Valentine’s Day is without doubt one of the most romantic days of the year, and you are not alone if you are wondering about what would be the best gift to give your loved one to set their hearts beating just that little bit faster. One romantic gift that is always appreciated and loved is jewelry set with a gorgeous, sparkling gemstone. But what would be the best gemstone for St Valentine’s Day? That one special, unique precious stone that will show her how much you truly love her? Well the colours that are most often associated with this romantic holiday are red because it is the colour of fiery, passionate love, and pink because it is the colour of affection, romance and the heart chakra. So let’s have a look at some of the great red and pink gemstones that you could choose, and find out which one would be the best for you.
However romantic it may seem, one of the most important things that you have to consider is budget. Do you really want to splash your cash or is this just a little gift for someone that you have just started seeing? If you are planning to propose and are looking for an engagement ring, then you will probably be looking to buy the best quality precious stone that you can afford. The precious stones are diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires, and what could be better for a Valentine’s engagement than a large, beautiful ruby? Rubies are a form of red corundum, a very hard gemstone that makes it ideal for setting in a ring that is going to be worn every day and will probably get knocked around a bit. The red colour in a ruby is due to traces of chromium in the crystal, and the most valuable rubies are a very deep, glowing red. These special precious stones are known as Burmese rubies from where they are mined and the colour is referred to as ‘pigeon-blood’ red.
We usually think of diamonds as being clear, colourless stones, so you may be surprised to learn that you can, in fact, get red diamonds and pink diamonds. Red diamonds are one of the rarest precious stones on the planet, so you had better have very deep pockets if you are planning to buy one as a Valentine’s Day gift! Pink diamonds also tend to be fairly expensive, but are more readily available with some of the most exquisite ones being produced from the Argyle Diamond mine in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia. You can also get some pink sapphires that contain orange tones if you are looking for a more unusual stone, which are called padparadscha. These rare pink sapphires are found in Sri Lanka and can fetch a very high price.
If you prefer semi-precious stones, or have a rather more modest budget, then there are plenty to choose from. One of the most romantic pink gemstones is the softly lustrous rose quartz. Rose quartz is very much used in crystal healing, as it is said to promote unconditional love, heal heartaches and attract the perfect lover. It is also a very affordable gemstone, and there are some very stylish rose quartz pendants, rings, and earrings to choose from. It is also made into beads, so if you think that she would love an attractive rose quartz bead necklace or bracelets, you could have found your perfect Valentine’s gift. If you think that your lady love would prefer a deeper red semi-precious stone, then why not have a look at some garnet or carnelian jewelry? Both of these stone look amazing when set in antique or vintage settings, especially if they are matched with pearls.
However, if you want a really unusual, really unique pink gemstone there are some fairly recently discovered stones that you could choose from. Have you heard of kunzite, morganite or rhodochrosite? All of these are pink gemstones have only been known to the modern world for a hundred years or so, and are still not that well know or popular in the retail market. But why not impress your lady with a gemstone that is normally only bought by serious gemstone collectors and that you can almost guarantee that none of her friends will have one?
So enjoy your St Valentine’s Day jewelry shopping, and I am sure that you will find that special, exquisite piece of gemstone jewelry that will give her pleasure for many years to come and show her how much you adore her.
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I had always dreaded attending formal events. I hated getting dressed up in these suits that just didn't fit my personal style. I always thought that if some how I could just personalize my formal style just a bit, I would feel more comfortable. I started by trying out ties which were a little of the beaten path, but it just didn't work out. The ties often attracted to much attention and my wife would complain all night long about how hideous my tie was. The ties may not have worked, but I was determined to find a way to set myself apart from everyone else even if I was the only one who noticed the difference.
I tried several silly ideas such as brightly colored socks and belt buckles, but none of them did the trick. I was in my local men's shop buying a new suit for our next upcoming formal event, when the salesman tried to sell me a pair of cufflinks. I had drawn the line on formal wear quite a lot of years ago when I flat out refused to add cufflinks to the attire. I explained to the salesman that cufflinks were not exactly my style, and that is when he informed me that you could make your own cufflinks.
I must admit I was intrigued by this statement and so I began asking questions. The sales man told me that you could make your own cufflinks using virtually any design that you wanted. The cufflinks were available using different materials and in different shapes as well. You could even add your own engraved initials or short word. If you didn't want lettering on your cufflinks you could use a photograph or a logo. It was impossible for cufflinks not to be your style because you could make your own cufflinks to match your style.
I had finally found a way to customize my formal wear without drawing negative attention to myself, or making my wife unhappy. The sales man helped me to design several pairs of my very own cufflinks. I placed the order and in no time at all I was picking up my personalized cufflinks. I wore a pair of the cufflinks to our next formal event, and while most people did not notice the change in my attire, they did notice the change in my attitude. I was able to present myself with confidence knowing that I was dressed to impress, but in my very own style.
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Different jewelry materials can make a very big difference in the overall value of a piece, but value isn't everything. While chocolate diamonds may be beautiful, lower cost fashion jewelry can be just as beautiful in it's own way. Remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Once you find nice pieces of jewelry you want to properly store them and take care of them so they will last.
To keep your necklaces tangle-free, look for hooks of some sort. You can get creative and use robe hooks or a key chain holder with hooks. Attach this hardware where it will be handy like inside of a closet door or on a bedroom wall; hang necklaces according to length or color so it is easier to find what you want quickly. This little display has an appealing look and it keeps the chains from tangling.
Watch how you store your jewelry when it isn't being worn. It is best to use containers, hooks and other appropriate holders so that everything is kept separate. Don't just toss your jewelry in a pile. Not only will your necklaces become a tangled mess, but you also risk damaging fragile pieces as they scrape against each other when you are searching through your jewelry box.
When you are shopping, think about the type of gem and the color of gem you want to buy. There are a few different types of gems including natural, lab produced or fake. Natural gems and synthetic gems are real gemstones, whereas imitation, or fake, is just an item of plastic with gemstone colors. Natural stones are mined from the surface of the earth and synthetic stones are grown in a lab.
All bracelets and necklaces need to have a good, durable clasp or closure. If you don't have a good, strong clasp, you risk losing your sentimental or expensive pendants, charms and stones. You can get a safety clasp to keep costly necklaces and bracelets from falling off and becoming lost. There are those who add one or two extra clasps to their expensive jewelry items to be certain of their safety.
You should have a better understanding of what a good jewelery purchase, whether you are buying chocolate diamond jewelry or fashion jewelry, and how to maintain that purchase so it lasts for many years.
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We all want a little slice of luxury. It's natural. OK, so maybe we've reconciled ourselves to the fact that we'll never own that 200 foot yacht with the color-matched jet skis, but there's always a little part of us that wants just a little piece of luxury. Maybe a piece of jewelry. Maybe a nice cashmere sweater. Maybe a wristwatch.
Luxury doesn't have to cost the earth, and it's always nice to find a little something within our price range…
… This isn't within your price range.
Just recently I was tormenting myself by standing outside a luxury watch store in downtown Beijing. I was passing through on business, had very little time and very, very little money (have you seen how much it costs to fly to China recently?). I had a couple of hours to kill, so I'd gone for a walk around one of the luxury department stores that have popped up in the more affluent portions of the city in recent years.
My eyes were flitting longingly over a display of Breitling chronographs, each with a truly astronomical price tag (which looks even larger when you see it in Chinese Yuan), when I noticed something that seemed out of place. Here it is…
In amongst the expensive Breitlings sat a Nautica N14536 NST Chronograph. It looked almost identical to the surrounding watches, but the price tag was a mere fraction of the Breitlings.
I did a little quick math in my head and worked out that the Nautica N14536 was priced at a little under $100. I immediately guessed that it was a counterfeit. Surely Nautica couldn't produce a watch that looked like it belonged in a Breitling display for just $100, and Beijing is famous for the fact that almost everything sold there is fake.
Naturally, I thought it was too good to be true and passed up the opportunity to buy the watch. Two weeks later, though, I remembered the model number and checked it out online. I was amazed to find that they price was correct. Nautica are selling the N14536 for about $96 right here in the US. I bought it immediately, and when it arrived today it looked just as good as it did through the Beijing jewelry store window. I immediately added a review to my winter clothing review site – it doesn't belong there, but I couldn't resist talking about it.
Anyway, I just thought I'd share this with you. It's not impossible to find a little slice of luxury that doesn't break the bank.
You might have to go to China to find it, though.
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If you are looking to buy a few pairs of the latest True Religion, Dsquared, or Seven jeans and don't want to need to take out a 1000 dollar loan, then you may need to think out side the box. With average prices on luxurious jeans increasing every year, this can be very difficult. However, there are a few legitimate ways to find the jeans at a price that won't break the bank.
- Nordstroms Outlet – This is probably your best bet for finding those great jeans at a great price. Average prices are typically around 50% to 75% off, but there are some limitations: 1) You won't be able to buy the latest styles, you will need to settle for last year's jeans, and 2) Sizes can be limited, so if you are a size 4-8 then you may be out of luck.
- Online stores. With this option, you need to BE VERY CAREFUL. Fake jeans are more common on the internet these days than viruses, so you need to know what to look for in order to get a good deal that ends up being not too good to be true. One good rule of thumb – if the price is less than $50, then it's probably not a legit pair of jeans.
Hopefully these few tips will help you find the luxurious jeans you need without needing to take out a 1000 cash advance.
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Here's a tip for lovers of luxury clothing and accessories: watch more movies.
Allow me to explain as if you were a seven year old (no offense, I'm just warning you that I'm about to say something blindingly obvious). A movie character needs to be built from the ground up. You start with an actor (hopefully a good one), and you put him in a situation – millionaire CEO, down and out, ex-con, kindergarten teacher, whatever.
Now, in order to make the character believable you need to make him believable. You dress him in appropriate clothing, you give him a few apropos accessories: a watch, a pair of sunglasses, etc. etc.
Now, all of these items have to be exactly right to communicate their message properly, and there's an entire industry of people who's job it is to make sure that works: costume designers.
Let's take two characters as an example. They're both obscenely wealthy American men – Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark (Batman and Iron Man, respectively).
Bruce Wayne is a pillar of the community. He lives in a stately home, seems perfectly pleasant, has a butler. Now, you want to dress Bruce in tasteful, old school luxury brands. You want him wearing shirts tailored on Jermyn Street, and you want his suits to have been made by little old men who've been doing it for 70 years. Nothing flashy. Always tasteful.
Tony Stark, on the other hand, is brash. He's loud. He can't be ignored. You'll see him with flashy accessories: shiny watches, ludicrously expensive sunglasses, a fleet of supercars.
Hell, in Iron Man 2 there are no fewer than 3 pairs of Tony Stark sunglasses on show, each of which cost hundreds of dollars.
And here's my point. When you buy luxury clothing and accessories you want it to say something about you. You want it to say you're sophisticated, or cool, or intelligent, or any number of other markers. While your choices may not always work, you can help make them by checking out the movies to see what the stars are wearing. Do you want to be Bruce Wayne, or Tony Stark? Well, dress like them.
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If you are looking to get your significant other a fabulous gift this coming christmas then you could do worse than getting them a luxury weekend break. We all like our little trinkets and gadgets but there is nothing better than an experience. A feeling from receiving a necklace or garden tool of some description will arise at the time and may bring joy when we put it on or when we are out in the garden turning a flower bed but an experience can live in us forever.
There is that quote that goes something like this: "It's not the amount of years you live in your life that counts, but the amount of life you live in your years". I think this is a good mantra to live by and what better way to live than to really immerse yourself in life and get out there and do lots of fun, exciting or even relaxing things, and I don't mean chilling out watching the TV.
Giving a gift that can enliven and enrich somebody's life is the way to go, this is luxury living at its finest and it's not even about money, it's about the wealth you create in your life with the people you surround yourself with and the experiences you involve yourself in. Check out some of these luxury weekend breaks in the UK, you might feel inspired!
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When we think of luxury we often think of Porsche or BMW cars, Louis Vitton handbags, Manolo Balanc shoes and other extravagent items. However we rarely think of wrinkle cream. However there are some pretty expensive and extravgent anti aging items money can buy.
Fancy Wrinkle Creams
A product such as M-Lab's anti aging treatment can cost upwards of $600 a jar for 6.7 oz's. Albeit that's a lot more wrinkle cream then you usually get in a single jar, but it's also about six times as much. Other highly priced anti aging brands include Euoko, Lifecell and Perricone MD.
Home Light Treatment
Light treatment and laser treatment is all the rage right now for medispa and at home anti aging treatments. It's a pretty big luxury to be able to drop several hundred bucks on an at home light therapy device such as the Lightstim anti aging light or Baby Quasar, although hundreds of women do it each and every month.
Wrinkle Fillers
We hear about Hollywood Celebrities who have Botox® and other types of anti aging work done. However we don't often hear about the average Jane going to their local cosmetic surgeon and recieving this sort of treatment.
The fact is you can do a search and in almost any town across the country you can have wrinkle filler injections done. They sure aren't cheap, and most would believe they're quite the luxury, but there's big demand.
With beauty comes luxury for many so a big bank roll is required to keep up with all of these anti aging and cosmetic products.
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Gourmet foods are such a treat for some of us, and I think that they are a special bonus treat to have at Christmas time. After all it is the season in which we eat, drink and be merry, usually with our friends and family. So what better time to get some nice gourmet treats in to share.
If you have never tried gourmet foods, then this may be the time to indulge, even if it is a little more expensive. You could simply try a luxury Christmas hamper. This is a good way to sample a range of gourmet foods that are already picked for you.
There are many to choose from, and all make great Christmas gifts too, they could include cheese and wine hampers, or should I say champagne. Or there are some really nice luxury chocolate hampers, for chocoholics everywhere. Then there is the true gourmet range with Scottish salmon or truffles. What ever your taste there is one for you, and the chances are once you have tried these lovely foods you will be wanting one every year.
But you do not have to restrict yourself, if you find there is something that you really like then why not treat yourself on other special occasions.
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