When we think of silver, the first thing that comes to mind is sterling silver jewelry. Yet, the history of silver and the uses for silver are rich and varied. According to The Silver Institute, a worldwide association of silver miners, refiners, fabricators, and manufacturers, the area today known as Turkey was the first location where silver was mined. That was around 4000 B.C. Around 1200 B.C., the center of silver mining moved to an area near Athens. According to The Silver Institute, during the height of production, the mines near Athens produced about one million troy ounces each year.

Over the first millennium A.D., Spain became a prominent producer of silver, which was vital to the Asian spice trade. From 1500 through 1800 A.D., Peru, Mexico, and Bolivia produced most of the world’s silver. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the discovery of silver deposits in Nevada, Colorado, and Utah caused production to explode. According to the Silver Institute, “Production over the last quarter of the 19th century quadrupled over the average of the first 75 years to a total of nearly 120 million troy ounces annually.”

Today, the vast majority of silver is used in industrial applications ranging from the medical use of silver sulfadiazine to treat burn victims to solar energy’s use of silver paste in crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells. Still, over 250 million ounces of silver are used each year to make silverware and silver jewelry. Your silver chain, silver bracelet, locket, silver earring, and wedding ring are all part of a rich history of silver.

Sterling silver jewelry comes in a variety of forms. One of the most popular uses of sterling silver jewelry is in silver chain. Silver chain is made in a number of different styles, including curb, cable, figaro, rope, box, snake, and herringbone. Some artisans use custom styling and may make silver chain in shapes like the rolled anchor, figure eight, alternating short- and long-link, diamond cut, and double rope. Silver chain provides the perfect backdrop for a locket or charm bracelet. A simple sterling silver necklace, bracelet, or ankle bracelet can also be worn on its own for understated elegance.

The craftsmanship of sterling silver jewelry is apparent in the glint of a silver earring or the selection of a once in a lifetime wedding band. Used as the setting for any number of pieces, today’s most popular sterling silver jewelry items include Celtic designs, pentagram and pentacle designs, handcrafted glass bead designs, and Bali designs.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Visit this Jewelry Website and Majon’s Jewelry directory.

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So, you’ve decided to find a diamond ring online? You might like the convenience of shopping from home, or maybe you’re looking for a bargain. These are two great reasons to check online for diamond jewelry or loose stones.

You can find some great prices, and you won’t have to go out of your way.

Buying diamond jewelry can be difficult in itself. This experience can be made worse by the abundance of online affordability. There are guidelines you can follow to make the convenience of buying online advantageous.

Before you commit to one seller, make sure they are reliable.

It is safe to buy diamond and other gemstone jewelry online! Many credible diamond retail and wholesale merchants are now using the internet to reach a broader clientele. This availability not only increases the merchants’ volume, but passes on a greater value to the buyer. In some cases, you may be purchasing directly from the diamond importer. By cutting out the middleman you can find lower prices for better quality diamonds.

To ensure that you are purchasing from a reliable vendor, there are steps you can take to help you protect yourself from fraud, and feel safer about buying online.

You need to be able to trust your Online Jeweler!

Establish communication! Make sure they have easy to find contact information. Email addresses and phone numbers are great! Find a way to contact them and ask any questions before committing to a purchase. If your merchant has no contact information listed, play it safe and don’t buy.

Demand a refund policy! Look for the merchants return/refund policy and make sure you’re comfortable with their terms. Timelines may vary from seller to seller. Some web vendors allow up to 30 day full refunds on returns, while others will only accept an item returned within 7 days.

There will be different guidelines and policy details. Some state that the item must be returned in the original packaging to receive a full refund. White still more will charge a restocking fee or refuse to refund shipping. So be sure to read the fine print to for your own protection.

Watch your back! Make sure the merchant is willing to back their product at all cost. Look for every service they can provide. Most online sellers should be able to size your item before shipping. Some can set additional stones, and make repairs if necessary. You can even find sellers willing to exchange your purchase for another item. The more services that can be provided, the better. This will help you determine a jeweler from a salesman.

Understand what you’re looking at! When a jeweler lists an item in an online auction or private website, they should provide information. You should be able to see all of the characteristics of the item listed. Diamond buyer should look for Color, Clarity, and Total Carat Weight. If the diamonds are set in a piece of jewelry, check for the Material the jewelry is made of, Gram weight, and any Dimensions listed to give an idea of the size of the item. All vendors should be able to show pictures of the item for sale!

Shop around! Don’t be afraid to research a product. Find out what other sites are selling for and compare their products. Never think you need to settle. Some online jewelers might be able to offer custom work or make alterations to an existing piece to suite your needs. It never hurts to ask.

If you watch for these criteria, you should be able to safely purchase high-end jewelry online and keep yourself protected. Discover your options and never settle for less! Information is the key to a successful online transaction. Know what you’re getting into, and by all means, ask questions!

A diamond purchase doesn’t have to be daunting! Follow these steps and you’ll be well on your way to an excellent experience.

Author Angela Coyle has worked in the diamond and jewelry industry since 2002, and is the co-founder of an online diamond jewelry store, http://www.tgdiamonds.com.

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Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night. But if you do, sleep in the bathtub …

If you are extremely drunk and swear you will never drink too much again, you will forget this when you are sober.

If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be “Government.”

There is a very fine line between “hobby” and “mental illness.” If you don’t understand this, try putting up your own blog.

You’d better get all your sex here on earth because there won’t be any in heaven.

People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

You should not confuse your career with your life. Or, work to life not live to work … but if you can’t follow this, email me your ladies phone number and I’ll keep her occupied while you are busy.

Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance. We all need something to laugh about…

Never lick a steak knife, or a frozen metal object. But, if you are dying of curiosity, go for it and get ready for some incredible fun.

The most destructive force in the universe is gossip. Next would be women’s talk shows…

You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time. Even if you don’t follow it, you’ll be back in sync with everybody eventually.

You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she’s pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age eleven.

I have nothing against the institution of marriage … I’m just not ready for an institution yet.

The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above-average drivers.

A rich man’s joke is always funny.

A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails).

Always forgive your enemies. It will drive them nuts.

The trouble with being punctual is that usually, nobody is there to appreciate it.

Your friends love you anyway. But if you have none, I will be your friend for a small phenomenal fee…

Thought for the day: Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic, and politicians run our government.

You can see more of Jan Michaels musings or various and sundry humorous items at: Articles Heaven

Or, Free Heaven

Submitted with Article Distributor.

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When you are just about to begin to play cricket it is not always straightforward to choose what you need to acquire. If you go into a sports high street shop and ask them what you need, you will probably finish up getting lots of gear that you don’t need. Therefore, it’s important to clearly understand what you need prior to you going shopping. That way you are more likely to acquire what you want, rather than what the shop owner recommends you require.

Below, is essentially a meticulous cricket equipment inventory, you don’t require to get all the goods on this list, as various clubs will provide you kit especially at youth level:

Cricket whites, cricket bats, balls, helmets, gloves, batting (wicket keeping) inner gloves, wicket keeping gloves, batting pads, wicket keeping pads, box, chest pad, arm guard, inner thigh pad, cricket boots (bowling boots; batting boots), box (groin guard), stumps and bails.

For most of the cricket competitions you play a part in you will require your own set of whites. Cricket whites contain white cricket trousers and a cricket shirt. Check that you buy a proper set of cricket trousers as well as a good white cricket shirt & jumper as it can get cold if you are standing out on the field for a lengthy period of time particularly if you are going to play in England (the start and end of the season are the coldest).

If you can not rent kit from your club the other most crucial items of equipment are a cricket bat & box. A descent cricket bat is vital if you plan to score plenty of runs & is a very personal piece of equipment, therefore spend several hours picking your bat, in an ideal world you would be recommended to go to a sports shop & test drive one before you buy in order for you to know how it feels to play with. As soon as you know what you want you can often procure bats on the Web significantly cheaper). You need a good box to guard your groin from the ball, as getting hit down below’ is tremendously painful, so investing in a good box before you start is a defiant must - you can not play cricket without one. Find superb deals on cricket kits.

Related topics of interest include: Formula 1 Merchandise & Discount Toys.

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Let’s face it Hell has gotten a bad wrap over the years. I mean, is it really all that bad to go to Hell? It’s not so much Hell that’s the problem. It’s the company that resides within confines of the Netherworld. Whether it’s the Dark Lord or some of his evil little Dominions causing a ruckus, it’s the company not so much the place.

Hell has fantastic scenery of glowing red that bounces off the ever flowing lake of fire that literally lights up the Hell-sky! This continuous flowing lake sends off the slightest roar of delicate thundering into the air. It’s a truly tranquil sound as it snakes its way throughout the hills and valleys of the Netherworld!

As the Flames lick the everlasting fiery night sky with snaps of joy, the air warms and becomes quite warm and pleasant. Therefore, there is no need for snow shovels & snow blowers in Hell

Another term for Hell is Bottomless Pit. This brings me to the aspect of the residents that call Hell their home. Hell is packed with its fair share of evilness. I mean let’s face it the Devil or Lucifer has not been known to be a good neighbor. Because the bottomless pit is, well, bottomless, there are plenty of places that one can go to settle down.

We don’t necessarily have to go to Hell and set up camp directly across from the thrown of Beelzebub himself, we can go miles away, somewhere more north even. It’s time we stand up and say “I’m not going to take it any longer! I want to live in Hell and no one is going to stop me, not even the Devil him self!”

9 out of 10 preachers disapprove this article (even though it was in good fun)…..okay, not really.

About the Author

Edward Kemper does not believe that everything in life should be taken very seriously, not even Hell. Life is short, enjoy it. www.hellestates.com

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When we think of precious gems, we usually spare little thought to the hard work that it takes to bring them to us in the beautiful jewelry that we love to wear, but diamond mining is, in fact, an expensive and dangerous procedure, reflected to the consumer in the price that must be paid to own one. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were some way to recreate that same brilliance and beauty in a less dangerous, and hence less expensive way? Today’s technological innovations mean that this does not have to be a pipe dream any longer - with lab created diamonds, we can wear beautiful gemstones produced by the intelligence of mankind, rather than the trials and tribulations of nature, and without the expense that mining brings. Lab created diamonds are now very good and becoming as popular as the real thing.

The popularity of diamonds have urged experts to try to find more cost effective ways of providing the brilliance of the stone in our jewelry, and over the years there have been many alternatives to diamonds put forward, including cut glass, rhinestones and cubic zirconium. While these have proved satisfactory for some purposes, these lab created diamonds have consistently lacked the brilliance and beauty of a genuine diamond. This was until the discovery of moissanite in meteor fragments, and the realisation that moissanite could be reproduced in controlled circumstances, leading to the dawn of lab made diamonds.

It was discovered in 1995 that moissanite could be reproduced under laboratory conditions, and the unique beauty of the stone made scientists realize that there would be a huge market for these lab created diamonds. While the difficulty involved in growing these lab made diamonds remains quite high, the price for moissanite jewelry is higher than you might expect in a diamond substitute, but today, many gemmologists consider the moissanite stone to be a gem in and of its own right. Unlike previous substitutes, moissanite is in many ways superior to diamonds, with more sparkle and brightness that the mined gem.

Previously, choosing a gem that looked like a diamond but wasn’t one was seen as a step down, a compromise, but with the quality of today’s lab created diamonds, this is no longer the case. So take advantage of today’s great moissanite prices while they last, because someday soon, the brilliant sparkle of this stone will make lab made diamonds even more sought after than the ‘real thing’.

Lab created diamonds, and Moissanite in particular, are now as good as the real thing.

For a website totally devoted to Moissanite rings visit Peter’s Website The Magic of Moissanite, and find out about Moissanite Rings as well as Loose Moissanite Stones and more, including Mens Moissanite Rings, Moissanite Earrings, Moissanite Bridal Rings and Moissanite Engagement Rings

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Thai Girls dating is becoming very popular !

1. Western guys don’t have access to the same type of woman that Thai man have.

This was I think quite true until 10 years ago. But especially with advent of internet many decent girls (I don’t like the word good girl, sounds as if we are little kiddies) now find it very easy to “meet” people from other countries. Many use apps like msg, email, Asian girls dating sites etc. This doesn’t mean that all the girls online are decent but big proportion is.

2. For me it was like this: until 10 years ago I never thought about meeting and marrying farang men. My future would be marrying a Thai. Then I discovered internet and chatting etc. I soon met farang guys on the net and when I got to know some of them better I found out they really are different from Thai guys. More about that later.

The reason I started chatting and emailing with the farang was that I wanted to improve my English. I thought it a fun and good way to get better in English. When I got to know some farang guys a bit better (through email and chat) I found out that I could talk about everything with these guys.

This was big change for me who was only used to talking to Thai guys. Thai or most Thai guys still have traditional view towards girls. Girls are a commodity for them and are below them. It is very hard to talk to (most) Thai guys about everything. Most are not really open and will hide/not talk about certain things with girls. I found the farang guys very open, liberal, it was really a difference. A few years later I met my husband on the net, and the rest is history.

2. Thai girls are conservative by nature.

This is true and not true. The true part is that a decent girl will not be easy to get, not for farang and not for a Thai guy. But this doesn’t mean that we will never choose a farang. If a farang guy is nice, polite and understanding of us, we might prefer the farang over a Thai guy.

Why do many decent Thai girls still choose a Thai guy?

This is because we are a little bit lazy. Most Thai girls like the easy way, and the easy way is marrying a Thai guy. The Thai guy knows our language, culture, etc. And also he is not likely to take us to another country. Also our family will not (or most of the time not) have problems with it. When we marry a farang guy, we have to do a big effort to make it succeed, all decent Thai girls know that. And maybe we will have to go to his country, which we don’t need to cos we have our own money, career, family etc. It’s a big sacrifice.

3. It’s almost pointless for farang to be handsome in Thailand

Farangs never have access to the same kind of girls that Thai guys have. It doesn’t matter if farang is smelly, fat and old or if he’s young and very handsome, every farang fishes from the same pond. Further he states that farang always date non-typical Thai girls meaning only poor Isaan girls who are dark etc.

This statement is sure not true. Even though I said previously that many (nice) Thai girls don’t date farang, cos they choose the easy way so to say, it still happens very often (and more often in recent years) that also Thai girls from middle or high class background are actually considering or already dating western guys.

Now about farang being young and handsome in Thailand. I can guarantee that many if not most what calls “typical Thai girl” or nice girls if they see a young and handsome farang would like him to become her boyfriend. If that happens depends on her (not lazy, wanna make an effort etc) and on him. (polite, friendly looking, not shy etc) On the other hand, if a nice girl sees an old and smelly farang, of course she would not dream of him to become her boyfriend, I think that is normal. So it’s not pointless for a farang to be young and handsome in Thailand he will have many changes to date nice Thai girls but he has to look for them not in the bars but in the good places.

One other thing. It can still be hard for a young farang to find a nice girl in Thailand when he’s alone, because many Thai girls are shy and traditional when it comes to western men. They also don’t tend to trust the farang guy very easily. If however the farang has nice and good Thai male friends also from the higher middle class or middle class, they can introduce him to the nice girls.

If those Thai male friends are honest and good, the farang doesn’t has to be too afraid that they will introduce him to bad girls cos the Thai guy would lose terrible face if something bad happened to the farang because of the girl. Of course it can still happen not every Thai guy knows his female friends 100% but it is not likely.

Thai girls will be more comfortable and confident when they are introduced to a farang by a Thai guy (a Thai guy the girl already knows and respects) and then it might be very easy for the farang to date her.

I’m Dao Jones from Thailand, founder of Asian-Girls-Dating.com. A unique dating site with writing, dating and culture tips, as well as lots of information about the special characteristics of Asian women.

If you want to know more about Asian girls go to my favourite pages :

Click here to find lovely girls from

Thail and - Phil ippines - Japa n - South Korea - Vi etnam - China - Hon g Kong - Sin gapore - Mal aysia - Taiwan - Russi a - India< /a> - In donesia

OR GO TO OUR ADULT DATING PAGES :

Thailand - Philippine s - Japan - South Korea - Vi etnam - C hina - H ong Kong - S ingapore - Malaysi a - Taiwan - Rus sia - India< /a> - In donesia

Best regards

Dao Jones

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1. Meditation:

Our minds are often like glasses of water filled with dirt. The stresses that we endure throughout our day cause that glass of water to get shaken up. The water gets murky and our minds are distracted. This is when we are at our least creative state of mind. Meditation is a great way to allow that shaken up dirt to settle, allowing the glass of water that is our mind to be clear once again.

When you meditate, turn off all distractions in the room (music, noises, and lights). Be alone. Sit up against a wall and just let your mind wander. It’s important to sit upright and not slouch or you may fall asleep. The goal is to let your mind just “settle”. Then you will be in a more creative frame of mind for thinking up new ideas.

2. Record Your Dreams

Dreams are a great source of inspiration for creativity. They not only involve new untapped ideas, but they hit upon the emotions that you have buried deep inside you (your subconscious). These emotions can be a powerful source of energy for creating inspiring masterpieces or ideas.

There are many that believe that they don’t have that many dreams, when in fact we all dream every single night. We even wake and remember these dreams; however, as soon as we hit the shower, that dream is gone from our memory. Someone could even ask us later that day if we had a dream and we might make the mistake of saying “no”, having no recollection of the dream whatsoever.

This is why you need to record your dreams. This helps with remembering them. Keep a notebook by your bedside table and upon waking from a dream, write it down. You will find that by following this habit over the course of a few weeks, you will even start to remember multiple dreams upon waking up each morning.

3. Brainstorming

We often make the mistake of writing down a numbered list (or outline) of our ideas and this can cause us to think too logically. The most creative ideas never came from thinking logically with the left side of our brain.

To trick our minds into thinking with the right side of our brain, we can use the Brainstorming technique. Brainstorming is the process of jotting down on paper anything that comes to mind. There is no organization in a brainstorm session. You just get a pad of paper and begin writing things down. These could be just words or sentences. Try not to get hung up on the spelling, grammar, or punctuation of what you right down. Don’t let yourself make critiques or judgments of what you write. Just let the words flow. The idea behind this technique is to break free of the organizational part of your brain and allow your mind to release all thoughts.

When you are done, you can sift through what you have written down and with any luck, something will click and you’ll get an idea.

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You can find more resources on sales coaching, executive coaching, sales training, time management, cold calling, prospecting and career coaching from New York Sales and Leadership Coach Keith Rosen MCC at http://www.profitbulders.com.

I recently purchased some advertising space in a national magazine. I have been a subscriber for years and knew everything I needed to know to select them as an advertising vehicle. I called them with one intention, to place an order.

When I called their office, the salesperson began doing what she felt was appropriate; to start selling me. She began with the history of the magazine, then moved into a discussion about her subscriber base, how effective an advertising campaign can be and ended with information about her ad design team. She was unaware that I already knew all the information that she decided to share with me.

She never took the time to ask what my intention was in running the ad or what information I might be interested in hearing more about. While she was speaking at me, I could only think about how many selling opportunities this must have cost her when dealing with prospective clients who didn’t have the time or patience to listen to information that didn’t fit for them.

This is not an unusual problem. Many salespeople spend much of their time during a sales call attempting to educate the prospect about their product, service and industry. They think it will stimulate interest and increase the odds of earning a new client. In many cases, this is the same strategy that compromises their opportunity to create a relationship with that prospect.

Unfortunately, this is the easiest way to lose their attention. Once a person hears something they aren’t interested in or if they feel you are providing information that doesn’t apply to them, their interest is lost and they stop listening.

A sales call is not the time prove how much you know. It’s the time to find out what you don’t know about the prospect and what the prospect doesn’t know about you. It is not your knowledge that sells, but how effectively you customize your knowledge to meet each of your prospects’ specific needs.

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A newcomer to the world of investments in the notion of “Virtual Real Estate Investing“. What is meant by “Virtual Real Estate Investing” ranges from online games like SecondLife (where real profit can be made) to the use of internet technologies to make normal real estate investors more profitable.

In order to figure out the truth of the matter, I sought out Bryan Ellis, whose experience in the fledgling industry is truly impressive.

When I began using the term virtual real estate investing in the late 1990s, I did so because I saw clear parallels between the strategies used for profiting from physical real estate and those that would create income in the online world, said Ellis.

Bryan Ellis cites the similar strategies one can employe to make money from “virtual property” and “physical property” as a primary parallel of the two markets. “These types of assets - websites and physical real estate - can be monetized in very similar ways like buy lo/sell high, leasing/rental and advertising opportunities” he says.

The parallels really are obvious. Consider: A valuable piece of real estate is valuable largely due to the interest that other people have in that specific location. Similarly, ownership of a desirable domain name is valuable for the same reasons. So it doesn’t matter if you own physical real estate or virtual real estate - you’ll likely use similar strategies to turn them into money in your pocket.

In our next installment of this series on virtual real estate investing., Bryan Ellis will share the internet analogies to the physical concept of real estate development.

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