Diamond Rings – the David Beckham Effect

Diamond rings may be a girl’s best friend, but they’re also smooching up to the boys too.

The ‘bling boom’ is testament to the power of David Beckham – where he goes, fashion follows. And diamond rings, once the exclusive domain of the female population, are now sported by male footballers, rappers and actors. Thanks to Beckham more men are wearing jewellery, including diamond rings. And the sporting hero has been seen donning other fashions traditional to the world of women, including wearing nail varnish and sporting sarongs. But it isn’t just diamond rings that help him gain extra sparkle; his love of all diamond encrusted things extends to mobile phones, diamond earrings and watches.

Diamond Geezers

In fact, male stars from David Guest to the King of Bling, Jimmy Saville seem more interested in the size of their own diamond rings than those of their female counterparts. The Bling Blokes headed by Beckham have boosted the sales of diamond rings for sale, as more men buy diamond rings for themselves. Engagement diamond rings for girlfriends and wives are however the most popular motivation behind buying diamond rings, as diamonds represent uniqueness, eternity and style.

Diamond rings: Covetable commodities

Diamond rings can fit most budgets – especially for an engagement – but for Beckham, expense is no problem, explaining why the footballer seems to love everything to be encrusted with his favourite bling. But before the Beckham effect, ever since Marilyn Monroe famously pouted her lips and sang Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend, diamond rings have been the most sought out luxury item. Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Elton John and countless other celebrities have all endorsed the diamond as one of the world’s most covetable commodities. You can find excellently prices diamonds at http://www.thejewellerychannel.tv/ so what are you waiting for?

Roles watches – a glossary of terms

Make sure you know your terminology when you discuss Rolex watches

 

Rolex watches – terms beginning with M – continued

Mineral glass is a watch glass that has been tempered to increase its scratch resistance. The minute repeater is a complication on a watch that can strike the time in hours, quarters, or seconds by means of a push piece. The moon phase is an indicator that keeps track of the phases of the moon. A regular rotation of the moon is once around the earth every 29 days, 12 hours, and 44 minutes. Once set, the moon phase indicator accurately displays the phase of the moon.  Movement describes the inner workings or assembly that make up the main timekeeping mechanism. Movements are either quartz or mechanical, and this is the engine of the watch.

Rolex watches 0 to R

Oyster is a type of Rolex watch invented in 1926 and so called because of its shape. At the time it was described as ‘the first waterproof, airtight and dustproof watch’.  A perpetual rotor converts the movement of the wrist into energy that can be stored and powers the watch.  A Quartz watch is a watch which is powered by a battery. A Rolesor is a stainless steel and 18ct gold case and bracelet on a Rolex watch.

Rolex watches – terms beginning with S

Sapphire Crystal is a transparent crystal frequently used in watch making due to its resistance to scratching. The screw-in crown seals the crown against the case and aids water resistance.  Some recent Rolex watches have solid end links on the bracelet.  A subdial is a smaller dial within the face on a Chronograph to display other functions, such as the date. The Sun/Moon Indicator is a wheel visible on the dial of a watch displaying the sun and moon over a 24 hour period.

Rolex watches – terms beginning with T

The Tachymeter is often used in the motor industry to measure the speed of a car over a specific distance.  On a watch it functions via a scale on the bezel of a chronograph.  Average speeds or hourly production rates can be calculated over a period of observation of less than 60 seconds.  Titanium is a stronger and lighter metal than stainless steel (the most common material used for watches) and is being used increasingly.

Rolex watches U to Z

Beware a watch described as waterproof as this would not be the case – no watch is considered 100% waterproof and watches can’t be termed as such. They should rather be described as water resistant.  A watch classed as water resistant is able to withstand splashes of water, eg. in the kitchen or in the rain, but can’t be used for swimming or diving.  Diving watches are classified as “water resistant to 200 meters” to indicate the depth to which they can withstand pressure.

For other fabulous watches visit www.britishwatchcompany.com.

Silver Jewellery – Garnets

The garnet is prized  in silver jewellery because it is a protective and restorative stone

 

Legend and belief

 

Garnets have long been carried by travellers to protect against accidents far from home.  In ancient Asia and the American Southwest, garnets were used as bullets because the glowing red colour was said to increase the ferocity of a wound. Garnets in legend light up the night and protect their owners from nightmares. Noah supposedly used a garnet lantern to navigate the Ark at night. In Medieval times, the garnet protected its wearer against poisons, wounds and bad dreams, and cured depression. Red garnets, whether as stones or set in gold or silver jewellery, were thought to relieve fever, haemorrhages and inflammatory diseases.

 

Colours of the garnet

Garnets come in every colour except blue, and most varieties are named for their colour. Rhodolite is a purplish red, hessonite is the name for an orange, cinnamon, or pinkish variety. Tsavorite is the name given to dark green grossularite, and was named after the Kenyan Tsvaro National Park.  Uvarovite and demantoid are also green varieties.  Pyrope garnets found in silver jewellery are purplish red, orangy red, crimson, or dark red. Spessartite garnets range from yellow and orange through red to reddish brown to dark black/brown. Colour change garnets exhibit an “alexandrite-like” effect when viewed in natural light or artificial lighting.

Language of the garnet

Garnet comes from the Latin word, “granatus” which means grain. That is because many garnet deposits are small grains of red crystals in or on their host rock. It is also associated with the pomegranate because the garnet closely resembles pomegranate seeds, and this is a much more romantic version of the origin of the name because these seeds have sensual connotations.  The garnet is the birthstone of those born in January, and a piece of gold or silver jewellery containing the stone is a most appropriate birthday gift.

An age-old gemstone

In the Czech Republic, evidence of garnet jewellery dating to the Bronze age was found, when garnet necklaces were discovered in the graves of ancient lake dwellers. Garnet gold and silver jewellery has also been discovered dating back to 3100 B.C. in Egypt, 2300 B.C. in Sumeria, and 2000-1000 B.C. in Sweden. Garnets were treasured in 3rd and 4th century Greece, and continued in popularity during Roman times. Across the Atlantic, Pre-Columbian Aztec and Native Americans also used garnets in their ornaments.

Tsavorite garnets

In 1967 a British geologist was looking for gemstones in the mountains in the north-east of Tanzania when he came across some strange nodules of rock. Inside these strange objects he found some beautiful green grains and crystal fragments. A gemmological examination revealed that what he had discovered was green grossularite, or green garnet, and one which had only been found on rare occasions until then.  Now the tsavorite is a favourite in silver jewellery.

The jewellery world is richer for the fantastic silver items available which are used in pieces like Chamilia charms and much more.

Rolex watches – adventure and philanthropy

The makers of Rolex watches put their money where their mouth is when it comes to funding ventures into the unknown

 

Pioneering

 

In 1927 Mercedes Gleitze swam the channel wearing a Rolex watch.  This gave Hans Wilsdorf a taste for adventure, and Rolex began sponsoring Himalayan and Polar expeditions as well as deep sea exploration.  The 1950s was an exciting time for exploration.  In 1953 Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the top of Everest wearing their Rolex watches and a prototype of the Submariner Rolex watch went to a depth of 10,335 feet attached to Professor Auguste Piccard’s bathyscaphe. These pioneers were braving new frontiers and Rolex was determined to supply the watch, no matter what the situation.

Rolex Laureates

 

The Rolex Awards For Enterprise were founded by former Rolex Chairman André Heineger in 1976 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the companies Oyster casings on their Rolex watches. Mr. Heineger’s aim for the awards was and still is “fostering a spirit of enterprise around the world”. The awards are held every two years. The Rolex Awards For Enterprise recognize achievement, in the areas of medicine, science, technology, environment, innovation, exploration, discovery and cultural heritage.

2006 Laureates

In 2006, each Laureate received US$100,000 and a personally inscribed gold Rolex watch on October 26 at a ceremony at the Esplanade performing arts centre in Singapore. The five winners – selected by an independent panel of experts from nearly 1,700 applicants from 117 countries – are recognized for their contributions to science, technology, the environment, exploration and cultural heritage.

Saving the Planet

In 2001, Rolex Laureate Lonnie Dupre, and Australian John Hoelscher completed a 6,500 mile journey by dog team and kayak accomplishing the first rounding of Greenland’s rugged coastline. They gathered some amazing information and pictures of the land, animals, and culture of the Polar Inuit, and the trip was intended to raise the profile of the problems of global warming.

The art of pottery is deeply rooted in African culture. In northern Nigeria, earthenware pots have been used since ancient times as cooking and water storage vessels, coffins, wardrobes and banks. Today, these clay pots are almost extinct, replaced by aluminium containers and more modern methods of burying the dead, storing clothes and saving money.

Ingenious technologies

Mohammed Bah Abba was selected as a Rolex watch Laureate in 2000 for his ingenious technique that requires no external energy supply to preserve fruit, vegetables and other perishables in hot, arid climates. The pot-in-pot cooling system, a kind of “desert refrigerator”, helps subsistence farmers by reducing food spoilage and waste and thus increasing their income and limiting the health hazards of decaying foods. Abba says he developed the pot-in-pot “to help the rural poor in a cost-effective, participatory and sustainable way”.

Rolex and the Arts

 

As well as being involved as sponsors of over 150 sporting events each year, Rolex watches also run a mentoring scheme for practitioners in the visual arts, theatre, music, dance, film and literature.  Previous mentors include Mira Nair, Sir Peter Hall and David Hockney.

Other excitting timpepieces include Oris watches, another name to look out for.

Silver Jewellery Styles: Perfect Pearls

The hottest silver jewellery trend is pearls. Clustered on brooches, set in strings, or made into pendants, the pearl is making a serious come back on the catwalks, red carpets and high street stores.

Celebrities Love Silver Jewellery Set with Pearls

Retro styles are a big influence on fashion, from Oscar-winning actresses wearing vintage gowns to antique-style jewellery hitting the high street. One vintage trend that is growing in popularity is pearls – and it’s easy to see why. Whether set in silver jewellery or in strings, pearls are the perfect match for any outfit, conveying class, style and sophistication.

Hollywood celebrities including Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Aniston and Christina Aguilera love the vintage look and feel of pearls, and are helping boost the trend. The result is that more women are open to trying on a string or two, and demand for silver jewellery set with pearls is growing and other gorgeous pearl jewellery.

From the Sea to Silver Jewellery – the Pearl’s Journey

Each pearl that makes its way onto a piece of silver jewellery has taken a long journey from the sea. They start life as a tiny particle of grit, shell, coral or bone that enters the shell of an oyster or mussel, which then gets coated in layers of nacre (the shiny material shells are made of). The longer this irritant is left in the mollusc, the more layers are formed and the larger the pearl.

After they have been harvested, the pearls are sorted by size, shape, colour, lustre and blemish. If they are destined to make their way onto a necklace, they are drilled and matched for stringing. A jewellery designer will then select and buy their pearls, and create beautiful items of silver jewellery, from brooches to rings, bracelets and pendants.

How to Buy Silver Jewellery with Pearls

Pearls have been transformed from a symbol of stuffiness and wealth into a fun, affordable fashion accessory. They look stunning set into silver jewellery, stringed into rope necklaces, or adorning clothes as beads. But if you’re concerned about quality, these are the top tips for buying and caring for pearls:

• Look for glow and radiance, and avoid dull, chalky pearls. They may crack and your silver jewellery purchase will be a waste

• Choose blemish-free pearls and avoid bumps and cracks

• Inspect your pearls under a bright light to ensure they are of good enough quality for your silver jewellery

• Wear your pearls regularly, as your natural skin oils will keep them moisturised

• Polish your pearls with a soft cloth and never use silver jewellery cleaning products on them