Archive for October, 2009
Have you ever noticed that no legitimate jewelry store ever advertises a 100 percent pure gold necklace or bracelet? The precious metal’s inherent softness means it cannot be molded into jewelry without being mixed into an alloy. The gold jewelry’s ultimate color is determined by the presence of anther metal. If copper is used, one ends up with pink gold. Yellow gold contains both copper and silver.
Karats are the traditional measure of purity in the gold market. If a piece is marked as 14-karat gold, it is just slightly more than half pure. On the other hand, a 10k gold necklace is likely to be less expensive as it contains slightly less pure gold. No matter its precise level of purity, gold accessories make a serious statement when they’re worn for a night out on the town.
When I graduated college, I was left with two options: returning home to work at a local newspaper or moving to a better market to do freelance work and hopefully get noticed. It might not have been the most financially sound decision I ever made, but I decided to move to Los Angeles. I had spent almost 21 long years in my small, rural hometown and it was time to test my mettle in the big city.
The drive across country was a memorable one to say the least. My ancient economy car broke down several times in the Rocky Mountains. All of the possessions I piled inside the vehicle were clattering around the backseat for most of the journey. Finally I arrived in L.A. and moved into a squalid apartment. It wasn’t until I actually arrived at my destination that I realized I was missing some things that most people take for granted. How would I eat dinner without silverware, pots or pans? I ate my meals in restaurants for the next week and ordered some discount kitchenware online. When it showed up in the mail, I finally started preparing home-cooked meals.