Archive for June, 2008

Jun 30 2008

Finding Cheap Bridal Accessories

Published by under Budgeting, Wedding

Finding cheap bridal accessories online or at a local retail store is not very hard to do. If you live in a bigger city that has many discount stores or outlet malls, you can find some wonderful bridal accessories at affordable prices. A cheap accessory does not mean that the quality is loss, it just means you are going to save money for other important things, like the honeymoon. Some of the things you need for your wedding include wedding invitations, thank you cards, dress, shoes, make up, jewelry, veils, wedding favors, flowers, garter, bridesmaids gifts, cake, cake topper, cake and server set and a guest book. Once you have all these bridal accessories, you should be set for your wedding day.

Sears and JC Penney’s have online outlet stores that do carry dresses, veils and shoes. You can always look through the websites to see if they have any closeout specials running, which in many cases, allows you to find some very good deals on designer dresses. Shoes and veils can also be found at these outlets or you might try a specialty shop for the veil and one for the shoes. Keep in mind, your veil or headpiece needs to compliment your dress and so do the shoes.

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Jun 29 2008

Diamond Scams

Published by under Diamonds

When it comes to diamonds, there are numerous scams to avoid. Most scams are minor, but there are some major ones that come up from time to time concerning the buying and selling of diamonds. Scams occur simply because most people who buy diamonds “for whatever reasons” don’t know that much about diamonds. Therefore, they are easily fooled.

A common scam that most jewelry stores participate in is the Carat Total Weight scam. The tag on the piece of jewelry, usually a ring, only states the total carat weight of all diamonds in the piece, instead of listing the total weights separately for each diamond. This leads consumers to believe that the main diamond in the piece is actually bigger than it is. Ask what the total carat weight of the center stone is. Also beware of fractions. Jewelry stores are allowed to round off diamond weights. This means that if the jeweler tells you that it is a 1 carat diamond, it is probably between 3/4 and 1 carat - but
closer to3/4!

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Jun 27 2008

5 Tips For Bridal Accessories

Published by under Wedding

The first of five tips for bridal accessories is the theme. If you plan a theme wedding, you will want to plan everything down to the honeymoon. Planning a theme wedding require a little browsing before you define the theme. If you pick a theme that is hard to shop for, you will have a hard time finding bridal accessories. You want to find something that is easy to shop for and something that is easy to put together. You do not want to pick something that will consume all your time. Planning your wedding takes time enough without adding a theme that requires any more time.

The second of five tips for bridal accessories is the dress, shoes, headpiece and flowers. If you are planning a theme wedding, you do not want to buy a dress and shoes that will not fit the theme of the wedding. If you plane a themed wedding, you need to also look at dresses, shoes and headpieces to fit the theme. After all, this is the entire idea about a theme wedding. Your flowers should also relate to the theme of your wedding. If you are having a tropical wedding, you are not going to use calla lilies. Match the flowers to the theme.

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Jun 26 2008

How to Care for Your Diamond

Published by under Diamonds

Caring for a diamond takes more than occasional cleanings. Diamonds are forever, but they can be damaged if you are not careful. By learning how to properly care for your diamond, you will ensure that your diamond is indeed forever.

First, you should take your diamond jewelry to a jeweler once a year. Have him check the mountings and prongs that hold your diamond in place. Have him make any needed repairs. This will prevent your diamond from falling out of its setting and becoming lost.

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Jun 25 2008

Planning Your Winter Bridal Accessories

Published by under Wedding

If you are getting married in the winter, you are going to need some winter bridal accessories that you otherwise would not need if you were getting married in the spring or summer. Although you will need your standard bridal accessories such as the shoes, dress, veil, guest book, cake knife, flowers, jewelry and wedding favors, you are also going to need a few other things. The winter bridal accessories might include a shawl or jacket of some kind as well as gloves. Winter wedding are just as beautiful as the other seasons except they can be a little chilly.

If you are looking for gloves, you can fingerless gloves, lace gloves to the wrist, opera length gloves and satin gloves with bows. The lacy gloves are not going to be as warm as the opera gloves, which are made from a satin material, but you made not want something that length unless it is really cold. For something to cover your shoulders, you might like a mink faux shawl or a mink wrap. There are also mini mink jackets that add extra warmth. You might even want a set of mink earmuffs to keep your ears warm. Your winter bridal accessories are going to depend on your weather and the time of the season, you plan your wedding.

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Jun 23 2008

Diamond Grading Reports

Published by under Diamonds

You’ve been told that having a certificate or a diamond grading report is important, and as a responsible consumer, you get one - unfortunately, you probably won’t understand a word of what is on that diamond grading report, unless you are a jeweler.

On the color grading scale, D, E, and F mean that the diamond has no color. G, H, and I means that it has very little color. J, K, and L means that the diamond has a slight yellow color. P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, and X means that the diamond is a darker shade of yellow. Z means that the diamond has a fancy color - other than white or yellow. On the color grading scale, D is the most valuable, and X is the least valuable - however diamonds that get a Z rating are the rarest and most expensive diamonds in the world.

There are many aspects to a grading report. Figuring it all out can be very confusing. You should talk to a jeweler you trust, and have them explain everything on the diamond grading report to you.

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Jun 21 2008

All About Manicure Tables

Published by under Beauty

There are many different types of manicure tables. Some tables are fairly basic. These tables usually have a metal frame with a laminate top. They sometimes have wheels on the bottom to make room redecorating a little easier. There are also plastic manicure tables, complete with attached chairs. I’ve even seen some plastic manicure tables made to look antiqued like faux stone. These types of tables are similar to those huge faux concrete flower pots. You’ve seen the ones that look really heavy, but then you go to pick them up and they are plastic and very lightweight.

In some fancier nail salons, I have seen the use of antique furniture as manicure tables. The furniture could have been a desk, or perhaps a dresser of some sort. Sometimes the top has been refinished with a stain. I have also seen these types of manicure tables with stone on the top, such as marble or granite.

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Jun 20 2008

Where Diamonds are Mined

Published by under Diamonds

Argye mine located in the Kimberley region in the far north east of Western Australia. Owned by Rio Tinto, this mine is the world’s largest single producer of volume of diamonds. However, due to low proportion of gem quality diamonds it is not the value leader. It does produce 90-95% of the world’s supply of pink diamonds.

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

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Jun 18 2008

Selecting Diamonds

Published by under Diamonds

Diamonds are graded for certification by laboratories using grading criteria. Four of these criteria are critical to understand when making a diamond purchase or investment. Known as the “Four C’s”, these criteria are: color, cut, clarity and carat.

Color is the result of the composition of a diamond and it does not change. When a jeweler is describing the color of a diamond they are referring to the presence or absence of color in white diamonds. Because a diamond with no color allows maximum light to pass through, colorless diamonds are preferred for their sparkle.

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Jun 16 2008

How Diamond Prices Are Determined

Published by under Diamonds

Pricing most products is quite easy. Determine how much it costs to make the item, how much it costs to market that item, and then mark it up by 15 - 30% or more. Simple, right? Well, pricing diamonds isn’t quite that simple. There are many factors that are considered when diamonds are priced.

Diamond prices are determined first by adding the cost of the rough diamond, the cost of cutting the diamond, and all other
costs necessary to turn the rough diamond into a marketable diamond. Depending on the importance of the diamond, an
independent company may be called in to certify the grade of the diamond based on color, cut, clarity, and weight.

At this point, the diamond becomes more expensive each time it changes hands, until it finally reaches a retailer, where the price is raised a bit more. Before reaching the retailer, however, the diamond must travel from the mine, to the cutter and polisher, to the independent grading company, and then to the Primary market. Once it has reached the primary market, it will be purchased by diamond dealers and wholesalers, and from there it will be sold to retailers.

As you can see, the earlier you can purchase a diamond in the process, the lower the cost of the diamond will be - but not the value. The value is based on what the diamond will sell for in the market place ?through a retailer.

If you own a diamond, and you have no idea how much it is worth, you can have it appraised, but the appraisal may not be
accurate. You will be better off obtaining a certificate through GIA - Gemological Institute of America. With the information on this certificate, you can use a cutter?s guide to accurately determine what your diamond is worth.

There are also many diamond price calculators available. These can be found on the Internet, and many diamond dealers
use these as well. You must realize, however, that before you can accurately price a diamond, without a Diamond Grade Report, you need to know quite a bit about diamonds, such as different cuts, clarity, color, and weight - and how each of those aspects adds to the value of a diamond, or decreases the value of the diamond as the case may be.

Again, you will be better off if you get a Diamond Grading Report on the diamond, and use that information to look up the price in one of the guides that the diamond cutting industry uses. This will give you the most accurate value of the diamond in your possession, or of the diamond you are considering purchasing.

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