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People have enjoyed jewelry throughout history. It has been given as gifts and as a symbol of relationships. It is not only a beautiful accessory, it helps identify a person. Jewelry can be a very expensive investment so making a wise decision on your jewelry purchase is important to make sure the jewelry is of a good quality and (most importantly) that the recipient is happy.

How to select diamonds

When you’re selecting diamonds there are four things that diamonds are measured on. These are called the 4 C’s of diamonds:

Cut. This refers to the shape of the diamond, which will determine how much it sparkles when the light hits it.
Carat. This is how big the diamond is.
Clarity. This measures how clear the diamond is. That is, if it has flaws (called inclusions) or not.
Color. This is the measurement of how white or yellow a diamond is.

Caring for your jewelry

Taking care of your jewelry is just as important as the decisions you made when you went to purchase it. For example, be sure to keep it clean as dirt will gouge the jewelry. Clean it very carefully with a soft cloth, or get it professionally cleaned at a jewelry store. Having clean jewelry is very important for its longevity but also, since jewelry is often worn on some of the most sensitive parts of the body, dirty jewelry can cause irritation.

Keeping your jewelry safe

Store your jewelry in a safe place. For example, you may want to buy a safe, or utilize a hidden safe which looks like a household product (like a soda can or a jar of cleaner) but has a secret compartment which thieves might not be likely to look in. Or, if you are jewelry is highly valued, you may want to even keep it in a security box at a bank.

Jewelry is an important investment in style and in your relationship! Buying jewelry wisely and keeping it clean and well maintained will help it hold its beauty and value for your lifetime and allow it to be a legacy to your children.

Jeff Lakie is the founder of Jewlery Resources a website providing information on Jewlery

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Thievery is alive and well in Hollywood. The glamorization of crime invariably tickles the curiosity of the public. Criminals have been portrayed as exciting, daring and cunning tantamount to hero status. They are the risk takers who should not be completely judged upon their criminal expression but rather looked at as individuals with some merit. They are cast sympathetically as their relationships are examined and ultimately lend credence to the justification, in their minds, of the criminal choices they have made. But worst of all, they are often shown as being ‘cool’, even as they hurdle towards the death of their freedom.

Take, for example, the jewelry or art thief. Movies like the Italian Job, the Score and Ocean’s Eleven display criminals as generally model citizens, other than when they are committing crimes. There may be such criminals but are they so suave in their real lives? Are they seemingly morally upright in their relationships with others? Are they really just good guys who happen to commit crimes? In real life the majority of criminals are not suave, cool or sympathetic figures. They are cutthroat, ruthless and to a degree, sociopathic. Mob figures are the best example of the paradox between the glamorization of criminal life and reality of criminal behavior.

All agree that the Soprano’s, a show about mob life in New Jersey, is a great show. The production value is high, the actors are skilled and the plot lines are well conceived. People get whacked, money gets laundered and criminals get promoted for good work. Yet, in order for the audience to tune in every week they must connect with the characters. Hence, the boss of the family, Tony Soprano is shown as a father, a husband and as attempting to improve his relationships with the outside world by visiting a therapist. This is a ploy to create sympathy for a ruthless murdering crime boss. And it works, as the Sopranos is a hit. What then are the real criminals doing?

True mob figures don’t give a damn about the outside world. Their loyalty lies with their crime families. They lie, cheat and murder for riches and would stomp on the average person, literally, to further their gains. A true jewelry thief is usually a two bit criminal who robs the local family owned jewelry store, as can be verified by FBI criminal statistics. Real criminal life is fraught with betrayal, pain and stints in prison. Most criminals are caught at some point with over 13 million arrests made in the US in 2005 alone, according to the FBI.

The business side of Hollywood is reactionary in nature. The glamorization of criminal life is partly in response to a demand by the public. Interest in stylized underworld figures comes from a public perhaps bored with their average daily existence. The idea that there are people who survive in a world where they ignore the law, fascinates us. But when the glamour is shaken off, and the dust clears, there is only an empty fancy suit left, where a thief once stood.

Derek Belay holds a BA in English Literature from Cal State Pomona. He writes part time primarily as a hobby. He currently works for Jewelry Payless.com as a marketing manager.

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You can seriously make your own personal beading masterpiece with a beading loom. When you’re looking to purchase this type of loom, you want to find one that is sturdy and well-made. Normally they are rectangle or square-shaped, and have raised hooks or grooves for threading and weaving. Though you can find these looms at a lesser price than wooden ones, you’ll find that buying a wood beading loom is well worth the extra money spent. They are the sturdiest and last the longest.

When using this type of loom for the first time, make your first project easy on yourself. Select larger beads to start with, and use your loom on a large flat surface that won’t move around on you. Some beads called “Czech beads” are good to use when you are a beginner. Also, you’ll want to use some nice and strong beading thread for your first projects, like a thread called Nymo. Don’t forget, as well, to use a beading needle that is one size smaller than your bead size. Once you’ve got all the appropriate material, tools, patterns, and a surface, simply follow the instructions for your beading loom and your pattern to create your masterpiece!

You can find this article and more like it at http://www.beadingcentral.info

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