Answers To Faqs (and Not-so-faqs) About Pearls

Are all Tahitian pearls black? What’s the difference between a cultured pearl and a natural pearl? Are freshwater pearls inferior to saltwater pearls? Are South Sea pearls really golden?Good questions. With all the different pearl colors and types out there, it can be difficult to know just what you’re looking at. For those interested in buying pearls, or for gem enthusiasts who wish to learn more, here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about pearls. Are All Tahitian Pearls Black?Not only are Tahitian cultured pearls not exclusively black, they’re also not grown in Tahiti. Called “black” because of their exotic dark colors, Tahitian cultured pearls can also be gray, blue, green and brown. And they’re grown in the lagoons of small islands that are part of a group known as French Polynesia. Tahiti, the largest island, serves as the group’s center of commerce, and not as a pearl growing mecca. Tahitian pearls are cultivated for about two years in Pinctada margaritifera cumingi, a large mollusk native to French Polynesia. One of the ways this S107 RC helicopter unique oyster differs from other species is its interior shell color, which is dark. This so-called “black lipped” oyster also has black mantle edges—the “lips” that give this animal its descriptive name. Today, the most sought-after Tahitian cultured pearls are dark green-gray to blue gray with rosé or purple overtones. Pearl colors are determined by several factors, including variations in the host oyster, rc flying fish color variation of the implanted donor mussel tissue, the number and thickness of nacre layers, and variations in growing environment such as temperature and water quality. Tahitians are most often variations of gray, black, green and blue, but other colors exist.At an average size of 8mm-14mm, Tahitian cultured pearls—especially those specimens that are gem-quality and round—are very expensive. According to the latest information from the Gemological Institute of America, up to 40 percent of implanted black-lipped oysters produce a gem-quality cultured pearl, but only about 5 percent of the pearls they produce are round. And only 1-2 percent of the entire crop will result in round cultured pearls of the finest quality. No wonder a Tahitian pearl strand is so costly! If you want to wear Tahitian cultured pearls, one way to do so without breaking the bank is to choose a pendant-style necklace with a single pearl, pearl stud earrings, a single pearl ring, or baroque (non-symmetrical) pearls. These designs are every bit as exotic and a lot more affordable than a matched strand. What’s the difference between a cultured pearl and a natural pearl? Natural pearls are formed when an irritant, such as a parasite, makes its way into a pearl-producing animal such as an oyster or mollusk. To protect itself, the animal coats the irritant in nacre—a combination of organic substances that also makes up what we call mother-of pearl. Over time, the layers of nacre build up around the intruder and eventually form the organic gem we all know as the pearl. Cultured pearls are formed in the same way as natural pearls, with one big difference: they get their start not by chance, but deliberately, when man intervenes with nature. To produce cultured pearls, a skilled technician, called a nucleator, induces the pearl-growing process by surgically placing an irritant—a mother-of-pearl bead and a piece of mantle tissue, usually—into a mollusk. The animal is then placed back into the water and monitored, cleaned, etc. until the pearl is ready to be harvested. The Chinese have been culturing freshwater blister pearls (pearls that grow underneath the mantle on the inside of the animal’s shell) since the 13th century, but Kokichi Mikimoto, a Japanese man, is credited with developing modern pearl culturing techniques. By the early 1920s, Mikimoto was selling his cultured pearls worldwide.Natural pearls can be very beautiful, but due to overfishing, pollution and other factors, they are a rare find indeed. Thus, nearly all pearls sold today are cultured pearls. There are two main types: freshwater and saltwater. South Sea cultured pearls, Tahitian cultured pearls and akoya cultured pearls are all types of saltwater pearls. Cultured pearls of all types can be found in jewelry stores worldwide. Are saltwater pearls better than freshwater pearls? It depends on who you ask, but many pearl experts today agree that freshwater cultured pearls can rival the beauty of their saltwater cousins. Due to angry bird improvements in culturing techniques, freshwater pearl farmers are producing beautiful, round, lustrous pearls that are a vast improvement over the wrinkled, rice-krispie-shaped gems that typified the freshwater pearl crop of the not-so-distant past. Produced mainly in China, freshwater pearls are often nucleated, or implanted, with mantle tissue only (rather than a mother-of-pearl bead). Because they do not contain a starter bead, tissue-nucleated freshwater pearls are 100% nacre. This gives them a beautiful luster and a durable surface that won’t easily flake or peel to reveal the inner bead. By contrast, pearls that are bead-nucleated and harvested too soon often have only a thin coating of nacre that will flake or peel. This is a major problem: Unlike many other gemstones, pearls cannot be polished back to perfection. Freshwater cultured pearls come in many beautiful natural pastel colors including cream, white, yellow, orange, pink and lavender. (Universally flattering lavender pearls are very popular right now.) White pearls are bleached to enhance their natural shine. Black freshwater cultured pearls are treated with dye or heat to produce their inky color. Overall, freshwater pearls are more plentiful than other pearl types, thus they are generally more affordable. Are South Sea pearls really golden?Yes. Pearls produced in the aptly named “gold-lipped” oyster (P. maxima) can be a gorgeous creamy yellow, referred to as “golden” in the trade. (The silver-lipped variety of P. maxima produces beautiful silver or white pearls.) Grown in the South Seas—which stretch from the southern coast of Southeast Asia to the northern coast of Australia—these pearls are grown in one of the biggest oysters used in pearl culturing. Because they can accept a larger bead and secrete nacre faster than their smaller counterparts, these big oysters produce large pearls of exceptional luster and beauty. South Sea pearls’ thick coating of nacre gives the gems a wonderful luster, or glow, that appears to come from deep within the pearl. The warm waters, abundant food supply and low pollution levels of the South Seas also help these oysters produce beautiful cultured pearls. Although Australia produces 60% of the world’s South Sea cultured pearls, Indonesian farmers work more with the gold-lipped oyster, and thus produce more golden pearls. The silver-lipped variety produces equally beautiful pearls that come in white to silver and often have rosé, blue or green overtones. Aside from giving them a light wash, pearl farmers do not treat South Sea pearls after harvest.

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Stay in a Seattle LodgeIf you are travelling to Seattle sometime, and are looking for an accommodation that is light on your wallet, then the city lodges are a great option to consider. One such lodge is the Econo Lodge Seatac, situated near the airport and just a short distance away from the main downtown area. This lodge has a restaurant called the Sandstone and offer basic amenities such as free coffee and a continental breakfast. There are both rooms that are basic or those with better facilities such as a private kitchenette. For a truly out of the world lodge experience, choose to stay for a few days at the Salish Lodge & Spa. The lodge is a short 30 minutes away from Seattle and is located above the Snoqualmie Falls, which makes it an ideal getaway for those who want to avoid crowds. Guests can choose from as many as 69 rooms here and the staff promise all guests a stay that will pamper and refresh them. All the rooms have a great view, a fireplace, luxurious amenities and oversized tubs. A day at the spa will leave guests recharged and the two restaurants here also have great fine dining. Best Seattle Airport hotels If you prefer to stay at a hotel that is conveniently located near the Seattle airport, then as a tourist you have plenty of choices to choose from. The hotels near the Seattle airport, suit all budgets so no matter what kind of a stay you prefer, there is something for everyone. One such hotel that is lauded for the consistency in service and customer service is the Hilton Seattle Airport Hotel & Convention Center. It is located directly across the International Airport and is minutes away from the main downtown area. There are many activities to help guests unwind here, and complimentary services such as a 24 hour airport rc flying shark shuttle service and concierge services. If you want the best in an affordable yet comfortable stay, then opt to stay at the Holiday Inn Seattle. A complimentary 24 hour shuttle service to the airport, has a 24 hour fitness center, laundry services and even a large whirlpool to soothe your senses are a few of the facilities offered here. Special activities for the little ones will keep them entertained too. Seattle's best names in luxuryIf a luxurious stay when you flying shark are on holiday in Seattle is what you are looking for, then the city has some of the best names in hospitality to serve you. The luxury hotels here give guests many of the best facilities, complimentary services and offer a world class experience. The Crowne Plaza Hotel located in the main downtown area of Seattle, is a short walk away from the city's major attractions. This hotel offers newly renovated smoking and non smoking rooms for guests to choose from. Services include complimentary dinner snacks, complimentary drinks, free morning newspaper delivered to your door, premium cable and even a selection of movies to choose from. There are four restaurants serving an extensive menu and two bars as well. Another hotel which has been wooing the public with its Italian Renaissance architecture since 1924, is the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. This hotel has two award winning restaurants set to tantalize guests with its menu and has the best suites for a wonderful stay. There are many in room facilities which include a safe, a multi line phone, toiletries and even Internet access. Seattle Cheap HotelsJust because you may be on a budget, it does not mean that you cannot have a dream holiday. When you are in Seattle, you have plenty of hotel options to choose from. There are many inns and hotels that offer cheaper rooms, but do not compromise on quality of service and other facilities. A good example is the Best Western Executive Inn, which lets out good rooms at affordable rates to tourists. Its prime location in the main downtown area lets tourists have easy access to the main shopping area. There are many facilities provided such as complimentary breakfast, a newspaper each morning, high speed internet and even a fitness center. The Days Inn Sea Tac is a two star hotel and is next door to the Seattle International Airport. In fact, this is a good angry bird option to look at for those who travel to Seattle frequently for business purposes. The facilities here are basic in nature and include premium cable channels, complimentary breakfast and free Internet access .

Buy Cartier Replica From A Reliable Online Store

Buy Cartier replica watches from a reliable online store which offers only superior quality replicas and you never get a chance to regret that you have unnecessarily gone in for one. There are basically almost or no differences at all to demarcate the original from the fake watches. It is with such kind of a precision that the Cartier replicas are manufactured with. Touted as one of the world’s famous luxury watches, Cartier enjoys a special place in the watch segment.One cannot dream of owning a real Cartier for it comes at a very dear sum. The replica Cartier is a great solace for all those hearts of watch lovers who yearn to sport the brand on their wrist and show off in their known circles. The price at which the replica Cartier watches are available makes it possible that rc air swimmers one can buy or possess more than two watches at the same time. When there is such a kind of purchase, one could avail further discount on the price.An artful piece of work, the original Cartier costs as high as $9000 or a few models perhaps even higher. A normal man would never dream of putting in so much money into air angry bird a single watch. This definitely is for the rich and noble to make their own style statement. But with the help of Cartier replica watches one can definitely quench their thirst they have for this stylish brand and can easily buy a number of watches with just a fraction of the original’s cost.Though there is a slight difference between the original and the fake watch in the seconds hand movement, it S107 RC helicopter is difficult even for a normal eye to identify between the two. It is only a watch connoisseur who will definitely be able to tell the original from the fake. Made out of solid stainless steel, each model looks perfectly similar to its original counterpart.

Benchmarking - The Stepping Stone To A Smoother Business Wholesale

Benchmarking is a sign that your product has arrived. What is benchmarking? According to experts, itis the process of comparing ones business processes, performance and metrics with industry bests and/or best practices from other industries. Dimensions that are typically measured for benchmarking studies are quality, time, and cost. Improvements from these learning mean doing things better, faster, cheaper and a whole lot more smarter.Comparative Wholesale Tablet PC study for the targets and ones own performance is what benchmarking is all about. It involves the management identifying the best firms or processes in their industry, or similar processes from any other industry, and comparing the results and processes of those (called the targets) to one's own results and processes to learn how well the targets perform and, more importantly, how well they do it.The term benchmarking was coined by cobblers in an effort to measure people's feet for shoes. They would place someone's foot on a cobblers "bench" and mark it out to make the perfect pair of bespoke shoes. Benchmarking is mostly used to measure performance using a specific indicator such as cost per unit of measure, productivity per unit of measure, cycle time of X per unit of measure or defects per unit of measure etc. This results in a metric of performance that is then compared to others.Also referred to as "best practice benchmarking" or "process benchmarking", it is a process mostly revered in management and particularly strategic management, in which organizations evaluate various aspects of their business processes in relation to the best practice companies' processes, usually within a peer group defined for the sole purposes of comparison and resulting improvement. This comparison then allows organizations to develop business plans on how to make improvements or adapt specific best practices, usually with the aim of increasing some aspect of performance and productivity. Wholesale Gardening Benchmarking may be a one-off event, but is often treated as a continuous process in which organizations continually seek to improve their practices.How can benchmarking help you in your business? At first, benchmarking allows you to identify a comparator or a target, either in your own industry or other with the same processes. This then helps you evaluate your own strengths and weaknesses in comparison to the target. Identifying your business creases and ironing them out is the main aim of the process of benchmarking.This is a Wholesale Camera Photo sure-shot approach through which you can imbibe positive work processes into your organization thus giving your employees and investors a reason to be proud of their workplace.

The Reason Why Front Load Washers Need YOUR DOG Detergent

Learning to make Your Dryer More Efficient as well as the Star Rated Energy Appliance Discount Program.The Energy Star program can be described as government funded program that helps individuals and businesses protect the community through energy efficiency. It is often a mail in rebate program this helps replace old inefficient appliances with new energy star qualified appliances. In order for an appliance to get this rating they have every single child save energy and money in the a long time.The State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate program is often called the cash for clunkers with regard to appliances. All appliances must be energy star qualified to get the rebate. So if you won't know already, clothes dryers are not as part of the program. Dryers are not efficient enough to remain star rated.There are many purpose dryers not considered efficient. The main problem is that dryers use a great deal of energy. It takes lots of one's to heat, evaporate, and dry water with the clothes inside a dryer.But there are ways to make sure your dryer is running as efficiently as they can. First of all, make certain vents are S107 helicopter properly cleaned. Always clean the lint screen just before each use. Not only are able to lint make the dryer a smaller amount efficient, but it is moreover a fire hazard. Never overstock your dryer. Another problem is if a vent hose is too long it will take longer and use more S107 helicopter energy to dry clothes. You are also able to run your clothes through the spin cycle an alternate time. Too much moisture tends to make the dryer work harder. Make sure that the outside vent is not included in shrubs or plants. You must also clean the outside duct by way of moving the grill cover along with vacuuming out the duct.You can also shop around for a more effective dryer. These are the things to consider when purchasing a more power saving dryer. You should check the EnerGuide ratings in the dryer. The most efficient will have a rating of 898KWh each and every year, and the lowest efficient is 950KWh each and every year. Choose a dryer that shuts off automatically when the clothes are dry. Choose a dryer with a cool lower cycle. No heat is applied during the last few minutes, so cool air is blown in the clothes. The drying continues therefore you save energy. Also buying a compact dryer uses less energy per load than the usual full size dryer.Natural gas is really an economical alternative to electric dryers. So if you live in an area where purchasing gas is lower than electricity, then this can be the best solution for you.Here are a few techniques for using your dryer.Just remember to never dry any scenario that had wax or solvents with the fire hazard.Clean the clean before every load.Clean vent to your outside.Avoid over drying.Avoid partial loads should you can.Remember the most efficient stand Syma s107 upgrade by is hanging out clothes for the clothesline. Hanging out clothes holds our home $40. 00 a month on our electricity bill. Effectively, I hope I have been helpful and enjoy your more efficient laundry working day.