Hope Diamond Knock Off
The Smithsonian Institution recently announced that it has licensed its renowned gem and jewelry collection to create a line of bracelets, brooches and other baubles with the TV shopping network QVC.
The jewelry line expected to launch this fall will be based on the National Gem and Mineral Collection at the National Museum of Natural History, which includes the famous Hope Diamond, The Wittelsbach Blue Diamond and Marie Antoinette earrings among 375,000 specimens. Curators will help oversee creation of the jewelry line.
"With all of our licensed products, everything is reviewed and approved by curators in advance," said Smithsonian spokeswoman Linda St. Thomas in a press release.
Curators also will record interviews for QVC to help introduce the collections and offer a glimpse behind the scenes at the museum in Washington, she said.
"We will create jewelry that is not only fashionable, but also serves to educate the public about the Smithsonian and the jewelry, gems and minerals found in its collections," said Carol LeBlanc, director of consumer products for the Smithsonian Enterprises business unit.
The QVC line will include primarily costume jewelry and semiprecious stones. Some of the earrings, rings, bracelets, pins and brooches will be based on designs of pieces in the museum, while others will simply be inspired by its collection, including the 45.5-carat, walnut-size Hope Diamond, long rumored to carry a curse. The line won't include real diamonds.
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www.pakjewelry.netLabels: diamond jewelry, Gemstone, Jewelry
Four secrets to bridal success
1. Build-it-yourself If the recession taught jewelers one thing, it was that they need to wean themselves off of the habit of over-stocking inventory that does not move. Enter the next generation of bridal ring-building programs, which let jewelers and customers get exactly what they want, minus the risk. "Some people might not believe in it...but I think it's a good add-on for your existing business," says Pat Javaheri, president of Los Angeles-based manufacturer Amden Jewelry. Five years ago, the 35-year-old company got into the business of crafting the orders that come from custom ring-building programs. Since then, the number of existing programs has increased by roughly 20 percent, Javaheri says. As is the case for all technology, the functionality and appearance of existing programs for the jewelry industry have improved at dizzying speeds.M. Geller, which launched version one of its Bridal Ring Builder in 2004, is now on the third version, says Louis Price, chief operating officer. Upgrades to the program include changes to the layout and color schemes, and simplified search functions, all with the aim of making the program as user-friendly as possible. "We all look at the competitive ball field," Price says in explaining why it was time for Bridal Ring Builder, part III. "We all look at the technology evolving in the competitive marketplace." 2. Fake it 'til you make it It's a stand-off: Retailers are hesitant to plunk down cash to fill their display cases with diamond engagement rings that are not sure sellers, and vendors have trouble securing the credit that enables them to supply entire showrooms on memo. One solution comes via the growing number of suppliers offering "brass-and-glass" inventory programs that allow retailers to purchase engagement ring replicas made of metal alloy and cubic zirconia at a fraction of the cost of rings made of diamonds and precious metal. If your initial reaction is "not in my store," you are not alone. "We have a lot of customers that when we introduced it, said 'This is not for me, I only sell the real thing,'" Gabriel and Co.'s Dominick Gabriel says of his company's Bridal Sample Program, launched in January 2008. Yet those same jewelers reconsidered after they saw how well the systems were working for other retailers, he says. Gabriel and Co. offers eight different assortments of its best-selling mountings, and also gives jewelers the option to handpick their own mixes. Bridal consumers do not complain about the look of the replicas--nor do they seem to mind the wait that comes with ordering either, as the majority of bridal is custom ordered anyway, Gabriel says.One word of advice Gabriel offers to retailers who carry the samples: carry about 10 to 20 real sets of popular engagement ring styles. "You know your market best and you need some live because you're always going to have the guy that wants to get engaged that day," he says.Overnight Mountings Vice President Matthew Roth also sees jewelers' acceptance of brass-and-glass-type programs growing. "It has been an easier hurdle to overcome because jewelers talk," Roth says. "Jewelers speak with jewelers. Jewelers hear from one another that the program is working."3. Something new for metal-heads While there are surely different views in the industry regarding which precious or contemporary metal is the most attractive, durable and stylish, the variety of metal options now available is a welcome development for consumers with an eye on their pocketbooks. For engaged couples that visit Nina Mohr of Nina Jewelry in Manchester Center, Vt., "18-karat white gold and platinum are still the best sellers," she says. But that doesn't mean those are the only metals Nina Jewelry sells. The retailer, like a number of Scott Kay retail partners, recently introduced the brand's new SK Cobalt line of men's wedding bands crafted from BioBlu 27, a white cobalt alloy.Buzz about another metal, palladium, has been subsiding since Palladium Alliance International (PAI) kicked off a trade campaign two years ago, but palladium remains a consideration for price-sensitive consumers seeking a natural white metal. At press time, palladium was trading at less than half the price of gold and a third of the price of platinum. Designer Scott Kay, like a number of manufacturers and retailers, laments the lack of an active industry marketing arm for palladium (PAI has been "dormant" in the United States for the past year, a spokesperson told National Jeweler in November), but says that palladium remains a big part of Scott Kay's bridal business, and the company continues to educate its retail partners on the metal's fine attributes.The brand is doing the same for SK Cobalt."When unconventional metals come into the U.S. market, we really want consumers to understand what they are," Kay says.That means providing retailers with training and point-of-sale materials, and marketing SK Cobalt direct to consumers via publications such as Brides and Bridal Guide.So far, Kay says, the response has been "tremendous," as demand for both attractive price points and contemporary metal jewelry remains strong."Intrinsic value doesn't drive the consumer so much as how it feels on their hand," he says.At retail, Scott Kay's palladium bands average about $600 to $700, while the SK Cobalt bands average about $250 to $300.4. Seize the celebrity endorsement Colored diamonds have been red-carpet regulars over the past few years, but more recently, diamonds with hue have been heading into happily-ever-after territory thanks to big-screen veterans and chart-topping songbirds alike. Jennifer Lopez famously kicked off the trend back in 2002, when actor Ben Affleck presented her with a pink diamond solitaire, says Robert May, executive director of the Natural Color Diamond Association (NCDIA). The engagement may have gone belly-up, but the allure of colored diamonds was set in stone-and in photos. This year, it lives on again, with a handful of celebrity brides-to-be-flashing colored diamond rings. Leading the list over the last few months is country crooner Carrie Underwood, who has been flashing a Johnathon Arndt-designed yellow diamond ring. Then there is Heroes star Kristen Bell, who's been showing off her 3-carat, natural fancy-colored brown diamond ring designed by Neil Lane. Finally, there's supermodel Naomi Campbell, reportedly sporting a Van Cleef and Arpels black diamond ring. While May says many retailers still do not carry colored diamonds, offering at least a small selection could tempt those customers who want the sort of ring that they won't see everywhere, right and left.
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www.pakjewelry.netLabels: Bride, jewellry, Jewelry, Marriage, self build, success
Drilling holes in beach stones to use for beads
When drilling beach stones, I would suggest you avoid the advice about buying the best drill bit you can find. When drilling stone, diamond bits wear out quickly, whether you buy the twisted ones (expensive) or the straight ones (far less expensive.) So go for the straight ones.
I'd suggest you go for the economy diamond cylinder drill packs from Rio. They come 25 in a pack and cost less than a buck each, compared to $2 or $4 each for twist bits. You can get through five or six stones with a single bit if the stones are not too hard.
Start your hole with a diamond ball burr, say 1 mm Hold the stone underwater with your hands in a small plastic bin, like Tupperware or glad disposable. Make a small, round divot in the stone.
Once you have a achieved a small divot, drill through the stone in with your cylinder diamond drill bit. Unless your stone is very small, avoid any bit less than 1 mm. The .75 mm bits have a tiny shaft and break often. The 1 mm bits have a reasonably strong shaft.
To make sure you don't drill through the bottom of your container, put a couple of pop sickle sticks under your stone. Hold the stone under water, on top of the pop sticks. Use clear water so you can see what you are doing. The top of the stone should be just barely under water. As you drill, a long tail of dust will drift off from your stone in the water. Press a little, pull back a little, and get a rhythm going. When you get 4/5ths of the way through, turn the stone over to see where the hole is going to come out. Mark it with a sharpie, knick that place with a ball bur and start drilling from the back. When the hole meets the other side, everything else becomes easy.
Widen the hole with successively larger (cheap) diamond drill bits, drilling under water. I find a 2.5 mm hole holds a nice rivet and makes a nice pendant.
www.pakjewelry.net
Labels: Drill, Drilling, Gem drill, Gemstone, Jewelry, Precious stone
My words about AVATAR
Forgive me, I'm going to jump from professional to fan boy for a while here. I haven't had the jitters after a film the way I've had for Avatar in quite sometime. James Cameron's Avatar is the most entertaining and enthralling cinematic experiences of my life. It is incredible, simply put. What Cameron has done here is the most passionate film project put out since Steven Spielberg released Schindler's List. His attention to detail and his zeal for pushing the envelope is so admirable to any filmmaker or actor who will ever do another film from this point on.
Avatar is the story of Jake Sully, a paraplegic marine, who replaces his brother on a secret mission to infiltrate the Na' vi, the colony of beings that sit on the planet of Pandora, where there is a precious ore, that sells at a ridiculous amount. When Jake learns the ways of the Na' vi, his feelings and learnings will put him and the people he trusts in dangerous jeopardy.
The performances here, in the sense of reacting, becoming, and understanding what Cameron has written are astounding. Not to be confused with a sensational bravura performance from some of the centuries best such as Marion Brando, Tom Hanks, or Diane Keaton; these actors along with the director inhabit these visual transformations with special effects as if they are have lived these beings all their lives. This is all based on character movements and reactions. Sam Worthington, as Jake Sully, is an actor who's on his way to becoming a star. Though he has problems with his Aussie accent often enough in the film, he gets the job done. Zoe Saldana, who plays Neytiri, a Na' vi huntress, is thrilling and electrifying. Stephen Lang, as the rock hard Colonel Miles, takes on a villainous turn to a new level in science fiction. He offers actual emotion and emotes evil to the audience and gains our hatred easily. Sigourney Weaver as the beautiful Dr. Grace, is sufficient enough to have on screen again teamed with Cameron. She lives inside her role with effortless ease, but suffers from some of the typical James Cameron cheesy lines.
Narratively the film works perfectly on the cinematic level. The first forty minutes or so require patience and hope as it is the weakest part of the film and offers some dreariness, but when the second act takes off, it's sky high with no limits for James Cameron. Avatar delivers the best action sequences put on film of all time. That is the boldest statement I have ever made in all my years of criticism. I sat on this for two days before charging it out, but I mean it. It is the best visual experience of my life, period.
Other than those visuals, the film pops with all the other technical aspects thrown into one. Art Direction is killer as the two worlds blend in perfectly for an acceptable time. The Film Editing is the crowning achievement of the film as it also offers the perfect blend of the two worlds, enticing the viewer and shifting us around. Mauro Fiore is the threat for a Cinematography Oscar this year. It was if the viewer sat down in a chair, put on glasses, and was literally placed on Pandora, spaceships, and floating mountains. The viewer can feel so engulfed by the imagery, you feel like you can smell the leaves from the trees. Avatar is utterly hypnotizing. James Horner's score is some of the best work done in his career. It offers a variable of devastation that moves the viewer to near tears. It goes back to his work on Titanic, where the musical instruments lifted the material immensely. The entire sound team is also locked and loaded for Oscar recognition as the feeling of animals, machines, and arrows buzzing by your head leave you imprisoned in Cameron's exquisite film.
James Cameron has come back home ladies and gentlemen Cameron is back, bigger, badder, and mature in his crowning work of his career. Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Titanic do not even compare anymore. This is the film that can blend the fans of those two films together and lock Cameron into your heart. He's a definite spoiler for a directing bid for the Academy Awards. You have admire the raw, natural talent the man has. How could you ever conceive such an experience and put that much effort and work into it and have it pay off? The box office success will surely keep him in the minds of voters for various critics' awards. His screenplay, leaps and bounds better than 1997's Best Picture Winner, is primed, developed and ripe for the taking. Though, you do acquire the tacky and atypical dialogue you expect from a science fiction director of this caliber, you can appreciate the effort and the honesty of it all. James Cameron is everything Michael Bay wishes he was, to put it bluntly.
Avatar will bring also great actors putting their best foot forward such as Giovanni Ribisi, who is as underrated as they come. Michelle Rodriguez who exudes sexy like any woman starring in a sci-fi epic. Joel Moore, showing his range outside of his comedic work in Dodgeball: An Underdog Story. And the classy veteran actors, CCH Pounder and Wes Studi, who just simply don't work enough.
Avatar is one of the best films of the year. The most exciting, thrilling, and superb work you'll feast your eyes on in any theater this century. Cinema, forever, will remember the benchmark that James Cameron placed not only for himself, but for any man, daring to change the game, the way Cameron did. Avatar is a movie experience to be remembered, and please experience in a movie theater first.
Hi, I am Aftab Ahmed an IT student in NUTS University Islamabad, PakistanMy site:
Movie Songs HindiLabels: Movie Review
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Labels: Entertainment
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Labels: Entertainment
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