6 Gifts You Should Never Give Your Girlfriend

It’s your girlfriend’s birthday or your first Christmas together, and you want to get her the best gift she’s ever had. Gifts mean a lot to women. The right gift tells her you’re thoughtful, observant, and you really understand her. The wrong one, however, can tell her just the opposite. Don’t get stuck in her Bad Boyfriends Book of Records. Here’s a list of the six worst gifts to give your girlfriend.

Exercise equipment. Nothing says, “I think you could stand to lose weight” like a Stairmaster. The same goes for a set of barbells, a Pilates instructional video, or a gym membership. Even if she’s talked about getting fit, this kind of gift will make her wonder whether you like her body the way it is.

If you really would like to see her exercising more, lead by example. Join the gym yourself. Chances are, when she sees how great you look and feel, she’ll be inspired to join as well. You could also take up a physical activity you could do as a couple, such as cycling, jogging, or hiking. To increase the chances she’ll get into it, pick an activity she’s expressed interest in before. It should also be one you can do relatively easily. Don’t decide to take up sea kayaking if you’re two hours’ drive from the ocean, for example, and don’t pick one that you need a lot of expensive equipment to get started in.

Cookware. The subliminal message here is “Get in the kitchen and make me some supper, woman!” This is a bad gift even if she’s expressed interest in cooking—or if you’d like her to. If you have a master chef for a girlfriend, it’s especially important to pass on this kind of gift. It’s likely she has everything she needs already, and most high-level cooks are picky about their equipment.

If you really would like to encourage her to cook more, start with some positive reinforcement. Praise the meals she does cook. If you tell her you see her as a great cook already, she’s more likely to take more of an interest in the culinary arts.

A vacuum cleaner. The same goes for feather dusters, mops, bottles of Pine-Sol, oven cleaner, Lemon-Scented Joy, and any other household cleaning products. These gifts tell her that you see her as more of a maid than a girlfriend.

A puppy. Animal gifts are tricky. Sure, puppies and kittens are adorable—but they’re also a lot of work. Food and vet bills can be expensive, and many pets require a change in lifestyle to take proper care of. For these reasons, it’s best not to surprise your girlfriend with a new pet.

Part of the fun is choosing the pet yourself. If your girlfriend has told you she wants a dog or cat, offer to take her to the local animal rescue shelter instead and pay for the pet she picks.

Something you want for yourself. You know you’ve been tempted to buy her that subscription to Fly Fishing magazine, new set of golf clubs, or Playstation II. Don’t do it! She’ll see through it instantly.

Jewellery. Jewellery has a great deal more meaning for most women than other gifts. If you give the right one, she’ll see it as a sign that you’re the right guy for her. If you get it wrong, however, at best she’ll laugh about it with her friends for ages. At worst, she could see it as grounds for doubt about the relationship. If you’re going to give her jewellery, you’d better get it right the first time.

What makes giving jewellery so difficult is that every woman has distinct tastes. The jewellery you pick could be too chunky, too eccentric, too classic, too delicate, too cheap-looking or expensive-looking for her. Some women never wear gold, some never wear silver, and most women have a preference for certain precious stones over others. If you really do want to give her jewellery, casually take her into a few stores. See how she reacts to the merchandise. Make note of any pieces she especially likes. Then go back later to buy them.

Most women don’t want practical gifts from their boyfriends. They want gifts that send a positive message about how you see them. A sparkling diamond bracelet tells her you see her as precious and beautiful. Elegant lingerie can tell her you see her as sexy and desirable. A book about something she finds fascinating tells her you take her interests seriously. However, it’s important to take her unique tastes into account before buying her any present. If you do, and if you follow our tips, you should be able to find her the perfect gift.

Gift Ideas For Your Wife Or Girlfriend

When buying gifts for a woman you want to treat her, to buy things she normally wouldn’t treat herself to or that she really wants but can’t justify spending the money on.

One thing to remember when reading the gift ideas - You know your wife or girlfriend and I don’t so no doubt you will have a lot more ideas based on what her likes and dislikes are from favourite colours to hobbies! If for some reason you don’t know what she likes, or even what her tastes are you better ring her best friend up!!

Little side note here…. If you are a woman reading this how about printing this page or leaving it open on the computer for him to “accidentally” find and read?!

On to the list………….

PERFUME - Now I’m afraid you can't guess at this! See what perfume she wears at the moment or what bottles she has on the dressing table - Is the bottle nearly empty? Is it full? If it’s half empty or with a drain left in the bottom it’s a good indication she uses it a lot and so likes it.

If it’s hardly been used then it may have been a gift or something which she bought and later decided was a mistake.

You could of course ask her which perfume she would like you to buy for Christmas but if you want it to be a surprise I would suggest the help of the empty bottle idea above making a note of the name and brand.

If that fails ask her best friend or the lady at the perfume counter for help.

JEWELLERY - Silver or gold? Earrings, necklace or bracelet? So many choices! Take her to a jewellery shop, or just “accidentally” browse through the window of one, before she can stop herself you will have a ton of ideas…. That’s nice, look at that, gorgeous…… Easy right? – Just make sure you get the right item which she was pointing at!

COSMETICS & TOILETRIES - Such as hand and face creams, moisturiser, bath items from foam balls to bubble bath and bath salts. Items that make her feel good, smell gorgeous and pamper her.

Make-up wise again, what does she use often that is nearly all gone? Fill her stocking up with those items whether it’s a lipstick, nail varnish or even a set of new makeup brushes or makeup bag.

GIFT VOUCHERS – Perfect for when you are not quite sure on something and for items that can’t be wrapped!

Buy vouchers for a massage/facial, a day trip to a health farm or for a manicure. Get gift certificates for her favourite book store, clothes shop or for underwear (Yes I know you guys love to buy us girls underwear but do you want her to wear it cos she likes it or because she has to wear it once to please you?!) – Remember that all women need pampering occasionally!

LINGERIE – Now I know you guys love to choose and buy us girls underwear but do you want her to wear it because she likes it or because she has to wear it once to please you?!

Be sure you know what her tastes are - plain or lacy, what colours, under wired bra or not, knickers or thongs? Also make sure you get the sizes right – A hint for this is to look at the labels in the items she wears often.

If you don’t know what her likes and dislikes are try pointing at things in catalogues or buying her gift vouchers.

MONEY-

You could wrap up some money with a note saying "Must buy something you really want!" Maybe put it in an envelope first and make sure she doesn’t rip straight through it!

BOOKS – Any types of books from the latest paperback novel to classics or arts and crafts, animals or photo books. Whatever she is interested in - Just try to see what types she likes to read or browse through - If she likes romance she probably wont be to happy with a crime or mystery book!

GOURMET ITEMS – From chocolates, wine, coffee, sweets such as toffees, even mints………. Whatever it is she likes buy her a selection of the most expensive, either put together yourself or a ready made gift basket if you can find it.

MAGAZINES - Whether you buy her some woman’s / fashion magazines or craft / art magazines even animals.... Whatever she is interested in.

You could buy individual magazines for her to browse through over Christmas or buy her a 6 month or yearly subscription to her favourite.

TIGHTS & SOCKS – One of those essential things great for filling her stocking up with. Take into account colour, size and denier for tights though. I guess you could take a clean pair out of her drawer to show to the lady in the shop….. I want this kind!

SCARF and GLOVES– How about a cashmere scarf or leather gloves?

STAMPS! - This fun idea came to me from a friend - He puts postage stamps in his wife's stocking as a gift from the cats!

PURSE/WALLET and BAG – Speaks for itself really, a girl can never have enough handbags!

CHOCOLATE - You really can’t go far wrong here! Does she like dark chocolate, milk or white. Does she have a favourite such as Belgium chocolates? You could choose to buy her expensive chocolates or general chocolate bars.

ITEMS for HOME – Ornaments / vase or pot / photo frame / painting or print / lamp / cushions……. You get the idea!

CANDLES - Does she like scented candles? Is there a particular make she likes? Are they for burning or for decoration?

Generally the more ornate the more us women hate to burn and spoil them!

STATIONARY - Writing paper / envelopes / pens / diary / journal / notebooks

UMBRELLA

ALCHOHOL - Bottle of wine, vodka or whatever she drinks – If she is a vodka drinker how about a selection pack of the different flavours?

CALENDER

CD’S - Does her favourite band or singer have a new album out which you know she doesn’t have?

DVD’S - Which films has she seen at the cinema or rented at home that she really enjoyed? What’s the new film out that you think she would like?

FLOWERS – Whether a plant, a bouquet, fake flowers or packets of seeds for the garden lover.

HOBBY & INTERESTS – All those things she is interested in and likes whether that is art and crafts, cooking, crystals, angels, sewing, sport, reading, photography, gardening or animals.

Now you should have lots of ideas on how to treat the lady in your life, just remember what her likes and dislikes are when shopping – Remember If it all goes wrong and you choose the wrong item at least she can’t say you didn’t try!

Wedding Band, Information and History Of Wedding Bands

History and Meaning Of Wedding Bands:

The wedding band has been worn as a symbol of marriage for many centuries. Few people know that it was not always a silver or gold wedding band that was worn, the earliest wedding bands were made of the stem from a plant. The Egyptians are credited with creating and wearing the first wedding band and this was cut out from the stem of a plant. The circular shape of the Eyptian wedding band was supposed to represent, never ending love. The Romans gave the same meaning to their wedding bands, but gave it to their lady with the aim of staking their 'claim' or 'ownership' to her. Wedding bands gained popularity in ancient Asia too and in the Middle East, puzzle ring wedding bands were worn by ladies to prove faithfulness to their husband. A puzzle wedding band is actually made up of many rings that, when worn correctly fit together to form a band ring. A lady who wore a wedding band showed to the world, that she was married and would be faithful to her husband. If she ever took the ring off her finger, it would be very difficult for her to get the puzzle rings correctly together again and the husband would know that his wife had been unfaithful. In colonial America, jewelry was considered to have no moral value and was largely prohibited. Ladies wore thimbles as engagement or promise rings, after marriage the bottom portion of the thimble was taken off leaving just the top portion on the finger. This looked quite like a wedding band and the tradition carried on for many years.

Marriage is a solemn commitment between two individuals to stay together in good times and bad. The wedding band has gradually evolved from the original plant stem and people today wear wedding bands made from precious metals like gold, silver and platinum. Extravagant wedding bands studded with precious gemstones and diamonds are now quite common. You could wear a simple wedding band made from gold or silver or go for a stunning diamond set wedding band, but the meaning and significance of your wedding band will remain the same. It requires an earnest commitment from the husband and wife to make a marriage work and the relationhip flourish, a wedding band is a symbol of marriage and just one part of the institution of marriage.

Wedding Band, Gold Options:

The gold option for wedding bands would include the consideration of 14k or 18k gold for your wedding band. Another aspect would be the selection of yellow or white gold for the ring and also include the option for a two tone wedding band that combines white and yellow gold in the same ring. The main difference between 14k and 18k gold is the gold content in the two, 14k gold has around 58% pure gold and 42% of an alloy of other metals. 18K gold has 75% of pure gold and 25% of other metal alloys. From this comparison it would appear that, 18k gold with a higher content of pure gold would always be better for making jewelry. However the important fact is that 14k gold is much harder than 18k gold and hardness is important in many jewels. For example, in the case of men's wedding bands or large rings and even wedding bands with many gemstones or diamonds, good hardness is required to make the wedding band sturdy and also keep the gemstones and diamonds firmly mounted. The choice of a 14k wedding band or an 18k wedding band would depend on the size of the ring, the frequency with which the wedding band would be worn, the number of gems and diamonds in the ring and also the conditions in which the ring would be worn.

The choice of a white gold wedding band or a wedding band in yellow gold would largely depend on personal likes and dislikes. Both yellow and white gold wedding bands will have the same degree of hardness. There is one important consideration when choosing the gold color for your wedding band, a dark colored gemstone would appear even darker when set in white gold. This is because of the stark color contrast between the white gold and the dark colored gemstone.

The two tone wedding band offers an interesting option especially in cases where plain wedding bands are made without gemstones or diamonds. You can choose to have a white gold wedding band with only the edges made in yellow gold or vice versa. Even simple diamond wedding bands can be made with the two tone gold option to add a touch of elegance to the ring.

Choosing The Finishing For Your Wedding Band:

The finishing of wedding bands can change the overall look and feel of your ring. There are three main types of finishing used in rings. The first type is the high polish finish which is also the most common. The second type is a dull or brushed finish that is produced by a process referred to as 'sand blasting'. White gold wedding bands with diamonds are quite often made with the dull finish, as this gives the ring a sophisticated and expensive look. It is also possible to combine finish types in the same wedding band. For example, a two tone wedding band could have the entire ring in a dull finish leaving just the edges with a high polish look. The third type of finish is not very common and provides a hammered look to the wedding band. The outside of the ring is created with an uneven surface and is more suited for a man wedding band.

Gemstone Wedding Bands:

Wedding bands with gemstones are getting to be quite popular and the design selections are huge. However, you need to select the right type of gemstone depending on the design of your wedding band. A large gemstone wedding band will make it necessary to create a large band width for the ring and this might not be to your liking. You can also increase the meaning and significance of a wedding band by setting a birthstone in the ring. Some gemstones need special care when jewelry is worn or stored so make sure that your jeweller keeps you well informed. You can check your birthstone from our detailed birthstone charts at this link www.kaisilver.com/birth-chart-stone.htm. Another important thing about a gem stone wedding band is the way the gem stone is set in the ring. Prong type of settings tend to stick in pockets and other places, this causes the gemstone to loosen as the prongs gradually open up. Thin prongs can also poke or scratch delicate skin. A good option for setting the gemstone in your gem stone wedding band is to border the entire gemstone with gold. If the design of your wedding band requires the gem stone to be set using prongs, ensure that the prongs are sturdy and do not include any sharp edges.

Diamond Wedding Band:

Wedding bands with diamonds can be made with a diamond as the main stone of the ring or with diamonds as the side stones. Diamonds are quite expensive especially in larger sizes and this causes the price tag of a diamond wedding band to be quite stiff. There is one important aspect that you should know before buying diamond wedding bands and that is about the appearance of the diamonds. Cheap quality diamonds are available but look awful, these diamonds will be opaque and have a powdery look. When you think of a diamond wedding band you will imagine the glitter and glamour of diamonds on your finger, so make sure that the diamonds in the ring will look gorgeous at least to the naked eye. Such diamonds will not be the best quality but a wedding band with these would look awesome and yet not cost you a fortune. Most jewellers will not want to tell you this as, all they wait want is to push the best diamond at a massive price and reap huge profit margins from a single sale! Diamond wedding bands are generally made in white gold and combined with a dull finish look simply stunning.

Round diamonds are the most common shape and wedding bands with round diamonds are therefore very popular. Next is the square or princess cut diamond that is a good choice for a diamond wedding band. Fancy shaped diamonds include heart shape diamonds, pear shaped diamonds and even trillion shaped diamonds. A wedding band with a fancy shape diamond would carry a premium price tag as fancy shaped diamonds are quite rare and therefore quite expensive.

Most diamonds that we talk of are white diamonds which are actually colorless. You will however notice that quite a few diamond wedding bands have diamonds that are yellow, blue, green or a few other colors. For colored diamonds you have two options, the first option is to use natural colored diamonds which are terribly expensive. The next option is more affordable as, white diamonds are treated to enhance and change color and then available as colored diamonds. You should remember that a diamond that is color enhanced has the same hardness as compared to a naturally white diamond. Colored diamonds are a good choice for wedding bands where diamonds are used as side stones to add accent to the center gem stone. For example, a blue sapphire wedding band could have a prominent blue sapphire in the center with small blue diamonds on either side.

Wedding Band Pair:

Since marriage is a commitment of two individuals staying together for the rest of their lives, a pair of wedding bands symbolises the feeling of togetherness and unity. A wedding band pair is basically two wedding bands with a similar design, one for the bride and the other for the bridegroom. The difference between the rings could be just the size of the wedding band or a difference in gemstones set in the pair of wedding bands. In general, it is expected that, the men's wedding band would have a slightly wider band width as compared to the wedding band worn by the lady. In cases where a wedding band pair is made with birthstones, each ring could have the birthstone of the person wearing the ring. It is now becoming a popular trend to wear wedding band pairs where, the husband and wife exchange their birthstone in each others rings. These rings can be worn as white gold wedding band pairs or as as a pair of wedding bands in yellow gold.

Wedding Bands and Long Term Durability:

This is perhaps the most important issue concerning wedding bands, it is also the issue that is down played the most by sellers and jewellers. As a symbol of life long commitment for two individuals to live together forever, a wedding band should be strong and long lasting. This would mean that wedding bands would be made with good gold weight, good design and gemstones that are durable and well mounted. As expected, buyers are impressed by the design of wedding bands and the price tag! Sellers are aware of this and flood markets with merchandise that is light and flimsy and bearing a 'friendly' price tag. The main point to understand is that these low priced wedding bands are cheap only in the short term. In the long run, you will end up paying expensive repairs and modification costs and this will add up to the final cost of owning the wedding band. In some cases, low gold weight could also mean badly mounted gemstones and diamonds, this could result in the stones dropping off! For stones like diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and even tanzanite, the cost of gemstone could easily exceed the value of the gold in your wedding band. Replacing such a stone would burn ! a deep hole in your wallet.

Custom Wedding Band:

It is not very difficult to find readymade wedding bands as most jewellers would stock a selection of these rings. However, given the meaning and significance of a wedding band, most buyers would like to have a wedding band that is personalized to their liking and preference. You might come across a wedding band with a stunning design, but the gemstone might not be what you wanted. The gemstone that you prefer may be set in a wedding band that has a lousy design! A custom wedding band can be made with a design of your choice and include the gemstone or diamond that you need. The gold color, ring size, finish type can all be handled as you please. Another important thing to note is that, most readymade wedding bands would be made with the intention of attracting mass markets. This also means that they will compromise on gold weight and also gemstone quality inorder to keep the price tag attractive. For a ring that is as important as a wedding band, you will be better off ordering a custom wedding band where you are not expected to compromise on anything.

You can find a complete report on wedding bands at this link: http://www.weddingband.kaijewels.com/wedding-band-information-kj-01.htm you will also see good examples of how wedding bands should be.

Will be back with more interesting information regarding gemstones and jewelry.

Thanks and God Bless.

Ms.Tuk
http://www.kaisilver.com

Vintage Plastics; Bakelite, Celluloid and Lucite

Antique and Vintage Bakelite Jewelry plus all Antique and Vintage Plastics including Celluloid, Lucite, Bakelite Kitchenware, Flatware, Utensils and Collectibles have gained significant respect and are being sought after more and more each year since more are being collected by all generations.

Many people don't realize how many objects in their home when they were growing up was actually made from Bakelite and Lucite. Kitchen Clocks, That Plastic Radio that played all the time, The Handles of Flatware and Utensils, Egg Beaters, Ice Cream Scoopers, The Tops of Sugar Shakers, Can Openers, Pot Handles and so much more were made from Bakelite and Lucite. Even Telephones were made from Bakelite. The Marriage of Bakelite and Lucite showed itself in Two-tone Flatware and Costume Jewelry and is not limited to solids only. A variety of Patterns such as Checkerboards, Dots, Animals, Pearlized Designs, End-Of-Day in a Vast array of Colors were produced. Spoons with Bakelite Handles are hardest to find since Boxed Bakelite Kitchenware Flatware Sets were mostly sold with only the Forks and Knives for Picnics and Luncheons. If you can, have a look around Grandmas or Moms Kitchen and Jewelry Box. I bet you'll find some Wonderful Collectible Bakelite that you never noticed before.

Plastics such as Bakelite were primarily made to provide the public with less expensive items especially during the hardships of World War II. Incredibly Plastics such as Celluloid have been around since the 1800's!

Celluloid was invented by John Wesley Hyatt in 1869 and was widely used in 1890-1917 all through the Victorian Era, Art Nouveau and parts of the Art Deco Period. Because Celluloid is highly flammable, manufacturing was for a limited time and had discontinued until safer plastics had been introduced, making Vintage and Antique Celluloid Jewelry Highly Collectible today.

Bakelite on the other hand is unmeltable. It is an early Polymeric Plastic made from a Phenol Formaldehyde Resin invented by Leo Hendrik Baekeland in 1907 while he was trying to invent a varnish.

Be gentle with your Bakelite and wash them by hand. A Dishwashing Machine will ruin the finish. Always buy what you like and be Creative with All Vintage Plastics. Display your Bakelite, Celluloid, Lucite Brooches and Jewelry in a Lucite Box in your Livingroom as a conversation piece. Design your Kitchen with Vintage Bakelite Utensils, Cookware and Appliances for a Fantastic Vintage Appearance. And always Buy from reputable and knowledgeable dealers.

To Read and See about more Antique and Vintage Bakelite Jewelry, Bakelite Kitchenware such as Flatware and Utensils, Celluloid and Lucite Jewellery from the Victorian, Art Deco Era into the 1960's, check out our YEARS AFTER Shop at http://www.rubylane.com/shops/yearsafter

How To Own Stylish & Elegant Jewellery Without Breaking The Bank!

10 facts about affordable gold or rhodium plaited jewellery that is suitable for both casual wear and for special occasions, and which does not have to be stored in a vault!

* A gemstone is a mineral that has been cut or faceted then polished, examples of gemstones are quartz, jasper, amethyst, Ruby and Malachite.

* Facets are flat faces on geometric shapes, that either occur naturally in crystalline structures or as in the case of gemstones are cut into them to improve their appearance. Faceting is usually applied to transparent gemstones.

* The Moh’s scale of mineral hardness characterises the scratch resistance of minerals through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer one.

* Softer gemstones with a Moh’s hardness scale of less than 7 are easily scratched by dust and grit. On the Moh scale a window pane has a Moh scale rating of 5.5, whilst Quartz is 7, Topaz is 8, and Diamond is 10. In fact Diamond is fifteen times more harder than quartz.

* Rhodium is a hard silvery white and durable metal with a high reflectance. The reflective properties of Rhodium make it suitable for jewellery products.

* Rhodium flashing is known in the jewellery trade as the process of electroplating; whereby a white gold metal is placed in a rhodium salt solution and when an electrical current is passed through the metal the white gold is coated with a thin layer of rhodium. This process gives the rhodium plaited metal a highly reflective white surface.

* Rhodium has a Moh’s hardness of 6 compared to Silver and Gold that both have a Moh’s hardness of just 2.5.

* Cutting is usually applied to opaque gemstones that are impenetrable to visible light while faceting is mainly carried out on transparent gems. As softer gemstones are more readily scratched so they are shaped and polished in order to reduce any visible signs of scratching.

* Rhodium belongs to the group of Platinum metals and is considered to be an even more precious metal than silver.

* By definition, a Cabouchon is a gemstone that has been shaped and polished making attractive jewellery for all occasions.