Diamond Rings is 6th most wanted things for women

An article in the Daily Mail covers a poll of 4,000 women asked to rank their most treasured possessions. While a diamond ring ranks 6th position, losing out to mothers, photos, mobile phones, best friend and boyfriend, it does manage to beat the family pet.

Strangely enough, diamond earrings rank 19th in the quirky list which was compiled by an online pawnbroker. They were surpassed by tweezers, favorite shoes and mascara.

As the pawnbroker explains it, “Diamond rings represent 70 percent of the loans we give to women so we are not surprised to see them right at the top of the list alongside mothers and boyfriends, that have a high emotional value but zero material value.”

Apparently, the majority of women polled ‘would even dump their boyfriend or husband in exchange for £700,000.’

To see the list in full visit: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1239182/How-women-love-mobile-phones–boyfriends.html#ixzz0bCoGBRTW

The parish commemorated its diamond anniversary with a year-long celebration

On a day not unlike the morning of St. Jude Catholic Church's first Mass, hundreds of parishioners gathered Dec. 20 to celebrate the church's 75th anniversary.

From that first Mass held on Christmas morning in 1934 in a small, one-story frame house on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Cedar Road in New Lenox to a Catholic community of 4,000-plus families, St. Jude's has seen many changes.

Since 1934, the parish has been located in four different buildings, has had twelve pastors, dozens of priests, brothers and deacons to serve the needs of the ever-increasing number of families.

St. Jude has a rich history that dates back prior to the village's incorporation. The parish commemorated its diamond anniversary with a year-long celebration that began in January and culminated with the special Mass. Dec. 20 also marked the Rev. Don Lewandowski's 40th anniversary in the priesthood and Bishop James Peter Sartain of the Diocese of Joliet led the service.

Bishop James Peter Sartain of the Diocese of Joliet leads Mass Dec. 20 at St. Jude Catholic Church in New Lenox. The special service marked the end of St. Jude’s year-long 75th anniversary celebration. photo: Megan Holba/22nd Century Media.
Lewandowski said he tried to keep his own anniversary quiet so as not to distract people from St. Jude's milestone, but Bishop Sartain did give the priest a special mention at the end of the service.

"It was a great honor," Lewandowski said of having his anniversary recognized with St. Jude's. "It's been 40 years of doing what I want to do — serving the people — and I'm happy to do that."

Lewandowski was ordained in 1969 and has been part of the Diocese of Joliet for more than 20 years. He's been with St. Jude since 2006 and said the work parishioners did to celebrate the parish's 75th year is what deserves recognition.

"We had a group of people who stepped up and I'm very happy for the work they did," Lewandowski said.

A reception was held after Mass in the school gym, and the church organized a multitude of events throughout 2009 to celebrate the anniversary. Among them was a 75th Anniversary Dinner in November which brought nearly 300 parishioners out for an afternoon of reminiscing. The Franciscans who founded St. Jude's, its previous Augustinian priests, as well as those who were instrumental in the life of the parish and school since 1934, were acknowledged during the presentation given by Lewandowski.

Priests and deacons of the Diocese of Joliet gather Dec. 20 at St. Jude Catholic Church in New Lenox for the church’s 75th anniversary ceremony. Front row, left to right: Fr. Chuck Faso, OFM, Fr. Raymond Ryan, OSA, Bishop James Peter Sartain, Fr. Donald Lewandowski, OSA, pastor of St. Jude Parish, Fr. William Lego, OSA, Deacon William Ciston; (back) Fr. Greg Skowron, Fr. Bill Burton, OFM, Fr. Don Bates, OSA, Fr. Michael Slattery, OSA, Deacon Dennis Theriault, Deacon Robert Fitt and Fr. William Sullivan, OSA. photo: Megan Holba/22nd Century Media.
An anniversary picnic was also held in August, and St. Jude participated in New Lenox's annual Loyalty Day Parade in May. Earlier in the year the St. Jude Parent's Club held its dinner dance entitled "Diamonds Are Forever" to honor the anniversary.

A series of three anniversary banners also commemorated the year and were created by parishioners Judy Mudore, Mary Lee Gustafson, Dorothea Hanna and Julie Tillman, along with Fr. Don Bates. The first depicts the St. Jude logo — the outline of four people from the four directions from which parishioners are drawn, all reaching into the heart of Jesus. The number 75 is in the background. A second banner was hung at Easter and tells the story of each parishioners' journey through baptism to the eucharist. The third, revealed on Pentecost Sunday, shows the anniversary theme, "Soaring at 75."

"The priests, deacons, school and parish staff and parishioners of St. Jude look forward to beginning the next 75 years of serving God through serving his people," said Communications Coordinator Marcy Anderson.

A 75th Anniversary prayer was written by Fr. Michael Schweifler, who was an associate pastor at the church and passed away in July.

Water tanker trucks were brought in from Black Diamond

A creage owners south of Calgary awoke Christmas morning to a blaze at a neighbour's home, unaware that a woman and her daughter had left earlier that morning.

Frantic neighbours called 911 and gathered outside the De Winton residence as the flames shot into the pre-dawn sky.

"I was pounding on the door, hollering. No one was answering," said neighbour Herb Schaller. "We were all terrified, thinking they were in there."

Fortunately, the owners weren't home, but only by a half an hour.

Brad Walker said his wife Karen and their seven-year-old daughter Muffy left the acreage around 6:30 a.m. to spend the holiday with him at his job site in Saskatchewan.

A fire broke out less than 30 minutes later. The flames quickly ripped through the house, leaving it gutted.

Okotoks fire crews spent much of Friday putting out flares and hot spots.

Investigators hope today to begin work to determine the cause of the blaze.

Karen Walker made it about 300 kilometres, to Medicine Hat, before she learned about the fire, her husband said.

The family didn't plan to return to the home Friday.

Brad Walker said it's difficult to picture the devastation, but says he's grateful his wife and daughter weren't there.

"You have to put things in perspective," he said. "It's the memorabilia that's the loss, not the structure itself."

The blaze consumed the bungalow and attached garage.

Brad Walker's sister, Pat Walker, arrived at the home at midday Friday to survey the damage. Fire crews handed her a few pictures salvaged from inside, including a picture of Muffy.

"It's not at all what you want to see on Christmas Day," Walker said. "I'm just glad they're alive."

When Okotoks fire crews arrived shortly after 7 a.m., the home was engulfed in flames.

"We weren't able to gain entrance into the structure at all because of the stage the fire was at the time. The walls were starting to collapse, the floor had already collapsed," said Okotoks fire Chief Ken Thevenot. "It's a total loss, complete loss."

Fire crews fought the blaze defensively.

Water tanker trucks were brought in from Black Diamond and Turner Valley to help put out the fire. As many as a dozen of the 9,000-litre tankers were used to fight the flames, said Thevenot.

Walker said he's grateful he wasn't there to watch helplessly, adding his first glimpse of the burnt-out shell will be difficult.

"I'm glad I didn't see it," he said. "There's nothing to salvage."

It’s a centre round diamond and one row of diamonds around it called micro pave

The hunky engagement ring that singer Carrie Underwood flashed Monday night at the Ottawa Senators game is likely custom-made and worth a fortune, depending on who you consult for authentication.

A representative at New York’s Diamond Information Center said the five-carat round diamond engagement ring with diamond sidestones cost more than $150,000. On the upper scale, a diamond expert and chief executive of myjewelrybox.com determined that, based on website photos, the engagement ring had about 12 carats and estimated it was worth more than $1 million.

However, Mo Charania, a gemologist and owner of Jubilee Jewellers at Bayshore Shopping Centre, said it appeared the ring was at least three carats, maybe more, and was definitely worth six figures.

“It’s a centre round diamond and one row of diamonds around it called micro pave,” Charania said after viewing photos of the ring on Underwood’s finger that were taken by a Citizen photographer at Monday’s game. Micro pave settings are intricate and use the smallest possible diamonds to achieve a uniform glitter on the ring’s surface. Sometimes, the tiny claws on the outside can hold 30 or more stones.

“I’d say the ring is worth well into six figures, but it depends on the quality of the stone,” he said.

There’s no evidence to suggest that Senators forward Mike Fisher bought the ring for his new fiancée at a local jewelry shop. The ring could have either been purchased through a private jeweller or at a U.S. jewelry store that specializes in fine-quality jewelry, Charania said.

He says Fisher didn’t purchase the ring at his store, although other Senators players, including Jason Spezza, have purchased jewelry there.

Fisher and Underwood were engaged Sunday after a year-long courtship and the Senators forward finally confirmed the news to reporters after Monday’s morning skate at Scotiabank Place. Underwood flashed the ring for the first time at that night’s game against the Boston Bruins.

Charania said Underwood’s ring could be compared to rings by Ritani, a world-renowned maker of diamond engagement rings and other jewelry.

“It has that (same) look to it. Ritani was one of the first to bring back micro pave to jewelry design, and it’s used extensively now,” he said.

Fisher could have purchased the ring while on a Senators road trip to the United States or when visiting Underwood in Nashville.

“They might have been strolling around and she might have said, ‘Oh, that’s a nice ring.’ You know the way women are: They are always dropping hints. A guy’s job is to be in tune with what your partner likes.

“Obviously, when he pops the question, he wants a ring that is going to wow her.”

Charania said Underwood had every right to show off her new ring to family, friends and even hockey fans.

“You want people to know you’re engaged, that’s part of the excitement. There’s romanticism to it and obviously a very special moment in their lives. I wouldn’t see why she wouldn’t want to show it off,” he said.

The building of the rink on Fenway’s famous diamond is nearly complete

The building of the rink on Fenway’s famous diamond is nearly complete. Now comes the buildup for the event.

 

The hype is already nearing full force, but just to ratchet it up a little more, the crew that will be broadcasting the Winter Classic this New Year’s Day on NBC took time to speak with the media on a conference call this week.

 

“This really is an event,” said play-by-play man Bob Costas. “(It’s) a hockey game yes, but it’s also an event. That’s what the Winter Classic is. It attracts a lot of people who don't necessarily follow hockey closely throughout the course of the year. … It’s a unique situation once a year outside the usual hockey arena in a baseball park or a football stadium.”

 

And this year it’s not in any old baseball park. The Winter Classic has come to historic Fenway Park.

 

“All the history,” said Costas when asked about what made the Fenway setting special. “The idea that someone sat there and watched Babe Ruth pitch or Ted Williams bat or Lefty Grove or Jimmy Foxx, plus all the visiting players through the years and the specific games and events. (Carlton) Fisk and (Bucky) Dent and the Impossible Dream and Yaz.”

 

Now Fenway gets to add some hockey names to the list of greats who have performed there. And the once in a lifetime nature of this event has made it even more of an attraction than the baseball games that have been played there, or any other games in the city.

 

“The energy has been building since the announcement,” said analyst Mike Milbury, a Walpole, Mass. native. “It’s the toughest ticket to get that I have seen in all of my years in Boston, including Bruins playoffs, Red Sox playoffs, Patriots championships and Celtics championships. This is an event. It’s going to be a spectacular event and I’m just happy to be even a little bit a part of it.”

 

NBC is pulling out all the stops to capture the spectacle, with 25 cameras, extra microphones to pick up sounds and even an airplane providing shots from high above the field.

 

“We’ll shoot it bigger than a normal game and wider than a normal game,” said producer Sam Flood, who grew up in Dedham, Mass. “It’s about the place as much as it is about the game.”

 

Still, there is a game to be played amid all the pageantry. And one that is important to both the Bruins and the Flyers.

 

“Both teams desperately need the points, especially the Flyers,” said analyst Pierre McGuire. “The points are so important in this game. I think people are probably pushing that aside because they’re so excited about it being in Fenway, which they should be, but the points are really, really important.”

 

Milbury agreed. “Ultimately this game should be a really good hockey game between two teams that should be among the elite of the conference,” he said.

 

That was the expectation when the matchup was made. While the Bruins have overcome a slow start to get back up among the upper echelon of the conference, the Flyers remain mired in the basement, even after a coaching change earlier this month.

 

That didn’t stop Philadelphia from downing Boston 3-1 at the Garden on Monday.

 

“It’s spiced up a bit as the Flyers came into town and spanked the Bruins in their last game,” said Milbury.

 

This is a rivalry that’s never lacked spice.

 

“This rivalry goes back to the late 60s, early 70s and right through that decade in particular,” said Milbury. “It got its roots there. These were some of the nastiest battles that I’ve ever been involved with. Both teams, in their own way, have adapted to the new rules, they’ve listened to their fans and kept that concept. They want hard-nosed hockey. They want physical hockey. They want people to show up saying that we want to prove to you that we’re tough players and we’ve come to play every night. And that’s what you’re going to get in this game.

 

“It really will be a lot of fun to watch,” added Milbury.

 

McGuire picked up on that theme.

 

“You bring a player like Zdeno Chara into the mix and that’s 6-foot-9 and a whole lot of nasty,” said McGuire. “And on the other team guys like Scottie Hartnell and Mike Richards and Danny Carcillo, who like to push back, that leads to a lot of physical altercations.

 

“There will be villians on both sides – Shawn Thornton on one side, Danny Carcillo on the other,” added McGuire. “This game is going to be about energy.”

 

Let’s just hope everyone has the energy to make it to Jan. 1 before the hype becomes too unbearable.

An array of diamond anniversary cards added to the seasonal display at the Wyverie Court home of 82-year-old Jean Allan and husband Peter, 79

THERE was added sparkle to the festive season for an Oldmeldrum couple yesterday as they marked 60 years of marriage with a family celebration.

An array of diamond anniversary cards added to the seasonal display at the Wyverie Court home of 82-year-old Jean Allan and husband Peter, 79.

The childhood sweethearts were brought up in the Tarves area where they both went to the village school. They were wed at Tarves manse.

Both were from farming families, and Mr Allan left school to become a farm worker.

He continued to work on the land, including 11 years at Tolquhon between Tarves and Pitmedden, until taking a porter’s post at an Aberdeen University halls of residence when the couple moved to the city’s College Bounds.

Mrs Allan also worked at the university as a cleaner at the nearby geography building.

The couple retired to live in the sheltered housing complex at Oldmeldrum 14 years ago when Mr Allan retired, although he promptly took a part-time job at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre as a handyman.

Since retiring from that post – for a whole month – the grandather-of-13 has now become a school crossing patroller in Oldmeldrum. “I like to be doing something, and I am thoroughly enjoying the job,” said Mr Allan. “Having worked in farming, I am used to being out in all kinds of weather.”

He added: “I am a lucky man, having never been ill in my life and had such a happy marriage.”

Last night they were joined by their family for a celebration meal in Oldmeldrum’s Morris’s Hotel.

It’ll pair nicely with the tiny white blooms of an unlikely cousin, 'Diamond Frost'

Plump, potted poinsettias dress endless entry halls, mantels and dining tables each holiday season. A single plant slipped into a decorative basket makes for a quick, beautiful decoration.

But if you don’t know where to put a bulky potted plant, grab the scissors. Poinsettia stems make great cut flowers. They’ll last up to two weeks if you change the water. Careful, though; they ooze a milky sap when broken or cut, and it can irritate skin. To stop the flow, immediately dip the cut end into simmering water for 10 seconds or hold it over a candle flame.

Topiary

Another idea: Reserve a few stems for a topiary. Choose a healthy, tall potted plant with a full head of colorful bracts. Or purchase two; this makes a great gift. Select two or three of the tallest stems. Remove the rest at the soil line, and use them as cut flowers.

Remove the bottom leaves on the potted stems. Gently tie the stems with ribbon.

Display the topiary in an urn, cachepot or spray-painted clay pot. (Spray the pot in an old cardboard box. It will dry in well under a minute.)

Top it with a piece of misted sheet moss. Add accents such as trailing ivy, berry sprigs, pine cones or small apples.

potted pairing

Can’t bear to cut up your poinsettia? It’ll pair nicely with the tiny white blooms of an unlikely cousin, 'Diamond Frost.’ There’s little family resemblance, but both plants belong to the Euphorbia genus.

For a nice display, tuck small pots or vases of 'Diamond Frost’, which has tiny white blooms, around a taller poinsettia in an urn or cachepot.

The poinsettia’s colorful bracts, or modified leaves, get all the attention, but their true blooms small, yellow/green and buttonlike sit at the bracts’ centers, nearly forgotten.

Red is still irresistible, but tireless breeders push the color palette with pink, coral, lemon and white varieties. Some have marbled or color-splashed bracts. Textures vary from smooth to ruffled ‘Winter Rose’ and curled ‘Carousel.’

Whatever variety you like, choose a plant with tight flowers; thoroughly colored, expanded bracts; and dark-green foliage to the bottom of the plant. Avoid droopy plants.

This was his maiden voyage as captain with the Sea Diamond

A prosecutor on the Greek Aegean island of Naxos on Saturday launched legal proceedings against the captain of the ill-fated Greek cruise ship Sea Diamond, which sank off near the island of Santorini at dawn on Friday after striking a reef on the previous afternoon.

According to Athens News Agency, prosecution concerns causing a shipwreck through negligence, causing pollution to the sea through negligence and failing to apply international regulations on avoiding collisions.

The prosecutor will also refer the captain to an investigator as a result of the two French nationals who have been reported missing, a 45-year-old man and his 16-year-old daughter.

All the remaining senior officers of the ship who had been brought before the prosecutor have been released.

The Santorini Port Authorities were carrying out a preliminary examination on Friday, while the captain, the Second Mate, the helmsman, the first officer and four crew-members were giving their statements to shed light on the causes of the accident.

In his statement, the captain said that he was overconfident when the ship was entering the port, adding that he overestimated the capabilities of the ship when it approached the reef buoy.

However, he said that up to the last moment he tried to avoid the collision but in vain. This was his maiden voyage as captain with the Sea Diamond.

It was a celebration of the wonderful people who embrace the spirit of support in our community

It was just over a scant year ago when M. T. Bellies was closed down because of an E. coli outbreak.

Some bad romaine lettuce made its way to our back door. An unfortunate incident and bit of a black period for all involved.

However, in our time of need, the community rallied around my family and business operation. The outpouring of support we received had a profound effect.

I was truly humbled and genuinely appreciated all the kind words of encouragement and help. The groundswell of community assistance inspired the need to do something to give back and a Wonderful Life was born. I was playing the lead role of George Bailey.

On Tuesday, Nov. 24, a group of 140 people gathered at M. T. Bellies to again celebrate It's a Wonderful Life. Quite simply it was a celebration of the wonderful people who embrace the spirit of support in our community. And oh, what a night it was.

The guests who attended were treated to an amazing five-course gourmet meal with all the whistles and bells. Once again "the ask" went out and a few favours were cashed in to produce an absolutely amazing evening.

I am blessed to have many friends and business associates who were kind enough to give as well. So in no uncertain order I acknowledge my gratitude to the small army who assisted in this event.

An enormous thank you to the talented and inspiring chefs Anna and Michael Olson, Bruce Worden and Werner Hauer for playing the leadership roles in the MTB kitchen. These folks are true professionals and a credit to the hospitality industry.

They gave up their time to come into our kitchen to do their magic with food and flavours.

MTB chef Sean Wright and his well oiled kitchen crew showed extreme teamwork to flawless execution of the delicious meals.

Thanks to the volunteer Niagara College culinary students. They loved the experience, learned some new tricks and had fun. The MTB kitchen was quite a sight.

Over 20 sets of loving caring hands danced together and created. All the guests raved about the food. Well done.

Thanks to the MTB servers and bartenders for an outstanding and attentive job. MTB's Jill Yeo showed off her industry savvy by co-co-ordinating all the service elements. You did us proud.

Thank you to Sandra Nuccitelli from Gotcha Covered and Karin from Vermeer's Garden Center and Flower Shop who transformed the feel of our little joint. The place looked great. Thanks to Don Wininger of Spritz Creative for all the artwork.

Thank you to the many people and businesses who donated goodies for our party; The ever and always generous Rick Lowes from the Country Corner Market, Mike Speth from Rycott Foodservice, Joe Roberto from Diamond Estates Wines, Dan from Dan's Produce, Dave Zezella from Molson Breweries and Peter Aiello from the Peter Mielzynski Agencies.

Music filled the air all night long. Thanks to Dave Rapelje from TNR Productions in providing great talent. The welcoming Jazz sounds of Dan Kozar and Doug Mundy created a cool vibe. The booming voice of Elton Lammie was a treat as he strolled tableside with his operatic songs. Sam and Adam took the night home with their toe tapping party tunes. Smiles were everywhere.

Thank-you to the donors of the prize table. These people are our go to guys and are always there to say yes. Thanks to Rick Groom from Jiffy Lube, Tom Deciccio from Niagara Restaurant Supply, Doug Watson from Online Electronics, Karen Arthur from Arbonne, Ron Kore from Sobey's, our friends from Shoppers Drug Mart, Aggie Giovannini from Northtown Medical, Jim Briggs from Briggsy Sportswear and Promotions, Cindy Obdeyn from Mabo Construction and Avril Norton. Your gifts added another $1,300 to the night.

Thank you to all of you who forked out $125 to eat, drink, be merry and help raise money for the Welland Hospital Foundation. Early numbers are saying we had all this fun and raised about $9,000.

I hope you enjoyed yourself and will continue to support this event again next year.

Last and certainly not the least, big thanks to my wife Rebecca who often flies under the radar for her efforts. Her attention to detail and work behind the scenes complete the whole process. She somehow always makes me look good in spite of myself. Finally, my three loving children Ethan, Liam and Teagan. They are an integral part of this family business. They understand work ethic, teamwork and the meaning of community. The relationship with all these people is truly what makes my life a wonderful life. Thanks for sharing with me.

The stage 1 diamond drill program will test the size and grade of the 0.7 to 1 billion tonnes of dominantly itabirite iron mineralisation exploration

Perth-based iron ore explorer DMC Mining (ASX: DMM) has kicked off drilling at its its 80% owned Mayoko Iron Ore Project in the Republic of the Congo.

A 0.7 to 1 billion tonnes iron ore exploration target was identified during an airborne geophysical survey in July 2009.

The stage 1 diamond drill program will test the size and grade of the 0.7 to 1 billion tonnes of dominantly itabirite iron mineralisation exploration target.

The drill program will take 3-4 months to complete and will comprise approximately 12 drill holes on 1.5km spaced traverses along the 7km strike of the Mt Lekoumou- Mipoundi prospects, to depths of 200 to 400 metres.

In terms of infrastructure, DMC has been busy, it has struck an access agreement for use of the Mayoko to Point Noire Rail Line during the exploration phase of the Project. The rail line passes within 2.2km of the Mt Lekoumou deposit and connects directly to the wharf at the deep-water port of Pointe Noire.

DMC also has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Port Authority of Pointe Noire (PAPN). Under the MOU, DMC can undertake assessment and design of infrastructure required to export iron ore from the existing port or other areas nearby owned and operated by PAPN.

DMC shares have been on a tear since March 2009, increasing by 233%.

The most recent daily traffic counts for the expressway are 39,700, but that is projected to increase to 55,700 by 2029

About 20 years ago, city leaders asked the state to raise a thoroughfare to help spur development of a master-planned community.

That plan, which hung on the horizon for two decades, is coming into view, with help from an economic stimulus package that funded a $10.44 million intersection at Willow Street and Emmett F. Lowry Expressway.

The state has awarded the contract to Lone Star Road Construction in Houston, and preliminary site work is expected to begin in December, Bill Babbington, an engineer with the Texas Department of Transportation, said.

The state in 1989 received a letter from D.D. Haney Jr., who was mayor, requesting the interchange, Babbington said.

In 1992, the city placed the extension on its comprehensive plan, ultimately seeking to connect Willow Street with 25th Avenue North.

The city’s primary reason for building the road was to improve the movement of people, goods, services and commerce, Don Carroll, the city’s planner, said.

“Growth and access to those properties is what the city wants to see developed for a sustainable master plan of communities,” he said.

Building Willow Street north to 25th Avenue North would be funded by the landowner as development warranted, City Engineer Douglas K. Kneupper, said.

The interchange at the expressway will resemble the shape of a diamond, similar to intersections at FM 517 and FM 518, Babbington said. The expressway would be elevated to allow Willow Street to pass beneath, he said.

Weather permitting, the state contractor is scheduled to complete the intersection in early 2011, Babbington said.

The most recent daily traffic counts for the expressway are 39,700, but that is projected to increase to 55,700 by 2029, Babbington said.

Willow Street’s extension to 25th Avenue North would open a large tract between state highways 3 and 146 for development.

Developer Dick Mallory planned a mixed use master plan for the area, Carroll said

The key difference is we don't run a strategy of these key items that we buy thousands of and that we mark down to these low, low amounts

The conventional wisdom is that the most stupendous bargains of the year are to be had on the Friday after Thanksgiving. But the marketplace has become so packed on that crowded shopping day that some retailers are shifting their strategy.

Deals on certain products are likely to be just as good, perhaps even better, in the days and weeks after Friday. In this economy, retailers need to stand out--and some of them are betting they can do so by offering bargains later in the season. Also, while chains are not discounting as deeply as last year, they know the primary way to get penny-pinching consumers to spend is to keep the deals coming all season long.

Exactly which strategy retailers are pursuing this year differs not only among shopping chains but among categories of merchandise. That means the best time to shop for the season could hinge on which items are on your list.

"Black Friday is about cheap stuff at cheap prices," said Daniel de Grandpre, the editor in chief of DealNews.com, which tracks such sales each year. "That means that high-end stuff is not on sale on Black Friday. It just isn't."

That is not to say consumers who brave the nation's stores on Friday will not find deals on flat-screen televisions and fluffy ear muffs. But the products on sale that day, particularly electronics, generally are lower-end products without many extras, or they are older models on the verge of being discontinued. That is, of course, a reason stores are able to offer them at low prices.

"It looks like a real mixed bag of deals and duds," said Andrew Eisner, director of content for Retrevo, a Web site that reviews consumer electronics and recommends where and when to buy them.

Many of the gadgets on sale this Friday will be outdated models, he said, like navigation devices without speech capability, Blu-ray players without Internet connections, and digital cameras without face-recognition technology.

Manish Rathi, a co-founder of Retrevo, cited some "over-the-hill" products, like a Nikon CoolPix digital camera being sold at Target for $88, reduced from $140.

De Grandpre said luxury retailers tend to stay out of the Black Friday fray because they would rather not associate with bargain-basement shopping. To participate in the nation's uber-shopping day in a way that is befitting their status, luxury chains do offer deals, but only in certain popular holiday and seasonal categories, like coats and home decor. And they do not bother to open at 5 a.m., a common opening time on the day after Thanksgiving for the lower-end retailers known as big-box stores.

The luxury chain Saks, for instance, is offering 40 percent off already reduced merchandise, but not its newest collections. The chain does not bring in merchandise specifically for the day after Thanksgiving. And the doors open at the relatively late hour of 8 a.m.

"The key difference is we don't run a strategy of these key items that we buy thousands of and that we mark down to these low, low amounts," said Kimberly Grabel, senior vice president for marketing at Saks. "That is the big-box mentality."

Stores have greatly reduced their inventories since last year, when the economic downturn forced them into panic selling. So while there will be sales, as there are every year in any economy, it is possible stores might run out of certain products or sizes. "For the best selection you are going to need to shop early this year," Grabel said.

Her best advice? "Stay home and shop online."

Seven young women vied for the rodeo queen crown, and most said they had dreamed of being rodeo queens since they were little girls

"I was asked the other day who the love of my life was,” 20-year-old Lacey McBeth told a crowd of about 50 supporters and judges at the Crooked River Roundup Queen tryouts Sunday afternoon in Prineville.

“Now, most of you would expect me to mention a big, strong, handsome cowboy’s name,” said McBeth, who is from Prineville. “However, that was not the case.

“I began to describe a big, stout, four-legged creature with a rather nice looking rear end. No, my heart does not belong to a cowboy, but rather a horse by the name of Doc’s Diamond Country. She seems to enjoy my attention, always does what I tell her and never talks back.”

McBeth’s speech — and perhaps her sense of humor — helped her win the crown of 2010 Crooked River Roundup Queen on Sunday, after a competition in which judges said Western heritage and rodeo knowledge were key characteristics of a winner. Seven young women vied for the rodeo queen crown, and most said they had dreamed of being rodeo queens since they were little girls. Tryouts took place at the Crook County Fairgrounds.

“It’s such an honor for me,” McBeth said Sunday evening. “I’m just on cloud nine.” McBeth said she didn’t sleep much the night before the competition, but if she was tired, she hid it well behind a broad smile that never seemed to leave her face.

From Sunday morning through the afternoon, the seven young contestants participated in interviews, demonstrated their horsemanship skills, gave speeches and answered random questions drawn from a container.

“Our queen is our ambassador,” said Hank Simmons, a board member of the Crooked River Roundup Rodeo and Race Meet Association. “We try to pick somebody who represents us, knows our community and our event.”

During the horsemanship portion, contestants had to show they could complete a horsemanship pattern and carry a flag around the arena. Heaters buzzed above the stands in the enclosed arena, but steam was still visible coming from the horses’ nostrils as each young woman took her turn.

Some competitors raced around the arena at top speed, with the rodeo’s flag occasionally whipping against the stands, while others rode more slowly. McBeth drew yells and whoops from her supporters as she raced around the arena a final time, waving to the audience.

Shay Perry, 18, of Bend, was the 2009 Crooked River Roundup Queen and on Sunday, she was at the arena to pass her crown to the next queen. Perry demonstrated the horsemanship pattern before this year’s contestants took their turns. “At this point, most of them are probably pretty worked up,” Perry said after the women finished the horsemanship competition.

Amorita Anstett, a board mem- ber of the Crooked River Roundup Rodeo and Race Meet Association and the rodeo queen adviser, said young women who serve as queen grow more confident through the experience.

“For example, with Shay, when she was crowned last year, she knew nothing about what this queen thing was about,” Anstett said. “She probably gave 20 speeches last year ... She’s still a teenager, and she’s got all the confidence of a 25-year-old.”

Perry said serving as queen was a new experience, since she was always a tomboy. “Amorita turned me into a girl for a year,” she said, adding that Anstett kept after her to apply lipstick and curl her hair. “It’s kind of like being Miss America on horseback. The kids are your biggest fans.”

McBeth wrote in her application for rodeo queen that the position is about more than appearance, and she hopes to put her experience from communications and business management courses at Central Oregon Community College to work in the position.

“First of all, I feel that being a rodeo queen isn’t all about being beautiful,” McBeth wrote. “It’s about taking charge and doing absolutely whatever you possibly can to benefit the association and represent the rodeo.”

Highland Grass, Black Diamond, Gene & Joe and the Valley Troubadours, and Delmas Evans are slated to perform

The fifth graders sat cross-legged on the floor of the Keyser Primary-Middle School library, listening intently as the mother of one of America's greatest Olympic athletes talked about her son, his dreams, and how they could reach their own dreams if they're only willing to work at it.
Walking easily in and among the students — only a year or two younger than the students who attend the school where she serves as principal in Baltimore County — Debbie Phelps, mother of gold-medal record holder Michael Phelps, asked the youngsters to name some of the things which they can do to succeed as students.
“Be a good sport.”
“Never give up.”
“Try to work hard.”
“Stay in school.”
“Do your best.”
“Be grateful for family and friends.”
“Stay out of trouble.”
As each student contributed, Hilary Phelps, Debbie's daughter and Michael's oldest sister, gave him or her an autographed photo of Michael taken during one of his historic races.
Phelps, who is a motivational speaker and author of “A Mother for All Seasons,” was in Mineral County Friday for the Mineral Daily News-Tribune's Warm the Children campaign.
She spent most of the morning visiting and speaking with the students at
Keyser Primary-Middle and New Creek Primary schools.
Having been born in Potomac Valley Hospital and attended Westernport Elementary and Bruce High School, Phelps said she felt right at home as some of the students Friday morning even asked if she had known one of their relatives.
“There are children here today that I knew their parents and grandparents; some of them I went to school with,” she said.
One young lady at KPMS even brought her own swimming trophy to show Phelps, who told the youngsters that all three of her children — Hilary, Whitney and Michael — have been active in the sport of swimming since they were young.
The children at the schools also had an opportunity to ask Debbie questions, which ranged from “Does Michael have any pets?” (a bulldog named Herman) to “What is your favorite color?”
“I used to like red,” she quipped, “but I have to say after the 2008 Olympics, gold is the best!”
After lunch at the Stray Cat Wing Shack with representatives of Warm the Children and the Mineral Daily News-Tribune, Phelps participated in a book signing at Main Street Books, then went to Peedbles for the annual WTC Open House.
There, she was joined by Santa Claus in greeting the public and walking about the importance WTC plays in helping to provide warm winter clothing to area needy children.
Although Phelps could not stay over, the WTC weekend will continue tonight with a bluegrass benefit concert at 7 p.m. in the theater at Keyser High School.
Highland Grass, Black Diamond, Gene & Joe and the Valley Troubadours, and Delmas Evans are slated to perform.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.
All proceeds will benefit Warm the Children.

Love in Rumi’s poems is often mislaid against simplistic modern conventions

Rumi, the poet philosopher whose extraordinary poems extolled his love for Allah, alas loses magic in translation, losing the true meaning of his text. Writer Elias Khoury describes his frustration with the English word for love, ‘I use at least fifteen Arabic words to describe the levels of love.

You can formulate in language and make language very rich and nuanced.’ In translation, one has to be prepared to lose twenty to thirty per cent of the intended meaning.

Thus, love in Rumi’s poems is often mislaid against simplistic modern conventions: rendering an erudite scholar into a drunken, lovelorn wanderer. Thus missing the point that Rumi’s love was the source of the truth of his everyday life. The love that Rumi longed for and probably achieved was Sev.

Sev is a Turkish word used to express the indefatigable love we have for our parents, our children, and for our God. A soul satisfying love, that lasts beyond death and stays with us in the next world.

Rarely do we hear of Sev in this world between a man and a woman. A unique case of that perfect love can, however, be found in the biography of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

Reading about the love between him and his wife Khadijah, one is amazed and almost helpless with admiration. Their strength, loyalty, and their joint struggle epitomises an ideal that many of us long for. For the past fourteen centuries this powerful love story has been a model for those who are searching for Sev. Finding it is like searching for a diamond in a bag of coal.

Ironically, while reading about the US domestic war on terror’s latest victim Tarek Mehanna, I found a story of love with a Sev twist-the story of Danny and Tamekia.

Danny caught Tamekia’s eye while they were in school. She probably didn’t know it, but this boy would be her one and only true love. These two high school sweethearts’ love blossomed into marriage, children, and a lifetime of experiences that resembled a movie.

Danny embraced Islam and his wife, followed suit. Lack of opportunities at home had them trekking across the country to find stable work, which didn’t happen. Instead he got a better offer to work in Egypt. They packed their belongings and were off.

America, once the land of freedom, has become a dangerous place if you are Muslim. One new weapon in the Muslim community is the Cooperating Witness. CW’s are spies who look like you, dress like you, but once they get your confidence, it’s bam! You are in chains.

One minute it’s smiles and salams, then next, the SWAT team is busting down your door. It can be that quick. On October 29 this year, Luqman Abdullah was killed by the FBI in Dearborn, Michigan. Also, the recent arrests of Najibullah Zazi and Tarek Mehanna (who is supposed to be connected to Maldonado, although it’s not clear exactly how or why when you follow all the details), the convictions of the founders of the Holy Land Charity and call for investigation of the Muslims’ rights organisations, CAIR, signals a scary turn in the way Muslims are now perceived in my country.

These days when Muslims leave the US, they are refugees looking for a place to live without a fear of persecution. After living in Egypt for a while, the Maldonados decided to make another Hijira (migration), to live under Islamic law in Somalia. Husband and wife and their budding brood set off. Shortly their arrival, Ethiopia invaded Somalia, ripping up the calm lull in decades of chaos.

Now imagine yourself in their shoes. Can’t? Let Somali rapper K’naan help: You never know a single day without a big commotion. It can’t be healthy to live with such a steep emotion.

We can’t even imagine a young American family with their babies in the middle of airstrikes. Everyone begins to evacuate. Bombs fall, people lose each other. Many of the men that Danny travelled with were killed in an ambush. He and the rest of the survivors wandered without recourse to water in the jungle, Finally they found their way to a town where they felt safe, only to be arrested, blindfolded, handcuffed, put on a plane and taken to Kenya.

Danny sensing that one of his fellow prisoners was an American woman, asked desperately for news of his family. ‘Do you know my family? Are they okay?’ he said.

In a dark, dirty, and damp prison cell one of the other prisoners told him that his beloved wife Umm Musa and his children were scattered and lost. Reading this twenty-something’s description of these events, I can’t help but be selfishly thankful for my own sons being safe and sound.

I’m sure that it was love that helped him survive. Love for Islam and his family. His wife, Umm Musa, died from malaria, en route to safety. Their son, Musa at the time was about 9 years. Distraught over his mother’s sickness, he wandered into the jungle and got lost on the Somali-Kenya border (but was later found in Kenya). Danny’s daughters aged 4 and 7 months, were miraculously also found amongst some Somali refugees. Umm Musa lies buried in an unmarked grave along the road near the border. Subhan Allah.

Allah is the best of planners because somehow in all that madness, Danny and his children ended up all together, albeit in a prison cell without adequate food and water. One of his companions turned out to be a CW and implicated Danny as a member of Al-Qaeda.

As a result, he is now serving 10 years in prison for attempting to join a terrorist training camp and wanting to fight Americans in a foreign state. This is both sad and insane; who takes their wife and kids with them on a jihad? From his prison cell he writes verses lamenting the loss of his beloved:

Can you hug me?

Before I awake in pain

To clanking chains

Crying while I say your name?

Eyes are flooded

Yet, I can see the dawn

Now that she is gone...

I awake...

The story of Danny Maldonado and his family is one of love, endurance, and miracles. This is also, a story of putting our trust in Allah. This is Sev, the kind of love that Rumi was talking about.

Oppenheimer suggested to Lauck that his agency prepare a plan for creating a new image for diamonds among Americans

The diamond invention—the creation of the idea that diamonds are rare and valuable, and are essential signs of esteem—is a relatively recent development in the history of the diamond trade. Until the late nineteenth century, diamonds were found only in a few riverbeds in India and in the jungles of Brazil, and the entire world production of gem diamonds amounted to a few pounds a year. In 1870, however, huge diamond mines were discovered near the Orange River, in South Africa, where diamonds were soon being scooped out by the ton. Suddenly, the market was deluged with diamonds. The British financiers who had organized the South African mines quickly realized that their investment was endangered; diamonds had little intrinsic value—and their price depended almost entirely on their scarcity. The financiers feared that when new mines were developed in South Africa, diamonds would become at best only semiprecious gems.

The major investors in the diamond mines realized that they had no alternative but to merge their interests into a single entity that would be powerful enough to control production and perpetuate the illusion of scarcity of diamonds. The instrument they created, in 1888, was called De Beers Consolidated Mines, Ltd., incorporated in South Africa. As De Beers took control of all aspects of the world diamond trade, it assumed many forms. In London, it operated under the innocuous name of the Diamond Trading Company. In Israel, it was known as "The Syndicate." In Europe, it was called the "C.S.O." -- initials referring to the Central Selling Organization, which was an arm of the Diamond Trading Company. And in black Africa, it disguised its South African origins under subsidiaries with names like Diamond Development Corporation and Mining Services, Inc. At its height -- for most of this century -- it not only either directly owned or controlled all the diamond mines in southern Africa but also owned diamond trading companies in England, Portugal, Israel, Belgium, Holland, and Switzerland.

De Beers proved to be the most successful cartel arrangement in the annals of modern commerce. While other commodities, such as gold, silver, copper, rubber, and grains, fluctuated wildly in response to economic conditions, diamonds have continued, with few exceptions, to advance upward in price every year since the Depression. Indeed, the cartel seemed so superbly in control of prices -- and unassailable -- that, in the late 1970s, even speculators began buying diamonds as a guard against the vagaries of inflation and recession.
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The diamond invention is far more than a monopoly for fixing diamond prices; it is a mechanism for converting tiny crystals of carbon into universally recognized tokens of wealth, power, and romance. To achieve this goal, De Beers had to control demand as well as supply. Both women and men had to be made to perceive diamonds not as marketable precious stones but as an inseparable part of courtship and married life. To stabilize the market, De Beers had to endow these stones with a sentiment that would inhibit the public from ever reselling them. The illusion had to be created that diamonds were forever -- "forever" in the sense that they should never be resold.

In September of 1938, Harry Oppenheimer, son of the founder of De Beers and then twenty-nine, traveled from Johannesburg to New York City, to meet with Gerold M. Lauck, the president of N. W. Ayer, a leading advertising agency in the United States. Lauck and N. W. Ayer had been recommended to Oppenheimer by the Morgan Bank, which had helped his father consolidate the De Beers financial empire. His bankers were concerned about the price of diamonds, which had declined worldwide.

In Europe, where diamond prices had collapsed during the Depression, there seemed little possibility of restoring public confidence in diamonds. In Germany, Austria, Italy, and Spain, the notion of giving a diamond ring to commemorate an engagement had never taken hold. In England and France, diamonds were still presumed to be jewels for aristocrats rather than the masses. Furthermore, Europe was on the verge of war, and there seemed little possibility of expanding diamond sales. This left the United States as the only real market for De Beers's diamonds. In fact, in 1938 some three quarters of all the cartel's diamonds were sold for engagement rings in the United States. Most of these stones, however, were smaller and of poorer quality than those bought in Europe, and had an average price of $80 apiece. Oppenheimer and the bankers believed that an advertising campaign could persuade Americans to buy more expensive diamonds.

Oppenheimer suggested to Lauck that his agency prepare a plan for creating a new image for diamonds among Americans. He assured Lauck that De Beers had not called on any other American advertising agency with this proposal, and that if the plan met with his father's approval, N. W. Ayer would be the exclusive agents for the placement of newspaper and radio advertisements in the United States. Oppenheimer agreed to underwrite the costs of the research necessary for developing the campaign. Lauck instantly accepted the offer.

In their subsequent investigation of the American diamond market, the staff of N. W. Ayer found that since the end of World War I, in 1919, the total amount of diamonds sold in America, measured in carats, had declined by 50 percent; at the same time, the quality of the diamonds, measured in dollar value, had declined by nearly 100 percent. An Ayer memo concluded that the depressed state of the market for diamonds was "the result of the economy, changes in social attitudes and the promotion of competitive luxuries."

Although it could do little about the state of the economy, N. W. Ayer suggested that through a well-orchestrated advertising and public-relations campaign it could have a significant impact on the "social attitudes of the public at large and thereby channel American spending toward larger and more expensive diamonds instead of "competitive luxuries." Specifically, the Ayer study stressed the need to strengthen the association in the public's mind of diamonds with romance. Since "young men buy over 90% of all engagement rings" it would be crucial to inculcate in them the idea that diamonds were a gift of love: the larger and finer the diamond, the greater the expression of love. Similarly, young women had to be encouraged to view diamonds as an integral part of any romantic courtship.

Since the Ayer plan to romanticize diamonds required subtly altering the public's picture of the way a man courts -- and wins -- a woman, the advertising agency strongly suggested exploiting the relatively new medium of motion pictures. Movie idols, the paragons of romance for the mass audience, would be given diamonds to use as their symbols of indestructible love. In addition, the agency suggested offering stories and society photographs to selected magazines and newspapers which would reinforce the link between diamonds and romance. Stories would stress the size of diamonds that celebrities presented to their loved ones, and photographs would conspicuously show the glittering stone on the hand of a well-known woman. Fashion designers would talk on radio programs about the "trend towards diamonds" that Ayer planned to start. The Ayer plan also envisioned using the British royal family to help foster the romantic allure of diamonds. An Ayer memo said, "Since Great Britain has such an important interest in the diamond industry, the royal couple could be of tremendous assistance to this British industry by wearing diamonds rather than other jewels." Queen Elizabeth later went on a well-publicized trip to several South African diamond mines, and she accepted a diamond from Oppenheimer.

The Massicotte property is located 15 km from the Detour Lake mining project on the Quebec and Ontario border, along the Massicotte fault

Adventure Gold Inc. (TSX VENTURE:AGE) (the "Company"), is pleased to announce the acquisition of five gold properties, by staking and map designation, along the Detour Lake Gold Break in the Haricana-Turgeon Belt, in Abitibi, Canada. These new property acquisitions, 100%-owned by the Company, further enhance a growing portfolio of properties and generate new gold projects along major under-explored gold structures in Abitibi. They consist of 120 claims and cover an area of 6,651 hectares. These properties are strategically located over 25 km on the gold break between the Detour Lake mining project (proven and probable reserves of 8.8M oz Au, estimated from a global measured and indicated resources of 17.3M oz and inferred resources of 2.4M oz, Detour Lake Gold - 43-101 pre-feasibility report, September 2009) and the Fenelon American Bonanza gold deposit (measured and indicated resources of 30,200 oz and inferred resources of 11,200 oz - Innovexplo, 43-101 report, 2005).

These new properties have a high potential of discovery similar to the Abitibi gold mining camps associated with major gold structures. Historical drilling intersected gold structures, with values ranging up to 18.3 g/t Au over 1.1m, gold showings in outcrop ranging up to 54.0 g/t Au, and many significant gold till anomalies ranging between 1.0 g/t Au and 5.2 g/t Au, and electromagnetic conductors ("EM") (not adequately tested) have permitted the Company to selectively target prospective areas favourable for a new discoveries. The Massicotte, Casgrain and Nantel properties are located along the Massicotte-Grasset deformation break while the Sicotte property is located to the east of the Brouillian pluton and the St-Helene felsic complex. For more information on the property locations, please visit our website at www.adventure-gold.com.

Casgrain Property

The Casgrain property spans more than 18 km of the Massicotte-Grasset deformation break, a gold structure which encompasses many gold intersections with values of 7.7 g/t Au over 7.2m, 4.8 g/t Au over 13.3m and 24.1 g/t Au over 2.5m on the adjacent property to the west. This property also encloses the section of the deformation break known as Lower Detour Lake and its junction with the Massicotte Fault. A historical drill hole intersected 18.3 g/t Au over 1.1m on the eastern sector of the Casgrain property.

A compilation of the till geochemical survey on the entire Detour Lake sector indicated the presence of gold anomalies ranging between 1.0 g/t Au and 3.6 g/t Au. Following the dispersal train towards the south-east, historical drill-hole positions have outlined two distinct bedrock sources. The first sector is located to the south-west and is associated with the Lower Detour Lake deformation zone. The second sector is in the north-west section where the bedrock source likely corresponds to a deformation zone bordering on a felsic intrusion.

This property also presents a high potential for discovery of massive sulphide volcanogenic deposits ("VMS"). Diamond drilling in 1970, defined a felsic centre of over 4.5 km in length. To the top of the felsic centre, exhalative horizons which are highly anomalous in copper and zinc and ranging up to 1.8% Cu, 2.0% Zn and 7.8 g/t Ag over 1.0m, were observed. Isolated Megatem anomalies located to the top of felsic centre have remained un-tested and represent future drilling targets.

Massicotte Property

The Massicotte property is located 15 km from the Detour Lake mining project on the Quebec and Ontario border, along the Massicotte fault. The compilation of the till geochemical survey increased our interest in this sector due to the presence of significant gold anomalies ranging between 1.0 and 5.2 g/t Au. Following a gold dispersal train towards the south-west, historical drill-hole positions have outlined two distinct bedrock sources. The most interesting sector is located to the north-east and is associated with the Massicotte deformation zone. The targets are well confined and could be ready-to-drill.

Sicotte Property

The Sicotte property is located 16 km east of the Selbaie Mine, which produced 53 Mt @ 1% Cu, 1.9% Zn, 0.6 g/t Au and 4.1 g/t Ag between 1982 and 2005. The property geology hosted felsic rock related to the Selbaie Mine sequence, andesitic rocks and mafic and felsic intrusions (quartz-feldspath porphyry) belonging to the Brouillian volcanic complex. The property encloses three gold showings of interest including the Ruisseau Twinning showing, characterised by a network of quartz-tourmaline veins hosted in altered diorite affected by a carbonate and sericite alteration and a dissemination of pyrite, chalcopyrite and sphalerite. High gold values ranging between 8 and 54 g/t Au (grab sample) were identified. An important ductile deformation zone of over 50 meters in thickness oriented towards the E-W and strongly altered in carbonate and silica equally affects the diorite of the Ruisseau Twinning showing. In addition, the property also includes the Lac Sicotte NE showing and a drill intersection returned values of 2.5 and 2.3 g/t Au over 1.5 and 1.0m respectively. The mineralization of these showings are associated with a network of quartz veins hosted in carbonate and silicified felsic rock and contains dissemination of pyrite and chalcopyrite. An induced polarization geophysic survey ("IP") is proposed to define the mineralized system. Drilling will follow to test the high-priority targets.

Jules Riopel P.Geo. Vice-President Exploration and Acquisitions, who acts as the Company's "Qualified Person" as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed this press release.

Petra said the stone is one of the 20 biggest, high quality diamonds to have been found

The diamond weighs just over 100 grams and could be worth more than $20m

One of the largest, high quality diamonds discovered to date has been found at a mine in South Africa, mining group Petra Diamonds has revealed.

The 507 carat stone, which could be worth in excess of $20m (£12.5m), was found with three other large diamonds.

They were discovered at the famous Cullinan mine, where the largest diamond in history was found more than 100 years ago.

The new find is being analysed by experts to determine its true value.

A 480 carat diamond found at the end of last year fetched $18m.

"The Cullinan mine has again given the world a spectacularly beautiful and important diamond," said Petra's chief executive Johan Dippenaar.

"Initial indications are that it is of exceptional colour and clarity, which suggest extraordinary potential for its polished yield."

Petra said the stone is one of the 20 biggest, high quality diamonds to have been found.

A 168 carat stone was also discovered, alongside one of 58 carats and another of 53 carats.

The largest diamond to be discovered, named the Cullinan, was 3,106 carats. It was cut into nine separate stones, many of which are in the British Crown Jewels.

Paris was so keen to impress ‘The Hills’ star

The blonde socialite threw the surprise party for Doug Reinhardt at her Beverly Hills mansion on Saturday (17.10.09) and wore a sexy hot pink outfit and a black diamond mask as she burst out of the giant-sized sweet treat.

A source told the New York Post newspaper: “Paris went all out for her man’s birthday. No expense was spared. He had no idea about the party and was so happy.”

Paris was so keen to impress ‘The Hills’ star – who she reunited with in the summer when he whisked her away on a romantic break to Fiji - she organised for rap group Three 6 Mafia and hip-hop star Ya Boy to perform for partygoers.

Guests including Hollywood beauties Hayden Panettiere and Kristanna Loken, partied until 3am at the nightclub Paris has built in her home, while home videos of the couple were screened throughout the mansion.

Doug is not the only star to be presented with a giant cake on his birthday.

When Hollywood actress Katie Holmes turned 30 last December, her husband Tom Cruise surprised her with an enormous five-tiered sponge.

Khama, an ex-soldier and critic of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe

Botswana's Ian Khama was sworn in for another term as president on Tuesday after a landslide election victory in the world's largest diamond producer.

Khama, the son of the southern African country's founding president, took over the post last year and will serve a five-year term after the governing Botswana Democratic Party extended its parliamentary majority.

The BDP has won every election since independence from Britain in 1966.

The party won 45 of 57 constituencies, and about 54 percent of the popular vote, compared with just over 20 percent for the Botswana National Front.

Khama, 56, overcame divisions within his own party but faces a tougher task to revitalise an economy battered by a global crisis that led to a huge fall in demand for diamonds, which account for 40 percent of the economy.

The country of just 1.8 million people faces another double-digit contraction in the 2009/10 financial year.

In an inauguration speech outside parliament, Khama urged the private sector to work with the government to boost growth.

"While optimistic about our future, I remain conscious of the challenges brought on by the global financial crisis," he said, after deciding against a lavish ceremony to save costs.

"In this connection, the private sector must redouble its efforts in a spirit of partnership with government to grow the economy."

Botswana's economy is expected to rebound as demand for diamonds recovers in 2010, with investors looking for a return to the prudent financial management that made it one of Africa's gems.

Khama, an ex-soldier and critic of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, appealed to communities to help fight poverty and vowed to stick to principles of democracy and freedom.

Botswana has long been considered one of the least corrupt countries in Africa and, before the crisis, had the highest sovereign ratings on the continent.

It has won wide praise for its battle against AIDS, offering drugs and other treatment to contain an epidemic estimated to have infected one in three adults.

However, debt has soared in the downturn and concern about human rights lingers.

Botswana faced international scrutiny in 2006 when its highest court ruled it had illegally forced San Bushmen off their ancestral lands, and in 2007 the government banned 17 people, mostly foreign journalists and human rights activists from the country.

Construction on the rest of the building will begin in the spring

Someday, there will be a new Victorian-style building on Main Street.

But that day will not be soon.

Work is progressing, albeit slowly, on one of the three empty lots where part of downtown burned to the ground nearly two years ago.

"It's slow but good. I got my final plans; we redid the front elevation," said Kathleen J. Novosel, owner of the lots at 15 and 17 Main St. "I've also got a building permit to do the build-out and cap it off for the winter."

The finalized plans for 17 Main St., which were designed by Brooks Washburn, a Potsdam architect, combine elements of the building that burned down with the one originally on the lot in the 19th century. It will have large bay windows on either side of the front door and diamond-shaped panes at the top of the flat-roofed building.

"It's been jazzed up quite a bit. It's more Victorian," said Ms. Novosel, whose business, Novosel Associates, used to be on the site. "We added some elements to make it look more 'Main Street.'"

Since the January 2008 fire, her business has been operating out of a room in her home.

Though it doesn't look like much is happening on the site from the road, wood-framed walls are being attached to the foundation, which is original to the building.

"We're doing basically a retrofit; we're dealing with a 100-year-old foundation and nothing's level," she said. "Everything has to be measured and remeasured and then put in."

Once the build-out is finished, the building will be fitted with a tarp to keep moisture out during the winter. Construction on the rest of the building will begin in the spring, with a fall finish date, Ms. Novosel said.

At 15 Main St., the former home of La Bottega, Ms. Novosel plans to build a retail space downstairs and an incubator for three startup businesses upstairs.

Construction on that will not begin until next year, with a 2011 finish date.

"Unfortunately, I think I tend to be a bit more optimistic as far as timing goes because I want it done now," Ms. Novosel said.

Kelly M. Greene, co-owner of Tony's Pizza and the Hair Saloon, which used to be at 13 Main St., could not be reached for comment.

Brown would get the better of him by tossing a two-hitter

The Seacoast NH MSBL 28 and over World Series was played in Rochester on Oct. 4. The top-seeded Gamer Soda Red Sox jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in Game 1 over the defending champion and second-seeded Page Pro Wireless Diamondbacks. The big hit was a run scoring single by Al Buell in a two-run first inning. Red Sox righty Dana Gilbert was cruising with a no-hitter through five innings as all looked well for the Sox. In the sixth, D-back Bob Nadeau singled and later scored to make it a 3-1 game. In the seventh, the D-Backs tied the score as Paul Brooks led off the inning by being hit by a pitched ball, Dan Reader and Mike Hannon followed with singles. Two outs later, Pat Sbrizza lined a two-run single to right scoring Brooks and Reader.

The D-Backs would score again in the eighth as Greg Brown scored on a sacrifice fly by Sun Kay Chu making the score 4-3, Diamondbacks. Don George did the rest on the hill for the D-Backs as they won 4-3.

Game 2 featured a great pitchers duel between Sox lefty Buell and D-Back righty Brown. Buell would allow just four hits, but Brown would get the better of him by tossing a two-hitter. The D-Backs scored a single run in the first as Hannon doubled and later scored on an error. Another run came in the second as D-Back third baseman Rich Beaupre scored on a ground out by Pat Bergin making it 2-0 Diamondbacks. The Red Sox scored a run in the third as Ron Crickard scored on a D-Back error. That would be all the scoring as both pitchers threw excellent games. The 2-1 victory gave the Diamondbacks the championship two games to none in the best-of-three series.

The launching of an international photo competition covering 17 years of airshows in Malta

The Malta International Airshow 2009 will be held at Malta International Airport at the weekend, marking the 17th edition of this international event which is jointly organised by Malta International Airport plc and the Malta Aviation Society

Participants are expected to arrive from France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, UK and USA to join the Armed Forces of Malta and various other participants from Malta’s aviation field. The stars of the show will be the world-famous Breitling Jet Team that flies a formation of seven L-39 advanced trainers resplendent in a blue and yellow colour scheme, which will be the grand finale of the show on both tomorrow and Sunday.

Preceding the Breitling team will be a large variety of aircraft of all sorts and sizes, from slow-moving aircraft and gliders to the British Army Tiger Parachute Team and a bright-orange F-16 from the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The show also includes a varied static display of aircraft ranging from brand-new Diamond aircraft to the huge KDC-10 aerial refuelling tanker with famous jets like the Harrier jump-jet, as well as Tornados and Alpha Jets parked on the airshow Park 4. The public will also be able to see no fewer than seven aircraft from the United States Air Force and Navy.

The new layout in the area where the airshow is held entailed a number of infrastructural changes and the car park is now detached from the airshow park, however the parking space is large enough to accommodate the expected number of vehicles entering through the airshow gate situated on the Hal Farrug Road.

The public is being encouraged to make use of a special public transport bus shuttle service that will run between Valletta City Gate and the airshow gate throughout the day. Food and drink facilities will be available on the airshow grounds. Airshow entry tickets cost e8 and children under 14 years enter free of charge. The airshow gate opens at 10am and closes at 5.30pm while the air display starts at 1.30pm each day.

Diamond Peak Ski Resort this winter will encourage its patrons to not smoke

Joining a trend set the past few years by Tahoe venues such as Northstar and Squaw Valley, Diamond Peak Ski Resort this winter will encourage its patrons to not smoke.

In a 5-0 vote Wednesday, the Incline Village General Improvement District Board of Trustees approved the installation of numerous signs at Incline's ski mountain to bear the slogan: “Our guests appreciate you not smoking at Diamond Peak — thank you.”

“We need to do more than just advertise ourselves as a family ski resort — in order for us to be a family-friendly resort, we need to be a non-smoking resort,” said trustee Chuck Weinberger. “We're already well behind the curve.”

The original proposal was for Diamond Peak staff to construct “approximately three” signs encouraging people to not smoke “in or around our lift lines.” Trustees approved staff to construct signs in high-traffic areas, such as near the entrance of lift lines.

According to Diamond Peak General Manager Ed Youmans' proposal, the option to ask — rather than demand — patrons not smoke is preferred, because the district avoids spending time adopting and enforcing policy.

“Not being allowed to smoke anywhere outdoors is not a law in any state in this country,” Youmans said Wednesday.

The approval came with the caveat that staff designate one or two areas at the mountain where people can smoke.

“We are a family-friendly resort, and, while I don't smoke myself, there are families who do smoke,” said trustee Bea Epstein.

Incline resident Don Kanare shared a similar view.

“I think it would be good to have two designated areas away from the major flow of people, away from where people congregate, where people can smoke,” he said.

District General Manager Bill Horn asked trustees if the board should consider taking similar action at all district venues, including the golf courses and beaches.

Board chair Ted Fuller recommended the item be discussed at the board's retreat, which takes place Nov. 4-5 at The Chateau.

Women's Champions Challenge through a newly established Mega Events Fund

Hong Kong's highest-profile women's tennis tournament has asked the government for a $700,000 (435,594 pound) bailout after its main sponsor withdrew backing for the early season exhibition event.

Organisers are hoping the Hong Kong government would dole out HK$5.5 million (441,533 pounds) for the Women's Champions Challenge through a newly established Mega Events Fund, the South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday.

"It's unfortunate but like many other companies, the JB Group has also been caught up in the financial tsunami," tournament director Terry Catton was quoted as saying by the paper, referring to the Indian diamond group which pulled out as title sponsors of the January 6-10 event.

Although not part of the WTA Tour, high-ranking players such as Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters have all participated in the Australian Open warm-up event.

Catton added that the tournament would still go ahead "whatever happens."

Read My Pins, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright

In her new book, Read My Pins, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright reveals that she used jewelry as a diplomatic tool during her years with the Clinton administration.

"This all started when I was ambassador at the U.N. and Saddam Hussein called me a serpent," she tells Susan Stamberg. "I had this wonderful antique snake pin. So when we were dealing with Iraq, I wore the snake pin."

After that incident, Albright decided that it might be fun to speak through her pins. She went out and bought different costume jewelry.

"As it turned out, there were just a lot of occasions to either commemorate a particular event or to signal how I felt," she says.

There were balloons, butterflies and flowers to signify optimism and, when diplomatic talks were going slowly, crabs and turtles to indicate frustration.

After the Russians were caught tapping the State Department, Albright protested by wearing a pin with a giant bug on it. On days when Albright felt she had to do "a little stinging and deliver a tough message," she wore a wasp pin.

At one point, Russian leader Vladimir Putin told President Clinton that he knew what the mood of a meeting would be by looking at Albright's left shoulder. (Albright's pin with three monkeys, which she wore when discussing Chechnya, was meant to draw attention to the fact that Russia took a "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" stance toward the Chechen atrocities.)

The former secretary of state says that one of her own pins — an antique eagle pin with a complicated clasp — nearly sabotaged her at her swearing-in ceremony.

"I put it on, and there I was all of the sudden with one hand on the Bible and one hand in the air, and the pin was just swinging in the breeze. I had not fastened it properly," says Albright. "I was afraid that it would fall on the Bible."

Accidents aside, Albright says she loved expressing herself with her jewels. And, she adds, making fashion statements — and commenting on each other's attire — is not completely unheard of within a diplomatic setting:

"You think that the heads of state only have serious conversations, [but] they actually often begin really with the weather or, 'I really like your tie.' "

Popular Enganement Ring Diamond Cuts

Engagement ring diamonds come in a wide variety of cuts and shapes. There are two basic types of diamond cuts, which produce two basic kinds of diamond shapes. These are the step diamond cut, which utilizes gradual incisions that create a “step” pattern on the surface of the stone, generally producing a rectangular (or emerald) diamond; and the brilliant cut, which utilizes angled cuts designed to create maximum internal light refraction, producing a round-shaped diamond. When these two basic cuts are combined, they produce a variety of mixed cuts that result in various shapes with varying degrees of sharpness and brilliance. The type of diamond cut you choose for your engagement ring depends entirely on personal taste. For your consideration however, here are 5 of the most popular engagement ring diamond cuts today.
1. The Round Diamond
2. The Radiant Cut Diamond
3. The Marquise Diamond
4. The Oval Diamond
5. The Princess Cut Diamond

Diamond covered platinum skull

Artwork Title: For the Love of God, 2007
Diamond covered platinum skull
Damien Hirst
Famous British artists - Skull and Bone Art

About the For the Love of God Skull
The Diamond covered skull by Damien Hirst is a continuation of the artist's exploration of death and the way we react to it.

"For the Love of God" is covered with 8,601 real diamonds and has been valued as the most expensive contemporary work of art. Hirst spent about $20 million USD to create the diamond covered work and put a price tag of $100 million USD on it.

Damien Hirst was quoted as saying "It works much better than I imagined. I was slightly worried that we'd end up with an Ali G ring." He also said "I wouldn't mind if it happened to my skull after my death".

Update: In August 2007, it was widely reported that Damien Hirst sold "For the Love of God" to an investment group for $100 million USD or about 50 million pounds. Hirst is said to own a percentage of the diamond skull, but it was not reported how much he still owns. The buyers will be expected to exhibit the work for the next two to three years at museums around the world. The BBC reported that the investors planned to resell the work at a later date.

This would make "For the Love of God" the most expensive work of art ever to sell by a living artist.

Nokia N95 & diamonds make a merry pair

The Nokia N95 is already a multi-functional smartphone by itself, and what better way to increase its desirability than to throw a whole bunch of diamonds on it? What you see above is the result of such an extravagant imagination, done up by Alexander Amosu. This exclusive limited edition diamond Nokia N95 8GB will be limited to just 10 in the whole wide world, and each handset is adorned with 18 carat solid white gold with 325 diamonds, boasting a total diamond weight of 3.30 carats. Be prepared to fork out *cough cough* slightly less than a quarter of a hundred thousand dollars for this ultra-luxurious smartphone - $24,482 to be exact.

White Dwarf Stars: Like a Diamond in the Sky

Just in time for Valentine's Day, astronomers have discovered a white dwarf star with a very special center. This star would truly be the gift for the person who has everything: a celestial diamond in the sky!

"You would need a jeweler's loupe the size of the Sun to grade this diamond!" says astronomer Travis Metcalfe (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), who leads a team of researchers that discovered the giant gem. "Bill Gates and Donald Trump together couldn't begin to afford it."
The reason this star, with the obscure designation of BPM 37093 is so special to astronomers is that it has aided them in proving a theory held for decades: that white dwarf stars cool and crystallize into carbon, a giant diamond.

Astronomers say the star has a diameter of 2,500 miles and weighs in at an astonishing five million, trillion, trillion pounds. That would make the diamond core ten billion, trillion, trillion carats! The largest gem-quality diamond yet found on Earth was the 3,106-carat "Cullinan" discovered in 1905. The 530-carat "Star of Africa" in the British crown jewels was cut from it.

The star is located in the constellation Centaurus and is about fifty light years distant (A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, or about 6 trillion miles.)

There are many kinds of stars in the cosmos. The Sun is part of a group of stars called main sequence stars, and most of these end their lives as white dwarves.

The stars burn up all their hydrogen and then begin to expand into red giant stars. Red giants are extremely large. If our Sun was a red giant, it would extend well beyond the orbit of Mars, swallowing the Earth in it's atmosphere!

The stars continue fusing elements until it loses its shell of gases, leaving behind a hot core of about 180,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Then the star begins to cool. The star pulsates as it burns helium in fusion reactions creating heavier and heavier elements until at the very end there is carbon and a very small amount of oxygen. A star will spend billions of years in this phase.

The problem with proving the theory about the crystallization is that by the time the star has crystallized, it is no longer pulsating and is so cool that they are impossible to detect. But BPM 37093 is the most massive known dwarf star. Because it is so massive, the star is crystallizing on the inside while light and sound continue to pulsate from the surface.

"By measuring those pulsations, we were able to study the hidden interior of the white dwarf, just like seismograph measurements of earthquakes allow geologists to study the interior of the Earth. We figured out that the carbon interior of this white dwarf has solidified to form the galaxy's largest diamond," says Metcalfe.

The same fate awaits our own Sun. In about five billion years, our Sun will use up it's hydrogen, expand into a red giant and at last become a white dwarf star. A few billion years after that, our Sun will have cooled and the core crystallized into a diamond that is truly forever.

The Properties of Diamonds

Diamonds are found as rough stones and must be processed to create a sparkling gem that is ready for purchase. Diamonds are the crystallized form of carbon created under extreme heat and pressure. It's this same process that makes diamonds the hardest mineral we know of. A diamond ranks a 10 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. The Mohs Scale is used to determine the hardness of solids, especially minerals. It is named after the German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs. Here's the scale, from softest to hardest:

1. Talc - easily scratched by the fingernail
2. Gypsum - just scratched by the fingernail
3. Calcite - scratches and is scratched by a copper coin
4. Fluorite - not scratched by a copper coin and does not scratch glass
5. Apatite - just scratches glass and is easily scratched by a knife
6. Orthoclase - easily scratches glass and is just scratched by a file
7. Quartz - (amethyst, citrine, tiger's-eye, aventurine) not scratched by a file
8. Topaz - scratched only by corundum and diamond
9. Corundum - (sapphires and rubies) scratched only by a diamond
10. Diamond - scratched only by another diamond

Even though diamond is only one level higher on the scale than corundum, diamond can be anywhere from 10 to hundreds of times harder than this class of gems.

It is the molecular structure of diamonds that makes them so hard. Diamonds are made of carbon atoms linked together in a lattice structure. Each carbon atom shares electrons with four other carbon atoms, forming a tetrahedral unit. This tetrahedral bonding of five carbon atoms forms an incredibly strong molecule. Graphite, another form of carbon, isn't as strong as diamond because the carbon atoms in graphite link together in rings, where each atom is only linked to one other atom.

Trifari Simulated Diamond & Faux Gold Choker

~ This gorgeous necklace is a drape of dangling ice crystals! Suspended from goldtone metal, each crystal has been hand-cut into a diamond shape

~ There are 25 of these simulated diamonds, and each one has been prong-set; they form a perfect design all the way along the full length of this choker, so even in the back, it looks perfect ( if you wear your hair up, or have short hair, this is ideal)

~ The design is unique: it is made to look as though the gold is a supple "cloth" that has been "threaded" onto a golden band - the best comparison would be a cafe curtain threaded onto a curtain rod - do you see what I mean? I've never seen this design before, but it's totally awesome

~ The color of the gold metal looks like the real thing - I had difficulty with the indoor lighting when I took these photos, but I promise you the gold metal isn't dark or rosy as it looks in these pictures - it's perfect!

~ Measures 14.25" long and .75" wide

~ Signed "Trifari" on the folding clasp

Kevin Jonas proposed to Danielle Deleasa with a Jacob & Co diamond ring

Kevin Jonas surprised his girlfriend Danielle Deleasa by showing up at her doorstep in New Jersey and dropping down to his knee to ask her to marry him. He presented her with a cushion-cut diamond ring that Jonas designed with Jacob & Co., Danielle couldn’t believe what was happening.

She answered, ” yes, yes, yes like 500 times super fast in a row,”.

Kevin Jonas is the oldest member of the Jonas Brothers band.

Kevin Jonas, 21, and Danielle Deleasa, 22, who met in May of 2007 while vacationing with their families in the Bahamas, are aiming to have a tropical wedding. “It still feels like a dream, said Danielle.

The future Mrs. Jonas’ Jacob & Co. ring is crafted in platinum and features a solitaire cushion-cut diamond, with a total weight of 3 carats. Surrounding the center stone are 210 round brilliant-cut pave diamonds totaling .72 carats.

cute mugs

this is really beauty, isn't it?
mugs are completed by diamong rings.

i can say, if we want we can change something usual to be more great and amazing..
how is your opinion?

for more about it just see: http://maevelicious.blogspot.com/2008_06_01_archive.html

this is one of many diamond-ring hotel..
more in : http://www.thetopthebest.com/the-best-diamond-ring-hotel-dubai/

so just come and visit it.












this is luxurius hotel, isn't it?

Diamond Quality:

Decide on Cut

The Cut actually refers to two separate aspects of a diamond's appearance:
1) shape, and 2) quality of workmanship.

===== Shape =====

Popular diamond shapes include Round, Marquise, Princess, Radiant, Pear, Oval, Emerald, and Heart.

Choose two shapes if possible and write them on your checklist.

There is only one way to find out what she wants in this regard -- ask her. But if you're sneaky, you can find out by having her best friend ask her discreetly and tell you. Either way, you should definitely find out about this before you buy...because some women are very attached to certain diamond shapes.

If you like to live dangerously (though we do not recommend it in this case), you could pick one of the most popular shapes to increase your odds of picking her favorite. The most popular shapes this year in our experience, in order, are: Round brilliant, Princess, Emerald

Learn more about shapes.

===== The Make -- Quality of the Cut =====

It is extremely important to learn about the make of a diamond for three reasons:

1) the make varies greatly from one diamond to another
2) the make determines over 90% of the beauty of a diamond
3) a concise grade for the make is not included on most diamond certificates, including the GIA diamond grading report

If you want perfection regardless of cost -- go for the Ideal Cut.

If you want quality and beauty -- go for very good to excellent make.

If you want a larger stone for your money -- go for good make.

If you want the lowest grades -- we don't recommend fair to poor makes for engagement rings due to a noticeable lack of brilliance and fire (even when color and clarity are very high).

Learn more about diamond makes, and how diamonds are faceted.

We will go into more detail about this in step four: How to Read a Certificate and Go Beyond the 4 Cs.

---

Decide on Color

The color of diamonds varies from colorless (most rare and precious) to many shades of yellow (less rare). Slight tints of yellow make a diamond less rare, but some people prefer the personality it gives a stone of good make and clarity.

If you want perfection regardless of cost -- go for D color

If you want excellent quality and beauty -- go for E or F colors (still colorless to any eye)

If you want a larger stone for your money without sacrificing appearance -- go for G, H, or I colors (near colorless, especially in a gold setting)

If you like very faint yellow tints -- go for colors like J, K, L, or M (you can see the slight tint when next to a more colorless diamond or when set in a white metal like platinum)

Learn more about diamond colors.

See a chart of color grading scales.

---

Decide on Clarity

Every diamond has some internal or external "flaws," but you should decide based on how much they are visible and how much that means to you. Usually, flawless to the naked eye (SI-1 or better) is quite sufficient for anyone concerned about beauty but not wanting to pay extra for rarity you can't see.

If you want perfection regardless of cost -- go for Flawless or Internally Flawless (very rare and expensive but possibly the only grade you will always be proud to own)

If you want it to look flawless under a loupe but not pay for flawless -- go for VVS1 or VVS2 clarity grades (still flawless to an untrained eye with a 10x loupe)

If you want to see very little with a loupe and nothing to the naked eye -- go for VS1, VS2 clarity grades (certainly flawless to the naked eye, even to a diamond grader)

If you just want it flawless to the naked eye -- go for SI1 or SI2 clarity grades (some SI3 stones will also be flawless to the naked eye); remember that many women really only want this degree of flawlessness

If you don't mind some small inclusions that might be visible to the naked eye and want a larger stone that still sparkles -- go for I1 clarity

If you were interested in the lowest clarity grades (I2 or I3) -- we don't recommend them for engagement rings because they lack brilliance and crack or chip more easily due to large structural flaws.

Learn more about clarity.

See a chart comparing the different clarity grading scales.

---

Decide on Carat Weight

The next decision (the size you can afford in your preferred quality) is mathematically complicated and requires extensive knowledge about diamond pricing.

We created our SizeFinder calculator to do all the math for you. But you will need to know a few things first, to make the best decisions.

Carat weight is actually the last of the four Cs to consider, surprising as this may seem. Although size will be the single most important factor in the price of a stone, it does not affect the beauty. First, decide on the quality you want (the first 3 Cs above), then decide on the largest size you can afford to meet those guidelines. We make it easy.

Following are some points to help you decide the budget and size for your diamond:

Most people budget between 1 to 3 months' salary for a diamond engagement ring, depending on what will make her happy while keeping your bank account open. Only you can determine the right amount to spend. Set your budget, then continue to the next step.

The most popular sizes are 1/2 carat, 1-carat, and 2-carat diamonds.

Invest the time to learn about diamond prices. You'll notice many rules that are unique to the gemstone market. For instance, a 1-carat diamond is much more costly than two 1/2 carat diamonds of the same quality.

You should find out what she prefers for the size. Ask her best friend to find out if possible.

All in all, the best rule is to:

1 -- Buy the quality that will make her happy, considering that this will be one of the most important purchases you ever make.

2 -- Budget only enough that you both feel proud of your commitment to each other, and not so much that the cost becomes a major stress.

Learn more about diamond carat weights, including a scale of sizes compared to a life-sized dime for reference.

The article above makes it unnecessary, but you info-junkies can read these other articles to learn more about the 4 Cs.

more in : http://www.diamondhelpers.com/fivesteps/2-diamond-quality.shtml