Archive for the ‘Jewelry’ Category
Ten Body Piercing Safety Tips
Body piercing is all the rage with individuals of all ages. Whether you are choosing to pierce ears, lips, noses, eyebrows, tongues, or something a bit more risqué, safety and hygiene should be at the top of the check list before you run out and grab a needle. These ten tips for body piercing safety will ensure your piercing does not result in a potentially dangerous infection.
1.) Only use a professional.
Piercing is something that should only be performed by a professional. It is a great deal more complicated than simply pushing a needle through a part of your body. Choose a reliable professional and seek a consultation before you make the decision to pierce. Home piercing jobs are most likely to lead to complications or infections.
2.) Ask questions.
Think of a interviewing a potential piercer the same as you would a doctor. Ask about their cleanliness and disease prevention policies. A great many diseases, including AIDS and Hepatitis can be spread through using dirty needles, so you should ensure your quality of health is not compromised. Do not feel ashamed or embarrassed to ask the necessary questions, and beware of any so-called professional who seems unwilling or unable to provide answers.
3.) Choose wisely.
Just as each body is different, everyone will not be able to successfully pierce their chosen spot. Once you seek a professional to pierce your body, ensure the piercing can be successful. For example, individuals with an “out-ie” belly button are unable to have a belly button piercing due to the orientation. Also, some individuals are unable to have their tongue correctly pierced due to the orientation of essential nerves and blood vessels.
4.) Think about the impact.
It’s a necessary fact of the matter that most employers frown upon visible body piercings. Regardless of your personal feeling on body piercings, know that you may be discriminated against or viewed in an unfavorable light by some individuals only due to your body piercings. Before you decide on any piercing, consider the impact on your image and your life.
5.) Choose quality body jewelry.
When it comes to choosing body jewelry, ensure you choose quality metals or high carbonate plastics that will work well in your body and not have any complications. Most body piercing jewelry is either gold with a high karat count or surgical quality stainless steel. Avoid cheap or flimsy body jewelry and focus on the quality instead of the design.
6.) Keep it clean.
After the body part has been pierced, it is essential to keep the hole clean. Your body sees a piercing as a wound, so cleanliness is the key. Remember, infections also do not discriminate between piercing holes and puncture wounds.
7.) Keep it dry.
Most piercers agree that the hole should be kept dry until healing has commenced. Keep your piercing hole free of salvia, sweat, salt water, or chlorine water, since all of these liquids can case infection.
8.) Avoid makeup.
If you are choosing a facial piercing, avoid polluting the hole with makeup. Most cosmetic products are made with oils that can invade the piercing hole and cause infection.
9.) Identify infection.
Keep an eye out for infections that can quickly and easily cause pain and discomfort. Not all infections work in the same manner, but warning signs include any type of discharge from the wound, fever, pain, discomfort, swelling, and redness around the hole.
10.) Seek medical attention.
If your piercing is exhibiting signs of infection or complication, immediately seek medical attention. Also, if the piercing is routinely painful and does not seem to heal, you should seek treatment by your primary health care provider.
When it comes to diamonds, there are numerous scams to avoid. Most scams are minor, but there are some major ones that come up from time to time concerning the buying and selling of diamonds. Scams occur simply because most people who buy diamonds – for whatever reasons – don’t know that much about diamonds. Therefore, they are easily fooled.
Jewelry stores like to show their diamonds in bright lights. Lights make diamonds shine. Ask to see the diamond in a different, darker type of lighting as well. Jewelry also stores often run ‘fluorescence’ scams to varying degrees. Referring to a diamond as a blue-white diamond is such a scam. A blue-white diamond sounds very unique and special, but in fact, this type of diamond is of lesser quality – even though the jeweler will try to make you think you are getting something special.
A common scam that most jewelry stores participate in is the Carat Total Weight scam. The tag on the piece of jewelry, usually a ring, only states the total carat weight of all diamonds in the piece, instead of listing the total weights separately for each diamond. This leads consumers to believe that the main diamond in the piece is actually bigger than it is. Ask what the total carat weight of the center stone is. Also beware of fractions. Jewelry stores are allowed to round off diamond weights. This means that if the jeweler tells you that it is a ¾ carat diamond, it is probably between ½ and ¾ carat – but closer to ¾.
Some truly unscrupulous jewelers target those who want appraisals on diamonds that were given to them as gifts or that were purchased elsewhere. They will try to tell you that the diamond is worthless, or worth less than it actually is worth – and offer to take it off your hands or trade it for a much better diamond, along with the cash to make up the difference. This is called low balling. Get a second, third, and even a forth opinion before taking any action.
Jewelry stores often run ‘fluorescence’ scams to varying degrees. Referring to a diamond as a blue-white diamond is such a scam. A blue-white diamond sounds very unique and special, but in fact, this type of diamond is of lesser quality – even though the jeweler will try to make you think you are getting something special. Jewelry stores also like to show their diamonds in bright lights. Lights make diamonds shine. Ask to see the diamond in a different, darker type of lighting as well.
Another common dirty trick is to switch the diamond you have chosen and paid for with one of lesser quality and value when you leave it to be set in a piece of jewelry, or leave a diamond ring to be sized. The only way to avoid this is to do business with one trustworthy jeweler. Avoid jewelers that you have not done business with in the past.
There are many more scams that jewelry stores commonly pull on unsuspecting consumers. Just use your best judgment, and purchase your diamonds with the utmost care and consideration.
Nothing allows you to express your personality, feel closer to the spirit of traditional American culture, and add something truly unique and personal to your life like wearing an authentic Native American bracelet on your wrist. But how do you safely choose a real, attractive piece that also says the right things about you?
The wonderful craftsmanship, striking appeal, and fun originality of Native American Indian bracelets make them the top choice for the person who wants to wear something a little different than everyone else and own a unique piece of jewelry. However, the range of styles, the unknown authenticity, and the difficulty of finding the right store can make the choice difficult.
Fortunately, the selection of your Native American bracelet doesn’t have to be difficult at all. Once you know a few easy points to keep in mind, you can relax and shop to your heart’s content, without that fear of making the wrong choice or ending up with a bracelet that isn’t right for you.
1. Turquoise bracelets come in many varieties.
Everyone has a different mental image spring up when they hear “turquoise bracelets.” You may picture large stones, closely spaced and reaching orderly around the wrist. Or you may think of a circular, mandala-like arrangement of smaller blue-green stones on a centerpiece on the top of the wrist, with the band wrapping around underneath.
In fact, the use of turquoise in Native American bracelets is varied, often used in conjunction with other, multi-colored stones or clever use of silver and other metals. Often, the best piece will include one or two small turquoise pieces to accentuate other colors and textures. Then again, some pieces employ turquoise stones as their main feature, and do so with the utmost craft and beauty.
It is up to you which suits you, but you can shop secure in the knowledge that Native American turquoise retains its beauty even as other trends come and go.
2. Simplicity is beautiful.
It is entirely possible that the piece that speaks to you the best is very simple in design. Perhaps it is a silver band with a simple twisted pattern, or a restrained series of ridges. Maybe your look and personality are accented best by a bracelet with a single, large stone of turquoise or other mineral – just a splash of color to catch the eye. Complicated designs and details may look good in the shop display case, but aren’t necessarily the type of Native American bracelet that suit your taste.
3. Intricacy is beautiful.
On the other hand, the intriguingly intricate designs of an elaborately-crafted bracelet can be the conversation piece that sparks confidence, inspiration, and even admiring comments from others! The obvious genius that has gone into a bracelet with clever juxtapositions of its carvings, stamps, stones and/or silverwork can be just the thing that heightens your daily experience and communicates to others just what you want to say.
4. Only shop at places that offer buyer protection.
The most comfortable, free way to shop is when you know that your purchase is backed by a reputable company. In this internet age, the best place to buy Native American bracelets is online, through websites that offer protection to the buyer.
For example, the web’s premier auction house, eBay, always has hundreds of listings featuring one-of-a-kind Native American bracelets and other jewelry. eBay features an extensive system to ensure buyers are happy; you can contact the seller before bidding, check comments from the seller’s previous customers, send payment safely with your credit card through PayPal, keep your private information hidden, and even appeal to eBay when an item is not as described.
Furthermore, eBay listings feature one or more pictures of the item, as well as its dimensions and, often, the piece’s history. In short, you should stick to places like eBay that bring together sellers and buyers with several layers of protection for you. The biggest sites became big thanks to buyer satisfaction, which they take very seriously.
5. Nobody knows what you need like you do!
Sellers will try their best to use flowery language and convincing descriptions to get your business. However, only YOU know what is right for you. And as long as you are happy about the financial protection you as a shopper are receiving, you can tune all of that out and just get the Native American bracelet that speaks to you the loudest. YOU know which one that is… it’s just a matter of looking until you find it! Look at websites like http://native-american-store.fournotes.com for the widest selection of bracelets and sellers. Choice is always good!
Whether buying a lovely Native American bracelet for yourself, or as a gift for a friend or family member, it’s important to remember that there are very easy ways to ensure that you are getting the best value for your money. You want to be sure the bracelet is authentic, the seller is reputable, and the design suits the person it will be adorning. Use the tips in this article and you are virtually assured of being happy with your beautiful, exclusive bracelet!
