Sunday, March 8, 2009

Labret Jewellery

Youngsters yearn to look different. They follow all the fashion tips religiously to enhance their personality. It's not just about the clothes but also about accessories. Labret jewellery is the in thing today. The youth is crazy about it. This kind of jewellery is available in various designs. You can choose the one that goes with your personality.

A labret is one form of body piercing. Labret jewellery is basically inserted into labret piercings, which are located in the centre of the lower lip. Generally, the term refers to a piercing that is below the bottom lip. It is also referred to as a "tongue pillar." There are numerous labret jewellers available in the market. Jewellery designers can help you get the best type of labret jewellery designs. You can also look online for various kinds of labret jewellery designs. You can choose from a range of labrets. There are numerous shops offering a wide range of labrets. You can buy these jewelleries at discounted prices.

You are free to choose from a range of jewellery of body piercing, including solid gold navel jewellery, solid gold navel rings, yellow gold diamond nose ring, gold cock rings, jewelled navel slave rings, jewelled belly rings. Get it pierced from expert body piercing experts. You can lay your hands on the best quality jewellery. A shopper friendly approach can make your buying easier.

Another kind of jewellery, that is used often is eyebrow bar. This kind of bar is inserted in between the eyebrow. You can choose from a range of eyebrow jewellery by visiting body jewellery shops. Eyebrow piercing bars are available in straight and curved shafts in a variety of colours and styles. Enhance your features by using this kind of jewellery. You can also avail eyebrow retainers that can hide your eyebrow piercing when you don't wish to show it off.
You can find all types of jewellery that can be worn in eyebrow piercings. Most jewellery types can be worn in Eyebrow piercings. BCR's and Circular Barbells make great eyebrow rings. Barbells look extremely good as eyebrow bars. There are even specially designed eyebrow jewellery called eyebrow bananas which look in eyebrow piercings. Generally, most of the eyebrow piercings are 1.2mm thick. You can also chose from a range of surgical steel bars with plain balls and bars. There are many other suitable plain bars and BCR's for eyebrow piercings. You can specify your needs and get the best eyebrow bar.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Valentine With Diamond

If you're like most men, Valentine jewelry shopping for your girl can be a frustrating experience. What does she like? Where can you get it? How do you know that what you're buying is the right one? There are so many questions to ponder and there seems to be no straight answers especially if your mission is to buy engagement rings.....READ MORE

Pearl Diving In Gulf Arabia By David-John Turney

For hundreds of years, pearls originating from the Arabian Gulf have been recognized as one of the worlds' finest gemstones. In the mid 1800's, the lion's share of the inhabitants surrounding the Arabian Gulf were in some way connected to the local pearl industry. The core of the Gulf's pearl industry was located on the island of Bahrain: "Gulf fisheries employ about 3,500 boats, large and small, of which 1,200 of the best are owned at Bahrain..." (The Book of the Pearl: G.F. Kunz 1908). A typical crew on a Bahrainian boat, known as a 'Dhow'or 'Sambuk,' that fished for pearl oysters included:

  • The 'Nokhadha' (Captain): The captain was usually the owner of the boat, an expert fisherman with knowledge of all waters and the best pearling banks.
  • The 'Al-Mejaddimi' (Second-In-Command): Responsible for maintaining the captain's rule.
  • The 'Al-Musally' (Prayer Leader): A religious figure, similar to a chaplain in the army.
  • The 'Nahham' (Singer): In charge of singing pearling songs and chants to keep the crew's spirits up and to bring luck.
  • The 'Saib' (Diver's Top-Man): Performing a critical job, they stayed top-side monitoring the lifeline attached between boat and diver.
  • The 'Tabbabah' (Apprentice): Deck hands who performed all manner of tasks at other crew member's behest.
  • The 'Ghawwas' (pearl diver).

The life of a Bahranian pearl diver was harsh. Even before leaving home for the pearling season between April and September, most pearl divers were already in debt; forced to borrow money from their captains to ensure their families survival while they were away diving. Even if their dives were fruitful and the harvest high, thus effacing their debts, the diver's still had to weather the next six months until the diving season started again. The entire crew's existence on board was frugal to say the least; living off a diet of dates, fish, rice and coffee. However, it was the divers who suffered most; aside from overexertion and malnourishment, they faced the daily threat of shark attack, and long-term neural diseases caused by insufficient supplies of oxygen to the brain during prolonged submergences.

The diving methods employed on these boats had remained rudimentary, unchanged since diving for pearls had first started. Once moored off the oyster beds, everything revolved around the 'Ghawwas' and their 'Saib.' A 'Saib' literally held the diver's life in his hands, for if he did not pull the diver up fast enough, the diver would drown. The 'Ghawwas' dove in 15 minute shifts, and in that time made at least 8 visits to the sea bed thirty to forty feet down. They sank to bottom helped by a rope weighted with a stone, wearing a nose clip called a 'Fetatn,' leather gloves called a 'Khabat' to protect against sharp coral and a 'Dayyeen' net basket hung around their neck. After the divers resurfaced the oysters were piled on deck, left to dry out and opened; whether or not the oysters contained pearls was a matter of pure chance. Up to a whole week, and thousands of oysters, could pass through the crew's hands without a single pearl being found. Then again, a few hours of diving could result in the mother-load. However and whenever they came to the surface the pearls, called 'Lulu,' always ended up in the captain's red cloth pouch.

The captain would cash in his pearl harvest with the local 'Tawwash,' or pearl dealer, who would visit the boat to purchase the pearls and then resell onto bigger merchants. Once the captain had received the money, he paid each crew member according to their hierarchy, the largest share going to the captain and the boat. Arabian dialects used around the Gulf number a variety of words for pearl: 'Lulu', 'Dana', 'Hussah', 'Gumashah.' Then there are the names to describe a pearl's shape and color: 'Sujani', pear-shaped drop; 'Khaizi,' high domed upper half with a half rounded bottom; 'Adasi,' rounded cylinder with flat sides and 'Majhoolah,' a large ugly pearl that can conceal a finer pearl inside. Extraordinary expertise and tolerance was needed to remove the thin layers of a 'Majhoolah:' a process that could take weeks. Of all the pearls that a crew hoped to see was the 'Jiwan,' meaning young, which was the perfect rose-tinted white, round pearl with pure luster. Gulf pearls were, and still are to this day, sorted and graded using a sequence of sieves called 'Gurbaai.' Pearls are weighed using an ancient complex unit of weight called a 'Chow,' one carat equals 0.6518 'Chow.'

The buying of pearls sometimes revolved around a system of silent bidding, where a dealer who does not want others present to know what price he is offering, will cover his and his client's clasped hands with a cloth indicating the amount with a system of finger signals. From Bahrain, the pearls were sold to Indian merchants, who sent them to Bombay to be drilled by hand. From there the pearls were sold to Europeans, whose thirst for Arabian Gulf pearls was unquenchable.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Diamond Valentine

If you're like most men, Valentine jewelry shopping for your girl can be a frustrating experience. What does she like? Where can you get it? How do you know that what you're buying is the right one? There are so many questions to ponder and there seems to be no straight answers especially if your mission is to buy engagement rings. Don't worry. There's no shame in getting a bit confused. In fact, majority of men find jewelry shopping a bit of a challenge. 

Your pre-Valentine jewelry excursion need not be a disaster. Here are some signposts to point you in the right direction: 

Do some recon first: figure out what she likes. 
Just because it's expensive, and within the latest fashion trend, doesn't mean she will wear it. Some women like small and subtle accessories; other go for the loud, huge and flamboyant. Some women like things formal and classy; others a bit experimental and playful. And then there are preferences for particular materials. There are gold lovers, silver lovers and copper lovers. There are women with long-standing love affairs with certain stones. 

How to know what she likes? Don't rely on the store owner; he doesn't know your girl! Start by checking out what she wears often. Raid her jewelry box. Snap a picture of her typical get-up complete with all the adornments and shows a copy to the saleslady. You can also ask her fashion-savvy best friend. If you can pull it off, accompany her as she window shops and observe what gems she gravitates to. 

Select a design: hearts or not? 
Hearts are common this time of the year and they are always a good choice. They fit the occasion and they can be worn across seasons. A heart also symbolizes the feeling that goes with the gift. By choosing heart-shaped jewelry, you are sending your message of affection loud and clear. 

But note that you are not obliged to choose a heart shaped jewelry just because it's Valentines Day. Also, some women are not keen on wearing anything with hearts in them. If your girl is like that, scrap the idea. Valentine gem gifting rules are flexible; you don't have to stay with the motif. 

You can pick something that is practical, one she can wear regularly to work like a reliable pair of silver earrings. You can go for something that symbolizes her personality like a violin pendant if she plays the instrument. You can choose a design that tells a story about the relationship you two have, like journey pendants with engraved initials. There are many possible options available. 

Canvass. 
You don't have to buy from the first store that you find. The more stores you check out, the better are your chances of finding something that's a good match to her taste (and your wallet!). It's always a good idea to shop ahead of time; it gives you the liberty to be choosy. 

Don't limit yourself to the typical stall in the mall. Find a vintage shop, browse online or look for those small family-based businesses that make custom jewelry setting an art form. If you're on a budget, check out the local pawnshop. You can also check if family heirlooms can be resized or modernized. 

Wherever you buy, make sure that your purchase has a certification of authenticity. This will help ensure that what you are spending your hard-earned cash on is the real deal. 

Leave her have the choice. 
Now if the shopping really has you stumped, here's an idea: why don't you just let her choose? Depending on how you package it, making them pick what they like can still be really romantic. If you're worried about revealing your budget, befriend the store owner beforehand. Give your range and have him prepare a selection for your girl that she can view in a private room. It's actually romantic for the two of you to choose together.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Some Famous Diamonds

Star of Africa (Cullinan 1) This is the largest diamond in the world, at 530.20 carats. It is now in the Royal Scepter in the Tower of London. This diamond was cut from the 3,106-carat Cullinan—the largest diamond ever found.

Kah-i-Nur: (Mountain of Light) This diamond has the oldest recorded history, since 1304. Originally, the legend is that the Mogul emperors possessed this diamond, but upon the breakup of the Mogul empire, the diamond made its way into India, and thence to Afghanistan, where it traveled back to India. There, the East India Company took it and presented it to Queen Victoria.

Hope Diamond: This diamond is ironically named after 1830 purchaser Henry Thomas Hope. It is thought to be a part of the Blue Tavernier Diamond found in 1692. The Hope diamond was purchased by King Louis XIV of France (whose sad history many of us know). Stolen during the French Revolution, it surfaced in 1830 when Hope bought it. Hope’s son lost his fortune after inheriting the diamond, and it was sold to an American widow, Mrs. Edward McLean. After the purchase, her child was killed, her family broke up, the widow became destitute, and then committed suicide. When it came up for auction, potential buyers wouldn’t touch the diamond. It now resides in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington.

Belgium And Diamond

Antwerp has been very prominent in diamond cutting for five hundred years—the first written mention of diamond cutting is in Antwerp in 1550. Located in the Flemish section of the country, Antwerp is on the northwest coast of Belgium. In the very early years of European development, Antwerp was over-shadowed by Brugge in terms of international trading, but became the absolute center of Belgian trading when Brugge was struck by the plague. 

Diamonds arrived in Antwerp when the Portugese discovered a direct route to India (the prime diamond producer in the world at those times). Diamonds had been taken to Venice by way of Aden, Ethiopia and Egypt or Arabia, Persia, Armenia and Turkey, but with the advent of the direct route to India, Antwerp was ideally situated to receive vast quantities of diamond from Lisbon and Venice. 

In 1585, however, the Spanish attacked Antwerp. The arrival of the Spanish conquerors sent the diamond cutters scuttling to Amsterdam, whose liberal civil policies also accepted Jewish diamond-cutters fleeing religious prosecution. Thus, Antwerp was forced to become a non-player in the world diamond market. This was only a fleeting exodus, though, because when the Spanish pulled out of Antwerp, the diamond-cutters floated back in. 

Today, Antwerp is the diamond capital of the world. More diamonds pass through Antwerp than any other city in the world, and the world’s most highly-regarded cutters reside in Antwerp. Antwerp holds a 60% part in the world diamond trade, and employs 27,000 people in the diamond business alone. What Antwerp specializes in is the cutting and polishing of high-quality diamonds. The examples of the most common cuts are below. 
The History of Diamonds 

The root of the word “diamond” comes from the Ancient Greek term “adamas,” meaning unconquerable and indestructable (“adamas” is the root for the English word “adamant,” and a person who is adamant in his desires truly will not budge from his stance!). “Indestructable” is certainly true; there is nothing on Earth which is harder or more pure than diamonds, and it actually takes another diamond to cut and polish the stones which one sees in rings and watches. The “industrial diamonds” are actually black-colored ones. 

Diamonds have been known and used by humans for 3000-4000 years. Original diamonds were not mined—they were found along riverbeds, where the water slowly ate away at the stone in which they were ensconced. The earliest use of diamonds was exclusively for kings. Since diamonds were known for their utter indestructability, kings studded their leather breastplates with diamonds as a primitive and expensive form of bullet- (or sword!) proof vest. The brilliant sparkle also warned away potential assassins, because diamonds were seen as the sole domain of kings, and the magical powers of diamonds were said to turn malicious against those who harmed their bearers. 

The phosphorescence of certain diamonds was considered the proof of their magical powers and gave the bearer many enviable virtues, such as generosity and courage in battle. Lawsuits were always said to be considered in the favor of whomever had worn the more powerful diamond. A house or garden touched at each corner with a diamond supposedly protected the garden against lightning, storms and blight. In the Middle Ages, a diamond could heal a sick person if he took it to bed and warmed it with his body, breathed upon it while fasting, or wore it near the skin. If a liar or a scolder were to put a diamond in his mouth, he would be instantaneously cured. Plato and the Greek philosophers believed that inanimate objects, and especially gemstones, were living beings produced by a chemical reaction to vivifying astral spirits. Later philosophers even believed that there were female specimens and male specimens, and that they could marry and reproduce—of course, in a far slower manner than human beings could comprehend. 

Diamonds were worn as a talisman against poisoning, but that was not their only function where poisoning was concerned. Diamond powder, ingested orally, is deadly. Catherine di Medici’s favorite means of dispensing death to her enemies was death by diamond powder. Perhaps the this association of diamonds with poison was originally spread about because this legend would certainly prevent mine workers from swallowing diamonds with the hopes of stealing them. 

Ancient Greeks considered diamonds to be “splinters of stars fallen to Earth” or “teardrops of the Gods.” This is an entirely beautiful was of thinking of diamonds, but one that is, unfortunately, untrue. Diamonds are pure carbon (with a melting point of 6900 degrees Farenheit), compressed after many millions of years into the hard shapes we see today. Diamonds were worn uncut for an extremely long time. An uncut diamond normally resembles a pebble you would throw out without a second glance. There is an extant crown from 1074 made for a Hungarian queen that is set with unpolished, uncut diamonds, and although it is very beautiful, its stones are not nearly as brilliant as those of today. The majesty of diamonds seemed to have spread rather slowly: French and English royalty wore diamonds by the 1300’s. 
The use of diamonds to symbolize love (pure, indestructable, and incomparably beautiful) came into being when in 1477, Archduke Maximilian of Austria gave a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy. Contemporary people keep this tradition alive by offering diamond rings to their intended spouses—from which came the saying “Diamonds are a woman’s best friend.” Incidentially, the tradition of offering any ring at all to a loved one comes from ancient Egypt, when men gave their wives rings to place on the fourth finger of their left hands. This is where the “vena amoris” or “vein of love” was said to begin, eventually to end at the heart. Diamond rings took an active step in 16th Century England, when fashionable (and love-crazed!) lovers etched romantic pledges on window panes with their diamond rings. Such rings are called “scribbling rings.” 

Until 1725, India was the major source of diamonds for the world. When the diamond source of India eventually petered out, Brazil was the next in line as the diamond center of the world. Then, in 1867, pipes of a substance called “Kimberlite peridotite” (named for Kimberly, its discoverer) were discovered in Africa. These Kimberlite peridotite pipes are volcanic formations which extend under the earth, stretching from South Africa to many more northern countries of Africa. This is the origin of the majority of the diamonds which one buys today. The De Beers company in South Africa controls the export of about 90 percent of today’s diamonds. 

Surprisingly, diamonds are not rare, whatsoever! This might come as a shock to a person who has just paid 1,000 dollars for a one-carat stone, but there are enough diamonds in the world to give every man, woman, and child in America a cupful. Although they have the best reputation, diamonds are not the most expensive gemstone, either. A top-quality ruby would be double the expense of a diamond of the same carat. A diamond’s expense comes from a human-imposed drought rather than a true drought. The whole theory of supply and demand plays very nicely here into the hands of the diamond-governing corporations! 

What is rare, however, is a good diamond. This next part might be bad news for you diamond-lovers out there. If we define a good diamond in general terms as one that has a large carat, is perfectly white, that has no fissures or cracks or clouds, has all of its potential brilliance, and will appreciate over time, less than 25 out of 1000 diamonds sold in the US would be good diamonds. The average person in the US pays twice what they should for their engagement ring, and the average diamond has been laser-drilled, is tinted yellow, and has cracks, breaks or carbon that you can see with your own eyes. 

Sunday, January 11, 2009