In the united states there are a select group of people that have come to appreciate the beauty of body jewelry. It has become a very popular trend with teens and young adults. However, caution should be taken when deciding to wear body jewelry as there is a possibility of infection. You should not use any type of fake gold or other jewelry made from base metals as they will be likely to corrode when exposed to body fluids. There are metals which are safe to use such as surgical implant stainless steel and surgical implant titanium. A professional may also suggest other safe metals.

If you prefer not to go through the trouble of body piercing, but still want to keep up with the trend, you may consider wearing certain types of jewelry which will make it look as though piercing has been done. The following are a few examples of such jewelry.

-Clip-on earrings that can also be worn as a naval ring.

-Magnetic earrings look as if the person is wearing a stud.

-Stick on earrings have adhesive backs which stick to the ear lobe.

-Ear cuffs are curved metal bands that press against the ear.

-Spring hoops stick to the ear by means of a spring force.

Wearing body jewelry can be fun and fashionable if certain precautions are taken before and after piercing. If you are willing to go through the trouble of body piercing which may include some pain, which varies in different individuals, then you are among the select group of people that will appreciate the fashion statement that is made with this type of body art.

South Africa is a main supplier of diamonds. Mines are located in Zaire, Botswana, Namibia and Angola. Other locations include Australia and Russia. The oldest mines were in India, but that was about 4000 years ago. The modern suppliers were discovered and mining began in the 1800s.

Birthstone for April

Every month gets a gemstone and April is the lucky girl that gets the diamond. Most people love their own birthstone and wouldn’t admit it, but they are probably a little bit of envious of the April babies. Now if you are looking for a unique birthstone gift or something for yourself, these gems come in all kinds of fashion settings. Diamond flower earrings go with anything, and, if you really want something different, how about a diamond toe ring. Fresh, huh?

Couples celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary can commemorate the day with these dazzling gems. 60 years of marriage certainly deserves diamond eternity bands.

Magic and Lore

These shimmering stones are believed to enhance your sexual prowess, bestow power and increase vitality of the wearer. In the middle ages, they removed fear and made the wearer invincible. Your white gold diamond earrings are probably not going to make you invincible, but you can sure feel like it when you wear them. The gems are also supposed to bring luck and success. Of course, if you are wearing them, you probably are a success.

Care and Maintenance

The hardest mineral on the Mohs scale, these gems have a rank of 10. So, they really do last a lifetime. To clean, let them soak in jewelry cleaner, ammonia or soap. You can also drop them in the ultrasonic cleaner. They can pretty much take whatever you throw at them. Just because they are the strongest mineral doesn’t mean that they can’t chip or crack if you try hard enough.

So, don’t hide them in the jewelry box, saving them for a special occasion. These dazzling gems are meant to be worn and because of their durability, they can be worn every day. With all the choices in cut and types of settings, these shimmering stones can be worn as a fashion piece or you can wear diamond earrings on a special occasion. Whatever you do, wear them!

De Beers was founded in South Africa in 1888 and today is the largest producer and seller of diamonds. Almost from the beginning the De Beers company has had a strangle hold on the diamond industry and a huge advertising budget. Diamonds are not as rare as the advertiser would have you to believe. De Beers keeps a huge stockpile of diamonds and tightly controls supply.

De Beers started the very successful advertising campaign A Diamond Is Forever in 1947. The Advertising Age magazine has voted this to be the most recognizable advertising line of the twentieth century. This advertising campaign was designed to discourage diamonds owners from putting their old diamonds back into the market.

The company has created many successful ad campaigns to keep the demand high for Natural Diamonds. The Eternity Ring, a symbol of continuing affection, The Trilogy Ring, symbolizes the past, present and future of a successful relationship, The Right Hand Ring, sold to women as a symbol of independence.

During the Depression era many people were too poor to buy diamonds. Engagement rings were made of fine crystal instead. Many of the depression era rings were quite beautiful and difficult to distinguish from the real thing. The ability to create cubic zirconium happened in the 1950 but it was not until 1979 that it became economically feasible to mass-produce and use them as a diamond substitute. Only a gemologist can tell the difference between a diamond created by nature and a cubic zirconium created in a laboratory

The man-made diamonds made today are of a better quality than the natural ones. A trained jeweler will be unable to determine a real one from a made-one unless he had some very expensive equipment. Insist on a certification before purchasing a diamond for investment purposes. It will tell you the stone’s carat weight, its color and clarity, and its flaws. If the seller is unwilling to supply a certification with the diamond then he may not be telling the truth and you should find someone who will. After all when you want to sell the diamond the new owner will want a certification from you.

1. Look for a qualified appraiser. To get an accurate idea of your diamond’s value, have it appraised by at least 2 to 3 credible jewelers. You can easily find a handful of skilled experts in your immediate area by asking for recommendations from the Appraisers’ Association of America, the American Society of Appraisers or the International Society of Appraisers. Or if you are in a hurry and can’t wait for their recommendations (this usually takes a week), look for appraisers listed in the Yellow Pages.

2. Have the diamond appraised. When selling a stone as precious as a diamond, you would want to be armed with all the tools you can get. Of course, you would want to know the stone’s Rapaport value. The Rapaport value reflects the standardized wholesale price for which diamond jewelry stores all over the country are willing to pay for a diamond of a certain quality. This is also the highest value that you can expect to get from your diamond. Keep in mind that this amount would be significantly lower than what the stone would normally fetch in a jewelry store.

3. Ask around to see if any of your family members or friends is interested in buying the piece. The best deals are often made with people you know. If this fails, that would be the time to look for other buyers.

4. Make a round of the jewelry stores in your area. This would be your next best bet. However, be extremely cautious when taking this route. You should not let your diamond piece out of your sight even for a moment. You wouldn’t want it to be switched with one of lesser quality, would you?

Show the jeweler the diamond’s appraisal. If the jeweler offers you a price, which is 60 to 80% of the diamond’s Rapaport value (referred to as the dump value), you have made a good deal. But if he offers you a price well below 60% below the Rapaport value, don’t take it. He’s merely ripping you off!

5. Sell it in an auction house. If you own a diamond, which can be considered as among the top of the line, consider selling it off in one of the more famous auction houses.