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| Monday, 15-Nov-2010 07:54 |
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Pearl Jewelry - The Story of Pearl Hunters
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As long as pearl jewelry have been known to people, they have been a highly sought commodity for their beauty. It's only in recent times however that the industry has taken the hunt for the perfect pearl to a whole different level. Today, the shiny orbs that we see on in display in jewelry stores have actually almost always been grown in farms.
That's a far cry from the dangerous extraction and collection methods used before the invention of modern technology. In the past, not more than 100 years ago, the only way to retrieve pearls was by diving in lakes, floods and the ocean to pick them up, one at the time. The unfortunate divers who'se job it was to do this, were often poor and lured by the relative large sums they could get. The diver would sometimes have to dive as deep as 100 feet on one single breath of air. In order to preserve air and to stay submerged the longest, the divers would hold on to heavy stones on the way down.
Naturally, this dangerous activity was reserved for the desperate or the powerless - in many cases slaves or extremely poor peasents. Today, this method is all but obsolete in most places of the world. The cheaper cultured pearls have become popular and are many times the only pearls available to the consumer.
There are however still a few isolated areas that practice this old art of pearl diving. Some of the finest natural pearl speciments come from the gulf of Bahrain. Here, divers still risk their health to retrieve what are considered the top of the crop in the world. In fact, Bahrain wants no part of the sale of cultured pearls, banned from trade. Bahrain is one of the few places on earth that does an active job in trying to preserve the natural habitat and waters from pollution.
It's an interesting story and one that continues to fascinate buyers around the world. Somehow, the beauty of the pearl grows when it's been retrieved from the depth of the ocean.
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| Monday, 15-Nov-2010 07:53 |
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Pearl Jewelry - The Story of Pearl Hunters
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Buying pearl jewelry can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether you're considering a gift of pearl jewelry for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the terms used in the industry. Here's some information to help you get the best quality pearl jewelry for your money, whether you're shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store or online.
Pearls
Natural or real pearls are made by oysters and other mollusks. Cultured pearls also are grown by mollusks, but with human intervention; that is, an irritant introduced into the shells causes a pearl to grow. Imitation pearls are man-made with glass, plastic, or organic materials.
Because natural pearls are very rare, most pearls used in jewelry are either cultured or imitation pearls. Cultured pearls, because they are made by oysters or mollusks, usually are more expensive than imitation pears. A cultured pearl's value is largely based on its size, usually stated in millimeters, and the quality of its nacre coating, which give it luster. Jewelers should tell your if the pearls are cultured or imitation. Some black, bronze, gold, purple, blue and orange pearls, whether natural or cultured, occur that way in nature; some, however, are dyed through various processes. Jewelers should tell you whether the colored pearls are naturally colored, dyed or irradiated.
Clams, oysters, mussels and many other mollusks with limy shells are known to produce pearls. But very few kinds yield gem pearls of jeweler's quality. The pearl is an abnormal growth of mother-of-pearl, or nacre, imbedded in the soft bodies of these shellfish. It is built up, layer upon layer, in the same way as nacre is added to the lining of the growing shell and always has the same color and luster. For example, over the country, hundreds of good-sized pearls are found each year in the oysters we eat. Unfortunately these have no commercial value regardless of whether they have been cooked or not because they are dull opaque white or purple like the shell of the parent oyster. In recent times almost all pearls of gem quality come from the oriental pearl oyster which has a bright shimmering translucent nacre.
A pearl starts growing when some irritating foreign substance such as a sand grain, bit of mud, parasite or other object becomes lodged in the shell-producing gland called the mantle. Pearls formed in the soft flesh where nacre can be added on all sides are most likely to be spherical and the most highly prized. By far the great majority are flattened or variously distorted and have little value. Size, color, luster and freedom from flaws are other essential qualities. Unlike other gems, such as diamonds, pearls have an average life of only about 50 years. In time the small amount of water in a pearl's make-up is lost and its surface cracks. Because they are mostly lime, necklaces which are worn often are injured by the acid secretions of the human skin.
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| Saturday, 6-Nov-2010 06:15 |
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Buying Pearl Jewelry Without Being Ripped Off
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Buying pearl jewelry can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether you're considering a gift of pearl jewelry for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the terms used in the industry. Here's some information to help you get the best quality pearl jewelry for your money, whether you're shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store or online.
Pearls
Natural or real pearls are made by oysters and other mollusks. Cultured pearls also are grown by mollusks, but with human intervention; that is, an irritant introduced into the shells causes a pearl to grow. Imitation pearls are man-made with glass, plastic, or organic materials.
Because natural pearls are very rare, most pearls used in jewelry are either cultured or imitation pearls. Cultured pearls, because they are made by oysters or mollusks, usually are more expensive than imitation pears. A cultured pearl's value is largely based on its size, usually stated in millimeters, and the quality of its nacre coating, which give it luster. Jewelers should tell your if the pearls are cultured or imitation. Some black, bronze, gold, purple, blue and orange pearls, whether natural or cultured, occur that way in nature; some, however, are dyed through various processes. Jewelers should tell you whether the colored pearls are naturally colored, dyed or irradiated.
Clams, oysters, mussels and many other mollusks with limy shells are known to produce pearls. But very few kinds yield gem pearls of jeweler's quality. The pearl is an abnormal growth of mother-of-pearl, or nacre, imbedded in the soft bodies of these shellfish. It is built up, layer upon layer, in the same way as nacre is added to the lining of the growing shell and always has the same color and luster. For example, over the country, hundreds of good-sized pearls are found each year in the oysters we eat. Unfortunately these have no commercial value regardless of whether they have been cooked or not because they are dull opaque white or purple like the shell of the parent oyster. In recent times almost all pearls of gem quality come from the oriental pearl oyster which has a bright shimmering translucent nacre.
A pearl starts growing when some irritating foreign substance such as a sand grain, bit of mud, parasite or other object becomes lodged in the shell-producing gland called the mantle. Pearls formed in the soft flesh where nacre can be added on all sides are most likely to be spherical and the most highly prized. By far the great majority are flattened or variously distorted and have little value. Size, color, luster and freedom from flaws are other essential qualities. Unlike other gems, such as diamonds, pearls have an average life of only about 50 years. In time the small amount of water in a pearl's make-up is lost and its surface cracks. Because they are mostly lime, necklaces which are worn often are injured by the acid secretions of the human skin.
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| Monday, 9-Nov-2009 01:23 |
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Election results warn Barack Obama and Democrats of disastrous 2
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Barack Obama and his Democratic Party were given clear warning yesterday that they face a potentially disastrous 2010 after big Republican victories on Tuesday signalled mounting voter discontent with the economy and the President’s spending plans.
The Republican gubernatorial victories in freshwater perl jewelry Virginia and New Jersey also revealed significant cracks in the broad coalition that swept Mr Obama to power last November 4 and showed that floating voters — crucial to his win last year — are defecting to the Republicans in droves.
The defeats came as Mr Obama’s hopes of achieving universal health insurance were dealt yet another blow. Harry Reid, the Democratic Senate majority leader, said that Congress will probably not vote on the issue until next year. That means that the health reform debate will now slip into mid-term election season, with many moderate Democrats, facing voter concerns over the wish pearl exploding budget deficit, less likely to back a plan set to cost about $1 trillion.
In New Jersey, a predominantly Democrat state, the Democratic incumbent, John Corzine, lost to his Republican opponent Chris Christie by five points, despite a last-ditch effort by Mr Obama to sway the vote.
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Mr Obama had campaigned intensively for Mr Corzine in recent days and the defeat fuelled debate about the limits of his influence a year after his historic victory. It also raised questions about the status of the gemstone jewelry diverse coalition that propelled him to the White House. In both states young, first-time voters, and African-Americans who voted for Mr Obama in huge numbers last year, stayed at home.
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| Monday, 9-Nov-2009 01:21 |
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A first step — but a big one — for Barack Obama
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Passage of a health reform Bill in the House of Representatives came at a critical time for President Obama. Not only did it provide badly needed momentum for his drive to provide healthcare cover to pearl earrings most Americans — it also blunted growing criticism in recent weeks that he is a President who does not get things done.
There is still a long way to go before a final Bill reaches his desk — there is a significant chance that the effort might still founder in the Senate — but yesterday was a key moment in US history, and for Mr Obama.
He has already achieved what no other US President has done: the passage of a sweeping health reform Bill in a chamber of Congress, eclipsing Bill Clinton’s disastrous effort which fell apart on Capitol Hill in freshwater perl jewelry 1994.
It also comes after a difficult few months, including votes in gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey last week that showed independent and moderate voters deserting the President. Polls now show that he can no longer blame George W. Bush for the ailing economy.
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The unemployment rate, which passed 10 per cent last week, is his problem. Pollsters have also noted a growing sentiment with voters: a concern that Mr Obama’s grandiloquence is not matched by achievement. After just nine months in office, the President is facing a growing impatience to wish pearl show results.
The fact that Saturday night’s Bill passed the House by just five votes — where Democrats hold a big majority — demonstrated how difficult winning passage in the Senate will be, and how this victory could quickly fade.
Yet the White House is increasingly confident a Bill will eventually pass. If that happens, Mr Obama will sign one of the most seminal pieces of legislation in US history.
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| Monday, 9-Nov-2009 01:18 |
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altogether when people become il
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The Senate must now come up with its own version of a health reform Bill and Harry Reid, the Democratic leader in that chamber, is under enormous pressure from the White House to get it through before the end of the year. Mr Reid is struggling to find the 60 votes he needs to overcome Republican blocking tactics despite his party’s Senate majority, Even if Mr Reid succeeds in getting legislation out of the Senate, his Bill — which will be markedly different from the liberal, 1,990-page, $1.2 trillion (£720 billion) behemoth passed by the House — will have to freshwater perl jewelry be reconciled into one piece of legislation in negotiations with the lower chamber, another difficult challenge.
Despite the obstacles ahead, the success of the House Bill was a powerful victory for Mr Obama and provi-ded strong political momentum behind his drive for health reform. The vote came after he visited Capitol Hill on Saturday afternoon to encourage wavering Democrats.
“It provides coverage for 96 per cent of Americans. It offers everyone, regardless of health or income, the peace of mind that comes from pearl earrings[/url knowing they will have access to affordable healthcare when they need it,” said John Dingell, the 83-year-old Michigan Democrat who has introduced universal health insurance legislation in every Congress since his arrival in 1955. The huge package will transform large parts of the health industry, which currently accounts for a sixth of the US economy. Private insurers will no longer be able to deny cover to people with pre-existing conditions, or limit cover or drop it altogether when people become ill.
The Bill also contains a government-run health insurance option to provide competition to private insurers, something bitterly opposed by Republicans and an issue which triggered heated and sometimes violent protests during the summer.
Under the House Bill most indivi-duals will be required to obtain health insurance if it is not provided by their employer. All but the smallest companies will have to provide cover for their employees or face a fine as high as 8 per cent of their payroll. Overall the Bill would provide cover for an additional 36 million Americans, leaving 18 million without insurance by 2019, about a third of them illegal immigrants. The package will be paid for by increasing the tax on individuals earning more than $500,000 a year, and on families with a combined income of [url=http://www.lpearls.com/Shell-pearl-jewelry/c124/index.html]shell pearl strand more than $1 million, by more than 5 per cent. Republicans remain almost unanimously opposed, critical of its huge cost and the tax increases needed to pay for it.
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| Monday, 9-Nov-2009 01:17 |
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Barack Obama's $1.2 trillion healthcare reform bill passes first
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The House of Representatives handed President Obama the first significant domestic victory of his presidency when it narrowly passed a sweeping reform Bill to provide healthcare to all Americans.
Mr Obama called the vote on pearl earrings Saturday “historic” and said he was absolutely confident that he would sign a health reform Bill by the end of the year. All eyes now turn to the next battleground — in the Senate — where passage of legislation is far from assured.
Democrats have for decades sought to provide universal health cover and, when the Bill was passed by 220 votes to 215 late on Saturday night, cheers erupted as Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker, declared the victory.
The vote, during a rare Saturday session, marked the first time a chamber of Congress has voted to back such sweeping reform of the shell pearl necklace US health industry. Mrs Pelosi compared it to the passage of legislation creating a state pension system in 1935 and government health cover for the elderly and poor in 1965.
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Mr Obama and his allies on Capitol Hill still face a tough battle for victory on his signature domestic issue. There is a significant risk that the debate will slide into 2010, a mid-term election year when vulnerable Democrats in conservative and moderate districts might fail to back a final Bill because of its huge cost.
Many are acutely aware of the Democratic losses last week in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races, when voters declared their misgivings about Mr Obama’s spending plans at a time of record deficits. On gemstone jewelry Saturday night 39 Democrats voted against the Bill. Only one Republican backed it.
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| Monday, 9-Nov-2009 01:16 |
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Carlo Ancelotti
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Ferguson’s criticisms of Atkinson had some foundation, as Fletcher did appear to win the ball and Drogba was clearly interfering with play as he bore down on goal, but they will not be welcomed by the Football Association in the wake of his condemnation of Alan Wiley’s fitness levels last month.
The Scot has accepted the FA’s improper conduct charge, but requested a personal hearing that will be held next month. Ferguson has clashed with Atkinson before, criticising his decision-making after an gemstone jewelry FA Cup defeat by Portsmouth two years ago.
Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, conceded that Drogba may have been in an offside position, but was more concerned by the Ivory Coast striker’s fitness after a clash with Jonny Evans that caused him to hobble off in the 83rd minute.
The Italian also condemned the behaviour of several other United players in an acrimonious finale, particularly Fletcher, who was repeatedly urging Atkinson to give bookings to the home side.
“Maybe Drogba was offside, but it’s very difficult to see this because there were a lot of people in the box,” Ancelotti said. “Sometimes on the wish pearl pitch it’s difficult to ‘look well’ and take a decision. I didn’t see the foul of Didier, I was so far away.
“Drogba has a problem because he’s struggling to move, and I hope he’ll be better in the next few days. I will watch the game, for sure, but I don’t want to put my focus on that situation.
“I think that the United players protested a lot. I don’t know why. I don’t like this, for sure, but at the end of the match — a match that was very difficult — all the players have worked very hard, so sometimes it can happen.”
Chelsea’s eleventh successive home win — a club record — takes them five points clear at the top of the table, but Ancelotti is refusing to get carried away.
“It’s important that we’ve started the season very well, we have 30 points from 12 games, but the season is very long and freshwater perl jewelry we know that,” he said. “We have to stay focused for the next matches. We beat a very good team today, a fantastic team. It’s very difficult to beat United.”
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