by | Jul 5, 2019 | Accessories, From the Heart |
Formed billions of years ago from the pits of the earth, so few diamonds have survived to reach the surface, and not all of them have the quality to pass the diamond market standard. Diamonds are not only valued for their sparkle and clarity. They are also durable – in fact, the hardest matter known to man – and because they are invulnerable to deterioration, they can last a long time, making an ideal material for heirlooms. Their clarity is also among the qualities that make this stone so precious.
When a diamond is given as a gift, it means that the recipient means a lot to the giver. If you are planning on buying a diamond engagement ring for your partner, you should at least have a basic understanding of how precious stones are graded. The 4 Cs, which are, Cut, Clarity, Colour and Carat are universally used to grade diamonds, and with that in mind, here are a few tips when looking for clarity in a diamond.
Clarity
A flawless diamond has no inclusions, whereas a diamond that has inclusions will appear slightly duller, and the clarity does affect the shine of the stone. If you are looking for that perfect ring, The Diamond Jewellery Studio has a selection of pink diamond engagement rings, along with an extensive catalogue of stunning diamond rings to suit every budget. Of course, you will need to know her taste in jewellery, as well as her ring size, but once you have those, online browsing will give you a virtually limitless number of quality diamond rings to view.
Two Types of Flaws
There are two types of imperfections with diamonds, namely: blemishes, which affect the diamond’s surface, such as cracks or chips, while the other imperfection is called an inclusion, and is an internal flaw. Both of these flaws have a direct impact on a stone’s value, yet slight flaws are not really visible to the naked eye, and for many people, that is the preferred type of stone, due to the lower cost.
Flawed Diamonds That Can’t Be Seen With The Naked Eye
Image Source: Pixabay
If you placed a flawless diamond next to one with inclusions, you would not be able to tell the difference simply by looking at them, so rather than spending a lot of money on a flawless stone, consider one with a few inclusions, which will cost much less and still have that sparkle that diamonds are known for. You can find informative articles online if you want to know about the clarity grading system, which every potential buyer should read.
Diamond Clarity Chart
At the top end of the scale, a flawless diamond is graded as FL, while at the other end of the scale, a badly blemished stone is classed as I3. Diamonds that are graded as VS2 have inclusions or blemishes that are not visible to the naked eye, and are a popular choice for diamond engagement rings. If you are soon to pop the question to your partner, search online for an established jeweller, who would have an extensive catalogue of top-quality diamond engagement rings to suit every budget.
How Is Clarity Grading Carried Out?
Image Source: Pixabay
A qualified gemologist examines the diamond using a 10x powered microscope, and grades the stone according to his findings. The gradings are as follows:
* FL – No inclusions or blemishes
* IF – No Internal flaws, with minute surface blemishes
* VVS1 & VVS2 – Very, very slight inclusions
* VS1 & VS2 – Very slight inclusions
* SI1 & SI2 – Slight inclusions and blemishes that are visible to the naked eye
* I1 & 12 – Obvious inclusions that are noticeable to the naked eye
Once you have familiarised yourself with the 4Cs of diamond grading, you can begin to browse online jewellers in search of the perfect engagement ring with some confidence.
First Image Source: Pixabay
by | Jul 4, 2019 | Fashion, Inspirations |
Ciao, Elegant Lovelies,
Barbara Wolfe
I wanted to get on the blog and say have a safe and Happy Independence Day! Let Freedom ring! I was talking to a colleague yesterday and this society we live in is so interesting. I stand for unity because divided we fall.
It’s hot and humid in the midwest, but it’s great being with the family and my fur babies. My style today is natural and carefree. When it’s hot you really don’t want to wear much of anything so I don’t like synthetic fibers sticking to me.
My lace-cut out top is from Soft Surroundings. I purchase it on clearance this past winter and it is not available now. The top has an attached camisole tank and the material is 100% cotton. It’s beautiful and so comftable without looking frumpy. My paisley pants are from Isaac Mizrahi and really flatter my figure, very Katherine Hepburn style. My Patricia Nash Pisticci Linked handbag is so cool and hip. It is vintage and glam at the same time.
JTwisdom Independence Day Style
And my flag inspired shoes are Skechers Bobs Lil Americana. I constantly get compliments because the design is so tastefully done. I bought them about three years ago and they are still available.
Have a wonderful 4th of July and Independence Day!
JT and Jay celebrating
by | Jun 26, 2019 | Fitness |
Despite them being incredibly important, our ears are often one of the parts of our body that we forget to look after. Whether you’re too busy focusing on other areas of your health or you simply don’t know how to take care of them, ears and hearing difficulties are at the bottom of most people’s lists when it comes to their concerns. If you are worried about the health of your ears and how you can help prevent hearing loss, you’re definitely in the right place. This blog post is designed to show you how you can protect your ears and your hearing, in six easy tips:
Make Sure You’re Using Ear Plugs Around Loud Noises
If you are exposed to loud noises, whether it’s regularly or a one-off experience, it’s important you’re thinking about how you can protect your ears. Although there are certain experiences where you won’t want to wear earplugs, you need to consider whether or not it is going to be damaging to your health. Going to a couple of gigs, for example, won’t be damaging to your health unless you’re constantly standing right next to the speakers. If you use loud machinery for work, you will definitely want to consider wearing earplugs. To buy earplugs, you can visit this site here.
Give Your Ears Time To Recover
If you’re working with loud machinery or attending gigs, you’re going to want to give your ears to recover each and every time. Although they won’t recover instantly, giving them a chance is the best thing you can do.
Use Your Headphones At A Low Volume
For those that use headphones on a regular basis, your phones have a volume warning for a reason. Make sure you’re not exceeding the recommended volume and if you do, ensure it is only every once in a while. If you are concerned about the volume level on your headphones, consider asking someone for advice. You may find that you have gradually been affected if you’ve been listening at the highest volume for long periods of time and you may need to use hearing aids in the future. To learn more about hearing aids and insurance, you can click here.
Protect your ears and save your hearing.
Stop Using Cotton Swabs In Your Ears
Although you may think it’s good to clear out the ear wax in your ears, cleaning it out with cotton swabs is bad for you. No matter how much you want to clean out your ears, it is dangerous to be sticking anything into them, let alone a cotton swab that could perforate your eardrum. If you want to clean your ears of excess wax, there are services available that do it in a safe and professional way.
Try To Keep Your Ears Dry
Keeping your ears dry at all times is difficult, but doing your best to stop water getting in them should be one of your main priorities. Whether it means wearing earplugs when you go swimming or avoiding activities where you need to go underwater, you should be doing everything you can to keep your ears safe.
Go For Regular Check-Ups At Your Doctors
Finally, to ensure your ears and your hearing are always in good health, make sure you are going to your regular doctor’s check-ups.
Do you struggle when it comes to looking after your ears? What can you do to ensure they’re in good health all the time? Let me know in the comments section below.
by JTwisdom | Jun 23, 2019 | Giveaway |
Hello Wonderful People,
I pray that you are having an awesome and wonderful today.
Have you ever noticed that the weekends do not seem to be peaceful or restful anymore? Life can get so busy during the week that you have to push so many household tasks and duties to the weekend. Then you send all of your time on the weekend trying to catch up and get everything done that there is no time to relax, to do anything fun, or spend quality time with your spouse. Well, you are not alone. I often believe that the only way that I can make time for the important things in my life is to put on my calendar and plan for it.
Many times we can also get like this with our spiritual life. We have so many things during the day or over the weekend, that we forget to make time for God. I believe that a strong foundation in God and His word will help us through any situation that comes against us. However, that strong foundation does not just happen. It comes from reading and studying God’s word, taking time to learn it and to apply it to our daily walk, and teaching others what we have learned.
If you are struggling to keep on track with a daily reading plan, it would be a good idea to add it to your daily planner or on your to-do list. And if you are struggling to find a good Bible that will help you establish that strong foundation, I would recommend the CSB He Reads Truth Bible. The CSB He Reads Truth Bible features the highly readable, highly reliable text of the Christian Standard Bible® (CSB). The CSB stays as literal as possible to the Bible’s original meaning without sacrificing clarity, making it easier to engage with Scripture’s life-transforming message and to share it with others. The Bible also features a One-Year Reading Plan for the man who wants to read the entire Bible; timelines, maps, and infographics to help comprehend the difficult passages of scripture.
Giveaway Winner!
In partnership with LEV3L Digital, we recently hosted a giveaway where one of our readers to win his or her own copy of the He Reads Truth Bible. We selected the winner at random, based on the order in which the person commented on the post. And the winner of the giveaway is
ANITA D.
Congratulations Anita!! Yeah!! We will be in contact with you so you can receive your very own copy of the He Reads Truth. If you are looking to purchase your own copy of the Bible, it is available online at Amazon, LifeWay and other stores. The Bible retails for $49.99.
Be on the lookout for our next giveaway! Coming Soon!
by | Jun 18, 2019 | Fitness |
At the beginning of every year, we may find ourselves promising new year’s resolutions. You might want to improve your money situation or get a better job. But for many, the resolutions are solely focused on health, fitness, and getting a body that you are happy with. Some people forget, and then reignite this focus towards summer. Wanting the bikini or beach body, whatever that may be. But, it shouldn’t just be a one time focus. Getting lean and healthy is a great way to live your life, all year round. So here are some of the ways that you can get a healthier lifestyle starting today.
Think about your diet
When people think about their diet, it might be for one reason, and that may be to lose weight. While, of course, it’s important to maintain a healthy weight for your height, it shouldn’t be about losing the pounds fast for materialistic reasons. A diet should be developed with your health in mind. This is why crazy diets often work in the short-term, but never last beyond you actually doing the diet. Your body needs all of the food groups to nourish itself in different ways, which is why you need the likes of carbohydrates for energy, protein, and other vitamins and minerals. It’s all about balance, which is why it’s best to ensure that you eat a variety of foods, and even enjoy your treat meals and sweets in moderation.
Find an exercise you enjoy doing
Too often people jump right into a fitness regime, purely to lose weight or increase their fitness levels, but the enthusiasm can fade after a while. The biggest reason for this is that you don’t enjoy the exercise you are doing. It’s vital that you have passion and enjoyment from it or can see the benefits you are getting which will ultimately encourage you to keep on going. Try out different things. Look at workouts on Youtube, try alternative exercises like joining pilates classes or consider yoga. Maybe even join a gym if you like the environment, or just heading out for a run a few times a week. Find something you enjoy doing, then stick with it. You will find it much easier when you see the results, and actually look forward to the exercise.
Don’t forget about your mental well-being
Finally, too many times we can neglect our mental well-being, but this is just as important as all the physical stuff. Our mindset can determine everything we do. The food we eat and the exercise, or lack of, that we take and implement into our lives. Having a negative thought process is just as bad as not eating the right things and failing to exercise. So take better care of your mind and feel the difference it can make. It is important to identify exactly where you are at mentally, so work out if you are more negative or positive, and then build upon it. Negative thoughts can be overcome by actively making them positive. It can feel forced at first, but as you develop new habits of positive thinking you will begin to see the difference.
Let’s hope that these tips help you when it comes to a healthier lifestyle.
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