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Posts Tagged ‘rings’

California and The Gold Rush

April 20th, 2010

In January 1848, James Marshall was overseeing the building of a saw mill for his boss, when he saw an odd rock glinting in the upturned earth.

He was not sure whether it was gold or not and did not want to get people's aspirations up. So Marshall attempted to break the yellow rock with a hammer. It did not crack, but it did dent. just like gold would. The woman who was cooking meals for the saw mill construction crew, tried another test by boiling the rock in lye.

They boiled it all day, but it did not change colour. So, they passed the rock over to the mill's owner, Mr. John Sutter, who also conducted a few tests. In the end, everyone agreed that this rock was indeed gold.

It seems that the Sierra Nevada Mountains hid huge hordes of gold, but that over tens of thousands of years, erosion had loosened up gold nuggets and the mountain streams flushed them down to the bottom of the mountains. Sutter's property was situated between two rivers and so was likely to generate great wealth.

Sutter had ideas to build an agricultural empire on his 39,000 acres of land, so he asked his employees to keep stum about the find. However, as is to be anticipated, word leaked out. In due course news of the gold strike reached the small town of San Francisco.

There, a newspaper publisher shouted down the streets: "Gold from the American River!" and within three days of the news arriving, 400 of the 600 inhabitants had set out for Sutter's land. It was a groundswell and by the end of the year, gold prospectors had traveled to California from as far afield as Mexico and Chile.

When word of the gold strike got to the east coast, President Polk confirmed the discovery. It was December 1848 and 'The Gold Rush' became a national and even a global event. The gold miners of 1849 and later years became known as forty-niners.

What has to be borne in mind is though, that most people, who came from Canada, Mexico and the eastern United States came by wagon train, as there were not locomotive! This meant a arduous trek of between six and nine months

Nonetheless, at least 32,000 people actually walked to California in 1849, and about 44,000 more got there in 1850. Others, such as South Americans, faced an arduous journey by sea. They underwent storms, shipwrecks, hunger and thirst, disease, and overcrowding and after all that, some still had to undergo mule rides through jungles and deserts! In spite of everything, in under a year, about 40,000 people arrived in San Francisco from abroad.

The new arrivals constituted a dramatic change in California's population, because in 1848, California had had about 100,000 residents, most of whom were Native Americans, but within two years, the state populace more than doubled but the variety of ethnicity increased tens of times.

Some people found gold and made a lot of money in the Californian riverbeds, but most people did not become rich in the Gold Rush. When gold was found, the hoard was usually cleared quickly. James Marshall had little success as a miner, and he died impoverished. John Sutter, who had once owned 39,000 acres, left California in heavy debt after miners flattened his land.

In fact, it was simpler to make money selling shovels and other provisions to the miners. Most people lost everything they had, so they stayed to work the vast expanse called California or to set up businesses. By 1856, San Francisco had a very multi-ethnic population of over 50,000 people and California had become the most exhilarating state in the country.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with Celtic knot rings. If you have an interest in gold rings, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

Do Not Choose Your Wedding Ring In Haste

March 30th, 2010

There is a very large number of wedding rings available in the shops these days. In fact, you have the world of wedding rings to choose from. The high street shops in a large town have a pretty good assortment, but the Internet lays the best jewellers and the best styles out for your inspection.

So, it is essential that you take your time when selecting one. Maybe the vast range of wedding rings makes that more difficult not easier. Diamond wedding rings have been the most popular since ordinary working people could afford them, before that a plain band of gold had to be enough, for people who could afford that much.

Nowadays, Western people have become more adventurous and they are choosing other stones like the stunningly beautiful blue sapphire. Some even choosing not to have a stone at all, going back to tradition, so to speak. However, there are plenty of examples of not so plain bands of gold too.

There is the Irish Claddagh ring with its characteristic two hands holding a crowned heart symbolizing love, friendship and loyalty; and there is the Celtic Knot with its intricately interwoven strands twisting and turning without end, standing for eternity and eternal love despite the twists and turns and difficulties of daily life.

So, choosing a wedding ring is not just a question of picking a beautiful wedding ring, you should be choosing one that says what you want it to say. You could look up on the Internet what the different metals and various stones symbolize traditionally. If you cannot find a ring that says what you want, consider having one made. It is not as expensive as you might think.

Tradition is a good thing when it comes to wedding rings. After all, you want your ring to express your eternal love and devotion for the person you are giving it to and your marriage could last fifty or sixty years, especially with people living longer these days. Hopefully, you will wear this ring for the rest of your life, so select a style that seems timeless to you.

Selecting a wedding ring is not as easy as it looks, because you are going to be wearing your ring every day for the rest of your life, so it should be something that you will not get tired of in a couple years. You should look at and try on many rings in order to get one that feels good. You will want a ring that does not look out of date in ten years time. The simplest way of doing that is to go for a traditional style, because those styles have already stood the test of time.

One last piece of advice is to ask the jeweller to verify the total carat weight of the stones in the ring and the weight of each individual stone and the quality and weight of the metal (although it should be hallmarked) on paper, then if it gets lost or stolen you have something to show the insurance company.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with the Celtic knot wedding ring. If you have an interest in gold rings, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

Tungsten Carbide Rings - Things You Need to Know

November 9th, 2009

People who are planning to get married can stop their endless search for the right wedding ring and get a tungsten carbide ring. This is the best choice for you. You don't have to look for anything else. All you need is in a tungsten carbide ring.

Tungsten carbide rings are made of a metal discovered in the 1600s. This metal is called tungsten or wolfram. This has the chemical symbol W and has an atomic number of 74. Tungsten was explored extensively by a Swedish chemist named Alex Fredik Cronstedt.

Tungsten is found mostly in China. This is also available in Russia, Austria, Bolivia, Portugal, and Peru. You can identify tungsten because of its gray sppearance.

Tungsten have been a great use in the 1940s, during the Second World War. It was used to make different weapons because it is a very strong metal. As the years passed, it was used in mining and making bulbs. it is also used in making X-rays.

Jewelers then used tungsten to make jewelry. They discovered that they can combine tungsten with a carbon alloy and come up with a very strong metal; something that is four times harder than the ordinary tungsten.

The reason tungsten carbide rings are perfect for your wedding is because they possess all the qualities you are looking for in a ring: beauty, luster, durability, strength, and appeal.

In addition, there are no health hazards with tungsten carbide rings. Miners who find tungsten are not found to have certain effects. What you can get is a skin irritation, if the ring you bought is made with cobalt.

Planning your wedding can be difficult especially if you are looking for something that is perfect for the occasion. Tungsten carbide rings are perfect for your wedding.

Tungsten rings are starting to become a popular choice for all genders when it comes to a wedding band. There are a few different types of tungsten wedding bands including the customer favorite black tungsten rings. Come to our site to view our full collection.

Marriage Proposals Are Made Extra Special By Tungsten Carbide Rings

November 1st, 2009

Getting married and being with the person you love is every person's dream. If you are planning to ask the hand of your girl in marriage, you need to be as convincing and irresistible as possible. Carefully plan your proposal and make sure that you have the perfect ring to show. Yeah a gold or silver ring will suffice but if you want to be unique, a tungsten carbide ring is more suitable.

Tungsten carbide rings are made of tungsten infused with carbon alloys. The result is a metal that is a lot harder than the ordinary tungsten. This makes a very tough and unbreakable ring. The ring is unique because it undergoes its own process. This is a great symbol for commitment.

The tungsten and carbon components of this ring are pounded into powder to form a ring blank. It is then fired in an oxygen free furnace at a temperature above 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Such metal is so hard, it cannot be cut by ordinary tools. Diamond tools are used to cut it and put it into shape. The manufacturer utilizes a diamond polisher tool to have a permanent luster dissimilar with other metals. Hence, the tungsten carbide rings will remain forever polished.

Tungsten carbide rings are very tough they won't break or bend; they are also scratch-resistant. These rings have a natural shine. This can last for a long time; you don't have to clean them all the time.

Each tungsten carbide is handcrafted carefully. You don't need to worry about not finding one that will fit your woman's finger. There are a lot of rings to choose from. You can also choose from a whole range of different styles.

You can buy tungsten carbide rings easily since there are a lot of places to get them. Aside from the jewelry shops in your area, you can also get them online. There are different sites that sell these rings. What's good about this is that your choices are limitless.

Just be careful when choosing the right ring. Tungsten rings are different from tungsten carbide rings. The former is not as hard and scratch resistant as tungsten carbide rings. The latter can be scratched by a diamond only or any metal containing the mineral corundum. Choose a cobalt free ring so you can avoid skin irritation and spot ring formation.

For your loved one, you tend to seek only the best. Your woman deserves something that is of high quality. Tungsten carbide rings will surely serve you right. As it endures the tests of time, your love is compelled with an everlasting symbol of commitment to your other half.

One of the most sought after tungsten carbide rings is the black tungsten carbide wedding ring. Black tungsten rings are beautiful and elegant. View our full collection of tunsten wedding rings today!

Black Tungsten Rings - The All-Around Accessory For Trendy Men

October 29th, 2009

These days, there are a group of fashionable men that referred to as metrosexuals, are rampant. These men are admirable because they make looking good a part of masculinity. These are guys who can be very fashionable without looking too girly. Metrosexuals are not only keen on the clothes they wear but on accessories, like black tungsten rings, as well.

Black tungsten rings have come a long way ever since it was invented. Back in the days when the only popular rings are gold, silver, and titanium, no one really paid much attention to tungsten rings. Now, they have become very well known, even men are seen wearing them.

Men can be concerned with wearing gold and silver rings because they are too conspicuous. It would be awkward to see a man wearing something close to being effeminate.

Men are masculine, hence, they would only wear something that looks good for men. This is the reason why men would prefer not to wear anything. But in this time and age, fashion is already a big part of people's life. Men, because they are more fashionable, are learning to use accessories.

You can assume that men will not wear just about any ring. Even though they are willing to experiment in the name of fashion, they'd rather be seen dead than be seen with a studded gold ring in their finger. What will suit them are black tungsten rings. These are very masculine, and men will be comfortable wearing these.

You can wear black tungsten rings in practically any occasion. They will definitely make you look cool. Even if you are just wearing a simple shirt and jeans, your look will be better accentuated with black tungsten rings. If you are planning to spend the night hanging out at the bar, you will be able to turn heads with your look.

If you are going to see a rock concert, you will have a blast if you look the part of a rock fan. Wear your favorite rock shirt, don some cool hairstyle, and then wear your black tungsten ring. This will surely give you a rocking experience. But that's not where you can wear such rings. You can also wear them in formal occasions.

There are no limitations when it comes to looking good and feeling great. Black tungsten rings will help you achieve the kind of hip and trendy look you're trying to attain.

Have you or your significant other been trying to find the perfect black tungsten ring for your wedding? We have a complete line of stunning black tungsten rings to meet all of your wants and needs.