Sterling Silver Jewelry Exposed Written by Sam Serio Sterling silver jewelry is enjoying an unprecedented popularity with today's fashion conscious public. You know how beautiful sterling silver jewelry is and how brilliantly it shines. Now here is rest of story. Silver has been used since ancient times, but has not survived as well as ancient gold because it tarnished and decomposes. There have been times, however, when silver was "in"; we are going through such a vogue today. Silver is commonest of precious metals. Fine silver is pure silver, which is seldom used for jewelry because it is too soft. Sterling silver is 925 parts silver to 75 of copper, alloy most often used. Silver weighs about half as much as gold, has greater flexibility, but is not as malleable, it has always been less expensive as well. A comparable piece of gold jewelry might cost four or five times that of a piece of sterling silver jewelry. The current fashion trend toward black clothing has made silver jewelry more popular than ever. Silver likes to be worn; it stays cleaner & shinier through movement and friction. So sterling silver is a perfect accessory for today's fast paced lifestyles. Much like gold, sterling silver needs to be cleaned. Care and Cleaning of your Sterling Silver Jewelry 1.) For daily cleaning it is recommended to use a simple jewelry polishing cloth that is impregnated with special jewelry cleaner. These are widely available and are very easy to use. Store your cloth in a plastic zip-lock bag, and keeping your jewelry drawer or armoire. It is a good idea to have one cleaning cloth for gold and one for silver. Sex, Chocolate and Jewelry Written by Sam Serio Forget about 1960's Flower Power credo: "Sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll." Toss out your DVD of steamy 1989 erotic thriller "Sex, Lies, and Videotape." In health-conscious, food-obsessed, "bling"-oriented 21st Century, we seem to have stopped hurtling forward and started to move backwards Everything old is new again and we're returning to a kinder, gentler era when gentlemen and ladies enjoyed sex, chocolate, and jewelry as language of love. Our Love Affair with Chocolate 3,000 years ago, Indians of Central America poured molten chocolate from one pot to another to create bitter drink with a froth on top, part they liked best. Spanish conquistadores and missionaries took beverage back to Europe, where it became fashionable with aristocracy, who added sugar to it. Today, three centuries later, hot chocolate remains a favorite drink shared by friends, family…and lovers. For a "pulse" on 21st Century chocolate, there's no better place to go than annual Fancy Foods Show. This year, chocolate beverage of choice was a hot chocolate reminiscent of "nectar of gods" preferred by Mayans and Aztecs. The steamy treat is made with a high-cocoa-content dark chocolate and (in response to low-carb craze, no doubt) less sugar. How does this cocoa fit in with romance? Chocolate bars are replacing coffee bars and liquor bars as meeting place of choice for singles with a taste for love…and sweets. In New York City, popular midtown hotspot "The Chocolate Bar" serves hot chocolate drinks including Classic Hot Chocolate, Spicy Hot Chocolate, and White Chocolate Caramel and iced chocolate beverages including Chocolate Shakers (served over ice, with espresso and whipped cream) Our Love Affair with Sex When it comes to sex, every forty years seems to signal arrival of a new wave of permissiveness and freedom. In 20's, world embraced "The Flapper Era"…and one another…with abandon. Tough times in 30's and 40's put an end to jazz babies, and gave birth to tough, no-nonsense, almost asexual Rosie Riveters who didn't have time for pleasures of flesh. (And a good thing, too, since men were at war.) Cont'd on page 2 ==>   ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005 Terms of Use