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Archive for December, 2007

Body Piercing Jewelry – Then & Now

Thursday, December 6th, 2007

Body piercing, according to the Bible, existed around 2000 years ago amongst the nomadic tribes. This art form was very popular and people used to love getting their body pierced. But in places like Egypt, members of the royal family were the only people allowed to get body piercing done. There are many reasons behind such discrimination. It is said that the right to get body piercing in Egypt was based on different castes and cultures. For instance, Roman warriors considered this art form as a symbol that represented their strength. Their approach towards this form of piercing was very practical. At the same time in other cultures, body piercing was famous as a method of enhancing beauty.

During the Medieval period, masses condemned body piercing and many communities even banned it for members. But, it gained its popularity back after some time and people started using it as a method to show off their status and wealth. They used to wear body jewelry so that people could see how wealthy they were. A decade ago, this art form was associated with youth and rebellious nature. According to many youngsters, this was not only the ‘in’ thing but also helped them to showcase their personality.

Current body piercing and body jewelry scenario: As far as body piercing in modern times is concerned, various personal attitudes and societal attitudes have been associated with it. In the present scenario, this change is very interesting. For instance, in India, nose piercing and ear piercing has always been popular from ancient times. There are many different reasons that can be associated with other body piercing forms being introduced. The major reason for the popularity of this art form is body adornings and beauty enhancements. For today’s young people, it is like a fashion statement. They feel that through body piercing they can express themselves and stand out from the rest. Many people indulged for sexual stimulation or increase sexual pleasure. For gay couples, piercing is a form of identification. Many celebrities can also be seen sporting piercing and the market is full of body piercing jewelry.

Body piercing jewelry: Nipple piercing jewelry has been very popular since ancient period and even in recent times people indulge because it is popular for enhancing sensual stimulations. Nose piercing jewelry is very popular too and star celebrities like Lenny Kravitz and Madonna sport their nose piercing. Naval piercing is also referred to as belly piercing and youngsters find it very seductive.

Labret piercing jewelry is used to enhance beauty and trendy piercing jewelry can be worn on labret. People in Central America just love it. Ear piercing jewelry is indulged in by men as well as women. Tongue piercing jewelry is very interesting and stars like Mel B and Janet Jackson showcase it. Eyebrow jewelry is seen on many celebrities and young people.

Initially, people used metal and wood to get body piercing done, but today many other safe materials are used. Steel, semi-precious stones, silver, diamond and gold are used in body piercing jewelry today. Make sure a professional does piercing for you.

Diamond – A Special Gemstone

Thursday, December 6th, 2007

The diamond is considered to be a very special and rare gemstone. It is formed in an area known as mantle, deep within the earth. Based on scientific evidences, the formation of mantle took place around 4 billion years ago and due to this, diamonds consist of carbon, the oldest element found on earth.

This gemstone is the only material that can scratch another diamond because it is a very hard stone. It not only adheres to grease and wax, but also repels water. Due to this remarkable quality, it does not become difficult to separate diamonds in the process of mining, from other minerals.

Density: As far as atomic weight is concerned, carbon has low weight, but diamonds are very dense, approximately 3.51 grams/cubic centimeter. Diamonds are a result of pressure from 55,000 atmospheres, around 1,400 degree Celsius temperature and millions of years.

Luster and brilliance of diamonds: Besides the prized characteristics, diamonds are famous for the luster and outstanding brilliance. The refractive index of this gemstone is high, similar to other materials of higher density.

When light passes through a diamond, it slows down to 77,000 miles every second and the refractive index, which is 2.42 acts as a good prognosticator of the diamond’s high reflectance level.

In diamonds, the coefficient of dispersion is also very high and when light goes through this stone, it gets separated in a rainbow spectrum. When there is an interaction between the diamond and various light wavelengths, shorter wavelengths bend more as compared to the longer ones and it results in an effect called ‘fire’.

The diamond is also considered to be a very good conductor of thermal energy. Besides some rare instances, diamonds are poor conductors of electricity, but it has outstanding thermal conductivity. If you place diamond on your lips, it will draw the heat away from your body and you will turn cold with its touch.

The place the diamond has earned with its special characteristics has not changed even today. It still enjoys its place among the most extraordinary and celebrated gemstones in nature. Since ages it has represented strength, wealth, admiration and love. Its brilliance is the most important factor that makes a diamond look beautiful.

It is considered the life of this gem. The dazzle is what sets it apart and attracts attention. Diamonds that have a lot of brilliance display explosion of light and add a lot of glamor and beauty to the person wearing it. The ‘cut’ is what the brilliance depends on. If a diamond is not cut properly then it will be just like any other dull stone.

There are many diamond cuts like round, pear shaped, oval, princess or heart shape. A beautifully cut diamond will sparkle the most. Besides the cut, clarity and color also determine the beauty of this precious gemstone. There are many sizes and shapes available in diamonds. The first thing you need to decide on is the shape, when you plan on buying a diamond.

Always remember that the shape is not the cut, these are completely different from each other. Cut is the skill that a craftsman applies to cut facets of the stone. The notion that a bigger diamond would be more expensive is not true.