by Richard W. Wise

Rings symbolize lasting love, but there are so many choices to navigate – gold or platinum? An original design or an antique? – that it’s difficult to know how to pick the best ring. Learn the criteria for purchasing a top-notch ring, and like your relationship, if it is a quality ring, it should grow richer and more beautiful with age.If you don’t know the product, know your jeweler. What you don’t want is a pretty face in a pin-striped suit. Ask questions, and if you don’t like the answers, move on. If you are shopping for gems, seek out a Graduate Gemologist with a diploma from the Gemological Institute of America.

Today’s wedding rings are available in a variety of finishes: polished, buff and sandblasted. Will they last? In a word, no. Precious metals are relatively soft. If you buy polished and she wants buff, they will both look about the same in a couple of years.

Gold or platinum?

Manufacturers are required to label gold according to its purity. Karat is an old standard that divides into 24 parts; 10k is 39% pure, 14k is 58% pure, 18k is 75% pure, 22k is 90% pure and 24k is 100% pure gold. 18k is the aristocrat of gold. Some U. S. jewelers will often tell you it is too soft. Though an 18k ring is a tad softer than 14k, over the years it will develop a rich, buttery patina.

Platinum is not labeled in Karats but by percentage of purity. In the United States the percentage of metal must be at least 90% before a ring can be legally labeled platinum.

A platinum ring costs at least twice the price of the same ring in 14k gold. Why? Platinum has greater density; a one-inch cube of platinum weighs 40% more than an identical cube of pure gold. Platinum is currently priced at about twice the gold price because it is used 90% pure and it is more difficult to work with.

Gold is the most plastic of metals, but platinum is the more durable. However, a heavy, high-quality ring made of either metal should last for many years.

Gem set, unique design or antique?

Be careful when buying gem set rings. Many of this type are manufactured offshore. They are cast all in one piece and the prongs that hold the stones are soft. Ask your jeweler about the manufacturing process. A yellow gold ring with yellow prongs set with white diamonds should be viewed with suspicion. High-quality rings are made in two parts with tempered die-struck prongs soldered in place. For diamonds, the prongs should be white. Beware of deals that sound too good to be true. After you replace a few stones, your great deal may turn into your worst nightmare.

If you want a unique design to symbolize your unique relationship, consider a handmade original design. Think they’re too expensive? Not necessarily. Most handmade rings are made by a goldsmith and sold directly to the consumer. Most commercially-made rings pass through several hands before reaching yours, gathering mark-ups along the way. Therefore, a handmade ring may be a better value for your money and often the craftsman will do the design work for free.

Should you buy an antique ring? By definition, an antique has been around a long time. Art-Deco period rings made in the 1920’s are very popular today. When you buy an antique you become its custodian. Jewelers will usually not warranty antique pieces so be sure to check before purchasing an antique ring. And these rings were made for women who lived a less active lifestyle. Be practical! That delicate lacy design will not last long on a woman whose hobby is rock climbing!

Most of all, these rings will be the single most enduring symbol of your love. You will wear them for many years while the wedding gown gathers mothballs in your closet. Whatever rings you choose, make sure you love them!

 

Richard W. Wise is a Graduate Gemologist and President of R.W. Wise, Goldsmiths, Inc. His early interest in gemstones led him to write extensively about precious stones. For more information visit his website at http://www.secretsofthegemtrade.com.

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by Loretta Logan

I’ve been around computers and the internet for quite a long time. Longer than most. Before Windows existed. That’s a long time. At that time, people did things in DOS (whatever that means). Things were fast, free, no ads and almost no communication. But the beginnings were there with Prodigy and Compuserve. I recall real time chat which I saw for the first time in DOS. I nearly fell off my chair as I watched someone else typing conversation, while I was connected with a 14.4k modem. Then, once our browsers allowed us to view images, the whole world fell in love with the internet, including advertisers.Now so many of us have alter egos online. Whether it is social or practical, today we live our daily lives connected to internet and hence the world by necessity in many cases. And we shop. We browse and we shop.

Typical items found and purchased on the internet are for home decor. Why go to the store when you can browse at home, purchase in a paperless manner don’t have to carry parcels, brave rainy or snowy weather or put up with road rage. Small items are especially popular. Great for impulse buying.

Here are some favorite items sold online.

Set of Cast Iron Rooster Bookends

Cast Iron Doorstop Bulldog/Boston Terrier

John Deere Tractor Salt & Pepper Shaker

Kitchen Fairy on Banana

Jim Shore Horse Figurine

Angel with Hen and Eggs Jim Shore Heartwood Creek

Don’t know what some of these things are? Even if Angelina Jolie or Jennifer Aniston shops elsewhere, this, my friends, is what many people of the internet are buying. These affordable small cast iron objects of desire. These ever hard to get Jim Shore collectibles keep search engines rolling in money. Websites want this business, they advertise and pay search engines to get noticed, the ads appeal to the people, Grandma or Grandpa get hooked up and before you know it another set of Rooster Bookends is sold.

Why? Because it’s easy. It’s a hobby. It’s a way to explore many more things in the world than you can by getting outdoors and walking or driving somewhere. True it may be more real to get out, healthier and better in other ways, but folks, the gas crunch is here, high speed connection is here, products are on the net for less, and so we buy. Even if we don’t need that tin sign or that salt and pepper shaker, we buy. It’s fun, it can be inexpensive entertainment (compared to $30 for 2 for a movie and popcorn) and sometimes it’s just plain practical. I consider this normal behavior. So keep it up folks – and there will be even more good things online ahead.

 

Loretta Logan has been studying, writing about and creating websites for the internet for 16 years. She owns and operatates several online stores. Find items such as those in this article at http://www.shop-tilludrop.com.

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by Jonathan White

What’s one of the most annoying things that you find when shopping online?One of the most annoying things that I find when shopping online is that when I try to find a product, I have to go to a few sites before I find the product that I am looking for. Once I have found my chosen product, I then have problems comparing this merchants product against other merchants that sell the same product so that I can try to find the best deal for this individual product online.

So if you are also having problems like this when you are also trying to find a product online, then I would personally recommend that you try using some sort of product price comparison search engine/directory. The reasons for this are because these product price comparison search engines/directories list a large amount of products from a large amount of top quality merchants.

By using a product price comparison search engine/directory you can easily find and compare a product of your choice. You can do this by comparing the same product from individual merchants within the same product price comparison search engine/directory that sells the same product so that you can find the best price for your chosen product.

For example, http://www.simplysearch4it.com offers a product price comparison directory that also includes search facilities so that you can narrow down your search for a product of your choice. This product price comparison directory can be found at http://products.simplysearch4it.com where it lists over 1,000,000 products and is still growing daily. You can easily find products from garden equipment to housing goods. Within most product price comparison search engines/directories you can also order your results by price so that you can rank the lower priced products first followed by the highest priced products last.

As you can see, from using a product price comparison search engine/directory first, all you have to do is one search for the product that you want to buy and then you should receive a large number of results. Doing it this way is a lot quicker than going to individual merchants sites doing individual searches for the same product. If the product price comparison search engine/directory doesn’t list the product that you are looking for then you can always search through individual merchants sites after using a product price comparison search engine/directory.

 

Jonathan White has been involved in online marketing for over three years now and is the Webmaster of http://www.simplysearch4it.com where he also operates the product search at http://products.simplysearch4it.com where you can find and search for well over 1,000,000 products from a large amount of different online merchants.

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by Jared More

You may be searching for Bedding for your home, or plan to in the future. When shopping for bedding you may come across different terms for parts of the bed, mattress sheets or other aspect of the sleep set that you may be unfamiliar with. This article is designed to educate you in Essential Bedding Terminology so that when you look for bedding you can make an educated and informed purchase. These terms are not all encompassing but should cover the most common expressions you will come across.While most of us are familiar with the most common elements of bedding ensembles there are other terms to consider.

Bedding- used to describe an entire ensemble including sheets, pillows, comforters and accessories.

Canopy- a fabric that is suspended above the bed often using posts.

Coverlet- a general term describing a bed covering, includes, comforter, duvets, quilts, bedspread and blanket.

Duvet- used to describe a warm and comfortable coverlet that is filled with down feathers.

Matelassé- a fabric which has quilt like indentations.

Quilt- a coverlet which is made from pieces of fabric sewn together with decorative cross-stitching.

Synthetic- artificially created material that is not found in nature.

Thread Count- the number of horizontal and vertical threads per square inch.

Before you start looking for your bedding set you may be looking for the physical sleep set. A sleep set includes the mattress, box spring, headboard, footboard and foundation. Here are some terms that you will frequently come across when shopping for a new sleep set.

Bed frame- a frame that maintains the position of the foundation, headboard and footboard

Box springs- a common term used to describe a foundation which has springs inside a wooden frame.

Coil configuration- the pattern of the spring arrangements in a mattress.

Feather bed- a soft think mattress top layer that is filled with down or feathers.

Futon- a thin mattress that is placed on a movable frame that can be converted from couch to bed.

Filling- the term used to describe the material that occupies the mattress, pillow or comforter. This can make a great difference in the quality and comfort of the item.

Firmness- the amount of resistance that a mattress has relating to body weight. Determines the amount of give the mattress will have.

House Brand- A retailer’s custom brand which only they offer.

Mattress- the actual sleep surface of the bed.

Ticking- the fabric which surrounds the layers of the mattress on the outside.

Shopping for bedding can be, believe it or not, a fun experience. Especially when you know what you are looking for. Remember that when you are looking for your new bedding ensemble or sleep set that not everyone offers the same quality products. The decisions you make on bedding will affect your comfort for years to come. Educating yourself a little before hand and researching your options will help you make a better decision that will ultimately improve your comfort. In addition to researching the different types of bedding you should also check out who you are buying it from. You can save yourself a lot of time and money by going with the right retailer. http://www.ajmoss.com.

 

Written by Jared More for http://www.ajmoss.com. Please visit our website for more detailed information as well as sales and purchasing of bedding ensembles and more! Whether you prefer a fanciful, fun, elegant, or subdued look, you will always find the perfect Thomasville bedding ensemble at ajmoss.com. Please call us toll free at 877-862-1270 and a member of our experienced staff can help you select the perfect pattern today!

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by Michael Weisbrot

Usually the first question when a consumer is looking to purchase something is, “What will it cost?”. While cost is obviously important, it is not the only factor that should be considered when purchasing anything, including surety bonds. There are several items you should focus on as well, including, but not limited to: the service of the agency writing the bond, the financial strength of the surety, renewal requirements, and potential for additional surety credit.Agency Service: An agency that lacks good customer service will be the cause many headaches. I can’t tell you how many accounts we have that left their previous agent in search of better service. I have heard horror stories of people still waiting to receive their bond weeks after they sent in payment. In our eye service that slow is unacceptable. We take pride in our turn around time, as it is the quickest in the industry. We offer instant online approval on many classes of business, while our competition may take a week just to give you a firm quote. When it comes to service, you often get what you pay for. That is not to say JW Surety Bonds is more expensive than the competition, usually the opposite is true due to our exclusive programs.

Surety Financial Strength: Bonding companies financial strength are given letter grades by AM Best. If you are in the market for a contract bond, see if the contract requires a surety with a specific letter grade. The bond is not worth the paper it is printed on if it does not meet the contract specifications. Whether you are looking for contract or commercial bonds, it is a good idea to check to see if the surety is on the Federal Treasury List. The T-List states all of bonding companies acceptable to the federal government. Typically, the first year premium of a bond is fully earned. This means there is no refund if you cancel a bond after issuance. It is vital that you check if a bond is acceptable to the obligee prior to sending in payment.

Renewal Requirements: Bonding companies differ when it comes to bond renewals. Some will request updates on the account, including, but not limited to: business financial statements, personal financial statements, and credit reports. Providing the updates is not only a nuisance for the principal, but also a potential problem. If any of the required updates do not meet the bonding companies guidelines the bond will be canceled, even if you have been with the surety for years. Other sureties will automatically renew the bond without reviewing anything. This is quite an advantage, as there is no annoyance of providing the surety with updates. The greatest advantage is the ability to have a bad year without being dropped, or taking a large owner draw without the surety complaining about a year end net loss.

Potential For Additional Bonds: In general, bonding company underwriting guidelines are rather similar. However, if you compare a more conservative company’s underwriting guidelines to a surety that is hungry for new accounts, the difference can be night and day. Some bonding companies will not write a principal if an owner has under 700 credit, while another surety will allow credit as low as 615 and still provide competitive rates. Due to the volume our agency produces, we can actually offer some classes of business at a standard rate, regardless of credit. The conservative bonding companies will often have low rates due to their strict underwriting and low claim rates. Unfortunately, a downfall of a conservative bonding company is that they also have lower total bonding capacity limits for each particular account than a liberal surety. your potential for additional bonds is important if you are looking to expand your company in a way that will require additional bonds. Our agencies exclusive programs also allow for pre-approval for your bonding needs, a nice comfort to have.

As with anything you purchase, there is more to a bond than simply the cost. Basing your decision simply on cost could present you with service problems or even worse, purchasing a bond that is not acceptable to the obligee. Renewal requirements and total bonding capacity limitations could create problems down the road and are something to discuss with your bond producer.

http://www.jwsuretybonds.com

 

Michael Weisbrot is Vice-President of JW bond Consultants, Inc., a surety bond only agency.

jwsuretybonds.com

mike@jwsuretybonds.com

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