What makes up costume jewely?

1. Man made stones constructed from glass, rhinestone, cubic zirconia, or plastic are a primary component of most costume jewelry. The most popular of which is cubic zirconia because of its physical properties. It is used to create simulated versions of precious gemstones such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires, or emeralds. Its sparkly appeal and inexpensive price tag allow for much larger, glitzy pieces that attract attention without the exhorbitant price tag. Colored glass can also be used to simulate precious stones and faux pearls. Rhinestone jewelry is also popular because of its sparkle and color choices. Epoxy and acrylic are plastics that is often used to make inexpensive bead jewelry.

Although typical costume jewelry consists of manmade stones sometimes semiprecious stones such as pearls, topaz, black opal, amethyst, or peridot are used to provide a more fine jewelry appeal.

2. A base metal such as copper, brass, nickel, aluminum that has been altered to look like precious metals such as silver, gold, or platinum. This is achieved by one of the following methods:

tone: This means just what the name implies. Tone refers to the color of the metal only. Gold and silver tone jewelry are silver and gold in color but contain no actual gold or silver.

electroplating: This is probably the most common method. In this process an electric current is used to deposit a thin layer, as little as 2 micro inches (a micro inch is one millionth of an inch) onto the base alloy metal which is immersed in a salt bath solution of the precious metal that will be used to plate the object.

layering: This method also uses plating only the object is immersed for a longer period of time allowing for a much thicker layer of precious metal. Layered gold or silver may consist of approximately 20-50 micro inches of gold or silver. Although it doesnt sound like much, this thicker layer results in a much more durable jewelry piece especially when coated with a protective material such as Tarniban which is an organic substance that provides a protective shield and adds to the hardness of the metal.

overlay: This method utilizes heat rather than electricity to combine the base metal with the precious metal to form a new alloy. This creates a permanent bond between the metals which creates jewelry that can be as durable and long lasting as the real thing with proper care. Gold overlay jewelry is also sometimes referred to as gold filled. It is generally safer for sensitive skin than costume jewelry made by other methods.

Technibond: This is considered to be one of the most desired methods of gold plating because it uses a full 40 micro inch of 14kt gold over .925 sterling silver. For gold and silver lovers it is the best of both worlds. However, as with any plated item, a protective coating should be added for best results.

vermeil: This is considered the creme de la creme of gold plating.This method uses as much as 100 micro inches of gold over .925 sterling silver and as you can expect is also more expensive.

3. Costume jewelry may also consist of odd materials such as wood, stone, and shell which can be either natural or colored.

How to care for costume jewelry

Although costume jewelry doesnt require much of an investment, it is still important to get the most bang for your buck by taking proper care of your costume jewelry by following a few simple steps:

1. NEVER allow costume jewelry to come in contact with oils, soaps, perfumes, or any harsh chemicals which can fade or even ruin the item.

2. ALWAYS remove jewelry before sports, swimming, exercising, washing hands, showering, cleaning, doing laundry, or applying lotions or creams.

3. NEVER store jewelry wet. Always dry with a soft cloth before storing.

4. Store jewelry in a plastic ziploc bag or soft jewelry pouch away from other objects and jewelry items to avoid scratching.

5. Store jewelry in a clean, dry, cool, not cold place away from heat and dust.

6. When cleaning, be gentle! Use a soft toothbrush and jewelry cleaner that specifically states that it is safe for costume jewelry. Make sure it does not contain acid, alcohol, or ammonia. Only use jewelry cleaner as directed. DO NOT over scrub.

7. Use a jewelry cloth for buffing.

8. Regularly check for loose stones.

Costume jewelry is a fun and inexpensive way to express your own unique style. When it comes to variety and affordability in fashion, costume jewelry is unparalleled.

Whether you are religious or not, when you visit Barcelona, be sure to visit La Seu. It is one of the best surviving examples of medieval architecture in the world.

La Seu’s full name is the Cathedral de la Santa Crue i Santa Eulalia (Cathedral of the Holy Crucifix and of Saint Eulalia). It is located on the site of a Roman basilica, which was built in 343 A.D. Although it was destroyed by the Moors in 985 A.D., a Romanesque cathedral was built there in 1058 A.D., and incorporated into the current structure in the 1300s. Construction was a slow process begun during King Jaume II’s reign. Work continued into the 19th century, as wars, epidemics and other difficulties delayed progress. Because of the long period, the structure contains Romanesque and Gothic elements.

The wait was well worth it as the current structure is magnificent: over 300 ft/90 m long. Its central spire is 230 ft/70 m high with unusual octangal clock towers that were built between 1386 and 1393. Probably the most famous part of the exterior is the facade, with its concentric arches over the entrance. These are distinctly different from even other Gothic churches in Barcelona.

Don’t stop outside, however. The interior is also memorable: Wood carvings dominate every wall. And what Gothic cathedral would be complete without stained glass? Some of the interior was designed by Antonin Gaudi, later famous for La Sagrada Familia Cathedral.

Historical artifacts also abound: In a side chapel is a Crucifix from the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. It is said the Corpus (Christ figure) on this Crucifix bent to the right in order to avoid a cannonball. Another Crucifix from that era can be seen in the Capella de Sant Benet (Chapel of St. Benedict).

There are many side chapel on the main floor of the church, each with its own interesting artifacts. But don’t miss going down to the crypt below the Altar. There you can see the body of St. Eulalia, the patron saint of Barcelona. It is said the 13-year-old girl was martyred by the Romans by being rolled in a barrel stuck full of knives. Other stories say she was burned at the stake, which was not common practice at the time.

Before you leave the building, go up to the roof, for a wonderful view of the Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter) and the rest of Barcelona. On your way out, visit the beautiful courtyard in the cloister, which is always stocked with 13 white geese in honor of young St. Eulalia. The quiet patio and fountain make a serene oasis from the bustling city.

La Seu is easy to find from the metro stops at Jaume I or Liceu. It will definitely be a high-point in your visit to Barcelona.

I write all about mens gifts, and one of the most common questions I get asked through my website is “what gift do I buy for my man. He has plenty of money and buys what he wants, so he already has everything he wants”.

This is of course pretty common. Lots of men just get out there and buy something if they want it, they don’t drop hints near birthday time hoping that the hint will be picked up and acted on. Almost by definition, if he wants it he’s already got it.

Now of course there’s always men who buy whatever they want up to a certain cost. But over that they can’t afford it. So if your man is like that you need to find out what it is he wants and see if YOU can afford it, often if he can’t you can’t either. But if there are things he wants that he can’t quite afford he will probably drop hints.

But for a moment lets assume that he’s got all he wants. There’s his birthday coming up, or maybe it’s Christmas coming up, and you really want to get him a hot gift anyway. Something he’ll love even if he’s got everything.

So here’s 7 hot mens gift ideas that most men will love. Few will love all of them, but you know your man, there’s bound to be some in there he will love. Some are cheaper, some are more expensive.

1. Lingerie. Now it isn’t entirely a unique gift idea but it’s one that is almost guaranteed to work. Men love lingerie. Worn by their women of course. I have seen lots of lists of favorite gifts for men and there is one common gift theme. Lingerie is always up there.

No matter how many pieces of beautiful lingerie a woman has, if she selects well and chooses the right piece I can just about guarantee her man will love it, provided of course she wears it for him. It’s almost a can’t fail gift.

And you can get lingerie in all sizes, so girls you have no excuses to say that you can’t find your size. If your man loves you large he’ll love you large and wearing hot lingerie too.

2. Adventure gifts. Most men love adventure and adrenalin. Not all, but most. And many women aren’t aware that there are some excellent companies around that cater to this extremely well. It’s possible to find all sorts of adventure gifts for men and women that you would never have thought existed.

Would your man love to do his first parachute jump? How about white water rafting? Or maybe he’d love to drive a supercar or a tank. Or how about go Zero-G like the astronauts? There’s so many options from high adrenalin down, there’s something for everyone.

3. An eco holiday. There is a growing worldwide movement to charity and volunteer and ecological work and travel. Rather than just buy him a holiday in Europe, which is a little ho hum, why not buy him some volunteer travel with a difference. There are lots of companies which offer adventure travel with a twist, volunteer work that helps out those less fortunate than ourselves, both people and animals and the environment.

He may end up on a research vessel in the waters off Mexico counting turtles or in the wilds of Africa measuring the distribution of African animals. The destinations are almost always exotic. There is work to be done but it is so interesting and adventuruous and invigorating that he probably won’t even see it as work. It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s adventurous and it gives back to the environment and to many less fortunate than ourselves helping committed scientists with their research.

It costs, it’s not free, but it’s an extremely unique and fabulous holiday that he’s unlikely to better.

4 Chinese art. This is a favorite of mine because I lived in China for a while and just love Chinese art. We have so many pieces that we don’t have enough space to hang them all. From beatiful Chinese wall hangings to the absolutely fabuluous and quite unique teapots of Yixing, there are so many Chinese artworks that would go so well in so many of our Western homes.

Chinese art is extremely cheap compared to the equivalent in Western art. And it’s a mens gift with a difference.

5. An elephant painting. Another one for the man who likes his art. Painted by a real Asian elephant on paper which is made from elephant dung. Now before you wonder if I’ve gone mad check it out. The elephants really do the painting, I have a video of it on my website. And believe it or not they paint recognizable objects. The paintings look great, are extremely inexpensive, and would make a great artwork to hang near the table to stimulate some evening conversation with his friends.

6. And then there’s the man who has absolutely everything and doesn’t want for anything at all. Buy him a whale. You really can buy him a whale, although delivery is a little problematical, as is wrapping it up. What happens is that there are organizations like the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin trust that track and identify real individual whales and allow you to name a whale or dolphin just for him, so he has his own whale out there somewhere.

It’s a unique mens gift idea and on top of that the money goes to help protect the whales.

There you have it. 6 suggestions for unique and memorable mens gift ideas. From around $10 right up to very very expensive. It’s up to you now.

No reason to say “I have no idea what to buy him for his birthday” any more, no excuses.

A fabulous diet created by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to control hypertension is the DASH diet. In fact, DASH is short for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. In general the diet plan limits sodium intake and encourages people to eat nuts, whole grains, fish, poultry, as well as fruits and vegetables. It discourages eating red meat, sweets, and sugar. Learn more about the excellent DASH diet.

The DASH diet resulted from a series of studies that examined dietary plans and their results. The diet plan not only includes showing people good eating habits, but also shows them healthier alternatives to junk foods. Coming up with decent junk food alternatives helps people stick to the diet long term. Processed foods are also out with this diet.

There’s even a guide book published for the diet called Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure with DASH. The guide lists foods, their nutrition information, and healthy alternatives. It also explains in details the meal plans of the DASH diet along with nutritional information for those plans. The guide is complete with a list of resources to help people stick to the diet.

A great resource for the DASH diet is Yahoo’s information page. It’s complete with links to the guide, web sites of people who have followed the diet, and detailed diet plans.

Processed foods contain of the sodium found in the average diet, so the DASH diet discourages them. Hypertension can be minimized by removing processed foods, and thus sodium which causes both high blood pressure and hypertension, from the diet.

The DASH diet is far more than any fad diet. It’s scientifically supported, as well as supported and endorsed by many top health organizations. Not only is it a great diet for people who have high blood pressure, but it’s a great diet for anyone who wants to eat healthy. Why wait for high blood pressure to start eating right, avoid it now see using the DASH diet.

What European vacation would be complete without shopping? This is especially true when traveling in Italy. There is certainly no better place to get your shopping fix than in the Tuscan town of Florence.

No matter what you are looking for, you are sure to fine the perfect item in Florence: Food, leather goods, fashion, jewelry are all here in abundance. No wonder, this city, known as an art capital, has been making shopping an art since the 19th century.

To start your shopping excursion, go to the Mercato Centrale in San Lorenso. This two-story building has a ten classical arches in cast iron and glass to make a truly unique shopping center. The Mercato Centrale specializes in food and souvenir shops, especially food. For a memorable lunch, try wild boar salami on a sandwich, accompanied by produce from area farms. There are meats, cheeses, nuts and take-out fare to give you a taste of Tuscany living. Even better, many of the vendors offer free samples of food and wine.

Another great market is the Mercato Nuovo. It’s called New Market because it’s newer than the other market, but it still has been around a long time, since 1551. Low-cost high fashion is the rage here, from Italian leather jackets to the perfect purse. Love the item but don’t like the price? No problem, the vendors love to bargain. It’s part of your adventure in Tuscany.

For the special woman in your life, make a trip to the Pharmacy of Santa Maria Novella a Via Delle Scala. No, it is not a drug store as in the U.S. This one provides perfumes, soaps and herbal products. It has been run by Dominican Friars since the 16th century. Specialties include an almond hand cream, and the Sapone al Melograno (pomegranate soap) but there are many other delights certain to soothe that special someone, including yourself.

While many people know about Florence’s beautiful Ponte Vecchio, shoppers can learn its secret: It’s a great place to find truly unique jewelry. Designers such as Bucelatti can be found here among the simpler handmade pieces. It’s truly a unique place, situated on the picturesque bridge built in 1345.

In addition to these delights, the many museums also have their gift shops. Admire the works of Michelangelo and Leonardo, then buy a replica of David or the Mona Lisa as a mini sculpture, painting or even a piece of jewelry. You’ll always remember how you got it.

One of the great pleasures of shopping is people watching. When you take a break, watch the variety of people going by. You will learn a lot about the city and its people while you drink in the atmosphere.

Before you leave for Florence, be sure to check with your travel agent, with Italian tourist office and online for tips on discounts, special programs and other offerings for Florentine shoppers. You may end up with an even better deal, one that will make your friends at home envious. Also, be sure to pack an extra travel bag, so you can carry home your new treasures without sacrificing your personal belongings.

Shopping in Florence is an adventure you won’t soon forget. Ciao!

Reading the financial news is dismal these days; companies are slowing down operations or ceasing to exist, layoffs, financial fraud in the realm of billions, bailouts that are supposed to keep the economy going and cause the stock market to plummetif it weren’t for that warm cup of java in your hand, it might be unbearable.

Hawaian kona coffee, the only coffee grown in North America, is cheap compared to the average $5.00 “Gourmet coffee” from your local coffee outlet. For less than $0.20 a cup you can drink one of the worlds finest coffees every day a savings of $1,440.00!!!! (based on the average 300 days that people buy their morning coffee)

wouldn’t you like to save some money this year? Gourmet coffee vendors online suppy the worlds best coffee beans for a fraction of the price of your average ‘tall latte skinny foam top mocha’ and they have the variety of beans you will not find in stores. You may be suprised at which coffee is your favourite.

These high street cafe vendors are hearkening back to coffee, the way it was made in corner shops before World War II, when great innovations in roasting, canning and preservatives allowed coffee to be ground and sealed in cans and shipped by interstate freight. What online gourmet coffee vendors sell is coffee that has been fresh roasted, and only a few days old, or coffee beans that you can roast and grind yourself.

Fresh roasted beans with no presevatives taste completely different, if you enjoy the ‘bitter tasteing stand your spoon in the cup’ coffee your local shop provides, then online vendors such as gourmetcoffee2you.com is not the way to go! Trying different coffees from around the world is fast becoming a national pastime, and the best place to do that is buying your coffee online.

After roasting the oils in the coffee bean are released producing the unique flavor of that bean. The oil will quickly oxidze, beaking down and producing bitter tasteing coffee within a matter of weeks.

Due to the small amount of crops that produce jamaican Blue mountain Coffee and Hawaiian Kona coffee, they can seem to be pricey, when purchased in a store, compared to your local off the shelf coffee. However due to high volumes that online vendors use they can often be purchased at a considerable discount compared to your local store. You also know that when you purchase online the beans will be freshly roasted, allowing you the most time to savour the flavour!

If you work in an office then you’ve probably seen it happen – an important piece of work is printed off and prepared for a vital meeting only to have it destroyed by a careless co-worker who spills their drink all over the document. Laminating documents can help solve these problems by protecting the paper from unforeseen spills and tears.

A laminator is a machine which enables you to laminate documents quickly and easily. There are primarily used in offices, businesses, schools and homes to produce documents or ID cards which are waterproof and protected from tearing. There are many different brands, types and sizes of laminating machines and it is important to know the differences when you are looking to buy one.

If cost is an issue and you only require a limited amount of laminating done then a pouch laminator should be on your shopping list. These type of laminators use two heated rollers to seal a pouch of plastic over the document. A pouch laminator is often cost effective and are great for small business or home use.

Of course, if you require a large amount of lamination done then you will need a more expensive and larger type of machine. Roll laminators fit this bill and are usually used in a commercial capacity, large government departments or schools. As with a pouch laminator, they use heated rollers to work. However, they are able process a larger number of documents in a short period of time. Due to the heat produced they shouldn’t be used on documents that might be damaged by something hot.

The third type of laminating machine is the ID laminator. As the name suggests, these laminators are designed to laminate ID cards. Some machines enable you to insert micro text, micro chips or other anti-forgery designs under the laminate plastic. Others punch holes so that you can attach a lanyard or clip to the ID card.

One thing you should be aware of is that not every laminator can laminate documents of different thickness. So if you want to laminate something like thick cardboard or – in the case of ID cards – thick plastic then you should ask the retailer whether the machine you are looking at has the capacity to be used on these types of materials.

You can buy laminating machines from office stores or department stores. If you want to find one at a cheaper price than retail then it is possible to find them at ex-government auctions, foreclosure sales and second hand office stores. Another option is to investigate well known online retailers like eBay where people often sell their old laminators.

I can’t face the papers these days without my morning coffee. All this dismal financial news could really be depressing if it weren’t for coffee.

Hawaian kona coffee, the only coffee grown in North America, is cheap compared to the average $5.00 “Gourmet coffee” from your local coffee outlet. For less than $0.20 a cup you can drink one of the worlds finest coffees every day a savings of $1,440.00!!!! (based on the average 300 days that people buy their morning coffee)

Your not going to give up your morning coffee, but what if you could save $1,400.00 a year or more? Gourmet coffee vendors online supply the worlds best tasteing coffee online. Shipped to your home, you can often find 1lb of fresh coffee beans for less than your ‘Mocha Java skinny latte half and have ith wipped cream’

These high street cafe vendors are hearkening back to coffee, the way it was made in corner shops before World War II, when great innovations in roasting, canning and preservatives allowed coffee to be ground and sealed in cans and shipped by interstate freight. What online gourmet coffee vendors sell is coffee that has been fresh roasted, and only a few days old, or coffee beans that you can roast and grind yourself.

Fresh roasted beans retain the natural oils that give coffee the flavour we all enjoy without the bitter aftertaste. Online vendors like Gourmetcoffee2you.com, supply coffee drinkers like you with the best tasteing coffee available, with a wide variety of beans to choose from, its no wonder more people are switching and brewing their own gourmet coffee.

Coffee bean oils will oxidize and contaminate the flavor of the coffee. You should use up the beans within about a 4 week period (or less) before the oils break down completely.

So don’t give up your gourmet coffee, just be smart and join the thousands of people already buying their coffee online. Get the freshest beans, roasted when you order, and remember superior beans means superior coffee taste.

Keeping a household clean is one of the heavier duty tasks since early ages of humankind. Luckily, cleanliness today is not what it used to be 100 years ago. We now have modern devices like the steam cleaners, vacuums, dusters, or similar, to make us more productive and the job less boring.

Steam cleaners are the latest discovery in the cleaning industry and they have revolutionized the way housewives clean their homes. Most of all, portable steam cleaners are efficient and very easy to operate and to store after cleaning is done.

The big advantage of steam cleaners is that they use only water for getting the job done. No chemicals like household detergents are required. This is beneficial for the environment and it also saves money for families budgets. Although there’s no chemical involved, cleanliness is perfect, thanks to the steam jet power.

Another major benefit for using a steam cleaner is that the raised level of vapor temperature gets all germs and micro-organisms killed. Allergic persons can kiss their allergy to dust good bye, and live free from all those nasty symptoms flu-like, which made their life a hell.

For factories and other places that get very dirty with oils and greasy substances, there are the industrial steamers, which are extremely powerful. As they usually cost a lot of money, housewives don’t need to buy them. For a home cleaning, the smaller and cheaper ones can to the same task.

Steam vapor cleaners are extremely efficient when used on upholstery, for instance. It is known that non-detachable pieces of fabric on chairs, sofas or couches are very difficult to clean. They soak in detergent and never get as clean and nice as they were when new. With the steam power, this dirt can be removed with ease.

Make sure not to point the device in use towards other people or towards your pets. I very much doubt that the pets would stay to watch you cleaning with that monster, but be warned that they can be injured. Never leave the machine at the reach of children.

When we were young children we all wanted to be able to see clearly in the dark. Now we’ve grown up let’s turn these thoughts into a reality and buy a real pair of night eyes – Night Vision Goggles! Which pair are the best for you though? It’s a tricky decision, so I wrote this handbook to help you out a little.

First you need to decide what type of night vision equipment you want. You can have either image intensifying or thermal and they both have distinct advantages and disadvantages. There is also a big price differences so picking the wrong type for your purpose could be very costly.

Image intensifying works using electrons which pass over a special plate inside the night vision equipment. They then create another image of the light received by tracing a new image around the darker light. This practice can work quite well however the main drawback with image intensifying equipment is that there needs to be some available light for them to work.

The second main type of NVG’s are thermal based. These read the heat given off by items and assign them a colour based on the temperature. The hotter it is the brighter the light. This style of night vision equipment works at its best when used to find and track down small mammals, they’re also the NVG of choice for police officers who use them to find criminals.

The shape of your night vision device will differ wildly depending on its primary role and purpose, hunting equipment for instance will come in the shape of a scope. The armed forces use eye mounted devices that fit onto the helmets of soldiers to enable them to find the enemy without using their hands to see.

The resolution of the image is without doubt the largest factor to determine the price you pay. In brief the resolution is how many lines there are on the screen. The more there are the clearer and crisper the representation will be.

The mobility of your equipment is also an important factor. It’s no use at all having the latest and greatest state of the art equipment if it’s too cumbersome and unwieldy to use effectively. You may even find yourself leaving heavy equipment in its box at home, which ultimately means you wasted a lot of money on something you don’t really use or need. Of all the varieties the monocular is the easiest to transport and fits easily into a long jacket pocket.

The effective range of your equipment is important to many users. Hunters in particular need an effective range that enables them to see their targets from a greater distance. You should be able to find the range on the packaging, make sure to check it’s adequate before you part with your cash.

Clearly, the process of selecting and buying the right night vision gear for you is a long, drawn out and important process. You need to make especially sure you make the right choice to save yourself the trouble of buying a second set. Remember, the key here is to buy the right set dependant on your own specific needs.