Americans are a free people, who know that freedom is the right of every person and the future of every nation. The liberty we prize is not America's gift to the world; it is God's gift to humanity.
George W. Bush, State of the Union address 2003
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
How Green are you?
I challenge all of my readers to take this quiz offered over at MSNBC How Green are you? It's got some interesting questions just be honest and see where you are in the green chart.
How green do you go ...
Here's my answer-
OLIVE GREEN: You’ve made significant changes to live greener and healthier, still being you but adjusting some of your creature comforts to do right by your planet!
Post this on your blog and challenge others to see How Green they are!
How green do you go ...
Here's my answer-
OLIVE GREEN: You’ve made significant changes to live greener and healthier, still being you but adjusting some of your creature comforts to do right by your planet!
Post this on your blog and challenge others to see How Green they are!
2008 Year of the Frog
The world's leading conservationists have joined together to name 2008 "The Year of the Frog," in hopes of raising both awareness and funding needed to mitigate the amphibian extinction crisis. Another great place is Amphibian Ark, learn what you can do to keep them from becoming extinct. Please click on the links (highlighted in green) for more information. Now on to some frog Trivia
There are close to 4,000 known species of frogs, including
toads. They range in size from less than half an inch to
nearly a foot long and come in a rainbow of colors and
patterns.
***
Adult frogs are carnivorous and will eat just about anything
smaller than themselves, including insects, worms and even
other frogs.
***
The earliest known frog (Vieraella herbsti) appeared during
the late Jurassic period, about 190 million years ago. The
specimens that have been found in Arizona shows that the
skeletal shape and body plan of the frog has remained
almost unchanged.
***
The biggest frog is the appropriately named Goliath frog
(Conraua goliath) of Cameroon. They reach nearly a foot and
weigh as much as 7 lbs. The smallest frog is the Gold frog
(Psyllophryne Didactyla) of Brazil. They grow to only 3/8
inch.
***
Equally small is the Eleutherodactylus iberia discovered
only in 1996 in Monte Iberia, Cuba. (It doesn't even have
a common name yet.) Other small frogs are poison frogs.
They measure less than 1/2 inch.
***
Recently scientists have noticed a marked decline in the
numbers of frogs and other amphibians around the world.
Some species are believed to have become extinct within
the past fifty years. Causes for the decline include ozone
depletion, pollution, habitat loss, introduction of new
predators, disease and even a fungus.
There are close to 4,000 known species of frogs, including
toads. They range in size from less than half an inch to
nearly a foot long and come in a rainbow of colors and
patterns.
***
Adult frogs are carnivorous and will eat just about anything
smaller than themselves, including insects, worms and even
other frogs.
***
The earliest known frog (Vieraella herbsti) appeared during
the late Jurassic period, about 190 million years ago. The
specimens that have been found in Arizona shows that the
skeletal shape and body plan of the frog has remained
almost unchanged.
***
The biggest frog is the appropriately named Goliath frog
(Conraua goliath) of Cameroon. They reach nearly a foot and
weigh as much as 7 lbs. The smallest frog is the Gold frog
(Psyllophryne Didactyla) of Brazil. They grow to only 3/8
inch.
***
Equally small is the Eleutherodactylus iberia discovered
only in 1996 in Monte Iberia, Cuba. (It doesn't even have
a common name yet.) Other small frogs are poison frogs.
They measure less than 1/2 inch.
***
Recently scientists have noticed a marked decline in the
numbers of frogs and other amphibians around the world.
Some species are believed to have become extinct within
the past fifty years. Causes for the decline include ozone
depletion, pollution, habitat loss, introduction of new
predators, disease and even a fungus.
Our Mother and Daughter outing
Yesterday was spent in the pursuit of finding fabric to make curtains and a bed-skirt for Hannah's room. We went to every store that sold fabric in the entire Rapid City area- talk about an adventure! I've got to make a scrapbook layout with great quotations from the day such as "Mom, are you serious? THAT fabric for MY room?" (the look that went with this one was priceless it was as if I were trying to feed her Limburger cheese- the really smelly stuff because she was pinching her nose while saying that to me) or the "Mom you're not only insane you're blind" and my favorite "Mom, you obviously need some coffee". While it was fun it was also a little frustrating to find that all of the stores were having a sale it was a Clearance Sale and they order no more that 1 bolt of any one kind of fabric. You might find a bit of fabric left on a bolt but it wasn't enough to make a valance or a bed skirt ruffle out of. Hannah was set on toile fabric which added a degree of difficulty to our search, not to mention that it had to be either green or blue toile. We saw Red and Black toile everywhere and even some Brown toile, but the colors blue and green were nowhere to be found. Okay so we did find a toile printed fabric at one quilt shop but I would of had to piece the fabric together in 1 yard increments to make it work because of the direction of the print. This was my fall back plan, but I really didn't want to have to do that- too much work). Just when Hannah was about to give up I told her that I was taking her to Lowe's- another classic comment " Oh Mom! You do realize that Lowe's doesn't sell fabric, right?". Oh was my girl about to eat her words! I drag her back to the area that has the Waverly display and there they are, the blue and green toile items we need for the project -Hannah thinks I'm nuts at this point, until I show her what we can do with the valances :-) I love these brocade valances this was plan "B" To turn these long valances into a bed skirt, all I would have to do to it was to sew them to a base piece of fabric woohoo!
She decided against the brocade, but I just may keep these for another part of my house.
She decided against the brocade, but I just may keep these for another part of my house.
Here you see the Toile we've been searching high and low for and it's at (of all places) Lowe's! The green valance you see here will be easily converted into the ruffle part of a bed skirt and the blue valance will be used just as that- a valance for the window. Are you ready to hear (or read in this case) how much this cost me? Be prepared to be amazed! These were on clearance for the low low price of $4.99 each! So to make the bed skirt is going to cost me $20! All of the major sewing is already done! I just have to make some adjustments to the top of the valance and put in a few box pleats and I'm there baby! Talk about ending the day on a perfect note! And yes, every one of these Waverly© valances you see here on my blog I bought for $4.99 each at my local Lowe's :-)
Now I may end up making a simple straight lined striped or checked valance to go under the blue toile valance to give it more depth. Now on to designing some throw pillows, the pillow sham and to wash-press and cut the fabric for the quilt top.
Quote of the day
For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1811
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1811
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Quote of the day
Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.
Theophrastus, Greek botanist, humorist, & naturalist (372 BC - 287 BC)
We secure our friends not by accepting favors but by doing them.
Thucydides, Greek Historian( 471 BC-400 BC)
I like to think of this as a two for one deal...helping friends is the best way to spend ones time next to spending time with ones family :-)
Theophrastus, Greek botanist, humorist, & naturalist (372 BC - 287 BC)
We secure our friends not by accepting favors but by doing them.
Thucydides, Greek Historian( 471 BC-400 BC)
I like to think of this as a two for one deal...helping friends is the best way to spend ones time next to spending time with ones family :-)
Happy July!
The birthday count down begins! 19 more days until our son turns sweet 16 and 26 more days until our daughter becomes and official teenager. Lord give me strength when those blessed events take place, LOL! Suddenly I feel my age- yikes! My babies are growing up.
June didn't start or end on a good note. The month started off with rain, rain and more rain and then well yesterday was yesterday...there's nothing I can do to change my day. From having suspicions confirmed with having a broken finger, to having chipped my diamond engagement ring (still have no clue as to how that happened) or the fact that some people choose to have poor business habits/ethics. So I'm hoping that today is going to be much better :-)
June didn't start or end on a good note. The month started off with rain, rain and more rain and then well yesterday was yesterday...there's nothing I can do to change my day. From having suspicions confirmed with having a broken finger, to having chipped my diamond engagement ring (still have no clue as to how that happened) or the fact that some people choose to have poor business habits/ethics. So I'm hoping that today is going to be much better :-)
New toy and some thread
This is a picture of Robison-Anton thread- wow is this ever some nice thread to sew with too! None of that "fuzz" thing happening here when I sew with this brand! It comes in 500 yard spools and 3000 yard spools and is a very good value for the money- 500 yard spools retail for $3.75 and the 3000 yard spools retail for $11.95. I just bought my first 3000 yard spool of this thread- it was a HUGE savings, as compared to the cost of buying 6 spools of the 500 yard spools. If you do a lot of sewing or quilting in any one particular color, it's really worth it to get the jumbo spool of thread! This is not serger thread, this is actual quilters cotton thread, I wouldn't think of using serger thread in my sewing machine as it's not meant for use in a "sewing" machine.
This little gem is a large spool thread holder, it has a metal base (there are other brands that have a plastic base and look very similar to this one) and will holder my large spool of my 100% cotton quilting thread from Robison-Anton. I have a little thread guide attachment for my Janome sewing machine that makes guiding the thread from the large spindle a breeze! I'll have to take a picture of it and post it so you can see what I'm talking about.
This little gem is a large spool thread holder, it has a metal base (there are other brands that have a plastic base and look very similar to this one) and will holder my large spool of my 100% cotton quilting thread from Robison-Anton. I have a little thread guide attachment for my Janome sewing machine that makes guiding the thread from the large spindle a breeze! I'll have to take a picture of it and post it so you can see what I'm talking about.
Monday, June 30, 2008
What? That's just plain wrong!
Today is one of those days that leaves me saying "What? That's just plain wrong!" Little did I know that it would soon become the catch phrase of my day.
Okay, the finger has a fracture but no splint because it's the middle finger and they wanted to bind my entire hand- no thanks! I wouldn't even be able to wash my hair let alone brush my teeth, type or hold a fork. So there's my first "What?..."
Then there's my diamond inspection...oh I'm ill. My lovely engagement ring diamond is chipped and the prongs need to be replaced. Not a problem, I've been keeping up on my ring inspections all these years. The sales manager shows me where the damage is, now it's up to me- so, do I let them have it and send it in for replacement? It'll be gone for up to 6 weeks. Yes, I let them take it but it was hard for me to let it go. Lucien upgraded my engagement ring to a full carat 13 years ago for our 5 year wedding anniversary and now I find myself hoping to have it back in time for our 18th anniversary. So then I'm told that I'll have to pay for the new prongs as they aren't covered, how strange is that? Second and third "What?...", at least I got to come home with my anniversary band. My hand feels naked.
I'm off to the Sewing Center to use my $40 store credit. I needed to feel good about something today and I thought that this would be the thing/place to make me smile. I love shopping in the store, they've got all kinds of nice little things there- pattern books, every kind of sewing deedle-bob you could imagine, every kind of cool thread ever made and more! I came to get some thread in a particular color and while there I thought that I'd get some more bobbins and I wanted to look at getting a special kind of darning foot for my sewing machine. While there I see something from the corner of my eye- it's my old sewing machine (the one that died on me the day before Thanks Giving), it's for sale the price tag on it says $70. I felt this strange feeling wash over me, I suddenly felt conned and out and out lied to by the store owner as what he said came rushing back to me "oh I won't be able to use it for anything, maybe the screws will be of some use but the machine is unrepairable" and after I asked several times what will he give me for the machine and all of the sewing feet (because I knew that he could sell them and get some $$ for them), he reluctantly gave me a $5 store credit. I gave him ALL of the sewing feet, even the fancy ones that I bought because I thought that he would give me a store credit for more than $5 because he said that he could sell those. And now he has my old machine repaired and is selling it for $70,selling the fancy sewing feet as extras making money off of them too. It's nothing but gravy for him! Yes that was my fourth "What?..." of the day. I'm fine with him making a few dollars but lets not lie to your customers and try to get something that was obviously of some value to you and act as if your were taking it off of their hands and put on such an act as if you're taking out stinky trash- that's just plain wrong! Will I still shop there? Yes, but I can tell you that I'd most likely NOT ever buy a sewing machine from them.
So at the end of the day I find myself feeling a bit lost. I know that I'll feel better by tomorrow but now for the moment, I'm feeling a little heavy hearted.
Okay, the finger has a fracture but no splint because it's the middle finger and they wanted to bind my entire hand- no thanks! I wouldn't even be able to wash my hair let alone brush my teeth, type or hold a fork. So there's my first "What?..."
Then there's my diamond inspection...oh I'm ill. My lovely engagement ring diamond is chipped and the prongs need to be replaced. Not a problem, I've been keeping up on my ring inspections all these years. The sales manager shows me where the damage is, now it's up to me- so, do I let them have it and send it in for replacement? It'll be gone for up to 6 weeks. Yes, I let them take it but it was hard for me to let it go. Lucien upgraded my engagement ring to a full carat 13 years ago for our 5 year wedding anniversary and now I find myself hoping to have it back in time for our 18th anniversary. So then I'm told that I'll have to pay for the new prongs as they aren't covered, how strange is that? Second and third "What?...", at least I got to come home with my anniversary band. My hand feels naked.
I'm off to the Sewing Center to use my $40 store credit. I needed to feel good about something today and I thought that this would be the thing/place to make me smile. I love shopping in the store, they've got all kinds of nice little things there- pattern books, every kind of sewing deedle-bob you could imagine, every kind of cool thread ever made and more! I came to get some thread in a particular color and while there I thought that I'd get some more bobbins and I wanted to look at getting a special kind of darning foot for my sewing machine. While there I see something from the corner of my eye- it's my old sewing machine (the one that died on me the day before Thanks Giving), it's for sale the price tag on it says $70. I felt this strange feeling wash over me, I suddenly felt conned and out and out lied to by the store owner as what he said came rushing back to me "oh I won't be able to use it for anything, maybe the screws will be of some use but the machine is unrepairable" and after I asked several times what will he give me for the machine and all of the sewing feet (because I knew that he could sell them and get some $$ for them), he reluctantly gave me a $5 store credit. I gave him ALL of the sewing feet, even the fancy ones that I bought because I thought that he would give me a store credit for more than $5 because he said that he could sell those. And now he has my old machine repaired and is selling it for $70,selling the fancy sewing feet as extras making money off of them too. It's nothing but gravy for him! Yes that was my fourth "What?..." of the day. I'm fine with him making a few dollars but lets not lie to your customers and try to get something that was obviously of some value to you and act as if your were taking it off of their hands and put on such an act as if you're taking out stinky trash- that's just plain wrong! Will I still shop there? Yes, but I can tell you that I'd most likely NOT ever buy a sewing machine from them.
So at the end of the day I find myself feeling a bit lost. I know that I'll feel better by tomorrow but now for the moment, I'm feeling a little heavy hearted.
Dog the Bounty Hunter
I'm excited! I'm watching some afternoon TV and I see an announcement that makes me smile... that one of my FAVORITE programs on A & E is coming back- Dog the Bounty Hunter! Oh this excites me to no end! I feel that this man and his brother have been given a bad rap and now I'm happy to say that A& E has done the right thing and Dog (Duane Chapman and his crew) is/are going to be back on the air!
We actually got to see one of his offices on our Hawaiian vacation in August of 2005. I have pictures of it somewhere on this computer, I"ll have to go through and figure out where they are :-) This makes me happy after having a bit of a depressing day.
We actually got to see one of his offices on our Hawaiian vacation in August of 2005. I have pictures of it somewhere on this computer, I"ll have to go through and figure out where they are :-) This makes me happy after having a bit of a depressing day.
Waiting....
I'm waiting for 7 am to roll around so I can call my health care professional to set up and appointment. I know that I'm going to be asked "why didn't you do to the ER?" Go the the ER? Like I want to wait hours on end, not me- no thanks!
I ended up NOT working on any of my own projects yesterday but instead went with my husband to Menard's (a home improvement chain here in the mid-west) to pick out stain for the fence. After we came back I had to take a nap- getting up at O'dark thirty does that to me. A couple of hours later I'm feeling refreshed and ready to go! So I'm looking for my husband, he's not reading the paper, he's not n the computer, he's out staining the fence and is almost done! Wow! The fence looks great! He's put a lot of time, effort (and money) into the curb appeal of our home. It looks fantastic! Now all I need is a bistro set and a bench to make my down stairs patio area complete! And I've got my eye on some of that stuff over at Jolly Lane Nursery :-)
Is it 7 am yet? I'm impatient when it comes to waiting, LOL! Maybe having some more coffee will help me. Okay I've got another yummy mug of my favorite beverage, gave some attention to my cat, fed our fish, watered the house plants- is it 7 yet? Is it ok to call for an appointment yet? I told you that I was bad at waiting.
I ended up NOT working on any of my own projects yesterday but instead went with my husband to Menard's (a home improvement chain here in the mid-west) to pick out stain for the fence. After we came back I had to take a nap- getting up at O'dark thirty does that to me. A couple of hours later I'm feeling refreshed and ready to go! So I'm looking for my husband, he's not reading the paper, he's not n the computer, he's out staining the fence and is almost done! Wow! The fence looks great! He's put a lot of time, effort (and money) into the curb appeal of our home. It looks fantastic! Now all I need is a bistro set and a bench to make my down stairs patio area complete! And I've got my eye on some of that stuff over at Jolly Lane Nursery :-)
Is it 7 am yet? I'm impatient when it comes to waiting, LOL! Maybe having some more coffee will help me. Okay I've got another yummy mug of my favorite beverage, gave some attention to my cat, fed our fish, watered the house plants- is it 7 yet? Is it ok to call for an appointment yet? I told you that I was bad at waiting.
Quote of the day
Sometimes when I am driving I get so angry at inconsiderate drivers that I want to scream at them. But then I remember how insignificant that is, and I thank God that I have a car and my health and gas. That was phrased wrong - normally you wouldn't say, thank God I have gas.
Ellen DeGeneres, My Point and I Do Have One
but these days with the soaring gasoline prices, I think that maybe we are saying thank God we have gas, LOL!
Ellen DeGeneres, My Point and I Do Have One
but these days with the soaring gasoline prices, I think that maybe we are saying thank God we have gas, LOL!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Oh what next, LOL!
You're never going to believe what happened to me...I got my right hand smashed in a door and I think that I may have broken at least one of my fingers. I'm going to get an appointment tomorrow morning to get an x-ray of my hand. It's red, swollen, one finger has a noticeable lump and it hurts just to look at it. Looks like the kids and hubby will be digging in the garden and putting in the remainder of the plants. I can't even hold a fork with my right hand. Now for me to figure out how to finish up a sewing project without causing myself pain-ugh!
I've been busy being "creative"
My ankle has decided to cause me some " technical difficulties" (basically it really hurts) which in turn makes it rather painful for me to walk (no matter what kind of shoe I put on my feet) so I decided to sit down and make something...6 somethings later here I am. I've been making cute stuff but am not ready to share what it is or pictures of the items yet. But I can say that I've been having a blast!
I'm assessing Hannah's quilt fabric and now she says she needs a new bed skirt- but wait....she wants me to make her one using some fabric from her quilt. Well I better hurry up and figure out how much I need because the quilt store only gets in 1 bolt of any fabric and that's it! The shop owner doesn't order any more because there's always something else coming out on the market. Quilters are much like scrapbookers- as they always want the latest items, just that it's patterned fabrics and not patterned paper. I've also got to measure the window and make my window treatment plans and figure out which fabrics to use for that- ugh! I saw that Hobby Lobby is having a sale on 54 inch decorator fabric, I wonder if they have a green and cream toile, I think that it's worth checking out. Time to grab a tape measure and my note book...I've got numbers to crunch and I need to design a window treatment. I've got an idea in mind and I can't wait to get the numbers (measurements) done up. I've been asked if I would consider doing this for others for money, I thought about it but am not sure that they would want to pay me what I'm worth. So for now this is something that I do just for me...for my family home. I've decided that when I finish Hannah's quilt top that I'm sending it out to be professionally done, I want to get a large Fleur De Lis put into the center of each of the blocks and some swirly vines in the other areas.
The design I want is like this one you see here. It would be an outline stitch design. Hannah likes the idea as it goes with her French Country theme, our French last name not to mention her French heritage. Her Great Grammy Dorrie (on her Dad's side) was from New Orleans and her Grandpa Lucien from Quebec and was French Canadian.
I'm assessing Hannah's quilt fabric and now she says she needs a new bed skirt- but wait....she wants me to make her one using some fabric from her quilt. Well I better hurry up and figure out how much I need because the quilt store only gets in 1 bolt of any fabric and that's it! The shop owner doesn't order any more because there's always something else coming out on the market. Quilters are much like scrapbookers- as they always want the latest items, just that it's patterned fabrics and not patterned paper. I've also got to measure the window and make my window treatment plans and figure out which fabrics to use for that- ugh! I saw that Hobby Lobby is having a sale on 54 inch decorator fabric, I wonder if they have a green and cream toile, I think that it's worth checking out. Time to grab a tape measure and my note book...I've got numbers to crunch and I need to design a window treatment. I've got an idea in mind and I can't wait to get the numbers (measurements) done up. I've been asked if I would consider doing this for others for money, I thought about it but am not sure that they would want to pay me what I'm worth. So for now this is something that I do just for me...for my family home. I've decided that when I finish Hannah's quilt top that I'm sending it out to be professionally done, I want to get a large Fleur De Lis put into the center of each of the blocks and some swirly vines in the other areas.
The design I want is like this one you see here. It would be an outline stitch design. Hannah likes the idea as it goes with her French Country theme, our French last name not to mention her French heritage. Her Great Grammy Dorrie (on her Dad's side) was from New Orleans and her Grandpa Lucien from Quebec and was French Canadian.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
People Watching
I've written about my keeping up appearances neighbors before. It seems now that they are getting divorced. It's no wonder, they were always trying to have the "things" that everyone else had with the exception of their happiness. So now the battle for the "property" is taking place, and those two are making their kids miserable. It's a sad thing to watch a family disintegrate, to see it completely fall apart. No one wins, everyone walks away with a sense of loss and a broken heart. And this divorce that's going on with my neighbors is guaranteed to get UGLY! I've already witnessed some things that left me shaking my head in disbelief.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Rain- enough is enough!
Yet another rain storm pounds through this part of the country moving on to making other parts of the country even more water logged and miserable. Granted I'm thankful for the "free water" but other communities across the USA are being washed away by the ever rising flood waters.
We have a very green subdivision. Talk about the perfect time for putting in sod- you'd never have to worry about getting a big water bill this year! One thing for sure is that lawn mowers are getting quite the work out around here! Weeds- they're getting a lot of water and if you don't nip them early on, they can get out of control pretty darn quick! Just in the rock and flower bed areas around our home this past week and a half, my family and I have plucked out and filled to the top 3 brown paper bags full of weeds. They grown rather quickly with abundant sunshine and water. I didn't want to become a slave to my garden but these weeds are forcing me to be out there every day plucking them out. If you don't stay on top of them, weeds can take over a garden rather quickly.
We have a very green subdivision. Talk about the perfect time for putting in sod- you'd never have to worry about getting a big water bill this year! One thing for sure is that lawn mowers are getting quite the work out around here! Weeds- they're getting a lot of water and if you don't nip them early on, they can get out of control pretty darn quick! Just in the rock and flower bed areas around our home this past week and a half, my family and I have plucked out and filled to the top 3 brown paper bags full of weeds. They grown rather quickly with abundant sunshine and water. I didn't want to become a slave to my garden but these weeds are forcing me to be out there every day plucking them out. If you don't stay on top of them, weeds can take over a garden rather quickly.
Diamond Trivia
A diamond is the hardest natural substance on earth, but
if it is placed in an oven and the temperature is raised
to about 1405 degrees Fahrenheit, it will simply vanish,
without even ash remaining. Only a little carbon dioxide
will have been released.
***
Diamonds are formed over a period of a billion or more
years deep within earth's crust - about 90 miles deep -
and is pushed to the surface by volcanoes. Most diamonds
are found in volcanic rock, called Kimberlite, or in the
sea after having been carried away by rivers when they
were pushed to the surface.
***
A diamond is 58 times harder than the next hardest mineral
on earth, corundum, from which rubies and sapphires are
formed. It was only during the 15th century that it was
discovered that the only way to cut diamonds was with other
diamonds. Yet, diamonds are brittle. If you hit one hard
with a hammer, it will shatter.
***
The world's largest diamond was the Cullinan, found in
South Africa in 1905. It weighed 3,106.75 carats uncut. It
was cut into the Great Star of Africa, weighing 530.2
carats, the Lesser Star of Africa, which weighs 317.40
carats, and 104 other diamonds of nearly flawless color
and clarity. They now form part of the British crown jewels.
***
Not all diamonds are white. Impurities lend diamonds a
shade of blue, red, orange, yellow, green and even black.
A green diamond is the rarest. It is not the rarest
gemstone, however. That title goes to a pure red ruby.
Diamonds actually are found in fair abundance; thousands
are mined every year. 80% of them are not suitable for
jewelry - they are used in industry. Only diamonds of
higher clarity are sourced to the jewelry stores.
***
A diamond carat differs from a gold carat. The gold carat
indicates purity - pure gold being 24 carats. One diamond
carat is 0.007055 oz. The word carat derives from the carob
bean. Gem dealers used to balance their scales with carob
beans because these beans all have same weight.
if it is placed in an oven and the temperature is raised
to about 1405 degrees Fahrenheit, it will simply vanish,
without even ash remaining. Only a little carbon dioxide
will have been released.
***
Diamonds are formed over a period of a billion or more
years deep within earth's crust - about 90 miles deep -
and is pushed to the surface by volcanoes. Most diamonds
are found in volcanic rock, called Kimberlite, or in the
sea after having been carried away by rivers when they
were pushed to the surface.
***
A diamond is 58 times harder than the next hardest mineral
on earth, corundum, from which rubies and sapphires are
formed. It was only during the 15th century that it was
discovered that the only way to cut diamonds was with other
diamonds. Yet, diamonds are brittle. If you hit one hard
with a hammer, it will shatter.
***
The world's largest diamond was the Cullinan, found in
South Africa in 1905. It weighed 3,106.75 carats uncut. It
was cut into the Great Star of Africa, weighing 530.2
carats, the Lesser Star of Africa, which weighs 317.40
carats, and 104 other diamonds of nearly flawless color
and clarity. They now form part of the British crown jewels.
***
Not all diamonds are white. Impurities lend diamonds a
shade of blue, red, orange, yellow, green and even black.
A green diamond is the rarest. It is not the rarest
gemstone, however. That title goes to a pure red ruby.
Diamonds actually are found in fair abundance; thousands
are mined every year. 80% of them are not suitable for
jewelry - they are used in industry. Only diamonds of
higher clarity are sourced to the jewelry stores.
***
A diamond carat differs from a gold carat. The gold carat
indicates purity - pure gold being 24 carats. One diamond
carat is 0.007055 oz. The word carat derives from the carob
bean. Gem dealers used to balance their scales with carob
beans because these beans all have same weight.
Quote of the day
“Let us not be too particular; it is better to have old secondhand diamonds than none at all.”
~ Mark Twain
~ Mark Twain
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