Diamond

3:48 AM Posted by myjewel

1. Palaeolithic age
As a species, we love to adorn ourselves with jewelry, makeup, hair accessories. We do it now to enhance our looks, to attract a mate and because it just makes us feel good about ourselves. Some forms of adornment are symbolic – like wedding rings. Or they’re used to make a statement about our lifestyle, like multiple piercings and earrings. 

Have you ever wondered what the origins are of such self-decoration? Was there a meaning behind it? Or did we just start wearing beads, necklaces and earrings as our awareness of self increased and as we evolved?

We know that the earliest jewelry of bits of bones, shells and other personal adornments appeared in graves about 40,000 years ago. The idea that there was an afterlife, and the belief in spirits both good and bad, gave rise to the means to attract the good spirits and ward off the bad ones. 

People protected themselves from evil spirits with adornments in the form of necklaces or bracelets, and pierced themselves with the same bones and shells to have these amulets on their persons at all times. At this time people also started painting their bodies with red ochre, which can be considered the earliest form of makeup. They also started lining their eyes with kohl to protect themselves against the force known as the “Evil Eye.”

Even today, much jewelry takes the form of amulets. People wear crosses around their necks, or the Star of David, or wear a claddagh ring – all to attract good fortune or ward off bad luck. There are even more throwbacks to this earliest form of magic, such as a lucky rabbit’s foot, or a lucky penny. Or we often have less well known, more personal amulets that have a meaning to us alone, but are still worn as good luck charms and amulets.

2 Minerals are crystals

The earliest forms of jewelry were items that early humans found naturally, such as shells or bits of bones. Early gravesites have also revealed that pre-historic man buried his dead with flowers and with carved ivory beads. These primitive beads would have taken at least an hour each to make. 

Early man also might have found bits of turquoise that occurred naturally in areas of Turkey and North America. The pearlescent swirls found inside an abalone or conch would have also been used as jewelry.

They might have also found the earliest types of precious gems in the form of natural crystals, such as quartz or diamonds. Crystals are solid substances where the molecules are arranged in a symmetrical fashion, and they generally fall into one of six shapes:

Isometric, or cubic crystals are shaped like blocks and are symmetrically shaped. An example of an isometric crystal would be pyrite. This is also called fool’s gold because it has a metallic yellow or brassy color similar to gold. 
Tetragonal, where the crystals are shaped like four-sided prisms and pyramids. An example of a tetragonal crystal is the zircon.

Hexagonal crystals are shaped like six-sided prisms, or pyramids. An example of this kind of crystal is the beryl, which includes gems like emeralds and aquamarines.
Orthorhombic crystals. An example of an orthorhombic crystal is topaz. Topaz can come in a variety of colors, although the mostly highly prized is a deep amber color. At one time, topaz was much more valuable, until rich veins of it were found in Brazil, which devalued the market.
Monoclinic crystals are short and stubby, with tilted faces at each end. Monoclinic crystals include gypsum.

Triclinic crystals are usually flat with sharp edges but no right angles. Each crystal has three unequal axes. An example of triclinic crystal is feldspar. 

Diamond – Your dream companion

9:14 AM Posted by myjewel

Do you want to gift your girl friend an Anklet, Ring or a Diamond bracelet, Diamond stud Earrings? At the least, you might even think of a Diamond watch or Mont blanc pen also. A piece of diamond is bound to make your girl friend more obsessed. Doesn’t your memory cherish the famous song of Nicole Kidman “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”?

If you are even more interested in female psychology, please note that the girls wear diamond on their third finger, due to an Egyptian belief that vein of love comes to the top of the third finger straight from the heart.

The term Diamond is so famous that the circular-shaped machine is called the Diamond in the upcoming scientific facility, “Diamond Light Source”. Diamond Aircraft Industries Inc. is a very popular name in flying segment. India has got a train named as Black Diamond Express. Plenty of such examples are observed all over the world.

People have referred to diamond as splinters of stars, falling onto earth. Sometimes the ancient group used to believe that tears of God rolling down to the earth are concentrated to form diamonds. The Hindu myth demands diamond's origin as the bones of a very pure and courageous sacrificial.

The ancient history shows that the kings used to wear diamonds. It is said that medieval knights wore diamonds to make them unconquerable. Diamond had become a legendry in the case of digging out the guilt from the rogues and driving out the devils.

Diamond is referred as the king gem. Diamond is a symbol of strength, courage, wealth, power, purity, and innocence. History reveals that King Louis XIV used diamonds in his court. In 1477, Maxmillian gifted a diamond ring to Mary, and this has started the era, when diamond ring has been renamed as an engagement ring, becoming synonymous to the symbol of love and steadfastness. The strength of chemical bonding of diamond is supposed to strengthen the emotional bonding for couples. The myth is the more you spend on this gemstone increases the bondage proportionately, which may be rephrased as, the larger the size of the diamond, the more dedication and love.

The myth regarding the “Hope Diamond” to be sank into the ocean with Titanic is not correct. A careful study shows that the wearer of the Hope Diamond, Eva Lyn Walsh McLean had cancelled her trip at the last moment.

About Diamond Weights

3:34 AM Posted by myjewel

Diamonds are measured in Carat Weight.One carat weighs 200 milligrams. If a diamond is referred to as four grains, this also means that it is a one carat diamond.
The word Carat comes from the word carob. A carob is a bean that grows on a tree in the Mediterranean. In times past, if a diamond weighed the same as a carob bean, it was one carob, or one carat.

However, in the far east, where Carob trees do not grow, rice was used to measure the weight of a diamond. If a diamond weighed as much as four grains of rice, it was four grains – or one carat as we know it to be now. The majority of diamond purchases are for diamonds that are 1/3 of a carat. Beware when shopping for diamonds that are already set or mounted. If more than one diamond is used in the piece, the tag on the jewelry will give the CTW or Carat Total Weight – it does not tell you the carat weight of each stone in the piece. You need to ask the jeweler for the total carat
weight of the largest diamond in the piece to truly understand what you are buying.
Diamond weights, there’s nothing else like this on the planet... see http://www.diamondweights.com/ for more info.

Buy Jewelry Wholesale at Jewelry Shows and Expos

3:54 AM Posted by myjewel

Jewelry shows and expos are great places to find
jewelry wholesale. These shows and expos are held
all over the world throughout the year, and no matter
where you live, a show will eventually be held near
you – probably within a days drive. In fact, if you live
near a major city or a convention center, there will
probably be several shows throughout the year that
you will be interested in when it comes to jewelry
wholesale.

One of the great things about these shows and
expos – aside from all of the gorgeous jewelry on
display and the fabulous prices – is the information
that is offered. These shows and expos often cover
entire weekends, and related seminars and
demonstrations are often included as well.

There is an entry fee for these shows and expos, in
most cases, but it is typically quite affordable. A
good way to find shows in your area is to visit
http://aksshow.com/home.jsp Another way to find
shows is to visit a search engine and type ‘jewelry
shows your home town’ into the search box, where
your home town is the town you live in, or a major
city near you.

Dealing with Jewelry Wholesale Dealers

Many people think that if they try to talk to a
jewelry wholesale dealer that they will get better
bargains. In the case of buying in bulk, they are
absolutely right! Most jewelry wholesale dealers
will offer you a lower price if you are buying in
bulk – but if you are just buying one or two pieces,
it really doesn’t pay for them to offer you prices
below the wholesale price.

Other than getting a good price, you want to make
sure that you are getting quality jewelry. If you can
deal with the jewelry wholesale dealer in person,
you should. But in most situations, this will not be
the case. Instead, contact the dealer by phone
and talk to them. Establish a relationship, and
keep that relationship on good terms at all times.
As time goes by, you may be able to get even
better deals from the wholesaler, and you can
probably work out credit terms as well.

Just remember that your jewelry wholesale dealer
is a human being, and treat them as such. If you
ever find that your dealer isn’t being honest with you,
or is selling low quality jewelry, look for a new
wholesaler.

Exporting Jewelry Wholesale

If you plan to export jewelry wholesale, you may
need to find out if it is legal. First you must
understand that sending just one piece of jewelry to
another country is in fact ‘exporting goods.’ This is
true even if the country is Mexico or Canada! No
matter where it is going, if it is outside of the United
States, or the country that you live in, it is
exporting.

You can find out if exporting certain pieces of
jewelry is legal by calling the customs agency in
your state, or by calling the United States Customs
Office. Describe the jewelry and as well as the
precious stones it contains, and tell them where it
is being sent. They will be able to tell you if shipping
it is legal, and what problems may be encountered
at customs in the country it is being shipped to.

Take shipping costs into consideration, and make
sure that your customer pays for that! Shipping to
other countries can be quite costly, and if you pay
for that shipping, you probably won’t realize any
profits on the jewelry wholesale that you are
shipping out of the country!

How to Buy Jewelry Wholesale

8:59 AM Posted by myjewel

How to Buy Jewelry Wholesale

Buying jewelry wholesale is really quite easy. The 
Internet gives you access to all of the wholesale 
jewelry companies you could ever need to make 
your selections, so you can buy exactly what you 
want or need – at very competitive prices. 

There is a difference between online jewelry stores 
and online wholesale companies. Online jewelry 
stores sell jewelry at retail prices, even though the 
price may be slightly discounted. Wholesale 
companies sell jewelry at wholesale prices – which 
of course are cheaper than retail prices. 

There are many sites where you can purchase 
directories of wholesale companies, but this really 
isn’t necessary. Just use a search engine like 
Google to find what you are looking for. If you are 
looking for an engagement ring at a wholesale 
price, for example, simply type ‘engagement ring 
wholesale’ into the search box – a whole slew of 
wholesalers who carry engagement rings will pop 
up in the search results.

Be aware that some wholesaler’s will only sell in 
bulk. Of course, if you just want to buy one 
engagement ring, you do not want to buy in bulk. 
But there are many companies that will sell just 
one item – you just have to look for them.

If buying online isn’t what you are interested in, 
consider joining a discount club, such as Sam’s. 
Here you will find jewelry at deeply discounted 
retail prices, which is the next best thing to jewelry 
wholesale prices – but again, the wholesale prices 
will be lower.

When dealing with an online wholesale company, 
you need to do several things. First, you want to be 
sure that you are buying the real thing. There are 
many companies out there that will advertise that 
their jewelry is ‘authentic.’ Read the sales copy 
very carefully, and educate yourself quickly. For 
instance, beware of words like ‘gold plated’ or 
‘realistic.’ This is an indication that the jewelry isn’t 
gold, or that stones are fake. 

Also find out if the company has a refund or 
exchange policy, as well as a 100% money back 
guarantee. This is important, and it will protect you 
if you find that you are not happy with the pieces 
you have purchased, or if they are of lesser quality 
than you expected. 

Also consider using eBay to find jewelry wholesale 
prices. Again, use caution. Check the seller’s 
feedback and ratings, and make sure that you are 
dealing with a reputable person or company. If the 
jewelry is an important piece, use the escrow 
service that eBay recommends – even if you have to 
pay the escrow fees yourself!

Antique Jewelry Wholesale

10:13 AM Posted by myjewel

Antique jewelry is typically very valuable, and purchasing such jewelry costs quite a bit of money. But then again, it is possible to buy antique jewelry wholesale as well – if you know where to look. Most people think that online auctions, such as eBay is the way to go. While this is true occasionally, you will usually find that the seller knows the value of what they are selling, and the price is quite high. There are other ways to find antique jewelry at wholesale prices – or below.

Keep an eye on your newspaper for advertised estate sales and garage sales. Typically, at these sales, the people holding the sale really don’t know the value of what they have. You can literally purchase hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of
antique jewelry for just a few dollars on a typical Saturday morning.

It is important that you not look too closely at the jewelry when you are buying it. If the piece is valuable, you don’t want the seller to know how valuable it is! It isn’t your fault that they didn’t get it appraised – as you will as soon as you leave! Keep a straight face, keep your happiness and joy to yourself, and pay the fifty cents or two bucks that they want for the piece, get in your car and head to a trusted jeweler for an appraisal!

It is possible that the piece isn’t worth anything – but occasionally, you will stumble across some real finds! Even if the piece isn’t worth anything, if you make jewelry, you may be able to disassemble it for the parts.

Finding antique jewelry wholesale is very exciting.In fact, spending those Saturday mornings at the yard sales and estate sales may even become addicting! Yard sales and estate sales – especially estate sales where grandchildren are not interested
in their grandma’s old ugly jewelry are the best sources for antique jewelry at wholesale prices – or below wholesale prices.

This doesn’t mean that there aren’t some real find on eBay as well, so don’t discount it. Keep an eye on the jewelry categories, as well as the antique or vintage categories. When you do find something you want to bid on, make sure that the seller has a good reputation. If the piece is very expensive, use the escrow service that is recommended by eBay. Also talk to the seller quite a bit to be sure that you understand exactly what is being advertised!

Buy Jewelry Wholesale
at Jewelry Shows and Expos Jewelry shows and expos are great places to find jewelry wholesale. These shows and expos are held all over the world throughout the year, and no matter where you live, a show will eventually be held near you – probably within a days drive. In fact, if you live near a major city or a convention center, there will probably be several shows throughout the year that you will be interested in when it comes to jewelry wholesale.

One of the great things about these shows and expos – aside from all of the gorgeous jewelry on display and the fabulous prices – is the information that is offered. These shows and expos often cover entire weekends, and related seminars and demonstrations are often included as well.

There is an entry fee for these shows and expos, in most cases, but it is typically quite affordable. A good way to find shows in your area is to visit http://aksshow.com/home.jsp Another way to find shows is to visit a search engine and type ‘jewelry shows your home town’ into the search box, where your home town is the town you live in, or a major city near you.

Rhinestone Jewelry Mania by Vien Wong

5:14 PM Posted by myjewel

If diamonds are girls' best friend, rhinestones can also be a woman's next best friend. For those who cannot afford expensive diamond jewelry may consider getting rhinestone costume jewelry instead. The brilliance from a rhinestone can make you a center of attraction, may it be on your wedding day, parties, proms, and pageants.

Rhinestones are colorless or colored artificial gemstones that simulate diamonds and other gems. They can be made of glass or paste, but the best rhinestones are cut from quartz crystal. Rhinestones have a fused, metallic backing that reflects the light and gives the stones fire

The original "rhinestones" came from the river Rhine. These Rhine-Stones gave way to mass-produced glass rhinestones. Most are backed with gold, silver, or tinted foil, or tin, to simulate dazzling gem colors. Finer rhinestones are hand-faceted and polished, many are hand-set within prongs. Unfoiled rhinestones usually have a high lead content creating fire and sparkle. These are referred to as crystals. Austria and the former Czechoslovakia are noted for crystals.

Sometimes rhinestones are called diamantes or crystals, however what's the difference between rhinestones an diamantes?This is a straight forward answer, none at all ! it is just different "names" for the same product. Most brides love to wear rhinestone jewelry for their wedding day, the brilliance from rhinestones can be on par from those that comes from a diamond. Most importantly, their cost is much lower. However the buyers should be aware that some sellers might simply pass off rhinestones as a cheaper source of diamonds!

Generally, the higher the grade, the more they will sparkle. The actual cut of the stone is not noticeable at a distance but it can affect the brilliance, and the cut combined with the overall quality, usually dictates the price. Most rhinestones are Austria and Czechoslovakia produced. Their differences are minute, Austria and Czechoslovakia produced eight facetted (Art 2000) rhinestones but the Austrian Swarovski stones were far superior. However as technology improved, the best quality Czech produced stones became almost indistinguishable from the Swarovski ones, and because of their price structure, were becoming increasingly competitive.

There are many different colours in the rhinestone collection. However the most popular colours are the original clear coloured ones. As it can simply match any dress style and you can wear them for both formal and semi formal occasions. Strong blue and red rhinestones are always popular in the industry, AB rhinestones /crystal (Aurora Borealis) are also well liked among brides because it has a rainbow-like effect to the basic stone color, and may somewhat lighten the base color. This Effect is most commonly associated with Crystal stones.


About the Author

This article can be freely published on a website as long as it is not modified in any way including the author bylines plus the hyperlink must be made active just like below.

Vien is the editor for K&V Jewel, Rhinestone jewelry manufacturer and wholesale supplier. http://www.kvjewel.com