{Sponsor} SimplyBridal - For All Brides To-Be

SimplyBridal

SimplyBridal.com, your online wedding dress store sells a wide variety of wedding gowns from Satin a-line wedding dresses to Taffeta wedding dresses.  Simply Bridal is dedicated to sell 100% custom made dresses at a low price.  All wedding dresses are produced only after orders are placed so that you are guaranteed the perfect fit.  Each piece is hand made by expert seamstresses who are experienced in producing beautifully constructed wedding gowns.  Let Simply Bridal do the work and fall in love with the wedding dress of your dreams.

This online retail is now offering an exclusive 15% off all purchases.  Simply enter the special discount code during the standard checkout process.  This substantial discount is offered for a limited period only.  Ladies, here’s your chance!

{Sponsor} Whiteflash - Is Your Engagement Ring Covered?

The
 average engagement ring costs over $1,500 yet many of us forget to get adequate coverage in case it is lost or stolen. While you can never replace your ring’s emotional value, there are ways you can insure its monetary value. Purchasing jewelry insurance doesn’t have to be complicated.

When planning a romantic proposal, insuring a valuable gift is not necessarily the first thing that springs to mind, so we are reminding people to make sure expensive jewelry is fully covered.

First, get your ring valued by a jeweler or appraiser, who should give you a valuation certificate.

Then check if it’s covered by your home and contents insurance policy.

Once you’ve got your insurance, take a photo of your ring, as this will help your insurer to process any claim more quickly.

Finally, if you lose your ring, inform your insurer immediately, and if it’s stolen, contact the police and get a crime reference number, as this is essential for a theft claim.

How to ensure valuable jewelry is fully protected against theft or loss

Have expensive jewelry items valued every two years

Tell your insurer about any items of particularly high value, and keep any valuation certificates or receipts in case you need to make a claim in the future

Take photographs of your valuable items as these can also help insurers to process your claim more easily

Don’t advertise jewelry to thieves – ideally, when not in use, keep it in a safe or lockable cabinet. 'Safe' places – such as under the bed or in your bedside drawers – tend to be the first places burglars look

If you are wearing precious items that have been passed down through generations, ensure you get an up-to-date valuation on these and take out additional ‘away from home' cover

Don’t dismiss jewelry you never wear. This should still be taken into account when estimating the value of your home contents

This is an incredibly busy time in your life. Do yourself a favor and go with an insurance company that the jewelry vendor recommends. The store may even be able to set it all up right then and there. This way, it’s done and taken care of and you won’t need to worry about it again for at least a year. You’ve spent a lot of time finding the perfect ring, take 10 minutes and make sure you have a good insurance policy for it in case something happens.

Provided by Whiteflash

{Sponsor} Whiteflash - How to Tell CZ from Diamond

Diamond stimulants like CZ may be suitable for costume jewelry, and the average person in casual circumstances may not know the difference between a CZ and a natural diamond.  However, no professional will be fooled and laymen who would like to know the difference between diamond and CZ can try these fun and easy tests:

The Huff Test
Hold the stone in question next to a diamond and "huff" on them with your hot breath. Both stones will fog up. The diamond will clear up rapidly, while a CZ will take a little longer. This is due to diamond's greater thermal conductivity.

The Flash Test
When a CZ is upside down and backlit (light coming through the crown, viewed from the pavilion side) its pavilion facets will often "flash" orange.

The Weight Test
CZ is 80% heavier than diamond. Hint: This will show up pretty fast when she's comparing items with her friends.

The RI Water Test
Put the CZ a glass of water, along with a diamond. A CZ (with a 2.2 refractive index versus diamond's 2.42) will appear more "transparent" than a diamond. It will look more "washed out", or "ghostlike" compared to a diamond.

The Dispersion Water Test
In a dark room, put the stone in question in the bottom of a glass alongside a diamond, face down. Lift the glass up a couple inches, and shine a flashlight down on them vertically from above. Diamond has a dispersion of 0.44, while CZ's is 0.66, 50% more. You will see a circular pattern of light images under the stones which has been "stretched out" into a rainbow spectrum. If one of the stones is a CZ, its rainbow spectrum will be 50% longer, more "stretched out" than a diamond. The difference in look is obvious.

The Give It As An Engagement Ring Test
Give the stone in question to your fiancée as an engagement ring. If she throws it back in your face within 24 hours, it is a CZ.  This is the most decisive test of all of them.

Provided by Whiteflash

{Sponsor} Whiteflash - How to Clean Your Diamond Jewelry

Everyday cleaning products can leave scum deposits on the diamond leaving it looking dull and lifeless. Once build up has occurred, the diamond's beauty becomes hidden underneath all of the grime. The diamonds sparkle and brilliance depend on the ability of the diamond to refract light. 

How to Clean Diamond Jewelry Properly

1. A small bowl that is deep enough to be filled with the mild liquid cleaner and cover the diamond jewelry to be cleaned.
2. A bowl of clean water that the ring can be rinsed in.
3. A very gentle brush, something that will not scratch the metal setting on the ring (i.e. a soft bristle tooth brush)
4. A lint free cloth

The jewelry will need to soak in the mixture for around fifteen minutes to loosen the dirt and weaken and film or buildup. Gently scrub the diamond or precious stone with the soft brush, rinse frequently in the water bowl and continue to gently scrub the ring. If there is debris built up in the bottom of the stone between the stone and the setting, gently pry loose any dirt that may have built up. Give the ring a final rinse by swishing it around in the water bowl. Use the soft lint free cloth to thoroughly dry the ring. Your diamond jewelry should now be full of sparkle and brilliance.

To keep things sparkly avoid wearing your jewelry when applying hand cream, hair products, perfume or when you perform any work that involves chemicals or dirt.

A Few Tips from the Experts:

If the diamond has been fracture filled than you can only clean it with a mild detergent. The material that is used as the fracture filler can turn color over time when exposed to the ammonia.

If the diamond has not been fracture filled than a combination of water and ammonia can be used to clean it.

Special precautions should be taken with antique jewelry where the setting may be unstable and is probably best to leave it up to the professionals.

Provided by Whiteflash