THE JEWELRY SHINE

Archive for February, 2010

Being the new kid on the block is a very taunting task for some. Everyone has to start somewhere and being brand new to any activity comes with hardships. There is a learning curve that the new dancer must expect. Any person who is considering dance, whether they are 8 or 38, needs to be prepared for the journey ahead. Dancehelp has put together some advice for the beginner – to help them through the first year. If this is you, read up!

Once the decision is made to begin to dance, and a school is chosen, there are several things one can do to assure the trip is as smooth as possible. A good thing to do is to check out the facility. Watch a class if allowed, find the lockers, note where the restroom is, and ask questions about the policies. Know the dress code, get the proper attire, and asked to be placed into an appropriate class. When in doubt take the very first level.

Prior to your first class, go to the library and check out a few books on the subject (or surf the net). Take a look at body positions, vocabulary and such. Watch some video footage in order to capture the essence of whatever dance style you are seeking to learn. Once you have a little knowledge it will be much easier to understand exactly what you will be learning to do.

The very first class taken usually has a few obstacles. For starters, there will always be someone in the class who is better than you. And this will continue throughout your life as a dancer (unless you’re Sylvie Guillem…you get the picture). The object is to position yourself in the class, next to those who are much better than you, so you can mimic their movement and advance quicker. Most importantly though, it is the teacher who suggests the movement, and it is that movement that you are to mimic, not some fancy trick that a student learned in some other class.

Don’t be concerned with your body shape or others who seem somewhat intimidating. The goal here is to focus on the material and do your best to mimic it. The best thing you can do is to listen with all ears, to practice at home, and to come to each and every class in the season (or semester). There will be classes that are harder than others. Some days you will feel awkward, frustrated and downright silly. But remember; everyone has to start somewhere, and doing something for the first time will of course be awkward. It certainly was the first for every dancer.

Sometimes dancers advance rather quickly, this happens with 10% talent and 90% hard work. Dedicate yourself to taking class at least twice a week minimum if you’re to learn this new discipline. It will certainly help a great deal. Once a week just isn’t enough.

A word of advice for those shy beginners: no one is looking at you …everyone is really only looking at themselves. Learn to operate inside your focused little bubble, eventually you will become less concerned with who is watching you and instead you will focus on the material being presented.

Taking class can sometimes be a tense experience. Especially to a dancer who is new, but is full of passion to learn their chosen dance discipline. Emotions must be checked at the door. This is a process. You must allow yourself this courtesy! Do not be “mean” to yourself, be understanding and take it with a grain of salt.

Don’t always put yourself in the back of the class, try to get a better spot so you can see and hear the teacher better! Or at least stand behind a better dancer than you who tends to remember combinations and exercises. This is helpful but make sure it doesn’t become a crutch! You must learn these exercises on your own without looking at anyone. Try to test yourself with memorization; it is a huge part of dance! Being able to focus and to remember the combinations is the first step, because let’s face it, dancers that are physically able to complete exercises, but can’t remember them are no better off than vice versa.

If you are getting corrected a ton by the teacher: congratulations! They must see potential in you. Either way you found yourself a good teacher. Be thrilled for corrections, learn to remember them and apply them to every other class after that.

Remember to bring water, eat well and get your rest. Dance requires an awful lot from the body, especially those who are starting new. If you are older make sure you don’t go into a dance class with an old injury. Ask a doctor prior to class sign up! Also, make sure you only push yourself as far as your body lets you. Do not try to immediately achieve what you see other dancers most likely took years to perfect. And by this I mean larger jumps or turns. Start at square one and go through the motions like stepping stones. Pay close attention to the pre-dance exercises. Perfect those first! They are responsible for building the strength it will take to achieve the floor movement.

Stretch in your spare time. Go over exercises and floor combinations that were confusing. Ask other dancers for help before or after class. Never be afraid to really pursue dance technique. It is glorious and worth every bit of effort. The payoff is huge whether the end result is a dance career or just a dance hobby. Hats off to the new dancers! Hang in there, we all started where you did!

The trend of wearing valuable and dazzling jewellery can never go out of fashion. Women love to buy stylish and modern as well as expensive jewels for casual and formal wear. Diamonds, pearls, crystals and other precious gemstones are used to make beautiful and classy articles. A number of metals like gold, sterling silver, platinum, titanium and other metals are used.

But these stones and metals need to be maintained if you don�t want to lose their glow and beauty. A jewellery box should be used to store your valuable jewels. One of the advantages of storing jewels in boxes is that your jewels are not exposed to moisture and are thus prevented from tarnishing.

Many jewelers nowadays give free boxes to store your jewels. You can also buy the fancy and stylish boxes available online for keeping your jewellery. These boxes are easily available in all sizes and shapes. You can have small boxes to keep your earrings, rings and nose pins. For your bracelets, necklaces and bangles you can have big boxes of wither wood, plastic or metallic materials.

Such an attractive jewellery box can also be given as a beautiful gift. Another advantage of storing jewels in boxes is that they prevent them form getting scratched. These boxes have a lining of soft cloth inside them which prevents them from scratches and moisture.

Buying and wearing lovely jewellery articles may not be as tough as maintaining them. When you spend so much money to have these gorgeous jewels obviously you are not buying them for wearing once. And if you want that your jewels look beautiful and glowing every time you wear them then you should not forget to clean them after removing and then store them in their jewellery box.

Other than simple and affordable boxes you can also find a beautiful variety of colorful boxes made from expensive wood, leather and some other materials.

Ever since the ancient Egyptians first started creating jewelry, pearls have become one of the highest regarded gemstones. Even today pearls still hold their value due to the rarity of “mother nature” creating this form of jewelry.

The prices of pearls though, have confused many novice buyers. Few seem to understand how one strand of pearls can cost them $300, while another similar looking piece can cost $40. Just like diamonds, there are many factors that contribute to the price of a pearl.

There are two main types of pearls, those that occur naturally and those that are cultured. Naturally occurring pearls hold a significant value due to the rarity of pearls being produced. Of the 8,000 or so species of oysters, only about 20 of those are able to constantly produce pearls. For the most part the pearls these oysters do produce, few maintain a round or spherical shape.

Somewhere in the 19th centaury science found a way to produce synthetically. These are called cultured pearls. Most of today’s pearl jewelry is made in this way. The process involves surgically implanting the agent that causes the process of creating the pearl and creating a farm like environment for their stable of oysters. Although each variety of oysters creates a different style of pearl, cultured pearls are easily able to create the spherical shape most consumers desire.

It is extremely difficult for the most experienced jeweller to determine the difference between natural and cultured pearls. The only real way to tell the difference is through submitting the pearl to an x-ray. A natural pearl will show the internal formations and stages of its growth, while a cultured pearl will have a solid center with no evidence of growth. As far as value for your dollar is concerned, a cultured pearl goes a far way since nobody will be able to tell the difference.

The size of the pearl will also have a bearing on price. In general the size is measured using the diameter of the pearl and expressed in millimetres. Even a millimetre difference can create a 100 percent or more difference in value.

Size also goes hand in hand with the shape of the pearl. The ideal shape is supposed to be perfectly round. However, using irregular shapes can reduce the price of the pearl and in some cases improve the uniqueness of the jewelry. Most of the common shapes are oval, tear dropped or look button like.

Other factors in the price of a pearl are color, lustre and its surface. Ideally the perfect pearl would be silvery white, very reflective and contain no surface blemishes. Although color is a personal preference and pearls come in a variety of colors both naturally and syntactically.

In the end though, what really matters is how the individual feels about the particular piece of jewelry. If the pearls are to be enjoyed instead of an investment piece, than none of the grading rules jewellers use really matter. What does matter though, is that the color and size of the pearls perfectly complement the owner’s beauty and grace.

When we think of flower delivery or plants, we often consider them a mere gift with the absence of understanding as to why we give them to another person.

However, your florist knows the roses you deliver to someone you care about, or the bouquets you deliver as a gift, or even the floral arrangements you have made for a funeral all say something deeply important to you – you give with intention!

So, what can you do to make your message clearer the next time you choose flower delivery? When you choose online flower delivery with a real florist , you’ll have the chance to fill out free gift cards that will be included with your flower delivery selection.

If you’re looking to purchase gift cards that are more elaborate and personalized, Brant Florist can choose appropriate cards for your gifts and even help you craft the perfect message with the receiver in mind – the words you finally select will even be hand-written on the cards themselves!

Let’s take Mothers Day for example. You’ve chosen the perfect flower arrangement for delivery consisting of her most cherished blossoms – orchids, lilacs, or something more exotic such as sunflowers – but your gift doesn’t seem completely finished. With cards, you always get a nice finishing touch.

When you have your beautiful gift delivered to that special woman on her special day, what is it exactly that you’re trying to tell her?

– Are you cherishing her company and motherly wisdom?
– Are you sending her sympathy for having to endure your childhood?
– Are you sending a simple all inclusive “thank you”?

Always remember that your message is already contained within your selection of flower delivery – crafted delicately and thoughtfully by experienced florists – and so consider the words on your cards a friendly greeting that sets the bigger stage for what you would like to say.

There are many occasions that could be better recognized with flower delivery accompanied by gift cards, including a friend’s birthday, an anniversary, Christmas, memorial recognition, Easter, a close friend’s wedding, or any time when you wish to recognize the importance of romance, partnered or kindred love and holiday cheer. The opportunities with flower delivery are endless!

Also keep in mind that fresh flower delivery isn’t the only type of gift choice with hidden messages waiting to be introduced by cards. Sometimes something as simple as balloons or a fruit basket could greatly benefit from a concisely written message – the receiver will be all the more receptive because of it.

As dancers, we know that being limber is just as important as being strong. Without the proper flexibility we aren’t able to accomplish the advanced movement dance requires. Some of us got lucky in the DNA bank but most have to work really hard at gaining flexibility. Stretching involves many hours of consistency and effort. To help guide the dancer in their quest for a more flexible body, we’ve compiled The Five Secrets to Flexibility:

1) Stretching Agenda

Dancers need to put aside time to attend to their stretching as often as possible. The best time to do this is in the span of a dance class. Get to class early for pre-stretches. It is important that stretching is done before class, during class and most definitely after class. Stretching while warm will give the most progress. Muscles don’t easily respond to stretching when they are cold!

2) Stretching Technique

Start by stretching the neck, and literally move down the body focusing on specific areas one by one. Stretching in this way allows the body to ease into deeper stretches. Think: how can you work on hamstring stretches if your neck and back are tense and inflexible? The body will only gain flexibility if it is stretched properly and in it’s entirely. Try stretching in ascending order:

Start with the neck and spine; gently roll the head while standing with perfect posture. Move down to the shoulders, back and rib cage with isolation moves and rolls. Bring arms forward and round back, then hold them behind and roll chest back. Roll shoulders forward and backward. Stretch the arms by opening them both out to either side and bend the fingers downward at the wrists. Don’t forget bicep stretches as well, lift the elbow straight up in the air and pull it down with the opposite arm, then bring arm across chest and hold with opposite arm. Stretch the sides by bending one arm over head reaching for the other side; keep the hips squared. Concentrate on the back. Do a forward bend and hang there with the neck relaxed, roll up slowly. Also try laying on the back and lifting the legs to touch the ground above the head. This is a great spinal stretch. Stretch the hips by sitting in “Indian Style” and laying down as far forward as possible. Work on the hamstrings by sitting on the ground with the feet straight out in front. Sit up straight, bring the arms up, flex the feet then bend forward with a flat back. Open the legs out to second and stretch the inner thighs, do a side bend toward either leg. Also bring the body forward in this position with a goal to lay the chest on the ground, reach forward as far as possible and hold. This can also be done against a wall for more resistance. Work the quadriceps by sitting on the knees (while leaving the calves underneath the body), lay the torso back as far as possible, try to lay on the ground or at least on the elbows. Do a split to the left and to the right. If a split hasn’t been achieved yet then still try and hold it. Try bending either the front or the back leg if the spilt isn’t yet developed, and try reaching the body over the leg with a flat back. Also try to roll through the middle split and land in “frog” position. Or just lye on the stomach and bend both knees so feet are together (frog position). This is a great stretch for turn-out. Each of these stretches will be uncomfortable initially, but with dedication there will be improvement. 3) The Committed Stretcher Stretch as often as possible. Stretch while watching TV, doing homework, reading…. Putting as much effort into stretching as dancing, is what it takes to see real results. A dancer who doesn’t dedicate several days a week to stretching just isn’t going to see the payoff. Remember that no matter how strong of a dancer you may be, if your flexibility needs work then your dancing suffers! 4) Stretching on the Clock Deep stretching requires a good amount of time. Each stretch has to be held literally, for a few minutes a piece. Rushing a stretch won’t help progress. A good idea is to get a timer, and time each stretch. Relax the muscle while in the depth of each stretch. Then hold it for until the timer rings. The idea is to feel comfortable in each stretch. 5) Supplemental Stretching Take a class just for stretching! Try Pilates, Yoga or stretch classes. These classes can be found at the local gym, private studios, parks and recreation centers or the local community college. Really commit to these classes and learn the art of stretching in it’s own right. Let’s face it, dancers who are not limber are left behind. Being limber is necessary in dance so treat it as a high priority! Take the time to focus to get the results desired. Remember though: be kind to the body. Pushing the muscles to quick and enduring pain is counter-productive. The idea is to gently stretch the muscles, not injure them. Overstretched injured muscles are full of scar tissue that is permanent and un-pliable… So take care, be committed and stay focused: improvement is inevitable!