The Crucifixion and Escapism: Theories of Karl Marx and Mircea Eliade

Kathy Simcox

In analyzing Jesus' crucifixion with regard to Karl Marx and Mircea Eliade, I found a startling similarity: the deep desire to escape the world. The cross symbolizes and encompasses this desire, although the two theorists define its manifestation differently.

As always, Karl Marx interpreted most issues of his time using the concept of social struggle. There was always an ongoing battle between workers and their capitalist oppressors. Society was fundamentally corrupt so long as a minority (the middle-class capitalists) had an economic advantage, a sense of superiority, over the masses (the workers). Marx dreamed of a classless society where everyone was treated equally, fairly, and would be completely satisfied both in their work and in their relationships with each other.1 But the economic reality of society in his day caused alienation between workers and their true selves.

Alienation occurred because capitalist economics took production of labor, the very product supposedly reflecting the worker's true self-expression, and transformed it into a material object that is bought, sold, and owned by others. This economy gave the worker's product to the rich middle-class who was able to buy it and thus ruled and oppressed the working masses. 2 Physical, social, economic, and spiritual oppression was the result of this alienation, and religion was the way out, an escape:

Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.3

The drug opium lessened pain and created fantasies. Marx compared religion to opium because he saw religion playing the same role in the life of the poor. Through religion, the pain workers suffered in a cruel and exploitative world was eased by the fantasy of a supernatural world void of all sorrow and oppression. It is pure escapism.4 This escapism shifted the gaze upward to an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-enduring God who occupies a perfect Heaven.

For Marx, the essence of religion, and for purposes of this paper, Christianity, is its voice of suffering, its crying out against the realities of capitalist exploitation and degradation.5 The cross is the ultimate symbol of pain and suffering. Marx's working class would identify with this symbol and cling to it with hope of a better life, a better world, to come. Jesus' suffering and death on the cross, and his eventual resurrection, would be proof to the workers that if they just endure this worldly suffering and oppression with patience and long-suffering, they will too be rewarded eternal life in Heaven when they die. The poor would also identify to the humiliation Jesus suffered at the hands of the Romans even before he died. They would say, "Hey, the humiliation that happened to Christ is happening to us. He did nothing to stop it. He endured all the pain and suffering with strength, courage, and patience. If we do the same in our situation, if we imitate our Lord, we will be rewarded in Heaven. Everything here on earth passes away; it doesn't matter."
And, they are even forced to recognize and acknowledge the fact that they are dominated, ruled, and possessed as a privilege from Heaven.6

Marx would say this hope in the cross and in Heavenly salvation are all negative concepts that paralyze and imprison. For him, desire for Heaven made the poor content with their situation on earth. It promoted oppression by presenting a belief system (Christianity) that made poverty and misery acceptable and allowed ordinary people the resignation to their lot in life. By keeping their eyes on the symbolic suffering of the cross and staying content with the thought of the next life, what energies will the poor ever put into changing their circumstances?7

Not only does belief in the cross have negative connotations, it has evil consequences as well:

The social principles of Christianity declare all vile acts of the oppressors against the oppressed to be either just punishment for original sin and other sins, or suffering that the Lord in His infinite wisdom has destined for those redeemed.8

It is the most extreme version of ideology, of a belief system whose motive is simply to provide reasons, excuses even, for keeping things in society just the way the oppressors like them. For the non-oppressed, for those lucky enough to control the means of production, this belief system was used to remind the poor that all social arrangements should stay just the way they are.9 In this sense, religion was the ultimate form of control. Again, the poor would look to the cross for answers: they would look to forgiveness:

Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. [Luke 23:34]

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs in the kingdom of Heaven. [Matthew 5:3]

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. [Matthew 5:5]

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [Matthew 5:10]

You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy'. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven. [Matthew 5:43-44]10

By adopting this mentality, the oppressed would constantly forgive their oppressors, thus giving their oppressors even more reason to persecute them. The middle class would be surrounded by lower class, factory-oriented doormats who, in theory, would permit the middle class to walk all over them.

Mircea Eliade's ideology does not reduce religion (or in this case, the cross) to economic misery; he doesn't reduce it to anything. For him, in order to interpret the importance and significance of religious experience, we must step out of modern civilization and enter the world of what he calls "archaic man". When we do this, he says, we find these primitive people living on two markedly different planes: the sacred and the profane. The profane realm consists of the everyday, normal business people attend to each day and is relatively unimportant. The sacred is just the opposite. It is the realm of the supernatural, of things extraordinary, memorable, and momentous. While the profane is the arena of changeable and chaotic human affairs, the sacred is the sphere of order and perfection, the home of ancestors, heroes, and gods, of beings not of this world.11

The role of religion in archaic life is to promote encounters with the sacred, to put people in touch with something otherworldly in character; this character makes them feel like they have brushed against a reality unlike any other. It's felt as a dimension of existence alarmingly powerful, enduring, and strangely different. When archaic people set up their villages, they do not choose just any place, a place with simple "profane" surroundings. A village must be founded at a place where there has been some sacred appearance, or hierophany. Thus, the authority of the sacred controls all decisions. The community can then be built around this center to show its divinely ordered structure - it's a sacred system.12

The language of the sacred can be found in symbols and in myth. Here, certain things are seen to resemble or suggest the sacred; they give a hint to the supernatural. In a village, this symbol may be a pole, tree, or stone situated at the center of the village. The Dome of the Rock is another example. Myths are symbolic as well, but in a more complicated way. Where poles and trees are more material and concrete symbols, myths are symbols put into the shape of a story. But stepping outside of all this and entering the realm of the profane for a moment, Eliade notes that most of the things making up ordinary life are in fact profane; they are just themselves taking up space, nothing more. But at the right moment anything profane can be transformed into something more than itself - something sacred. Once recognized as a sacred symbol, an object acquires a double character.13 This seems to be the case with the cross.

In Roman times, crucifixion was a very popular way of putting criminals to death. Before the time of Christ, the cross was merely two pieces of wood nailed together; it was something very profane used to crucify mere men, nothing more, nothing less. However, with Christ's death, a transformation, or dialectic of the sacred, occurred: the ordinary cross became a holy object by the infusion of the supernatural. No symbol manages to bring divinity close to humanity as the figure of the savior-god, the divinity who shared in mankind's sufferings, died and rose from the grave to redeem them.14 When one looks closer at the crucifixion, Jesus was by all means not considered sacred by Romans and Jews alike. Even while on the cross, he was still, in theory, a mere man being punished for a crime. So how did the cross become such a powerful symbol of the sacred? When did this dialectic of the sacred take place?

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!" [Matthew 27:50-54]15

It seems as though the above quote, coupled with Jesus' proclaimed resurrection, caused the simple profane cross to be transformed into the most sacred symbol of Christianity. And the myth, the story of the crucifixion, makes the material symbol of the cross even more sacred by bringing it to life.

Symbols and myths rarely exist in isolation. They seem to always be part of larger symbol systems. Ever since the cross was declared the symbol of the divine, it has been carved into walls, worn as jewelry, or put on display in churches all over the world. It's gestures like these that give the cross its universality: when people see the cross, most know the sacred symbolic nature of it. In this way the cross, even the crucifixion, is personified and the stories about it and its "adventures" come to expression in myth.16 And to take it further, we hear claims that Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection defeated death. Christians would see the cross in general as a symbol that has truly defeated death. For Eliade, it has defeated the profane.

Now on to Eliade's theory of escapism. For archaic believers, the events of ordinary profane life, the daily rounds of labor and struggle, are things they desperately wish to escape. They would rather be in the perfect realm of the sacred. This is the most insistent and heartfelt ache in the soul of all archaic peoples: to return to that point when the world began. A constant theme of archaic ritual and myth is the desire to occupy the world as it came from the Creator's hands-fresh, innocent, and strong. These believers long for permanence and perfection, as well as escape from their sorrows. In profane life, existence is drab and primitives have to deal with empty routines and daily irritations. Through symbol and myth, they reach back to the moment of perfection when life starts over, full of promise and hope. 17 Eliade would interpret the crucifixion in the same light. While attending a church service on Good Friday, Christians immerse themselves in the myth of Jesus' death by performing rituals pertaining to the cross. These rituals transport the observer to the time when Christ actually died, taking them out of the troubles and trials of the present day and reliving the events that brought the promise of hope and joy.18 This would be considered the ultimate form of escapism. With Eliade, however, I don't believe he would interpret this escapism as something negative, like Marx would. Obviously Eliade doesn't consider religion an illusion.

The interpretations of Marx and Eliade hold many truths for me, and although I will defend Marx to the end I don't think Eliade was necessarily wrong. The idea of the sacred and the profane makes perfect sense: a cross is simply a cross until something supernatural is attached to it. It is then regarded as holy and is seen in a whole new light. When people observe the cross, most know what story is attached to it and it's this myth that brings the cross to life and gives meaning to what was once considered something profane. He does make me wonder, however, if his study and theory of myths has roots in his past.

With the ruinous events of the 1930s, Eliade and the rest of the 'new generation' became casualties of history. Small wonder that he displays little enthusiasm for retelling and hence reliving his own anguish.19

Perhaps his theories helped him deal with, even escape, his own history in the world, to escape his pain? There comes a time when a person must deal with and eventually accept his own reality, and escaping to a beginning, a time of innocence, doesn't help.


BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.Web Site
2.Seven Theories of Religion, 141
3.Marx on Religion, 167
4.Seven Theories of Religion, 141-142
5.Marx on Religion, 8
6.Ibid, 173
7.Seven Theories of Religion, 142-143
8.Marx on Religion, 185
9.Seven Theories of Religion, 138, 142
10.The NIV Study Bible, 1444-1445, 1584
11.Seven Theories of Religion, 163-164
12.Ibid, 165-167
13.Ibid, 169-170
14.Ibid, 170, 172
15.The NIV Study Bible, 1485
16.Seven Theories of Religion, 176
17.Ibid, 179-180
18.Four Theories of Religion, 75
19.Ibid, 78


REFERENCES

1. "Marx on Religion." edited by John Raines. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 2002.

2. Barker, Kenneth, ed. The NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995.

3. Pals, Daniel L. "Religion as Alienation: Karl Marx." In Seven Theories of Religion, 138-42. New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.

4. Pals, Daniel L. "The Reality of the Sacred: Mircea Eliade." In Seven Theories of Religion, 163-80. New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.

5. Strenski, Ivan. Four Theories of Myth in Twentieth Century History. Iowa City, IA: University of Iowa Press.

6. www.faithnet.org.

About the Author
Kathy Simcox, Columbus, Ohio, United States
hrdude28@hotmail.com

Kathy works as an Administrative Assistant in the College of the Arts at The Ohio State University. She holds a BA in Psychology and is currently working on a second BA in Religious Studies. In addition to writing, her passions include hiking, biking, kayaking, photography, and singing in her Lutheran church choir. She is also known to read an occasional book.


Enormous jewelry for dance value in Belly Dance costume.
Slava Diamy

Belly Dance is one of the remarkable ancient forms of dancing and also it is a first class way to stay in shape for all ages. It is performed by both men and women, mostly with a great deal of improvisation. It is built from some pre-defined movements although.



Belly Dancers always wear jewelry. You don’t have to worry about your partner being scratched by dance partner. Usually dancing jewelry (rings, bracelets, belts and even earrings) should be checked for sharp sides to avoid dance wounds. This is not necessary for bellydance performance.



"Jewelry takes people's minds off your wrinkles." (Sonja Henie) This is so true for bellydancing jewelry. Many famous bellydancers are over 40 and yet their dance is amazing masterpiece, and everybody holds their breath as they watch it!



Belly Dance costume making is usually time-consuming, but fun to do with some imagination applied to it. Typically it consists of a decorated bra, belt, two armbands, headband and a dance skirt. Also you can wear choli under it. A choli is a short-sleeved blouse that ends without covering your belly.



Making Belly Dance costume can be started with a bra. Just buy any kind of bra and some repetitive decorations, like coins or triangles. It can be copper, silver, gold or any other metal. If you look around – there are places to buy decorative coins, which are easy to attach to bra with a few moves of needle. And of course you can buy all this clothing embellished with decorations already.



Usually you should buy a belt base, because it contains some jewelry and attachment spots. A belly dance skirt contains a whole lot of jewelry decorations – coins, chains.



Jewelry on foot, a performer of belly dance wears, should be resistant to stress. So keep it tied hard.



Headwear decoration is usually consists of veil, decorative rhomb-shaped shiny things. Don’t forget to have some fancy tribal-style earrings, that’s one of important elements. Actually, all jewelry is very important to belly dance costume. Oriental dances are famous for costumes and it’s shiny jewelry things. When you wear a mind-blowing amount of coins on yourself even if they are just copper – you can feel like a goddess wearing all gold on earth which a sultan (husband) brought in her life to give her happiness.



Many people think that belly dance includes only belly, however a whole body and mind is involved. It teaches you not only to value your body, but also it helps your mind. In order to achieve mind-effect of belly dance you must feel as beautiful as you can be. A word “feel” is emphasized here. It doesn’t matter really must how you look – it’s how you feel yourself in dance. You should make all possible to feel at best must it include a great costume, a great stylish jewelry on it and the best moves you can do!



Belly Dancing is a phenomenal opportunity to keep interest in life and to expand your horizons – give it a try – why lose a chance to feel jewelry all over you instead of modern “not-too-much” jewelry. Feel the beat of the past times.

Slava Diamy is an author of Diamy.Com - Jewelry Blog, where you can join us for a discussion of "Enormous jewelry for dance value" article and subscribe to receive new articles.

Forgotten Dreams: At the end...Part I

James Smith

Forgotten Dreams: At the end...Part I

Treasures of a lifetime...

At the end of your life will you be able to stand at your grave and say I lived and amazing life, I have lived what many
didn't even know they could dream. I have loved, I have cried, and I have experienced all that I could find to experience.

At the end of your life who will you be?

So, often we run from death and morn for what has been lost when another dies. In the book "Tuesdays with Morie," Morie ends
up celebrating his death, by choice, while he was still alive.

How you embrace death is how you will embrace life!

This is a story of a little box. It is a box that is almost as old as Sally. You see Sally decided when she was about five
years of age that this particular box, a shoe box, would be perfect to keep her treasures.

Today at the age of 95 Sally has passed away and her shoe box of treasures, although buried under years of clutter and dust, has survived the journey with her. Sally kept her treasures with her for 90 years. The box quite warn bearing the scars of 90 years of wear and tear was still in tack. Hidden within the box where many of Sally's most treasured memories.

At the age of five Sally decided that her very first treasure would be a flower. It was a small and delicate white flower
filled with purple hues and the softest of scents. It was a flower that filled Sally with great memories and provided her with many smiles over the last 90 years.

Sally use to enjoy laying amongst the tall grass in a near by field while enjoying the company of her grandfather. Sally's
grandfather would sit beside her, resting on an old tree stump, while whittling away at a piece of wood.

On those special mornings Sally would watch the butterflies as they danced around the flowers, giggling as she listened to
grandfather and playing with the occasional ladybug. You see Sally's grandfather loved to tell stories as he whittled away
and the stories were always filled with adventure.

The stories,in one moment, would have Sally anxiously gazing into her grandfather's eyes as she waited to hear what was next, and in the next moment, she would be rolling in the tall grass filled with laughter.

It was at five that Sally's grandfather passed away. As Sally sat upon her grandfather's old tree stump there in the middle
of the tall grass stood a single flower. On this day no other flower could be seen. As Sally gazed upon the flower the
memories came to view and it was then that she knew, the flower was a treasure for her to hold.

The years would come and go, and Sally was always doing something to her treasure box. Her designs including the early
crayon markings, included little paper hearts and wonderful little paintings, all accented with special stones and broken
pieces of jewelry.

Sally was always placing a memory or two into her box of treasure.

Sally was a playful and rambunctious tomboy, and at the age of thirteen was asked to start handling the chores. No longer
could she leave the house at sunrise and return in the late afternoon after a day filed with adventure and sport.

You see Sally could run, jump, and climb with the best of the boys. She could throw and hit a ball with a stick just as well
as any of the boys. Often Sally's play was inspired by the stories her grandfather once told.

With Sally spending the better part of her day tending to her chores. Her only reward was the end of the day, and the
time she was able to spend with her faithful dog, Patches, up in the old tree house.

Life seemed to stop, for Sally, while she was up in the tree house. It was in the tree house that Sally started to write of
her life and the adventures she only dreamed of living.

Sally's diary and stories now where a big part of her treasure box, and the memories she once collected would now lay hidden
and forgotten under the pages of her writing.

Each day was a mystery for Sally as she began to write. As her pencil touched the paper her words would begin to flow. She
would write and write until there was no more to write.

It was around Sally's 16 birthday that her dog Patches passed away. Her companion and loyal friend. Patches, was with her
all the time. As Sally placed Patches' collar into her treasure box, she began to look at the treasures she hadn't viewed in
many years.

A small hand mirror, one her grandma gave to her little princess. Horse hair, from her favorite horse. The skin shed from the biggest king snake she had ever seen. The perfect stone for skipping across the water. The treasures were many, a child's lifetime in memories. Buried underneath it all was Sally's first treasure and the memory of her grandfather.

How life had changed.

Join me in 7 days for part 2 of "Forgotten Dreams:
At the end..." Forgotten treasures...

Copyright © James Smith, All Rights Reserved

Please Note: The author of this article has
authorized its distribution with the requirement
that it be published in its entirety, without
changes, including the author's resource box.

Please notify the Author with a copy of your
publication.

mailto:article0030003@alifeofpossibility.com


James shows you how to design and build the life of your dreams and through the process, "enjoy the success" you've always wanted. Download his "9 Key Strategies To Building The Life Of Your Dreams" and start taking action, today! mailto:9Keys0030003@alifeofpossibility.com

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN CLOTHES
Dr. Sherin Elkhawaga

The ancient Egyptians made their own clothes from what their environment and nature gave them. Egypt has mostly a hot climate thus the use of clothes reflect material that is lightweight to suit this type of climate. The ancient Egyptians thus used clothes made of linen.
For reading more articles about ancient Egypt click on: www.kingtutshop.com
The ancient Egyptians both men and women wore linen clothes all throughout the hot weather. The men wore short skirts around their waists called kilts, while the women wore straight fitting dresses with straps on their shoulders. The wealthy men wore pleated kilts, and the older men wore a longer kilt. When doing hard work, men wore a loin cloth, and women wore a short skirt. Children usually ran around nude during the summer months.
HOW LINEN WAS MADE
Linen is a fabric made from plant fibers. The plant fiber comes from flax plants that grow abundantly along the banks of the Nile. The flax plants are plants having small leaves, blue flowers and stems about two feet tall. Flax was pulled out of the ground, not cut. This work was done mostly by men. Half-ripe flax stems made the best thread. If the stems were too ripe, they were used for mats and rope. Flax stems were soaked for several days then fibers were separated. Then the fibers were beaten until soft. The resulting fibers are then spun into thread. The thread is woven into linen fabric from which the garments are made. Most Egyptians wore garments made from linen. This type of fabric is light, airy, and allows freedom of movement, which are important characteristics because of the hot and sometimes humid climate of Egypt.
In Ancient Egypt, women were predominately in charge of textile manufacturing and garment making. Garment making was a household chore, but woman also worked for aristocrats in spinning and weaving shops. Every garment from the decorative dresses of queens and the elaborate, pleated kilts of the pharaohs to the simpler kilts and aprons of the common people were handmade by woman.
The tools involved in garment making include knives and needles, both of these needed to be molded, shaped or craved. In predynastic times, knives were made out of stone and the needles were made from bones. However, during the Old Kingdom, they were both made out of copper. Then, in the Middle Kingdom, bronze replaced the copper. Knives and needles were molded. Surprisingly, the eyes of needles were not bored. They were "scratched out with a hard, pointed instrument, probably a stone." With these tools and linen, garments were fashioned to suit the needs of the people based on climate and the social status.
. All men, from the tomb worker to the pharaoh, wore a kind of kilt or apron that varied in length over the years, from halfway above the knee, to halfway below it. It was tied at the front, folded in at the side, or in two knots at the hips. A sleeved, shirt-like garment also became fashionable. Men were always clean-shaven, they used razors made from bronze to shave their beards and heads. Women wore straight, ankle-length dresses that usually had straps that tied at the neck or behind the shoulders. Some dresses had short sleeves or women wore short robes tied over their shoulders. Later fashions show that the linen was folded in many tiny vertical pleats and fringes were put at the edges.

The wealthy people both men and women wore long see-through robes that were pleated. Noblemen would sometimes wear a long robe over his kilt, while the women wore long pleated dresses with a shawl. Some kings and queens wore decorative ceremonial clothing with feathers. Wealthy people wore sandals made of leather that had straps across the instep and between the first and second toes.
Most people went barefoot, but wore sandals on special occasions. The king wore very elaborately decorated sandals, and sometimes decorative gloves on his hands. The sandals were sometimes made of palm fiber or braided papyrus together with leather sandals.

Clothing styles were chosen for comfort in the hot, dry climate of Egypt, while in the winter, wraps and cloaks were worn.
.
Women did not dress without washing (rich people had a tiled area for washing). After washing, they rubbed themselves with scented oil then they placed a large rectangle of linen over their heads, gathered the loose corners up and tied them in a knot below the chest. The usual toilet articles were tweezers, razor and comb.
Priests washed several times a day and they had to remove all body hair to be pure enough to approach the god. They could not wear leather sandals or wool clothing (considered unclean). They wore a leopard robe when serving the god Amun.

The Egyptians cared about their appearance a great deal. The women spent a lot of time bathing, rubbing oils and perfumes into their skin, and using their many cosmetic implements to apply make-up and style their wigs. Using a highly-polished bronze hand mirror, a woman would apply khol, a black dye kept in a jar or pot, to line her eyes and eyebrows, using an "brush" or "pencil" made of a reed. Men wore this eye make-up as well, which was not only a fashion but also protected against the eye infections which were common in Egypt. They would use a dye called henna to redden their nails and lips. Wigs were worn by men and women. Wigs were made from human hair or wool. They wore curled wigs for special occasions.

Egyptians adorned themselves with as much jewelry as they could afford. Wealthy people wore broad collars made of gold and precious stones liked together, which fastened at the back of the neck. Pairs of bracelets were worn around the wrist or high on the arm, above the elbow. Rings and anklets were also worn. Women wore large round earrings and put bands around their heads or held their hair in place with ivory and metal hair pins. Ordinary people wore necklaces made of brightly colored pottery beads.



Egyptian radiologist,interested in egyptology.

Expand Your Market Dramatically

Richard Bolduc

Are your marketing efforts limited to your target market?
One of my "Front Page" customers came to me with his dilemma.
His name is Thomas F. Seymour and he owns the Gold Link.
Through the advice I gave Thomas you can dramatically expand
your market. First, I must outline the problems he had expanding
his market.

Thomas F. Seymour sells gold jewelry for an internet lowest
price of $10 per gram at www.tgoldlink.com. His business
achieved front page placement in all the major search engines,
with over 20 different set's of keywords pertaining to gold
jewelry. He has several marketing virus's and articles circulating
in his target market. He posts ads religiously in jewelry related
ezines, newsletters, and in jewelry discussion forums. In other
words he is now making money, from his target market. The
income kind of levels off though, and he needs to know how to
increase his income and expand his market.

Now, let's say, he would like to get exposure in front of the
Internet crowd that spends their time looking for free stuff.
"FREE" is always in the "top 5 most searched word in the
internet search engines" list. However to post in those areas
would be considered spamming because, well, he sells gold,
he is not a freebie site.

Okay, what about expanding his jewelry site to include posts
in the huge target of internet marketers, ton's of discussion
forums. Most successful Internet marketers can afford his
products. So many marketing ezines allow free ads. There are
more ezines with "internet marketing" as a topic, than any
other topic. But to post an ad for jewelry in these marketing
e-zines, it just wouldn't happen. Your product or service needs
to fit a certain niche to be discussed or submitted to any topic
related ezine or discussion group.

So how do we break those barriers? It's quite simple really,
in the case of the Gold Link. His solution was as follows for
those 2 examples above.

First, find a free product that you believe in. Offer it from
your site as a thank you for signing up to your mailing list.
In The Gold Link's case it's a free cellphone. Now he can post
an ad in any freebie listing place to the effect that the Gold
Link is giving away free cellphones. Ton's of free ad space in
all the ezines with free stuff as a topic. Plus it grows his
mailing list.

Second, get involved with a marketing package you can
discuss in the marketing ezines and forums. In Gold Links
case he signed up for Startblaze, nomorehits, and ezytraffic
and several more. I then wrote a special Traffic Magic report
about how to automate the credit building process in these
programs. He gives the report away free through an autoresponder
trafficmagic@tgoldlink.com. This report was so effective and it
intrigued so many marketers that they had to go check him out
some bought gold. It allowed him to expand his exposure into
the internet marketing crowd. It allows him to submit his ads
to the internet marketing ezine community.

Be creative and you can go "on and on" about "how to get into
other target markets," but those examples should help point
the way for some of you who are hoping to expand their market.

Richard Bolduc, webmaster for
The Rhinos Web, a featured speaker and the well known author
of "Front Page, Webmasters Guide to the Search engines."
Find Out WHY Every Website YOU Submit CAN Land on the Front Page.
Results Shown Here. http://www.rhinosweb.com/frontpage.html


Right Hand Diamond Ring
Laura Ciocan

The hottest trend in jewelry fashion, the Right Hand Diamond Ring seems to raise sales sky-high.

The latest trend in diamond jewelry is the Right Hand Diamond Ring. The marketing significance load is addressing mainly to the independent career woman of the 21-st century. It stands for success, strength, self assertiveness and freedom.

After the world has been filled up with the symbol of eternal love - the diamond engagement ring, the marketing strategy accompanying this old-renewed product opposes the right-hand ring to the diamond engagement rings and diamond anniversary bands. It is not only being positioned on a different hand but it also differs significantly in design. Its design purposely avoids any resemblance with matrimonial rings, uses open spaces, smaller stones instead of a single, in combinations expressing the personality and individuality of the wearer.

In fact, it's not at all about the right hand, as women did wear rings on their right hand fingers before this marketing concept came into being, it's about what became almost an obsession for the left hand ring!

And of course, after one conquest, others must follow - after the diamond engagement rings hit, the market for diamond rings still had potential! The commercial outcome is one of larger proportions, first of all because the general tendency around the world is to postpone or forego marriage, then, while the diamond engagement ring addresses only to grooms-to-be as buyers, the right hand ring addresses to both men and women. And this is how:
The independent career woman

The idea was to go with the new wave of feminist thinking stressing upon women's independence wish - married or not, you still have to wear a diamond ring to reassess your leading position alongside men! It's a sort of impulse for the women who are generically tired of the role of housewives and feel they can do better with their lives. So, the left hand ring stands for the labors that marriage brings along while the right hand ring reads as the careless, joyful side of life.
Men also

Men are also a target for this advertising technique: loving husbands are encouraged to buy a gift for their wives that will flatter not only their need for love proofs but also the thought of being valued and respected as an independent person, and not a nice accessory to men or a house decor item. And not only married men should buy right hand rings, the concept has a wider meaning: it doesn't matter if you are married or not, as long as you are involved in a love relation you should definitely consider buying a right hand ring as a gift!

For years, right hand rings have also been a sign of commitment for gay couples. So, another market segment gained.

All advertising that deals with aspects of human vanity has every chance to succeed, and when addressing to women, it seems that the chances are even bigger. That they prevail in beauty had been established long ago, but now it is not enough any longer as it is not enough merely being accepted into the social life. The need appeared for women to be recognized as equal in value to men or even surpassing them. Working more and earning more than ever before, women choose now to put the idea that we live in a men's world way behind them.
And this intelligent marketing line is apparently indeed a huge success, as sales have been going really high!

Laura Ciocan writes for http://www.loveanddiamonds.com/ where you can find more information about diamond engagement rings

Please feel free to use this article in your Newsletter or on your website. If you use this article, please include the resource box and send a brief message to let me know where it appeared: mailto:lauracio@gmail.com


Laura Ciocan writes for http://www.loveanddiamonds.com/ where you can find more information about diamond engagement rings

Be Mine...Bejeweled...Beware. Advice for Buying Gemstone Jewelry

Larry Denton

Gemstones can be naturally mined, laboratory-created or total imitation. Natural gemstones (like rubies, sapphires, diamonds), as the name implies, were made by Mother Nature. Stones created in a lab can look identical to stones mined from the earth since they have essentially the same chemical, physical and visual properties as natural gemstones. The major difference is the cost. Laboratory-created stones do not have the rarity or uniqueness of naturally colored stones and, consequently, are much less expensive than naturally mined stones. Because these synthetic stones look similar to the real stones, they must be identified (labeled) as being lab-created. In contrast, imitation stones look like natural stones in appearance only, and may be glass, plastic, or less costly stones.

Gemstones can be measured by weight, size or both. The basic unit for weighing gemstones is the carat (with a C), which is equal to one-fifth of a gram. Carats are divided into 100 smaller units, called points. For example, a half-carat gemstone would weigh .50 carats or 50 points. When gemstones are measured by dimensions, the size is expressed in millimeters (for example, 7x5 mm.). Many gemstones are treated in some manner to improve their appearance or durability, or even change their color. Jewelers should tell you whether the gemstone you are considering has been treated since it may affect its value or require some special care.

Diamonds, the proverbial girls' best friend, are valued on four basic criteria: color, clarity, cut, and carat. The color of a diamond is usually "graded" on a scale. However, scales are not uniform: a "D" may be the best color on one scale, but not for another. Clarity refers to the presence or absence of internal flaws, called inclusions, which occur naturally within the stone, or to external blemishes, such as scratches or chips. A diamond can be described as "flawless" only if it has no visible surface or internal imperfections when viewed under a 10-power magnification by a skilled diamond grader. Make sure you know how a particular scale and grade represent the color or clarity of the diamond you are considering. Cut refers not only to the shape of the diamond, but also to size, angle, uniformity and polish of the facets (faces of the stone). Carat weight may be described in decimal or fractional parts of a carat, as described above.

Imitation diamonds, such as cubic zirconia, resemble diamonds in appearance but are much less costly since they are made in a laboratory. Other synthetics such as lab-created moissanite, also resemble diamonds and may not be detected by the instruments used to identify cubic zirconia. Ask your jeweler if he has the latest testing equipment to distinguish between real diamonds and lab-created stones.

Natural or "real" pearls are made by oysters and other mollusks. Cultured pearls are also grown by mollusks, but with human assistance: that is, an irritant introduced into the shells causes a pearl to grow. Imitation pearls are completely man-made using glass, plastic or organic materials. Because natural pearls are very rare, most pearls used in jewelry are either cultured or imitation. Cultured pearls, because they are produced by mollusks, are usually more expensive that imitation pearls. A pearl's value is largely based on size, usually state in millimeters, and the quality of its nacre coating, which gives it luster. Jewelers should tell you whether a pearl is imitation or cultured.

Some black, bronze, gold purple, blue and orange pearls, whether natural or cultured, occur that way in nature. Some, however, are dyed through various processes and jewelers should tell you whether the colored pearls are naturally colored, dyed or irradiated.

When you're in the market for a piece of jewelry for yourself or someone you love, shop around. Whether it is online, in catalogs or at a traditional store make comparisons. Compare quality, price, and service. Ask about refund and return policies before you buy. Check for the appropriate markings on metal jewelry. And make sure you get a sales receipt containing any information you relied on when making your purchase.

Best wishes for an enjoyable and rewarding shopping experience!

Larry Denton is a retired history teacher having taught 33 years at Hobson High in Hobson, Montana. He is currently Vice President of Elfin Enterprises, Inc., an Internet business dedicated to providing valuable and accurate information and resources on a variety of topics. For a treasure chest full of additional information about jewelry please visit http://www.JewelryJaunt.com


Gemstones Natural vs Synthetic
Debra Hamer

What is a synthetic gemstone? A synthetic gem is created in a laboratory under controlled conditions. The gem is grown from a natural gemstone "seed". By controlling the environment in which the gem is grown, impurities and inclusions can be avoided which occur in natural gemstones. The created stones have perfect color and clarity which is so highly desired. Most natural gemstones have imperfections due to uncontrolled growing conditions in nature. Synthetic stones will have the same chemical, physical, and optical properties of their natural counterparts without the imperfections.

A good analogy for synthetic gemstone creation is growing roses. Roses grown in a hot house where their growing environment is controlled will be closer to perfection than roses that are grown in your backyard. They're both roses, but the backyard rose will most likely be flawed or imperfect due to disease, insects, and other environmental impacts. Not so with the hot house rose because of the controlled conditions.

Don't confuse simulant gemstones with synthetic gemstones. Simulants can be made up of any substance, like glass. They are made to simulate a particular gemstone, but they do not have the same chemical, physical, and optical properties of the natural gemstone like the synthetic gemstone. Some examples of simulants are cubic zirconia, moissanite, and yttrium aluminum garnet which are diamond simulants.

The most popular gemstones that synthetics have been created for are emeralds, sapphires, rubies and alexandrites. I'm sure you have seen jewelry with synthetic stones, also known as "created" gemstones in your local retail jewelry store. They are easier to obtain and less costly than natural gemstones. Synthetics have made it more affordable for people to own nice jewelry and many prefer the flawless created stones compared to the natural stones. You can usually spot a "created" stone because it's just too perfect in color and clarity. A natural stone, especially in rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, which is perfect in color and clarity, is scarce and the cost is beyond most people's means.

Should you buy a synthetic gemstone or jewelry with created stones over the natural gemstone choices? I would recommend going with your own personal preference. If you want a piece of jewelry with a flawless, perfect gem, then go with the synthetic gemstone. Also, if cost is a deciding factor. As a collector/investor my preference would be for the natural gemstone. It's value and appreciation factor will be much greater, flawed or not.

It's interesting that there are some gemstones man has not been able to synthesize in a laboratory. One example is the garnet family of gems. They have not been able to unlock garnet's secrets to create it in a lab.

How do I know if the gemstone is natural, synthetic (created), or a simulant? If you can't tell by your own examination...ask! A reputable dealer or jeweler will be honest about the origins of the stone. If they don't know or won't say, then don't buy!

Another interesting fact about gemstones that is not common knowledge to the public is that the majority of gems on the market have been treated to create or enhance their color and clarity. There are many different treatments used today. Heat treatment is the most common and widely used. I have written another article specifically regarding gemstone treatments. You can go to Gemstone Treatments to read more on the subject.

As a gemstone collector/investor, as stated before, my preference is for natural gemstones, but as an adornment in jewelry a synthetic gemstone makes for a gorgeous ring, earrings or pendant at an affordable price.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Learn and read more about gemstones by purchasing Debra's E-book titled "A New Collector's Gemstone Guide" at http://www.profitfromhomebiz.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Captivating Cameos

Sher Matsen

There is something about a cameo that it truly captivating. Be it the attention to fine detail, the elegance of the portraits, there is simply nothing quite as beautiful as a cameo, and they never go out of style. Cameos can be made from variety of materials, such as abalone, wood, bone, coral, ivory, agate, glass, plastic, various shell types, and layered hard stone which comes in a variety of colors.

Molded cameos are usually made of glass. They usually consist of either one or two colors. Often the colors are swirled together. Glass cameos are usually quite shiny. Molded cameos are also molded from plastic. The wedgwood style cameos were made from plastic. Plastic makes a terrific imitation shell cameo. Older cameos were often made with celluloid using two colors. Occasionally, but not very often, natural materials are molded. One way to tell if a cameo is molded is to look for a roundness in the detail and a lack of sharp and precise lines. To identify glass cameos look for the presence of mold marks and ridges or dimples on the back.

Shell cameos are carved from a single piece of shell. Shell is soft, so it is very easy to carve. Shell cameos are usually two colors. Shell cameos have a thin concave back, with the exception of abalone and mother of pearl which are usually flat on the back and somewhat thicker. Coral Cameos are usually a single color, and also have a flat back.

Agate cameos are carved with the same technique that shell cameos are carved. Agate has one main advantage, because the carver is able to see the layers of color from the side and knows that these layers will basically be flat. Stone is much harder to carve. A good hard stone cameo is often under carved at the junction where the portrait meets the flat plaque. At a quick glance stone often looks like an applied cameo, however upon closer examination one can determine it to be stone.

Amber Cameos are rather new to the market place. Amber cameos are carved from natural amber with the reverse intaglios being hand carved.

Practice will make it easier to tell molded cameos from carved cameos: Usually natural materials are carved, while glass and plastic materials are normally molded but could be carved though not very likely. Molded cameos can be two colors by the simple device of pouring one color into the mold in a thin layer and then following with a thicker layer of another color.
If you are buying for value distinguishing the type of cameo could be very important. However, if you are buying because you simply "love" the piece, then determining the type of cameo and the value are not nearly as important. We suggest if you are purchasing a cameo because you want to add it to your jewelry wardrobe then choose what your heart falls for, just be certain you are not overpaying for what you are getting.

Cameos make a wonderful fashion statement! And they never go out of style.

© Copyright Sher Matsen, All Rights Reserved.


© 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.


What is Dowsing?
Samantha Stevens

Dowsing is definitely an intuitive art and one of the oldest forms of divination in the world. Perhaps the oldest and most familiar image we have a dowser is what is called a field or map dowser. This person walks over a landscape using a Y shaped or forked stick (sometimes called a doodlebug) to locate subterranean sources of water, oil or even precious minerals. The stick vibrates, crosses or shakes when the substance is found. Some dowsers will use two sticks held in one hand, and when the sticks cross, it signifies that a subtle astral or geopathic force has located the natural resource. This kind of dowsing is also used to locate things such as buried treasure, lost persons, missing jewelry and stray golf balls!
However, the kind of dowsing we are concerned with in this article would be for the purposes of divination. To do this you need to purchase or make what is called a "bobber" or a "pendulum". This is simply a pointed object made of metal, crystal or wood that is attached to the end of a string or a rope. Crystals make excellent pendulums. To diagnose disease, use a rose quartz crystal. For general divination, a silver, lapis, wood or hematite pendulum works well. A pendulum can be anything that appeals to you, that is personal, feels like it conducts energy and can be hung from a chain or string. For instance, I have a little silver acorn charm that works perfectly as a pendulum. Some people use keys or talismans or charms such as a crucifix or ankh. Pendulums can be bought commercially online and in New Age or Occult Stores.
There are no strict rules around the practice of dowsing, however there are two methodologies behind the purpose of it.
The first methodology involves using the pendulum to answer a yes or no question. Some practitioners use a chart or a map, usually a square of paper with a circle drawn on it with the words YES or NO written at the four quarter points of the circle.
Sometimes, a direct answer can be written on the four points of the paper as well. For instance if the question is "Who does Bob love?" then you may have different options such as "Me", "His Wife", "His Child" or "Nobody" written on the four quarter points of the circle. The dowser holds the pendulum over the center of the circle concentrates and sees which answer the pendulum naturally sways towards.
There is also another direct method of getting a yes or no answer. Hold the pendulum straight between thumb and forefinger. Ask the question. If it sways to the right, the answer is YES. If it sways to the left, the answer is NO. If it goes in a clockwise circle, the answer is YES: a counterclockwise circle - NO.
Healers, to scan a body for disease, also use pendulums. The spinning in a counterclockwise circle is said to be an astral message that something is wrong with that part of a body. Also if the pendulum is just very active it can indicate an energy disturbance in a chakra or an imbalance of some kind. There is an old wives' tale too, that if a pendulum is held over the belly of a pregnant woman, it is a boy if it swings to the right or clockwise and a girl if it swings to the left or counterclockwise.
Before you start dowsing, you might want to say a little prayer, asking God or the powers that be for permission to dowse.
A Dowser's Prayer from Samantha:
Dear God (Or Higher Power) Please help me be centered and grounded so that I may become a clear channel of your divine grace, direction and wisdom. Protect me from all negative energies and influences while I open myself up to do they work and guide me to finding the right answers for all those who come to me for advice and help. Amen.

Samantha Steven's articles have been published in many high-standing
newspapers and she has published several books. If you wish to buy
Samantha's books about metaphysics click here
http://www.insomniacpress.com/author.php?id=110
You can meet Samantha Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she
works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at
http://www.newagenotebook.com

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.

Flashy Car Rims - Is It Just A Guy Thing?
Lillian Fuller

Wheel Tips For The Female Of The Species Too

If you browse the internet ads for tires and wheels, it seems like flashy car rims is a guy thing. The websites are geared to a masculine point of view. Some websites feature sound and videos that include a pounding rap beat backed up by a view of "shiny things." Most websites feature Charlie's Angels "look a likes" pouring themselves over the car chassis or pointing to flashy car rims. Lexani's official website features a four minute video to showcase its wares. The wheels are hot, the girls are hotter.

Men & Car Rims

Normally, the male of the species keeps a pretty low profile when it comes to plumage but when it comes to equipping their rides, most men, don't question how much but how will the wheels look on the car, truck or SUV.

A Little Research

I did a little aftermarket research about car rims. I asked various friends and associates if they would they spend an additional $8.000.00 for specialty wheels for their vehicle. By far most of the men I asked didn't even blink at the price but just shrugged and said "yeah, I guess; it depends on how they would look." The women looked at me as if I had just arrived from Mars and replied with an emphatic "NO WAY". A marketing statistic shows that ninety percent of the shoppers at wheel and tire shops are men. Men like flashy car rims and it seems to be almost genetic.

Car Rims & Shoes; A Connection?

This same connection exists between women and shoes. It's never about the money but how they look. You need shoes to protect your feet. The functional ones work well but it's the pretty ones that we want. Shoes, like car rims have a definite purpose as well. Like shoes that allow the owner to walk, car rims allow the car to "roll".

Because car rims are so vital to the handling and performance of vehicles, it is important for women to become as interested in the details of car rims as men. This article will talk about car rims and wheels sizes, chrome and alloys, package prices, reliable brands, and upcoming trends like spinners.

So let's get motoring. By the end of this piece you will know more about car rims. The man in your life will be impressed by your new-found knowledge and you'll be ready to make an informed decision about what's best for your ride.

Where To Look For Car Rims

There are numerous websites dedicated to sale of car rims. As well many sites offer valuable information about car rims and what you can do to enhance your vehicle's performance and handling. If you decide to make your purchase through a website check with a Consumer Bureau to ensure that the website is reputable.

Car Rim Sizes - It's The Fit That Counts

When you purchase a vehicle, stock models come with a specific size of car rim. For example small cars like Honda Preludes have 13 inch rims. As the size of the vehicle increases so do the size of the car rims. Car rims sizes can go up to 27" and beyond as many manufacturers are developing larger sizes for newer jeeps and SUVs. Front Wheel Drive sizes are slightly smaller than Rear Wheel Drive types by about 2 inches.

Plus Sizing

To enhance the look of your vehicle and improve its performance you can increase the size of the wheel "Plus Sizing" is a term that refers to increasing the size of the car rim to the wheel.

Why Plus Sizing?

Plus sizing is chosen by drivers for steering response, handling, and cornering ability. When you add inches to the tire, there is more surface that is in contact with the road. Plus sizing a wheel also enhances the sporty look of a vehicle.

Plus sizing can be done by "inching up". The following are the three methods of "inching up" your tire.

1. Plus Zero
2. 
   
3. Zero Plus One
4. 
   
5. Zero Plus Two

Plus Zero
The Plus Zero method uses the same wheel radius as the original equipment but includes a tire with a larger size than the original's width but smaller than the aspect ratio. For example the original tire size is: 175/70R14. By putting a 195/60R14 tire on this wheel rim you would not be increasing the tire size, hence "plus zero".

Zero Plus One
Plus one increases the size of the tire by one inch. For example if the tire size is 175/70R13 and you put a tire on it that is 175/70R14, you have increased the tire size by one inch. Zero plus one utilizes a one-inch larger diameter wheel in conjunction with a smaller tire. This method always requires a replacement wheel.

Zero Plus Two
Exactly as the name of the method implies, this approach increases the size of the tire by two inches. For example, you would replace the original equipment of 175/70R13 with a tire size of 175/70R15.

Chrome And Alloys

Early cars had steel wheels. This has changed because of the weight of steel. Today's vehicles are designed to be as sleek and aerodynamic as possible. Ask any racer why alloy wheels were developed. The light alloy wheel is an essential part of vehicle safety and performance. These car rims evolved in the racing industry as cars needed to be lighter. Alloy wheels, because of their functional good looks quickly jumped into the mainstream of aftermarket vehicle sales. There are numerous websites dedicated to magnesium, chrome and silver alloy car rims and wheels.

Chrome, Magnesium And Silver Alloys

Chrome wheel rims have always been popular due to their shiny exterior but other types of alloy rims have appeared in the past 10 years. Custom alloy rims include magnesium rims that have been x-rayed and heat tempered to ensure their good looks and durability. Buyer beware however, when purchasing a car rim package make sure that price is not your primary decision making factor.

Buyer Beware

Many lesser known companies use copy cat technology and do not adhere to industry standards. Ensure that you are shopping at a reputable web site. If it seems to be too good a deal to be true, it probably is. Check out manufacturer's websites such as Lexani, Giovanna and Sprewell for referrals to qualified sales centers.

Reliable Car Rim Retail Sales Outlets

Successful manufacturers of car rims and wheels have one trait in common. Each manufacturer pays great attention to producing a quality product. To participate in the motor vehicle aftermarket, it is essential that certain standards be met.

Manufacturers such as Lexani, Weld, Konig and Sprewell strive to provide the best quality product available today. In order for a retailer to sell products from these companies, they must hold to the guidelines set out by the manufacturer. Today, all car rim and wheel manufacturers have websites. It's a good idea to review them prior to beginning your search for the perfect wheel.

Package Prices

Shopping for car rims can be done in three ways:

1. In person at a wheel and tire outlet.
2. 
   
3. At a vehicle dealership.
4. 
   
5. On the Internet.

There are literally hundreds of sites that offer wheel packages and most provide free shipping anywhere in the United States. All sites offer packages that include custom fitting four wheel rims, mounting and balancing of four tires and delivery. Lug nuts and other associated items are not included in the package but are available at discounted prices.

Car Rims Can Be An Expensive Investment

Wheels aren't cheap by any stretch of the imagination. Depending on the brand you choose a person can pay as much as $8,000.00 US for a Lexani Big Johnson 27inch package. Giovanna has a package available for almost ten thousand dollars. This package features the Abruzzo 26" wheel and tire.

There are packages available from Eagle, American Racing and Centerline that are less expensive. Many of the packages available from the above companies offer wheels that start at $1699.00.

Though they are less expensive, these car rim packages still provide the good looks and functionality featured in the more expensive models.

Trends

One of the hottest trends today for car rims is spinning jewelry. Car rims that include spinners are the most demanded item on wheels today. These items cause an optical illusion that the wheel is still spinning when a vehicle is stopped at a street light. These wheels are designed to catch the eye and keep the onlooker's attention. Some websites describe spinners as being simply stunning. Spinners are available from numerous manufacturers such as Sprewell and Oasis for a variety of prices. Spinning jewelry looks good on SUV's, jeeps, sports cars and even the family car.

Flashy Car Rims - Truly A "Guy Thing"

A term such as "simply stunning" was usually employed when describing dresses, women or shoes. More aftermarket companies are striving to attract a feminine audience to encourage women to purchase their product. These companies are few and far between and for the most part, flashy car rims remain a "guy thing". However if you want to make an informed purchase decision or you simply want to impress your boyfriend with "guy" knowledge, it's a good idea to do your homework. Ultimately, you'll be glad you did. Happy motoring.

Lillian Fuller is a talented and successful freelance writer providing tips and advice for consumers about car rims including chrome wheels, spinner rims, custom wheels and more.
© 2004 http://www.rims-now.com/

Reward Your Customers

Eugenijus

The formula for success for any business is to get your
customers to make repeat purchases. There are a number
of factors involved for getting repeat customers: pricing,
quality of products and services, excellent customer
service etc. One of the best ways is to reward your
customers for their repeat purchases. Here are three
effective customer reward programs you could implement:

Number Of Purchases

This program is based on the number of purchases made
by any customer. You could give away a f.ree product or
service to any customer that makes ten or more purchases.
To make the program more effective you could require a
set time period that all ten purchases must be made by.

Dollar Amount

You can require a certain dollar amount be spent before
the customer receives a reward. Tell customers if they
spend over $50 in one month at your web site they get a
50% discount on their next purchase. You could also just
reward one customer who spends the most every month
with a bigger reward like a v.acation.

Points System

Reward customers a point for every one-dollar they spend.
Lets say customers can get a f.ree computer for 300 points.
That means customers will spend $300 dollars on your
products and services to get enough points to get the f.ree
computer. To push slower selling products or services just
o.ffer more points per dollar spent for those particular items.

The kind of rewards you give should depend on what your
business can afford. Cheaper rewards could be gift
certificates, coupons, clothes, or movie passes. Expensive
rewards could be jewelry, vacations, bed and breakfast
gift certificates, electronics or computer equipment.

You may want to invest in a good database program to
keep track of your rewards program. I also recommend
contacting a legal professional for advice, set-up and the
structure of your rewards program. I hope these ideas I've
given you help make your business more successful.

Quote of the Day:

"All adverse and depressing influences can be overcome, not
by fighting, by by rising above them." -- Charles Caleb
Colton




Eugenijus Sakalauskas is an established ezine publisher
and direct marketer who specializes in developing new
ideas and methods on
Website Marketing & Home Business Secrets
Get FREE infomailto:pluginnetproefit@getresponse.com
Support:support@pluginnetproefit.com



Dear Tech Support
Dr. Dorree Lynn

Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed that the new program began making unexpected changes to the accounting modules, limiting access to flower and jewelry applications that had operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0. In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as Romance 9.9 but installed undesirable programs such as NFL 5.0 and NBA 3.0. Conversation 8.0 no longer runs and Housecleaning 2.6 simply crashes the system. I've tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail.

Desperate

Dear Desperate,

I regretfully inform you that the technical problems you raise often come with the system purchased. Evidently you did not look around at similar systems or read the fine print prior to making your purchase. Many in your situation try quick solutions, immediately try other systems, are driven to drink or in total frustration simply trash the current system. Unfortunately our current state of technology remains limited and whatever your upgrades, there are always glitches.

I recommend you get technologically proficient with what you have, learn every default capability you can and keep clicking buttons until one works. If your system crashes, wait. Sometimes you may have to turn off the machine and give it a rest. Miraculously, for unknown reasons, glitches may disappear. Another tool to use with your new upgrade is patience. I understand this is not what you bargained for, but it helps. There are times the system will right itself if you simply wait long enough. And, trust me, you will never know why.

If nothing else works, try talking to your machine. I know the system you selected does not include that in the instruction manual, but it is a trick I have learned over the years. And foolish as it may seem, perhaps when no one is looking, caress your machine and give it a kiss.

Your system is only as good as the user and when upgrading, there can be no such thing as foolish pride. So if at first you don't succeed, try and try again. If all else fails and your system continues to deteriorate, please call in a certified technician before it is too late.

Life is too hard to do alone,

Dr. D.

Dorree Lynn, PH.D.


Dr. Dorree Lynn is co-founder of the Institute for the Advanced Study of Psychotherapy and a practicing clinician in New York and Washington, DC. Dr. Lynn served on the executive board of the American Academy of Psychotherapists and she is on the editorial board of their publication, Voices. She is also a regular columnist for the Washington, DC newspaper, The Georgetowner. Dr. Lynn is a noted speaker and well known on the lecture circuit.

How To Swing A Metal Detector For Success

Dean Novosat

When swinging a metal detector, proper technique is essential. if you hold the coil too high above the ground depth is lost. If you swing the coil to quickly, you may miss a valuable target. And if you walk too quickly, you may pass over a target.

I like to think of the coil as a paint roller. Pretend that your coil is loaded with paint, and that you're trying to paint the ground that you're walking across. As you slowly sweep the coil back-and-forth across the ground imagine paint being applied. You're trying to paint the entire area you were trying to cover. If you can imagine the paint, you should be able to cover the entire area without missing a single spot.

As far as the height above the ground goes, you want to hold the coil as close to the ground as possible. Obviously, if you're working in tall grass you're maybe 3 or 4 in. above the ground. On the other hand, on a smooth flat beach surface, you can easily skim the coil right over the sand. Remember, the higher the coil is above the surface the more depth you will lose. If they've got a old coin that is 6 in. below the surface, and your detector can detect 8 in., and the coil is 3 in. above the ground, you will miss that target. If the coil had been directly upon the ground you would be able to detect that target.

For walking speed, remember the paint rollerr analogy above. As long as you are painting the entire surface of the ground and not missing any spots, you are not walking too quickly. However, if you find that your imaginary paint is missing areas, you need to slow down your pace.

I have used this technique successfully to find lots of gold coins, valuable jewelry, and other rare finds. The hope you find this technique improves your success rate.

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Find more of Mr. Novosat's writings on his own blog at http://www.novosat.us/wp


Dean Novosat is an avid treasure hunting and can often be found metal detecting the beaches of the mid-Atlantic United States. He is the webmaster of http://www.treasure-metal-detecting.com and http://www.metal-detector-info.com.

What in the World Is Moissanite? The Worlds Newest Jewelry Stone.
Peter Crump

Moissanite is a naturally occurring crystal which occurs in such small
amounts and sizes as to be uncommercial.

It was discovered in 1893 by Henri Moissan in a meteorite which had fallen to earth some 50000 years ago and landed in the Arizona desert.
Dr Moissan started studying small fragments from this meteorite and made an astonishing discovery. Imbedded in it were tiny amounts of what
looked like a new unknown jewel.

Although it occurs naturally on earth it is only in tiny quantities and commercially unviable.

Scientists could see its potential as a brilliant new jewelry stone and so set out to manufacture it in a lab. It's application as a jewel was immediately clear and so a new naturally occurring but also man made jewel was born. The process of making it is very new. It has only been
commercially available in jewelry since 1998, so is only a few years old on the jewelry market.

It is exceedingly hard to make and the process to do so is kept very secret. It can only currently be made in reasonably small quantities.

There are a number of properties of jewels which are common amongst them and are therefore used for comparison purposes. These properties are beauty, colour, brilliance, fire and luster, durability and rarity.

The brilliance of a jewel is created by the cut. A diamond in it's natural state for instance is pretty unimpressive. Give it a proper design and use the diamonds natural refraction of light and it is beautiful. It is the cut that does this, however it is the qualities of the jewel which produce the brilliance once it has been cut. Brilliance can be measured by the amount of light which enters a jewel compared with the amount which comes back when put under a light source.

Fire refers to the ability of the stone to refract light back out in colours. The light rays break up into their original spectrum colours and that is what gives the jewel its special character.

Luster is the amount of light reflected back from the surface of the jewel.

Durability is the toughness, the resistance to scratching, chipping, or splitting. This is detemined by its hardness, and it is also the
hardness which determines the brilliance.

Rarity is reasonably obvious. It is the availability of the jewel.

Moissanite equals or outperforms diamonds just about all categories. In particular it has superior brilliance, fire and luster. The only
category in which it doesn't outperform diamonds is hardness. It is slightly softer than diamond, but only very slightly, and is harder
than all other stones. Jewellers can stuggle to tell the difference between diamonds and Moissanite. In fact there is now a specific
instrument which has been developed to help jewellers to tell the difference between diamond and moissanite as it is so hard to see and
so many cannot tell them apart.

It will not scratch or become cloudy with wear.

In 1999 the US imported 23.4 million carats (karats) of diamond and only .07 million carats of Moissanite. It is very rare.

There are other diamond substitutes available such as cubic zirconia or even glass. Moissanite outperforms all these admirably.

Moissanite is not really a diamond substitute though. It is a new jewel in its own right. It is just so good that it is immediately compared to
diamonds which are always thought of as the best jewel.

If you are thinking of diamond jewelry then moissanite has to be considered. It is far cheaper than a comparable diamond. It is high
quality. It is a great jewel. At the end of the day it is not diamond and so if you are determined to get a diamond then do so. But it is a
very attractive alternative.

It is more and more becoming the choice of the stars.

Kim Cattrall's character, Samantha Jones, wore a brilliant white gold ring featuring Moissanite in an episode during the last season of the
TV hit Sex and the City.

Kiko Ellsworth, one of Hollywood's "Hot" young stars wore a brilliant pair of 2 � ct. Moissanite "Martini Stud" earrings to the premiere of
Bad Boys II, on July 9th in Los Angeles.

Many other stars have been seen wearing moissanite jewelry in the last few years. It is becoming the new fashion in jewelry. It is also becoming one of the most popular engagement ring stones.

Moissanite is the newest and certainly one of the best jewelry stones available. Moissanite is here to stay.



Find out more about Moissanite
as well as Moissanite Engagement Rings at Peter's website, The Magic of Moissanite.
© 2005 Peter Crump.

Rafferty Rose Fine Jewelry

Rose Hayes

We bring the very best jewelry, watches, miscellaneous items, and antiques (or as I'd prefer to call them heirlooms and collectibles) to all price ranges and to all age groups. We have decided to fill a niche group by offering a variety of price ranges to fit everyone's needs and desires. Some of our items are our of the ordinary, ornate and estate items. Truly amazing!

We started in November, 2001, on a wing and a prayer in the hopes that our business would make it. With the help of my daughter, Shana, she helped me with road shows, and people came liked our items, we we decided to give it our very best shot on the web.

The Gifts We Give Our Dogs
Carolyn Schweitzer

Whoever coined the phrase, "It's a Dog's Life" wasn't familiar with 21st century dogs. Time was when the average canine slept outside, ate whatever scraps of food were tossed his way, and if he was lucky, was thrown the occasional bone. He was even expected to earn his keep!
Times have changed. As the world has grown more affluent, so have our pets. We're obsessed with keeping our canine companions happy, healthy, and properly accessorized. So much so that many of us worry about our own welfare less than that of our dog. This didn't happen overnight-- the trend started decades ago.
Take, for example, my grandmother Rose. During the 60's and 70's, Rose and Henry discovered cruise vacations. On every cruise, whenever they pulled into port to "shop", Rosie made it her mission to find stray dogs and feed them. She'd head straight for the butcher, buy a few pounds of fresh meat, and comb the islands for the hungry and homeless. She would exclaim, "It's a crime the way these animals live!"-- in spite of the fact that the people of those islands were desperately poor!
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not passing judgment on Grandma, or anyone else. I spoil my pets as much as the next guy or gal, and take immense pleasure in it. Truth be told, I'd rather hang out with my dog than with a whole lot of people I know. We share a special bond, my best friend and I. Hey, admit it... lots of you feel the same way!
The fact is, man has always had a close relationship with animals, and has enjoyed having pets around for companionship. Having a pet can bring great pleasure into our lives, and is believed to have a therapeutic effect on the owner. For empty nesters and those who've delayed or opted out of having kids, pets almost take the place of children. We bond with our pets especially because they don't judge us. Dogs in particular offer the kind of unconditional love we all crave. They're always thrilled to have us around!
So, how do we spoil our pets?
Probably in much the same way that we spoil our children! Aside from all of the care attention lavished on America's pets, a tremendous amount of money is spent providing goods and services that were once deemed a luxury-- but are now considered essential.
Today's dog sees the vet for regular checkups. She eats premium dog food and munches on gourmet doggie treats, is enrolled in obedience classes, and runs agility courses. She has her own collections of toys, clothing, and possibly even dog jewelry and canine cologne. She sleeps indoors on a luxury orthopedic bed and takes shelter outdoors in her cedar dog house. She wears a safety harness when riding in the family car, a reflective vest on hunting trips, and rain gear in foul weather. She can even dodge UV rays with a pair of doggie sunglasses. Her responsibilities are few.
I could go on (don't worry, at some point I will!). But one of the most notable signs that we regard our dogs as members of our family is the fact that we buy them gifts. A dog gift for the holidays, a dog gift for a special occasion, or a dog gift to show our appreciation for how much our dogs appreciate us. Any reason will do. Heck, we even wrap our dog gifts!
Here are some very interesting statistics regarding gifts for pets:

* More than half of U.S. households have pets, and many of them are including their "best friends" in holiday plans.
* According to a survey conducted by the Pet Supplies "Plus" chain, 97% of its customers will buy gifts for their animals this Yuletide season.
* 28% of owners will spend more on their pets than on their spouses when buying gifts.
* 47% will spend more on their pets than on relatives other than their spouse.
* 54% will spend more on their pets than on their in-laws.
* 83% will wrap their pets' gifts.
* 68% claim that their pets will unwrap presents themselves with their paws.
* 71% will buy something practical for them.

Buying gifts for our pets is only the half it. If someone we know is a pet lover, we often show our support by giving the person a pet-related gift. And, since the saying goes, "love me, love my dog", there's often pressure to throw in a little dog gift for Spike too. For a casual dog-loving aquaintance, our dog lover gift might be a simple coffee mug with a picture of their favorite dog breed. A set of plush doggie-themed golf club covers could make an amusing gift for a colleague. Maybe Aunt Janine has a collection of dog figurines we can add to. Or, at the other end of the spectrum, one could splurge on a diamond-studded doggie themed bracelet for the wife (although I wouldn't recommend this as an anniversary gift. Unless you're verrry sure.) and a new house for Spike.
The good news is, there's no shortage of goods and services to inspire even the most rabid of dog lovers and dog gift shoppers. And dog lover gift shoppers. Whether the names on your gift list are human or canine, you'll never run out of things to buy and places to shop. If you're one of those gifted gift givers who's never at a loss for what to get and where to find it I envy you. If you're more like the rest of us, and you need a little help, you'll find plenty of ideas online (Ahem!). You can also look for future articles in this series, in which I'll hone in on various ways you can pamper and reward the dogs and dog lovers in your life.
So go ahead, spoil your furry friends. Celebrate your love for your dog, and your sister in law's love for her dog. Shower them with goodies and gifts. It's a dog's life. And if I get to come back for another round, I want it to be as one of those lucky dogs!!



© 2004, Carolyn Schweitzer. Lifelong dog-lover, power-shopper, and former family dentist Carolyn Schweitzer is owner and editor of http://www.great-dog-gift.com. The site offers choices for dog gift shoppers, plus shopping and gift-giving tips. She's always looking for new dog gift ideas and dog stories to share with her readers. You can reach her by email at netbrainer@verizon.net

Online Shopping: 10 Tips For Safe Online Shopping

I-key Benney, CEO

Have you ever bought a product or service from the internet?

Me too.

Some of the reasons why most people are shopping online are: they can buy anything at anytime because Internet shopping is available 24 hours, all the time.

You can shop from the convenience of your home. You can avoid traffic and crowding at the malls.

Online shopping is one of the best ways to locate hard-to-find items not available in your local stores.

Whatever you buy can be delivered by mail to your house.

Most online stores and companies provide excellent values and discount prices because they do not have to pay the overhead of owning a physical business that will cost them insurance, employee pay, taxes and more.

VeriSign, Inc. says that online sales recorded during the prime holidays shopping season was about $2.2 billion dollars.

According to a study by Forrester Research Company, by 2010, online sales will reach $331 billion dollars.

More consumers are shopping online today than a year ago. The range of products they buy are many: software, hardware, electronics, digital products, music, toys, e-books, books, programs, DVD, flowers, pets, jewelry, clothes, air tickets, insurance, cars, prescription drugs, comic books, games, gifts and more.

They are flocking to buy from online bookstores, software stores, online computer stores, target stores, pet stores, liquor stores, drug stores, music stores, furniture stores, fabric stores, the Disney store, outlet stores, surplus stores, discount stores, thrift stores, gift stores, candy stores, lingerie stores, sports stores, video stores, sex stores, department stores, game stores, clothing stores and others.

Be a smart and savvy online shopper. Shop wisely and safely.

Here are a few tips to help you do your online shopping safely.

(1) Shop at the websites of companies that you know and are popular offline.

If you're not sure of the company, request their catalog or brochure first.

Be sure they have a physical address and phone, as well as an e-mail address. Call them and speak to a human being first.

Check with the yellow pages and the Better Business Bureaus to be sure the company is legitimate.

Read all the fine print and the refund policy before you place an order.

You may read about product reviews and what other shoppers have to say about a company at:
http://www.epinions.com, http://www.consumersearch.com , http://www.productopia.com, http://www.deja.com

Here are some internet shopping agents' sites:
http://www.comparenet.com , http://vo.infospace.com , http://bottomdollar.com

To read about reviews on shopping stores, regarding ease of use, pricing, selection and service go to:
http://www.gomez.com, http://www.bizrate.com , http://www.ratingwonders.com

To read about web business frauds and get help to avoid being a victim, go to:
http://www.fraud.org , http://www.bbbonline.org , http://www.webassured.com

(2) Keep a record of all your purchases.

Most people are by nature disorganized and unable to keep records. Learn to keep records of all your online purchases. This will help you keep track of your spending and shopping.

Print all receipts or save them on your computer in a folder named "receipts".

This will help you locate orders that you placed but were never delivered.

The more organized you are the less negative online shopping experience you'll have.

(3) Keep all your important personal information safe.

Don't give them to strangers who may call you over the phone or request them by e-mail.

Personal information includes: your address, e-mail address, phone number, social security number, drivers license, age, information about your family.

Don't give them to any stranger and, also, teach your children not to do so.

(4) Keep your passwords private.

When creating a password, avoid using phone numbers, birth dates or social security numbers.

Be creative. Use a password that is not easy for others to guess, and yet not easy for you to forget.

Change your passwords often. Use phrases to help you remember them.

Don't disclose passwords to anyone.

(5) Use a credit (but never debit) card to make your payment.

Be sure to keep all credit card payment receipts. Check your credit card account statements to be able to spot any unauthorized charges.

When you buy certain goods and services from some companies, sometimes they will keep billing you thereafter. So scrutinize your statements. If you see a charge you're not sure of, call the billing merchant and check it out.

Keep your credit cards secure.

Avoid making a payment using your credit card on a public computer.

Report any lost credit cards immediately and have them cancelled. Don't give anyone that you don't know your credit card number.

(6) Read the return policy before placing an order.

Be sure that you read and understand the return policy and warranty.

(7) Read and understand the company's privacy statement (or policy).

A privacy statement tells you how and why a business is collecting your information, and how that information may be used.
You may find the company's privacy statement (or policy) at the very bottom of the home page or inside their "Terms & Conditions" or "Terms of Service" (TOS).

(8) Use a secure browser and server.

Be sure whatever browser you're using complies with the industry's security standards, such as secure sockets layer (SSL).

This security protocol scrambles or encrypts the personal information you send over the Internet to ensure your transaction is secured.

How do you know if the server is secure where you're making a payment?

If a Web site is using secure technology, its Web address begins with https and a tiny locked padlock appears at the bottom right corner of the screen.

(9) Check out a few stores and compare prices before buying.
Look for hidden costs such as shipping and handling.

(10) Use Yahoo Search Engine for all your searches.

Yahoo continues to be, not only the largest online company, but also, the best Search Engine.

Unlike the other popular Search engine, which keeps companies in a sandbox for many months and refuses to give them rankings for many months, Yahoo is pro business and gives immediate rankings to companies and business.

Their search result is also excellent. That may be one reason why 60% of people online (including me) love Yahoo.

Also, they have the most reliable and the best hosting service in the world.

For these reasons, I strongly recommend you use Yahoo to do all your searches.

Happy and safe online shopping.

Warmly,

I-key Benney


Visit Maychic's Amazon.com Store at:
http://www.maychic.com/amazonstore

Also, Download free "TMT Power Secrets" Book-1 at:
http://www.tmtworldwide.org



The History of Bracelets
Sher Matsen

Bracelet popularity dates back to the Roman times and continues today.
Roman bracelets shared many of the design patterns of necklaces and earrings from that era. The ever popular ball earrings from that era were nicely matched with a ball style bracelet. Engraved bangles and snake bracelets were very popular during Roman times. Bracelets made of twisted coil with lion head ends were common place, as were the two part bracelets ending with a pair of lion heads. The Heracles knot bracelet is recognized as a Roman era piece. The Roman's were very creative in the designing of their jewelry. However they still borrowed from Greek motifs. Palmettos, fleeing dogs and acanthus leaves, all of Greek origin, were often seen in the designing of Roman jewelry.

Stones and glass were often used in Roman bracelets. . Gem stones were commonly found set in eyes. Open bands were cut to represent a row of ivy and entwined with pearls. Many of the leaf and berry bracelets were heavily adorned with decorative glass. The wealthier women could be seen wearing bracelets layered in bezel set emeralds.

During the Gerogiian times bracelets remained popular. Paris jewelers were known for their gold bracelets set with pearl edging. After the 1820s coral became the "in" fashion statement, so bracelets and other jewelry were heavily set with coral.

During the Gerogiian time it was very fashionable to wear many bracelets at once, including wide ribbon gold mesh bracelets, and silk ribbon bracelets. Gem and Diamond bracelets were designed in geometric patterns. Gold was heavily used during this era.

The Victorian era brought changes to the fashions of women, including jewelry styles. Earrings grew long and dangled, bracelets became rigid and were normally worn in pairs. The buckle bracelet became very fashionable.

The jewelry of the Victorian era expressed sentiment, and bracelets were no exception. Bracelets would contain lockets or charms with pictures or hair of a loved one, and engravings were common

Early Victorian jewelry enjoyed some mystic with hidden meanings being popular. The acrostic bracelets where the first letter of each gemstone spelled a word of friendship were very popular. For example a bracelet set with Lapis, Opal, Vermeil [hessonite garnet] and Emerald would spell Love.

The Art Nouveau period once again saw changes to fashion and jewelry. Chameleons and serpents entwined themselves around bracelets. The mystical Egyptian scarab was found on bracelets and rings. Other popular creatures included dragonflies, butterflies, bees, peacocks, swans, and even bats. This was a very figural period attached to nature.
If jewelry did not depict creatures it depicted flower blossoms or flower buds.

From 1910 to 1939 women's fashions saw sleeveless or short sleeve dresses appear. The result was flexible bracelets and bangles worn on the upper arm. These arm bracelets were often adorned with gemstones or diamonds.
From 1940 to 1949 US designers were greatly influenced by the designs from the French house of Van Cleef & Arpels. Bracelets with ribbon of hexagon lines centered on fine gemstones fastened with heavy clasps became very vogue.

From 1950 to 1960 daytime saw simpler lines for not only gold bracelets but necklaces as well. Gold mesh or twisted wire bracelets were very popular.

From 1960 to 1970 bracelets became more flexible and were often set with gems. Bangles on the other hand became more rigid and were often seen set with random diamond placements.

From 1970 to 1979 bracelets were flexible and often set with tiny baguettes. Delicate and dainty bracelets were vogue.

From the 1980s to now bracelet fashions have been mixed and varied. Bracelet styles have become more of an individual fashion statement than a trend. Gold has always remained popular as have gems, however sterling silver has become very popular and recognized for its versatility and wearability at affordable pricing. In the last few years we've also seen an increase in demand for titanium bracelets.
Today a women's fashion statement is about her! What she likes, what she feels good in. So your bracelet wardrobe can be what ever you want. Wear a dainty gem set gold bracelet or an armful of clunky bracelets, which is very vogue this season.

Your fashion statement is about who you are, so feel free to be you!



© 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.