The Gold and Silver Index (XAU) is holding steady above 120, having reached a high above 156 in January, a level it had not seen since September 18, 1987. The spot uranium price is higher than it’s been since January 1980. Crude oil? Filling up your gas tank should remind you that oil prices are still painfully high. So all of this must mean mining companies are thrilled with their good fortune? WRONG! There’s a snowballing crisis in the mining sector, which has been kept off the typical investor’s radar screen. This new emergency could drive commodity prices to even higher levels over the coming months, and possibly until the end of the decade.

The two-decade long bear market drove many geologists out of the mining sector. Drilling companies went bankrupt. Even with the recent explosion of activity in the mining sector, exploration in the sector is less than one-third of its peak in 1981, when more than 5,500 drill rigs were running.

The mining sector’s labor and drill rig shortage has gone past the “we’re in a crisis” stage. Without qualified geological staff and drill rigs for exploration and development programs, companies may fail to get their projects online fast enough to satisfy the worldwide demand for their metals, whether it is gold, silver, copper, or uranium. The Baker Hughes North American rotary rig count is a good barometer of how strongly the commodities boom has impacted the sector. In 1999, the U.S. and Canadian drill rig count reached its nadir of 488. On March 17th, the number stood at 1546 and climbing. Over the past seven years, the count jumped 316 percent. Compared to a year ago, the North American Rotary Rig Count is up by nearly 20 percent.

During the course of our three-month investigation, we found the labor and equipment shortage applied not only to uranium but also to coal, oil and gas, coal bed methane and precious metals exploration. Ed Calvert, who runs Nucor Drilling Inc in Wyoming, exclaimed, “There just aren’t any rigs available in the U.S. You may find one, but it’s a problem finding the right rig at the right time.” His company began searching for a drill rig in September for drilling scheduled to commence June 1st. Calvert explained that the big oil companies had signed up rig contracts so they wouldn’t get caught short, adding, “Whether the rigs are being used daily or not, they are paying the fees to hold them.”

Vancouver-based Max Resources announced in early January of this year they had received permits to drill on their Thomas Mountain uranium prospect in Utah. They hoped to drill in late January, depending upon drill rig availability. Max Resources recently announced it planned to start drilling on or about the middle of March. Norman Burmeister planned more wisely, announcing in mid January Kilgore Minerals would drill the company’s Idaho gold property in July.

The drill rig shortage pales when compared to the frighteningly tight labor market in the mining sector. According to the February 2006 Employment Situation Summary, published by the U.S. Department of Labor, “Mining continued its upward trend in February, adding 5,000 jobs.” Cynthia Pomeroy, Director of Wyoming’s Department of Employment confirmed the crisis, “There is definitely a labor shortage.”

Matt Grant, assistant director of the Wyoming Mining Association adamantly announced, “There are 800 direct job openings in the mining business that could be filled today.” He quickly noted another 2400 indirect jobs to service the mining industry remain empty, begging for bodies to satisfy those positions. Starting geologists make between $35,000 and $50,000 annually. Top geologists command $200,000 and higher. Mining consultants get $800-1000/day. Even day helpers on drill rigs can charge $22/hour or more. Wyoming state and county development associations have attended job fairs in Michigan earnestly trying to fill the growing job vacancy by recruiting laid-off auto workers.

David Michaud, president of TheJobPit.com, finds jobs for geologists, metallurgists and others in the mining sector. A mining engineer and consulting metallurgist, having graduated from Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, and until recently the operations manager for Corriente Resources in Ecuador, he began his internet employment agency for the mining sector because the demand was overwhelming. “Headhunters who have been around for twenty years say they’ve never seen a market like this,” Michaud stressed. “For the last ten years, the mining industry fed mining graduates to the wolves. Now they need them. All are busy with no takers to those far away places.” Michaud lambasted the mining companies for their lack of foresight, “Mining companies have to expect the demand for professionals, such as production geologists, will go up with the price of metals. There were no jobs for the past eight years.” He added, “It takes two to five years to train them.”

For example, Michaud is desperately trying to fill a South American mining company’s job opening for an experienced metallurgist. “Free housing, two cars, four weeks off annually, two plane tickets, basically no living expenses, and a salary starting at US$150, 000,” Michaud sadly explained because no one has jumped at the offer. “In the field of metallurgy, including mill managers, metallurgical engineers, techs and operators, about 150 new jobs are offered each month.” Only about one-half will be filled. Michaud warned the copper mining companies were in especially dire straits to fill new job openings.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration announced in its most recently published annual report, “The U.S. uranium production industry initiated a turnaround in 2004. All U.S. uranium drilling, mining, production, and employment activities increased for the first time since 1998. More companies conducted exploration and development drilling than in the prior 2 years. Employment in the U.S. uranium production industry totaled 420 person-years, an increase of 31 percent from the 2003 total. Wyoming accounted for 33 percent of the total 2004 employment, while Colorado and Texas employment almost tripled since 2003. Overall, $86.9 million went to drilling, production, land, exploration, reclamation and restoration activities in 2004.”

While the spot uranium price continues rising, exploration companies may find it harder to recruit veteran uranium geologists, to sign contracts for drill rigs, and to operate those rigs. Nucor’s Calvert laughed, “Finding and keeping employees is definitely a problem.” Michaud explained, “Finding a metallurgist is hard enough. Finding one with uranium experience is almost impossible.” David Miller, president of Strathmore Minerals, lamented, “Expertise in the uranium industry started with geologists who made discoveries in the late 1940s through the late 1970s. They trained the next generation, which coincided with the 1970s uranium boom. That boom was short lived and fizzled out by 1981. A very small number of professionals continued in the uranium industry, during the twenty-year bear market. Now that the number of uranium companies has skyrocketed to more than 420, there is a potentially catastrophic shortage of uranium expertise.” The generation gap has come to haunt the industry.

What’s the solution? Many, such as Michaud, believe, “Retired baby boomers are coming out of retirement to fill the generational gap and ride their last metal rush into the sunset.” Bloomberg News ran a story on December 8th discussing developments in the oil sector, “U.S. producers and contractors such as Ryder Scott, which assesses drilling projects and oil and natural-gas reserves, are working harder to keep their oldest employees and recruit college graduates because there aren't enough new engineers to go around. Engineers who help find petroleum deposits are in demand…”

Aging talent has found its way back into the uranium sector. Aging geologists such as Dr. Boen Tan, who helped discover two of the Key Lake uranium deposits in Canada’s uranium-rich Athabasca Basin in the early 1970s, is now helping Forum Development explore for new uranium deposits at its Costigan Lake, Key Lake Road and Maurice Point projects in Athabasca. Uranerz Energy’s entire advisory board consists of former Uranerz professionals, including top geologists, Dr. Franz Dahlkamp and Dr. Gerhard Ruhrmann. Respectively, they have 45 and nearly 30 years experience in the sector. Strathmore Minerals geological team includes former Pathfinder Mines employees, a subsidiary of Cogema, including board member Dieter Krewedl, President David Miller, and vice president of technical services, John DeJoia. Some of these companies bring more than 200 years of experience, collectively, to their new ventures. But without sufficient new mining school graduates to mentor under them, future exploration and development may become stalled.

What is troubling about the uranium market, in particular, is that the soaring spot uranium price shows no signs of abating. The crisis comes at a time when President Bush announced his nuclear initiative, as more U.S. utilities plan to add to the country’s nuclear fleet, and as China and India clamor for a reliable source of uranium to fuel their aggressive nuclear energy programs. Without uranium for those reactors, the power plants won’t produce the electricity required to meet their demand. As an aside, uranium mining is the stage in the nuclear fuel cycle where the environmentalist fanatics are baring their teeth. This past November, an office manager at Albuquerque’s Southwest Research and Information Center, an anti-nuclear activist group reportedly funded by Mott’s Applesauce and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, told us when we went undercover, “We want to stop the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle, which is uranium mining.”

Don’t say the warnings weren’t made well in advance. At the World Nuclear Association (WNA) Symposium in 2004, Dr Moukhtar Dzhakishev, a Russian physicist and a former deputy minister of energy and mineral resources, presented his conclusions, “Firstly, natural uranium mining capacities cannot satisfy reactor requirements. Secondly, accumulated uranium inventories will be exhausted sooner or later. Thirdly, the spot price does not reflect the actual problems and, on the contrary, is capable of misleading all of us about the urgency of investments to be made in the development of new mining facilities.”

In his speech, Dr. Dzhakishev emphasized to the WNA, “Judging by these facts, the conclusion is evident: one day nuclear power plants will face a natural uranium shortage and it is not necessary to be a prophet to foresee this. It is clear today that the key to the solution of the major problems of the uranium market lies with the development of the potential of the uranium producers.”

This past August, Angela Jameson reported in the online version of The London Times, “A GLOBAL shortage of uranium could jeopardise plans to build a new generation of nuclear power stations in Britain… a recent report by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada said that there was likely to be a 45,000-tonne shortage of uranium in the next decade, largely because of growing Chinese demand for the metal.”

The upward spiral of the commodities boom is racing ahead at full speed. Depending upon whom you talk to, the labor and drill rig shortage is either very bad or worse than you can possibly imagine. If there are commodity inventory shortages right now, what happens by the end of this year, or later this decade, if current exploration efforts get grounded because companies lack the trained personnel, the proper equipment and the expertise to explore and/or develop their properties? You can’t run a drill rig if you can’t get your hands on one. You can’t drill the property if you can’t find drillers to run the rig. While commodities prices soar to levels not seen in twenty or thirty years, the tight labor and equipment market could ratchet prices to much higher levels. And junior uranium development companies, with proven pounds-in-the-ground assets, should become sought-after acquisition targets by those who have the staff and drill rigs to bring the projects online.

For investors, the labor and drill rig shortage has a silver lining. As inventories dwindle lower, commodity prices will continue rising. For junior uranium investors, this might someday be realized as the “hidden reason” why spot uranium prices continued rising past $40/pound. If you don’t drill for the commodity, you can’t find it and develop it. This strengthens the case for $50/pound uranium in the near future. Now we understand why Strathmore Minerals’ David Miller warned us in November, “I wouldn’t be surprised to see uranium prices double again.”

With soaring gas prices fueling the strong need to work from home, now is the perfect time to become the business owner you always dreamed about. Think how great that short commute to your home-based office would be for those of you who can no longer afford to travel. You not only save money, but you get to experience the thrill of being your own boss and earning the kind of money you know you are worth.

One of the top businesses to start at home today is virtual assisting. Virtual Assistants are highly skilled professionals who provide service from a home office to anywhere in the world. Through the use of high-speed Internet access, e-mails, fax machines, mail services, as well as many web-based applications Virtual assistants handle such things as publicity, Internet research, word processing, event planning, real estate transactions, legal briefs, medical transcriptions, proofing, editing, publishing and so much more. The Virtual Assistant industry is growing at an amazing rate and is regularly featured in such renowned media outlets as Time Magazine and CNN News.

And just who are using VAs? Just about everyone from corporate professionals to doctors or attorneys who rely on these professional assistants to keep their businesses running smoothly. Not to mention the authors and online shops that use VAs for their marketing and publicity. Putting their many years of knowledge and advanced training to work for them, these virtual assistants can take over administrative duties while executives concentrate on increasing profits—it’s a perfect fit!

How do you get started? Easy. Diana Ennen and Kelly Poelker’s book, Virtual Assistant - The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA (Another 8 Hours Publishing) and the new accompanying VA The Series Workbook Edition provides you with everything you need to get well on your way to a successful new career. This book has already helped thousands of administrative professionals start their business and now with the help of the Workbook Edition, others are soon to follow.

Here are some additional tips too:

Start today and experience the financial freedom you’ve always wanted. Visit Virtual Assistant the Series' website for additional tips on starting your own virtual assistant business. Start today and earn more tomorrow.

It has to happen. Hell will freeze over (is there such a place?) before gold is stopped in its march to $1,500+. Gold moves primarily on the three-fold cord of war, uncertain econoic activity, and inflation. We're still in a war(s), economic uncertainty is about as high as it can get. And down the road, the BILLIONS, maybe TRILLIONS, of US$'s that are being printed will take inflation into double digits again.

Strong investor buying on Monday pushed the price of gold above $900 a troy ounce, hitting a 3½-month high in dollar terms and posting all-time highs in euro and sterling, in a stark sign of money seeking refuge from equities and bond markets. Traders-investors, particularly in continental Europe and the UK, were pouring money into gold exchange-traded funds – a popular way to gain access to the metal – and also noted strong buying of physical gold, from coins to bars.

Edel Tully at Mitsui & Co Precious Metals in London said gold was the “obvious shelter” for safe-haven investors.

In London, spot gold rose to $915.30 an ounce, up from New York’s last quote on Friday of $898.40. The precious metal also hit an all-time high in both sterling at £661.55 an ounce, and in euros, at €701.55 an ounce. Total amount of gold held by the world’s gold ETFs last week rose for the first time above the 40m ounce level. Together, such investment vehicles are now the largest holders of physical gold after the official reserves of the US, Germany, the International Monetary Fund, France and Italy.

“The aggressive appreciation in the ETF contracts ... is the clearest signal to date this year that gold is one of the limited assets that investors want exposure to during these frantic times,” Ms Tully said. Hector McNeil, managing director at ETF Securities, said that about 60 per cent of those inflows were into the yellow metal. “Gold is set to rise dramatically,” he said.

In the short term, traders said gold was likely to consolidate above $900 an ounce this week and could test the $930 an ounce level previously touched in October. Spot gold in London, the market’s benchmark, hit an all-time high of $1,030.80 in March. In the last thirty days gold is up $35.

One of the best ways to overcome an inflationary environment is to invest heavily in valuable resources. That is because a natural resource such as gold will not lose it intrinsic value. Everywhere you go on this planet, gold will always command good prices. That is why investing in gold stocks could shield you from a financial meltdown caused by overflowing money supply or hyperinflation. So as long as your dollars still have some value, it would be best to invest them in gold so that your personal wealth will not erode.

Before paper money or currency has been invented, gold is a standard medium to facilitate exchange of goods and services. In ancient times, the amount of gold hoarded by kings reflected the economic power of kingdoms. During the mercantile stage of capitalism, entire continents have been conquered to increase the gold reserves of empires. During the Industrial Revolution, finance capital emerged as the dominant factor in driving economies. Nation states therefore created currencies to facilitate trade and commerce. However, these currencies were still backed by the amount of gold reserves of a nation state. In effect, gold still defined the wealth of nations during those times.

In late 20th century, the United States removed gold as the standard reserve of its currency. The U.S. government therefore can produce paper dollars even without the backing of gold. This gave the federal government much power to increase the money supply in the economy. Printing of fiat dollars therefore became the norm as the money supply in the real economy accelerated because the financial discipline imposed by gold was absent. The irresponsible overflow of fiat dollars in the real economy resulted to inflationary turmoil which is being felt today. Today, if you have 1 million dollar savings, the real value of your money would be significantly lower. Moreover, the intensification of printing fiat dollars could wipe out your savings when hyperinflation hits the economy.

But if you have heavy investments in gold stocks, your personal wealth will be secured. Gold is a perpetual valuable resource. Its market value is influenced only by inflation but it will always be true to its real value. So if you have 1 million dollar investments in gold stocks, your savings will not erode. In fact, it could only increase as the demand for gold continues to surge. That is why every practical minded Americans should turn their sights on gold stocks investing. Investing in this sector could shield your money from the debilitating impact of inflation and hyperinflation. Investing in gold will also ensure that your lifetime savings will not be eroded by recessionary inflation. This way, you can weather the recession without feeling its impact.

There is still a way out of the mess created by the overflowing money supply. The situation may be bleak due to the prospects of hyperinflation. However, if you act now and invest in gold stock, your personal wealth and lifetime savings will be secured from economic collapse once hyperinflation renders the U.S. dollar worthless.

One thing you can say about gold earrings is that they are timeless pieces that are always in style. They are not only beautiful, but also wear-friendly since, unlike sterling silver, they don’t tarnish. Another great attribute is that people with allergies to certain metals, or find they have a problem with staining from metals that have been combined with gold, don’t have a problem with gold itself.

Gold is a versatile metal, able to be worked in virtually any shape, whether it be small, but sturdy, strands to thin sheets. In fact, just one ounce has the ability to be hammered into an extremely thin sheet measuring at ten feet square. Artisans, especially makers of gold earrings, can manipulate gold into any desired shape.

When choosing gold earrings you need to look at the gold’s karat factor. Different karat numbers are what describe just how much pure gold is in the earrings. The percentage of gold in the earrings is higher when the karat number is higher.

For example, 24K earrings are pure gold, 18K is 75% gold with 18 parts of gold and 6 parts of another metal, 14K, the most common, is 58.3% gold with 14 parts of gold and 10 parts of another metal, 12K is 50% gold with 12 parts of gold and 12 parts of another metal, and, lastly, 10K, the minimum karat that can be described as gold, is a mere 41.7% gold with 10 parts gold and 14 parts of another metal.

Gold earrings made in Europe will have different markings. For example, 18K will be marked as 750, 14K will be marked as 585, and 12 K will be marked as 417. These marking stand for the percentage of gold the earrings contain.

Most gold earrings aren’t made of pure gold since it can be quite soft and not very practical for daily wear. In mot cases, other metals will have been mixed with the gold in order to heighten the durability, as well as lower the price.

When metallurgists add other metals to gold it allows them to change the gold’s color. To create white gold Palladium, also known as nickel, is added. The addition of copper products creates a rose/pink color, while adding silver can give gold a greenish tint.

When choosing the type of gold earrings that is right for you, you must decide how often you will wear them and what type of karat number will fit this need. If you are allergic to such metals as nickel, you should choose gold earrings that have a higher gold content. This means that gold earrings marked with 18K or 22K are best for you.

If you plan to wear your earrings only on occasion, and don’t necessarily have to have the best gold there is, then you have the option of choosing gold earrings that are gold filled or even gold plated. This would not be a good choice if you do plan to wear the gold earrings on a daily basis since a lot of use will reduce the gold layer, therefore exposing the metal that is underneath and possibly causing staining or even an allergic reaction.

If you plan to purchase gold earrings that you want to last a very long time, then make sure you buy a high quality item.

If you are familiar with astrology, then you most likely know what your sun sign is: that's the horoscope sign you check when you read the newspaper. The sun sign is where the sun was during the time of your birth. But are you familiar with your rising sign? Your rising sign can have a great affect on your personality and life. Knowing and understanding your rising sign can be extremely useful.

Your rising sign is calculated by the time you were born. The exact time of your birth is extremely helpful to have to find your rising sign. Once you have your time of birth, an astrologer can easily give you your rising sign - they need to look it up on a detailed chart. Our rising signs are found within two-hour intervals for every sun sign each day. Therefore, a Cancer born at 5:32 a.m. would have the rising sign of Cancer. But a Cancer born at 5:32 p.m. would have the rising sign of Capricorn. Just thinking about it - you can see how these two Cancer people would have very different personalities!

So what does your rising sign do? One of the important things that it does is that it gives the world a first impression of you to others. Have you ever met someone for the first time and then you get to know them and they are much different? That is a circumstance where most likely their rising sign and their sun sign are so entirely different - that their first impression personality is very separated from their actual personality.

The important thing to keep in mind is that while the rising sign does make this impression - we all know that first impressions are not always necessarily the best way to judge someone. Perhaps you meet someone who comes across very quiet and it turns out they are very social and friendly. You might misjudge them.

If you embrace your rising sign and enhance these parts of your personality then the impression you give the world is actual. Being aware of the impression that you make is important. Simply knowing that your rising sign is so much different can often be the first step to understanding.

Here are the Rising Signs and their popular traits:

Aries: very sociable, bold and even a bit aggressive, courageous and athletic

Taurus: patient, lover of beauty and art (music and visual arts), sensual

Gemini: sociable, flirtatious, a "social butterfly", impatient

Cancer: nurturing, caring, kind, sometimes a bit moody or depressed

Leo: vibrant, loving to be the center of attention/theatrical, a storyteller/comedian

Virgo: analytical, well-organized, intellectual and less emotional when responding

Libra: charming, unable to make a decision, always trying to see someone's good side

Scorpio: passionate, energetic, strong emotions

Sagittarius: light-hearted, funny, intelligent & intellectual

Capricorn: a real businessperson, old soul, serious

Aquarius: unique, inventor, creative

Pisces: dreamy, soft, compassionate

When you have a dream and follow it with your complete being, the most unusual opportunities unfold. During the early 1840s John Sutter wanted to build a large agricultural empire in California. He had managed to get there from Switzerland, and was determined that nothing get in his way. He and his hired hand, James Marshall, were working on building a sawmill down by the river when they spotted shiny pebbles of a golden color. Could it possibly be gold? It was, much to their dismay! Gold seekers would only get in the way of their agricultural dreams, so they tried to keep it a secret.

Secrets are hard to keep and Sam Brannan in San Francisco caught wind of the potential. Did he want the gold? No! He thought in terms of supply and demand. If gold seekers came they would need shovels and picks and pie tins. Sam bought all of them he could find within hundreds of miles. He bought them for pennies, and when the gold seekers came rushing in, he sold them for fifteen dollars (an exorbitant amount in those days). Within weeks Sam was the same as a millionaire. He made his fortune without ever sweating over the river.

Bending over the river searching for those specks of gold that were half the size of a pea was painful and exhausting work. For those experiencing success it was worth it. News of the sore muscles and aching backs reached an innovative thinker back in Indiana. He made his fortune selling a bottled salve to the fortune seekers who were traveling through on their way to California. “Just rub it all over your body and roll down a hill. The gold will stick to this special salve and you’ll be rich without slaving over the river.” Those with the glint of gold in their eye couldn’tresist such an offer.

Most of the gold seekers left their homes during 1849 and were dubbed “the 49ers.” The majority of them never arrived, but all encountered someone applying the law of supply and demand along the route. Trying to get through the desert without any water took the lives of many. Realizing this, the entrepreneurs in California brought buckets and barrels of water to the dessert – which they sold for as high as $100 a drink. If you didn’t have the money to pay, you were left to dehydrate and die in the desert.

Even though striking it rich with gold, many settlers found it hard to come out ahead financially. While they might have earned a dollar a day back where they originally came from, and were making twenty-five dollars a day now, those selling food were also playing the game of supply and demand. A meal at the end of the day took all of that twenty-five dollars. Those who found sources of food to sell were the ones who became rich. Sutter, the courageous thinker who originally found the gold, had his thousands of acres of agricultural land raided, his cattle stolen and slaughtered for food. Sutter remained penniless. And all the 49ers are now gone.

The elusive value of gold continues to fluctuate as concepts of supply and demand are applied in the minds of people. Ultimately, any object or service is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Although ‘all that glitters is not gold,’ gold still influences the economies of every nation.

The Rising Unemployment Numbers

The number of unemployed persons increased by 851,000 in February 2009. That brings the number of unemployed people in the United to states to 12.5 million. Over the past 12 months, the number of unemployed persons has increased by about 5.0 million.

When you read these numbers it is easy to let the numbers roll off your tongue without much thought. When you really sit and think about the numbers, and the people who ARE those numbers, then it becomes a reality.

Losing their job and struggling to pay the bills has become a reality for millions of Americans. They tell us the economy is improving, yet more companies are laying off workers every day.

I am writing this article in hopes that you can help me in giving a voice to millions of Americans. I have started an online clothing company called I LOST MY JOB CLOTHING. There are two main goals of the company. To give back to the people who need it most and to give Americans a voice by wearing the shirts and allowing them to share their stories.

We hope our site will help get the message out and put a face behind the rising unemployment numbers. $1 per shirt sold will be donated to a deserving family who needs help. For every 1,000 shirts sold we will donate $1,000. You do not have to purchase a shirt to receive a donation. We will also have a national wear your I Lost My Job Clothing T-shirt Day on August 7, 2009.

There is a “stories” section on the website where 10 stories of people who have lost their jobs will be posted every week. Giving people the opportunity to share their stories as well as read others is a way to let people know they are not alone.

Please take a moment to look at the website:

http://www.ilostmyjobclothing.com

Agold pendant is an ornament or charm (worn for protective or magical power) made of gold that hangs from a cord or chain worn around the neck. Even Necklaces have pendants.

Practical tips to purchase Gold Pendants

·Most gold jewelry manufactured in the U.S. is marked '14K' which means that the actual gold content in it is 58.3 percent. As pure gold is designated as 24-karat; hence, a 14-karat item consists of 14 parts gold and 10 parts of another metal known as an alloy which works out to 58.3 percent pure, unalloyed gold. The added alloy serves two purposes - They make the jewellery durable and reduce the prices greatly thereby making it affordable too.

·Sometimes gold pendants also come with the marking '14KP'. Here 'P' stands for plumb, meaning the pendant is exactly 14 parts pure gold.

·On the other hand if a gold pendant is engraved '999' it means it is a pure gold pendant which equivalent to 24-karat gold. '999' is the European designation for pure gold. Also sometimes more plentifully available in the market are European-manufactured pendants marked '750' which is equivalent to 18-karat or 75 percent pure gold. Actually, it is the 14K gold that is much popular in the US.

·The heft or weightiness of a gold item is measured in terms of Pennyweight. One troy ounce equals 20 pennyweights which equals 31.1 grams. Ounces and grams are the most common weights used in the U.S. and when you see prices quoted on pendants, such as $20 per gram it should be kept in mind that finished items, such as jewelry, have an artistic value that may be actually greater than the actual value of gold in it.

·Interestingly there are a few who would like to buy Gold in colors other than its natural yellow color which also has become quite a fashion. The most popular is the green gold. When gold is alloyed with metal combos like silver, zinc and copper, these metals contribute a subtle greenish tint. Only Copper is used to make pink gold and nickel is often used in white gold.

·Gold-plated items contain very thin topcoats of gold of about seven-millionths of an inch in thickness. Some better quality gold-plated items may also have more than the minimal 0.000007inch coating.

·Rules prescribe that the gold filling of an item should be at least 1/20 or 5 percent of the total weight of the item. Gold content must be stamped on items -- for example: 1/20 14K GF means the gold content is 14-karat and makes up one-twentieth of the total weight of the item.

Who doesn’t love a good bargain ? With Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice around the corner, everybody tries to get a good bargain, and stretch their hard earned dollars. More so if you are planning to buy Diamond and Gold jewelry.
There are a few things you need to keep in mind, before starting to look around for the perfect jewelry as a gift. One has to consider a lot of things that factor into making this gift giving a very satisfactory experience.
Here are seven smart tips to enhance your shopping experience.
Shop Around - With economic conditions being hard, retailers are going to come up with bargains for customers. Prices continue to drop for many luxury items, including jewelry. This gives the consumer a chance to get more bangs for their buck.
Compare stores – The biggest challenge for today’s shopper is where to shop?  Should you shop online or in-store?  While many consumers do both, online shopping is becoming more popular these days. With online stores it is easier to compare and choose. Like in-store, online stores offer a wide selection of distinctive diamonds, pearls, silver, gold, Gold and other gift items.  Not all stores offer these in a wide variety though. The charm of doing an online purchase is that the prices are normally lower than regular stores. Online stores generally operate on lower overhead and hence more savings to the consumer, although not all online stores pass their savings to you.  So make sure you do your research before buying online.
Examine Inventory – If you want to buy something for your loved one on a budget, consider choosing a lower grade metal or gem. White gold looks as good as platinum band.  If diamonds are on your mind, consider which of the four Cs does she value most – cut, clarity, color, or carat weight?  A minor difference in the size might still get you a beautiful diamond jewelry that will be easy on your budget and still meet her approval. You might also want to consider lower carat weight and keep the cut she prefers.
Silver – Currently silver prices are much lower than the gold prices. Silver is also very much in demand, and might be more appealing over other precious metals. Hot Diamonds collection is considered as one of the trendiest and most sought after designs. And ladies, if you are shopping for your man, be sure to check Hot Diamonds for their collection of cufflinks, necklaces, rings and bracelets.
Pearls – Once considered the jewelry for rich and royalty, pearls have become mainstream in today’s society. Thanks to the modern farming techniques, cultured pearl have become very affordable, and the prices are going to drop further.  Size, color, luster, quality, shape and surface markings determine the prices of pearls. Make sure you compare various strands, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and studs to find the perfect piece for your loved one.
Trade Gold – If it is diamond that her heart desires, but your wallet does not allow it, why not go for something closer to topaz? A trendy designer can easily mix and match Gold, like adding a ruby with a diamond and a pearl to create a stunning design. This will definitely woo your sweetheart. And if you go the online shopping route, sometimes you can even save the sales tax!
Take Time – Shopping for the perfect diamond ring, pearl earrings or other gift item requires time. Do not rush into these purchases, as you might end up having buyers’ remorse. You need to be relaxed and enjoy this purchase. If you have doubts about what to buy, contact a trained expert who will guide you through this purchasing process. You can even participate in designing the jewelry, making this gift even more important for her.

If you find a beautiful Russian woman, who is thirty years younger than you, who tells you that she is desperately in love with you after you just met her for the first time last night, you should be a little suspicious.

The overwhelming majority of Russian women seeking husbands abroad are honest in their intentions. They want to have a reliable partner, happy family life, and a stable future. They are not going to marry a man just to divorce him in a couple of years after they get to where they want to go.

However, you must be aware that there are a few barracudas out there who are willing to take advantage of your sincerity. To avoid an unhappy experience, use your common sense.

For some reason, some men who are shrewd in business, enough to amass a small fortune, seem to check their brain at the hatcheck counter when they come to Russia.

Men are always shocked when a gold-digger takes advantage of them. A close examination of their behavior frequently yields the following observations:

They often act like big shots, throwing money around, dating women thirty years younger, bragging about their accomplishments to impress the women they meet.

They are like peacocks that try to display their plumage in order to attract a mate. When they meet a gold-digger, they are surprised, even though money is exactly what they were advertising. Then they act victimized by the innocent looking girl who took advantage of their offer.

All men are guilty of this at times. Let me make some recommendations: Don't brag or exaggerate about your personal circumstances. She will find out the truth as soon as she gets to your home.

If You Lead With Your Chin, It Makes It Easy For Someone To Take A Punch At You.

I sometimes think that when a man says that he has been taken advantage of by a gold-digger, that this kind of circumstance did not happen by mistake. As the old saying goes, hockey players and chess players don't hang out together.

There are all kinds of people that are out there in the dating world. There are women that are jerks and there are men that are jerks.

I have heard stories of men who are addicted to the tours because of the gigantic ego stroke it gives them. They take advantage of the ten to one ratio of single women to single men at the social to bolster their self-image.

They like to feel superior to the local population of Russians because of their relative economic superiority. They brag about themselves and throw money around to impress others because of their low self-esteem.

They toy with women's hopes and aspirations to get married without being really serious about commitment. They pick the most gorgeous runway model they can find to parade as a trophy wife, or arm candy, in front of their friends.

A guy like that probably deserves a gold digger a woman who is his moral or spiritual counterpart.

Elena Petrova tell this story:

"A professor from an American university told me that he met a couple of men on board a plane to Russia who flew there for a "marriage tour". He characterized them as "bad". He said they were arrogant, obviously had problems with health, and were drinking too much."

"One of them complained that he was previously married to a Russian woman but she left him a year after the marriage. The professor said he felt sorry - for the woman -- because she had stayed with this man for the whole year."

"He said that he would have run away from him in a couple of days if he was her. And this guy was intending to find another lady for marriage in Russia - again, twenty to thirty years younger."

The other male specimen who gets taken advantage of by gold-diggers is the ones that literally are mentally or socially challenged. They either don't have a brain, or don't use it, or they are three nuts short of a candy bar.

Without a doubt, Gold is one of the world’s most precious metals. It is also a certainty that gold enjoys an unsurpassed popularity as a medium for jewelry expression. Both jewelry artisans and consumers alike are "in love" with gold. There seems to be no end to the range of colors, finishes and styles available and gold remains a perennial favorite setting for gemstones.

Gold can last forever, will not corrode or rust and can be found anywhere. Gold exists in plants, rivers, oceans, mountains, it’s nearly everywhere but it is extremely difficult and costly to extract this amazing metal. Did you know that a single ounce of gold can be pulled into a thin wire that stretches nearly five miles long? An artisans hammer can work that same ounce into a very thin sheet that can cover a 10ft x 10ft(100sq. ft.) area. Also, it takes nearly 3 tons of gold or to extract a single ounce of pure gold. Well if you didn’t now you know!

Gold Basics
The word Gold, used by itself, means all gold or 24 karat (24K) gold. Because 24K gold is soft, it’s usually mixed with other metals to increase its hardness and durability. If a piece of jewelry is not 24 karat gold, the karat quality should accompany any claim that the item is gold.

The karat quality marking tells you what proportion of gold is mixed with the other metals. Fourteen karat (14K) jewelry contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts of base metal. The higher the karat rating, the higher the proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry.

Most jewelry is marked with its karat quality, although marking is not required by law. Near the karat quality mark, you should see the name of the U.S. registered trademark of the company that will stand behind the mark. The trademark may be in the form of a name, symbol or initials. If you don’t see a trademark accompanying a quality mark on a piece of jewelry, look for another piece.
Solid gold refers to an item made of any karat gold, if the inside of the item is not hollow. The proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry still is determined by the karat mark.

Jewelry can be plated with gold in a variety of ways. Gold plate refers to items that are either mechanically plated, electroplated, or plated by any other means with gold to a base metal. Eventually, gold plating wears away, but how soon will depend on how often the item is worn and how thick the plating is.

Gold-filled, gold overlay and rolled gold plate are terms used to describe jewelry that has a layer of at least 10 karat gold mechanically bonded to a base metal. If the jewelry is marked with one of these terms, the term or abbreviation should follow the karat quality of the gold used (for example, 14K Gold Overlay or 12K RGP). If the layer of karat gold is less than 1/20th of the total weight of the item, any marking must state the actual percentage of karat gold, such as 1/40 14K Gold Overlay.
Gold electroplate describes jewelry that has a layer (at least .175 microns thick) of a minimum of 10 karat gold deposited on a base metal by an electrolytic process. The terms gold flashed or gold washed describe products that have an extremely thin electroplating of gold (less than .175 microns thick). This will wear away more quickly than gold plate, gold-filled or gold electroplate.

Vermeil (ver-may), a special type of gold plated product, consists of a base of sterling silver that is coated or plated with gold.

Gold is one type of jewelry that never goes out of fashion. A well-made and well-designed piece of jewelry is something that adds something extremely special to any jewelry collection and can last a lifetime if cared for properly.

Why is this?

There's nothing like gold. It has been used for centuries as an adornment and has always been a mark of sophistication and class. This is why many people still choose gold as the precious metal for their wedding band.

There is something magical about gold that speaks to people, and when used as a wedding band is a great visual reminder of the bond between the marriage partners.

Gold is constantly increasing in popularity. There are more styles of gold and designs than ever before. Yellow gold is still one of the most popular, but there are increasing numbers of people choosing white and rose gold for their jewelry.

But whatever the style or color of gold chosen, there are things which should always be taken into account when buying gold jewelry.

This is especially important when the piece of jewelry is a wedding band. This is something which needs to last a lifetime, and a badly-made piece of gold jewelry in these circumstances would be a tragedy.

One of the most important things to be taken into account is the amount of gold in the piece of jewelry

The quality of any kind of gold is named in what are called karats. The higher the karat, the higher the quality of the gold. This means that for instance 24k gold has more quality than 14-karat gold, which is 14 parts pure gold mixed with 10 parts of another metal. So, in short, the higher the karat rating, the higher the proportion of pure gold.

To make sure you are dealing with real gold, look for the karat quality marked on the piece. Almost all gold jewelry pieces will have the karat number marked on it to tell the buyer the quality of the gold the piece contains. This is essential to verify that the product is a real gold product.

Then there is the design to be considered, and whether to have a piece of gold jewelry with gems set in it.

You should always take your time to choose your gold jewelry. And always buy from a very reputable retailer, whether online or in the traditional jewelers store.

A beautiful piece of gold jewelry is something that you will be able to treasure for years to come. It makes sense to spend a little more time in choosing it, and spending a little more money if possible.