Tips for Increasing Your Profits with Gift Certificates

Rena Klingenberg

Tips for Increasing Your Profits with Gift Certificates

by Rena Klingenberg
http://www.home-jewelry-business-success-tips.com

Offering gift certificates is an excellent way of increasing sales by solving your customers' gift-giving problems. Often people would like to give your products as gifts, but are hesitant to choose a specific item for someone.

I'm a jewelry artist, and when I realized I was losing sales to these potential customers, I started offering gift certificates - and discovered a wonderful sales tool.

Wherever you sell your products - at retail locations, shows, home parties - be sure to have an eye-catching sign advertising "Gift Certificates Available in Any Amount". And tell undecided customers about it verbally, too, emphasizing the benefits of a gift certificate, and how much their recipient will enjoy choosing the exact item they want.

How to Make Your Own Gift Certificates

Use your computer and printer to make special, fancy certificates using perforated paper or postcard stock you can find in office supply stores, and have matching fancy envelopes to go with them. They don't need to cost you very much, but they should really look like a special, festive gift to give them extra appeal!

Consider adding enticing photos of some of your most popular products. My gift certificates have a neat vertical border of jewelry photos on each side.

Here's the information your gift certificates should have on them:

-your business name and location, plus other contact info
-a "To:" line
-a "From:" line
-an "Amount:" line (for the dollar amount)
-"custom orders welcome", if applicable
-the expiration date, if you want to limit the time period the certificate can be used
-the certificate's unique number - on your computer or by hand, print a unique number (101, 102, 103, etc., or whatever numbering works for you) on each certificate's bottom corner, so each can be individually accounted for.

When you sell the certificate, you should write the dollar amount and expiration date (if any) on the certificate yourself, and then have the person purchasing the certificate fill out the To and From lines, so it will be in their own handwriting for the recipient to see. Then enter the certificate's information in your log.

How to Keep a Gift Certificate Log

It's important to keep a log of each gift certificate you sell. Keeping a record of each certificate sold will ensure that you don't wind up honoring a counterfeit certificate, or one with a changed dollar amount when someone comes to use it. My log has 6 columns, and for each certificate I sell, I record in my log:

-the certificate's unique number
-the purchaser's name
-the recipient's name
-the date sold
-the dollar amount of the certificate
-the date redeemed
-optional seventh column: expiration date.

I keep my log sheet and a stack of ready-to-sell certificates together in a two-pocket folder, along with a fancy pen for filling out the gift certificates in style when they're sold.

Use Gift Certificates to Their Fullest Profit Potential

Gift certificates can be a great source of back-end sales. When the recipient comes to redeem the gift certificate, it's easy to sell her an add-on item or two. Often she is already predisposed to splurge on something to go with the item she's getting for free with her gift certificate, and needs only a little encouragement from you to purchase extras. For example, in my case, the recipient will often purchase matching earrings to go with the bracelet she gets for free with her gift certificate. So be sure to show enticing things to the recipient that could accompany the item she chooses for her gift!

Use a gift certificate sale as an opportunity to add two new customers to your mailing list: the person who purchased the certificate, and the person who received it. Obtain permission from each to add them to your mailing list. Both of them are now pre-sold on your products, your service, and especially on your solutions to their gift-giving problems. There's a good chance they will respond favorably when they receive a special offer from you before gift-giving holidays.


Jewelry artist and publisher of http://www.home-jewelry-business-success-tips.com , a free online resource of articles and tips to help jewelry artists achieve their goals.

Lubov (Luba) Warrack, Dedicated Silversmith and Jeweler
Susi at Jewelry Crossings

Lubov (Luba) Warrack, a dedicated silversmith and featured jeweler on jewelrycrossings.com, quite amazingly arrived at the jeweler's bench via the science lab.

In fact, Luba came to the United States from her homeland of Russia in 1990 on a research grant. A graduate in biology from Moscow State University, she received a Ph.D. in neurophysiology from the Russian Academy of Sciences. When her research was completed at a university in North Carolina she wanted to become a university lecturer, but was told her Russian accent would present a problem.

Luckily, at the same time Luba was involved in scientific research back in Moscow, she was also pursuing a parallel interest in and fascination with jewelry making. She successfully completed an apprenticeship with Evgeny Butorov, silversmith and restoration expert at the Moscow Historical Museum from 1979 to 1982, working on icon mounts in gold and silver filigree. So when her work in academia was ending, Luba decided to take her jewelry making talent to the next level. Soon she was selling her pieces of sterling silver earrings, pendants, bracelets and rings at local jewelry shows on the east coast.
Some of Luba's early work concentrated on the classic Russian filigree she had learned back in Russia, but soon she found herself experimenting with contemporary styles and the innovative techniques in silver making. She studied plique-a-jour enameling with Valeri Timofeev at East Carolina University and reticulation techniques at Duke University under Mary Ann Scherr.
Today Luba's artistry still excites the beholder with intricately woven filigree patterns, inspired by her training on Russian historical icons. But her creative energy also finds a home in a fascinating technique called "reticulation" which transforms the surface of her sterling silver pieces into a creased, crepe-like texture. She especially enjoys making ribbons of sterling silver and weaving them into custom bracelets and pendant mountings. Often she imports rare Russian gemstones not readily found in North America, as well as the more familiar like amber, and incorporates them into her contemporary designs.

Citrine Silver Pendant In the past ten years Luba has exhibited her work at numerous shows from New England to California and has won many awards including Best in Jewelry Category at the Virginia-Highlands Show in Atlanta; Best in Show at the Cityfest, Charlotte, N.C.; and Best in Category at the Art on the Lawn, Richmond, VA.

Luba makes her home with husband Giles, a mathematics professor, in Greensboro, N.C. You can see Luba's work by visiting www.jewelrycrossings.com and clicking on her gallery called "From Russia with Luba."
- Susi, Silver Jewelry Crossings

For twenty-two years I have been involved in the gemstone and jewelry trade-first as owner of an incorporated company in Singapore, then Thailand, and for the last ten years in Northern California. Throughout my career my reward has come from the knowledge that I have gone the extra steps to ensure my customers' absolute satisfaction.

Protect Your Eyes with a Wide Variety of Sunglasses Available Online

Valerie Giles

Besides being a wonderful complement to your wardrobe, sunglasses (including discount sunglasses and designer styles), also play an important function in protecting your eyes from the sun's harmful rays. Protecting your eyes with sun glasses is just as important as protecting your skin. UV (ultraviolet) light consists of three bands of light to include UVA, UVB and UVC. UVA light hasn't been proven to lead to any eye disorders but the eyes should still be protected from it. UVB is the most damaging of the three as it will burn skin and damage the eyes, possibly leading to cataracts and UVC is said to be of little worry. When purchasing sunglasses it is important to find a pair of sun glasses that has at least ninety eight percent UVA and UVB protection to ensure your eyes are getting the best protection.

Never have there been so many sunglasses designs, styles and colors to choose from whether you are shopping for discount sunglasses, children's sunglasses, designer sunglasses, replica sunglasses, prescription sunglasses or sports sunglasses the choices are endless. Whatever sunglasses you do have in your collection you'll want to be sure they are good quality eye wear that protect your eyes while looking great.

Purchasing sunglasses can be an exciting and overwhelming experience given the vast array of styles, designs and colors of sunglasses frames and lenses to choose from. Some of the popular trends in sunglasses today can include; preppy look sunglasses with semi-rimless styles made with metal and zyl; sports optics sunglasses with special lenses to filter out blue and red light while allowing green light excellent for enhancing a golfers vision on the green; vintage look plastics with metal trims, visible studs and openwork designs, available in sunglasses styles that are large, square or with rounded corners; sunglasses with jewelry touches, rhinestones and facets and magnetic sunglasses clip-ons for prescription wearers.

You'll want to start early when it comes to protecting your children's eyes from UV (ultraviolet) damage, especially as they are more than likely to spend a lot of time playing out in direct sunlight. There is a wide variety of sunglasses styles to choose from with plenty of designs similar to the sunglasses worn by adults. With popular designs to include oval sunglasses, rectangular sun glasses, round sunglasses, cat eye sunglasses and geometric sunglasses shapes along with plastic frames styled like the popular adult sunglasses. It's always a good idea to let your children choose their own sunglasses as they will be more likely to wear them.

Another popular trend in sunglasses is that of designer sunglasses, with most clothing designers having a line of sunglasses designs. Whatever look you may prefer; whether it be feminine, urban, simple or conservative, there is sure to be fashion sunglasses to complement your lifestyle. For anyone who appreciates the look of the designer sunglasses but cannot afford the price that goes along with them, there is a wonderful selection of designer replica sunglasses that offer a much more affordable alternative.

For prescription eyewear users who usually wear clip-on sunglasses there are many prescription sunglasses choices today. Clip-ons are wonderful sunglasses accessories but can be easily misplaced, whereas prescription sunglasses can be worn outdoors anytime without having to look for and keep handy your clip-ons. It is now possible to find basic to high prescription sunglasses, bifocal sunglasses, presbyopic sunglasses and progressive sunglasses lenses. The prescription sunglasses are also available in most of the trendy designs, styles and frame colors as regular sunglasses with the exception of some of the wraparound sports sunglasses that have a severe curve in the lenses. Sunglasses lenses can be made in many materials to include high index, polycarbonate and regular plastic with glass lenses rarely being used.

Polarized sunglasses are another popular choice when it comes to selecting the right sunglasses. Polarized sunglasses are ideal for water and winter sports where water and snow can increase the reflective glare. Polarized sunglasses are excellent for boating, fishing, water skiing, snow boarding, driving, golfing, cycling, motorcycling and jogging available in sunglasses and goggles styles. With polarized sunglasses absorbing approximately ninety eight percent of reflective glare they offer glare free vision. The polarized sunglasses are available in a wide variety of designs, styles and colors to complement whatever sport of activity you might be participating in.

The selection of sports sunglasses and performance sunglasses have never been better with sunglasses to not only protect your eyes from the sun's harmful rays, but sunglasses to enhance your sports performance. Sport optics sunglasses with special lenses are available to filter out blue and red light while allowing green light to come through, thus increasing the contrast on the golf green allowing golfers to see the subtle lines and breaks in the green without squinting. There are also sports sunglasses with specially tinted lenses for tennis which allow you to better see the tennis ball. You can find sports sunglasses in an excellent variety of designs, styles and colors also available in goggle designs great for skiing or snow boarding. Sports sunglasses are made of impact resistant polycarbonate substrate and the lenses are usually made with an antireflective, UV and glare reduction coating on the back of the lenses for added safety and protection.

With so many wonderful discount sunglasses to choose from your sure to have at least a few pairs in your collection. When shopping for sunglasses it helps to know in advance what sunglasses frames look best on you. Whether you need there are sunglasses to complement every face shape, lifestyle and preference.

Valerie Giles owns and operates Eyewear-4U http://www.eyewear-4u.com, an eyewear site featuring fashion eyewear, sports eyewear, prescription eyewear, discount sunglasses, contact lenses and accessories. The accompanying article is copyrighted. It may be reproduced only if the hyperlinks here are left intact.

Selling Your Jewelry Creations Online
Lee Dobbins

Selling your jewelry creations online requires different skills and supplies then selling at shows or on consignment. You'll need to develop good computer and digital photography skills as well as set up a shipping area and buy shipping supplies.

Jewelry is a very visual product to sell - potential customers need high quality photographs that display the piece in detail as if they were holding it in their own hands. A good quality digital camera with zoom capabilities is essential for taking photos of jewelry.

Unfortunately, just buying a good camera probably isn't going to be enough to make your photos stand out. You'll also need good lighting and a light box for the photos to come out their best. You can buy professional lights and a light box or go the homemade route. I use a clear plastic storage box as the light box and set up adjustable plant lights on the sides and top - all these materials can be found at Walmart or any discount store. To take the photos, set the box on it's side with the open end facing you, set the jewelry inside the box and take the photo. The clear plastic will diffuse the lights to prevent glare and make your photos more clear.

Once you have taken your photos, you will need to upload them to your online selling venue. There are 3 ways to sell online - having your own web page, selling in an online mall, and selling at an online auction. Having your own web page requires a bit more skill as you will need to write the code for the page yourself, hire someone to do it or buy a package that helps you do this. Selling in online malls and auctions is usually a bit easier as you can post your information on a form that is uploaded and you don't need to know much about html coding. Personally, I have found that selling at an online mall is the best way to go - the auctions are overcrowded with jewelry of all types and it is extremely difficult to get any qualified traffic to your own website without spending a fortune.

Along with your photos, you will need to provide an excellent description of your jewelry. I suggest you take 3 photos of the piece and then write a paragraph description on the piece listing the materials used the size and any outstanding features. Don't be afraid to be creative in your description!

The final phase to selling jewelry online is collecting the money and shipping the product. You need to decide what form of payment you will accept. Will you take credit cards or only accept credit through Paypal? Personal checks, or only money orders? I love Paypal as it is so quick and easy but there are fees associated with it. Many of my customers pay with personal check and I have never had a problem in 6 years of doing business online.

Once you receive payment, you can ship out the jewelry! This is your opportunity to make a good impression and gain a repeat customer. To make shipping easier, it's a good idea to setup a shipping station which includes a table to package and wrap on, all your packing material, tape, boxes and mailers, your return address stickers and any promotional items you like to put in the package.

I like to package my jewelry in gold foil boxes and ship those inside a bubble mailer. The boxes are only about 20 cents if you buy them in bulk and they look so nice to the customer when they open their package. Also, have some promotional cards, business cards, pens or discount certificates made up and include those with your URL so the customer can come back and buy more!

Lee Dobbins is a jewelry designer and writer for Artisan-Jewelry-Online.com where you can read more about making your own jewelry

Feel free to reprint and distribute this article as you like but please do not change the article and you must include the resource box with all it's active links.

How about selling products with a 500% Profit Margin ?

Mexico-Store.com

Would You Like to Resell Mexican Products for Great Profits ?
Would You like to feel what's it like to have excellent profit margins as a retail merchant or wholesale distributor ?

Mexican products have become big sellers in every country of the world. The total value of Mexican products that are imported into the US alone exceeds the billion dollar mark by far. Thanks to their low cost, quality and uniqueness, most Mexican products can be resold for high profits.

It's not uncommon for American and European traders dealing in Mexican art, paintings, silver or exotic leather to harvest handsome profit margins that in many cases easily exceed a 100% markup when they buy from the right suppliers.

Business Fact #1: There is no such thing as Free Lunch .-

Thanks to the Internet it might seem that finding low cost suppliers of profitable and fast moving Mexican products is an easy task, but it really isn't. The vast majority of the "suppliers" you find on the web are American companies or individuals that are basically reselling Mexican products at high margins. The truth is that with them as your sources you won't even get close to having the best possible wholesale prices.

To make fat JUICY profits in the reselling business you definitely MUST get in touch with the real - hard - to - find - low - cost - sources. There is simply no other way to make it BIG in this business. You NEED the Low cost SOURCES. Period. The cheaper you buy, the more competitive and profitable you get.

The problem is that discovering REAL low cost sources can be a difficult, time consuming and expensive mission. Some information providers on the web are charging $30 per manufacturer profile, while others can charge you more than $1000 per business directory, or even a subscription fee to access their trade leads database. But who do you think is listed on their databases? The Mexican manufacturers? or just another reseller eager to sell at a nice profit? Exactly!. Those trade leads databases are mainly filled with lists and lists of intermediaries and marketers that want to make money reselling the product for a heavy profit.

At Mexico-Store.com You can access these 3 valuable and updated sources of low cost suppliers:

1- The Mexican Rustic Handcrafts Manufacturers Directory

2- The Mexican Taxco Silver Jewelry Manufacturers Directory, and

3- The Mexican Leather Products Manufacturers Directory

These 3 trade directories are an excellent source for low cost products if you plan to resell silver jewelry, art, hand crafts or first class leather products on Ebay or start a wholesale or retail operation on the web and any where else.

It's all about the profits. YOUR Profits! at Mexico-Store.com .-

Don't get us wrong. We don't have any problem with being a reseller of Mexican products. It's totally legal and very PROFITABLE. But being a reseller your self, wouldn't it be better if you could cut the extra middleman and offer a better price to your customers ?

Access the updated Mexico Trade Manufacturers Directories today and start BARGAINING directly with AUTHENTIC manufacturers of thousands of Mexican products that sell incredibly well in the USA and other countries.

Our trade directories contain low cost Mexican manufacturers of beautiful rustic wrought iron, Taxco silver bracelets, earrings and more elegant jewelry, leather briefcases, folk art, leather clothing, blown crystal, luxurious leather furniture, Talavera pottery, textile and gift items, pewter d�cor, wood hand crafts, leather shoes and exotic boots, crocodile leather, swine, lamb and ostrich, oil paintings all made by skilled craftsmen and RELIABLE suppliers at incredible cheap prices.

Avoid those expensive resellers and get in touch with the real Mexican manufacturers today ! .- We provide you with all the necessary contact information including email in most cases.

Some of these silver jewelry, handcrafts and leather products manufacturers do have a website. But that doesn't mean you can easily find them on the search engines. As we all know, its very hard to make it to the top of the search engine rankings and it can take more than 6 months to even get a website listed with them. That and the fact that most Mexican artisans are not as computer savvy as "we all think" are the main reason why you won't find that many websites at all of Mexican manufacturers listed on Google or Yahoo. In many cases their websites are not even optimized for the search engines to list them.

Don't expect to get the best possible prices from those Mexican products "providers" that you can find on the web for free .-

Most of the guys and companies that are ranking at the top of the search engine results are basically American companies that are reselling Mexican products. So don't expect to get the best possible prices from them. Don't kid your self. Marketers and other middlemen exist to make a profit. Everybody knows that. It's impossible for an intermediary to sell you at a manufacturer's low price. It's against their business model.

The only way you are going to make BIG cash is by dealing direct with Mexican sources.

Get our updated Mexico trade directories and start getting incredible low prices per silver gram or per handcrafted product that you can easily resell twice as much or translate into GREATER profit margins for your self.

Low cost Mexican products that sell incredibly well world wide at Mexico-Store.com .-

With us You get fast access to this wealth of information, so that you can get in contact with the right suppliers as quick and convenient for you as possible.

Take a look at the kind of products you can start profiting from:

1- With our Mexican Silver Manufacturers Directory you will get great deals on silver rings for men and women in all sizes, earrings, necklaces, bangles, charms, chains and bracelets at super low prices per gram !

2- With the updated Mexican hand crafts and rustic furniture manufacturers directory you can get access to thousands of handcrafts that sell incredibly well in the USA and other countries. Our directory contains Mexican manufacturers of beautiful rustic wrought iron, folk art, blown crystal, talavera pottery, textile and gift items, pewter d�cor, wood hand crafts and oil paintings all made by skilled craftsmen at the lowest prices.

3- With the updated Mexican Leather products manufacturers directory you can access ultra low cost suppliers of exotic, luxurious and profitable leather products that sell like crazy at expensive prices in many parts of the world. We are talking about leather clothing, exotic boots and leather foot ware for men, woman and children, made of crocodile leather, ostrich, goat, swine, bovine and lamb, handbags, purses, elegant briefcases, soccer balls, wallets, leather cigar cases, laptop cases, sport and casual cloths among many more great products.

P.S: Bigger profits just around the corner. If you already sell silver jewelry, leather or Mexican handcrafts, imagine the savings and the immediate extra profits that you can generate by contacting cheaper reliable suppliers.

Take this opportunity and Visit us TODAY! at Mexico-Store.com

Helping you buy direct from Mexico at real cheap prices!

http://www.mexico-store.com



Mexico-Store.com helps entrepreneurs from every country in the world get access to low cost Mexican products with high resale value.

Sterling Silver Jewelry Today
Sam Serio

Sterling silver jewelry: silver and gemstone rings, sterling silver earrings, bracelets and pendants are some of the hottest fashion accessories today! Sterling silver jewelry is enjoying an unprecedented popularity with today's fashion conscious public. You know how beautifully sterling silver jewelry complements fashionable clothing and how it sparkles and shines; now here is the rest of the story.

Silver has been used since ancient times, but has not survived as well as ancient gold because it tarnished and decomposes. There have been times, however, when silver was "in"; we are going through such a vogue today.

Silver is the most common of the precious metals. Fine silver is pure silver, which is seldom used for jewelry because it is too soft. Sterling silver is 925 parts silver to 75 of copper, the alloy most often used. Silver weighs about half as much as gold, has greater flexibility, but is not as malleable, it has always been less expensive as well. A comparable piece of gold jewelry might cost four or five times that of a piece of sterling silver jewelry.

The current fashion trend toward black clothing has made silver jewelry more popular than ever. Silver likes to be worn; it stays cleaner & shinier through movement and friction. So sterling silver is a perfect accessory for today's fast paced lifestyles. Much like gold, sterling silver needs to be cleaned.

Care and Cleaning of your Sterling Silver Jewelry

1.) For daily cleaning it is recommended to use a simple jewelry polishing cloth that is impregnated with special jewelry cleaner. These are widely available and are very easy to use. Store your cloth in a plastic zip-lock bag, and keeping your jewelry drawer or
armoire. It is a good idea to have one cleaning cloth for gold and one for silver.
2.) For a slightly more "in-depth" cleaning you may want to use a liquid jewelry cleaner.
3.) For cleaning badly tarnished silver, here's a neat little trick
a)Cover the inside bottom of a heatproof glass dish on bowl with a piece of aluminum foil, shiny side up.
b)Place the tarnished silver in the bottom of the dish, contacting the aluminum foil.
c)Add 1 heaping tablespoon of baking soda, and then slowly pour boiling water to cover the piece. The tarnish will gradually collect on the aluminum foil.
d)Remove your silver, rinse thoroughly, and polish.

Here are Some Tips for Greater Enjoyment of your Sterling Silver Jewelry

1.) Are your silver chains all tied-up in knots? If so, here's a nifty little trick for straightening them out. Dust your chain with a little talcum powder and then try to unknot it. If the knot is stubborn, place a small drop of baby oil on a sheet of wax paper. Lay the knot in the oil and work it out with two pins; then clean the chain as instructed below.

2.) Always apply make-up, perfumes, oils or colognes before you put on your jewelry.
We hope you have enjoyed this special report. Please feel free to share it with your friends!


The Authors of the above Article, Sam and Tami Serio have been passionately involved with Jewelry and Gemstones for over fifteen-years. You are cordially invited to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com for a wealth of information about the fascinating world of Jewelry and Gemstones. Together they also shelter 20 abandoned and abused dogs & cats. A portion of their profits goes to the care and feeding of the animals.

Making Bracelets for fun and to sell

Janice Wee

In my younger days, I made jewelry for fun, and with the encouragement of friends and family, I started selling them off too. Back then, I did not wear jewelry, never liked wearing them anyway, though I loved making them. I eventually wore jewelry to advertise my work.

It all started when my cousin showed me the earrings she had made. I was fascinated and started experimenting with whatever I could find to make my own jewelry.

My mom is a whiz with all sorts of handicrafts. Macrame, dress making, crochet, rug making, you name it, she's probably made it. She has a nice collection of craft materials. Beads, buttons, fabrics, strings.. and she let me use her materials.

I started with bracelets. No clasps. Just plain stretchable bead bracelets that were simply wooden beads strung together on elastic.

Bracelet making is about putting together a pleasant combination of beads, both in size and color. Mix and match the colors. Mix the big ones for focus with the small ones as fillers. You can thread them through a string first to see how it looks and measure it against your wrist for the fit. Once you are satisfied with the bracelet. String the elastic through the beads and tie a dead knot and hide the loose ends of elastic under the beads.

Here are 2 sets of instruction on bracelet making. Making A Bracelet and How to Make Bead Bracelets.

Once you have made your bracelets, you can sell them to friends and family. Or even get friends to sell for you for a commission. Some pals who love selling stuff might even sell them for free, or mark up the price and take the difference as a profit. Work out something you both are comfortable with.

The writer is the webmaster of www.buy-bracelets.com - a site totally devoted to bracelets.


Wedding Jewelry Trends
Sher Matsen

Today's wedding jewelry has left the old traditional standbys behind. Today's wedding jewelry covers many styles and trends. Weddings are being used by bridal party members, and family to be creatively adorned with their favourite jewelry. Even the brides jewelry has heated up a bit from the traditional pearls. This season is seeing brides choosing rhinestones, colored faux pearls, crystals, and a host of other jewelry types.

Tradition would have wedding jewelry designed to compliment the whites of a traditional wedding. Today wedding jewelry is being used to enhance to enhance a wedding theme, or to carefully match color pallettes on the brides gown. Today brides often change attire between the wedding and the reception, requiring two sets of jewelry for her wedding day. It's not uncommon to see bride and bridesmaids wearing contrasting colored jewelry, or for beach wedding brides and bridesmaids to be seen wearing fabulous and funky beach jewelry. Even traditional weddings are seeing a more modern traditional style in jewelry.

This season the following trends are very popular for wedding jewelry:

Chandelier Earrings - These long dramatic dangle earrings make dramatic wedding earrings adorned with crystals, rhinestones, or pearls.

Chandelier Necklaces - have been transformed into elegance and are also make a very dramatic statement for halter style dresses.

The romantic styles of the 1920s, '30s, and '40s from are great for an elegant wedding. Add sparkling faceted stones and rhinestones, or vintage glass beads.

Art Deco styles are also very popular this season. Bold can look very good with the right gown.

The trendy multi-layer necklaces are very popular this season.

Dangling layers of crystal beads, pearls, and moonstone are very popular.

This season pearls of all shapes, sizes, and colors are a big hit. Non traditional dyed colors have made it to the top of the fashion statement. We are seeing wonderful shades from lavender to pink to charcoal silver.

Traditional pearls are always popular. Traditional pearls don't need to be cultured, you can buy high quality imitation pearls for a fraction of the price. Swarvoski makes a terrific crystal pearl.

Hair Jewelry add a very feminine touch to the bride and they are also perfect for the bridesmaids. Jewelry combs and beaded hair pins can add a more subtle look. Rhinestones, crystals, pearls are all making a full time appearance in hair jewelry.

A tiara can add the finishing touches to a brides. Tiaras are often made from wire and adored with beads, crystals, or rhinestones.

With all the watch fashions available today, you can truly use your watch as a jewelry accessory. Go from feminine to glitter, or match your color theme. Watches are available in all sizes, styles, and shapes for very affordable pricing.

This season leaves your creativity wide open. Jewelry styles can go from subtle to glitter. From white to bold color. Open up your imagination for the possibilites that await you! Make your fashion statement!


© Copyright Sher Matsen, All Rights Reserved.

About the author:
Sher has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing affordable estate jewelry, and a wealth of information on jewelry, fashion, designers, and beauty with on staff industry professionals. Please visit us at Estate Jewelry International.

"Don't Sell Grandma's Jewelry at a Yard Sale...What's It Worth?"

JoAnna Gilford

IDENTIFICATION
Before you can find out what a piece of jewelry is worth, you need to find out what it is. This can be as simple as turning it over and finding a maker's mark or complicated as in "hours of research". First thing first: Examine your jewelry for a maker's mark. Look on the back or on the clasp. Thoroughly examine every inch of the piece. If you see a maker's mark, start your research! Not finding a maker's mark doesn't mean it's not valuable, on the contrary; many fine pieces of jewelry were never marked. It does mean you will need to put in a little more effort in research.

If you received your jewelry from a family member, ask them about it's history. Did your grandfather give it to your grandmother right before he went off to war? Was it handed down from her mother? Answers to these questions will give you a general idea of how old it is.
Look at the style of the piece. Although many styles come back into fashion after a time, it is still possible to ID an older piece by the style and material.
Does it appear to have gemstones? Determine it they are real gemstones. You will need some sort of strong magnifying glass or ideally, a jeweler's loupe. A loupe is a small magnifying glass in various degrees of magnification. A 10X loupe should be all you need and they are relatively inexpensive. Craft and hobby stores usually sell them. Go to a well lighted place and look at the stone through the loupe. Do you see tiny bubbles in the stone? Tiny air bubbles mean it is made from glass or plastic. It's not a real gemstone. Is it open backed? Can you see the back of the stone when you turn the piece over? Does the back of the stone look shiny as in gold or silver colored foil? These are foil back rhinestones and not real gems. Foil was often added to reflect the light and create a better sparkle. Most real gems contain some type of natural inclusion. Unless you are familiar with gems and diamonds, your best bet is to take it to a jeweler or appraiser if you think it is real.
Look at the construction of the piece. This can be extremely helpful in dating a piece! Look at the clasp or pin. Are the stones individually riveted on? Is the clasp rather ornate? Does it have a layered look? What type of style is it? Does it remind you of old black and white movies? Perhaps Bette Davis or Katherine Hepburn? Does it look Victorian?
By now, you should have a general idea of age and you are ready to start your research in earnest!

RESEARCH
Head for your local library or heat up an Internet search engine! I can spend hours in my local library poring over books and books and more books. There are plenty of good jewelry reference books. Stop by your library or bookstore and check them out before buying. No sense in buying a book you will hardly use! If you choose the library, bring your jewelry with you. You can also make copies of any pages you wish to take or check out the book and bring it home. As with other research, libraries are extremely helpful. Searching on the Internet is also a quick and easy way to get fast information. Some search terms to try are:

maker's mark
vintage jewelry
the name of the maker's mark you found on your piece
the decade i.e. "1930's jewelry"
antique jewelry
collectible costume jewelry

This will give you hours of research and hundreds of pages to sort. Look at anything relevant, look for similar pieces or styles. Visit online vintage jewelry shops. Look for forums where you may be able to post a picture and ask for identification help.

If you love to research like I do, this is right up your alley! It can take hours, days sometimes weeks to find out about a certain piece. As you go, you will gain more knowledge about old jewelry and hopefully you will be as enchanted as many other collectors and dealers. It's a fascinating world of "junky jewelry"!

We are always here to help you with your pieces, so feel free to send us an email if you have questions.



Junky Jewelry buys, sells and offers consignment options for vintage, antique and collectible costume jewelry. All their licenses are current in the state of FL. Receive Junky Jewelry updates and articles in their free newsletter by visiting www.junkyjewelry.com.



40 Days and 40 Nights in the Wilderness with Venus
Nancy R. Fenn

Venus, the planet, goes retrograde (backwards) less frequently than Mercury, about every 18 months, and lasts 40 days. Because it is less frequent, it is more difficult to understand and wreaks more havoc than a Mercury retrograde. Mercury affects communication. Venus affects possessions, relationships, women's issues and most of all values. Venus asks, "What is it that you really value?"

Many astrologers also believe that Venus affects the stock market. The next Venus retrograde period begins May 17, 2004. Also check back to October 10, 2002 to see what was happening in your life during the last Venus retrograde so you can draw some conclusions as to how you handle these transits.

A client wrote me during an earlier Venus Retrograde: "I've been reading your eZines and wondering what the 'difficult time' we are all having is. Then, I experienced it with a deep, fast plunge to the bottom complete with a few extra bumps to round out the full force of impact. Whew! I haven't been down here in awhile. "

A student in my ongoing Tuesday night astrology class wanted to know, "How can a dinky little inner planet like Venus cause so much trouble?"

Well, these are very good questions.

The answer is partly imbedded in the relationship of the planet Venus to the esoteric properties of the Number 5. Let's take a closer look at this planet, Venus and the Number 5!

The physical planet of Venus (in the sky tonight) is a strange amalgam. Named after the Roman Goddess of Love, nonetheless, she is surrounded by such a noxious yellow atmosphere that life is impossible (permanent greenhouse effect). It doesn't surprise us, then, to know that the Roman goddess herself had several epithets. One of them was "Venus of the Sewers". Venus also rules venereal disease.

The ancient Aztecs had a Venutian goddess who walked the earth as a man for the 40 days of the retrograde cycle. The warlike Aztecs declared war when Venus went retrograde.

These are some of our clues as to what lies beneath the surface of a Venus retrograde transit and why it can be so disruptive on a very personal level.

In transit, Venus goes retrograde five times over a period of eight years, coming back to the same sign in which she started at the end of five 584-day cycles (or eight years). This is Venus' cycle to herself. She is working her way in stations back through the zodiac, 2 to 3 degrees earlier in each sign, each time.

The stations of Venus form a quintile (five-ish) pattern against the backdrop of the zodiac. A diagram of Venus stations across a horoscope actually makes an image like a pentagram.

The quintile aspect reminds us of the other quin in astrology -- the quincunx aspect (signs that are 5 houses before and after one another). As every astrologer worth her salt knows, the quincunx is the most difficult aspect of all to reconcile within an individual's chart (psyche). It is also very difficult to "read" in a chart other than saying there are "irreconcilable differences". There are certainly good ways for the professional to interpret this aspect but that isn't within the scope of this article.

For a good grip on the qualities of the Number 5, take a look at the "fives" in the Tarot deck. The Fives are ruled by the Major Arcana V, The Hierophant, the Teacher of Hard Life Lessons.

One of the meanings expressed by the Hierophant is that apparently there are some things in life that can only be learned in the School of Hard Knocks. People with a #5 Birth Force learn through doing not by reading books or listening to lectures.

Five is also known mystically as the "Number of Man". It represents the ability of man to understand things of an esoteric nature and is most familiarly represented in the drawing of Leonard DaVinci showing a male figure with arms and legs spread against a circular background. I remember seeing a very dramatic presentation of Marlowe's Faust in San Diego where this figure was cast in stagelights across the floor of the Dr. Faust's study as the curtain opened and Our Hero"Everyman/Faust began his mythical struggle with his own nature.

There is a good book written for professional astrologers about retrograde cycles, including Venus Retrograde, called "Retrograde Planets" by Erin Sullivan, published by Penguin Books in 1992 which explains the basic characteristics of Venus as she "turns her back" on us. The effects of this transit are among the most difficult to predict (and describe) perhaps because it is one of the very most unique and personal to each individual. This makes generalities very difficult.

Here are some examples of things that have happened to real clients of mine during Venus retrograde transits in the past.

Retrograde Venus through the 1st house:
�widow moves out of 5,000 sq ft home to downsized residence and begins to realize that house and relationship were prisons and that she is well rid of both;
�elderly woman resolves long standing issue with IRS who removes lien on her house and frees up her CD.

Retrograde Venus through the 2nd house:
�husband gets self and wife new cell phone numbers after five years with the old ones (?)

Retrograde Venus through the 3rd house:
�walls close in on man as he realizes he might lose his wife, mistress and home, all in the same month!

Retrograde Venus through the 4th house:
�Consultant breaks up with woman 15 years older, moves to another city to start over with a woman 15 years younger;
�heiress' brother announces divorce, completely upsetting family power structure;
�married boyfriend goes back to his wife with no explanation;
�woman vacillates between declaring BK, selling house and selling heirloom family jewelry

Retrograde Venus through the 5th house:
�middle aged woman comes to terms with death of mother and estrangement from brother, releasing her own intense creativity

Retrograde Venus through the 6th house:
�obsessive love for a younger man triggers long repressed memories of tragic first love in manicurist;
�boyfriend who is in the Diplomatic Corps leaves for South America for a year, triggering deep depression and abandonment issues in young girlfriend

Retrograde Venus through the 7th house:
�PhD candidate stops studies when his girlfriend is almost killed by a hit-and-run driver and hover for weeks between life and death

Retrograde Venus through the 8th house:
�husband of college professor suddenly offered opportunity for work as interpreter with a government "provider" believed to be involved in undercover work in a foreign country if he will leave with two days' notice and without knowledge of exactly where he is going

Retrograde Venus through the 9th house:
�young housewife with 2 year old baby joins metaphysics class and finds terrific outlet for her social nature and brilliant mind

Retrograde Venus through the 10th house:
�young man has Tarot card reading, discovers reasons behind many of the mysteries from his painful past

Retrograde Venus through the 11th house
�gifted intuitive artist attends Jonathan Edwards demonstration and has experience afterwards that convinces her she is going completely mad

Retrograde Venus through the 12th house:
�elderly woman seriously considers selling her home (which is free and clear) to get really free and clear!

As you can see, many of these events have to do with the areas of life which are ruled by Venus, possessions and desires.

Another mystical thing about Venus Retrograde is that the cycle lasts for 40 days. It is as if we all wander in the wilderness with our Christlike selves, and return with greater conviction about who we are and greater dedication to our selves and our purpose, some through the act of denying temptation.

During this cycle, the creative and the destructive are so closely interacting with one another it may be hard to tell the difference as ridiculous as this sounds. Feedback from trusted friends or a professional astrologer can help if you think you might be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

During a retrograde cycle, you may have no idea which end is up. But by the end of the cycle, a New Order is revealed, and order forms out of chaos. Venus retrogrades are intensely introspective and even anti-social transits that bring forth great bursts of personal creativity when complete. This is the kind of creativity which produces an art, the palette of which is life itself.

Nancy R. Fenn is a professional astrologer in the San Diego area.

Making The Most Out Of Your Closet Organization

Brian Channell

If it is hard to find certain articles of clothing in your bedroom closet each morning, you probably need to work on your closet organization. There are a lot of tools and items that will make this task easier, whether it is a major overhaul or just a simple closet organization project.

For clothes that you don't wear very often, consider purchasing a wicker 5-drawer storage tower from Target. The tower is designed to easily fit into your closet and is an easy place to store off-season clothes, socks, and undergarments. This type of closet organization is helpful because it clears up some of your rod space, allowing you easier access to the clothing that you wear on a regular basis. Target also offers a shorter chest version of the same model and is available in a 3-drawer, 4-drawer, 5-drawer, or 6-drawer design. This form of closet organization is useful because of its less exaggerated height, allowing you to store even more items on top of the unit.

There are closet organization solutions available for bulky or special garments as well. The Space Bag is a revolutionary vacuum-sealed storage system that reduces volume and increases protection. At ContainerStore.com you can purchase hanging space bags? that improve your storage space by up to 75%. These bags are vacuum-sealed and are ideal for wedding dresses, occasional-use cocktail dresses, blankets, out-of-season suits, and sweaters. If you are running out of space on your closet rod, these bags are the perfect solution to your closet organization problem. Vacuum-sealed bags are easy to use and are guaranteed to keep your items dry and out of harm's way.

Another way to improve your closet rod space is to purchase multi-tier hangers. These types of hangers allow you to store multiple items of clothing on the same hanger and are available at ContainerStore.com. The Container Store offers multi-tier hangers for skirts, slacks, and shirts. Having enough space for all of your clothing items is a key element in closet organization, and these multi-tier hangers are perfect for smaller closets or for people that have a lot of clothing items.

Another idea is to double your hanging space with a closet rod doubler, also available at The Container Store. If your closet organization project isn't going as smoothly as you had hoped, this handy item is bound to give new life to your closet. The closet rod doubler adds an additional rod below your existing closet rod, giving your closet instant space with minimal effort.

tie rackWe can't talk about closet organization without mentioning how to organize things like ties, stockings, hats, and jewelry. A lot of people find that they have no idea how to store these items in an orderly fashion. The Container Store offers clear vinyl bags specifically for storing these types of accessories, and they are available in a few different sizes. These bags hang on your closet rod and clear up your existing clutter. An important factor in closet organization is being able to see where your items are located, which is why clear storage bags are the perfect solution.

Brian Channell is an entrepreneur and manages several businesses. Please visit http://www.closetorganizertips.com/ for more home organization tips and ideas.

The Art of Collage
Eileen Bergen

The Art Of Collage
By Eileen Bergen
The Artful Crafter
http://www.theartfulcrafter.com

Collage, from the French word "coller" (to stick), is a technique
that incorporates fragments of paper and collected or found
objects into artistic compositions. The National Gallery of Art
credits Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso with legitimizing collage
as fine art. Today any material fixed to a surface may be termed
collage.

As usual, the guys get all the credit! At the risk of generalizing
I think women have a genetic proclivity for collage and have been
creating it since time began.

Women tend to arrange and organize, rearrange and reorganize, until
they see a composition that is pleasing to the eye. Women do this
with home d�cor, their dinner tables, their closets, their makeup,
their apparel, you name it.

Men, on the other hand, tend to leave things where they lie, find
organization in disorganization, have little concern (and may exhibit
actual annoyance) if you ask them to pick up after themselves or put
things back "where they belong so you can find it when you want it,
Dear".

Women's genetic tendency to artfully arrange things explains the
current rage for scrapbooking which has evolved into a very advanced
form of collage. Also in the collage category are shadow boxes,
photo collages, collaged cards, framed family history or theme collages,
and of course collage art (-for-art's sake).

1. Any collage starts with a theme or group of somehow related
objects. So look around you. Get the shoebox of family memorabilia
out of the attic. Keep your eye out for objects that appeal to you
and are mountable. Just a few suggestions: beach glass, shells, small
pieces of driftwood, dried flowers and leaves, jewelry parts, charms,
doll house furniture and accessories, machine parts, e.g. gears from
a watch or small motor, kitchen utensils, or old silverware.

You may have several groups accumulating at once; and objects may be
moved at whim from one group to another. Once you have enough in any
one group, lay them out on a table and arrange them. Let them talk to
you. Leave them for a few days, glancing at them from time to time and
moving items around until you are satisfied with the arrangement. Or if
you're really inspired, you may be pleased with your first arrangement!
It happens sometimes.

You may want to enhance or alter some objects for a special look. Paper
can be "antiqued" by carefull singeing the edges and/or washing over
the paper with tea. Some items can be painted or shellacked. You may want
only part of a photo. Tear or cut away the unwanted portion or create a
pretty mat from textured paper in a coordinated color. Objects can be
painted or colored: polka dots on a scrap of metal, a stained glass
design painted on clear glass, a matte finish on one item that would
otherwise clash with all the glossy ones - or vice versa.

2. Depending on the size and weight of your arrangement, choose
your substrate. If the collage will be large and heavy, consider masonite,
hardboard or wood, at least � inch thick. It is a good idea to glue two
firring strips to the back for support, both while you work and when you
go to hang your collage. Metal can also be used and is very effective in
combination with objects welded to it.

If you are scrapbooking, your substrate is most likely 12 X 12 inch paper
and your items need to be lightweight. Other possibilities are stretched
canvas, cardboard or wooden boxes, poster board, or for cards - any type
of cardstock or decorative paper including handmade papers.

3. Prepare your substrate if necessary. For example, you may need to
shellac or seal if you are using wood. You may want to put a wash of color
or sponged pattern as a backdrop to your theme.

4. Decide what you will need in order to mount your objects. Choose glues
appropriate for the object and the substrate; preferably ones which dry
transparent. Try to avoid any glue seeping out from the edges by carefully
placing and spreading the glue and letting it come to a proper tack before
placing each object on the base. Follow the manufacturer's label
instructions. Be sure the adhesive is permanent and, if you are working
with photos, also acid-free. Some consumer tapes, glue sticks and liquid
adhesives are not permanent or may react with photographs and cause them
to deteriorate. Some of these adhesives contain acids and other materials,
such as plasticizers or softening agents, which can migrate onto a
photograph and cause discoloration, fading and brittleness.

Other possible fasteners are nails, tacks (especially decorative ones such
as upholstery tacks), pegs, bolts, glue dots, stick pins, wire and tape.
Or you might take up welding. You wouldn't be the first woman to do so!

If you are a woman looking for your artistic or profitable niche, I
recommend you give some type of collage a try. It just comes so naturally
to most women that you may find it feeds the soul, as well as the
pocketbook.

For more artilcrs, tips and ideas about crafts and the crafting business,
visit http://www.theartfulcrafter.com

Eileen Bergen
The Artful Crafter
http://www.theartfulcrafter.com



Ms. Bergen has had a varied career, first as a special education teacher and than, after getting a MBA degree, as a vice president of a major insurance company. For the last eight years she has been creating and selling her crafts.

Finding Your Niche on the Internet

Angela Wu

Those who are new to the Internet business world -- heck,
even those who have been successfully operating online
businesses for some time -- can attest to the difficulty
in deciding what to sell.

"Newbies" in particular may be led to believe that the
more "stuff" they sell on their websites, the more money
they'll make. They place dozens of banners and ads on
their sites for everything from dating services to internet
marketing manuals, from pet toys to self-improvement tapes.
It's pretty hard to persuade a visitor to purchase anything
from a site like this; chances are -- if they even managed
to find your site in the first place! -- they'll simply go
back to the search engines and find a site that's offering
them exactly what they want. One click-of-the-mouse and
they're gone, probably for good.

You can't be everything to everyone. Choosing a tightly
focused niche market gives you the ability to home in on
a specific group of like-minded individuals: it's easier
to find out what they want, and thus easier to come up
with and develop new products and services. It's also
easier to make your site "stand out"! You'll have a better
chance of success if you take the time to define a niche.

However, the strain of trying to figure out what to build
a business around often leads people to do what they
perceive as the "easiest": copy what other people are
doing.

For instance, many people decide to build websites around
teaching others how to market on the internet. But if you
use Overture's popular Search Suggestion Tool, you'll see
that "internet marketing" received 102085 searches (at the
time of writing), compared to:

* recipe - over 1 million searches
* pet supply - 109975
* jewelry - 449044
* gardening - 787621
* golf club - 548398
* exercise - 129368

As you can see, there's a market for a wide variety of
products and services. Your "job" is to figure out what
people are looking for -- whether it's a new product or
an "improved" version of an existing product -- and ask
yourself how you can fill that need.

As you do your research, try to assess the demand (ie.
how many people are looking for that type of product)
in relation to the supply (ie. how many businesses
provide the product and how well they do at meeting
the demand). Ideally, a great niche market would be
one for which there is high demand but not (yet)
enough supply.

There is always the possibility that there's no real
demand for the product, which is why no one has bothered
to create it. Most people would prefer to find this out
before they invested a great deal of time, effort and
money into creating a product no one wants!

Even if you don't create your own product but instead
decide to promote affiliate programs, a great deal of
work still goes into the promotion of your affiliate
link.

One way to research a new idea is to run the key phrases
that represent your business through the NicheFinder
software ( http://onlinebusinessbasics.com/findniche.html ).
This software will automatically produce several informative
and eye-opening reports and charts to help you assess the
potential of your idea.

Some people start businesses related to their current line
of work because they already have many of the skills and
the experience they need. Others build their business
around specific interests or hobbies. Regardless of what
you do, be sure it's something you *want* to do -- don't
choose a niche solely because "other people are doing it"
or because you think "you can make lots of money". Do what
you love, and *enjoy* the journey to building a profitable
business.



_________

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Angela is the editor of Online Business Basics, a practical
guide to building a business on a shoestring budget. It
features loads of instantly usable tips and tools that
were specifically chosen for beginners. For details, visit
http://onlinebusinessbasics.com/article.html
or download the free trial version of the Online Business
Basics manual: http://onlinebusinessbasics.com/freebook.html


Everything You Need to Know About a Secured Loan
John Mussi

If you're not familiar with the term, a secured loan is a loan which requires a security deposit of some kind (also known as collateral) to protect the lender against nonpayment. The secured loan is the preferred type of loan for lenders who deal with people with bad credit, but is also used when purchasing certain types of property (such as an automobile or real estate.) Interest rates tend to be lower with a secured loan than with an unsecured loan (which doesn't require collateral, but charges higher interest rates to cover the additional risk.)

Types of collateral
Just about any property with value can be used as collateral for a secured loan, though some types are more common than others. Jewelry and rare coin collections can be used as collateral for some loans, though they are usually held by the lender to help protect them from theft or loss. Automobiles and real estate are popular forms of collateral, and lenders usually allow you to keep them while you repay the loan- you simply turn over the deed or title and the lender is given a legal claim to the car or house in case you should default on you secured loan (which is a fancy way of saying that you don't pay it back.) Car financing and mortgages are both forms of secured loans, in which the automobile or real estate that you're buying with the loan serves as the collateral for the lender.

How a secured loan works
When you get a secured loan, the lender will either take your collateral or process your collateral so that they have a legal claim to it. You will receive the money for the loan, which is often somewhat less than the value of the collateral- that way if you should default on your secured loan then the lender will still be able to get their money back. When you repay your loan then the lender will either return the property that you submitted as collateral or they will present you with a release- which means that they no longer have any legal claim to the property and you can prove it. Should you default on your loan, however, then after attempting to collect the debt the lender will be free to repossess and sell your collateral in order to get their money back.

Shopping for a secured loan
Before deciding on a secured loan, you should shop around and compare your options. Look for the lender that offers the lowest interest rates and borrow only the minimum amount that you need to get by. After all, the less you borrow with a secured loan then the less you have to pay back- and the lower your chances of losing your collateral.

You may freely reprint this article provided the following author's biography (including the live URL link) remains intact:


John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help homeowners find the best available loans via the www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.

Body Jewelry: an unusual way of enhancing the beauty of your own body

Angela Davis

Since ancient times body jewelry has been a part of the culture and heritage of different religions. It has been known to be an essential part of the clothing and appearance of the people in many regions of the world. At different parts of time through the centuries it was also used to signify the class demarcations prevalent in society at that point of time.

How ever in recent times it has acquired a new dimension. Body jewelry has never been in such high demand. The human body is not merely a body, it is a piece of art which has its own innate beauty and body jewelry is the perfect way to enhance the beauty of your body. Not only can you decorate your body with it, but you can also use it to bring into focus certain parts of your body or to enhance the beauty of certain parts.

Body jewelry items are usually for particular places on the human body. These more common places for body jewelry include the nose, eyebrow, nipple, ear lobes and naval, along with ear plugs (both curved and straight barbells). As fashion trends keep changing, the various parts where you can use body jewelry and the manner in which you can use it also keeps changing.

Nose body jewelry comes either in the classic captive circular barbell, or in the form of a nose screw. The nose screw can either be jeweled or plain, depending upon your preference. Eyebrow body jewelry is similar to that of the nose, in the sense that the eyebrow body jewelry also has the small captive barbell. This is now being made with a dangling, sparkling charm to hang from the upper most part of your eyebrow barbell. The eyebrow body jewelry can be either curved or straight with a charm of any style or color dangling from the top.

Nipple and naval body jewelry is one of the more popular types of body jewelry, it sis especially popular amongst the youth or the more adventurous in spirit. Nipple body jewelry includes the nipple barbells and the nipple shields. Naval body jewelry designs are also endless.

Whatever kind of body jewelry you use or wear it is important to keep some pointers in mind. Such as what kind of material is that specific body jewelry made off, is your skin allergic to it and is the piercing for the body jewelry done in a sterile and antiseptic environment.

This kind of jewelry is available for almost every conceivable part of your body. There are endless styles, designs, colors and textures in which body jewelry is made. What ever your budget, whether it is low end or high end; body jewelry is available in every range to suit your pocket as well as your tastes.

Body jewelry is not merely a decorative fixture; it is also a personal style statement. You can use it to bring attention or to take away attention from a specific part of your body. It is quite in vogue these days and has been in existence since time immemorial. If you have the attitude and the panache you can carry of any kind of body jewelry.


Looking for information about Jewelry?
Go to: http://www.merryjewelry.com
'Merry Jewelry' is published by Angela Davis -
The Complete Jewelry Resource Directory
Check out more Jewelry articles at: http://www.merryjewelry.com/archive

Proper Medical Identification could save your LIFE
Rick Pack

Everyone with a medical condition or allergy should have a medical id alert bracelet. There are many places that you can find a wide variety of medical alert jewelry styles, especially on the internet. Most are custom-engraved, stainless steel medical ID bracelets or necklaces. Each one should be able to hold between four to six lines of medical information (for a variety of conditions, diseases, allergies) and engraved in red so the information is easy to read by emergency personnel.
Over 60 million Americans have a medical condition, which should be immediately known to Emergency Personnel. Diabetes, Alzheimer's symptoms and care, transplant surgery, mentally disabled, Patient's currently on Blood Thinners such as Coumadin, coronary heart disease, epilepsy, child safety, childhood asthma, Asthma allergy, individuals that are HIV positive or that have hepatitis, heart disease patients and cancer patients, children should have one for identification purposes, people who have drug allergies such as penicillin, codeine, antibiotics, bee stings or any other medications.
Medical id alert bracelets are designed to be noticed by trained personnel. Wear them for yourself and for your family and loved ones, with this valuable information your emergency worker will already be ahead of the game. Remember your medical id alert bracelet speaks when you can not!
Children especially should have the proper medical information on them at all times, (child safety) especially if they have a serious condition or drug allergy. Asthma allergy, Diabetes, Bee Sting Allergy, Hearing Impaired, or any other condition that medical personnel should know about when you can not be with your child. Children are active and we love to see them enjoy life and the happiness the can bring to others, so when you can not be there to give this vitally important information be sure their medical id alert bracelet can! Update the information as needed, the price of a new one is only a small price when weighed against the alternative. Also have multiple types, such as: Bracelet and Wallet card or both a bracelet and a necklace if active in sports when a necklace could cause injury.
We do hope this site has provided valuable insight into Medical alert jewelry and that if you do not have one yet, you will get one NOW!

My wife and I decided to publish this article because of the large number of children that we deal with everyday in our pharmacy/clinic setting. Many of these children have asthma allergies, medical conditions; such as childhood or bronchial asthma, diabetes or information that emergency personnel should know to effectively treat them in case of an emergency and do not have proper medical id on them. We hope that through this article we can raise the awareness to the importance of medical id alert bracelets for identification to everyone.

Please help us and tell your family, friends, and co-workers about this important emergency product. You will probably be amazed at the responses. Everything from "I haven't gotten around to ordering one yet", to "my mother is with me at all times so she doesn't need one." We have tried to give examples of situations in which a medical id bracelet could play an important role, and some medical conditions that are in serious need for proper identification in an emergency. (such as Alzheimer's Care in our graying society)

It is easier to understand how medical id alert tags can help in an emergency situation when explained by example. Therefore here are a few real life situations to think about.

*When you are on vacation and not near your regular physician.

*Your family member (with Alzheimer's) is at a day program and you are not with them. (Alzheimer's Care)

*Child with bee sting allergy is at park with friends and gets stung.

*Sports oriented child with asthma. (Childhood Asthma Allergy

*Cerebral Palsy patient is rushed to hospital without caregiver.

*Diabetic child at camp passes out from high blood sugar.

*Child with severe food allergies spends the night with friends.

*In accident while traveling and you are without your medical records.

*Coronary heart disease

*You or family member on blood thinners has another heart attack and (emergency personnel need to know this so they do not to give too much medication).

*Person with Epilepsy is around those who do not know the symptoms.

Mentally challenged loved one who is not able to be with you 24 hours a day.

DNR wishes

*Shunts for dialysis patients, warn of incapability of blood pressure/injections in that arm.

*Who to contact for you if needed in any emergency situation and you are away from home.

Think about it, how would anyone know what medical conditions/allergies you have to begin to treat you. With proper medical id medical personnel have a head start, while you and your family know that you have a better chance now that you wear your medical id.

Hopefully now your are ready to get your Medical ID alert bracelet.

Your Patient Specific Medical ID Bracelet can be ordered on-line at http://www.medicalidalertbracelet.com which is sponsored by Diabetic Drug Store http://www.diabeticdrugstore.com
These ID bracelets are engraved exactly as your specify and could save your life.

Pharmacist, married, 3 children. Works in family pharmacy for last 30 years.

Vacationing Tips to Protect You and Your Family

Jordan Walt

A.I.C. Insurance Agency Offers Vacation Tips to Protect You and Your Family
Milwaukie, OR Feb. 28, 2005 - Vacations should be a time spent having fun and relaxing. By taking a few extra precautions while traveling, you can prevent yourself, or your friends and family, from being a victim of crime. A.I.C. Insurance Agency and Travelers, a leading provider of auto and homeowners insurance, offer these safety tips to help you, your friends and family have a fun and safe vacation:
� Do not carry large amounts of cash. Use traveler's checks that can usually be replaced within 24 hours.
� Use ATMs only during daylight hours. If you must use one after dark, try and find a well-lit, busy area such as a grocery store.
� Leave copies of trip information with a friend or family member at home. This includes credit card numbers, passport numbers, plane tickets and itinerary
information, and phone numbers for your credit card companies.
� Keep credit cards, cash, passport, and plane tickets separate.
� Wear a "money purse" underneath your clothes that contains passport, phone numbers for credit card companies, and a small amount of cash, should your wallet get stolen.
� Carry a "dummy" wallet in your back pocket containing $20 which, if you were to be mugged, would satisfy the robber without draining all of your funds.
� Have your mail delivery stopped while on vacation. If you have a neighbor
retrieving mail and newspapers while you are away, ensure that they will be there
every day. Nothing says an empty house like a stack of mail or newspapers at the front door.
� Do not assume your personal documents are safe in your hotel room. Lock them in a safe while the room is unoccupied.
� Have separate ATM, debit and credit cards and make sure that you need a PIN for in-store use of a debit card, not only for the ATM.
� For women, do not hang purses on the back of bathroom stall doors. It is very easy for someone to reach over the door and grab it.
� Leave your regular checkbook at home. If your checks are stolen, it's difficult to cancel them and track their use as you would a credit card. Plus, if someone reorders checks in your name, you won't realize it until you receive your bank statement.
� Only carry credit cards that you will need on vacation. Leave cards for particular department stores or things like gas cards at home.
� Remember that your credit card number is on your plane tickets, so treat them as you would a credit card.
� Cover ATM key pads when entering your PIN. People could be watching over your shoulder, or even from a distance, and then later attempt to steal your wallet and use this information.
� Use common sense when traveling. Do not draw attention to yourself as a tourist. Avoid reading maps in a busy, high-traffic area, carry your camera in a tote bag rather than the carrying case, and do not flaunt large amounts of cash when removing money from your wallet or pocket.
Your homeowners, condo or renters insurance policy may cover loss or damage of your personal items while traveling, up to specified limits. Take time before you go on vacation to compile a personal property inventory, which helps determine replacement cost of lost items. Document each item's year of purchase and original price. Items that may exceed policy limits, such as jewelry, cameras and golf equipment, need additional protection such as Travelers valuable items insurance. To ensure you have the coverage you need, contact your independent insurance agent.

Established in 1995, AIC Insurance Agency is an independent insurance agency offering a full range of insurance products including auto, home, life, commercial, and more.
For information and quotes on insurance coverage, please visit AIC Insurance Agency at 14000 SE Johnson Rd. Ste.210 in Milwaukie, OR, or call 503-653-8287.
Travelers, the second largest writer of auto and homeowners insurance through independent agents, is a member of St. Paul Travelers, a leading provider of property casualty insurance and asset management services. For more information, visit www.travelers.com


Graduate of Oregon State University, and independent insurance agent in Oregon.

Antique Jewelry: a timeless and elegant adornment
Angela Davis

Antique jewelry is a timeless classic adornment which can never go out of fashion. It is the epitome of ethereal charm, delicate grace and a gentle reminder of a bygone era. It is that jewelry which has been made during and before the early 1900's.

The jewelry has its own unique character which cannot be copied or imitated. In most cases antique jewelry is handcrafted. It has exquisite craftsmanship and a very special whimsical aura surrounding it, which sets it apart from all other jewelry, however beautiful or expensive they maybe. There is an understated classic elegance inherent in the design and styling. Though widely looked upon as being something worn by only those who are older; perceptions are gradually changing. It is now also seen as a very fashionable ornament which is quite in vogue and is worn by almost anyone, irrespective of their age group.

This kind of jewelry is not available in just any departmental store or some other normal jewelry shop, it can most often be found in niche show rooms, exclusive boutiques, and big auction houses and in antique dealer stores. These are the more reliable places from where you can acquire antique jewelry. Though there are many websites online and other shops which sell this kind of jewelry; it is best to be cautious. The reason being that in many cases the antique jewelry being sold is not actually an original . Also you could charged an exorbitant price for a piece which is not actually that expensive. Unless you have a trained eye and know the difference, it is easy to be fooled.

In many cases antique jewelry has also been handed down from one generation to another and is a part of the family heirlooms. Some antique jewelry can actually be quite expensive and a real collectors item.

Just a simple piece of antique jewelry can greatly enhance your over all appearance, add to your appeal and lend a sophisticated charm to your entire persona. Being the beautiful pieces that they are, this jewelry can easily attract attention and can become the focal point of any conversation. However not every one can carry off antique jewelry, you have to have a certain inner beauty and dignity to wear it.

One of the best things about antique jewelry is that its value only appreciates with time. In fact some of the pieces are valuable collector's item and can fetch huge sums of money. They can in the long run, actually prove to be good investments.

Antique jewelry is a wonderful thing to buy for yourself, a delightful possession and also a great thing to gift to some one special in your life. Whether it is your daughter, mother, wife, girlfriend or sister; antique jewelry is that gift which lets the other person know how much they mean to you. Also this jewelry is not just restricted to women; there are beautiful intricate pieces which are there for men too.

So go ahead indulge yourself and relive the beauty of a bygone era.

Looking for information about Jewelry?
Go to: http://www.merryjewelry.com
'Merry Jewelry' is published by Angela Davis -
The Complete Jewelry Resource Directory
Check out more Jewelry articles at: http://www.merryjewelry.com/archive

Finding The Best Display Case For Your Treasures

Antigone Arthur

Finding The Best Display Case For Your Treasures

Maybe you have a bunch of collectibles sitting in your closet gathering dust. Or perhaps you've been storing your fine China in the kitchen cupboards instead of a hutch. Far too often we sequester our prized possessions rather than place them where they deserve to be... on display.

Finding a good display case and setting it up is probably a lot easier than you think it might be. Yes, there are many display cases to choose from. Occasionally you may have a need for a specialty case. Fortunately there are some easy steps to follow to find the right case to show off your treasures.

Finding The Right Case

If you truly want to show off your valuables, first you have to find the right case. There are certain circumstances that warrant a specialty case. If you aren't sure if you need a specialty case, here are some examples of cases that will help you decide:

• Die cast car display cases
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• Flag display cases (military flag burial cases)
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• Football jersey display cases (and other sports memorabilia)
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• Jewelry display cases
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• Sword display cases (and knife cases)
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• Commercial pet display cases

If your prized possessions don't fit into any of the above categories, chances are you can get away with ordinary wooden display cases. This is good news because there are dozens to choose from. Even if you need a specialty case rest assured you are bound to find the right one to meet your needs.

Before deciding the right display case you first have to decide what exactly you want to display. Some people prefer displaying coins and other similar collections, while others want to show off their favorite jersey or an award from some memorable event. Keep in mind there are display cases large and small to accommodate each of these needs.

Once you decide what you want to display, figure out how much of it you have. This will help you decide the size of the case you need. If you want to show off your coin collection and have more than 100 coins, you'll need a larger case than a standard size small display. Keep this in mind when shopping.

When picking your display case, also keep in mind where you plan to display your treasures. You'll want to place them in a prominent place, but likely you don't want to waste too much room overall. Fortunately you can select an elegant yet compact case many times to suit your needs.

When looking at display cases, you should have in mind how many shelves, hooks, mirrors or other accessories you'll need to showcase your items. A mirror is always a great bonus because it can reflect your treasured collectibles within.

You should review several different models of display case before you decide the one that is best for you. Keep in mind when selecting your display case you will likely also need many accessories. Some of the more common accessories include anchoring wax, polish, self-adhesives and stick on feet. If you plan to hang your china you will need the proper hooks to do so. You also want to be sure to select a case that is sturdy. A sturdy case will last a lifetime.

Display Your Items Correctly

Once you decide the right type of case you'll want to display your items correctly. You want your collectibles to look great and put a smile on your face. Whether an expert or novice, you can do this following a few easy steps.

First, group your collectibles together. Next, be sure you place small objects together. Remember that when it comes to a display, less is more. The more items you try to jam pack in your display, the more distracted the onlooker will be. Try to select a few key pieces or even one piece to highlight if you can. This piece can form the center of your display. Then, if you choose, you can surround this object with others.

Remember, your display should reflect a little of your personality as well. Have fun when creating your display. Pick and choose accessories as you see fit. And remember, you can always change things around to spice them up over time!

Antigone Arthur is a successful writer providing informative articles on such topics as sword display cases, wooden display cases and diecast car display cases.

Explaining The Karat!
Jeff

What does the karat number mean on Gold Jewelry? We will explain..

Jeff Anderson knows his gold. He knows what to look for and what pitfalls to avoid. Let him guide you to finding out more about gold. Contact him at Jeff@goldenstuff.com or visit the blog at his site www.goldenstuff.com.