About Diamonds

Found in India more than 2000 years ago, diamonds first trickled into the Mediterranean world through itinerant travellers and traders. In 1477, the Archduke of Austria, Maximillian 1, presented his fiancee, Mary of Burgundy, with the first recoded diamond engagement ring "set with jewels". And from the 15th century onwards the queens and court ladies of Europe vied to out dazzle one another with their jewels.

In the 17th century a venetian cutter named Peruzzi invented the 52 facet form, considered the perfect number of surfaces for the maximum play of light. Men continued to give women diamonds as symbols of love and diamonds have endured to bind romance far beyond all the noblewomen of yore.



Today diamonds, as indeed all precious gemstones, have become fashion with hardly a nod to folklore and mythology. Jewellery those personal adornments encrusted with gems like emeralds, diamonds and rubies usually the foible of royalty alone have become part and parcels of a modern woman's wardrobe, her enduring accessory for style and aplomb.

Jewels now glint in their most contemporary settings among valuable sets of rings, pins, necklaces, bracelets etc. And diamonds could be everyone's best friend indeed, personifying many precious things, fashion and wardrobe, unmatchable status symbols, appendages to a personality, as well as investments against the future. All these values compressed into a brilliant crystalline gemstone.

Diamonds

As long as romance is in the air, our jewelers have little need to worry about the diamond trade. If you are about to own one or already has one, perhaps it would be interesting for you to know a little about your gorgeous rocks.

Do you know that a man gives his fiancee a diamond ring (symbolising love and affection never-ending) to be worn on the third finger of her left hand because it was one believed that the Vena Amoris or vein of love ran directly form this finger to the heart?

SHAZAM! Such are the romantic tales that would cut straight to the sensibilities, such mythologies of gemstones, diamonds and other fascinating mineral rocks. Gemstones have been used for centuries for many different reasons, in many different reasons, in many different ways. But perhaps no tale is so touchign with its romantic point made through time immemorial as this one of the diamond sealing a betrothal upon a feminine ring finger.

Diamonds, those durable, dazzling gemstones are forever. Forever beautiful, forever rare, forever precious, forever a symbol of love and affection. The diamond, a fascinating miracle of nature, is the hardest material in the world, the most durable and the most desirable of all gemstones. Derived from Mother Nature's long and "magical" compression process, it is crystallized from the roughest of earthly materials,pure carbon. Born in ancient ages, diamonds and their mythologies live on dedicated to love, beauty and vanity.

History of diamonds- coming up next .......

How to use up more calories

Our bodies have a "basal metabolic rate", which is the rate they bur up calories while at rest. For many women this is around 60 calories per hour and every time we move we use up extra calories.

So you need to find way of increasing the calories you use up by taking regular gentle exercise. Here are some tips and guides on ways to burn an extra 250 calories a day.

• 20 minutes walking (10minutes each way) to and from work. Get off the bus one stop earlier. 120 cals.
• 2 minutes waling up stairs at work instead of taking the lift. 20 cals.
• 15 minutes mowing the lawn. 105 cals.

Total 245 calories burnt.

• 20 minutes dancing to a CD instead of watching TV. 130cals.
• Two 3-minutes sessions of marching on the spot while waiting for the kettle to boil. 33 cals.
• 15 minutes briskly mopping the floor or walking at lunch time instead of sitting reading. 90 cals.

Total 253 calories burnt

Make sure the ways you exercise fit in easily with the rest of what you do each day or you won't keep it up.

Here are 10 ways to exercise towards a slimmer you:

1. Dancing (Ballroom) 84 cals.
2. Walking slowly (4km/hr) 96 cals.
3. Light housework. 99cals.
4. Food shopping. 102 cals.
5. Cycling. 106 cals.
6. Swimming (slow) 211 cals.
7. Running (slow, 8km/her) 252 cals.
8. Marching (rapid) 234 cals.
9. Ironing. 54 cals.
10. Cooking. 74 cals.
    

Losing calories for the BIG day!

Put your best effort into whatever activity you're doing. For optimum calorie burning, you should be able to feel your heart beating (though not racing) and be slightly (but not very) out of breath. If you're sweating a little bit, that also shows the activity is working!

Using your arms as much as possible when exercising, for example swing them by your sides when walking or wave them around when dancing. Us the first two minutes of your particular activity to warm up gently, to help prevent any muscular aches tomorrow and also reduce the risk of straining or causing an injury. Wear comfortable clothes, whatever that you may decide to do. if you're walking or cycling to work, take a change of clothing and wear several layers in case you need to strip a layer off when you get warm.

If you find exercise boring, try to find new ways to keep yourself active. Think of all the things you liked to do as a child and try one or two again. it could be anything from cycling or swimming to playing badminton and even roller-blading! If you haven't worked out for a long while , check with your GP before starting any form of exercise.

Let's burn up those calories

Getting ready for the big day can be nerve raking for some bride-to-be especially when one is trying to lose some weight for that special day. Nevertheless, exercise doesn't have to be hard work. Get the balance just right and you can easily make it part of your everyday life.

In order to lose weight more effectively, try and do some kind of exercise. But that doesn't mean forcing yourself to jog miles or joining an expensive gym - big differences in the way we look and feel don't have to mean big sacrifices to make on our part. All you need do to lose half a pound of fat a week is incorporate an extra 250 calories worth of activity into your daily life.

The thought of doing something each day may seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. It's the little things that add up, such as parking further in the car park so you have to carry your shopping bag a little bit further.

Check references

First and foremost, only deal with companies that you know to be reputable. Obtaining references is easier than you think. Legitimate business people will always supply prospective customers with the names of previously satisfied clients (ask for at least three). It's up to you, however, to call them. Or, you might ask recently married friends and family for recommendations on where to shop. Failure to do this may lead to some disappointing surprises late on.

Be sure to get everything in writing for it is the best way to safeguard yourself against empty promises and hidden fees later on. Never pay any sum not even a small deposit without first signing a detailed contract that includes all points of the agreement including cancellation and refund policies. If you're not completely comfortable, don't sign on the spot. A reputable pro won't pressure you. If he does, don't hire him.