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.
by | Dec 27, 2019 | From the Heart, Inspirations |
Hi Lovely people,
Christmas Day memories are all in full gear on Facebook with the various pictures of food, toys, and fun. And if you celebrated Boxing Day you get to have another day of festivities. Some people have already taken the tree down or have taken it to the park to become mulch.
Usually, the day after Christmas, my husband and I like to see if we can find additional ornaments on sale to spice up the tree for next year. I enjoy finding ornaments that have special meaning to me, like these blue ornaments. My grandmother had a Christmas tree with blue ornaments, and these remind me of the ones she would have used. Adding new ornaments to a Christmas tree always adds a fresh look. I also like adding shiny garlands because it reminded me of the trees of my childhood. I need to purchase a few more for next year because you can never have too many. This was the first time in many years that I added garlands and made the tree look completely different than previous years. Taking down the holiday decorations too quickly can be such a shock because the house feels empty and less vibrant.
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash
How do we keep that holiday spirit all year long?
I spend several days decorating my house for Christmas, going from room by room. I want to be able to enjoy the tree and all the decorations for a longer time. We typically don’t take the decorations down until February 14th, Valentine’s Day. I have had friends tell me, “It’s your house, you keep those decorations up as long as you want.” My puppy Gio went to heaven last July. My hubby and I had just purchased a new tree at the time of his passing; so we decided to keep that tree up for the rest of the year. God knows the tree brought us peace at a difficult time for us.
JTwisdom and Hubby’s Tree in the LIvingroom
Acts of kindness
My cousin didn’t want to put up her tree this year because she wanted a different kind of tree but didn’t have the finances to purchase it right now. She gave her Christmas tree and lights to someone who had kids and didn’t have a tree. My cousin didn’t want this lady and her kids to be without a tree.
Help someone in need because giving always makes you feel good. Do you need to reach out to a friend or relative whom you haven’t talk to in a long time? Send a text message or make that call just to say hi or I was thinking about you. Check on the elderly neighbor.
Learn about a holiday
My hubby and I celebrate Christmas but started lighting the menorah for Hannukah about four years ago. It’s a special feeling to light the Menorah and learn why the holiday is celebrated. Take some time to find out what Christmas, Hanukkah, Boxing Day, and Kwanzaa mean and why each holiday is celebrated each year.
Start a new tradition
Does your family wear matching pajamas for Christmas? Is it a tradition to make your grandma’s delicious dressing or favorite pecan pie? You will be surprised how your family will look forward to those traditions each year and how you will create new ones.
You are not alone
We must remember that everyone does not have a large family or a huge amount of friends to celebrate the holidays. Both of my parents are in heaven. I had to press through depression and keep putting in my focus that they are always with me and I am thankful for them. The holidays are for us to give thanks and be grateful. I didn’t say it would be easy. You may say that you have nothing to be thankful for. We all have something to be thankful for.
Your assignment
Write down three things that you are thankful for every day. Then, when you are feeling down you can always look at that list to give you a boost of encouragement. It can be as simple as one word.
Remember that you can feel alone in a crowded room full of family. No family is perfect and what you see on Instagram or Facebook is what they want you to see. Those who have big families want to be alone and those who have a small family want a big one. We have to fill our hearts with gratitude.
I am thankful for you and remember that you are not alone. As we continue to celebrate the holidays and step into a new year may you have peace, and your hearts are filled with joy each and every day.
Be Bold, Be Elegant, and Be YOU!
by | Dec 25, 2019 | Inspirations |
Hi Lovely People,
Bubblingwitheleganceandgrace.com would like to say Merry Christmas. We hope you had a wonderful day and relaxing. If you were not able to celebrate with your family or friends today, I hope it was a day of thanksgiving and gratitude because that is what this day is all about. The reason for the season is to celebrate the birth of Jesus. When He came into the world he brought everlasting life. I really have a very small family that I am in contact with so I understand if you happen to be alone during the holidays and that you feel no one cares. God cares and we care here at Bubblingwitheleganceandgrace.com. I spent this past weekend with my family by marriage and it was fun, I am grateful.
I thank you for being a part of the community on the blog. I really appreciate it.
Family Christmas 2019
May you have an abundance of favor and great joy this Christmas season.
JTwisdom and family
by | Dec 15, 2019 | Fashion |
Hi Lovely People,
Christmas is right around the corner and I must say I decorated and cleaned over a period of days and it really made relaxing and even more enjoyable. I plan to share some of my holiday favorite decorations so stay tuned. As I am writing this post, I am listening to the Bible app Dwell. I just came inside from playing with my hubby and puppies in the freshly fallen snow. I am a little different, I would rather play in the snow than be on the beach in the wintertime.
It has been hard to find a good plaid skirt. I happen to see on QVC a tartan plaid skirt from the Joan Rivers collection. The color options were red plaid and blue plaid. I decided to get the blue and was priced at $66.00. The fabric content is 65% polyester and 35% rayon. I have until January to return it if it’s not what I think it should be. I actually had to size down to an extra small because the skirt is fully gathered and if not styled right can seem quite overpowering. I carry my weight in my hips so I have to be aware of that kind of style moment. The skirt also has an elastic waist and pockets. In the image below my hubby and I are in the process of getting out Christmas decorations so what a perfect time to take a picture. I literally was feeling the variation of blues with the denim jacket and turtleneck. I went with black tights and L’artiste ankle boots in a olive with a floral pattern to spice it up a bit.
I decided to accessorize the outfit with a Joan Rivers Poinsettia bee brooch. Even though the colors are red and green it doesn’t give off holiday so the bee pin can be worn all year long.
The QVC models styled the skirt as more of a holiday party and they each wore heels. However, I wanted to see what a casual ensemble would look like. I must admit the skirt is very full so I may still be on my search for the right plaid skirt for me. I have two wool plaid skirts that I have had for some years and was seeing what was out there in the fashion arena.
I am very self-conscious of my hips and if anything accentuates them anymore I am not a happy camper. I am not body shaming myself just aware of certain parts of my body that I don’t want to look any larger than what they are already.
Do you wear plaid? How do you style it, skirt, pants, scarf, dress? Please let me know.
by | Dec 15, 2019 | Fitness |
Losing weight isn’t easy for everyone, sometimes it can be quite difficult to manage depending on your lifestyle, eating habits, and also due to your genetics. Metabolism also has a say in how much you lose too. Here how to better your weight loss in 2020 and get you to the weight or fitness that you feel most comfortable in.
Think About Your Portion Sizes
Portion sizes are easy to get wrong because when you’re cooking from scratch, you’ll always end up over portioning on your ingredients. When you’re following a recipe, you can control what you use because you know exactly what is a reasonable sizing. However, not having a recipe means that you can end up going totally off course. And rather than waste it, you’ll end up piling it into your plate and the plates of others that you are cooking for. Look at your plate and how much you are putting onto each one. If you feel like it’s too much, then take away the leftovers and freeze them or save them in the fridge for another day. There’s nothing wrong with that!
Get Others Involved In Your Fitness Journey
Getting others involved in your fitness journey can be a great way to help yourself because it can be difficult trying to stick to a regime when you’re the only one on it. When you see others treating and indulging themselves in food that’s not good for them or not exercising, it can be disheartening for you, but it can also make it more difficult for you as you battle with others around you. So why not get someone on the fitness program you’re on or to at least support you in your diet choices and perhaps coming with you to a fitness class or two. Showing that moral support might be just what you need to help you lose weight and to achieve that goal that you want from your journey.
Try Out The Right Programs
There are many fad diets out there that promise the world, but in reality, that’s not always the case. Most are sustainable for perhaps a month or so, but none can really be done forever. That’s why doing a workout and nutritional program is going to work better. Looking at your metabolism is important because that’s what helps you lose or gain weight. A metabolic factor can kick-start your metabolism into action and to hopefully help you shift the weight quicker than you would with anything else.
Don’t Be Too Hard On Yourself
When you’re losing weight or trying to improve your fitness, you are likely to fall off the wagon at some point. But that’s ok because it happens and we’re only human in the end. It’s all about getting back up and getting on with it. You’ll have days where you struggle, but you’ll get to where you want to be eventually, so don’t beat yourself up about it.
Hopefully, with these tips, you can help better your weight loss journey in 2020.
Follow!