Lifestyle Choices

Gold has long been used to adorn its lucky wearer; its lustrous beauty and intense natural color give it a unique appeal. Gold can be found in shades of yellow, white, pink, and green; each is lovely and special in its own right. Frequently, contemporary jewelry is “tricolor,” combining yellow, pink, and white gold to create a distinctly modern feel.

When shopping for bracelets, chains, pins, rings, watches, and earrings, remember that all that glitters may not be gold! Always look for the karat mark, e.g., 18k, 14k, 10k, stamped on the piece to indicate that you’re buying the real thing. The karat mark refers to the purity of the gold. Twenty-four karat is 100 percent pure, or twenty-four parts gold, and is considered too soft for use in jewelry. It must be alloyed with other special metals to increase workability and strength. Eighteen-karat gold is 18 parts gold and six parts other metals; fourteen and ten karat, are, respectively, fourteen and ten parts gold. These last three are considered the best choice for lasting jewelry. (more…)

• Don’t toss pearls carelessly into a purse or jewel box where they could be scratched by other pieces.
• Don’t expose your pearls to hairsprays or acid-based cosmetics and perfumes.
• Never clean pearls with harsh chemicals or abrasives.
• Do treat your pearls gently. Place them in a chamois bag or wrap in tissue before putting them away. Best bet: a quilted jewel case or bag to cushion them.
• Do wait until after applying cosmetics, perfume, and other products before putting on pearls.
• Do wash your pearls with mild soap and water once in a while to remove any traces of makeup or fragrance.
• Do take your pearls to your jeweler for restringing once a year. Ordinary wear can weaken and stretch the nylon thread on which pearls are strung.
• Do have pearls strung with knots between them. This will prevent loss if breakage does occur.

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A fine watch is not only practical but a great fashion asset too! Learn to balance beauty and utility in a single choice, or maybe you’ll want two or three watches, to match your outfits, and your moods.

• Mechanical watches are the traditional “wind up” variety that operate by means of a mainspring, which the wearer winds by turning the crown on the outside of the watch.
• Automatic or self-winding watches “wind” themselves. The action of the wearer’s arm causes a weight behind the movement to rotate, which in turn winds the mainspring. These watches can also be wound manually.

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