The Guide to All Things of Fashion | Forever-taylor.net

Archive for November, 2010

Evaluating Diamond Color

What exactly is diamond color? While most people think of the classic, transparent diamond, which happens to be the most rare and valuable, the colors of diamonds actually range from transparent all the way to a brownish color. There are different saturations of diamond color, and tones.

The Gemological Institute of America, known as the GIA for short, is the most commonly used system for evaluating diamond color. They’ve created something known as the “GIA Color Grade Scale”, and it has placed a grading system on the many different colors and shades of diamonds, classifying into 22 letter grades.

How Diamonds are Graded

The Gemological Institute of America has certified diamond color grades as “master color comparison” diamonds. When a diamond is being graded, it is compared against these master color comparison grades, to find the shades that match it most closely. The diamond that is being graded must be thoroughly cleaned and all oil must be removed from the surface before being examined, since even small amounts of dirt or oils on the surface of the diamond can alter the color.

A line of master color comparison diamonds or shade chart is set up, with each grade placed about one inch apart, ranging from the lightest and highest graded D shade, to the darkest, graded Z diamonds. The diamond color that is being graded is moved from the left side of the comparison units to the right, until it matches one of the shades.

Diamond grading should take place in a colorless environment, using a balanced fluorescent light source that has a filtered, cool white sun like ray. The room where the grading takes place is dark, all except for the special grading light, in order to obtain the most accurate grading of the diamond color.

Fluorescence of Diamonds

Yet another consideration when considering the diamond color is diamond fluorescence, and how it will effect the actual appearance in the diamond color. Fluorescence causes some diamonds to change color when viewed in our everyday, ultraviolet lighting, as well as under fluorescent light bulbs.

When a diamond color is graded, the strength of the fluorescence of that diamond must also be indicated. It may be considered to be strong, moderate, or weak fluorescence, and the reports must also indicate what color the diamond will change to due to the fluorescence. The reason for this is when people are in the jewelry store, looking at diamonds in the special lighting of the store, they may all appear to be the colorless, transparent diamonds. When you purchase a diamond and get it home under normal lighting, you could find your diamond is yellowish in color!

You can ask your jeweler to provide grading documentation and information about the fluorescent value of a particular diamond before purchasing, to make sure that you will be happy with the diamond you buy. Many jewelers also can show you the diamond under different lighting conditions, which will enable you to fully appreciate the beauty of the diamond before you buy it. Some individuals like a diamond color with a darker shade, while others are insistent on the transparent diamond color. The diamond color is one of personal preference, so be sure to do a little research before making your final selection.

An old and reclusive art, glove making has been intertwined with human culture since the days of the caveman. The first gloves resembled crude mittens. As the years passed, glove making became more of a refined art. Articulated fingers were stitched in to provide more dexterity and ease of movement. While glove makers’ guilds once dominated in a society obsessed with a covered hand, today very few remain. Fewer still are the patterns available for hand-made gloves. Machine sewn and hand-finished gloves are mostly what you’ll find in the market.

Gloves are seen in ancient writings, such as Homer’s The Odyssey, in which Laertes is said to wear gloves in his garden so as to avoid the brambles. There is some debate over the translation of this text. In The History of Herodotus, written in 440 BC, Herodotus describes how Leotychides was given a bribe in the form of a gauntlet overflowing with silver, which later incriminated him.

As years passed, the complexity and versatility of gloves grew. Plated gauntlets are dated back as far as the early 14th century. Before that, mail gloves were worn. Some knights were cited as wearing mail gloves under their plated gauntlets for added strength.

Now, if we look to the fashion world, we see a marvelous array of styles. Cloth and leather gauntlets displayed intricate embroideries. Ladies in the 19th century adored opera gloves. One peculiarity is that they tried to fit their hands into gloves a size too small! This forced one’s hand to rest in a half cupped position – perfect for greeting, but not for kissing. If you have ever attempted to don a glove you are too big for, you realize what a task these women undertook! Buttonhook and powdered alum provided some lubrication, but still, before an opera, determined women would sit for hours, coaxing their hands down into tight gloves.

Few tomes remain that give us real insight of early gloves. One of the more revered in existence today is Le Gant. The book, while entirely in French, reveals many patterns and divulges a brief development and history of the glove. Also included are passages telling us of the period’s social relevance and sexual significance pertaining to the glove.

Insulation from the heat or cold. Protection from scratches and cuts. The instigation of duels. Bold or minute fashion statements. Gloves have worn many hats, so to speak, throughout history. They continue to be a wholly integral part of many jobs today. Conversely, there has been a sharp decline in the use of gloves as fashion accessories over the past several decades. Fewer and fewer girls attend their proms with gloves. Fashion is a fickle thing, and only time will tell the future of the glove.

Glove enthusiast, Taylor Hartley, conducts and posts research regarding all types of gloves. For more information regarding industrial and personal use gloves, visit http://www.unitedglove.com.

Beach shoes have evolved significantly over the last few years. Gone are the days when flip-flops and Birkenstock’s (remember that not all Birkenstock’s are waterproof so choose the ones you’ll wear to the beach wisely) were your only option. Though who can really live without a nice comfy pair of Birkenstock’s or 12? Today there are all kinds of shoes made specifically to wear to the beach.

From netted athletic shoes made for running and walking just along the edge of the water to jelly shoes, flip-flops, and dozens of varieties in between it is now more than ever possible to not only have shoes that are practical to wear to the beach, but fashionable in this endeavor as well.

Shoes say a lot about the wearer, there is really no exception for beach shoes. Any old flip-flops say the wearer isn’t very concerned about their foot fashion. Of course there are flip-flops with embellishments that make them a little more fashionable than the dollar store variety. A nice pair of Birkenstock’s says the wearer is wisely more concerned with quality and comfort than following trends. Impractical beach shoes or those that are likely to need repairs after coming into contract with water and/or sand say the owner has more money than sense. And shoes that are funky and fashionable and made for the beach say the wearer is fashionably chic.

When choosing the right beach shoes for you it is important that you consider what your beachside activities are going to be. If you want to run along the shoreline, you might want to purchase a pair of the beach friendly athletic shoes that are relatively new. If you want to be fashionable go for some of the trendy beach shoes, if you want the ultimate in comfort go for a nice pair of Birkenstock’s, and flip-flops are always an old fall back that have been the shoe of choice of beach goers for ages.