelry is and how brilliantly it shines. Now here is the rest of the story.

Silver has been used since ancient times, but has not survived as well as ancient gold because it tarnishes and decomposes. There have been times, however, when silver was "in"; we are going through such a vogue today.

Silver is the commonest of the precious metals. Fine silver is pure silver, which is seldom used for jewelry because it is too soft. Sterling silver is 925 parts silver to 75 of copper, the alloy most often used. Silver weighs about half as much as gold, has greater flexibility, but is not as malleable, it has always been less expensive as well. A comparable piece of gold jewelry might cost four or five times that of a piece of sterling silver jewelry.

The current fashion trend toward black clothing has made silver jewelry more popular than ever. Silver likes to be worn; it stays cleaner & shinier through movement and friction. So sterling silver is a perfect accessory for today's fast paced lifestyles. Much like gold, sterling silver needs to be cleaned.

Here are Some Tips for Greater Enjoyment of your Sterling Silver Jewelry

�To avoid tarnishing, wrap silver in tissue paper and store in poly bags with anti-tarnish strips (UTL-46). Use polishing cloth (UTL-1) to buff silver. Anti-Tarnish polish (UTL-47) may be used. Cleaning dip (UTL-25) should only be used as a last resort. Do not dip pieces with stones; it may cause damage to the stones.
�Minimize exposure of silver to perfumes, hair sprays or household cleaners. Avoid wearing silver in pools, hot tubes or the ocean.
�Some people may cause silver in contact with their skin to turn black, which may be difficult to clean.
Cleaning Tips

1. Thoroughly rub the sterling with a good silver cleaner & toothpaste, on a clean dry cloth dipped in baking soda; use a clean soft toothbrush for holes and crevices. Finally, rinse well and lightly towel-dry.

2. One old fashioned method for quick-cleaning is to rub dry ashes over silver.

3. A more modern approach is to purchase a chemical cleaner, impregnated jewelry cloth; that you should store in a Ziploc bag and keep near your jewelry storage box so that you use it frequently.

For cleaning badly tarnished silver, here's a neat little trick

1.)Cover the inside bottom of a heat-proof glass dish on bowl with a piece of aluminum foil, shiny side up.
2.)Place the tarnished silver in the bottom of the dish, contacting the aluminum foil.
3.)Add 1 heaping tablespoon of baking soda, and then slowly pour boiling water to cover the piece. The tarnish will gradually collect on the aluminum foil.
4.)Remove your silver, rinse thoroughly, and polish.

Please note: This is a good time to mention that there is a difference between polishing and cleaning. To polish means to make your jewelry brighten with a glossy finish. A jewelry polish can be used for added brilliance after a thorough cleaning (follow the directions on label.) A routine rubbing with a polishing cloth keeps your sterling silver jewelry looking great.

.


The Authors of the above Article, Sam and Tami Serio have been passionately involved with Jewelry and Gemstones for over fifteen-years. You are cordially invited to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com for a wealth of information about the fascinating world of Jewelry and Gemstones. Together they also shelter 20 abandoned and abused dogs & cats. A portion of their profits goes to the care and feeding of the animals.

Planning on Doing Some International Travel Over the Holidays?

Susan Dunn, The EQ Coach

[shudder]. No really, a little EQ - managing the attitude, and using the ole noggin' can make it almost pleasant!

1. Pack your patience and your Emotional Intelligence.

Turn down the emotions, turn up the forethought. Example - research your destination on the Internet prior for websites where individuals (not paid interests) can tell you what you can ^anticipate^.

2. Pre-arrange everything you possibly can - air, hotel, car, restaurant, attractions, plays.

3. Make copies of your passport, traveler's checques, credit cards, itinerary, and airline tickets.

Carry one copy with you and leave one copy with your designated emergency-contact.

4. Carry with you the address and phone number of your country's embassy (consulate) for each country you'll visit.

5. Take any regular medication in your hand luggage and be sure you have more than enough for your trip. (Remember needles and scissors can't be in hand luggage.)

6. Check the US State Dept. advisories, www.travelstate.gov, before your go for immunizations, hazards and other pertinent information; the Overseas Security Advisory Council, www.ds-osac.org, and the Transportation Security Administration site, www.tsatraveltips.us.

7. You'll know you'll be waiting, so use your EQ and figure out how to make it A Good Thing.

� Use e-ticket and online checkin when you can.
� Bring along that book you've been meaning to read
� Bring a pre-paid phone call and catch up with buddies
� Bring a neck pillow and plan to catch up on your rest
� Dress appropriately for sitting or lying around an airport for a long time - loose clothing that can be abused

8. Use your neocortex when you pack, not your brain-stem. (You KNOW the rules, abide by them! Exorcize from the brain-stem another time, another place.)

� Pack carry-ons lightly so they can be checked more easily
� Check the checked baggage allowance and be sure your name and contact details are on the outside of each bag
� Avoid packing anything that looks like a weapon (guide - anything you wouldn't give a toddler free access to - nail file, letter opener, knitting needle, and the more obvious hand grenades)
� When traveling to and from North America, TSA recommends not locking checked baggage
� Check here www.tsa.dot.gov for common items which become hazardous in flight due to temperature changes and pressure, and don't pack them.

9. Be sure you have a valid passport and any required Visas and be prepared to show them at any point along the way.

10. Know the rules of security checkpoints and abide by them.

� Only ticketed passengers can proceed beyond it
� All electronic items will be screened - laptops and cells. Remove laptop from travel case.
� Keep ticket and boarding pass and ID within easy reach - like on neck chain
� Wear shoes easy to remove and as little jewelry as possible

P.S. Here's a tip from a seasoned traveler. You KNOW you're going to be buying things, and possibly taking home gifts, so pack some clothes that are ready for Goodwill and that you can deposit in another country's "Goodwill" to leave space in your bags for the return trip.

©Susan Dunn, MA, cEQc, The EQ Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc, sdunn@susandunn.cc . Would you like to be an EQ coach? We offer training and certification, long distance, no residency requirement. Rigorous programme plus products available for licensing that will prepare you to launch your practice in this fast-growing new field. http://www.eqcoach.net .Email us for FREE eZine, mor info.

Loose Moissanite Stones, A Great Way to Buy Your Moissanite Wedding Jewelry.
Peter Crump

Moissanite is fast becoming the new diamonds. The newest jewelry stone on the market, moissanite is fashionable. Moissanite stones are manufactured to exacting standards, and so produce fine quality jewelry. And loose moissanite stones, being
cheaper, can offer a choice of much larger stone sizes than diamonds.

Just witness the number of "stars" who have been seen recently wearing stunning moissanite jewelry. Moissanite jewelry is the new jewelry for the discriminating buyer.

Not only does moissanite look as good as diamonds, it's much cheaper.

However before you decide to rush out and buy some moissanite jewelry, think about the range of options available to you for your jewelry purchase. And think about buying loose moissanite stones.

Lets say you want to buy a stunning moissanite engagement ring.

Firstly, shop on the net. Moissanite is more easily sourced on the net than at your regular stores, and you usually get a bigger range. Online stores can be much cheaper when buying moissanite than your normal offline store. There are several
reasons for this, but it generally boils down to overheads.

Regular stores need to bring their customers to the store. So the store needs to be near the customers. So there need to be lots of stores to be near lots of customers. So high overheads.

However on the net the customers come to the store. So there is only one location needed, and it can be located on cheaper real estate.

So, lower overheads equals lower prices.

When shopping on the net there are usually a range of settings to choose from. And whilst women love their moissanite jewelry, they usually have exact ideas about the setting they want. Sometimes the merchants offer the setting they want, sometimes they don't.

There is, however, the perfect solution. Loose moissanite stones. The stone is usually the more expensive part of the ring. The setting is usually cheaper than the stone.

It is perfectly possible to buy loose moissanite stones on the net. Why would you buy loose moissanite stones? One reason.

If you buy the stone on the net you take advantage of the prices and availability. If you then take your moissanite stone to your local store you can browse at your leisure and pick out the exact setting that suits you and get your jeweller to set the stone for you.

It's the best of both worlds. The low price of buying a moissanite stone on the net, and the range of choice and the enjoyment of browsing in your local store for the perfect setting. And the option of getting your favourite jeweller to set it for you.

So for those who are looking for that perfect moissanite engagement ring, look for moissanite stones on the net. You will get a stone that compares very favourably to a diamond at a much cheaper price.

And select your favourite setting from your favourite jeweller.

A loose moissanite stone plus your favourite ring setting makes for the perfect moissanite engagement ring!



Find out more about Moissanite Stones as well as Moissanite engagement rings, moissanite bridal rings and moissanite earrings at Peter's website, The Magic of Moissanite.
© 2005 Peter Crump.