What are skin lotion secrets for beautiful skin? Why doesn't my skin care moisturizer work? How can I get the beautiful skin back that I once had? These questions will be answered in the following paragraphs.
Your facial moisturizing lotion doesn't work because you probably have believed all the advertising hype about looking younger with beautiful radiant skin. Then you bought the skin care product and found out it was like all the other face creams you have: NONE of them really work. I'm going to tell you why it doesn't work and what to look for in a facial moisturizer that does give you a smoother healthier skin.
How Does a Facial Moisturizer Work
A face cream should replace, or at least assist, the natural oils that are supposed to be there. Most face creams and moisturizers are mostly water and petrolatum, petroleum jelly or "manufactured grease". Petroleum is a by-product of crude oil and so is gasoline. It clogs up the skin's pores and can do more harm than good. Yes, I know it feels good on your skin but it is not good for your skin.
Department Store Over the Counter "Junk'
I know you won't like this but most of the expensive over the counter cosmetics aren't worth the jar they come in. Yes, they smell good and feel good but the ingredients are many times harmful.
Usually quality is sacrificed for the sake of profit. Costs and overhead are a necessary part of any business but to put out an ineffective product to save a buck is inexcusable. It is even "criminal" to charge an outlandish price for it, but it happens. Most of the skin care products contain, as mentioned, a crude oil by product but also something called "paraben". Read the label and you will see usually a word ending in -paraben. A paraben is an ingredient that acts like a preservative to give the product longer shelf life. Seems harmless but parabens have been found in breast cancer patients. So beware.
You Are What You Put on Your Skin
You probably heard it as: "You are what you eat". Since we are so careful about what we eat (or should be) shouldn't we be just as careful as to what we put on our skin? Wouldn't it be nice if the skin care products we put on our skin contained ingredients that were 'safe enough to eat'? Keep reading I have a big surprise for you.
Our skin needs what is called keratin. But it can't be just any kind of keratin to really work. The one ingredient that does work is not synthetic but a live natural protein called Functional Keratin or Cynergy TK. It has patent protection because it works; is safe and is remarkably effective. Where do you get it?
Read Labels CAREFULLY
Functional keratin is an ingredient that is safe and very effective. It works a lot like the keratin that is in your body. Functional keratin is known by a patented name of Cynergy TK. It comes from a natural source: the wool of New Zealand sheep.
Liquid Skin
Be careful about other companies and their claim to have keratin in their skin care line. Often the keratin that other companies use is a synthetic protein. The skin will not accept it because it is not a living protein. Liquid skin, another name for functional keratin, will help reduce fine lines and wrinkles but will promote new skin cells and the tendency to return to its original shape after it has been stretched or compressed.
Most skin care products are exaggerated as to what they really can do. The best facial moisturizers and skin care products are not found in downtown stores. The best skin care is found Online. The reason is very important. Keep reading please.
Online skin care companies have less overhead than the big department stores have. Department stores have 3 things against them. 1 . The cost of running a brick and mortar (physical) store. 2 . The shipping costs. 3. Large mark ups to cover the cost and building in a profit from sales.
Other skin care products might list keratin on their label but know this. It will most likely be a cheap imitation, synthetic keratin that is absolutely worthless. This is because real functional keratin is a live protein not synthetic but natural. Therefore is works when others don't. Cynergy TK will help build new skin and reduce wrinkles and fine lines. As for a facial skin treatment, you won't find any better.
Many companies make wild claims or imply miracle solutions to your skin problem. Many, if not most, of these companies invest heavily in advertisements that seem to convince people to buy something that either doesn't flat out work or gives poor results.
These companies have big overhead expenses. A physical location can cost enormous dollars. Mark ups must be substantial to make a profit. In other words, make it for pennies and charge big dollars.
I found that some of the best products come from the Internet. Of course not all do but I did find one good reliable source that has safe skin care that really does work.
And now please see AHealthyRadiantSkin website listed below for more information on facial moisturizing lotion.
Just like aromatherapy, wearing the right perfume can attract the right attention and uplift your mood. Any fashionista worth her title would also tell you that no outfit is complete without a dash of the right scent to perfect her ensemble.
Women traditionally wear perfume when they're out on romantic dates. In this case, you should opt for more floral scents that will suggest to your date that you are sophisticated, mysterious and sultry all at the same time. Perfume made from a combination of fruits and exotic flowers such as Estee Lauder's Pleasures Exotic would be a good perfume if you're prepping for an after-work date.
On the other hand, if your date involves you donning on a flower dress on a breezy Sunday afternoon, a more feminine fragrance such as Amor Amor By Cacharel would be a good alternative. Perfumes that contain single-flower fragrances such as rose, jasmine or lilac may remind your date about how delectable and beautiful you are, not unlike the flower of your chosen perfume.
If you'd rather spend the weekend lounging by the front porch and reading a book, then an earthy perfume such as Curve Kicks by Liz Claiborne would be more suitable. Any perfume containing sandalwood, rosewood or cedar combined with other earth notes such as oak moss or fern is particularly relaxing on a long, lazy weekend.
For the working woman, a modern scent could be your signature smell that you can wear everyday at the office. We suggest a product that is clean and light, as the last thing you want to do is to cause your colleagues and clients to spend the better part of their day with runny noses and watering eyes. A good under-the-radar perfume would be the subtle Youth Dew Perfume by Estee Lauder or you could always stick to the ever-popular Channel No . 5, which also happens to be the best selling perfume of all time.
When in doubt, it is always safe to opt for the floral-bouquet based perfume such as Chance by Channel. If you're looking for a more individualistic smell, then perfume that contains ingredients such as cloves, ginger, cinnamon and carnation will also be an interesting choice. Do note though that the individualistic perfume such as Christian Dior's Midnight Poison and Midnight Fantasy by Britney Spears is not work-friendly, but it sure adds a whole lot of personality to your attire.
If you tend to sweat a lot and worry about your body odour, then you should opt for a citrus-based perfume such as Davidoff's Cool Water perfume which is a mix of ocean air, citrus, woody notes and pineapple. Leafy green fragrances such as the Kenzoki Leaf Bamboo fragrance by Kenzo are also another good way of rejuvenating yourself by sense of smell.
While we'd all love to have a perfume wardrobe to match our every mood, they don't come cheap. Unless of course you use a site like Perfume Fairy, a dedicated perfume price comparison website that will help you find the best perfume and aftershave deals online.
Just like aromatherapy, wearing the right perfume can attract the right attention and uplift your mood. Any fashionista worth her title would also tell you that no outfit is complete without a dash of the right scent to perfect her ensemble.
Women traditionally wear perfume when they're out on romantic dates. In this case, you should opt for more floral scents that will suggest to your date that you are sophisticated, mysterious and sultry all at the same time. Perfume made from a combination of fruits and exotic flowers such as Estee Lauder's Pleasures Exotic would be a good perfume if you're prepping for an after-work date.
On the other hand, if your date involves you donning on a flower dress on a breezy Sunday afternoon, a more feminine fragrance such as Amor Amor By Cacharel would be a good alternative. Perfumes that contain single-flower fragrances such as rose, jasmine or lilac may remind your date about how delectable and beautiful you are, not unlike the flower of your chosen perfume.
If you'd rather spend the weekend lounging by the front porch and reading a book, then an earthy perfume such as Curve Kicks by Liz Claiborne would be more suitable. Any perfume containing sandalwood, rosewood or cedar combined with other earth notes such as oak moss or fern is particularly relaxing on a long, lazy weekend.
For the working woman, a modern scent could be your signature smell that you can wear everyday at the office. We suggest a product that is clean and light, as the last thing you want to do is to cause your colleagues and clients to spend the better part of their day with runny noses and watering eyes. A good under-the-radar perfume would be the subtle Youth Dew Perfume by Estee Lauder or you could always stick to the ever-popular Channel No . 5, which also happens to be the best selling perfume of all time.
When in doubt, it is always safe to opt for the floral-bouquet based perfume such as Chance by Channel. If you're looking for a more individualistic smell, then perfume that contains ingredients such as cloves, ginger, cinnamon and carnation will also be an interesting choice. Do note though that the individualistic perfume such as Christian Dior's Midnight Poison and Midnight Fantasy by Britney Spears is not work-friendly, but it sure adds a whole lot of personality to your attire.
If you tend to sweat a lot and worry about your body odour, then you should opt for a citrus-based perfume such as Davidoff's Cool Water perfume which is a mix of ocean air, citrus, woody notes and pineapple. Leafy green fragrances such as the Kenzoki Leaf Bamboo fragrance by Kenzo are also another good way of rejuvenating yourself by sense of smell.
While we'd all love to have a perfume wardrobe to match our every mood, they don't come cheap. Unless of course you use a site like Perfume Fairy, a dedicated perfume price comparison website that will help you find the best perfume and aftershave deals online.
Perfume fragrances were classified by Charles Piesse who was a perfumer from the 19th century. Charles had actually tried to classify each type of fragrance to a musical a musical chord. Unsurprisingly his system failed but the terminology stuck on. The current perfume fragrance pyramid was invented by William Poucher in the 1920’s. The fragrance pyramid is based on the instability of the perfume ingredients or how fast the fragrance fades away
The fragrance of a perfume is described as top note at the point when it just gives you a whiff and then passes on. The heart notes then follow where the fragrance actually has a chemical reaction with your skin; and finally are the base notes where the true essence of the fragrance is revealed when the highest molecular weight from the ingredients begin to surface.
There different categories of scents to describe perfumes meant for women and perfumes meant for men. Under the women’s category, we have the most common scent, which is floral. This is in fact the largest category and the primary ingredients are from flowers like rose, jasmine, carnation, violet and orange blossom. Some of the perfumes that come under this category are Paris and White Diamonds. Some of the sub categories for floral fragrances are like floral green (Bvlgari, Chanel 19); floral fruity (Baby Doll, Amarige) and floral woody (L’Eau D’Issey, Romance)
The next category is oriental. This means the scent is made to create warm, exotic impression because of its ingredients like balsams, spices, resins and musk. Perfumes that fall under this category are Royal Secret, Contradiction and Shalimar. Some of the sub categories of oriental are oriental spicy (Opium); oriental citrusy (Candies); floriental (Hugo Woman, Wings) and oriental gourmand (Angel, Casmir and Wish)
The other categories of perfumes are chypre, citrus, fougere and green. Chypre was first described by Francois Coty to describe the aromas from the island of Cyprus. This fragrance is generally sweet, soft and earthy with ingredients like oakmoss, patchouli, bergamot and citruses. Some of the well-known perfumes under this category are Paloma Picasso, Fendi and Femme. Citrus fragrances have citrus fruits like tangerine, lime, mandarin and lemon in them. These are very common in men’s fragrances. Examples of citrus scented perfumes are CK One and Jess. Fougere is French for fern, which relates to freshness and is best described in Cool Water. Green fragrances are from green plant parts like grass, pine and herbs. Safari and Bvlgari Extreme best describe this scent.
Now that we are familiar with the fragrances, what about the concentration? We frequently hear about edt and edp.
Actually, perfumes are the combination of fragrant oils that have been mixed in high-grade alcohol where 15 – 25% is oil and 90 – 95% is pure alcohol. This concentration is known as parfum. When the percentage of oil is lower then it is know as eau (water)
The strength of the eau can vary depending on the percentage of the pure perfume oil that is contained. EDC (Eau de cologne) has the least concentration with just 2 - 5% of perfume oil mixed in water and alcohol. EDT (Eau de toilette) has a bigger concentration of 4 – 10% of perfumed oil. EDP (Eau de parfum) has 8 – 15% perfumed oil and the most highly concentrated of all fragrances is Parfum or perfume, which has 15 – 25% of perfumed oil.
Gold is a very versatile metal and in most cases can be worn on a daily basis. However , there are some "do's" and "don'ts" when it comes to gold.
"Do" take your gold jewelry off when you take a bath or clean your house. Even though soap will not hurt your gold jewelry it will leave a fine scum on it which will make it appear dull. This film can be cleaned off, but removing your gold jewelry will be a lot easier!
"Don't" wear your gold jewelry, especially white gold, if you plan to go swimming or get into that hot tub that contains chlorine. Chlorine can permanently change the color of your gold. It can turn white gold yellow. Remember to also be careful when using those household products containing chlorine bleach.
"Do" keep your gold jewelry clean. You can purchase a commercial cleaner or you can clean your gold by soaking in a solutions of one part ammonia and six parts water. Soak for about 1 minute then use a small soft brush, like a toothbrush to scrub lightly. Rinse in warm water and dry with a soft cloth or chamois. (Soaking in a glass of water with a denture tablet works well also. )
"Don't" use harsh or abrasive cleaning solutions on your gold jewelry. Gold can be fairly soft and may get scratched.
"Do" take your gold jewelry off when taking antibiotics. Strange as it seems some prescription drugs can alter the chemical properties of your sweat and cause tarnishing.
Got a knot in your gold necklace, gold chain, or gold bracelet?
Here's a trick - lay your gold necklace, gold chain, gold bracelet on a plate or piece of wax paper. Apply a drop of household or salad oil on the knot and use two straight pins to pull the knot out. Need to get the oil off? Dip your gold jewelry in some rubbing alcohol, rinse with warm water, and dry with a soft cloth or tissue.
There's a profound truth to the saying, "It's not the cost of the gift, but the thought behind it. " Gifts of jewelry create precious memories, yet all too often the person giving the gift feels as though he must spend more than he can afford in order to demonstrate his feelings to the woman he loves. Unfortunately, the jewelry industry often reinforces this belief, going so far as to offer guidelines about what a man should spend on an engagement ring, for example. (The "guideline" is two months' salary. )
For most men, it's not realistic to go deeply into debt in order to buy jewelry. Indeed, extravagant jewelry often is locked in a vault or a safe, rather than being worn and enjoyed by the recipient. There are many affordable rings available that can express feelings of love and appreciation, and which will be worn with pride by the recipient. Discount rings can be unique and elegant, with a style that mimics the most costly designer jewelry. In contrast to guidelines provided by the jewelry industry, you can buy affordable rings that your recipient will treasure.
When selecting a ring, think about the setting. A 10k gold ring is as beautiful as a 14k gold ring, but is a more affordable purchase. A 10k gold ring setting can be found in both yellow gold and white gold, and will set off the stones just as beautifully as a 14k setting.
The next element to consider is the gem stone. A natural gem stone will come to life in a 10k gold ring setting. Peridot, blue topaz, citrine, amethyst, ruby, garnet, emerald, and sapphire would each make for the perfect natural gem stone to coordinate with a 10k gold ring setting.
Finally, when considering buying affordable rings, think about the size and cut of the natural gem stone. Although the jewelry industry would lead you to believe that bigger is better, a number of small stones in an elegant and unique designer setting can be even more striking than a single large natural gem stone. For example , imagine ten small round cut diamonds on either side of five small rubies in a 10k gold ring setting. Or consider the glitter and sparkle of six marquise cut blue topaz stones set as flower petals surrounded by thirteen small round cut diamonds. Nine small round cut diamonds in a heart shaped setting with an elegant band can be breathtaking.
Whether you're looking for a promise ring, an engagement ring, or a gift for that special anniversary, birthday, or Valentine's Day present, you don't have to spend a fortune. Affordable rings will convey your feelings and be worn with appreciation by the woman you love.
Gold jewelry to a woman is priceless. Although gold jewelry comes in many different styles and colors, the care and cleaning procedure for all golden treasures remain the same. Good common sense is your best guide, and these important tips on how to clean gold jewelry will help you keep your exquisite pieces lustrous and shining.
Gold is tarnish-resistant, but it can get dirty or smudged. Lotions, powders, soaps, even natural skin oils that we use regularly can cover your jewelry and cut down their brilliance. Jewelry cleaning removes any such build-up or residue and restores the original sparkle and shine to make your precious jewelries last a lifetime.
Although numerous commercial products are available to clean gold jewelry, most often water and a mild detergent is sufficient to restore the radiance, and a soft brush helps to gently clean intricate filigree designs and stones. Sometimes it can be helpful to soak the gold jewelry in a solution of one part ammonia and six parts water for up to sixty seconds. It is imperative to dry and polish your gold jewelry with a chamois or soft cloth after cleaning.
Jewelry polishing cloths are an effective and inexpensive way of keeping your bits of gold glittering and radiant. These essential cotton cloths help to remove tarnish and to buff jewelry to look as good as new. Avoid wearing jewelry while in contact with household chemicals, such as chlorine bleach as this can discolor or damage your gold jewelry mountings.
Proper storage of jewelry when not in use is essential to keep your golden treasures clean and new. When storing your jewelry, be careful that pieces do not tumble against each other to avoid scratching and loss of radiance. Ideally, store your jewelry in a fabric-lined jewel case, or a box with compartments or dividers or store each piece in individual soft cloth pouches.
It is important to check the stone settings of your jewelry periodically for any damage to the gold prongs or bezels. Immersing the jewelry in rubbing alcohol for a few seconds will restore the gorgeous sparkle to cloudy stones. It is very important to dry the jewelry thoroughly after cleaning before wearing or storing. Remember that Pave set (glued in stones) jewelry should never be immersed in water while cleaning gold jewelry.
So what exactly is a pearl? Cultured, natural, akoya, freshwater.... do these terms confuse you?
Don't worry, you're not alone.
We all understand cultured anything else... after all we don't usually find our strawberries in the forest anymore. Our farm is filled with wild parsnips... but if I want parnsips I buy them at the grocery store.... they're much bigger and better developed.
Well, pearls are much the same way... either "wild" or "cultured".
"Wild" pearls are called "natural" pearls. Although, often the term "natural" is also used to specify whether or not the color is natural.... so keep that in mind.
Natural pearls, the only kind available centuries ago, are rare and valuable... if available at all. The country of Bahrain, however , still deals in natural pearls... in fact , selling of cultured pearls is illegal there.
Remember seeing those old painting of the queens all draped with long ropes of pearls? Those were most likely "natural pearls, " although, even back then, they had ways of making artificial pearls.
Natural pearls are still being found all over the world... even 10 miles from my home here in eastern Iowa, people find natural freshwater pearls in the Mississippi River.
Ahhhhh, "freshwater".... now just what does that mean? That's an easy one. Any pearl found in a body of water that's freshwater, like a lake, river, creek, is a "freshwater" pearl.
"Sea pearls" or "saltwater pearls" are found in bodies of saltwater such as oceans, seas, or gulfs.
So what exactly does "cultured" mean? Is it a "real" pearl?
Well.... are the strawberries you buy at the grocery store "real strawberries"?
Yes, "cultured pearls" are "real pearls. "
Say someone really liked strawberries, but could never find enough of them in the woods, or the ones they found were too small, or too tasteless?
That person is glad that some intelligent folks figured out how to propagate strawberries and develop them into large, sweet, red gems that explode with flavor.
Cultured pearls happen much the same way... through planning, development and farming techniques.
My son planted strawberry seeds this year in a planter. Without the seeds, no strawberry plants would have sprouted.
Without a little help most mussels or oysters won't grow a pearl either.
But there are ways to "start a pearl" growing in these mollusks (or molluscs). (Mollusks are any of numerous chiefly marine invertebrates of the phylum Mollusca, typically having a soft unsegmented body, a mantle, and a protective calcareous shell and including the edible shellfish and the snails. )
Several people worked on figuring out to start a pearl growing, but Mikimoto is often the man credited with carrying the process to full development.
It's similar to taking a plant cutting. Has your mother ever visited a friend's garden who shared a "slip" of geranium with her so she could start her own plant?
Well, in a similar way, to get a cultured pearl started, the mollusk needs a piece of mantle tissue from another mollusk.
A tiny piece of mantle tissue from a mussel or oyster is inserted into a live mollusk which is set back into a body of water. A "pearl sac" is developed around the piece and the mollusk begans coating the tissue with layers of nacre.... the substance of pearls.... making a pearl.
Often , for both sea and freshwater pearls, along with the tissue is placed a shell bead which can be a variety of shapes. The mollusk then coats this bead with pearl substance. This way, the shape of pearl can be controlled.
Those big beautiful round lustrous pearls that have always been popular are often mostly a shell bead inside with a coating of pearl on the outside. Are they real pearls? Yes! But be sure to buy from a reputable seller to make sure the coating is thick enough not to peel or wear off.
An akoya pearl, by the way, is a pearl from the akoya oyster (Pinctada Fucata Martensii), which lives in salt water.
Most freshwater pearls from Asia are nearly solid nacre... you don't need to worry about them peeling.
In Tennessee, however , cultured freshwater pearls are grown around a shell shape making intriguing pearls which are extremely durable and lustrous.
Because more pearls can be grown in freshwater mussels than saltwater oysters, the price is often much more affordable.
Saltwater, freshwater, natural or cultured pearls... all are amazing gifts from God... and the lowly, humble mollusk.
Enjoy those pearls! The mollusks worked hard to make them for you.
GIA certified diamonds set the standard in the gemological industry. While they are not necessarily more valuable than other diamonds they have been thoroughly authenticated versus non-certified dimaonds that have unknown backgrounds. The Gemologcial Institute of America is bowed down to by all others in the diamond industry.
The GIA is a non-profit research and educational institution which has a guiding mission of upholding integrity in the diamond industry. All GIA certified diamonds come with a diamond grading report that tells you more than you probably ever want to even know about the 4 Cs of that little slice of heaven.
There are some additional advantages to purchasing GIA certified diamonds. When shopping around agagement ring. She and her husband put together the website: http://www.ultimate-engand doing price comparisons, you can compare the characteristics of GIA certified diamonds to the retailer's pricing. Also, if your future wife convinces you to upgrade the ring in the future, it will be easier to find stones with comparable characteristics. God forbid the ring is lost or stolen, it may be helpful in its recovery or for insurance purposes, to have the GIA certificate which indicates the diamond's exact properties.
Diamond Characteristics of GIA certified diamonds are documented in the GIA Diamond Grading Report for diamonds over 1 carat in size and in the Diamond Dossier Report for those under 1 carat. They Diamond Grading Report indicates some of the following:
The diamond's dimensions in millimeters. The measurements for round diamonds help you determine symmetry. For fancy shapes like the marquise or pear shapes, the overall length-to-width ratio is important because certain proportions are more visually appealing.
The weight of diamond in carats. Many people think of carat weight as the size of a diamond. However , if a diamond is cut deep and narrow, it will look much smaller than another diamond of the same weight that is cut shallow and wide
A grading which evaluates the absence of color. Colorless is the most desired status, with other grades exhibiting increasing degrees of color. A few, very rare diamonds exhibit other "fancy" colors, such as pink, green, blue, intense yellow, etc .
Clarity grade. Diamond clarity is the measure of a diamond's flaws (inclusions). Every diamond has some inclusions, even a diamond with a flawless clarity grade
A grade of cut. This actually refers to both the overall shape and how well the shape is cut
Grades that represent a diamond's surface and facet placement. This is a good indicator of the care taken to make the diamond as beautiful as possible.
Color when diamond is viewed under UV light: One technique that gemologists use to help identify and separate diamonds from the diamond look-alikes is by putting the gem under a UV lamp. If it fluoresces (glows) blue, it is almost certainly a diamond.
Overall smoothness of the diamond's surface. A diamond can be polished to have the most perfect, reflective surfaces. This is one reason why diamonds are known for their brilliance. Polish grades range from Ideal to Poor
The shape, alignment and placement of the diamond's facets in relation to one another as well as the evenness of the outline. Poor facet alignment will allow light to leak out before it reflects back resulting in less brilliance.
A map of the inclusions as viewed under a microscope. If a diamond has a clarity grade of VS1 or better, you will not see any flaws with your naked eye. If the clarity grade is VS2 or less, examine the plot to see the placement of the major flaws.
The GIA certificate that is issued has microprint lines, holograms, and security screens to make counterfeits more readily identified. The only other certification that can hold a candle to the GIA is the American Gem Society Laboratories. The AGSL is highly respected and also issues an objective, in-depth report with each diamond that is inspected in their lab.
Considering the abundant potential for fraud concerning diamonds, purchasing a diamond online seems so risky as to be nearly unthinkable. However , given enough knowledge and caution it is entirely possible to purchase diamonds online without significant risk.
The first thing to think about is the reason for wanting to purchase the diamond online rather than making the purchase from a local jewelry store. Price is the most common reason. Online jewelers and wholesalers are able to offer lower prices because the lack of a storefront lowers overhead costs. It is, however , important to be careful--a price that is too good to be true is likely to be.
The big advantage of shopping for diamonds online is the nearly unlimited selection. When shopping offline, the selection within the local stores represents a significant limitation. But to reiterate, a great deal of care and consideration must be taken before handing money over to someone that cannot be seen, met, or verified.
It is critical to learn as much as possible about diamonds before shopping, especially cut, color, clarity and carat weights. Con artists find it far more difficult to rip off someone knowledgeable about diamonds. Once knowledgeable about diamonds, it will be safe to start shopping.
Equally important is to maintain patience while shopping. Don't purchase the first diamond that seems right or interesting. Instead, look for comparable diamonds for sale. This permits each deal to be examined, weighed, and analyzed in comparison to the others to find the lowest price, or best deal. Once the best deal is found the investigation can begin. Simply having learned about diamonds and finding a diamond that fits the bill at the best deal isn't enough.
Check out the seller's credentials, looking for details such as which (if any) professional jewelry associations they belong to. Read and print out a hardcopy the seller's refund, return, and upgrade policies. Also inquire about additional services, such as settings and mountings, sizing, and free shipping. Conduct a thorough Internet search for customer reviews on this particular company. Especially make sure to check with the Better Business Bureau Online to determine if there have been any complaints filed against the company.
Always request a diamond grading report from an independent laboratory such as GIA, EGL, HRD, or AGS. It's important to get this verification before making a purchase. Finally, if there is any doubt or the purchase will involve a high dollar amount, use a reputable escrow service, ideally one that will have the diamond appraised while it is in their possession. This way the diamond and the payment are sent to the escrow service, who then verifies the diamond matches the claims the online seller made before sending the diamond to the buyer and the money to the seller. This is the surest way to guarantee the financial safety of both parties. It should go without saying to be certain that a reputable escrow service is used.
Knives are the most important and most frequently used kitchen utensils. In choosing a new knife set, the main considerations are which knife set to purchase and which knife is used for what purpose. Buying a knife set is an important decision. The knives you choose should last a lifetime. After you purchase a good quality knife set, you should never have to replace them. A good rule is to buy the most expensive set of knives you can possibly afford, because they should last for the rest of your life.
Knives are normally more affordable if you purchase them in a set. Knife sets should include all the basic tools and will normally include a stand or container in which to store the knives. You will be able to purchase additional, more specific, knives in the future if you wish. Most knife manufacturers sell knives individually, allowing you to add to your collection at any time you wish. You may need to replace a lost knife, have a duplicate on hand if you have more than one cook in your kitchen, you may wish to have a specialty knife for smaller hands, or you want the top of the line knives but cannot afford a whole set at once. A knife set will make more sense unless one of these situations applies to you.
There are different types of knives. Fine edge knives are the classic style. Chefs and serious cooks normally choose fine edge knives due to the weight and feel. The blade is very sharp which allows for precision cutting. Fine edge knives will require some maintenance however , such as steeling. Knives that never need sharpening are a good choice for most people who cook for themselves and their families on a daily basis. Knives that never need sharpening will not make the same precision cuts as fine edge knives, but they retain their sharpness over time. These knives are excellent if you are seeking decent quality at reasonable prices.
The type of steel used in knife blades is one of the most important factors in choosing a knife set. The majority of knives are manufactured with a blend of high carbon stainless steel that will resist rust and corrosion. The tang is the part of the knife in which the metal is attached to the handle. The best knives will have a tang in which the metal extends to the end of the handle. Knife blades are normally tapered at the edges to allow for easier sharpening. Quality knives are balanced and feel good in the cook's hand. The knife should be easy to handle and feel solid. A good knife should feel like an extension of your hand and allow adequate space between where your fingers grip the knife and the surface on which you are cutting.
In purchasing a knife set, you will need to know the difference between stamped and forged. Forging is the process of taking a heated piece of metal and grinding it into the shape of a blade. Stamped blades are cut from a single sheet of metal and pressed into a blade. Forged knives are generally heavier than stamped knives, giving you better quality. There will be several types of knives included in each knife set. Identifying the particular knives each set contains will be very helpful in choosing the one that will best serve your needs.
Most knife sets will contain a chef knife, which has a triangular blade that ranges from 6 to 12 inches long. The paring knife will have a blade that is approximately 3 inches long and it about 3/4 of an inch wide. A serrated knife is used for slicing breads and vegetables that tend to bruise easily. Utility knives have an approximately 6 inch blade and are used for a number of purposes. Boning knives are for slicing meat off bones and the blades are normally quite narrow. A slicing knife has a long, thin blade and is used to slice meat such as ham, roast, and turkey. Butcher knives are usually heavier than the other knives in the set and have blades up to eight inches. A cleaver is used for heavy chopping and cutting through bone and will have a slightly curved or straight edge. Steak knives are used for cutting steaks in a table setting, but can also serve as utility or paring knives.
