Online diamonds

By: Ken

Both titanium and tungsten are considered “model metals” in the jewelry industry because they were not available to the consumer market as commodities until ten years ago. They have gained tremendous popularity since the introduction and become an integral part of the jewelry material spectrum.

Due to the rather little exposure, many questions arise concerning titanium and tungsten when it comes to choosing jewelry. The followings are some points of consideration if you are seriously thinking about buying a titanium or tungsten wedding ring.

1. Hardness
Titanium and tungsten are both known for the superior hardness over traditional metals such as gold, silver and platinum. One thing worth noting is that it is not the metals themselves in a pure form that possess the hardness, it is their alloys that do. Roughly speaking, the hardest form of tungsten carbide is harder than titanium alloys, and only under extreme circumstances, such as abrasion from diamonds, can it be damaged.

2. Ductility
Titanium is more ductile than tungsten in the common alloys used in jewelry. In other words, when a wedding ring is under high pressure, such as hit by a car door, a titanium ring would be bend out-of-round whereas a tungsten carbide ring would fracture into several pieces. Hence, in terms of safety, a tungsten carbide ring is “safer” to wear.

3. Hypoallergenic
This is the very same concern as buying silver jewelry to some people: Will I be allergic to the jewelry? In general, titanium jewelry is virtually safe to wear for everybody. Yet, some tungsten carbide jewelry contains the element cobalt that some people are allergic to. Interesting, another form of tungsten alloy using nickel as a binder metal is hypoallergenic, even to people who are allergic to nickel.

4. Weight
Titanium is lighter than tungsten, or more precisely, has a lower density. Titanium alloys are about 43% lighter than stainless steel and tungsten carbide is about 90% heavier than stainless steel.

5. Coloring
Titanium reacts with different chemicals and produces alloys of different colors. Jewelry makers use anodization to coat colored patterns on titanium rings. Black titanium is another form of titanium alloy that has a different color than the commonly used grey color. On the other hand, tungsten carbide is usually offered on in black color only.

6. Pricing
Titanium jewelry is in general cheaper than tungsten jewelry primarily due to the difference in equipment and environment control need to produce them. The temperature for forming a tungsten carbide is about 6000 Fahrenheit, which has to be in either a vacuum or hydrogen environment.

7. Engraving and resizing
Titanium wedding rings can be engraved and resized. However, a tungsten carbide ring is too hard to be engraved or resized. Although engraving can be done, the letters will be very faint and difficult to read. So if you are buying to ring to engrave, get titanium rings.

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By: Ken

Are you buying a men’s titanium ring as a gift? Are you thinking of getting titanium rings for wedding? Do you know the true meanings behind the metal as jewelry? Here is some general information for making such a decision.

Many people, including myself, heard of Titanium for the first time when either a military aircraft or a human joint substitution was mentioned. It seems like jewelers are just running out of new ideas for making new lines of jewelry. Yet, titanium jewelry is one of the fastest growing jewelry industries nowadays and there are actually plenty of justifications to the popularity.

Most people misunderstand that Titanium (the element Ti on chemistry periodic table) is a strong metal. In fact, the metal alone is not hard enough for most of the purposes it serves today; it is the alloys that produced from it that offer the superb strength and resistance to heat. Also, Titanium is not considered as previous metal like silver, gold or platinum.

So what makes Titanium so attractive? The most obvious reasons are the superior tensile strength and hardness. A particular grade of Titanium, 6.6.2, composes of a particular mixture of aluminum, vanadium and tin is used in many industrial applications such as aerospace. Therefore, the jewelry made of such (aircraft grade) Titanium like wedding band rings have no problem of being used every day. In addition, the fact that Titanium wedding rings are much harder and more durable than gold and silver makes it a perfect candidate for symbolizing the eternity of love in a marriage.

Besides traditional uses in wedding, Titanium also possesses various properties that allow it to become popular in the fashion jewelry industry. For example, tension set diamond rings in the form of an open circle with a diamond mounted in the openings is one of the most sought after designs that not many metals can be used in. Also, Titanium reacts with different chemicals in electrolytic solutions and turns into different colors such as green and blue, a process called anodization. This makes Titanium Rings much more versatile when it comes to fashion. Finally, Titanium can also be combined with traditional metals like gold and silver in the form of inlay. Men’s titanium rings with gold or silver inlay are created by bombarding the ring in a vacuum environment with a gold or silver atom beam in an angle that the metals adhere to the ring evenly.

After all, jewelry is a way of express oneself. Men’s titanium rings rings are for men who would like to stay ahead of the fashion trend and value the subtle inspiration from the effect of technological advances on every aspect of our lives and culture.

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By: Ken

Either you are buying it as a gift or for yourself, there are many reasons why titanium jewelry can be a better choice than jewelry made in traditional precious metals like gold, silver and platinum.

Firstly, titanium is highly corrosion resistant and therefore does not tarnish easily. Especially for high-polish finished jewelry like gold and silver wedding band rings, it is expected that the jewelry will lose its color and shine over time. Even if they are stored properly in jewelry boxes or safe, the oxygen in the air reacts with the metals and turns the color. This process is of course accelerated if the jewelry is worn daily because the sweat combined with body temperature, acts as catalysts to the chemical process.

Also, titanium is hypoallergenic, which means that very few people have skin that is sensitive to it. People who are allergic to gold, silver or, more commonly, nickel, which is found in most gold and silver jewelry, don’t have to worry about outbreak when wearing jewelry made from titanium and its alloys.

A widely known property about titanium is its durability. It is this attribute that makes it perfect for active individuals who frequently engage in outdoor activities, even water sports. It is not uncommon that people find their gold or silver jewelry damaged, or even lost, after a day of exciting outdoor events. These disappointments can easily be avoided if titanium jewelry is worn instead. In addition, titanium has a high strength to weight ratio. In other words, although it is much stronger than gold and silver jewelry, even steel, it is much lighter and hence more comfortable to wear.

Finally, it is fashionable and trendy to wear titanium jewelry. The metal is relatively new in the fashion industry with many new ideas being applied on it. Titanium is so versatile that it not only can be combined with gemstones, gold and silver, engraved and finished like traditional jewelry; it can also be anodized to create eye-catching colored titanium jewelry.

Common titanium jewelry includes wedding band ring, men’s titanium rings and men’s titanium bracelets. There is every reason to explore the vast possibilities and express your personality in a whole different way.

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By: David Weitzman

What is a talisman?
The word “Talisman,” derived from the Greek verb “teleo,” means, primarily, to accomplish, or bring into effect. The Talisman is an object marked with magic signs and is believed to confer on its bearer supernatural powers or protection. Virtually every religion in human history has offered as adherents small decorative objects which purpose is to do anything ranging between healing, protection or success.

Talismans and sacred geometry
Very often the talismans symbols are taken out of sacred geometry. The term “sacred geometry” is used by archaeologists, anthropologists, and geometricians to encompass the religious, philosophical and spiritual beliefs that have sprung up around. It is a term covering Pythagorean geometry and neo-Platonic geometry. Sacred geometry is often referred to as a language of G-d. Sacred geometry symbols are a means of bringing subtle, inner realities to a focus in outward expression. Within the fundamental unity of consciousness, certain symbols, such as the lotus lifting itself in purity above the muddy water, possess universal relevance and power.

Ancient Egyptian Talismans
Scarab beetle
The young scarab beetles emerged spontaneously from the burrow they were born in. Therefore they were worshipped as “Khepera”, which means “the one who came forth”. The scarab-beetle god Khepera was believed to push the setting sun along the sky in the same manner as the beetle with his ball of dung. In many artifacts, the scarab is depicted pushing the sun along its course in the sky.

Ankh
The Ankh is a symbolic representation of both Physical and Eternal life. It is known as the original cross, which is a powerful symbol that was first created in Ancient Egypt. Ankh is typically associated with material things such as water, air, sun, as well as with the Gods, who are frequently pictured carrying an Ankh.

Heart
In Egyptian history, the heart replaced the heart which was removed during mummification. Sometimes assimilated to the Bennu, “Soul of Rג”, it brings the protection of both Osiris and Rג.

Other Egyptian talismans
Buckle or Knot of Isis, Djed, Ba, Two Fingers and Udjat or Eye of Horus.

Christian Talismans
The cross
The cross of Christianity was a symbol of the faith. It was previously considered a pagan symbol, with several early church fathers objecting to its use. The cross represents Christ’s victory over death and sin, since it is believed that through His death he conquered death itself.

Fish
The fish’s first known use as a Christian religious symbol was sometime within the first three centuries AD. Christians began using the Greek word for “fish” as an acronym for “Jesus Christ God’s Son, Savior”. Followers of Christianity were called Pisciculi; the root of this Latin word is “fish”.

Jewish and Kabbalah Talismans
Star of David
The name David in ancient Hebrew (during the time of King David) is made up of three letters “Dalet”, “Vav” and “Dalet”. The letter Dalet in ancient Hebrew is actually a triangle. King David used the six pointed star as his signature (the two triangles of his name). The middle letter “Vav” means six - The six pointed star. The six-points symbolize that God rules over the universe and protects us from all six directions: North, South, East, West, Up and Down. King David used this symbol in the battlefield on his shield as an omen from God.

Hamsa
The Hamsa is known as the hand of Miriam or Hamesh hand. The Hamsa serves as an ancient talismanic way of averting the evil eye and providing a “protecting hand” or “Hand of God”. The Hamsa often appears in stylized form, as a hand with three fingers raised, and sometimes with two thumbs arranged symmetrically.

Five metals ring
According to the ancient kabalistic text, the secret of the five metals ring success is that at the specific time of the creation of the ring with these five metals, Jupiter’s influence is summoned forth. Jupiter is the star of development and expansion, and success is at it’s strongest at the specific time of the ring’s creation. The layer on the top of the five metals ring is pure gold. Below it there is a layer of lead and tin, and the last layer is copper, while the ring itself is made out of silver.

Tree of life
The Tree of Life is one of the most familiar of the Sacred Geometry Symbols. The structure of the Tree of Life is connected to the sacred teachings of the Jewish Kabbalah. The Tree of Life is explained in Sefer Yetzira (”Book of Creation”). The book explains the creation as a process involving the 10 divine numbers (sefirot) of God the Creator and the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The 10 sefirot together with the 22 letters constitute the “32 paths of secret wisdom”.

Buddhist Talismans
Buddha
Buddha images provide a reassuring reminder of the basic tenets of Buddhist religion. Just as Buddhist religion is practiced in many different ways, the Buddhist image also serves a wide variety of ritual purposes and has different meanings for different people. Buddha can be invested with a huge amount of information, meaning and implication; they evolve and they are given life. The Buddha image cast in the human form gives it a value presented as calm, still and serene.

Mandalas
The Tibetans create their beautiful Mandalas from colored sand and if you’ll take a metal plate and cover it with sand and make it vibrate with different sounds, you will be able to see different structures that are formed in the sand, that are very similar to the sand Mandalas. In the end, after a few weeks when the Mandalas is finished, they simply wipe the sand off Mandalas to show the non-attachment to the illusion of the external, and also to show the constant change and the process of life and death that takes place in the external world of illusion.

OM
Om (ॐ) is the most sacred syllable in Hinduism, first coming to light in the Vedic Tradition. The syllable is sometimes referred to as the “Udgitha” or “pranava mantra”. The symbol of Om contains three curves, one semicircle and a dot. The large lower curve symbolizes the waking state; the upper curve denotes deep sleep (or the unconscious) state, and the lower curve (which lies between deep sleep and the waking state) signifies the dream state.

Tibetan Knot
The Tibetan knot (Srivatsa or the endless knot) is one of the eight symbols of the Tibetan Buddhism. The Tibetan knot can stand for karmic consequences: pull here, something happens over there. It is an apt symbol for the Vajrayana methods: Often when we tug at one part of a knot while trying to loosen it, another part becomes tighter. You have to work with the knot to enable it to come undone. In its endless configuration, it evokes the cyclic nature of rebirth and also calls karmic connections to mind.

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By: Sasha Masand

One of the major drivers that have helped the media industry in India canter along at a blistering pace has been the good old radio. AM, FM and even Satellite Radio have made a huge impact on the Industry in India. The stage is set for major revenue growth among the various Radio Channels.

In fact what we are seeing is not some newfound love for the old medium but just the natural uncoiling of the market after being repressed by the government for decades. In a country where the majority of the illiterate poor have only the Radio as their low cost medium for entertainment and news reception, the Government does not want to give up control. Even now though new FM licenses have been issued all across the country, News-casting has been barred from private Radio Networks.

Private news channels on Television in contrast are now dime-a-dozen. For better or for worse we now get the same bit of news delivered to us on television with sometimes extremely divergent views, spin e.t.c. Sadly Radio has not yet joined that bandwagon.

In fact listening to FM Radio in India is very weird, as it seems too “clean” without the usual news on the hour. Talking about weird of all the things Satellite Radio is here. WORLDSPACE has got around 65000 subscribers in India. That’s two thirds of its entire audience around the world. People say they like it because it is clean without commercials. In most developed markets though where broadband penetration is high people have access to thousands of radio channels via the Internet. Satellite radio hence does not generally do well there. The other limitations of course to satellite radio apart from being expensive to setup, here in India are that its not portable. You are tied down to one receiver and that’s it.

Everything is new and nice at the moment. People in India today are spoilt for choice. Be it any media platform they have a stack of channels to choose from. But the day is not far away when they will realize that the flip side of entertainment is information.

In a way may be it would be much better if the industry could grow slower but in a more complete way. Just having loads of entertainment on the airwaves without some serious Information dispersal seems almost Banana Republic like.

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By: ken33

When the first introduction of the “Rap” style hit the music industry, few would have predicted that the impact of “Hip-Hop” culture would go mainstream. But it definitely has done exactly that, as seen by the increasing number of celebrities showing off their “Bling-Bling”, the standard term for hip hop jewelry. The upsurge in popularity of this particular style of jewelry, owes its claim to fame to the recording artists whose reputation was built on sporting expensive, flashy rings, pendants and earrings. In fact, this term has become so widely used, that the Oxford Dictionary has included it, along with “jiggy” and “phat”. Credits for this term go the Hip-Hop artist B.G, who recorded a 1999 hit song that brought “Bling-Bling” as a popular catchphrase into the mainstream.

There is no doubt about the broad appeal of the hip-hop jewelry style, it plays well on our human desire to be seen and by extension, when you have “bling-bling” it also refers to obvious and appealing wealth. While hip-hop fashion, the distinctive style of dress originating from urban culture, is only one element of this lifestyle, the attention given to the jewelry of this movement has far outpaced that of the clothes.

But truth be told, the wearing of large, extravagant jewelry was popular with artists like Elvis Presley and Tom Jones, a long time before hip-hop became the current cultural phenomenon, but it has completely altered the jewelry market of today. Because fans want to emulate their favorite celebrities and jewelry has always been at the top of the list when it comes to making a big impression. In today’s age of instant information, the hip-hop jewelry scene changes as fast as the record chart hits and the reputation of many celebrities can be boosted or deflated by who is wearing the most fashionable “Bling-Bling”.

There is an abundance of designs to choose from when it comes to hip-hop jewelry, all made with one point in mind; to catch the eye and attract attention. “Bling-Bling” can be seen on celebrities when they appear in music videos, on the catwalk or on the red carpet. From the late-1990s, hip-hop artists began wearing platinum jewelry, adding more than a little flash to their marketing material. After platinum replaced gold as the most popular precious metal in hip-hop fashion, fans and artists began to compete to see who could wear the most outrageous “bling-bling” of platinum often with a dazzling display of diamonds. Hip-Hop performers began to take their bragging rights directly from who was wearing the most platinum jewelry.

Now with an ever growing community on the internet, the mainstream acceptance of hip-hop jewelry is confirmed. There are hip-hop jewelry web sites offering completely ‘iced-out’ bling-bling; rings, bracelets or watches, encrusted to the hilt with real or faux diamonds. And the latest money daze of hip-hop jewelry is the so-called ’spinner’ watches and rings. The influence of hip-hop has even extended to the world of dentistry; platinum fronts are in demand, some going as far as to replace their own teeth with an entire mouthful of permanent platinum teeth. Others who have opted for a little more modest display have their dentists create platinum grills-removable metal jeweled teeth coverings.

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By: ken33

Sterling silver jewelry has been a popular commodity for thousands of years. One of the obvious reasons is the affordability over other precious metals gold and platinum. The large variety of sterling silver jewelry requires certain knowledge in order to choose the right piece and also keep it in good condition as long as possible. The followings are the most common questions concerning sterling silver jewelry.

How do I clean sterling silver jewelry?
It depends. Usually, it is sufficient to use a jewelry cloth (with two layers of cloths in different colors) that you can get from a jewelry accessory store. Don’t use any hard object to clean sterling silver jewelry; even paper towel could scratch the surface. You should rub any dirt off using a jewelry cloth, not fingernails. Silver-dip is another commonly used sterling silver jewelry cleaner, which can also be obtained from jewelry store. The entire silver jewelry is immerged in the solution for half a minute to a minute and then rinsed with water. Make sure the silver jewelry is not plated with any other metal before using the silver-dip or the plating will be damaged.

Where do I store sterling silver jewelry?
It is very important to store sterling silver jewelry properly when it is not used. The ideal place to store sterling silver jewelry is cool and away from sunlight. Heat and light will turn a silver jewelry yellow and cause it to tarnish quickly. Even indoor light source like florescent lights or light bulbs turn the color of silver jewelry over time. If you expect not to wear a certain piece for a long time, put it in a air-tight bag and store it in a drawer.

What types of silver jewelry plating are there?
Unlike gold and platinum, however, pure silver is rather unstable and oxides rather quickly. Therefore, silver jewelry is usually plated with another metal to protect it from tarnishing. There are two kinds of plating for silver jewelry: nickel and rhodium plating. Nickel plating has a more whitish look and rhodium plating has a darker look. Rhodium is used to plate white gold and platinum jewelry and is much more expensive than nickel, and it give better protection to the silver underneath. On the other hand, some silver jewelry is not plated. For instance, high polished sterling silver jewelry does not have any plating and the surface is polished by machine to render shininess. Also, “oxidized silver” jewelry is oxidized on purpose to give a dark antique look and is not plated with any other metals.

How do I know the purity of my silver jewelry?
The purity of sterling silver refers to 92.5% of silver in the alloy. In order to confirm the purity, the metal itself has to be sent to a laboratory to be tested. However, most of the sterling silver jewelry produced nowadays has a “925” stamp to indicate the authenticity of the jewelry. Although there are cases where stamps are forged and the metal is either not silver or the purity is not as stated, they are very rare.

How about engraving and resizing?
Engraving and resizing of sterling silver rings is rather simple due to the ductility and relatively low melting point. However, make sure your jeweler understands the process of refinishing the ring and that they possess the necessary equipment to do so. Not all jewelers have the equipment to recoat the rhodium plating after cutting and welding the ring. Also, rings set with stones are sometimes not resizable because resizing might cause the stones to pop out. Such settings include channel and invisible settings.

Can I wear sterling silver jewelry if I am allergic to nickel?
Yes, just make sure the jewelry is pure sterling silver, not plated with nickel. Even Rhodium plated sterling silver jewelry sometimes contains a nickel layer between the silver and the rhodium to act as an adhesive. Hence, buy only high polished sterling silver jewelry if you are allergic to nickel.

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By: ken33

Profit demands are reducing the sources for quality wholesale custom sterling silver jewelry manufacturers daily. Some now prefer to produce the more lucrative gold jewelry and most of the others will only accept very large orders. Samsoneinc.com is one of the few quality
wholesale custom sterling silver jewelry manufacturers that will produce small quantities of custom designs at a reasonable price.

Quality wholesale custom sterling silver jewelry manufacturing starts with good craftsmanship and materials. The basic information needed to create wholesale custom sterling silver jewelry are the designs, the volume of the order, the metal weight and, for the manufacturer to properly calculate silver weight and cost, the dimension of the jewelry and gemstones required must be given. Of these, the order volume will have the greatest impact on the final cost.

Once we receive this information and a sample of the design at Samsoneinc.com, there is an $80 charge for making the mold of the design and a minimum order quantity of 50 pieces per style with a required 50% deposit. Usually it takes us 4-6 weeks to manufacture custom sterling silver jewelry.
In cases where the order volume is very large, the charge for the mold can be waived.

If you are using gemstones and/or diamonds in your designs, take care to discuss the selection process beforehand. Be aware when you are choosing a manufacturer for your wholesale custom sterling silver jewelry that very often you will find manufacturers who use extremely low grade diamonds and gemstones, which can be effected by poor color, inclusions, cracks and other flaws to cut costs.

To produce quality wholesale custom sterling silver jewelry you need a certain metal weight. When you use a light weight of silver, the costs may be cheaper, but the result is jewelry that will bend or twist at the slightest impact. It will prevent your gemstones or diamonds from being firmly mounted, resulting in frequent repairs which is not the ideal for sterling silver jewelry.

Bear in mind that wholesale custom sterling silver jewelry manufacturing is a labour intensive process that requires skilled craftsmen, which are not easy to find and whose fees are quite substantial.

Although your wholesale custom sterling silver jewelry will be made by a mechanical casting process, it requires hand finishing by skilled craftsmen to be complete. Time is a factor in this process, but this is the best way to ensure good quality wholesale silver jewelry.

The good news is that re-orders of the same design will cost less than the initial one, because the mold is already made. Outside of this factor, remember that the cost of the silver and gemstones can vary and this will affect the total cost.

Samsoneinc.com can provide you with exquisite wholesale custom sterling silver jewelry pieces, which are perfect accessories for any occasion.

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By: ken33

It takes many years of experience in trading sterling silver jewelry to tell whether a piece of jewelry is of high quality or not. Especially when you are buying wholesale silver jewelry, a minor difference in the quality might affect your business reputation in the long run. This article summarizes the basic metrics for anyone who is beginning to trade silver jewelry to gauge the quality of silver jewelry.

Finishing
Most of the sterling silver jewelry has some sort of plating because silver itself turns yellow over time. There are several ways of finishing a piece of silver jewelry and they will affect the cost of the jewelry substantially.

1. High polished sterling silver jewelry has no plating on the jewelry at all and is particularly popular with engravable items or for people who are allergic to certain metals such as nickel. The jewelry is polished by machine without additional raw material cost.

2. Some silver jewelry has a black antique look to cater to certain consumers. These items are processed by putting the jewelry into chemical solution to oxide the silver before polishing and the pricing is similar to that of high polished ones.

3. Another common way of finishing sterling silver jewelry is nickel plating. Although nickel plating is illegal in some countries, most of the Italian silver jewelry sold in the market today is plated with nickel. However, since nickel is not considered as precious metal, the price is usually not affected by the cost of plating.

4. The most expensive way of finishing sterling silver jewelry is using Rhodium. Rhodium is a precious metal that is even more expensive than silver. Therefore, silver jewelry with Rhodium plating is usually at least five cent more expensive per gram. Since Rhodium has the property of being highly tarnish resistant and very expensive at the same time, some manufacturers would coat the sterling silver jewelry with a thin layer of copper before plating the Rhodium to reduce the cost. It might be a good idea to ask the vendors if the Rhodium is plated directly or not because some people have skin type that would turn the copper underneath green.

Stone cutting
Sterling silver jewelry usually has natural or synthetic stones set on it. The cutting of the stones, even with the same size, might affect the cost. For instance, the synthetic diamond cubic zirconia stones would cost more if they are in princess cut as suppose to round brilliant cut. Furthermore, emerald cut and baguette cut stones are even more expensive than princess cut ones.

Stone setting
1. The way that stones are set on a piece of jewelry also affects the cost. Many pendant and bracelet styles employ an economical setting method called wax setting. The stones are not really set one by one on the jewelry. Rather, they are fixed on the mold before the jewelry is cast out from the melted silver and come out of the mold together with the silver. This lowers the cost of the silver jewelry significantly. However, the quality of the setting is not consistent and the heat of the silver in liquid form might affect the quality of the stones.

2. Besides wax setting, there are several hand-setting methods that are widely adopted. The most common one is prong setting, where the stones are held in place by three to eight prongs, depending on the style. More advanced settings include channel setting, bezel setting, pave setting and invisible setting. Understanding the labor costs involved in different kinds of settings is one of the keys to getting merchandize with the best prices.

Stamping and Casting
Another categorization for sterling silver jewelry is the way they manufacture the metal part. To save cost, some jewelry is made by stamping and cutting the needed shapes out from a large sheet of silver and than bend it into the desired shapes. On the other hand, a more traditional way of producing sterling silver jewelry is to cast the metal out of a mold, which is more labor intensive and hence more costly due to the polishing and filing required afterwards. The way the jewelry is made affects the durability a great deal and hence the success of your business.

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Mid- Feb heralded in ancient Rome, the coming of spring and even in pre-Christian times people celebrated a “fertility” festival with great joy. Much later the festival celebrated on Feb 14th was in honor of St. Valentine who is believed to have signed a letter to his beloved on his death bed as “from your Valentine.”

Red hearts, beautifully wrapped chocolates, balloon bouquets, and so on flood the markets and most young men are in a quandary as to what will make a “memorable gift.”

Here are a few ideas to set your creativity rolling:

1.Abandon all ideas of dinner in a crowded restaurant where couples will be jostling for space. Plan a special “time for two” either on a patio over looking a garden or on a boat sailing down a moonlit river or sea. Choose to pack a picnic basket with foods that triggers off memories. For example perhaps the two of you had enjoyed chocolate donuts one day, or a pizza with toppings both love, or a cookie specially baked by you. Take along music or compose a song to sing to her. Serenade her like knights used to on bent knee.

2.If you have gathered many pictures or video clips of your time together then put together an album with specially written captions and a witty heading. You could even say “this gamine grimace enchanted me,” be original and let your imagination and sense of humor take wing.

3.If you are going to be away on Valentines Day meet online for a special chat. Make it a cyber date—the World Wide Web will close up the distances.

4.Avoid the run of the mill activities and plan to go to an amusement park or fair. Have a rollicking time on the roller coaster.

5.If you know of a movie she has been dying to see –get it and plan an evening enjoying the film.

6.If she loves gizmos get her a digital camera or video phone.

7.Don your apron and chef’s hat and cook a special meal.

8.Pamper her by gifting her a session at a spa she loves.

9. Plan a weekend get-away and take her somewhere special.

10.Pot a special plant for her. One that will grow and bloom along with your relationship.

Valentines Day is special so consider something unique. Most people will not have the spirit of adventure in them and try something different. They feel safer going with the crowd and presenting their love with cards, red balloons, hearts cut out of red paper or fabric, Godiva’s chocolates, or a dinner in a favorite restaurant. Dare to be different and you will be remembered.]]>