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Taking Time Out For YOU

Women are the consummate jugglers. We raise families, work full-time jobs or run successful businesses, take care of our homes, volunteer, act as chauffeur, are caregivers when someone is sick and, more frequently, assume the responsibility for aging parents. In short, it may feel like we’re on the go 24/7. It’s exhausting and dangerous. While you’re taking care of everyone else, the one person who needs the most care is ignored – you.

If you’ve flown on a plane before, you’ve heard the standard flight attendant advice about placing oxygen masks when traveling with small children – adults should put theirs on first.  While great advice, it flies in the face of what most women do on a daily basis.  You breathe life into so many other people and things that it’s easy to forget or ignore the fact […]

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By |June 8th, 2011|Personal Development, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Taking Time Out For YOU
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How Do You Know If Your Silver Is Good Quality?

So…you know your silver is real, but how do you know if it’s good quality?

Sterling Silver is actually really easy to test.  When our Buyers are evaluating silver here’s how we do it.  And don’t let our name GlitterBug Gold Parties fool ya.  We also buy silver as well. 

So first we file a small groove in an inconspicuous place on the piece. Then we drop nitric acid on the metal and watch the reaction. If your silver is good quality, the drop will turn a creamy milky white color. If it’s silver-plated brass, nickel silver or low-quality silver alloys, it will either turn green or start bubbling and smoking. Depending on the alloy, the reaction can be quite dramatic.

The National Gold and Silver Marketing Act doesn’t require precious metals to be marked with quality in the U.S. However, if a quality mark is used, that mark must include […]

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By |May 4th, 2011|Buying Jewelry, Gold Parties, Silver, Uncategorized|Comments Off on How Do You Know If Your Silver Is Good Quality?
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How Do You Know Your Silver Is Real?

All silver is NOT created equal.  Just because it might have a hallmark that indicates it’s silver (typically .925 or “ster” or “sterling”)…doesn’t mean it IS silver.  It’s possible your piece is silver plated, which means there is a think veneer of real silver overlay.  The “meat” of the piece so to speak, is made of some less expensive type of metal.  Here are some different types of silver to help you identify the different varieties.

  1. To be called Sterling Silver, the alloy must be at least 92.5% silver. This means the silver is blended with copper for the remaining 7.5%. Products made in the U.S. are typically stamped “Sterling” or “S.S.” You might also see “925” stamped on the product. This is most commonly used for goods sold internationally, which identifies the product as 92.5% pure.
  2. Argentium® Sterling Silver is a tarnish-resistant form of silver. A relative newcomer on the […]
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By |May 4th, 2011|Gold Parties, Silver, Uncategorized|Comments Off on How Do You Know Your Silver Is Real?
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Diamond Color & Cut

Let’s get started on our diamond estimating lesson! Today I’ll teach you about THE FOUR C’s that you need to be familiar with when buying or selling a diamond.

COLOR

• With the naked eye, most diamonds appear colorless, but they do have subtle shades of colors. Experts use the letter D (colorless) moving through all the letters all the way to Z (light yellow) in identifying them.

• A colorless diamond is chemically pure and structurally perfect. It lets through most of the light (perfectly transparent) and produces the most amount of brilliance.

• Most natural diamonds are imperfect, and colorless diamonds are very rare. The price increases as the color classification moves up the scale toward D.

• The diamond color is produced by chemical impurities or structural defects in the stone’s crystal pattern. It causes a yellowish to brownish tint.

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CUT

• This is the most important […]

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By |March 1st, 2011|Buying Jewelry, Diamonds, Selling Your Gold, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Diamond Color & Cut
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