What advantages does a solar atomic watch have over your $5 digital watch? Well, aside from looking good they don’t need their time adjusted, they don’t need their battery changed and they are good for the environment.

A solar atomic watch is powered by; you guessed it, the sun. This means they’re totally green when it comes to the environment and you won’t find yourself running late because of a dead battery.

Atomic watches are astounding accurate. They adjust their time according to low frequency radio signals. Some solar atomic watches even adjust their time automatically when changing time zones. Some watches take signals from more than one sever but the most accurate is to be found in America. It’s known as the Cesium Atomic. It’s said the server there is accurate up to one second in a million years.

The doubt people seem to have about solar atomic watches, or any solar powered mechanism, is if there is no sun, the battery will die. I wouldn’t worry too much about this however, the watch can charge from artificial light. They can last for up to 6 months on a single charge. It’s unlikely you’ll sit for more than six months in pitch black so I wouldn’t worry too much about that.

Some solar atomic watches have extra features like altimeters, thermometers and a barometric pressure reader. It’s unlikely you’ll need these for a walk around town but if you’re travelling or engaging in outdoor activities often, this is an added perk.

The price range of a solar atomic watch can vary pretty widely. They can go from as little as $50 to as high as $500. The manufacturing brand and the included features vary the price but they all do the basics and it can be a good long term investment. I prefer to buy one good watch, rather than ten a year that I know will break.

With the push to ‘go green’ a solar powered watch is a good start. Couple that with accurate time keeping and a stylish design and you have yourself a solar atomic watch.

Do not underestimate this reasoning as it may come back to haunt you.

Every woman has a fairly clear idea of what she wants her engagement ring to look like and every man is responsible for making that ring a reality. By now you should be feeling a fair amount of pressure but try to relax as I have written this article to help aid you in making the appropriate choice for your bride to be.

The Ugly Truth

1. A good woman will love the ring no matter what as it is a symbol of your everlasting love but her heart will break if the “ring” is hideous.
2. Every woman wants the ring of her dreams and is imperative that her man understands this importance, if you don’t get it, she will take that as a sign that it isn’t “meant to be”.
3. An engagement ring is an investment in your future, it should be treated as such.
4. The wrong ring can become the pink elephant in the room.
5. The ‘ring’ will say more about you and your relationship then anything else.
6. Her friends are judging you.
7. What you like is not what she likes, the ring that you think is perfect most likely is not.

There is a fairly good chance that your soon to be fiance has seen “Sex And The City” Season 4 episode 60, “Just Say Yes”. If you have not, I suggest you visit YouTube to familiarize yourself with this epic representation of the “wrong ring”.

To sum it up for you: Carrie finds an engagement ring in Aiden’s gym bag and she is mortified by his taste. It’s all wrong and thus causes her to scurry to the kitchen sink at which point she vomits. She then meets with her girlfriends to discuss her disappointments and learns that he closest friend Miranda helped Aiden choose the ring. She decides that she cannot marry a man who knows so little of her taste in fine jewelry. Miranda then intercepts Aiden and helps him return the ring for the better option. Aiden proposes with said ring and Carrie accepts.

The Three Types of Rings

1. The “Wrong Ring” : This ring in no way represents who she is, her taste or anything she has ever considered putting on her finger.
2. The “Right Ring”: This ring is the materialization of who is was, is and who she will be as your wife and future mother to your children.
3. The “Mandatory Ring”: This ring falls into neither category. This is a piece from your family that has been passed through the generations as a sign of love and unity. This ring can only closely resemble the “right ring” as it carries so much emotion.

The most important part in selecting the right ring is knowing your girlfriend, listening to her and being honest.

Image via Wikipedia

Tips For Selecting The Right Ring

1. Listen to her when she speaks! She will send you clues when she is ready to think about being your wife.
2. Ask her questions about what she likes.
3. Pay attention to what she wears for jewelry!
4. Talk to her friends and family.
5. Propose with an empty box, then take her to the local jeweler and let her have a say.
6. Do your homework. Find out what type of metals are available, what type of diamond cuts, quality of diamonds, and settings.
7. Go to a lot of jewelers. See what’s out there and take your time.
8. Do NOT buy a ring because it’s on sale or inexpensive.
9. Do make sure to get  a warranty, repairs on diamond rings are expensive.
10. Stop thinking about what you like and think about what she likes.

In the end, you will need to do what feels right and if at any point you aren’t feeling good about your ability to choose, take a step back and relax! There is no need to rush this step, after all, this is forever.

Women love men who have a mind of their own and especially when that mind tells them to be selfless.

Good luck on your ring hunting and make sure to take your time!

When you look at the jewelry that you’re wearing right now, what are you telling yourself? What are you telling others? “These earrings are cute” or “My ring is prettier than hers”? What real personality does your jewelry have? If you bought it from somewhere in passing, the chances are that it actually says very little about you.

People are misrepresenting themselves every day. They are sending off the wrong signals. Some people are so badly accessorizing that it’s painful to look at! Here is the truth: Most people appear to be oblivious; but don’t be fooled! They notice everything about you.

The answer is in “Client-Inspired” jewelry. Jewelry that is made exclusively for the owner; on their own terms and with a specific meaning or feeling in mind. The owner of one of these pieces is telling people exactly what she or he wants others to know. If people don’t have time to fully grasp the meaning of that piece, they will at least recognize that they may never see that jewelry ever again.

People know value when they see it. You are no different; at least in that regard.

Yet there is another truth to be explored: You are different! Why would you want something that everyone else has? Don’t waste your money on things that say nothing about you. Invest in something that tells people who you are so explicitly that there is no room to misunderstand what they are looking at.

“Client-Inspired” jewelry says it best. It is the front line of your self expression. It tells every secret. It exposes every intent. It opens the doors to your success in almost every personal endeavor. Make no mistake- jewelry is magical. You knew it when you were young and it is just as true today.

Ok tiger, (that’s right I just called you tiger) get ready, your gonna have to do a little investigating.

Find out what she likes

Men have a tendency to be pragmatic. We are presented with a problem and we try to find the fastest easiest soliton.  Fight the urge to just ask what she likes or to propose and take her ring shopping.  Don’t do it!  Whenever she looks at her ring you want her you want her to remember the time, thought, and effort you put in to buying it.  To find out what she likes, comment on other people’s jewelry of jewelry you see in the windows of stores.  She’ll not hesitate to tell you what she thinks and what she likes.  Stay away from rings though, she’ll se through you right away.  Comment on a necklace and say something like “This is nice, but I think it would look better in white gold.”.  Listen to what she says next because se’s about to tell you if she prefers white or yellow gold.

Size

Size of diamonds is measured in carats.   Do not go smaller than 1.5 carats.  Seriously.  It really does matter.  Don’t worry if you don’t think you can afford it. We’ll get to where your going to save money later.

Colour

Colour of a diamond is measured by letters starting with D (the clearest) and moving down the alphabet.  A good range to shoot for in an engagement ring is the D-j range.  Any farther and the diamond starts to have a yellowish appearance.  The closer to J the cheaper the price.

Cut

Unless you have heard her say that she prefers a specific cut of diamond go with the round cut solitaire.  It is what most people think of in an engagement ring.

Quality

This may seem a little counter intuitive, but quality does not matter.  Buy as good a quality as you can afford.  This is where you are going to save huge amounts of money.  The only way that quality is going to matter is if she ever wants to sell it. No one will ever ask “what quality diamond is that?” they’ll always ask “how big is it?”  Online auction sites are great for finding rings in the I1 to I3 range. Many of these have been laser enhanced or fracture filled to make them look like a higher quality diamond.

If your thinking of saving money by getting a cubic zirconia or a diamonel ring go ahead, But first do this: slap yourself in the face as hard as you can, I’ll wait…alright done? Good.  This is what it’s going to feel like when she finds out you lied, and she will find out.

Make sure it fits!

This is also very important.  The first thing she is going to want to do is,  put her ring on, Not take it to get sized.  Do whatever you can to find out her ring size.  You could take one of the rings she wears on that finger of either hand and measure it.  If she doesn’t your probably stuck measuring her finger while she sleeps.  Make sure she’s asleep though or your going to have some explaining to do.  What I did is mention that I had a ring sized once a couple of years ago and the jeweler couldn’t believe my fingers were so skinny, only being a size 7 3/4.  Then she said “Hey we have the same size hands!” Bingo!

All said and done, I Paid $1200 for a 1.6 carat diamond solitaire.  Well worth it. Just the other day she was asked to take off her ring before taking our son into one of those inflatable bouncy castles.  She handed me the ring and gave me a smile.   

Check out my other ramblings at my blog… 

Kevin Millard 101

Consider Your Hair Color

If you have dark hair, you can wear almost any color of metal but sterling silver and platinum looks particularly dramatic on raven haired people. Blondes tend to shine in shades of polished or brushed gold while red heads are a natural for copper. Mixed metal earrings which combine gold and silver or gold, copper, and silver look stunning with almost any hair color. The next time you’re at your local department store, stop by the earring counter and try on earrings in the metal color that flatters your shade of hair. See if selecting the most flattering metal doesn’t make your eyes look brighter and your face a bit more youthful.

Consider Your Face Shape

Do you have a round or plump face? You’ll want to avoid repeating the round shape in your earrings. Large round button earrings tend to accentuate a plump face, while a long drop dangle or rectangle shape will draw the eye down and give the illusion of a longer, thinner face. Likewise if you have a long, thin face, you’ll want to avoid long dangles and rectangular shapes and go for short, wider shapes that rest directly on the earlobe. If you choose to wear dangle earrings, make sure they have volume at the base to add width. A good choice might be a pair of wide chandelier earrings. If your face is square in shape, it’s more flattering to draw the eye downward with thin dangles. Wide earrings that rest directly on the ear tend to add more facial width. To determine what earring shapes look best with your face, try cutting shapes out of colored cardboard and holding them up to your ear lobes. Which ones are the most flattering? These are the shapes you’ll want to look for when selecting earrings.

Consider Your Overall Build

It’s often said that if you’re small and petite you should keep your earrings small and subtle. This isn’t always the case. A larger, more dramatic pair of earrings can be flattering to a small person if other jewelry is kept to a minimum and they’re worn with polished, monochromatic clothing. In this way, the earrings can become the focal point of the outfit. Full figured women can wear bold, dramatic earrings in larger styles which can subtly downplay the size of their upper body. Tall women can wear long dramatic dangles that might overpower some women since they tend to have longer necks. Shorter necks may be overpowered by earrings that dangle.

Earrings can be a fun and flattering addition to your wardrobe. Choose them wisely and you’ll always look your best.

1. DON’T buy your diamond from the internet. Your girl wants to be able to tell a story of how you picked it out. How you knew from the moment it was in your hands, that it was the ring for her. Trust me, saying that you got a warm fuzzy feeling as soon as you saw the Craig’s List Ad is not going to cut it.
2. Go to Wal-Mart. To get yourself a good pair of shoes so you are comfortable visiting all the independent jewellers in your area. Don’t go to chain stores, and PLEASE don’t go to discount department stores. Girls keep the boxes their rings come in. No one wants to see Wal-Mart or Target on their little velvet box. Your fiancé-to-be will also want to establish a relationship with her new jeweller. A place where she will feel comfortable leaving her engagement ring for cleaning, sizing or repairs.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask a salesperson for help. This is one purchase that you are going to need their help with. Very few jewellery stores are self serve.
4. Consider your girlfriend’s style. Is she very modern or more traditional? Let your salesperson know and she can help guide you to the perfect ring.
5. Have a budget for the ring but remember that you get what you pay for. A Diamond Is Forever provides a calculator and spending guideline based on your yearly salary.
6. Research the 4C’s (Clarity, Color, Cut and Carat weight) of diamonds before you part with any of that hard earned cash
7. Clarity – Don’t stress about this one. SI Clarity is what you want unless you are looking for investment or resale. SI means slightly included. Almost all diamonds have imperfections. I like to think of them as birthmarks. They make your diamond unique and special. But the bigger and darker the inclusions the less valuable the diamond. In a diamond graded SI clarity you won’t be able to see the imperfections with the naked eye. By staying at this grade and not investing in the higher grades you may be able to get a diamond a little bigger or with a better color.
8. Color - You don’t want to scrimp here. No one will notice an inclusion you need a magnifying glass to see, but if it doesn’t shine or if it looks dirty both you and her will be disappointed your whole married life. I would recommend a color no darker than H. High color diamonds have come down in price somewhat due to a good number beautiful stones being mined out of Northern Canada
9. Cut – This is difficult to determine in a ring with the stone mounted. To make sure that the cut was done well and wasn’t cut to shallow or deep. Hold your diamond to the light. Does it dance? Can you almost see movement? If your diamond sparkles, the cut is just fine.
10. Carat Weight - This is how big your diamond is. Once you have taken the last three points into consideration buy the biggest diamond you can afford. Don’t say that your girlfriend’s fingers are too small for a big diamond or that she doesn’t like anything flashy. My family has been in the jewellery business for over 100 years and NEVER has a ring been returned because the diamond was too big.

Just one more thing – propose tastefully. Don’t put the ring in a bucket of KFC, or pop the question in an ape suit. A nice restaurant, a nice suit, a nice poem (if that’s your thing), and getting down on one knee-this is what melts a girl’s heart.

Good luck and check back in 50 years for tips on the Golden Anniversary ring.

Be Creative With How You Wear It

The beauty of vintage jewelry is that a piece can be multipurpose. Those vintage clip-on earrings that look a bit dated on your ears can be clipped on your shoes to create stylish shoe ornaments. Old vintage brooches can be turned into pendants by attaching the pin to a brooch converter. (available online and in some craft and bead stores). Try wrapping a long vintage necklace around your wrist several times before hooking it to create a dramatic bracelet. By experimenting you’ll find lots of unique ways to show off your vintage jewelry finds.

Avoid Vintage Jewelry Overkill

Many vintage jewelry pieces are large, bold, and eye catching, particularly the brooches with colored stones. For this reason, show some restraint and don’t pile on three of four pieces at once as it can be overwhelming. Choose one striking piece to serve as a focal point of your outfit. A stunning brooch attached to a suit jacket may be all you need to carry your look.

Save Rhinestones For Evening

You’ll find many vintage jewelry pieces with clusters of rhinestones which can be stunning for evening wear. Rhinestones tend to be a bit glitzy and dramatic for day wear so should be reserved for evening and special events in most cases. They can be perfect to highlight a black evening dress of black satin double breasted satin suit and glamorous high heels.

Use Vintage Pins To Express Your Personality

As you explore the world of vintage jewelry, you’ll find a variety of adorable figurative pins in the form of cats, dogs, florals, musical instruments, owls with rhinestone eyes, insects, butterflies, fish, and more. If you love Scotty terriers, why not develop a collection of terrier pins? They can be used to express your passion for these dogs as well as add personality to your outfits.

Vintage jewelry can be a wonderful way to add style to your wardrobe. Plus, it can be a great investment. Why not explore the world of vintage jewelry?

Do you like funky and eclectic jewelry or something more subdued?

If you prefer a more subdued jewelry look, why not opt for a hand strung strand of freshwater pearls with a matching bracelet and earrings? This look coordinates well with almost anything in your closet. Plus, it will never go out of style.

If you like a funkier look, the sky’s the limit. You can choose an eclectic necklace with beads in odd shapes and bold sizes or you can layer several handmade necklaces for a unique look. If you prefer, you can also wear a group of handcrafted artisan bracelets made of chunky semiprecious stones on your arms. It’s a great way to express your unique taste and individuality.

Are you giving handmade jewelry as a gift?

A handmade jewelry design makes a gift that’s much appreciated. Your gift recipient will appreciate the fact that you’ve selected something unique and special as opposed to a mass produced item. When you buy handmade jewelry, you’re getting the highest quality components and design because the artist has complete control over each phase of the creation process. This will be reflected in the beautiful craftsmanship that each artist instills in her work.

What’s your skin and hair color?

If you have dark hair or hair with some grey undertones, handcrafted artisan jewelry in sterling silver can be stunning on you. Blondes tend to shine in jewelry designed in shades of gold. If you have red hair, you can experiment with handmade copper jewelry which is becoming more and more popular. There are no hard and fast rules. It’s all about expressing your personal style.

What is your body type?

If you’re small boned or petite in size, you might want to select handmade jewelry designs with smaller, more discrete beads and charms if you want to maintain proportion. If you’re tall or big boned, you can get away with almost anything. Big chunky necklaces and layered looks are made for your body type. Bring on the drama! If you’re petite and you still want to wear more dramatic pieces, don’t be discouraged. If you dress in simple, solid colored clothing, a large, chunky necklace can still look great on you. Make it your focal piece and go simple on the earrings.

What are your best features?

Handcrafted artisan jewelry can be used to accentuate your best features. If you have tiny, elegant wrists, why not accent them with a beautiful handmade, artisan bracelet? Earrings draw attention to your face and the earring shape you choose can subtly alter your face shape. If your face is round in shape, a drop earring can make your face appear more oval. If your face tends to be a bit long, a round earring worn close to the ear may be most flattering. Have fun experimenting.

Handcrafted artisan jewelry can be a great wardrobe enhancer and it feels good to know you’re wearing a very special handmade jewelry design that won’t be worn by everyone else in town. Why not discover the beauty of handmade jewelry?