Topaz Facts And Trivia

It you own topaz jewelry or plan to buy it, knowing simple facts about the stone can really help. For example, if you are buying Topaz jewelry for someone born in November, you may wish to buy the yellow variety as yellow Topaz is November's birthstone. Alternately, if the person is born in November, blue Topaz is their birthstone. That said, natural yellow topaz is usually easier to find as it is more common. Natural blue topaz is rare. Most blue topaz (and clear topaz) on the market is heat treated for a better color.

Colors of Topaz

The most popular topaz stone's are usually found in a brown or yellow color. Topaz comes in a variety of other colors such as pink, blue, turquoise, peach, gold and clear. Topaz is known as the "Stone of Strength" due to both its beauty and durability. Interestingly enough, in the Sanskrit language the word topaz translates to the word "fire". During the times of the Middle Ages people believed that the topaz stone had the ability to prevent death by making the mind stronger. Physicians during this time actually prescribed the topaz stone to cure weakened vision as well as preventing or curing mental diseases.

How Topaz is Formed

This beautiful stone can usually be mined in streams, gravel deposits and various rivers. An important ingredient in locating and mining topaz is the presence of fluorine. Fluorine provides the correct environment that topaz need to grow. If fluorine is present in the correct environment and growing conditions, topaz will develop and begin crystallization. Following the crystallization, it will then begin to produce columns with square and diamond shapes and multi surfaced heads. Topaz is also able to grow in crack and cavities where fluorine and silica is abundant. In addition to the fluorine and silica, hot temperatures must also be prevalent so the gems can form correctly. To obtain the beautiful and intense colors that topaz are known for, there must also be the presence of Chromium Oxide as well.

Where Topaz is Mined

Though the United States is a leader in the production of topaz, it is not the largest producer. Brazil is by far the largest single producer of topaz. Topaz is also extremely prevalent in places like Russia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan in addition to Brazil and the United States. Topaz was first discovered in Poland, where it was mined in the Erz mountains there. Natural topaz is usually quite large when first mined. The largest topaz gem is actually stated to be 585,000 carats. Gems like this are found in museums as they can't e worn easily.

Care

Known as the "Stone of Strength," topaz is an extremely hard stone. It is listed as an 8 on the Mohr's hardness scale, but with a single blow it can be possible to actually split the stone in two. Like other gemstones, topaz needs protection from hard knocks. Taking it off before sports or other high impact activities is recommended.

Topaz Jewelry Buying Tips

So, what are some things an average consumer should be aware of when purchasing an topaz? Incorporating these tips and guidelines during purchase, you can indeed feel secure that you are purchasing a true topaz stone.

* Deal with a jeweler who specializes in topaz stones. If you decide to not go to a jeweler that is specializing in topaz, be certain to go to a jeweler that is reliable and respected.

* If see topaz jewelry that you are interested in purchasing, ask questions. Make sure these particular topaz gemstones have not been treated with dye, heat or irradiation.

* Inspect the topaz closely before you purchase it. You are looking for anything irregular or any imperfections or cracks.

* Verify that your topaz has no cracks, is not cloudy and that the light reflect off it evenly.

* Compare different topaz stones to each other. Since no two are alike, pick the one that has the best color, luster and cut.

* Sometimes sellers are not as honest as we would like. Make sure you are getting topaz and not citrine. Be certain yours is the real deal.

Storage Tips

Do not place your topaz near diamonds, sapphires or rubies to avoid it getting scratched. Also, do not place two topaz stones together. Many times the softer one will end up scratching the harder one. In addition, avoid exposing topaz to sunlight or heat for extended times as it may lose its color.

Topaz is a beauty stone with an interesting origin and history. It is now readily found in exquisite necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets. It can also be relatively inexpensive depending on the quality of the stone. Topaz jewelry is an wonderful gift for someone special. Instead of the more common diamonds, rubies and sapphires, try the topaz. You will definitely make a long lasting impression on that special someone, or garner many compliments if purchasing the stone for yourself instead.

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Facts about Designer Brand Suppliers

First, there are some companies that are mega retailers but usually pose as wholesalers. They normally offer very high prices, thereby leaving the brand name suppliers with very little profit margins from the deals that they push through. At times, the suppliers are forced to break even just in order to retain clients.

If you are a retailer who buys from the brand name suppliers, then you should be aware that this has a direct effect of lowering your profit margins. The more parties you have in the supply chain, the higher the price. But you do not want to set your retail price for a product at $20 while the consumer can get it online at $10. Does it make business sense? No.

There are a number of considerations that you have to take as a consumer before buying from this type of arrangement.

• Whether the supplier is publicly available or not. If available, are they exclusive to only one brand or many?
• Is the supplier selling the products at a loss or a profit? If they are doing so at a loss or break-even price, then chances are that they are building a clientele base for other reasons.
• Are the products of the original brands or they are sourced illegally?
• The authenticity of the wholesale brand.
After evaluating all the above factors, you will then be able to settle for the best designer brand suppliers there are.

There are also a number of suppliers that deal with brand less products. This isn't the type of business that anyone would recommend, especially with the current wave of online branding. Products without brands are always viewed by the clients as fakes, and thus this might be a hard nut to crack for any supplier. The advantages of supplying branded products include:

• Convincing a buyer of a reputable name is easier.
• There is more faith in buyers to purchase the products
• There is a warranty in place.
• Despite the warranty, the rates of faulty returns are usually very minimal.


You could even go so far as to narrow down your merchandise to just a men's collection. Teens are also big into brand name watches; why not start an online campaign targeting the young demographic.
In this dragging economy people want to buy smart but by from the heart. They will definitly want to give a gift that keeps on giving.

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The Ancient Asia Footwear Trivia

The Japanese Zori has been worn in many parts of Asia which includes Vietnam. This footwear was worn by Japanese soldiers in World War 2 and the Vietnamese insurgents as well. This footwear has been responsible for the mass production of the modern Zori. Footwear in Asia has had a long history and the oldest is found in India, the one worn by temple priests. It also followed some quaint traditions in the past centuries where the Chinese women underwent painful procedure to have smaller feet as it was believed that smaller feet were a sign of prosperity and prestige.

Sandals have traditionally been the most common footwear in the Asian countries for a long time. The Encyclopedia of the History of Japanese Manners and Customs informs us that "Zori" was widely used in Japan as early as the beginning of the 8th century. A Zori is a sandal with a thong held between the toes. The modern Zori is fairly popular amongst Japanese workers and comprises of a wooden straw attached to bicycle tire sole which is usually covered with a cotton rope thong.

Cultural studies in Asia will reveal that the Asia became a mass producer of footwear after the Second World War, and one of the key reasons attributed to this mass rise in production is the influence of the Japanese Zori which was initially made of straw soles and a leather thong that is held between the first and the second toes. This was the footwear of the Vietnamese insurgents later on.

Tourists or serious gap year travelers to Asia might come across several interesting footwear specimens in museums. One of the oldest footwear was found in India, especially in temples of Hindu deities and used by devout Hindus. Mentioned in the Indian scriptures and seen on temple sculptures this footwear is made of wood. It has one wooden block that is held between the toes. Wooden shoes were considered as sacred over leather footwear (animal remains) among devout followers of Hinduism. This footwear is also one of the oldest known in the region.

No China travel is complete without experiences of some quaint traditions which may be still found in rural areas. One such tradition relating to footwear would be the Chinese art of foot binding. A painful procedure this practiced by young girls to contain the foot from growing in size. This was a practice prevalent amongst the high class and the wealthy. The logic behind the practice was that women with small sized feet cannotwork in fields and from here the craze of having small feet started amongst women from wealthy families and soon the procedure became a custom. Woman with small feet size was considered to be a part of affluent society. The ideal length of a bound shoe was three inches; this size was called the Golden Lily. Four inches length was called the Silver Lily.

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Buttons - History And Facts

When did buttons begin to be used? What was used to secure clothing before them? Some history and facts about the button:

* Button-like objects have been found in the Indus Valley of ancient Pakistan and date back to around 2000 B.C.E. These were not used for fasteners, but for ornaments. Before they were used for fastening, pins, leather lacing and belts were used to secure clothing.

* Before buttons could be used as fasteners, the button hole had to be devised. Evidence dates the first button and button hole closure systems to the 13th century in Germany. This may have been a solution to the problem of how to secure clothing that was becoming more and more form-fitting, without having to resort to sharp pins.

* As with most anything that is new, they became a fad. Buttons and button holes covered the clothing of the well to do. The number of them and what they were made out of became a status symbol. It has been rumored that King Louis XIV of France spent over $5 million on them in his lifetime.

* Ever wonder why men's suit coats have non-functioning buttons sewn on the sleeves? Some say they are just for decoration, but there is also the story that King Frederick The Great of Prussia started the practice in the 18th century. The rumor goes that after an inspection of his troops, he ordered that buttons be sewn on the sleeves of their coats to discourage them from wiping their noses on them!

* The Scovill Manufacturing Company in America made a set of gold buttons with the profile of George Washington on them that were presented to Marquis de Lafayette during his U.S. visit in 1824.

* With the increased cost of ivory in the 19th century, button manufacturers began to make them out of a nut from a specific kind of palm tree in South America. This is called vegetable ivory, or corozo. When the nut is dried, it is a very reasonable facsimile for genuine ivory, and is still used today.

* The first buttons made from celluloid, one of the first types of plastics, were made in the 1860's.

* Before World War One, most button manufacturing was done in Europe, specifically England. After the war, the United States became the center of button making until modern times.

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