Friday, 28 May 2010 10:00
The stock market has fluctuated significantly over the past decade, the housing market has collapsed, and the Euro’s reputation and value has tanked. A large number of banks and firms have failed due to a unstable economy and a lot of the notions of a good investment opportunity have changed. A money market account no longer gives you a better return than the rate of inflation. The bottom line: What’s the best way to protect your savings and safeguard your money for the future? Investing in a precious commodity like gold.
While the S&P 500 had negative returns in the last ten years, gold’s value has risen an astounding 275%. This means an annual return on investment of 14.1%, and more recently, since 2008 gold prices have jumped 70%. (Source: Forbes.com) While the economy has been in bad shape and fluctuated significantly over the last decade, gold prices remained strong and have only increased in value.
Gold has typically been considered the safest and most popular investment option out of all the precious metals. More specifically, gold is the oldest form of currency, and has been used as such for over 5,000 years. Since gold is a natural resource, there is only a limited amount available, and eventually there will be no more left to mine. Couple this with the fact that the demand for gold and jewelry is only going to increase as population grows; it isn’t hard to predict that gold prices will only continue to rise in the future.
In fact, one of the first reasons jewelry was created was not just for physical attractiveness or beauty. The idea was that by turning the precious metal into a piece of jewelry like a gold ring or bracelet, it could be worn and kept on the body at all times for safekeeping. When times were rough, or money was tight, the jewelry could be melted down and easily sold, still retaining much of its original value. This makes gold much more valuable than silver, which is much harder to recover once it has been made into a finished product. Almost all of the gold ever mined is still in use today, while a lot of the silver mined is not.
Whether you are looking for a safe way to invest your money or you are simply looking to show your affection for a loved one, jewelry is and always will be one of the best long-term options you could have. By purchasing a well made piece of jewelry, you are making an investment in something that is going to last a long time. As the saying goes, a diamond is forever. Well, that may be true, but so is gold.
Check out the selection at www.MyTrioRings.com for gold jewelry and diamond wedding rings and wedding bands that are quality manufactured to create lasting memories and value. Other forms of jewelry, such as pendants, bracelets, and earrings will soon be added to the growing selection to help you diversify your investment, and to provide different avenues for expressing your love and devotion.
Tuesday, 04 May 2010 17:49
The My Trio Rings team came across one over-the-top proposal story should get your creative juices flowing! To help inspire more amazing proposal stories, we have put together some practical tips for those trying to figure out the best way to go about it. Whether you have already proposed or are trying to figure out what the best way to do so would be, this is a great read!
One Awesome Wedding Proposal Story:
I’m not saying that I know any more about love and marriage than anyone else. However, when someone asks me what my greatest idea was, only one comes to mind – my family.
It all started when I was trying to get votes. Not for myself, but for Atlanta mayoral candidate Maynard Jackson. My firm had been hired to help him win the election.
Maynard Jackson’s campaign for mayor of Atlanta was a victory, too. The new mayor was incredibly gracious and thankful. He said to me, “Should I ever be able to help you, just let me know.”
Now it was time to propose, so I called him. And I also called the Japanese firm that owned Atlanta’s tallest building, the IBM tower. And I called CBS, and I called the caterers, and I called in three producers from my agency.
Just before the six o’clock news, Cynthia received a message from her news director that a white-collar drug bust was about to go down in the penthouse of the IBM tower in midtown Atlanta. The police chief had been told to give Cynthia Good the exclusive story. The news director told her it would be the lead story, live, and that she should hightail it down to the tower to get the story.
Leading two camera trucks, Cynthia Good raced to the intersection of Peachtree and 14th Street where she witnessed some twenty police cars surrounding the building, a SWAT team and a fire truck (I couldn’t swing the chopper).
Cynthia demanded to be let into the building. She was told, “Sorry, ma’am, no one goes in. This is a very dangerous situation.” But Cynthia persevered and finally prevailed. Except for one last catch: a Red Dog SWAT team would have to escort her to the fiftieth floor, which it did. Once there, they broke down the door.
Behind it, she found not a Columbian drug cartel, but a knight of sorts – me – and dinner, champagne and musicians playing as the sun sank behind the picture windows, and I sank to my knees. She sank, too. And we’ve been afloat for 17 beautiful years!
-- by Joey R., Atlanta, Georgia
Some Practical Proposal Tips
The My Trio Rings team has researched and come up with some practical tips to help you come up with a great way to propose. These tips are ideas that you can mix and match based on the effect you're looking for, and the type of relationship you have with your loved one.
- Make it personal.
While going 'big' is fun, maybe top priority should be making the proposal thoughtful and personally tailored to your loved one. If you think telling it in the future will get that 'awwww' moment from your future audience, then you've probably got it just right!
- Make it public.
Proposing in a very public place can add that 'big factor' that you might be looking for! Some public proposal ideas: at a sporting event, at an attraction, or an important site. Even if you aren't comfortable putting yourself out there in a public setting, certainly announce it to the world once you're successful!
- Make it a surprise.
What is the one place she would never expect you to propose? Or what is the one way she would never expect? And when trying to figure out just how to do it, you will be surprised how many friends and acquaintances will help you!
- Make it fun.
What does she really like? Or what would she find really fun? A number of ideas start with hiring a professional of some kind to do something for you - a musician to play her favorite song, a magician to make the ring appear in a trick, or a local pilot to write it in the sky. After that, all you have to do is get her in the right place and watch her smile.
- Make it memorable.
People are going to ask you how you proposed. They will be eager to know "Where were you and what did you say?" The more uniqe you can make it, the more the details can bring it to life every time the story is told.
Ideally, you will only propose once in your life, which is why it is important to get it right. Ultimately, the best proposals take a little extra planning, effort and thought. When you come up with the best way to propose, it will be a story you'll be proud to tell over and over again to your friends, family (and future children!)
Once you have decided on the perfect way to propose, check out our Diamond Trio Ring Collection for the perfect ring to do it with!
Click the "Add New Comment" button below to share more proposal stories or tips to the My Trio Rings community!
Friday, 23 April 2010 17:40
It’s not a secret that there are many reasons to buy jewelry online. I’m sure you’ve heard, “Often you can save 50 percent or more buying online because e-commerce retailers have lower overhead costs than brick-and-mortar stores, and can pass the savings on to you.”
But what should you know when buying jewelry online? Anywhere you look they will tell you the same thing, and we agree with them! Here are the top 4 tips:
1. Know your stuff
Doing good research can help you make sure you get the ring that is best for your partner and the quality you expect! When it comes to buying diamonds online, you want to understand the 4 C’s - cut, color, carat, clarity. Our site has a guide to this here. Understanding the terms can be a critical "must" for such an important purchase. Make sure before you buy anything online you understand what you are buying.
2. Call the Company
There is a wealth of information available online, but you can also learn a lot by calling the company, emailing them, or talking to them on their live chat. This is especially true if they have good customer service! Click here to see where we stand on this. When you have an idea what you want, you should call. It is better to ask in advance and get exactly what you’re looking for, rather than order and have to return an item. This can save you time and shipping costs!
3. Reputation and Guarantee
Once you find an online store that has the jewelry you want, how can you tell if they are the real deal? See that they offer a guarantee, a good return policy, and that the site has secure ordering. Also see if you can find a section for testimonials or customer feedback, where you can learn what other real people think! And, calling the company to let them convince you of their reputation and guarantees is not only perfectly fair, but they should be happy to!
4. Comparison Shop for Price
Search various online retailers in order to get an idea of what a competitive price should be. If you know the details of what you want, shopping and price comparison sites such as Shopzilla.com, Nextag.com, or Bizrate.com can be really helpful. And look for a company's specials! This can be a great way to find a bargain.
Conclusion
No matter which type of engagement ring you end up buying, making sure you follow certain tasks and approach the purchase in an educated fashion can ensure you will be pleased. In the end this is an investment that will grow in value just as your love continues to grow throughout your marriage.
Wednesday, 03 March 2010 00:31
When looking for a trio ring set, the first choice to make is between White Gold and Yellow Gold. Everyone knows about yellow gold, but not as many people are familiar with the concept of white gold, which has been gaining popularity and recognition in recent times. Gold, when naturally mined and extracted has the traditional metallic yellow color. This image of gold as yellow comes from classic depictions of gold as yellow in classic movies and images. When one thinks of mining for gold and gold nuggets, it is the classic yellow colored gold that comes to mind.
White gold is made of the same materials as yellow gold, but is mixed with different metals to give it the silver color. A 14 Carat white gold ring has exactly the same amount of pure gold as a yellow gold ring, at 58.3%. A piece of jewelry will never be pure gold because pure gold is too delicate and soft for manufacturing. That is why jewelry is combined with other metals to reinforce it and make it durable enough to be worn daily as jewelry. Yellow gold is combined with copper and zinc to give it the yellow color, while white gold, which is typically combined with palladium and silver to give it the silver color. Nickel used to be used in white gold in the past, but isn’t anymore because many people have allergic reactions to nickel on their skin.
White gold was originally developed to create a different look and feel to jewelry and wedding rings. It is a popular choice for wedding rings because it has the same look and feel as more expensive and luxurious metals such as platinum and titanium. This silvery gold also accentuates diamonds in a wedding ring and creates a striking effect in combination with well cut diamonds. White gold rings traditionally are also more durable and scratch resistant than their yellow counterparts because of the stronger metals that are used to make them.
However, yellow gold still remains very popular today because it provides a very classic and traditional feel to wedding rings. Yellow gold has a timeless property to it, in that it is always in style and is immediately associated with pure gold. Yellow gold also provides a greater contrast in terms of the white diamonds that are placed in it tend to shine better in certain lights. Many antique wedding rings are yellow gold, and are considered beautiful in all cultures and regions of the world.
Ultimately, yellow and gold rings of equal Carat weights have the same dollar value. The real differences between the two are based purely on personal taste and preference. As the age old saying goes, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", and some prefer the classic and timeless beauty of a yellow wedding ring, while some prefer the modern yet bolder look of a white ring. Either color makes for an equally attractive ring that with the right mix of shapes and setting of diamonds make for an unforgettable symbol of love and devotion for a life-long partner.
Check out the diamond trio wedding ring selection at My Trio Rings for a large selection of both white gold and yellow gold wedding ring sets.
- Puneet Lakhi, www.MyTrioRings.com, New York, NY
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