How to spot a Cubic Zirconia

Cubic zirconia, or CZ, is known as the best substitute for real diamonds. It possesses almost all diamond like qualities and is hard to distinguish from a real diamond by the naked eye. So stunning and brilliant is the appearance of a fine cut CZ that it can even put a real diamond to shame, and conmen around the world have been known to use this to their advantage. However, there are certain characteristic features of CZ and some effective ways of confidently establishing the identity of a CZ.

1)A Cubic Zirconia appears no different from a real diamond and the difference is very hard to tell for the naked eye. Use a magnifying glass to closely examine. Upon close inspection, one can see that the brilliance and luster of CZ are slightly less than a real diamond.

2)The surface should be carefully and closely examined under a lens to look for signs of corrosion, damage or scratches. Surfaces and facets of CZ are likely to suffer damage due to wear and tear, whereas it is rare in diamonds.

3)Compare the weights of a CZ crystal with a real diamond of exactly the same size and specifications. CZ weighs more than real diamonds when similar volumes are weighed.

4)CZ is manufactured artificially and hence is made free from flaws and has perfect symmetrical cuts, facets and glimmering polish. A real diamond upon close examination reveals that it is not as perfect and is likely to have impurities and flaws as it is naturally occurring and not manufactured by man. Precise cuts like CZ cannot be made upon a diamond and it also lacks the precise symmetry of a CZ.

5)Hold a CZ and a diamond against light. A real diamond will show uneven coloration and is not totally transparent. Impurities and flaws create translucent spots in the body of a diamond. Contrary to this, a CZ is perfectly transparent, mostly colorless, evenly colored and in exotic shades incase of colored CZ and never contains any impurities or blind spots. Also, real diamonds are opaque to x-rays whereas CZ acts just like normal glass.

6)A diamond is the hardest known substance to man. A diamond can withstand tremendous physical pressure and shock, whereas a CZ is likely to turn to powder after a single strike of a hammer.

With these checks, anyone can distinguish between a Cubic Zirconia and a real diamond.

Web Search Labels: CZ jewelry, CZ bracelets, Cubic Zirconia rings

Article source: How to spot a Cubic Zirconia from Fashion Jewelry

Korean Celebrities in Christmas Glitter Comment

Christmas is coming. Christmas, which is celebrated on 25th December every year, is one of the most celebrated day in the world. It is more than a ritual event, as now it turns into a holiday party.

However, Christmas now has turned into a commercial transaction in which the importance of the receipt of donations from the birth of Jesus Christ. It is now, had very little idea of a Christmas gift to give, and it was only the 20th century it became the holidays.

Christmas in Korea is not same with in other countries in western. Christmas is not the largest holidays on the Korean Calender, therefore, Korean Christmas celebrations also do not have multiple gifts.

Because the holiday is not as popular or widespread in Korea, it is more traditional to give a relative or close friend one thoughtful gift rather than several presents. Because of the Western influence that has brought Christmas to Korea, the celebrations also usually lack specific ceremonies to honor one’s ancestors, which are normally a significant part of major Korean holidays.

But if you find somethings to give as a present for your Christmas holiday, a celebrities glitter for Christmas Comment can be a choice.

Take a look of these Christmas saying glitter. The photos with a Korean Celebrity saying Merry Christmas.


More Korean Christmas Comment at CelebrityGlitter.com



More Korean Christmas Comment at CelebrityGlitter.com



More Korean Christmas Comment at CelebrityGlitter.com



More Korean Christmas Comment at CelebrityGlitter.com

Holiday Gift Shopping

In the San Antonio area, come down to the 30th Annual Holiday Showcase at the Freeman Coliseum!

Saturday/9:00am-5:00pm
Sunday/10:00am-5:00pm

Timeless Designs and Jewelry by CnC will be there; in the main building on the floor, all the way to the back under the overhang, last booth on the right!


The “Big One’ is billed as the largest craft and gift show in South Texas; with over 400 vendors between the main building and two outer barns.

Shop among vendors from Texas and across the United states; bring your list to get in on great deals, shop a variety of vendors, eat a little, shop a little, enjoy a lot and get your shopping done all under, three roofs!


And to wet your appetite for your holiday gift giving, we’ll have pendants, wire designs, stone designs, and much more!

These are just a snag of what will be there….hurry, the designs are custom for a truly unique gift for that one-of-kind personality!

Check out the websites for more designs....
Timeless Designs
Jewelry by CnC

Cibus Corner: A Rebuttal

Odi et Amo Editor's Note: A few weeks ago two very dear friends of mine (let's call them DK and his lovely wife and sous-chef KK) submitted the following post as a rebuttal of sorts to my sister's Cibus Corner post on her favorite autumn dishes. Given that they're both medical residents in Boston and have approximately 30 minutes (combined!) a week to devote to recreational activities like cooking and blogging, I was beyond impressed that (a) they found time to write a post for Odi et Amo and (b) that they're still managing to cook up amazing, gourmet dinners every now and then. Since their post is devoted to a wonderful fall (vegetarian!) dish that also happen to be healthly, I thought this post would be particularly appropriate this weekend as we head into Thanksgiving and the start of yet another fattening holiday season.

Sous-chef KK and I had been looking forward to the return of Cibus Corner for a very, very long time, and I am sorry to admit that we were a little disappointed in this most recent installment. Namely this is because Chef Babs already gave us the recipe for Grandma Christine’s delicious apple cake several years ago, and it is hard to get excited about being given a recipe for a second time. Maybe the rest of the adoring public won’t follow me on that one; but let me also point out that anyone who knows Chef Babs knows that her claiming to have a favorite cookbook written by someone who isn't Nigella Lawson is a lie. And Averill, those Martha Stewart pictures—how is anybody going to share a meal on that dining room table if it is covered from end to end with giant gourds? I’m just saying.

We therefore undertake it upon ourselves to offer a rebuttal to Chef Babs’ most recent column and propose our own autumn dinner fantasy. It happens to be (mostly/optionally) vegetarian, and this is because I think the most exciting parts of the fall table are the seemingly exotic vegetables that many of us have seen at the table but not necessarily eaten, or at least not often. For example: the gourds on Martha Stewart’s barn-home dining table. I pulled our main course from my favorite New York Times kitchen serial, “Recipes for Health” by Martha Rose Shulman. I find myself turning more and more frequently to this column as the months go on—not because I am trying to cut calories but because Ms. Shulman does such a wonderful job of introducing me to new food items that I otherwise wouldn’t know how to cook. My opinion is that unless you have a medical condition dictating otherwise, one of the most important elements of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is variety in what you eat (and I’m an MD, so my opinion matters).

Winter Squash Gratin

The recipe is called winter squash gratin, and you can find the original here. Meanwhile, this is what I did with it:

Ingredients:

2 acorn squash

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 eggs

½ cup skim milk

½ cup grated Gruyere

¼ cup grated Parmesan

olive oil

salt and pepper

herbes de provence (or mixed herbs of your choice)

1. Cut acorn squash in half, remove seeds/strings and rub with olive oil. Roast cut-side down at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool, peel, and then mash with a fork in a large bowl.

2. Cook the onion in 1T olive oil over medium-high heat until soft. Add the garlic and herbes de provence and cook for another minute. Mix into the mashed acorn squash and season with salt and pepper to taste (about 1t salt and 1/2t pepper).

3. Whisk the milk and eggs together and add to the squash mixture. Then add the Gruyere. Pour into an oiled pie-dish and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes (should be starting to get brown on top).

When this comes out of the oven, it is a lot like a quiche only with a heavy vegetable element. It would be perfectly reasonable to bake this in a pie-crust (Nigella’s pizza rustica crust being my choice) as if it were a quiche, and in fact it went very well with bread when we ate it. Another good option would be to cook about 4oz of chopped bacon in the pan before step 2 and frying the onions in 1T bacon fat instead of olive oil. This would make this meal a little fattier, but it doesn’t completely undermine the nutritional value of the squash. I also think it might be interesting to use pumpkin instead of acorn squash, add a little more spice to the mixture (cinnamon, chili powder, cumin) and turn this into a savory pumpkin pie. I’ll let you know if I come up with a recipe that works.

On this occasion, we served the gratin with Ina Garten’s cream of fresh tomato soup. The benefit of early- to mid-fall is that you can still find good tomatoes, although this becomes harder as you get closer to winter. The tomatoes we used weren’t perfect, but the soup still turned out great. The croutons are essential, and they have to be home-made—just bake slices or cubes of bread (stale or fresh is OK) brushed with olive oil and salt and pepper (Parmesan and/or garlic won’t hurt) at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. All of this went magnificently well with our house staples of under priced red wine from Trader Joe’s and a few chilled bottles of San Pellegrino.

For dessert, well, we bought a pumpkin pie. In an ideal world, I think it is better not to have squash pie for dinner followed by squash pie for dessert, but sometimes we don’t plan everything out as we should. At any rate, we heaped whipped cream (Aunt Joe Ann’s recipe, of course, which is still the best I’ve found) on it and were very happy. In fact, we could have foregone the pumpkin pie and just eaten the cream. But if I had to plan it over again, I can't think of any better dessert to go with all of this than Grandma Christine's apple cake.

Photography Credits: Martha Stewart Living and The New York Times.

CZ Jewelry Anytime

Many women wear a watch and a wedding band everyday, so why not wear sparkly jewelry that makes you feel good too? Today, rhinestone CZ jewelry isn’t just worn for events that require an R.S.V.P. Instead, it’s become a day to day fashion phenomenon that stylistas just can’t get enough of. Here, we take a look at some of the different ways that Cubic Zirconia jewelry can be worn, what works, and what doesn’t.

Flashback – Retro or vintage looking Cubic Zirconia jewelry is quite charming, even if it simply looks like it has a “story” behind it. If you like the look, seek out oxidized silver settings that are romantic and just plain pretty.

To the Office – Cubic Zirconia jewelry in the workplace is just fine – if you wear it in moderation. Focus on one key piece like a great necklace, a killer cocktail ring or an oversize broach. Make this the emphasis of your outfit.

For a Hot Date – If you’re getting ready to go out with your guy, go for classic pieces that are fun and colorful. There’s no need to pile it on – as you don’t want to appear high maintenance, or over-accessorized. A few brilliant bangles or a fabulous pendant are both great ways to go.

On the Weekend – If you’ve on the way to a social event like a concert or a club, then by all means, break out the CZ jewelry that you’ve been saving, and wear it with confidence. Turn any little black dress from boring and basic to sexy and chic. Remember, you don’t have to show skin to capture his attention – do it with CZ jewelry instead.

For a Party – Cubic Zirconia jewelry can turn jeans and a blouse in a fashion forward outfit worthy of getting you on the best dressed list at the party. Break out a favorite pair of earrings or a bold multi-strand bracelets, throw on your favorite heels and grab a clutch – you’ll be ready to go in no time.

Article source: CZ Jewelry Anytime

More Places To Shop!!!

Ok, You will be very excited to know that I have been hard at work searching for more sites that are dedicated to modest STYLISH clothing, cause honestly, some of the stuff out there is modest, but looks like something puritan women wore back in the 17th or 18th century. So the sites that make the cut are as follows:

Funky Frum, I found their website to be very clean and professional looking. Easy to use, clothes were very nice, they had a wide variety of styles and sizes, and the prices were moderate.

 http://www.funkyfrum.com/

Christa-Taylor.com is another great website, I love their dresses and will be making several purchases from there next week. Their clothes selection will have you looking fly for any occasion and easily take you from a day time office look, to dinner with friends.

http://www.christa-taylor.com/

We all know swimwear can be a big issue when it comes to modesty, but I think Lime Ricki hit a home run when it comes to modest swimwear that won't have you looking like a grandma at the beach or that next pool party.

http://www.limericki.com/

Who wore it better?

One of my favorite features in all those gossip magazines is the old-standby "Who Wore it Better"? Not only am I consistently amazed at how the same dress can look completely different on two different women, but I love to see how different people accessorize the same dress or blouse to make it suit their own tastes and style. I initially bought this darling pink winter holiday coat for my Christmas cards (the idea was to have a posed picture of Olivia in said coat underneath the Christmas tree...we'll see if she cooperates next week). My mother though, couldn't resist trying it on her own dachshund Beatrice and taking pictures of both dogs decked out in their holiday duds. {Oh and, if you're interested, I purchased the outfit here.}

So what do you think? Who wore it better? While my mom posed the same question earlier this week on her blog, Olivia was a bit disappointed by the obviously biased results. Ever the princess, she has demanded a new vote -- this time, with votes polled anonymously (so no pressure!).

And while we're on the subject of dressing up canines, what are your thoughts on the matter? Cute or cruel? I don't as a habit dress Olivia -- I figure she's cute enough on her own. But I can't deny the temptation has been there whenever I spy a particularly cute doggie sweater. If the weather in Houston were cold enough to justify the price tag, I'm not sure I could resist getting Olivia this for the holiday season.

But back to the matter at hand: --

poll by twiigs.com