Unlike some other kinds of jewellery, bracelets are incredibly diverse. You can make a bracelet from almost any material you can think of, whether it’s metal, fabric, leather, glass, wire or plastic, or natural materials like shells and stones. Bracelets are both cheap to buy and easy to make, so it’s easy to personalise them to your taste and give them as gifts to your friends. Many people cherish bracelets that they have been given, especially little girls, who will collect friendship bracelets to represent each one of their friends.

If you want to make a bracelet yourself, the easiest way to do it is probably to get some beads and a piece of string. Threads woven together can also work well, as can shells if you make tiny holes in them to thread a string through. The best thing to do is to keep the bracelet as a flat string, and then tie it around the hand of the person you’re giving it to so that it fits well.

Another interesting use of bracelets, only invented quite recently, is the charity bracelet. These are usually made from silicone, and bear a slogan such as ‘make poverty history’ or ‘help the aged’. The idea is that if you see someone wearing one, you are likely to mention it, and then they will tell you a little about the cause and why it matters to them – a good way of getting people to talk about charities they care about.

In some parts of the world, bracelets have special meanings. In India, for example, they are often made from glass, and make a musical-sounding noise when the arm is moved. In Latin America, it is believed that bracelets made from gold and coral can scare away evil spirits, protecting the wearer from the jealousy of others.

With most gemstones set in jewelry whether it be a ring, pendant, earrings or other you have a choice as to how the stone will be set in the piece. There are several ways to hold a stone in place but the two most commonly used are claw set, called prong set in the USA, and bezel set. Claw set is where usually three or more pieces of metal stick out from the piece and bend over the stone slightly and hold it in place. Bezel set is where the metal goes all the way around the stone.

Let’s look at bezel settings first and get an understanding of why they are used. Bezel setting can be used for any type of stone but it suits some more than others.

Firstly, there are two type of cutting of a stone which is important to understand: facet cutting, where you see all those different angles on the stone such as in a diamond and the other is cabochon cutting, where the stone is a shiny looking dome. You see cabochons, which is a mediaeval French word for hat, in nearly all opal jewellery. Cabochons were used in jewellery before faceting was thought of. So some of the antique gems in English crowns from earlier kings and queens have rubies, emeralds and other gemstones cut into cabochons where today they would be facet cut.

Opals are soft stones and I like to use bezel setting for opals because that metal surrounding the gem gives a soft stone a little more protection from knocks and bumps. Also the metal enhances the piece whereas I personally do not feel that claws have any attraction or beauty of their own. The same applies for other harder stones but that added protection may not be necessary. Bezels never get torn off the piece like claws do and they never actually push into the stone in a bad knock and chip the stone but claws do. That’s why I prefer them. Bezel setting costs a little more as there is more labour involved and there is more metal in the piece but overall it is worth it.

Now let’s look a claw or prong settings. The greatest asset of claw setting is that there is very little metal holding the stone in place so you can see much more of the actual stone. A diamond and any faceted stone requires light to pass through the stone in order for the beauty of it to materialize. The light reflects and refracts from different parts of the stone and bounces back to your eye and that is how you as the viewer see the glory of it. So the more light that can get in and out of that stone the better. That is why you will see small holes underneath the gemstones in your ring or other piece of jewellery.

The purpose of claws is simply to hold the stone in the piece so only enough claws are used so that the stone is held firmly in place. There are many shapes and types of cuts of stones. You may have heard about marquise, emerald, brilliant, square and now cabochon cuts. Each one may use a different looking and different shaped claw. Some cuts have points on the end of the gemstone so a claw which wraps around the point might be used, or two claws might be used with one on each side of the point.

The disadvantages of claw setting is that only a very small piece of metal is in contact with the gemstone and this can get easily damaged. Some claws get torn completely off the piece in an accidental bump. Sitting in front of me as I write are three rings customers have left for repairs. They have stones missing, and valuable rubies and sapphires at that, and the claws are completely missing or bent out of shape and I would bet that the owners do not even realize that the claws are missing and that is why she has lost the stones.

As a ring gets older it wears and the claws get brushed against desks, tables, chairs, cars and everything else. Over time the claws wear so thin that they can simply break off. So they need to be re-tipped or replaced.

Both claw and bezel setting have their place and one or the other will be the better method for setting a stone depending on the type of stone, the type of setting and the wish of the wearer. But get a jeweller to check you rings every year and let him polish them professionally. At some stage, he might inform you that your diamond or emerald is loose and needs tightening or the claw needs attention. Let him do it as it will be cheaper than replacing the stone if it falls out. Think of your jewellery as needing professional servicing from time to time just like your car does.

How do you feel if I told you that 90% of the worlds sapphires are heat treated and so is nearly every ruby that you will ever see and that a good deal of the emeralds that you might buy are oiled and that you can safely assume that the topaz you are wearing has been heat treated or, and you wouldn’t think this, irradiated! Your pearls are probably dyed or bleached with chlorine or hydrogen peroxide, your beautiful citrine would not look that lovely colour without heat treatment and then tanzanite starts off its life as a dirty yellow brown crystal and turns into Cinderella after massive heat treatment. Every tanzanite that you are likely to see will have been heat treated. Well it’s true!

What I am going to tell you might make you think differently about that lovely piece of gemstone jewellery that you love to wear, but you’ll still be happy to wear it.

Firstly, before we jump to any conclusions and think that enhancing natural stones such as rubies and sapphires is a terrible thing to do, or somehow cheating, we should think about what natural stones look like when they are found or mined. In most cases they look like lumps of coal or dirty rock, or dull glass. Most of the time you would sweep them out of your hut without a care in the world.

The first alterations that everybody seems to forget about but are perfectly content with is shape enhancement or cutting of the stone. This is a very time consuming process where great skills are used to cut off most of the material from the natural stone. In many cases most of the material is rubbish and is thrown away. Then there comes polishing and faceting which is a part of the cutting process after the shape has been improved.

After that many more enhancements are carried out: bleaching, coating such as lacquering, dyeing, filling of internal cracks and holes, irradiation, heating, laser treatment, oil or resin infusion and many others.

Why are gemstones enhanced?

Well, obviously in order to improve their selling ability and their overall appearance. Some, if not most, natural stones have what we call inclusions. These are imperfections inside the gem. They may be cracks, holes or foreign objects which cause cloudiness or just odd reflections.

How are gemstones enhanced?

In order to get rid of these imperfections sometimes holes are drilled into the stone and the imperfection is removed or perhaps a filler substance such as oil, wax, epoxy resin or other substance is placed inside the gemstone to fill the void.

A good example is the wonderful gemstone emerald. Emeralds may have internal fractures which change the way the light enters and exits the stone which alters its clarity and beauty. If the emerald is immersed in or coated with a substance such as an oil having the same refractive quality as the natural stone then the gemstone can achieve a step nearer to perfection.

Sometimes other methods are used to get rid of these inclusions. Heat treatment is often used for this purpose. Once a stone is heated to a certain temperature the inclusion may actually disappear forever. You probably wouldn’t think that this is a bad thing would you. When the stone is heated sometime these inclusions will dissolve and hence the stone will be improved.

Heat treatment is the most common form of enhancement done to gemstones and the main reason it is done is to improve the colour.

Sometimes a gem will change its colour just by low heat from a cigarette lighter or spirit lamp, but other times it takes enormous heat which takes the stone to almost melting point.

Sometimes this alone is enough to change the colour of the stone permanently but laboratory technicians in this field also heat these gemstones in the presence of other substances such as chromium oxide powder which will coat the surface and change the color.

Perhaps the wildest sounding treatment is irradiation which is commonly done to many gemstones. Topaz starts life off as a clear crystal and by irradiation it turns brown and then heat treatment turns it blue. The amount of this treatment determines whether it becomes a Swiss Blue or a London Blue or a Sky Blue. Is there any danger to humans? Well, there is some concern and a lot of debate about this.

These treatments are done to natural occurring gemstones. These are not man-made stones. That is another story again.

Some of these treatments have been done to gemstones for hundreds and hundreds of years. So even though your gemstones has been cut up, drilled and filled, irradiated and heated it is still natural. Funny isn’t it as this is hardly what we would consider a natural product when we think of most items that we buy.

Hallmarking began somewhere back in the thirteenth century most likely in France. Its purpose was to test coins made of silver and gold so that the correct amount of precious metal was actually in the item. It was the original consumer protection law.

In England in 1327 it became law that if you were selling an item made of precious metal it had to be tested. Manufacturers were compelled to take their articles to the hall where the Assay Master would test the precious metal content. Once it passed the test then he stamped the item with marks indicating the fineness or content of the precious metal and eventually other stamps were added such as a date, maker and the assay office mark. So the term hallmarking came into existence.

Right up until 1773 if you tried to dupe your customers by counterfeiting the hallmark stamps the offence was punishable by death. Thank God it was then changed to just the offender being sent off to one of the penal colonies for a mere 14 years! Today in the UK it is just 10 years in the clink.

So what do these marks look like?
The marks tell three basic things: the maker (or his sponsor if he is not available), the fineness or amount or percentage of precious metal in the item and the assay office where it was tested. The maker will have his own particular stamp in letters, the fineness will be a number such as 925, and the assay office’s mark will be a symbol such as the current Birmingham office’s mark which is an anchor. There are other non compulsory marks as well.

Over the centuries these marks have changed significantly and that’s a great thing for dating antique jewellery and watches. For instance, when a certain mark was used for the year then we can accurately date the time an item may have been made. When marks changed along the way that helps us quickly identify the general period of manufacture.

Does Jewellery need to be assayed today?
Legally in the UK and some European countries it certainly does. Some other countries allow a self regulation to take place. Other countries which do not consider themselves as major producers have no requirement. The stamp such as 925 on silver jewellery is not hallmarking. So in Australia you will see 9 carat or 925 stamped on a silver ring but this is an indication that the manufacturer claims the correct content of precious metal has been included but this is not hallmarking which takes place in the UK.

What does it mean to you the purchaser of an 18 carat engagement ring?
Well, if the manufacturer has cheated you and your ring is only 95% precious metal then you would never know. It is so minute an amount that you would not perceive it. The only way you, as a layman, will ever be able to tell is by comparing the ring to another piece of 18 carat gold jewellery. However, if a large manufacturer on the world stage saves a fraction of gold on every item then that would be an enormous profit saving at the end of the year. So while this law is there to protect you do you really care? The manufacturer has to get the item to an assay office, insure its delivery, wait a few days to get it back and then pay for the service. So who is really going to pay for all this? You of course!

The cheapest stones are nice but you wonder what all the fuss is about until you see the violet/blue at its best. It is then you know what a magnificent stone this tanzanite is. It is simply superb and you want to just turn it around and gaze into it.

Discovered in 1967, tanzanite is a variety of zoisite and it looks a lot like sapphire and in fact when it was first found it was thought to be sapphire. In gem speak 1967 is yesterday! How could such a wonderful gemstone be found so recently?

The stone is a natural crystal which is yellow through to reddish brown in its natural state. But it needs heat and lots of it to make it a fantastic blue colour. Story has it that after a lightning strike some Massai herdsmen found this beautiful blue crystal stone in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Northern Tanzania.

True or not the fact is it isn’t found anywhere else on earth and since it was only found recently it is in short supply, or at least the best quality stones are.

Two years after it was discovered the New York jeweller Tiffany decided to put it on the world gem map. They promoted it heavily and now it is recognized as a prized gem.

Some gems around the world are involved in what is termed Conflict Gems or Blood Diamonds is another term. This is where the gems are mined under duress by the local population or slaves and often the money is used to promote terrorism. Tanzanite seems to be clear of any such problems.

Tanzanite is mostly mined by small mining operations and the sellers of the stone are mostly registered traders who have their markets in Europe and the USA. This is a good thing and gives the buyer comfort. Tanzanite has had its share of control. The Tanzanian government interfered with its cutting at one stage and other large companies have attempted to control its trade in some ways. There was also a flood through the mining area which killed about one hundred miners and halted production. So it is a rare stone.

There is an abundance of the light coloured stone and it is quite cheap and doesn’t look anything special. The larger and better coloured stones are rare and naturally are expensive. The better colours are the mid to dark blues with shifts of purple in them.

Tanzanite is a soft stone and this has some downside. It will scratch and chip easier than other top gemstones so it is wise to think about the type of jewellery that you have it set in and the way you treat it. For instance it is best worn in earrings where it is out of harm’s way. If you wear it in a ring then be careful as it may not last if it is constantly being knocked against furniture and other things. So as a wedding ring worn all the time it is almost certainly going to get damaged.

Tanzanite is an absolutely magnificent gemstone. It is right up there in quality and price at its highest level. It is stunning and rare. It is enhanced when alongside other gems such as opals and diamonds and it is breathtaking when set in platinum.

Sometimes on a website you will see the letters “cr” or the word created alongside a gemstone. So when looking at the description of the item you will see: 2 x cr rubies, or you might see: Two Created Rubies. This can be most deceiving and sometimes I suspect intentionally deceiving.

What this is telling you is that the gemstones that you are buying are not natural gemstones but that they are man-made gemstones usually grown in a laboratory. They may have other descriptions which vary a little but essentially are saying the same thing, that they are man made stones. To use opal as an example, although it applies to rubies, diamonds, sapphires and most other gemstones, you might see: lab opal, imitation opal, synthetic opal, man-made opal and created or cr opal.

What is the difference in the price of natural gemstones compared to created gemstones?

In most cases created gemstones are much less expensive than natural stones. After all, the scientists most likely had profit in mind when they started this exercise so the objective was to create cheaper gemstones which looked better than the real thing. However, some created stones are far more expensive than some poor quality natural stones.

How does the quality compare?

Well, if you buy a ruby or an emerald for $30,000 you are after the real thing and you can obviously afford to buy it. You would never be happy to pay $30,000 for a created stone no matter how good it is.

But, how do you feel about paying $200 for a lifeless, dull ruby which looks like a piece of glass bottle washed up on the beach? What if for $200 you can get a large absolutely, magnificent created ruby that your friends are going to want to have a look at?

Nature just creates stones without the gem market in mind but scientists in laboratories create them specifically with the market in mind so they don’t want to make failures and because of that, the quality is mostly extremely good.

As a jeweller I have a choice. I can pay $1,500 for a ruby and make it into a great piece of jewellery for my wife or one of my three daughters, or I can give them the same piece with a created ruby which costs me $120 and I can go on a holiday to Hawaii! If you want to know what I would do then I’ll talk to you when I get back!

Day to Day Care Of Silver Jewellery
Whilst silver is a metal, it needs a little care and attention to keep it looking at as good as when you first received it. When looked after properly, silver has a luxurious lustre but without proper maintenance, it tarnishes as the silver reacts with the sulphur and other pollution in the air and discolors the surface. The greater the pollution in the air, the greater the tarnish so you need to take a little extra care if you live in a city.
This need not spoil your enjoyment of your jewellery, however, because with a few simple steps, all your jewellery can be as good as new and just as beautiful as when you first bought it.
Firstly, prevention is better than a cure. When storing your silver jewelry, try and keep it out of the air as much as possible and make sure it’s dry – possibly in a press sealable plastic bag – as humidity can speed up the tarnishing process.
To keep that nice, rich shine use a soft cotton cloth or a jewelry cloth to polish and buff your jewelry. Just a few seconds can achieve a lot but if there’s a lot of tarnish or your piece has hard to reach places (such as a chain or necklace where it’s difficult to get in between the links) it may be necessary to use a dip. Each brand differs slightly so always read the directions but, generally, you submerse your piece of silver for 10 seconds and immediately on taking it out, wash with cold, running water and dry and buff with a jewellers or cotton cloth. Don’t leave your piece of jewelry in the dip for too long – it can lave a residue and, also, don’t use with gemstones as this can damage them.
Lastly, while silver is fairly hardy there are certain chemicals that can damage it such as immersing it in chlorine (such as swimming pool water), salt water and sun tan lotion. Also be careful of household cleaners; all of these can harm the shine of your silver jewelry.

I wanted to buy my wife an exotic gemstone, but what do you buy a jeweller’s wife. She has diamonds up to her armpits and opals coming out of her ears. Then I suddenly thought there is one gemstone that is found on the red planet. I’ll get her one of those.
I wanted a gem that got here the hard way, one that had a history, one that you didn’t just trip over on a beach. Well this gemstone is also found on the planet earth as well as Mars so I could get it locally. It got here the hard way through being blasted up from the earth’s mantel as molten mineral to crystallize near the surface as a beautiful green, much overlooked, not well respected gem in modern times, with an up market name Peridot!
Peridot is pronounced the French way which sounds like Pair-a-doh. It might be from the French word peritot for unclear since the stone generally has a lot of inclusions or it might be from the Arabic faridat meaning gem.
It is one of the only gemstones which come in only one color. I like that too! It is definite and knows what it is. The green will vary because of the amount of iron present. It has often been called the poor man’s emerald. Well, emerald is thought of as the most expensive gemstone so I guess that is a compliment in itself.
But if we go back in time peridot was there from the beginning. Peridot was one of the twelve stones in the breastplate of Aaron the Jewish high priest from Exodus in the bible. This breastplate had twelve stones which represented the twelve tribes of Israel. So it was a very important gemstone in ancient times. It has been mined as a gem for over four thousand years.
It was mined on the island of Zagbargad since ancient times. Imagine if you could get hold of one which was mined here in ancient times. How fantastic would that be as it is all but mined out now?
Although Peridot comes from a host of different countries such as Australia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Egypt, Mexico and Brazil the quality varies from one source to another. But 95% of the entire world production comes from the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona.
But if you want the real exotic gemstone from outer space you will have to look for the name Pallasites. This is a type of meteorite named after a German Peter Pallas who described it way back in 1772. In 2003 Nasa discovered peridot crystals on Mars. This was the first time that a gemstone had been found on another planet.
A beautiful stone which set in gold will make stunning jewellery and if you are lucky to get hold of one which came from Mars or somewhere else in outer space you will be indeed fortunate.

Diamonds: A Guide to Diamond Shapes
EMERALD - This rectangular shaped stone is a very elegant and sophisticated look for a bride.
HEART - A truly romantic statement on any bride’s finger this stone’s shape resembles a heart.
MARQUISE - Beautiful as a solitaire, this diamond too is elongated diamond but has pointed ends.
OVAL - This perfectly symmetrical elongated shaped diamond adds length to fingers and is very popular among three stone rings.
PEAR - This shape is derived from combining both the marquise and the oval shaped diamonds. One end is beautifully rounded while the other leads to a point.
PRINCESS - This is a perfectly square shaped stone which has become increasingly more popular among brides today.
ROUND - A circular shaped diamond which has always been a popular and traditional choice for many brides.
TRILLIANT - Shaped like a triangle, the trilliant may have rounded corners or pointed ones and provides a perfect accent to a princess or round shaped diamond.
Visit my website to see images of the shapes.
Appraisals and Insurance
Once the question has been popped, the marriage proposal accepted and the stunning diamond ring is on the finger, now is the time to think about taking care of the engagement ring. Diamond rings are an investment. It shows the love and commitment to the relationship. It is an investment that will be a reminder years later, of how much time, energy and love was poured into the marriage. Like a relationship, a diamond ring needs care too. According to Colin Nash of Nash Jewellers in London, Ontario, the first step is to get the diamond ring checked and cleaned every three to six months. In doing so, this is a small part of the insurance that the ring is in tip-top shape. The claws are holding the stone properly, which will prevent the loss of the diamond. The mounting secure and the band is not thinning, which could cause breakage and at worst, loss of the ring itself. If weight loss has occurred and the ring is loose, make sure to have the ring sized, this is one way to guarantee against the loss of a valuable piece of jewellery, not only in monetary value but sentiment too.
The second step according to Colin Nash is to get the ring insured. Again, the investment of months of hard saving for the ring, the purchase and the memories would all be lost if the ring were to go missing or worse, stolen. Break-ins in Canada do happen and the targets besides small appliances and technological items are - jewellery! Jewellery is small and easy to hide on the burglar’s body and in pockets of clothing.
When the decision has been made to insure the ring, the next step is to have the ring appraised. Get in touch with a Jeweler, who has a Certified Gemologist Appraiser on staff. There are only 14 Certified Gemologist Appraisers in Canada. A Certified Gemologist Appraiser will give an accurate description of the diamond’s quality. They will look for stone damage, chips or marks or if claw damage has occurred and will disclose all information to the customer. The piece of jewellery is job-tagged with contact information and cleaned. Once the cleaning is done, they will record the 4 C’s, which are colour, clarity, cut and carat-weight. Measurements are taken and the gold is tested, to record what kind of gold it is, along with the price per carat of the diamond at the time because diamond markets do fluctuate. The Appraiser compiles all this information into a report for the customer. Nash Jewellers also takes a digital photo of the ring up to 10X for a clear and concise image, which they keep on file in their computer system along with a copy for the customer’s file. This is all done in order to give the insurance company a proper and modern retail replacement value, whether it was lost, stolen or damaged. It also is proof of what the actual piece looks like for insurance and police purposes.
The cost of an appraisal varies from company to company. It could start from $50.00 for the first piece and $40.00 for any additional pieces brought in at the time or could cost more or less.
Most purchase higher quality diamonds and spends approximately $2500.00 to $3500.00 on an engagement ring, which is a ring with a ½ (0.50) carat diamond to a 1.0-carat depending on wage and financial situation. Insure a ring that is over a thousand dollars. If the ring is less in value, make sure it is listed in the home insurance under Special Items or Personal. Even better, take a digital photo with a optical zoom of the ring and keep this photo and any other information (receipt of purchase) about the engagement ring in a safety deposit box at the bank.
If an appraisal file has been done, call an insurance agent and make sure to insure it for the full amount paid at the time of purchase or the amount appraised. Once insurance on the ring has been put into place, keep all these important papers in a safety deposit box. Any unworn and expensive jewellery would be best kept in the safety deposit box too. Safety deposit boxes are not expensive to keep. They are tax deductible and an investment towards piece of mind, same as the insurance on the ring itself.
The engagement ring is an investment towards a future life together, take care of that investment by following a few simple, precautionary steps towards guaranteeing that the ring will last for years to come and will be passed down to offspring and future generations.

One piece of jewellery which has a function or a purpose other than to make someone enhance their appearance or show off their wealth is the signet ring. The function of signet rings was originally to be able to make a seal with wax (sealing wax) or clay. These rings are also called seal rings.
Today we see signet rings often as very plain flat looking rings which the buyer has his or her name engraved on. They may also represent a club or fraternity that you belong to. These signet rings are ornamental but do serve that other purpose of identification to a specific group as well.
The early and ancient signet ring had a very real purpose and it functioned very well as a kind of olden time security measure.
A document in earlier days was carried by messengers on horseback or by sea from the writer to the reader. In order to make sure that no one tampered with the document or that it was read by anyone else but the intended reader a wax seal was made to close or seal the document. The seal was an impression of a signet ring pushed into the hot wax.
Sometimes the seals were not rings but stamps of other kinds, but if it was a ring worn then it was even more credit worthy as only the wearer could make the seal on the document. Every design was unique and if it wasn’t worn on a finger it was hung around the neck.
Seals and signet rings were made and used as far back as ancient Egypt. Back then they were mostly made of stone. The impression was often made into wet clay.
Once a seal ring was made the engraver made several wax impressions from the ring. These were distributed to family and others who would receive correspondence from the wearer of the ring. When a document was received this specimen seal could be matched against the unbroken seal on the received document to make sure that it was authentic. Once the owner of the ring died the ring was broken so that it could never be used again.
Seal rings were and still are engraved in reverse so that when you push the ring into wax to make an impression then the positive or readable image is seen. Sometimes, and probably most times these days, the image is engraved in the positive way as the ring is for show only and will never be used to stamp into wax. The engraving which has been traditionally carried out is an ancient art and trade. There are relatively very few jewellery engravers around today. We are not confusing these craftsmen with the engraver found in a shopping mall who for $5 quickly scratches your girlfriend’s name on the ring you just bought her.
One such craftsman is Neil Oliver who engraves seals in metal and stone working from his workshop in the Scottish Highlands. When working in gold he first dusts the surface with a layer of fine powder and with a feather he draws a design onto the ring. Once this is perfect he uses a metal scriber to etch the final design onto the gold. He then uses hand tools that he has made himself to cut the impression into the metal. Eventually the face of the seal is highly polished. What an amazing trade where you need to work with a reverse of what is eventually seen. It must take very special characteristics to be a master of this trade.
Different types of stones can be used to make the seal part of a signet ring. If not direct metal then agates are the preferred stones to use for seal rings. These are hard stones but easy enough to engrave. You will still find some around in antique shops and the odd jewellery shop. They are collector’s items. The last one that I came across was selling for around $300 US, was an English ring about 250 years old and the seal was made from carnelian.

Muslim artists created beautiful works, such as pottery, glass work, metalwork, jewellery, and textiles. All were kinds of art, which were greatly developed, in the Islamic culture. The strongest form of Islamic expression is considered to be found in its architecture. From the famous mosques to the palaces and tombs of the Mogul governors of India, Islamic architecture is among the finest in the world.
The well-known of these works, Masjid al-Haram, is one the most beautiful buildings in the world. The Great Mosque at Mecca (as it is usually called) is in the city of Makkah in the western part of Saudi Arabia. In the Islamic faith, it is the holiest place and a site of pilgrimage for all Muslims. Masjid al-Haram is the most important monument of Islam. Built primary by Prophet Abraham, this plain cubicle structure has gone through some renovations and expansion, although still keeping its original style. This is the very structure that Muslims from all over the world face during ritual graces. It is a site where Muslims assemble for the pilgrimage of Haj. Among its other advantages, it symbolizes the oneness of Muslims, the austerity of Islam as well as the dynamism of this belief (Great Mosque - Mecca - Saudi Arabia). The Ka’ba (Masjid al-Haram) was also the motherland of Imam Ali. It was a monument greatly venerated by all from the time base was laid. Masjid al-Haram is a building of brick with a broad courtyard with the well-known “Black Stone” at the center.
This stone, known as the Hajar el Aswad, is considered to be a meteorite remnant though it is thought that Abraham and his son Ishmael put it there during the foundation of the Kaaba in ancient times (Richard Ettinghausen and Oleg Grabar, 1987). Contrary to popular opinion, the stone is not worshipped. Instead, it is just kissed or felt by pilgrims in honour of Muhammad. The whole compound is exquisitely decorated with black silk and gold lettering. Surrounding the entire Mosque are high walls rising up to 50 feet. When not in Mecca, all Muslims must be at their devotions in the direction of the stone. If you are not a follower of Islam, it is doubtful that you will ever get to visit this place in person. Nevertheless, it is one of the major landmarks of the world that holds the ultimate significance to those who follow the Islamic faith.

Whatever the usual excuses you use to get out of attending parties, they won’t work for the party season, after all you’ve had twelve months notice.
Rather than looking for excuses to get out of it let us show you how to look great this party season.
It really is simpler than you think, just follow our simple tips on how to look great this party season you’ll be happy you made the effort.
How to Look Great this Party Season – What Not to Wear.
When it comes to the party season, how to look great can be difficult for a number of reasons, not least the sudden deluge in invites. There is the office party, the family party and socialising with friends.
This could mean anything upwards of three outfits.
Do you opt for one outfit with different accessories hoping you won’t bump into the same people at different events, or do you buy a different outfit for each party?
The biggest mistake most women make is to choose a style that is blatantly not for them.
Just because a dress is in the store does not mean it’s for you.
How to Look Great this Party Season – Things to Remember
Whether choosing clothes so you can look great for the party season, or choosing outfits for any other time of the year, looking great means choosing an outfit that suits you and reflects your sense of style.
It is possible to be fashionable without being a slave to fashion, just remember these golden rules.
• If you want to look great this party season, remember – less is more. Less make up, less jewellery, less everything. Don’t be tempted to wear blue eye shadow with that red party dress just because you’ve worn it everyday for the last twenty years.
Choose a theme and stick to it, if your favourite piece of jewellery doesn’t compliment your chosen outfit, don’t wear it.
• Make sure the outfit you select suits the occasion.
• When selecting a party outfit, make sure you feel comfortable in it.
If you feel uncomfortable in front of your dressing mirror and keep hiking the bust line up or the hem line down, well – draw your own conclusions!
• Make an effort even if you think no one expects you to.
How to Look Great this Party Season – Choosing the Right Outfit
While there is no denying the visual impact of the little black dress, why not be bold this party season and go for something different.
Red is a very popular choice for Christmas and guaranteed to make you stand out in the crowd.
If you’re not ready to be quite so bold, then gold is a rich sumptuous alternative, ideal for creating that sophisticated look.
If you do have to wear the same outfit more than once, you can change the look by choosing different shoes, handbag and accessories to compliment. Throwing a contrasting coloured shawl over your shoulders is also an excellent way to change the look of your outfit.
Don’t forget your lingerie. Nothing lets down a stunning outfit more than ill fitting linger. It’s Christmas, so if necessary, splash out.
Take extra care with your hair and make up, now might be a good time to try out that hair style you’ve been thinking about. And if you’re already at the salon, why not pick up some tips on applying your makeup.
How to Look Great this Party Season – Outerwear
So you’ve got the fabulous outfit. Don’t spoil it by covering it in that old coat you’ve had for years.
When you enter a room with your outdoor wear, this is where you make your first impression. What is that coat going to say about you?
Make an effort with every layer, from your coat, to your dress, right down to your lingerie. Make sure your partner knows you look as good out of your dress as you do in it!

Make a beautiful bracelet from safety pins and beads. No one will know what it's made of until they look really closely.

To make the bracelet you will need... Roughly 85 silver safety pins of the same size, an assortment of small beads and some sheering elastic.

Decorate each safety pin by opening each pin and slipping on some beads. Make sure there are enough beads to fill that side of the safety pin once the pin is closed again. Close the pin and use a pair of plies to squeeze the head of the safety pin to hold the pin firmly closed.

Decorate each pin in this way, adding beads to pins in a random way.

The pins are now threaded together. You will notice that there is a hole in the pinhead and another hole at the other end of the safety pin where the metal is turned, creating a circle. These are the holes used when threading up the pins.

Two lines of elastic are used one at the top and one below with the pins threaded onto them like the rungs of a ladder. To begin, thread the top line through the head of the first pin and the bottom line and through the circle hole. With the second pin, thread the top line through the circle hole and the bottom line and through the head of the pin.

Continue adding pins to the lines in this way alternating which way you add each pin. Make sure when you add the safety pins that all the beads are visible on the same side.

When the last safety pin has been added tie the two ends of the top line together so that all the pins sit closely together. Then tie off the bottom line in a similar way.

To make your bracelet look extra special, put it in an jewellery box or a metallic gift box on a bed of tinsel.

Freshwater pearls are a kind of stone that comes from freshwater mussels. They are produced in Japan, China, and the United States. They are often used in jewellery and are also crushed to make cosmetic paints. Pearl is valued as a gemstone and is cultivated or harvested for jewellry. The unique lustre of pearls depends upon the reflection and refraction of light from the translucent layers. The iridescence (that is, where the hue changes according to the angle from which the surface is viewed) that some pearls display is caused by the overlapping of successive layers, which breaks up light falling on the surface. They come in various pastel shades of pink, peach, lavender, white, black, plum, and tangerine, depending on the type of mussel.

A single mussel can produce up to 50 pearls. Natural pearls are seldom perfectly round or even nearly round, more often than not they are of irregular, elongated shapes. Although white is the most common colour of freshwater pearls, the most desirable (and therefore the most expensive) are the pastel pinks, roses, lavenders, and purples. The different colours are a function of the mussel species, genetics, water quality, and the position of the pearl in the shell.

Black pearls, frequently referred to as Black Tahitian Pearls, are highly valued because of their rarity; the culturing process for them means a smaller volume output from each mussel and thus they are never found in mass numbers.

Freshwater pearls are exceptionally popular for use in jewellery, and genuine pearls, as opposed to fake ones, will attract a high price regardless of location in the world. However, in some countries, where pearls are not locally produced, prices are on average higher than those of Japan, China, and the United States.

Regardless of the type, they all look spectacular in necklaces, bracelets, pendants, and rings. As opposed to diamonds and other gemstones, pearls are typically larger, heavier, and more visible, with the stunning iridescence of the pearl attracting the eye. these stones can be purchased both online and in retails stores worldwide.

But where do they come from and how are they made? Pearls are made by placing a nuclei of a pearl inside a live oyster, and returning three to sex years later to harvest to the full pearl. The nucleus is generally a polished bead made from mussel shell. Along with a small scrap of mantle tissue from another oyster to serve as an irritant, it is surgically implanted near the oyster's genitals. Oysters which survive the subsequent surgery to remove the finished pearl are often implanted with a new, larger nucleus as part of the same procedure and then returned to the water for another three years of growth.