How To Purchase Diamond Jewelry

If you're a man, you're probably thinking of giving your bride-to-be a diamond ring and would like to ask her to marry you. The idea seems simple enough; you'd go to a jewelry store, select a diamond worthy for your beloved, pay for it and you're ready to go. In reality however, this is not always what it feels like especially if you are able to get a hold of the price tag of your chosen sparkler and you would soon realize how intimidating it is to purchase diamond jewelry gifts. If you have the intention to purchase a diamond in the near future, it is important that you know the tricks of the trade for you to take charge of your transactions and get a run for your money.

According to Fred Cuellar, gemologist and one of the world's top diamond experts, there are basically four things that a consumer has to remember when he or she intends to purchase diamond jewelry gifts, and these could be summarized as BEST: B-budget, E-expectations, S-savvy, and T-timetable. In terms of budget, you should try to figure out first how much you intend to spend on buying diamond, and you should stick to that budget outlay; a month's salary could already be a good starting point. For expectations, it is important that you know and understand the needs and wants of the person to whom you are going to give the diamond so that you will have an idea what to look for and what to pick out from the bunch. Being savvy requires you to know the given cost of diamond in the market and the best designs available, as they say knowledge is power; and for the element of timetable, you must have a laid plan about when and where you intend to give the diamond, do not haste things and be sure to give yourself enough time to analyze things.

Now that you have a crash course about making diamond purchase, you should also know where to buy your sparklers. You have two options where you could get your diamond jewelry gifts, first is for you to go online and second is to check your local jewelry shops. Buying online is probably one of the most practical means to buy diamond gifts because you don't have to break a sweat and everything is just one click away; however, the drawbacks with this are you cannot appraise the diamond and the possibility of scams are high but if you really want this option, be sure to do a background check on the online stores where you intend to purchase. The latter option of buying your diamond gifts on you local jewelry store is a better choice because you would be able to appraise the diamond personally and long time jewelers could help you out with your questions, which would assist you in arriving at the right decision.

As for the diamond, always remember the 4Cs: clarity, color, cut and carat; all of which are important elements that determine the real value of sparklers. Clarity is what determines how free from blemishes and inclusions a diamond is. Different types of diamond are assigned with clarity grades that may range from flawless to obvious inclusions. Sometimes, due to quality issues there are diamond pieces that are treated to reduce their imperfections by irradiation, filling imperfections, or laser drilling, these are known as clarity enhanced sparklers which are usually lesser in value.

When it comes to color, diamond pieces are available in virtually all colors; however, colored sparklers are rare and truly expensive so chances are, the sparklers you would see during your shopping are either white or yellow in color but between the two, it would be better to go for whiter diamond pieces. This is because the yellow coloring of sparklers came from nitrogen which affect their sharp and sparkly features; hence, as a rule of thumb, the yellower the diamond, the cheaper it becomes. When it comes to cut, diamond pieces could be cut in different ways, the most common of which is the round brilliant cut. More than indicating the shape of the diamond, a cut also determines how sparkly such gemstone will be.

It is never enough for a diamond to be clear and white, because your diamond will not sparkle unless it is cut properly. As cut is extremely hard to analyze, the three things that you should look at are brilliance, fire and scintillation; however, if you really want to make things easier, the standard round brilliant cut is probably the most preferable choice compared to other cut. Lastly, the carat refers to the unit weight of a diamond. Majority of diamond pieces used for fine jewelry often weight one carat or less; this is because a fraction of a carat can make a big difference on the value of diamond.

Purchasing diamond jewelry gifts is a daunting task. Hence, it is always best to be an informed buyer in order to get the most out of your money. Not because a diamond is round brilliant cut doesn't mean it's already a good purchase. Remember that there are still three remaining Cs that you have to consider. A clarity enhanced diamond might be inexpensive but also consider the quality. Educating oneself is a good way to make the right purchasing decisions.

Yoga - 3 Types of Poses to Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally

Yoga asanas are a great benefit in controlling high blood pressure. By practicing these asanas, you will not only lower your numbers but also reduce the effects of hypertension on the other organs in the body. Here are three types of asanas that work to reduce your blood pressure.

Forward Bends

Forward Bends will have the most profound effect. These particular exercises have a calming effect on the brain by normalizing the blood circulation to your brain. This in turn helps reduce the stress from the sense organs.

With the brain, the sympathitic nervous system and the sense organs more relaxed, your cardiac output and pulse rate also slow down, stabilizing and thus lowering your blood pressure.

There are two asanas in particular, Uttanasana and Adhomukha Svanasana, which have beneficial effects on your nervous system. These positions are done with your head resting on props, allowing the blood to circulate more freely into the aortic arch and thereby lowering your pressure.

Sitting Asanas

Baddhakonasana and Virasana are two poses that will help alleviate the hard breathing associated with hypertension. With the tension eliminated from your ribs and the intercostal muscles, you will be breathing easier and your blood pressure will normalize.

Supine and Inversions

Supine poses such as Supta Baddhakonasana relax the abdominal region specifically and help calm the nerves in the entire body. The calming effect of relaxing the nerves helps reduce your hypertensive tendency.

Inversions asanas such as Viparita Karanti and Halasana work to revitalize the nerves controlling your lungs and diaphragm. Svanasana and Pranayama help control the automatic nervous system by cooling the senses and the mind, allowing high blood pressure to stabilize and gradually lower.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2928980

How To Create And Maintain An Effective A Logo

Any business or organization, from a small Mom and Pop operation to a large corporation, benefits tremendously from having their own logo. However, all logos are not created equally. There are certain elements a logo needs to be effective. Once created, the physical logo needs to be maintained like anything else. You will learn about both of these concepts in this article, so read on.

The first thing you need to know is what is a logo. You can think of a logo as a companys organization's emblem. They use this to help identify or brand themselves. A logo can be on the companys or organization's product, place of business, website, any manner of promotional materials, and so forth and so on. The list could go on and on, so you need to make sure your logo can stand up to the list of things you need to place it on.

With all that said it is important to emphasize the importance of a logo that is instantly recognizable by the public. Of course you will need excellent marketing, but that is besides the point. You want to have a logo that instantly identifies yourself, so their is not even an ounce of confusion to which company is which. Think about what sets you apart from everyone else and how you want the public to identify yourself. A positive image is best and will evoke the the frame of mind you desire someone to be in when they look at your logo.

Another point to keep in mind when creating a logo is that it should command the attention of the public. You want your logo to have a wow effect that people will remember. It is important that the logo is attractive in addition to this. Once you have the attention of the public you want them to like what they are looking at. Think of what is considered pleasing to the eye when making these decisions. Things like symmetry, dominance, repetition, scale and value are a few elements of the design of your logo that you should go over. Also bear in mind that some of the simplest logos are the most memorable,so remember to use economy in your logo.

Some situations call for affixing your logo to your product, place of business, or promotional materials. In that case you will want your logo on a label that is durable, attractive, eye catching, and will offer extra protection. You can have this if you a Domed label company produce your label for your logo. When you decide to do this you will have a label that is under a clear urethane bubble. Your logo will be more durable because now it is protected from the elements and environment that you have it in. You dont have to worry about your logo fading if it is captured on a domed label. The fact that your logo is durable lends to it being more attractive, because it will look pristine for a long time. It will be more eye catching because its actual texture is enhanced when under a dome. The fact is you will put a lot of time and money when you create your logo. You will want to put your logo on a label that will give you value. A faded logo is no better than having no logo in the first place. This is one way to maintain your logo that you can feel confident about.

Read more: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/How-To-Create-And-Maintain-An-Effective-A-Logo/

Do You Need a Memory Upgrade?

If your computer is running slow, freezing or crashing, it could mean that you need a memory upgrade. Operating systems, software and multimedia files keep getting bigger and hungrier, which can bog down even some of the newest computers. If a virus scan shows that your computer is clean and you're still having performance problems, it's time to get some more RAM.

Desktop Memory Upgrades
Desktop computer memory is available in two varieties: SDRAM and DDR RAM. Although SDRAM was the standard a few years ago, it's now the slowest type of PC memory available. DDR SDRAM is faster than SDRAM, making it a popular choice for memory upgrades.

PC RAM plugs into a DIMM slot inside your desktop and connects using 168-pin, 184-pin or 240-pin slots. You'll need to know which type of connector you have, as this will limit your choices. The goal is to get as much RAM as possible into the available slots.

Each memory chip is known as a module, and the way the modules work together can affect performance. In the case of SDRAM, the memory will only perform at the speed of the slowest module. DDR SDRAM varies; some modules can be mixed, while others must be paired. This table shows the memory upgrades available for each type of DIMM slot:

Type of RAM	Slot Type	Speeds
SDRAM	168-pin DIMM	66MHz, 100 MHz, 133 MHz
DDR RAM	184-pin DIMM	PC2100, PC2700 (DDR 333 MHz) PC3200 (DDR 400MHz) PC4000 (DDR 500MHz)
DDR2 RAM	240-pin DIMM	PC2-3200 (DDR2 400 MHz) PC2-4200 (DDR2 533 MHz) PC2-5300 (DDR2 667 MHz) PC2-6400 (DDR2 800 MHz)
DDR3 RAM	240-pin DIMM	PC3-8500 (DDR3 1066MHz) PC3-10600 (DDR3 1333MHz) PC3-12800 (DDR3 1600MHz) PC3-13000 (DDR3 1625MHz) PC3-14400 (DDR3 1800MHz) PC3-15000 (DDR3 1866MHz)

Determining Your Desktop Memory Upgrade Needs
You first need to know what kind of memory you already have installed. This means opening up your desktop PC and looking at the modules. Make sure the power is turned off and be absolutely certain to discharge any static electricity from yourself by touching a piece of metal well away from the computer. Static electricity can destroy PC memory.

Take a look at the memory chips, which will be labeled with a manufacturer and the chip type. You may also find this information in the owner's manual that came with your computer, or by using a software program such as AIDA or Everest to identify the modules.

Some computer memory is proprietary and will only function when paired with other computer memory of the same type. Even if you're not locked in to a certain type of memory, it's often better to get memory upgrades from the same manufacturer. For example, if you currently have 1GB of Kingston DDR2 DIMM computer memory, you can install DDR2 DIMM computer memory by any manufacturer in the next open slot, not just Kingston computer memory. However, choosing more Kingston memory would provide the best performance.

Try to get as much memory as you can for each slot. While it may be less expensive to get two 512k modules than a single 1GB module, it's better to have the extra slot available for a future memory upgrade.

Laptop Memory Upgrades
You should get professional assistance if you need a laptop memory upgrade. Some manufacturers will void a laptop's warranty if you open the case for any reason. Before beginning a laptop memory upgrade, check your warranty and the upgrade policies.

From a technical standpoint, laptops use SODIMM computer memory, which is smaller than the desktop DIMM modules and uses 144- or 200-pin connections. The speed of 144-pin SODIMM modules corresponds with 168-pin SDRAM DIMM modules, while 200-pin SODIMM modules may be equivalent to DDR or DDR2 DIMM modules. DDR3 computer memory has not yet appeared in SODIMM modules, and therefore has not yet made it to the world of laptop memory.

Graphic Memory
Graphics and multimedia use a portion of your installed computer memory. Onboard video cards, or video cards that came installed on your computer's motherboard, use system RAM for graphic applications. Gamers, graphic artists and video buffs can get better performance with a video card upgrade that includes dedicated graphic memory.

The type of video card you need depends on the slot included on your motherboard. Most computers within the past few years use AGP or PCI Express video cards that support varying speeds, ranging from 2X on AGP slots to 16X on PCI Express slots. You'll need to check your owner's manual or examine your system's profile to find out what kind of graphics cards are supported.

Graphic memory comes in three chip sizes: 128MB, 256MB and 512MB. 128MB graphics cards are good for less-intensive uses, including Web video, Flash media and some games. In general, the best graphics cards have 256MB of memory, which is enough to handle most popular games and full-screen DVD video. Hardcore gamers and video editors-even those working on home movies-should choose 512MB video cards to get the fastest performance.

Upgrade or Replace?
A memory upgrade is usually a cost-effective alternative to replacing an older computer. But because technology changes so quickly, you may be better off replacing your desktop or laptop. If your computer's memory is not available at Circuit City, Best Buy or popular online retailers like Newegg and TigerDirect, it's a good time to buy a new computer.

You may still be able to find older computer memory at specialized online retailers or Web sites such as eBay, but it may cost you more than current memory. Chances are good that if your computer memory is outdated, your other computer hardware is also past-due for an overhaul. Support for older software vanishes quickly, so it's a good idea to spend the money on a new computer instead of propping up an aging system.