All About the Clarity of Diamonds

Clarity is an important aspect of a diamond,
and it is important to know how to grade the
clarity of a diamond before you buy one. It is
actually quite easy to learn how to grade the
clarity of a diamond. There are basically two
things that you must understand: Diamonds
with visual inclusions and blemishes, and
those that are ‘eye clean’ meaning that there
are no inclusions or blemishes that can be
seen with the naked eye. From there, the
clarity of a diamond is further broken down
into subcategories.

Many people mistakenly think that diamond
clarity refers to how clear it is. This isn’t so.
Clarity actually refers to the internal and
external imperfections of the diamond. The
best diamonds, of course get a grade of FL
or IF – Flawless or Internally Flawless –
meaning that it is perfect. A grade of I-1, I-2
or I-3 means that the diamond is imperfect,
with a grade of I-3 being the worst.

Other grades are VVS1 and VVS2, which
means that the diamond is very, very slightly
imperfect; VS1 and VS2, meaning the
diamond is very slightly imperfect; SI-1 and
SI-2, which means that the diamond is
slightly imperfect.

About Diamond Weights

Diamonds are measured in Carat Weight.
One carat weighs 200 milligrams. If a
diamond is referred to as four grains, this
also means that it is a one carat diamond.
The word Carat comes from the word carob.
A carob is a bean that grows on a tree in the
Mediterranean. In times past, if a diamond
weighed the same as a carob bean, it was
one carob, or one carat.

However, in the far east, where Carob trees
do not grow, rice was used to measure the
weight of a diamond. If a diamond weighed
as much as four grains of rice, it was four
grains – or one carat as we know it to be
now. The majority of diamond purchases
are for diamonds that are 1/3 of a carat.

Beware when shopping for diamonds that
are already set or mounted. If more than one
diamond is used in the piece, the tag on the
jewelry will give the CTW or Carat Total
Weight – it does not tell you the carat weight
of each stone in the piece. You need to ask
the jeweler for the total carat weight of the
largest diamond in the piece to truly
understand what you are buying.

Newport Beach Shoppers Paradise

Although the area of Newport Beach is known for
the harbor and love of the water, it also contains
a hidden shoppers paradise.  With the infamous
Fashion Island and Balboa Island nearby, Newport
does wonders for those who like activities yet
enjoy shopping.

Fashion Island is one of the best areas of Newport
Beach, containing over 200 stores.  The Island
has everything you could ever want, from toys to
expensive clothes.  If you've ever tried Fashion
Island before, you're probably aware of just how
great it can be.  With over 200 stores, it'll take
hours and hours to explore everything here - and
possibly even days.

If you happen to be looking for an inexpensive, yet
excellent experience, Balboa Island is where you
should be going.  The Island is accessible from
Palm Street by ferry at the Balboa Peninsula, or
by car/foot from Jamboree Road at the Pacific Coast
Highway.

With its great location and environment, the
community is home to more than 80 galleries, gift
shops, and fine restaurants.  All along the streets
on the island, you can find locals selling great
merchandise, along with vendors selling superb
sweets and hot eats.

When walking on foot on the island, you'll notice
that there are wonderful views of the extravagent
homes, harbor, and even the bay.  Passing the street
signs, you may notice that they are indeed named
after precious stones, which is quite different.

Once you pass Turquoise, Topax, Diamond, and Sapphire,
you'll reach the popular Marine Avenue, which is
where shoppers will fall in love.  With unique and
attractive gift shops and sidewalk cafes, it's easy
to spend hours here looking at everything you can
purchase.

The heart of the Balboa Island's shopping and apparel
district, Marine Avenue has many unique boutiques
and galleries as well.  If hunger strikes, you can
lose yourself in the tastefully impressive Balboa Bar,
a bar made of vanilla ice cream that is dipped in
chocolate.

With restaurants on the Avenue as well, you can enjoy
everything from a simple meal to some of the best
Italian food in Newport Beach.  Offering you plenty of
things to see as well, Balboa Island gives you more
than just shopping - although the shopping here is
something you must experience.

If you enjoy shopping and seeing beautiful views,
Newport Beach is truly the shopping paradise you've
been longing for.  As a family vacation, Balboa Island
and the surrounding areas can provide everything you
need for fun and entertainment.  For shopping lovers
everywhere, Newport Beach provides the type of
shopping you won't find anywhere else.

Rock Collecting: A Hobby that's "Hard" to Resist

Rock collecting is a fascinating hobby for kids and adults alike.  While rocks are common, cheap, and found everywhere, the variety is huge.  Collected rocks can be displayed in many ways, from rock gardens to neatly kept showcases, making rock collecting a versatile hobby.

When rock collecting, you will soon find out that rocks can be categorized as one of three types.  A sedimentary rock formed when sediments, such as sand or silt, were pressed together under their own weight or the weight of water, and eventually became solid.  An igneous rock is one that was formed by volcanic activity.  The third type of rock for rock collecting is the metamorphic rock, which is like a sedimentary rock which has been changed through intense heat and pressure.

Another type of rock collecting is collecting minerals, gems, and crystals.  Pure minerals are not technically the same thing as rocks, but they fit well in rock collections.  Minerals include things like pyrite, also known as fool's gold, and quartzite, which looks almost like a diamond.

For some people, rock collecting consists of saving a pretty rock from different places they visit and keeping it as a souvenir.  If these rocks are large, they can be used to outline the driveway or start a rock garden.  If they are small, they can line a windowsill.  Label them with a fine point marker if desired.  Include the date and location the rock was found.

The souvinir type of rock collecting does not require much scientific investigation, but identifying rocks and minerals does.  The different types of rock can sometimes be differentiated easily.  For instance, sedimentary rocks often look like particles glued together.  Sandstone is a common example of this. They also sometimes have visible flat layers.  Metamorphic rocks, on the other hand, sometimes have layers, but those layers have been bent so that they are no longer laying flat across the rock.

When rock collecting, the igneous rocks make some of the most exciting finds.  Obsidian is an igneous rock that looks like a broken piece of black glass.  It is shiny and hard, and was used to make arrowheads in the past by the native Americans.  Pumice is another interesting igneous rock which is porous, making it so light that it will float.  This stone is used for cleaning and rubbing calluses off people's feet.

Keep in mind when rock collecting that different regions of the world have different types of rocks.  In the American Midwest, for instance, there are many sedimentary stones, but metamorphic and igneous rocks are less common.  In the Appalacians, on the other hand, you can find metamorphic rocks such as gneiss and schist.  Wherever you live, though, you are sure to find rock collecting a hobby that's hard to resist!

Choosing The Cut of A Diamond

There are many different cuts of diamonds
to choose from. The cut essentially refers to
the shape that the diamond is cut into –
unless you are in the diamond or jewelry
business, but this shape has a great impact
on the much the diamond sparkles.

The most popular cuts are heart, marquise,
oval, pear, princess, round, trillion, and
emerald cuts. The shape has an impact on
how much the diamond sparkles, but the
actual cutting itself – when the diamond
cutter actually cuts the diamond into a
particular shape – also matters a great
deal. If the diamond is poorly cut, it will lose
its sparkle.

However, in the diamond industry, the cut of
a diamond doesn’t refer to its shape at all.
Instead, this is a reference to the stone’s
depth, width, brilliance, durability, clarity, and
other aspects of the diamond. Common
cutting problems include a missing or off
center culet, misalignment, a diamond that
is too thick or too thin, cracks, or broken
culets.

When shopping for a diamond, you should
of course choose the shape that you like the
best, but then look at several different
diamonds of that shape to find the one with
the best cut – the one that sparkles the most,
in all types of lighting.

How Diamonds Are Cut

In their most natural form, diamonds are –
well – quite ugly. They have no luster or shine,
 and in fact, look like nothing more than
broken glass. A diamond must be cut, and
then polished before it actually becomes a
thing of beauty.

Diamonds are cut with saws, into round
shapes. From the rounded shape, other
shapes may be cut, such as heart shapes
– but the shape is less important than the
quality of the cutting that is being done. If
the diamond is poorly cut, it will lose light,
and it will not sparkle and shine very well.
Each facet of the diamond must be
carefully cut into the geometrical shapes
that allow the diamond to sparkle and
shine, then the entire diamond is cut into
a specific shape, such as an emerald cut
or a princess cut diamond.

Once the cut is done, the diamond is put into
a dop, which resembles a cup with another
diamond – only a diamond is strong enough
to smooth the edges of another diamond.
Once the diamond has been cut and shaped,
and had the edges smoothed in the dop, it is
polished on a scaif or a diamond polishing
wheel.

An Invigorating Family Past Time: Sports Activities

If you are feeling bored, listless, and out of shape, you need a new past time.  Sports activities will get your blood pumping and help you get back into shape.  Not only will you be getting good exercise but you will be starting a valuable family past time.  Sports activities are a great way to spend time with your kids.  So get up off the couch, put down that soda, and get out in the yard for a little touch football.

If touch football is not for you, why not play a little kickball with your kids.  Set up a diamond similar to a baseball diamond.  Now the pitcher rolls a large soft ball, like a playground ball, on the ground to the "batter."  Only in kickball, the batter kicks the ball and runs to first base.  Since the ball is soft, the fielding team can throw the ball at the runner to get him out.  Since the kicker will almost always manage to kick the ball and foul balls are rare, this is a classic game to play with young kids and others who are not very athletic.

A fun family game that makes a good past time sports activity is tetherball.  This rousing game can be played with one or two people.  Tetherball is called that because the ball is on a tether - it is on a rope tied at the top of a pole.  The ball hangs about hand level.  The object is to hit the ball and make the rope wrap around the pole.  The two players attempt to make the ball go different directions.  If you have never played tetherball, you should give it a try.  It is really fun!  And it really gets you moving (and laughing!)

Sand volleyball may have started on the beaches, but many towns are now installing sand volleyball courts in their public parks.  The littler kids can sit in a safe place and play with their sand toys while Mom, Dad, and the older kids hit a beach ball or volleyball back and forth over a net.  The sand feels good on bare feet (but not so good inside your shoes!)  The kids will enjoy this past time sports.

A cross between volleyball and tennis that many families enjoy is badminton.  In this game, the object is to use lightweight rackets to volley a "birdie" back and forth over a net.  The birdie looks like a little plastic funnel attached to a firm rubber ball.  You hold the birdie by the plastic and drop it onto your racket to serve to the other team.  Badminton moves more slowly than tennis and is a leisurely way to get moving with the kids.  You'll get some exercise, though!

Kids are naturally energetic and active, making past time sports activities extremely attractive to them.  Since parents need to be spending more quality time with their kids as well as needing to get more exercise, too, these vigorous games are a good idea for everyone.  Some say that the family that plays together stays together.  This could be so, since exercise gets positive hormones flowing in your mind, putting you and everyone else in a better mood.  Don't get so competitive that your family past time sports cease to be fun.  Just volley that ball or birdie for fun and exercise.