< HOMEPAGE





ARAB TIMES -:::

KUWAIT CITY: The gold price in Kuwait peaked at KD 5.700 per gram, while the world market price of gold went past $623 an ounce Wednesday, and the momentum is not expected to slow ...

Read full post here. (c)

Gold Price per Ounce

GOLDPRICE.ORG - The number 1 web site for gold price per ounce charts in 23 national currencies.

Read full post here. (c)

Man-Made Diamonds; A Buyer's Guide

It seems nearly impossible to watch TV or open a newspaper without seeing something about man-made diamonds. For hundreds of years science has tried to create a perfect synthetic diamond. Finally, 21st-century technology has made that prospect a reality.

There are many reasons to purchase synthetic diamonds instead of the mined variety. The prices charged for mined diamonds are, in the very best verbiage, an illusion. To put it more bluntly, Cecil Adams, in his award-winning newspaper column ?The Straight Dope? says: ?Diamonds are a con, pure and simple. Diamond prices are largely controlled by the DeBeers diamond cartel, and they are not a fair reflection of diamond scarcity. Additionally, studies show that one out of three diamonds sold in the US today has been altered to artificially increase its value. Further studies have shown that on average a couple pays 40% too much for their diamond engagement ring.

Beyond deceptive pricing, there are the issues of ?blood diamonds?, forced child labor, and a myriad of other disturbing diamond facts.

Recently, socially conscious celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Minnie Driver, and Angelina Jolie have made a vocal issue of wearing only synthetic diamonds to the many gala events they attend.

Good synthetic diamonds are virtually indistinguishable from the mined variety, but without the baggage, and additionally, they cost thousands of dollars less. But, which synthetic diamond is the best choice?

There are many types of man-made or synthetic diamonds available. The choices are numerous, but unbiased information is scarce. Here is an overview and comparison of the synthetic diamonds currently unavailable on the market:

Cubic Zirconia

The grandfather of simulated diamonds, Zircons are available widely. In their best examples, CZ?s are actually a fairly decent diamond replica. Unfortunately, the commodity-like availability and vast differences in quality have made the stone synonymous with low-cost fashion jewelry. Perhaps a good choice for cheap bling, but not for fine jewelry. Many sources are available, a decent one is: http://www.czfantasy.com

Russian Diamonds

Including Russian Brilliants, Russian Stars and others, they are in fact nothing but high quality cubic zirconias. This is not mentioned prominently on their web sites and they will only cop to it when pressed, but that is the fact. Russian diamond simulates are priced around $280 per carat.

Russian Diamonds are a fine jewelry selection and are usually mounted in quality precious metal settings.

Russian Brilliants are one of the best and oldest sellers of ?Russian Diamonds? available at: http://www.russianbrilliants.net

Moissanite

Moissanite is a lab-created mineral that is a very good diamond simulant. Moissanite has been on the market as a fine jewelry choice since the early 90s and has picked up quite a few fans. Moissanite is a hard mineral that, like diamond, will cut glass. There are a couple of minor downsides to moissanite however. First, it is quite expensive, (though still cheap compared to diamonds) usually priced about $500 per carat for good samples.

Secondly, moissanite does not have the same optical qualities as diamond and there are several indicators that make them easy to spot with the naked eye for an experienced practitioner. It is difficult to produce a pure white moissanite and they often appear slightly green when viewed in natural light. Also, moissanite has significantly higher radiance and brilliance factors then natural diamond, causing them to appear ?too sparkly? to some. Overall though, moissanite is a beautiful synthetic diamond choice.

?Moissanite From the Sky? at http://www.fromthesky.com is a good source of fine moissanite jewelry.

Diamond Nexus

Diamond Nexus gemstones are the result of a fairly new scientific advancement in processing technique, and have only recently been available in the United States.

Diamond Nexus gemstones are excellent diamond simulants and come very close to matching the properties of mined diamonds at many different comparison points. They cut glass, being virtually identical to diamond on the Mohs (hardness) scale. They refract perfect ?hearts and arrows? and have radiance and brilliance readings extremely close to flawless diamond.

Best of all, they are currently introductory priced for the U.S. market, and are a steal at $79 per caret. Diamond Nexus gemstones are only available in precious metal, solid-gold settings.

Diamond Nexus is only available from Diamond Nexus Labs at: http://www.DiamondNexusLabs.com

White Sapphire

Sapphire is the second hardest natural mineral on the Mohs scale, surpassed only by diamond. They are, unlike the others in this review, a natural stone. Their radiance and brilliance are not up to the standards of diamond however. Nevertheless, quality white sapphires priced at around $220 per carat are a good diamond alternative.

A quality source is: http://www.TheNaturalSapphireCompany.com

Gemisis Cultured Diamond

Gemisis diamonds are beautiful and almost perfect diamond replicas. Unfortunately, they are not available in a clear, white color, so they are not a good choice for traditional diamond settings. However, if a yellow, orange or pink diamond is what you crave, Gemisis offers stunning choices in beautiful precious metal, fine-jewelry settings.

Gemisis Cultured Diamonds are only available at: http://www.gemisis.com

Recap:

Synthetic diamonds offer many advantages over the mined variety. You can buy with confidence, knowing that you are getting exactly what you paid for, and have not been the victim of diamond pricing chicanery. If you are concerned with the world around you, you can have a clear conscience, knowing that your money has not contributed to the support of an unethical and abusive industry.

However, there are many choices of synthetic diamonds, with varying degrees of quality. Take a little time to review the seller?s information to get a clear idea of what the science is behind the gemstones you are buying.

For my money, I believe the best choices are quality Moissanite stones or the new diamond simulant gemstones available from Diamond Nexus Labs.

Gary La Court is a technical consultant, an expert in refractive dynamics and a frequent author. He has recently done research for several synthetic diamond manufacturers including http://www.DiamondNexusLabs.com

NAVIGATION

Dollhouse Miniature Deals You Can Track Down

The Secondary Art Market - A Useful Notion For the Art Investor

The Perfect Storm - Rugby World Cup 2011

Coffee Futures - The Single Best Investment For 2009 and 2010

Precious Metals Investing Protects Against Hyperinflation

The Price of Gold in Troubled Economic Times

Buy Gold UK

How to Reduce T1 Prices, DS3 Line Costs and Telecommunications Business Expenses Once and For All!

Waiting to Buy a House?

WoW Gold Guide - 3 WoW Gold Farming Tips

Coin Collector? Did You Know These Facts About Fake Coins?

Where Do I Invest My Cash in 2008?

The Largest Gold Vault in the World

Fast Cycle Investments - Buying Gold and Silver

Last Minute Valentine Gifts

How to Sell Your Services When the Economy is in Crisis

Hyper Inflationary Dollars - Chasing A Shrinking Gold Supply

Emini Trading Signals - How Do I Know Which One to Choose?

If You Are Thinking of Commodity Trading, You Should Learn About Futures

Gathering the Gold in Wrath of the Lich King

Zari Industry Losing Glitter Amid Turbulent Times

Soybean Trading - What You Need to Know to Make Big Profits

Are You Missing Obvious Sales?

World of Warcraft - Buying Gold - Is It Worth the Risk?

Gemstone Bracelet Guide and the Myth of Precious Stones

Stabbed by Stainless Steel

The Federal Reserve and its Role as U.S. Money Cops

LED Flashlights: Promotional Mini Flashlight Keychains

How to Use Options Credit Spreads to Make 5-10% a Month

Basic Guide to Collecting Antique Ceramics - Part 11

Cruise Line Loyalty

Jewellery Stores - A Glance At World's Best

Safe Bets For Your Investment Portfolio

The Federal Reserve and its Role as U.S. Money Cops

Commodities - Bull Market Ready to Resume

Buying Discount Brand Name Perfumes Online

What's Happening In Real Estate Right Now And Where Is It Going?

Gemstone Bracelet Guide and the Myth of Precious Stones

What You Need to Know About Wholesale Jewelry

Fair Trade Jewellery - The Six Principles Behind Ethical Jewellery

Hannah Montana Halloween Costume Review

The Efficient Market Hypothesis

How to Invest in Oil in Today's Economy

All Is Well In Stepfordville - The Pre-Election Chicanery Of The Plunge Protection Team

Commodities - Bull Market Ready to Resume

Top 10 Tips For Sales Success

The 'Where to Trade' Conundrum and How to Crack It

Discount Diamond Rings

Why Covered Call Traders Lose Money

World of Warcraft - Buying Gold - Is It Worth the Risk?

Discount Diamond Rings

Reality of Realty and Markets

Facts About Thin Film Solar Panels

Is This Uranium Bull Market For Real?

Day Trader Versus Investor

Interesting Sources Where You Can Find Information on Old Coin Prices

Best Home Treadmills - Some Must-Know Facts

How to Recognize the Best WoW Gold Guides

Great News Today & Some History Too

Ka-Poom Theory - How to Invest in Bubble Economies With Black Swan Events

Boiling Oil Prices Vs Buyers Cartel

10 Commandments of Option Trading

3 Ways You Are Going to Waste Your Bush Economic Stimulus Package Rebate Check

Warcraft Tycoon Gold Guide Download

Are You Seeing the Whole Picture When it Comes to Investing?

Why Buy Gold, Can Someone Explain?

Reliable Dropshipper - How to Find a Reliable Dropshipper

The Benefits of Titanium Wedding Rings

How to Dominate World of Warcraft

Are Gold and Silver Markets Being Manipulated?

Mexico - Avoid Real Estate and Contractual Scams Part II

Chrysoberyl - A Rare And Little Known Gemstone

Diamond Engagement Ring - Ensure These Quality Parameters

Best Ways to Make Gold in WOTLK World of Warcraft

The US Bank Bailout Plan is Full of Dangers

Achieving Market Sustainability

Reactions to the Housing Bubble Burst

The End of the Corn Mania - Administered by the "Last Bullish Engulfing" Candlestick Pattern

Economic Survival in the 21st Century - the Three Key Questions to Ask

How Coffee Maker Ratings Can Help You

A History of Louis Marx & Company

Lucrative Investments - Taking Advantage of Closeouts

The Price of Gold in Troubled Economic Times

Best Ways to Make Gold in WOTLK World of Warcraft

Save Money on Your Next Pair of Diamond Studs

The Estate Agents In Mallorca, Majorca Enjoyed Their Vacation

Real Estate - The Best Way to Invest?

Basic Guide to Collecting Antique Ceramics - Part 11

Man-Made Diamonds; A Buyer's Guide

Last Minute Valentine Gifts

Selling Preparation - Teasing the Customer

Beads History - The Development of Beading

Make Easy Gold in WoW

Reality of Realty and Markets

Oil - Super Contango and Arbitrage

Buy DDR Memory Through the Internet

What's the Right Way of Pricing Coins?

4 Ways to Survive a Recession

Where Does Newly Mined Gold Come From?

How to Get 50% on Your Money Risk Free

© 2010