by | Jan 27, 2020 | Inspirations |
Hello, Elegant Lovelies,
First off I wanted to say that my heart goes out to the Bryant Family, the Altobelli Family, the Mauser Family, the Chester Family, and the Zobayan Family who lost their loved ones in a helicopter crash Sunday morning. I will keep each family in my prayers and intercede for them. I was starting a new piano study yesterday when my hubby told me about the horrible and shocking news. No words could express my sadness. When a tragedy like this occurs; it does not matter that I am not a big basketball fan. What matters these people’s lives will never be the same.
Photo by Vanessa Serpas on Unsplash
I felt that this needed to be a different kind of post from me today. When I was in church on Saturday my pastor said that God’s call on our life is to make a contribution. That contribution needs to be in our family, the people we work with, the people in our neighborhood, or the other people in our own world. But how do we make that contribution? God has placed gifts and talents inside of us to help others.
Our contribution can come on a basketball court with the whole world watching, or it can be in a local church group with only a handful of people around you. God wants you to make a difference with what you are doing. God gave you your gifts and talents not for you to enjoy for yourself, but to help other people.
No matter what the gift or talent is that God has placed inside of you, it is important to Him. What you may think of as being something small can make a big difference in someone’s life. Never diminish what God has placed inside of you. Something as simple as a positive attitude and a warm smile can break the walls down in someone else’s life.
What are your gifts and talents and how are you helping others with them?
by | Jan 23, 2020 | Lifestyle |
The healthcare industry doesn’t stay still for too long. There are always new ways of doing things, new practices and technologies, and new research coming out that influences and improves the overall patient experience. Though many people seem to focus on the negatives of life these days, we should all give thanks that the healthcare side of society is always improving. You’d much rather fall ill and receive treatment than at any point in history — back then, it was highly likely that you would leave the hospital in worse condition than when you arrived!
So what’s leading the charge towards better healthcare services and treatment? There are many things. For starters, we simply just know more about the human body and how it works than we did in the past. There are also better hygiene standards, and more education about the preventative measures we can all take to avoid falling ill.
One other reason why things are getting better is that hospitals are forever raising the standard of what is acceptable. This is called benchmarking, and it’s one of the reasons that help medical practices push forward. So what is it exactly? Essentially it involves setting a standard of excellence, by which hospitals and other practices can analyze their own performance. It’s all about evaluating the performance of the hospital against others, and seeing where that hospital is performing well, and where it needs to improve.
To learn more about this idea, take a look at the infographic from the University of Southern California below.
Infographic Design By University of Southern California University of Southern California
by | Jan 9, 2020 | Fashion, Lifestyle |
Diamonds take literally millions of years to form under intense pressure from tectonic plates, and these pure carbon stones are very valuable in their own right, yet when we are talking about a diamond that is set into an antique jewellery item, there is much to consider when appraising its value.
Image Source: Pexels
The 4 Cs
The 4 Cs are used to grade diamonds, namely: cut, colour, clarity, and carat. To a large extent, the same would apply to a diamond set into an antique piece of jewellery. Admittedly, cuts have been developed a lot in the past 50 years, and modern diamonds tend to have more brilliance than stones from antique or vintage jewellery.
The Cut Of The Stone
As mentioned, diamond cuts of today tend to make the stone more brilliant, and if you are looking for a suitable diamond engagement ring, Kalmar Antiques has a collection of engagement rings at very attractive prices, and with a range of cuts, you can choose one that best shows off the stone.
The Clarity Of The Diamond
There may be surface marks on an old diamond and this could affect its value. If an antique diamond has some inclusions, this would affect the price also. It is important to clean a diamond that is inset into an antique jewellery item prior to inspecting it for clarity.
The Colour Of The Stone
Image Source: Pexels
Some antique diamonds have a yellowish tint and this can affect the value, and generally speaking, the less colour, the higher the value. Many vintage jewellery items contain coloured diamonds, as they have always been popular, with pinks, blues, reds and yellows commonly found in antique and vintage rings.
Carat Size
One carat is equal to 0.2 grams, and as you would expect, the lower the carat weight, the less valuable the diamond. It is difficult to know the exact weight of a diamond when it is part of a jewellery item, and most jewellers could make a calculated guess. Here is some more detailed information concerning the grading of diamonds, which is recommended reading if you are a novice collector.
Have The Diamond Appraised
Image Source: Unsplash
If you want an accurate appraisal of a diamond, you can ask an expert to assess the stone, and this will give you an accurate assessment of its value. Most jewellers offer such a service and if you are buying a diamond antique or vintage engagement ring, you can ask the dealer for an appraisal of the diamonds. In some cases, the real value of the diamond lies in the value of the antique jewellery item, which might be extremely rare and therefore have more value than the flat price of the stone.
If you are looking for that ideal vintage diamond engagement ring, start your quest with an online search, as the online antique dealer has a wide collection of quality items, all at very affordable prices.
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