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By Ricardo Montero, Layout-Editor
If someone were to write a book on how to break the internet, the author would probably be Joss Whedon and his BFF's at Marvel Studios. Perhaps there would be a chapter about Ellen Degeneres' Oscar selfie.
The Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer has infiltrated the internet, and it is awesome.
On last night's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, it was revealed that the trailer was going to be shown soon. However, perhaps the same hacker responsible for the Fappening, or "Hydra", has leaked it and the trailer is now available online via TinyPic.
Let's break it down. There is a hell of alot of destruction, as is common in Marvel movies; however, the difference from The Avengers is that they show people suffering in that chaos, giving the trailer a way darker feel than it's predecessor.
Not to mention the blaring horns and ominous chanting music, which you would expect from a Christopher Nolan movie, not a funny and quirky Marvel superhero flick.
No, Age of Ultron is most certainly much darker, and this trailer has no jokes, no comic relief, no wise-cracking Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), nothing. Only destruction, despair and suffering.
Our heroes all have a constipated and worrisome look on their face. Stark says, "This is the end. The end of the path I started us on," which leads me to believe that the Avengers are going through relationship drama; probably due to the fact that Ultron was Stark's creation. They probably were not cool with that.
Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) is acting like an emo 13-year-old boy the whole trailer, and not in the "I'm always angry" Hulk-type of way, but more in the "I hate my parents" type of way. We can assume that something is probably going on with him, given the fact that he is also fighting with IronMan (Stark wearing his HulkBuster suit) in the trailer. If we didn't have enough of Thor vs. Hulk in the first Avengers, our nerd-munchies will probably be satisfied by this brawl.
Ultron is heard throughout the whole trailer talking about "Now I'm free. There are no strings on me," and telling everyone else that they are just puppets. Let me tell you something about Ultron (James Spader), he is terrifying. His raspy and mechanical voice leaves a fear factor that Loki (Tom Hiddleston) just did not have, and his metal exoskeleton leaves no room for morals or mercy.
Some of the sets are in what seems to be Northern Europe, including a Battle of the Bulge-like winter forest, and a city which does not resemble New York, so the locations will most likely vary at a global level.
The Scarlet Witch and QuickSilver are shown a lot, which is interesting since at the end-credit scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, they were imprisoned. They will most likely be a plot device, but I wouldn't mind them kicking some ass here and there.
Oh yeah, and CAPTAIN AMERICA'S SHIELD IS SHOWN BROKEN. HEY WHEDON, WHAT'S THAT ABOUT? VIBRANIUM IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU? CHRIST.
Not much about the plot can be deduced, except conflict in Stark Tower, conflict amongst superheroes, and a ton of Ultron clones that seem hell-bent on killing anything that breathes, but that just kind of sums up Marvel movies doesn't it.
All we can do now is hope that May 1 comes early next year, so we can really see what unfolds in what will definitely be another behemoth Marvel movie. Age of Ultron is no Avengers, it is much darker and serious, which I expect to be a nice change of pace from the first movie.
Many questions are raised with this trailer, and hopefully all of them will be answered, but for now let's just all enjoy this teaser. Oh Marvel, you tease.


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"I'm Sabrina and I'm Pure"
Zarah Cheng
Well guys, I'm back to real life. Back to civilization where the majority of food establishments are, unfortunately, not all-you-can-eat. Which is a weird aspect of Markham, by the way. I didn't even know that it was socially acceptable to partake in unlimited gorging at a teppanyaki restaurant. But surprise bitches, it's a thing. Oh also, I got a little drunk at Medieval Times while I was in Toronto. Best fucking time. Have a good weekend, peasants. And enjoy this TGIF playlist by Music Editor, Lamont.
Track list:
1. Backseat Freestyle by Kendrick Lamar
2. Drive Me Crazy by KAYTRANADA ft. Vic Mensa
3. Bad Jokes by Jeremiah Jae
4. THC by Mick Jenkins
5. Give A Fuck by Nocando
6. Shake Weight (Prod. TNGHT) by Captain Murphy
7. Game Over (Flying Lotus Remix) by Dabrye ft. Jay Dee & Phat Kat
8. The Purge by Schoolboy Q ft. Tyler The Creator & Kurupt
9. Doctor Pepper by Diplo x CL x RiFF RAFF x OG Maco
10. Mt Olympus by Big KRIT
11. Argyle Sox (may Hellfyre live longer than any of us) by Milo ft. Busdriver
12. Work Work by clipping ft. Cocc Pistol Cree
13. Dip by Danny Brown
14. Guillotine by Death Grips
15. I Break Mirrors with my Face in the United States by Death Grips
16. French by Tyler the Creator ft. Hodgy Beats

subset: commoncrawl


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Our themed events and parties are getting more popular now especially with our regular corporate clients as they can want a summer party for clients and then an end of year party for staff to celebrate the success of the company or just to say thank you to them for all their hard work throughout the year.
We have to come up with so many themes so its something they have not seen before and we love this element. We do a lot of research and prop making to design unique events for them. Depending on budgets we can design an Ibiza themed club party with hedkandi DJ's to a full on festival event
with tipi's, marquees, staging, street food, outdoor theming, acoustic bands to named acts !


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How Safe is Acupuncture?
The evidence for acupuncture as one of the safest forms of treatment available is overwhelming. Many millions of acupuncture treatments are given across the globe every year. 9-12 million acupuncture treatments are reported in the US alone every year. Millions upon millions of treatments are provided in China, Japan and throughout Asia, Europe, Africa, and the rest of the world. Out of the millions of treatments given each year, very few severe adverse effects are ever reported.
The probability of causing any lasting or significant harm with acupuncture is extremely small when performed by someone well-schooled in anatomy, who follows a clean needle technique protocol.
If you search the literature, you'll find that frequency of adverse effects from acupuncture range from less than 0.006% (very safe) to as much as 10% (not safe at all), depending on the study, its authors, and who is interpreting or commenting on it.
Many of the studies, comments, and articles on the subject seem to be written either by avid acupuncture supporters or acupuncture naysayers. I'm sure some have been authored by individuals with no biases, however I haven't come across very many of them. I suggest all acupuncture safety studies, comments, and conclusions—including my own—are best taken with a grain of salt. Consider who the author is, in what field of science or healthcare is the author's primary training, what is the author's reputation for reviewing acupuncture and CAM procedures in general, and how the comments compare with the actual results of the study. Authors who decry acupuncture as being dangerous are, with very few exceptions, the same authors who claim most other CAM therapies to be dangerous, hoaxes, or placebos.
When searching the literature, you're likely to find a few authors of acupuncture studies, who are referenced over and over again in articles by many other writers and researchers. MacPhearson & White are some of the more prominent names you'll come across. While MacPheason & White present balanced interpretations of their work, writers who cite MacPheason & White often come to conclusions that seem to be based more on their biases than the actual results of the study. One prominent author who seems to be relentless in his attempts to make acupuncture appear dangerous, claims that even negligible risks outweigh acupuncture's benefits, which he describes as nonexistent. Needless to say, I disagree.
Naysayers point out that up to 10% of acupuncture treatments cause harm. This would be a problem if it were true. However, when you look at they are calling "harms," they include side effects, like temporary soreness at an acupuncture point after treatment, a few drops of blood or a small bruise at a point upon needle removal, or a patient feeling tired after a treatment. I doubt any of these authors would consider a few drops of blood, small bruise, or temporary soreness at the injection site, to be adverse side effects of an injected drug.
Acupuncture supporters on the other hand, tend to cite studies that show almost no, or very few mild side effects. Many of these authors, however, qualify their endorsement of acupuncture with reference to treatment by "qualified professionals" or "standard treatment." Opinions of who is a "qualified professional" or what makes for "standard treatment" seems to vary with the authors' credentials and biases.
Medical doctors usually claim that acupuncture is perfectly safe, but only if performed by medical doctors. Licensed acupuncturists generally claim that acupuncture is perfectly safe, but only if performed by licensed acupuncturists.
Studies on the adverse effects of acupuncture treatments administered by licensed acupuncturists, and studies on the adverse effects of acupuncture treatments administered by medical doctors and physiotherapists are remarkably similar in their results, despite vastly differing levels of acupuncture training between the providers.
Both supporters and critics alike point to pneumothorax as the main severe adverse effect of acupuncture to beware of. A bit of searching will also turn up the occasional reference to an acupuncture needle being inserted into someone's heart, or a very long needle breaking of inside someone's abdomen. There are also a few reported cases of cross infection, which usually involve an infected practitioners failing to follow universal precautions or standard clean needle technique. All of these incidents, including pneumothorax are extremely rare. While hearsay incidents may be less rare, verified reports are hard to come by. Those that are verified are often the result of negligence or incompetence on the part of the practitioner. These incidents are less side effects of acupuncture than they are side effects of individual healthcare providers not complying with basic standards of care.
Comparing the possible adverse effects of acupuncture and their frequency to the documented adverse effects of just about any other medical, physical, or surgical intervention, places acupuncture squarely in the generally safe category.
For example, an abstract in Pubmed cites a study in which adhesive bandages caused significant allergic reactions in 6.5% (4 out of 26) of the participants. A partial list of the side effects of aspirin include, rupture in the wall of the stomach or intestines, anemia, bleeding of the stomach or intestines, blood coming from anus, bronchospasm, decrease in the ability of platelet cells to clot, decreased white blood cells, drowsiness, giant hives, hemolytic anemia, hemorrhage within the skull, hepatitis caused by drugs, interstitial nephritis, large purple or brown skin blotches, life threatening allergic reaction, ringing in the ears, seizures, and the list goes on…
I'm not trying to disparage aspirin or bandaids, but offering them as examples for perspective. Acupuncture carries less risk than just about any commonly available medical interventions, including many that lay people use daily, without medical advice, throughout the world, billions of times every year.
I have avoided including references to specific studies here, because I recognize that I have my own biases and conflicts of interest, and I suspect that in choosing certain studies I would likely be swayed by these biases. Rather, I invite you to research this topic on your own. With the web at your fingertips, I suspect won't take you long to come to your own conclusions.
Still, when I attempt to put my own biases aside, I believe there is very little justification for concern, when acupuncture is performed by someone who is reasonably intelligent, schooled in anatomy and responsible clean needle handling, and prudent in the application of therapy.
Given the small amount of risk that it poses, I believe that if acupuncture were a drug, it would be available without a prescription, over the counter.
Jim Ventresca,
Principal, AcuPractice Seminars


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Eighth North-East Local Authority signs up to Show Racism the Red Card
Gisborough Hall was the prestigious venue for yesterday's launch of an exciting new partnership between Redcar & Cleveland and Show Racism the Red Card.
Redcar & Cleveland is the eighth local authority in the North East to form a partnership with SRtRC. In the 2009 – 2010 academic year SRtRC will undertake 22 educational visits to schools in which children participate in workshops educating young people on the subject of racism and why it should not be tolerated, along with the opportunity to undertake a fun fitness session with our former professional footballers.
116 school children from Redcar & Cleveland schools attended the luxurious venue, along with around 40 adult delegates from the local authority and partner organisations.
After orange juice in the conservatory the pupils, who came from Handale, Newcomen, Nunthorpe and South Bank Primary Schools listened to some opening words from Redcar & Cleveland's Cabinet Member for Community Protection, Dave McLuckie, and Simon Dale, Redcar & Cleveland Council's Director of Area Management. These positive words were followed by a screening of Show Racism the Red Card's main educational film.
After the film everyone had the chance to move around the room as they took part in some anti-racism educational activities led by a seasoned supporter of the campaign, David Foster. This was followed by a question and answer session with a distinguished panel that included ex-Middlesbrough FC players Dean Gordon and Curtis Fleming, both now coaching with Show Racism the Red Card. The young people came up with some tough questions for the panel including "where did racism start?" and "when will racism end?"
A successful and enjoyable morning concluded with a few words from Mal Fitzgerald who chairs Redcar & Cleveland's Stronger Partnerships Programme which provided funding for Show Racism the Red Card's work in the borough.
Photography: Robert Irving


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Ethan is a staff attorney in the firm's financial services litigation department. He focuses his practice primarily on commercial litigation, representing leading financial services companies in a variety of business areas.
Ethan advises and defends clients against claims involving federal lending laws and regulations, including the Truth and Lending Act (TILA), Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FRCA), and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). He has extensive experience with mortgage foreclosure claims, loan modification claims, lending servicing claims, real estate title issues, state unfair competition and consumer protection claims, as well as a variety of other contracts claims. Ethan's involvement in litigating these matters ranges from the initial pleadings, through trial and appeal, in both California state and federal courts.
In addition to his litigation experience, Ethan has extensive experience in corporate transactional and start-up matters related to business formation, fund raising, mergers and acquisitions, international business development, partnership agreements, master service agreements, distribution agreements, advertising agreements, procurement agreements and many other types of contract related issues. He has worked as in-house counsel on several early stage start-up companies.


text: Share: Comments Print January 24, 2013 at 3:42 PM Inslee wants state to closely track distribution of pot Posted by Andrew Garber Gov. Jay Inslee plans to give the federal government details soon about how the state will track shipments of marijuana and prevent leakage outside Washington's borders. Inslee said Thursday it's still too early to draw conclusions about what U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder will do regarding the voters' decision last fall to legalize marijuana for social use. The governor said he's determined to show the state can develop a system that tracks the production and distribution of pot. "The concern would be that growers somehow would have a regular leakage of their product in a U-haul to Oregon. We want to use all methods at our disposal to eliminate that," he said. Inslee said he plans to update Holder in a week to 10 days on what the state has in mind. Although no details were released at his news conference on Thursday, the governor said he wants "a systemic digitally controlled system of understanding what in fact is being produced." In addition, Inslee said the state needs a "digital way of tracking that inventory to the distributor and then to the retailers so that we know that what leaves the farms actually arrives at the distributor and there isn't a 10 or 20 percent shrinkage that could end up on the black market." The governor said he met with representatives from the biotech industry on Wednesday to discuss how they track pharmaceuticals and apply that to the distribution of pot. "We will be the first state in the world to adopt a licensed, regulated, disciplined, distribution market for marijuana, I think in world history," he said, Comments | More in Politics Northwest | Topics: gov. jay inslee, marijuana


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Sail back in time as you travel through a 17-gallery interactive museum full of artifacts and recreations of the Titanic. Guided by trained actors in period dress, dive deep into 100 years of history, from the shores of England to the depths of the Atlantic.
Step into a 20,000-square-foot (1,850-sq-m) facility comprised of exhibits, artifacts, and full-scale reproductions of ship locations like the Grand Staircase, a First Class Cabin, the Verandah Cafe, and the boilers. Next, step out onto the Promenade Deck where you can walk beneath the stars as you are enveloped by the chill of the Atlantic Ocean air.
Entertaining actors in authentic period costumes serve as your tour guides as they portray Titanic passengers and deliver firsthand accounts of their experience on her maiden—and final—voyage. With guides such as Captain Smith and Margaret Brown, hear stories straight from the mouths of passengers aboard the most infamous ship in history.
Tour exhibits that showcase well over 400 artifacts and historical treasures, including the so-called Little Big Piece, a section of the ship's hull weighing in at 3 tons, the second largest piece of the Titanic ever recovered. As you tour the museum, experience all the allure and spectacle of this doomed ship that still lies in the depths of the Atlantic.


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Welcome to our Privacy Policy
Your privacy is critically important to us
Acrotrend Solutions is located at:
6th Floor, 21-24 Millbank Tower,
London, SW1P 4QP,
United Kingdom
It is Acrotrend Solutions'policy to respect your privacy regarding any information we may collect while operating our website. This Privacy Policy applies to www.acrotrend.com (hereinafter, "us", "we", or "www.acrotrend.com"). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting personally identifiable information you may provide us through the Website. We have adopted this privacy policy ("Privacy Policy") to explain what information may be collected on our Website, how we use this information, and under what circumstances we may disclose the information to third parties. This Privacy Policy applies only to information we collect through the Website and does not apply to our collection of information from other sources.
This Privacy Policy, together with the Terms and conditions posted on our Website, set forth the general rules and policies governing your use of our Website. Depending on your activities when visiting our Website, you may be required to agree to additional terms and conditions.
Website Visitors
Like most website operators, Acrotrend Solutions collects non-personally-identifying information of the sort that web browsers and servers typically make available, such as the browser type, language preference, referring site, and the date and time of each visitor request. Acrotrend Solutions's purpose in collecting non-personally identifying information is to better understand how Acrotrend Solutions's visitors use its website. From time to time, Acrotrend Solutions may release non-personally-identifying information in the aggregate, e.g., by publishing a report on trends in the usage of its website.
Acrotrend Solutions also collects potentially personally-identifying information like Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for logged in users and for users leaving comments on http://www.acrotrend.com blog posts. Acrotrend Solutions only discloses logged in user and commenter IP addresses under the same circumstances that it uses and discloses personally-identifying information as described below.
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The security of your Personal Information is important to us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
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Our Service may contain links to external sites that are not operated by us. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy and terms and conditions of every site you visit.
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Www.acrotrend.com uses the remarketing services to advertise on third party websites (including Google) to previous visitors to our site. It could mean that we advertise to previous visitors who haven't completed a task on our site, for example using the contact form to make an enquiry. This could be in the form of an advertisement on the Google search results page or a site in the Google Display Network. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on someone's past visits. Of course, any data collected will be used in accordance with our own privacy policy and Google's privacy policy.
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A cookie is a string of information that a website stores on a visitor's computer, and that the visitor's browser provides to the website each time the visitor returns. Acrotrend Solutions uses cookies to help Acrotrend Solutions identify and track visitors, their usage of http://www.acrotrend.com, and their website access preferences. Acrotrend Solutions visitors who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using Acrotrend Solutions's websites, with the drawback that certain features of Acrotrend Solutions's websites may not function properly without the aid of cookies.
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Although most changes are likely to be minor, Acrotrend Solutions may change its Privacy Policy from time to time, and in Acrotrend Solutions's sole discretion. Acrotrend Solutions encourages visitors to frequently check this page for any changes to its Privacy Policy. Your continued use of this site after any change in this Privacy Policy will constitute your acceptance of such change.
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A story of determination and survival, Lisa Blair on her yacht Climate Action Now and circumnavigating Antarctica solo, non-stop and unassisted.
Enjoy a thrilling and entertaining tale as Lisa Blair shares her inspirational story of determination and survival. Sailing her yacht Climate Action Now Lisa was circumnavigating Antarctica solo, non-stop and unassisted with the goal of becoming the first woman and the fastest to do so.
On day 72 of her solo journey in the world's most dangerous ocean it all changed as her mast came crashing down in the night after a piece of rigging failed. Her focus went from setting a world record to simply surviving the night as she battled to save her yacht in storm conditions. Lisa was over 1,000 nm from land and the nearest vessel was days away. Lisa battled into the night to save herself and her yacht before finally being able to cut away the mast. Lisa then was rendered fuel from a container ship, built a jury rig and motor-sailed her yacht to Cape Town.
For most people this would be the end of their journey but not for Lisa. With her 'never give up' attitude, Lisa repaired the boat, replaced the mast and set off once again for the Southern Ocean. Lisa was able to successfully sail back to Australia where she became the first woman in history to sail solo around Antarctica with one stop.
Enquire about booking Lisa
Motivation, Goal Setting, Resilience, Inspirational, Determination, Survival.
20 min - 1 hour
To be enjoyed by all ages and no sailing knowledge is required to enjoy. Lisa customises her presentations to meet audience requirements.
Equipment Needed
Ability to play a Power Point with Audio through either a TV or Projector set up.
Microphone if needed.
"Lisa's is a captivating presenter. She delivered a real-life story of courage and resilience that left us inspired with the power of persistence to overcome obstacles and achieve your goals."
Steve Harris - CEO The Brand Agency
"Lisa's story is captivating. Firstly enthralling us with her dream and passion for her task at hand, then taking us on her journey of euphoria, tears, heartbreak and finally success. Lisa is an extraordinary lady with a big heart and special story to tell. Those that take the time to listen to her come out of with life lessons and are better people for it."
Domenic Genua – BIA Sydney International Boat Show


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It's that time of year again! Get out your yukata and geta and come join the New York Buddhist Church at the annual Obon Festival in Bryant Park. HAPPYFUNSMILE will get things started at 1pm, then performances by Hoh Daiko, Soh Daiko, and the Tachibana Dance Group.
Bryant Park
41st and 6th Ave.
New York New York 10018


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Alexandrite is a form of the mineral Chrysoberyl which is a very attractive and
rare stone. It is 8.5 on Mohs hardness scale and mainly found in Russia, Sri Lanka,
Brazil, Burma, Madagascar and USA. The most sensational feature about this stone
is its surprising ability to change its color under different forms of light. Green
or bluish-green in daylight, red in candle light, green in fluorescent light and
reddish-purple in standard electric (tungsten) light.
Stones those have been sourced from alluvial deposits in river beds or transported
by water and deposited in seas and lakes. Many gems, including diamonds, are found
in alluvial deposits and Alluvial stones are usually of gem quality.
The gemstone Amber is the fossilized liquid, resin, or gum from pine trees and available
in various colors like golden yellow, golden orange, brown, green, red and violet.
These gemstones may contain insects, plant material, feathers and other small objects
that were trapped millions of years ago when the resin was sticky. Amber is quite
soft but perfect for jewelry as it can be easily cut, etched, faceted, or carved.
American Cut
Marcel Tolkowsky's mathematically calculated ideal proportions and facet angles,
to produce maximum brilliancy consistent with a high degree of fire in a round brilliant
gemstone. This is known as American Cut or Ideal Cut.
Amethyst is a variety from Quartz family, colored by traces of manganese, titanium
and iron. Deeper-colored amethysts are more highly valued. It is available in colors
like purple, pale lavender to deep reddish purple, bluish violet etc. Rich purple
has always been a rare and noble color. Amethyst's name comes from Greek word 'Amethystos'
meaning 'Not Intoxicated' or 'Not Drunken'. The Amethyst is said to bring good
luck and to radiate love. This brilliantly sparkling stone is the most valued gemstone
from the quartz family. It is 7 on Mohs hardness scale and mainly found in Sri Lanka,
Brazil, Burma, Canada, East Africa, India, North America, Russia, Uruguay, Madagascar
and Australia.
Appraisal is a written statement based on estimated retail replacement value of
the gemstone or piece of jewelry. Appraisal is mainly used for insurance purposes
and should be updated after every few years.
Aquamarine is a variety of mineral Beryl. This is a fascinatingly beautiful gemstone
found in colors like light blue of the sky to the deep blue of the sea. The more
intense the color of an Aquamarine, the more value is put on it. Its hardness makes
it very tough which comes in between 7.5 to 8 on Mohs hardness scale and it is mainly
found in Brazil, Madagascar, Russia, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Zambia,
Mozambique and USA. Its name is derived from the Latin 'Aqua' (water) and 'Mare'
(sea). Aquamarine is one of the most popular and best-known gemstones.
Asterism is the star effect that appears on some gemstones. This star effect is
a reflection that appears as two or more intersecting bands of light across the
surface of a gem. Usually asterism is found in Ruby, Sapphire and Garnet.
Aventurescent gemstones are those which display a colorful play of sparkling reflections
due to small metallic inclusions.
Baguette is a French word meaning 'Rod'. It is a step cut for small rectangular
shaped gemstones and diamonds.
Bar Setting
In this style of setting, gemstones are individually set between these bars leaving
the sides of the stones exposed to light. This method maximizes the amount of light
entering the gemstones which create superior brilliance and sparkle.
Baroque is a term that refers to irregularly or oddly shaped stones mainly pearls.
Baroque pearls can be natural or artificial.
The name beryl comes from ancient Greek word 'beryllos' which means precious blue-green
color. This stone is available in a variety of colors including green, yellow, greenish-yellow,
blue to blue-green, red, colorless and pink.
Bezel Setting
In this style of setting, a metal rim gently holds a gemstone in place by the girdle.
The bezel setting guards the gemstone from any damages and yet allows light to enter
which creates brilliance and sparkle.
A birthstone is nothing but a stone, which is associated with the date of one's
birth and wearing of such birthstone is considered to bring good luck and health.
Certain stones are believed to have Supernatural powers and their relationship with
planets. Many cultures originally assigned a specific stone to signify birth during
each sign of the zodiac but over the time this tradition has been shifted from the
zodiac to calendar months. Following birthstones are assigned for every calendar
month. January – Garnet, February – Amethyst, March – Aquamarine, April – Diamond,
May – Emerald, June – Pearl / Alexandrite / Moonstone, July – Ruby, August – Peridot
/ Sardonyx, September – Sapphire, October – Opal / Pink Tourmaline, November – Citrine
/ Yellow Topaz, December – Turquoise / Tanzanite / Zircon / Blue Topaz.
An external mark or surface imperfection on a gemstone. For example, a nick, abrasion,
knot, scratch, minor crack or fissure (cavity), or a poor polish. A natural or an
extra facet is also considered a blemish.
Brilliance describes the reflections of white light returned to the eye from a gemstone. Brilliance
is produced primarily when light enters through the table, reaches the pavilion
facets, and is then reflected back out through the table. The major factors that
affect the amount of brilliancy in a gem are refractive index, proportions, polish
and transparency.
Brilliant Cut
Brilliant Cut is the most common style of gemstone cutting and it is called a brilliant
cut because it is designed to maximize brilliance. The standard round brilliant
cut consists of a total of 58 facets which covers 1 table, 8 bezel facets, 8 star
facets and 16 upper-girdle facets on the crown; and 8 pavilion facets, 16 lower-girdle
facets, and usually a culet on the pavilion, or base. Brilliant cut stones normally
come in round shape, but there are modified variants in other shapes also.
This term is used for a long teardrop shaped gemstone with rose cut facets, which
sometimes is also drilled to be used as a pendant.
Cabochon Cut
A cabochon shaped gemstone resembles a dome as it comes in round shape with no facets.
Generally onyx stone is cut in a cabochon shape.
Cameo is a style of carving in which the design pattern is left and the surrounding
surface is cut away leaving the design in relief. This is done to use the natural
colors of the stone or shell to produce the different shadings of the carving.
The term Carat is used as a standard unit of measurement of the weight of most gemstones
including diamond. The word comes from the carob beans which are known for its consistent
weight and was used in ancient times to measure gemstones. One carat (ct.) equals
200 milligrams, or 0.2 grams (1/5 of a gram), or 1/142 of an ounce. There are 100
points in a carat. If all other factors are equal, the more a stone weighs, the
more valuable it will be. It is sometimes incorrectly spelled 'Karat', but Karat
refers only to the fineness of pure gold and gold alloys.
Carving refers to the cutting of decorative objects from a larger stone.
Center Stone
The center stone is a main stone placed in central position in a piece of jewelry
item with multiple stones. In a ring with one stone only, the center stone is also
called the solitaire.
Channel Setting
A setting style or method in channel form where no metal is displayed between stones
and these stones are held in only by a slight rim which runs along the edges of
the channel.
The term chatoyant is used for those stones that have ability to display or reflect
a cat's eye effect. This effect is caused by the precise occurrence of slight inclusions.
A chatoyant gem exhibits a changeable silky luster as light is reflected within
the thin, parallel, fibrous bands.
A choker is a type of necklace usually made of pearls that fits tightly around the
neck. It comes in 14 to 16 inches in length.
Citrine is a variety of mineral Quartz and available in colors like light yellow,
lemon yellow, amber-brown and brilliant orange. This radiant gemstone gets its name
from the French word 'Citrin', meaning 'Yellow'. Citrine is known as a tough gemstone
with 7 points on Mohs hardness scale and with good durability. This gemstone is
mainly found in South America, Brazil, Madagascar, Argentina, Russia, Scotland and
A curved break or absence of a tiny piece of a gemstone, caused by normal wear and
tear, or by cutting.
Clarity is one of the main value factors of a gemstone which describes the absence
or presence of flaws inside or on the surface of a gemstone. Gemstones are graded
on a scale from Flawless (no inclusions or blemishes visible under 10x magnification)
to Included (eye visible inclusions or blemishes). If other factors are equal, flawless
stones are most valuable.
Claw is a style of setting used to hold gemstones in place. It is also known as
collet and consists of a 'Bezel' and 'Prong'.
The tendency of crystalline minerals to break in one or more definite directions,
producing more or less smooth surfaces. A cleavage may be caused by inherent internal
strain or by a sharp blow. Cleavage is one of the two methods used by stone cutters
to split gemstones in preparation for the cutting process. The other method is sawing.
Closed Setting
Closed setting is a style of setting in which back of the gemstone is not exposed
and usually stone's back is covered by metal.
A group of a number of extremely tiny white inclusions which gives a 'cloudy' or
'milky' appearance under 10X magnification. These clouds cannot be seen with the
naked eye and generally does not significantly impact a gemstone's clarity grade.
Collet is a style of setting used to hold gemstones in place. It is also known as
claw and consists of a 'Bezel' and 'Prong'.
Color is the most important criteria in determining the value of a gemstone. Color
is measured by tone and hue in a gemstone. In gemstones, color is more significant
than clarity / cut and even subtle differences in hue can make a lot of difference
in valuations.
Color Change
Few gemstones distinctly change their color when viewed under two different light
sources. This feature is commonly found in Alexandrite, Sapphire and Color Change
Color Grading
A system of grading gemstones color based on their hue or tone. Usually a well distributed
hue is considered best for a gemstone.
Color Enhancement
Color enhancement is the improvement process of a gemstone's color mainly by irradiation
and HPHT (High Pressure, High Temperature).
Composite Gemstone
It refers to a gemstone which is assembled from several pieces, often used to imitate
a gem.
Corundum is a hard mineral that exists in the form of colored crystals, such as
Rubies and Sapphires.
The upper portion of a cut gemstone above the girdle which surrounds a large flat
area on top known as table.
This term is used for a mineral structure in which crystals are very small and due
to that they are not even distinguishable through a microscope.
A crystal is a solid material that has a definite internal atomic structure. Its
atomic stricture produces a characteristic external shape as well as physical and
optical properties.
Crystal Structure
Crystals are divided in to seven groups on the basis of specific set of angular,
geometrical and symmetrical specifications. All crystalline gems can be classified
in one of seven groups based on the above specifications. These groups are cubic,
tetragonal, hexagonal, trigonal, orthorhombic, monoclinic and triclinic.
The smallest facet, at the bottom of most round or brilliant cut stones, is known
as culet. Its purpose is to protect the tip of the pavilion from being chipped or
damaged. Most modern shapes have either no culet at all, or a small or very small
Cultured Pearl
A pearl cultivated by an artificial process that imitates the organic process by
which a natural pearl is created. An irritant such as a bead, grain of sand, or
piece of mantle tissue is inserted manually into the body of a mollusk and becomes
the nucleus of a pearl, once that mollusk secretes nacre to cover the irritation.
A shape of gemstone, which ranges from square to rectangular and it has rounded
corners and larger facets to increase its brilliance. Cushion Cut stones are also
known as "pillow cut" stones.
Cut refers to the geometric proportions and finish of a gemstone. It is one of the
most important factors in determining gemstone's sparkle and brilliance. The stone
should be symmetrical in all dimensions so that it will appear balanced, and so
that its facets will reflect light evenly, which will provide good brilliance to
The person who cuts and polishes rough gemstones and converts them into finished
The process of cutting, grinding or polishing rough gemstones and converting them
into finished ones.
CZ denotes cubic zirconium, a widely used simulant, an imitation for a natural gemstone
including diamond. But CZ is easily detectable by it's 80% higher weight than a
normal stone of the same proportions or by thermal conductivity testing.
This usually means a gemstone which has been cut too deep. This deep cut maximizes
weight but sacrifices brilliance.
The height of a gemstone from the table to the culet which is measured in millimeters.
Depth Percentage
The depth percentage, which expresses how deep the gemstone is in comparison to
how wide it is. In other words, the depth of the gemstone is divided by the average
width. This depth percentage of a gemstone is important to its brilliance and value.
The pavilion should be deep enough to allow light to bounce around inside the gemstone
and be reflecting out to the eye at the proper angle.
The width of the gemstone, as measured across the widest part of the girdle.
The word "diamond" comes from the Greek word "Adamas", meaning "Unconquerable".
Diamond is composed of carbon that crystallizes in the "cubic," or "isometric,"
crystal system. It is the hardest known substance in the world (10 on Mohs' scale).
The Diamond is uniquely resistant to damage by heat or scratching, and can be cut
or polished only by another diamond. It occurs in colors ranging from colorless
to yellow, brown, orange, green, blue, and violet.
This term refers to a gemstone that displays a different color or shade, which is
other than the original gemstone's color, when viewed from different directions
or angles.
Dispersion is the ability of a gemstone, to separate white light into the colors
of the spectrum. It is also called the stone's fire.
Double Refraction
This term is used when each ray of light is split in two as it enters in a non-cubic
Doublet is a composite stone which is made of two components, usually cemented or
glued together with a clear adhesive.
Drop Cut
A drop cut or briolette is a pear-shaped cut gemstone with triangular facets on
top. This type of stone makes a nice pendant.
Emerald, a variety of mineral Beryl, is one of the most fascinating and beautiful
gemstones available in various shades of green color. The name of this remarkable
gemstone comes from Greek 'Smaragdos', meaning 'Green Stone'. Deep green
is the most desired color in emeralds. Its hardness makes it very tough and durable
which comes in between 7.5 to 8 on Mohs hardness scale and it is mainly found in
Columbia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Afghanistan and USA. Flawless emeralds
are very uncommon, and are noted for their great value, sometimes even more than
Emerald Cut
Emerald Cut gemstone is a square or rectangular shape stone with cut corners. This
is also known as Step Cut because it has rows of facets, usually 48 to 50, that
resemble a staircase. Due to its larger, more open table, this shape highlights
the clarity of a gemstone but with fewer facets, this shape brings less brilliance
than the other shapes.
Enamel is a powdered colored glass fused onto the surface of the piece of jewelry.
It is a soft material and can be easily cracked or damaged. This should not be used
on jewelry pieces, which are exposed to daily wear.
Engraving is a method of surface decoration in which a design is etched or engraved
with a sharp tool.
Enhance or enhancement is the process to improve a gemstone's color or clarity
by using various methods like heating and oiling.
European Cut
A European version of 'ideal' cut which was used and preferred in Europe although
it was never adopted as a common form of cutting. In this cut, gemstone's proportions
were worked out mathematically for light falling perpendicularly on the crown.
Extra Facet
An additional facet placed onto a gemstone, usually to remove a small surface blemish.
This extra facet is not required by the cutting style and symmetry.
Eye Clean
A term used in the jewelry industry to describe a gemstone with no blemishes or
inclusions that are visible to the unaided eye.
A term used for flat or plane surface that make up the exterior form of a crystal.
A plane, polished surface on a gemstone which allows light to enter in a stone and
reflect off through different angles.
Faceting is the process of placing facets on a gemstone. The shape and number of
the facets give the stone its style of cut.
Fancy Cut, Fancy Shape
Any shape of gemstone other than the round brilliant shape is known as fancy cut
or fancy shape. It includes marquise, emerald cut, heart shape, pear shape, etc.
Fancy Diamond
It is a Diamond with intense body color which is other than transparent stone with
low color grade. Colored or fancy diamonds are very rare and valuable. Fancy diamonds
are available in various colors like blue, pink, purple, red etc.
Fire refers flashes of spectrum colors seen in a gemstone as the result of dispersion.
Flaw refers to any internal or external imperfection on a gemstone and usually includes
scratch, feather, fissure, carbon spot, knot, etc.
Flawless is a term used for a gemstone that is without any internal or external
flaw when viewed by a trained eye under 10X magnification.
An effect in many gemstones mainly in diamonds that makes them glow in ultraviolet
rays or light. Stones can fluoresce in a number of colors mainly in blue. Fluorescence
ratings include none, faint, slight, medium, strong and very strong. Faint to medium
fluorescence is rarely detected under most lighting conditions which include sunlight
also whereas strong or very strong fluorescence may make a stone appear 'milky'
or 'oily' in such lighting conditions. Fluorescence is not dangerous to the stone
or to its wearer. It is a unique and fascinating quality that occurs naturally in
a number of gems and minerals.
A method of coating or placing silver, gold, or colored foil behind a gem in a closed
setting to enhance its appearance as light is reflected by this. This is often done
with rhinestones.
A breaking or chipping in a gemstone, which usually reaches its surface and is not
in the direction of a cleavage plane.
Freshwater Pearl
A freshwater pearl is an irregular shaped pearl that was harvested from a freshwater
mussel (a mollusk). Usually these pearls are shaped like an uneven grain of rice,
and are less valuable than oyster pearls. Biwa and Tennessee are the varieties of
freshwater pearls.
Full Cut Brilliant
A full cut brilliant is a gemstone usually with total of 58 facets, consisting of
32 facets and a table above the girdle and 24 facets and a culet below the girdle.
Garnet, which belongs to mineral quartz, is a family of stones having many varieties
differing in color and in their constituents. This name is derived from its resemblance
in color and shape to the seeds of the pomegranate. Garnet Stones are available
in varieties named Grossularite, Pyrope, Almandine, Rhodalite, Andradite, Essonite,
Tsavorite, Spessartite, Melanite, Allochroite, Ouvarovite and Demantoid. The most
common color of Garnets range from light red to violet, but can also be white, green,
yellow, brown and black except blue. Its hardness is between 7.5 to 8 on Mohs hardness
scale and it is mainly found in Burma, Sri Lanka, South Africa, China, USA, Tanzania,
Madagascar, India and Australia.
A person with expertise in gemology is known as gemologist. There are many recognized
courses available from various Gemological Institutes which offer study in gem identification,
grading and pricing.
Gemological Institute of
America (GIA)
Gemological Institute of America (GIA) was established as a non-profit organization
in 1931 by Roger Shipley. GIA maintains the highest standards for grading gemstones
and it has one of the world's most-respected and well-regarded gemological laboratories.
GIA has developed and standardize the gemstone grading system that is used by nearly
all other gem labs.
A gemstone is a mineral or rock, which can be used in jewelry after cutting or faceting
and polishing. Gemstones are diverse in their beauty and many gems are available
in a stunning variety of colors. Most gemstones have little beauty in the rough
state and they may look like ordinary rocks or pebbles in their rough form. After
a skilled cutting and polishing of a gem, full color and luster can be seen. Gemstones
are classified into two categories, precious and semi-precious, on the basis of
their characteristics. Precious stones include diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires
whereas semi precious stones are Alexandrite, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Citrine, Garnet,
Iolite, Onyx, Opal, Pearl, Peridot, Tanzanite, Topaz, Tourmaline etc.
Geode is a cavity within a rock which is a crystal line. It grows from inner surface
to center in a gemstone. Usually geode found in Amethyst and Peridot stones.
Girdle is the widest part or outer edge of the gemstone and the dividing line between
the crown and pavilion. The girdle can be rough (matt), faceted, polished or unpolished
but a polished or faceted girdle doesn't improve a gemstone's grade. Most labs
grade a girdle's thickness, not its appearance and the descriptions of girdle thickness
range as follows: extremely thin; thin; medium; slightly thick; thick; extremely
Girdling is the process of giving a circular shape to a gemstone. In this process,
a gemstone is held in a lathe, or in a cutting machine, and cut or shaped by another
diamond or tool, called a sharp.
Gold is a yellow precious metal used in most jewelry with various alloys.
A recognized measure of an aspect of gemstone's quality, mainly clarity, cut and
The process of evaluating a gemstone, and allocating grades to it.
Grading Report
A grading report or certificate is a statement, issued by an independent Gemological
Laboratory, that at the time of evaluation, the gemstone in question has been examined,
measured, and scrutinized by experienced gemologist and graders, using various gemological
instruments, and determined to contain the characteristics as stated in the Report
or Certificate. The grading report should accurately describe the proportions, weight,
color, clarity, symmetry, polish and possible fluorescence seen in the gemstone.
A unit of measurement of weight used to express the weight of a gem. One ounce equals
approximately 28 grams and one thousand milligrams equals one gram.
The hardness of a gemstone refers it's resistance to scratching on a smooth surface.
Moh's scale of hardness, which scales from 1 (very soft) to 10 (very hard), is
useful for comparing the relative hardness of different gem materials. Diamond is
the hardest known substance on Earth and it is graded 10 on Mohs' scale of hardness.
Hardness is directional in most gemstones.
Head refers part of the setting that holds the center stone or solitaire in place.
Heart Cut
The Heart shaped gemstone is essentially a pear-shaped with a cleft at the top and
which typically contains 59 facets. Due to the complexity of the shape, skilled
cutting is necessary to maintain the gemstone's brilliance. Generally people prefer
a heart shape stone for sentimental purposes. This shape is mostly used in pendants,
but also suitable for most jewelry items.
Heat Treatment
Heat treatment is the process in which heat is offered to a gemstone for the purpose
of improving its color.
Hue is an aspect of color which is a primary factor in viewing and grading gemstones.
The colors in these idiochromatic gems come from elements that are an essential
part of their chemical composition. These gems generally have only one color, or
show a very narrow range of colors. Peridot is an idiochromatic gem, which is always
green, due to one of its essential elements, iron.
Ideal Cut
Theoretically perfect cutting proportions and facet angles, calculated mathematically
to produce maximum brilliancy consistent with a high degree of fire in a round brilliant
cut gemstone. Ideal cut is also known as American Cut.
(International Gemological Institute)
IGI(International Gemological Institute) is an organization which offers a grading
report for all gemstones. IGI has laboratories located throughout the world, including
New York, Antwerp, Mumbai, Bangkok and Tokyo.
Igneous Rocks
These are rocks that are formed from erupted volcanic lava or solidified magma.
Imitation gemstones can be anything that resembles a natural gemstone but does not
have the same physical characteristics or chemical composition. These items are
usually much less expensive than the natural forms. Imitation stones are often made
of glass or plastic and most can be detected easily by a jeweler.
An imperfect gemstone contains any external blemish or internal inclusion or flaw
that is visible to the unaided eye or that has a serious effect on the stone's durability.
An internal imperfection or characteristic which reduces the clarity or brilliance
of a gemstone. Common gemstone inclusions are feathers, crystals, fractures, needles,
graining, pinpoints and cavities.
This term refers to a decorative feature of an item of jewelry. An inlay is a piece
of material (usually stone or glass) that is partially embedded in another material
(usually metal) and these two materials make a level surface.
Intaglio is a style of carving in which the design is carved into the surface of
an engraved stone so that the rim shows the highest portion.
Internal Graining
A gemstone which contains internal irregular crystal growth is known as internal
graining. It may appear milky like faint lines or streaks.
An iridescent material displays many lustrous, changing colors caused by the reflection
of light due to inclusions in gemstones.
Jade is a semiprecious stone, which is often used to describe jadeite
and nephrite both as these two are similar in appearance and use. It is available
in varieties of shades like green, light purple, yellow, pink, creamy white etc.
Although this stone is found at many places but the best quality jade comes from
Myanmar (formerly Burma). Jade is quite a hard stone with 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale
and used in many jewelry items.
Karat, Karat Weight
Karat is the American spelling of carat which is now only used for gold or gold
alloys weight whereas English spelling carat is used in respect of weight of gemstones
including diamonds. Karat is always based on pure 24 karat gold and if a jewelry
item contains 18 karat gold that means it has eighteen parts pure gold and six parts
other metal alloys.
Lapidary is a skilled craftsman who cuts and polishes gemstones to their finished
Loupe is a French word for magnifying glass. It is a small magnifying lens used
to examine gemstones. 10X magnification is the standard.
The quality of reflected and refracted light from the surface of a gemstone or pearl.
Luster is mainly dependent on stone's surface (polish) and the reflective index
of the mineral. Luster can be described as: adamantine, pearly, greasy, metallic,
silky, resinous, vitreous, earthy (also known as dull) and waxy.
Make is a trade term referring to the proportions, symmetry and polish of a gemstone.
Marquise Cut
The Marquise Cut is a traditional shape having elongated ends at both edges. The
pointed ends make this shape the most fragile and the most expensive of brilliant
style cuts. It has a total of 56 facets and construction of facet requires a lot
of experience and delicacy of the sharp points demand utmost precaution. Now-a-days
this shape is very popular for engagement rings.
Matrix is a rock in which gemstones are found. It is also referred as the host rock
or parent rock.
This term is used to describe small brilliant-cut diamonds under .20 carat. Generally,
these small diamonds or gemstones are used to embellish mountings, setting or larger
Metamorphic Rock
These are rocks that have been changed by heat and/or pressure to form new rocks
consisting of new minerals.
The unit of measurement, which is used to determine a pearl and gem's diameter,
equal to about 0.04 inch.
A place where gemstones are extracted from the ground by using various methods of
mining like open cast, deep pit etc.
Mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic element of the Earth with a consistent
atomic structure and chemical composition.
Mixed Cut
A mixed cut refers to a cut in which the style of the facets above and below the
girdle are different. A standard mixed cut is brilliant cut above and step cut below.
Modern Brilliant
It is a round brilliant cut unless otherwise stated normally with 58 facets including
the culet and polished using relatively modern theory. This shape is considered
as ideal for a diamond because it maximizes a stone's sparkle and brilliance.
Modified Brilliant
A cut in a shape or style other than round brilliant cut, such as oval, pear, marquise,
heart, princess, radiant, or baguette.
Mohs scale
It is a ten point scale to find mineral hardness which is devised by Friedrich Mohs,
a German mineralogist, in the 19th century. The diamond is the hardest of all known
natural substances and it scores 10 on Mohs Scale.
Mother of Pearl
The iridescent lining of an oyster shell, often used as a nucleus for a cultured
The process of making a ring or other piece of jewelry into which gemstones will
be set.
A small portion of the original surface of a rough gemstone left by the cutter when
polishing and faceting a gemstone and which is frequently on or near the girdle.
This is generally the sign of a cutter attempting to maximize the weight retention
of the rough gemstone. Usually naturals do not affect the clarity grade and in most
cases, they are undetectable to the naked eye.
Natural Gemstones
These have been formed in natural environment with no interference by human. They
form in a variety of ways in many different environments from many different chemical
compounds. By the time they appear in our jewelry they've been cut or polished,
but they've not been treated or altered in other ways.
Natural pearl
A pearl that forms naturally, in an oyster, is known as natural pearl. When a grain
of sand or other small object enters in the shell and the oyster is unable to eject
the object then the oyster will coat the object with layers of nacre to form a pearl.
There is no way to determine if an oyster contains a pearl, so to create a dependable
pearl supply, the culturing process was invented.
Old European Cut
The earliest known form of brilliant cut diamond with a very small table, a heavy
crown, and usually great overall depth. This is also known as old mine cut.
Onyx is a beautiful gemstone composed of chalcedony (a variety of quartz) and available
in colors like black, white, black with white bands, red, brown etc. Onyx which
is available in a red, brown or reddish brown color is known as Sardonyx. The bands
that are found on this stone run parallel and are consistent. It is extremely similar
to Agate, another variety of quartz. Agate bands are round or circular and are not
consistent. Its hardness in between 6.5 to 7 on Mohs hardness scale and it is mainly
found in Madagascar, India, Brazil, United States, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The name Opal is derived from three sources: Sanskrit 'Upala', Latin 'Opalus', and
Greek 'Opallios'. All three of these words mean the same thing – precious stone.
Opal is made from sand and water. It has the same chemical formula as quartz with
the addition of 3 to 10 % water content. This is a very popular gemstone, mainly
due to its wonderful variety of rich and beautiful colors like black, white, gray,
yellow, red, orange and colorless. High quality opals have an extraordinary feature
of opalescence in which light reflects and bounces around the very small structures
of the stone, giving it a wonderful aura and sometimes iridescence. The group of
fine Opals include quite a number of wonderful gemstones which are differentiated
on the basis of the variety, place of occurrence, and color of the main body, into
Dark or Black Opal, White or Light Opal, Milk or Crystal Opal, Boulder Opal, Opal
Matrix, Mexican and Fire Opal. Its hardness in between 5 to 6.5 on Mohs hardness
scale and it is mainly found in Australia, Brazil, Mali, Japan, Russia, USA and
Mexico. Australia is the major supplier of Fine Opals and almost 95 per cent of
all Opals come from Australian mines.
Opalescence is a kind of light play that happens with certain high quality stones.
In these stones, light reflects and bounces around the stone structures which give
them a wonderful aura and sometimes a milky blue form of iridescence.
Opaque refers to the transparency of a gemstone. Generally opaque stone does not
transmit light as it is so thick with inclusions or flaws and due to that light
is blocked from passing through the gemstone.
Optical Effects
Some gemstones exhibit extraordinary optical effects known as phenomena. These rare
and beautiful effects very often add value to gemstones. Some of these popular phenomena
are Chatoyancy (cat's eye effect), Asterism (star effect), Color Change, Aventurescence
and Iridescence.
Organic Gem
Gemstones made by or derived from living organisms are known as organic gems. These
include pearls from oysters, amber from tree resin etc.
Oval Cut
The Oval Cut is a beautiful Fancy shape which offers great brilliance and fire through
its 56 facets. This is an elongated version of round cut, provides the same brightness
which comes from a round brilliant shaped gemstone.
Parti-colored Gems
These are crystals that are made up of different colored parts. Stones made up of
two colors are known as bicolor and made up of three colors are known as tricolor
whereas sometimes these are available in more than three colors also. In some cases,
Tourmaline exhibits as many as 15 different colors or shades within one crystal.
An attractive style of jewelry setting in which numerous small stones are mounted
as close together as possible to create a sparkly stone shell. The pave setting
is very popular with diamonds and this setting style covers the whole piece of jewelry
with diamond crust and conceals the metal under it.
Pavilion is the lower part of a gemstone, below the girdle.
Pear Cut
The Pear Cut is a fancy shape stone that looks like a teardrop due to its single
point and rounded end with 56 to 58 facets. This shape is popular for its uniqueness
and brilliance.
A Pearl is an organic gem, produced when certain mollusks, primarily oysters cover
a foreign object with beautiful layers of nacre. A good sized Pearl can take between
five to eight years to form, which is usually the entire life of the oyster or mollusk.
There are two types of Pearls: Natural Pearls, formed inside wild oysters, practically
impossible to find nowadays, and Cultured Pearls in which the production of the
pearl is artificially induced. For producing cultured pearls, shell beads are placed
inside an oyster and the oyster is returned to the water. When the pearls are later
harvested, the oyster has covered the bead with layers of nacre. The finest Natural
Pearls are fished almost exclusively from the Persian Gulf and the China Sea, while
the best cultivated ones come from Japan, Korea and more recently Australia. Its
hardness in between 2.5 to 4.5 on Mohs hardness scale and should be handled with
care. Pearls are usually white, sometimes with a creamy or pinkish tinge, but may
be tinted with yellow, green, blue, brown, purple, or black. Pearls are available
in different shapes: round, semi-round, button, drop, pear, oval, baroque, and ringed.
Perfectly round Pearls are the rarest and most expensive. Fine Natural Pearls are
much more expensive and rare to find than Cultured Pearls.
Peridot, a variety of mineral olivine, is a very old but still very popular gemstone.
Peridot is formed deep within the earth under tremendous heat and pressure. The
color of peridot is an integral part of its structure. Chemically peridot is an
iron-magnesium-silicate and its intensity of the color depends upon the amount of
iron contained by it. It is available in only one color shade with colors like yellow
green, olive and brownish green. This gemstone is in fact identified by three names,
Peridot, Chrysolith and Olivin. Its hardness in between 6.5 to 7 on Mohs hardness
scale and it is mainly found in Australia, Mexico, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Tanzania,
China, Burma, Arizona, USA, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Platinum is a silvery gray precious metal often used for setting or mounting high
quality gemstones.
Pleochroism refers to the ability of certain gems to display two or more colors
when viewed from different directions.
A unit of measurement which is used to describe the weight of gems where one point
is equivalent to one-hundredth of a carat. For example, a 1/2 carat diamond weighs
50 points.
Polish is considered as smoothness of the surface of a fashioned stone in which
optical reflection is maximized. Generally a polished stone does not show visible
wheel marks or burn marks under 10X magnification. Polish is an indicator of the
quality of stone's cut which is graded as Ideal, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair
or Poor.
The process of polish which converts a stone's rough or irregular surface to a smooth
surface by using various methods.
Precious,Precious Stone
The term precious is used for stones as well as metal. Stones those are highly valuable
for their hardness and rarity, are known as precious stones. Precious stones include
diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires.
Princess Cut
The princess cut is a fancy shape gem which has pointed corners and square in shape.
The ideal princess cut will have length to width ratio as close to 1.00:1.00 as
possible. Princess cut stones can range from this perfect square through to almost
Prong Setting
Prong setting is the most frequently used method of setting gemstones into jewelry.
This setting usually consists of four or six small metal tips or claws to hold the
stone tightly. This setting allows maximum amount of light to enter in a stone from
all angles and because of this, stone appears more brilliant and larger than its
actual size.
Purity is also known as clarity which describes the absence or presence of flaws
inside or on the surface of a gemstone. For diamonds, purity is graded from F (flawless)
to I3 (included 3) whereas for other colored gemstones, purity is classified into
three 'Types'. Type I colored stones include stones with very little or no inclusions,
Type II colored stones include stones that often have a few inclusions whereas Type
III colored stones include stones that usually always have inclusions.
Quartz is the most common mineral on earth. It is a crystalline mineral that comes
in many forms.
Radiant Cut
The Radiant Cut is a fancy shaped rectangular or square gemstone with cut corners.
This shape comes with 62 to 70 facets and offers the elegance of the emerald shape
with the brilliance of the princess shape. Trimmed corners are the signature of
this shape, and they help to make the radiant cut a popular and versatile choice
for jewelry.
The term reflection is used for important optical effect where light bounces or
returns once it strikes the surface of a gemstone.
The term Refraction is also used for optical effect where light deviates or changes
its direction once it enters in a gemstone.
Refractive Index (RI)
When light meets the surface of a polished gemstone, some of the light is reflected,
whereas most is absorbed. This entered light in the gem slows down and is bent from
its original path due to the difference of density between air and gemstone. This
process is known as refraction. This refraction varies from gem to gem depending
on density and can be measured and used to help identify the gem type. This measurement
is known as refractive index (RI).
Refractometer is a device that is used to measure the refractive index of gemstones.
The term rough is used for any uncut or unpolished gemstone.
Round Brilliant Cut
The round brilliant cut is one of the most traditional and popular shapes. It has
58 facets which offer great brilliance and stability. These 58 facets include 1
table, 8 bezel facets, 8 star facets, 16 upper-girdle facets on the crown, 8 pavilion
facets, 16 lower-girdle facets, and usually a culet on the pavilion, or at bottom.
This cut is considered as ideal for a diamond because it maximizes a stone's sparkle.
Ruby is the red variety of the mineral corundum and known for its magnificent color,
excellent hardness and outstanding brilliance. Only red corundum is entitled to
be called ruby, all other colors being classified as sapphires. This stone is available
in colors like bright red, brownish-red, purplish-red, dark red and blood red. The
name 'Ruby' comes from Latin 'Rubens' which means 'Red'. In Sanskrit, the
ruby is called 'Ratnaraj', meaning 'the king of precious stones'. This gemstone
has excellent luster, rarity and durability. Its hardness is 9 on Mohs hardness
scale and it is mainly found in Burma, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Transparent
rubies of large sizes are even rarer than diamonds.
Sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum and represents all the colors except
red corundum, which is ruby. Its physical and chemical properties are virtually
similar to properties of ruby. Blue is the main color of the sapphire whereas this
gemstone is also found in colors like yellow, green, orange, pink, gray, colorless,
black, brown, and purple. The word 'Sapphire' in its plain context refers only to
blue sapphire, unless a prefix color is specified. Sapphire is one of the most desirable
gems due to its color, hardness, durability, and luster. Its hardness is 9 on Mohs
hardness scale and it is mainly found in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Australia,
India, Brazil and Africa.
Onyx which is available in a red, brown or reddish brown color is known as sardonyx.
A color's position in a gemstone on a neutral to vivid scale.
Secondary Deposit
Minerals and/or gemstones that have been separated from their original host rock,
usually due to effects of weather, and deposited elsewhere. An alluvial deposit
is an example of a secondary deposit.
Semi Precious,
Semi Precious
Stones those are valued for their beauty and not covered under any one of the four
'Precious Stones', Diamond, Emerald, Ruby or Sapphire, are known as semi precious
stones. Semi precious stones are available in all price ranges from low priced to
high priced. Semi precious stones are Alexandrite, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Citrine,
Garnet, Iolite, Onyx, Opal, Pearl, Peridot, Tanzanite, Topaz, Tourmaline etc.
A style of jewelry setting that has the side stones already mounted, but which contains
an empty set of prongs which are intended to mount a center stone as per the customer's
Setter is the person who puts gemstones into jewelry mounts.
Setting is the process of fixing a gemstone into a mount to create a piece of jewelry.
A gemstone cut by shape describes the outline of the stone and pattern of the facet
arrangement. Gems are available in various shapes like Modern Round Brilliant, Emerald,
Princess, Heart, Oval, Pear etc. Round brilliant is the most popular shape for all
jewelry items. All other non-round shapes are called fancy shapes.
Silver has been known and used for thousands of years and it is considered as one
of the three precious metals along with gold and platinum. Pure silver is very soft
metal with its lustrous white color. Silver was used as jewelry metal well before
the development of white gold alloys, and before platinum could be isolated.
Simulant,Simulated Stones
Simulated stones can be anything that resembles a natural gemstone but does not
have the same physical characteristics or chemical composition. These items are
also known as imitation stones and usually much less expensive than the natural
forms. Simulated stones are often made of glass or plastic and most can be detected
easily by a jeweler.
Single Cut
A very small round stone with only 17 or 18 facets, instead of the normal 57 or
58 facets of a full cut round brilliant. These facets include 8 bezel, 8 pavilions,
a table and sometimes a culet facet.
A ring or any other piece of jewelry containing a single diamond or other gem. This
style is very popular in rings.
Sparkle is the combination of gemstone's fire and brilliance.
Specific Gravity
Specific gravity of a gem is an indication of its density. It is calculated by comparing
the gemstone's weight with the weight of an equal volume of water. The greater
the specific gravity of a gem, the heavier it will feel.
Step Cut
Step cut is a style of faceting arrangements which is named because of its broad,
flat planes that resemble stair steps. In this style of arrangement, there are three
concentric rows of facets arranged around the table and, on the pavilion, there
are three concentric rows arranged around the culet.
A general word for any gemstone including diamond.
Symmetry is an important aspect of the gemstone cutting process which refers to
the balance of the outline shape and alignment of the facets. It is graded as Ideal,
Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair or Poor.
A synthetic gemstone shares a natural stone's physical, chemical and optical qualities,
but it is created in a laboratory. Some modern synthetic gemstones look more natural
and are more difficult to identify, but an experienced jeweler or gemologist can
usually detect them.
Table is the largest and flat facet which is placed on top of a gemstone. Most of
the light enters and exits from this part of a gemstone.
Table Percentage
The table percentage is a comparison of the diameter of the table facet to the diameter
of the entire gemstone.
Tanzanite is a blue variety of the gemstone zoisite and named after the East African
state of Tanzania, the only place in the world where it has been found. It is a
trichroic gem which displays three layers of color. The colors dark blue, green-yellow
and red-purple can be seen. Tanzanite is a beautiful gemstone, known for its brilliance
but on the other hand it is a delicate gemstone which comes in between 6 to 7 on
Mohs hardness scale.
Tension Setting
A method of setting gemstones using only the springiness of the mount to hold the
stone firm. Although it looks quite spectacular but is very unsafe and should be
An attribute of color which determines its lightness or darkness of shading and
important in grading gemstones.
Topaz, a member of quartz family, is a beautiful gemstone that most commonly is
found in yellow color. It is also available in various other colors like blue, brown,
green, orange, pink, red, white, gold, colorless etc. The name topaz is derived
from the Sanskrit word 'Tapas', meaning 'Fire'. Topaz, with 8 on Mohs hardness scale,
is considered tough and durable gemstone but still is not an invincible stone. It
cracks and chips easily than many other gemstones. It is mainly found in Brazil,
Sri Lanka, Burma, Nigeria, USA, Australia, Madagascar and Mexico.
Tourmalines are gemstones with deep brilliance and an incomparable variety of colors
like black, red, pink, blue, green, grey and yellow. These Gemstones are mixed crystals
of aluminium boron silicate with a complex and changing composition. The name tourmaline
comes from the Singhalese words 'tura mali', means something like 'stone with
mixed colors'. Tourmalines with different colors have different names. It comes
in between 7 to 7.5 on Mohs hardness scale and it is mainly found in Brazil, Sri
Lanka, South Africa, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar,
Pakistan, Afghanistan and USA.
Translucent is used to describe stones that allow light to pass through them, but
the light is diffused.
Transparent is used to describe stones that are clear and transmit light without
any diffusion so that objects can be seen through the stones.
Treated Gemstone,
Treated gemstones are those which have been processed in some way to enhance their
color or clarity. A number of treatment techniques are used to improve the color
and appearance of natural and synthetic gemstones. Heat treatment is the oldest
method whereas other techniques include bleaching, dying, laser drilling, fracture
filling, high pressure high temperature (HPHT), annealing, irradiation, and surface
Trichoric refers to a gemstone that displays three different colors or shades when
viewed from different angles or directions.
Trilliant Cut, Trillion Cut
The Trilliant Cut is a triangular fancy shaped gemstone which is also known as Trillion
Cut. This shape of gemstone looks unusual and displays a very sharp brilliance or
fire. It may either have pointed corners or more rounded corners.


text:
Guest Reviews | Key West Hotel Reviews
What a Great place to stay! Micheall Thomas was very gracious and what a personality! She is perfect for interacting with the public with her knowledge of the Island and her wonderful sense of humour. The staff at the hotel were very professional and very courteous. The rooms were very clean, pleasant, quiet, and the secluded patio area in the back was delightful. The morning breakfast by the pool was a pleasant start to ones day with the attentive staff and the choice of breakfast items. The location of the hotel was excellent because you were within walking distance of Duval Street so one didn't have to drive anywhere to fight the traffic. I was very pleased with the hotel and I will most definately share my experience with friends and strangers alike. What a treat it was to stay there.
Thank you for the memorable experience.By: Helen TimkoFebruary 9, 2017
5 / 5 stars


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Death Curse
A death curse is a powerful magic curse which can be spoken by a wizard.
A death curse utilizes all the power a wizard can access, including the energy it takes to stay alive, and so it is called a death curse because the wizard casting it will die.
The curse's target is often the wizard's killer, but it can apparently be directed at anyone, regardless of the target's involvement or nearby physical presence.[1]
page revision: 1, last edited: 28 May 2011 01:11


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Joseph Parker opens up about meeting his daughter for the first time after returning to NZ
- Publish Date
- Wednesday, 8 August 2018, 9:00AM
Joseph Parker's return home after his recent bruising loss to Dillian Whyte in London was extra sweet as he got to meet his second daughter Shiloh for the first time.
And the boxing star said even though his "thumping" headaches from the headbutt he received from Whyte have only just stopped, he has already started training again to get back in the ring.
Parker told of how he arrived at his South Auckland house to find daughter Elizabeth, who will turn 2 in November, waiting for him outside the front door.
After being away at camp in Las Vegas for a couple of months she was a little shy, but "I grabbed her and held her", he said.
It was also the first time he met his other daughter, Shiloh, who was born in July, while he was away. It was an emotional time, he said, and the three have spent a lot of time in each other's company since.
"Father life is a bit different to camp life; camp life you wake up at 5 o'clock, as a father of a newborn you're up at 1, you're up at 3 ..." Parker said.
Parker revealed to the Herald yesterday the extent of the concussion injury in the second round caused by the illegal headbutt from Whyte which put him on the canvas at London's O2 Arena.
The 26-year-old New Zealander didn't look himself in the ring as he struggled to recover.
"Yesterday was the first day I haven't had thumping headaches but I had an MRI scan and the doctor said there were no blood clots or any injuries," Parker said. "He said 'don't worry about it'."
Just over a week has passed since the toughest and most dramatic fight of Parker's life.
"There was one part of the fight when I said to myself to throw the right and the left hook which I did, but I felt like I was punching in slow motion and I thought 'what the hell's happening here'?"
Parker's admissions will probably lead to more calls for him to give it away — especially given it is understood he has banked around $10 million from his last two fights — points defeats by Anthony Joshua and Whyte.
"A lot of people say I should give up and retire," Parker said.
"I'm only 26 and I've only lost twice — It's not the end of the world. I'm still learning. You look at the champions — I'm not trying to compare — but they were great fighters and [Wladimir] Klitschko lost three times, Lennox [Lewis] lost three times, and were knocked out in their fights. No one told them to retire.
"Everyone's entitled to their opinion but I think everyone should get behind us and support us".
He said he was committed to his plan of fighting until he was 30 or 31.
This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is reproduced here with permission.


text:
Mixing drugs does not increase the 'high' but often exponentially confuses the brain and body. The brain becomes overwhelmed as it tries to process multiple, conflicting messages. Mixing a small amount of marijuana and alcohol can cause a person to seem and be highly intoxicated as though they have taken several shots instead of a few beers. Another example: mixing alcohol with opioids suppresses the breathing in two different ways at different times which is why a person should never 'sleep it off' and seek help immediately.
|Florida- Impaired driving
Driving high is driving impaired. When you are under the influence and choose to drive, your decision can affect countless people. You can hurt yourself. You can hurt others. And a DUI arrest can lead to serious legal and monetary consequences.
|drugged, Impaired, drugged driving
|Governors Highway Safety Association
State Highway Safety Office Resources
GHSA provides a variety of resources to help State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) move closer to our shared goal of zero deaths on U.S. roadways. These include a variety of guidance documents, organizational information about all SHSOs, and examples of state program successes and innovative practices.
|drugged driving
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text:
Table Editing in Adobe CS5 Dreamweaver
Adobe Creative Suite 5 (Adobe CS5) Dreamweaver offers multiple ways to add and delete rows and columns in your web page table. The Modify function gives you precise control over which rows and columns are impacted by your changes. Property inspector also allows quick editing of attributes, just select the table and enter changes in the Property inspector.
If the Property inspector isn't expanded, click the arrow in the lower right corner of the inspector. The inspector then expands, offering additional options.
When a table is selected, you can use the handles that appear in the lower right corner as well as the bottom and left sides to resize the table manually.
You can use the Property inspector to add or delete rows and columns as fast as your client's (or boss's) needs require, but the Modify menu gives you a little more control over which rows and columns are deleted and where new ones are added.
Add a row
Insert the cursor in a cell in the row that you want to add a new row above or below.
Choose Insert→Table Objects→Insert Row Above or Insert Row Below.
Alternatively, press Ctrl+M (Windows) or Command+M (Mac). The new row appears.
To add more rows to the bottom of the table, place the cursor in the last current row and press the Tab key.
Delete a row
Insert the cursor in a cell of the row you want to delete.
Choose Modify→Table→Delete Row.
Alternatively, press Ctrl+Shift+M (Windows) or Shift+Command+M (Mac). The row is deleted.
Add a column
Insert the cursor in a cell in the column that you want a new column added to the left or right of.
Choose Insert→Table Objects→Insert Column to the Left or Insert Column to the Right.
The new column appears.
Delete a column
Insert the cursor in a cell of the column you want to delete.
Choose Modify→Table→Delete Column.
Alternatively, press Ctrl+Shift+– (minus) (Windows) or Shift+Command+– (minus) (Mac). The column is deleted.


text:
Warren Zevon was the featured artist in the vehicle's CD player. The selection was "Boom Boom Mancini,'' Zevon's 1987 salute to the lightweight champion and the passion for him in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio.
"Hurry home early, hurry on home; Boom Boom Mancini's fighting Bobby Chacon," serves as the classic Zevon refrain.
You listen to that for a couple of minutes, play it again, and then lament that it has become so rare in modern times for a boxer to capture the soul of his hometown -- to put the populace's self-esteem in his mitts as certainly as a successful NFL team in Pittsburgh or Green Bay.
Mancini's father, Lenny, was the original "Boom Boom" and a championship contender, until he was injured in World War II. Son Ray took the nickname and carried the hopes of Youngstown, a Rust Belt city, into a lightweight title fight against champion Arturo Frias.
It took place on the night of May 8, 1982. Thirty seconds into the fight, Frias had Mancini bleeding with a combination of punches, and then Boom Boom came at him in the middle of the ring and sent Frias reeling.
"He fought for the title with Frias in Vegas; And he put him away in round number one," wrote (and sang) Zevon.
Saturday night, another young man will be carrying the hopes of a decaying industrial city when he steps in a Las Vegas ring. Ricky Hatton of Manchester, England, will attempt to swarm his way to a victory over the great Floyd Mayweather in a pay-per-view match of unbeatens.
The residents of Manchester City are called Mancunians, and they are said to have invaded Las Vegas 25,000 strong for Saturday's fight. More than 80 percent came without tickets, simply to be part of the celebration if Hatton were to pull off the upset at 2-1 odds. The pay-per-view price is a hefty $54.95 -- with a $10 surcharge if you want to see the punches delivered in HD.
Ed Caesar of London's Sunday Times did a lengthy article last month on the bond between Hatton and his hometown. When not in training for a fight, Hatton still plays in a pub darts league for New Inn, a place his parents formerly owned. He describes his life in Manchester as that of "a rummer, a pubber, a clubber ... a little scallywag."
Hearing "Boom Boom Mancini," reading several articles on Hatton ... it got me wondering again about Rochester's Pat O'Connor, the last boxer to truly take over the soul of a sizable Minnesota city.
O'Connor was 16 when he won the 147-pound title in the National Golden Gloves in 1967.
"Pat came into Winona by train after winning the title, and there was a 20-car escort waiting for him to lead him to Rochester," said Dan O'Connor, his brother. "When the caravan got to Rochester, there was a parade for him.
"The fight he had with Duane Horsman, the pride of Chatfield, still holds the record for the largest crowd ever in the [Mayo Civic] Auditorium ... 7,000-something."
O'Connor turned 18 on June 6, 1968 and made his pro debut the next night with a second-round knockout of Muhammed Smith. O'Connor's six-round decision over Horsman, a veteran of 59 fights, in March 1969 was O'Connor's 13th fight in his first 10 months as a pro.
He stayed on the fast train -- drawing large crowds in Rochester, St. Paul and LaCrosse, Wis. Finally, on Sept. 14, 1972, in front of an estimated crowd of 7,500 at Met Center in Bloomington, the 31-0 O'Connor lost in a TKO to veteran Andy Kendall. Referee Wally Holm stopped the fight at 1:07 of the seventh round.
Pat had 13 fights over the next 5½ years and lost five. He was done after losing a second 10-round decision in a row to Minneapolis' Rafael Rodriguez on March 27, 1978.
Pat's brother Dan runs the Fourth Street Gym in Rochester. "We have another National Golden Gloves champion here in Rafael Butler," Dan said. "He's 29-4 as a pro and I can't draw 1,000 people when he fights. It's too bad. He's a great young man."
O'Connor paused and said: "We have a fight between Rafael and Joey Abel on March 22, Minnesota's two best heavyweights. You should come down here for that one."
Sadly, the ringside dignitaries on March 22 will not include Pat O'Connor. Now 57, Pat is a chronic alcoholic.
"He's in the Olmstead County jail; another DWI," Dan said. "At least we know where he is. He can't hurt anyone in there. He gets out in a few months. We'll see what happens."
Patrick Reusse can be heard weekdays on AM-1500 KSTP at 6:45 and 7:45 a.m. and 4:40 p.m. email@example.com


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UX Lessons from Hand Drying #2
Today's lesson is titled, "If you're going to create a novel interaction that has value, do it in a way people can understand." OK, so not the snappiest title, but it's late and I need to go to bed. But this lesson is especially true for public devices where a large portion of the usage population will be seeing your particular model for the first time, and perhaps never to encounter it again. So if you are going to improve the interaction with a very different way of getting the result, you better make it bleedin' obvious.
Here's an example:
This dispenser is trying to do a noble thing: make it easier for anyone and everyone to get the towel out by providing a nice big bar to push on. See it? It's the black thing protruding from the bottom edge. Problem is, it looks like part of the front cover, it's hard to tell that's where you're supposed to push. (The flash from the camera is making the fingerprints stand out, it's even less obvious in real life.) So lacking obvious clues you wave your hand around in front like crazy trying to get the automatic feed to work, which of course it doesn't. A simple color or contrast change would have solved this problem, perhaps a textured area on the top of the bar to, to help indicate "touch me".
OK, next example.
This Georgia Pacific unit accomplishes the same thing but in a much more intuitive way. Though not quite as elegant, it's sort of cheery as it looks like it's trying to shake your hand. But it's big enough that adults, children, people in wheelchairs etc. can all do easily. Heck, you could hit it with your butt if you were germ phobic, and it would still work. Novelty, plus benefit!
Lesson #1
Lesson #1


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|Rose Bailey, David Brookshaw, N. Conte, Joshua Alan Doetsch, Elizabeth Greenberg, Susann Hessen, David A Hill Jr, Alec Humphrey, Wood Ingham, Audrey Whitman, Stew Wilson, Filamena Young
|Rose Bailey
|Creative Director:
|Richard Thomas
|Art Direction and Design:
|Mike Chaney
|Interior Artists:
|Borja Puig Linares, Cathy Wilkins, Rovina Cai, Michael Rookard. Rovina Cai, Cris Griffin, Lauren Cannon, Carlos Samuel Araya, Steven Stahlberg, Marco Mazzoni
|Front Cover Artist:
|John Bridges
|Special Thanks
| Markus Wagner, Faidra Papavasiliou, Georgia Ramantani, Neil Simikowski, and Katie Susoeff, for language and city help.
Benjamin Baugh, Matt McFarland, Travis Stout, and Eddy Webb, for endless design and development consultation.
|To my predecessors: Justin Achilli, Will Hindmarch, and Joseph Carriker. Without you, there would be no Vampire.
|Onyx Path Publishing
|White Wolf Game Studio
|December 19, 2013
|Publication #:
| $59.99
Vampire: The Requiem Second Edition is a rulebook revision for Vampire: The Requiem. While keeping the basic premise and structure of the game intact, it dramatically overhauls the setting and rules. It incorporates elements from Requiem for Rome and the Requiem clanbooks, including the Strix, demonic antagonists that debuted in the Roman setting.
Originally titled Blood and Smoke: The Strix Chronicle, it was announced at Gen Con 2012. Between September 2012 and its release in December 2013, it was the subject of extensive open development on the Onyx Path and White Wolf blogs and forums. In 2014 the book was renamed to its current title.
Summary Edit
From the Onyx Path catalog:
- Updated and revised core rule book for Vampire: The Requiem.
- Tonight, you become one of the Kindred, the beautiful and the damned who hide behind our ordinary world. Driven by a hunger like fire, you will struggle to maintain your humanity while immersed in a vicious society of monsters.
- Featuring Blood and Smoke: the Strix Chronicle.
- The sharks you swim with aren't the only ones out there. Your Kindred are the smart, sexy vampires of pop culture, but you are haunted by the Strix -- the grisly, demon-possessed corpses of folklore. They slaughtered the Night-Senate of Rome, drowned the tombs of the Princes of Alexandria, and warred with the Plague Lords of Transylvania.
- Tonight, they're loose on the streets of your city. Time for the sinners to become the saints, and the hunters to become the prey.
- Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition contains:
- A complete guide to playing a vampire in the World of Darkness. No other rulebooks are required, and the rules are fully compatible with The God-Machine Chronicle.
- Reimagined clans, covenants, and supernatural powers to create your perfect monster... and her friends and foes.
- A first-ever look at vampire domains around the world, from Tokyo to Berlin.
- Twenty unique Strix, as well as complete rules for building your own.
Introduction Edit
Chapter One: Who We Are Tonight Edit
Clans Edit
Lost Clans Edit
Covenants Edit
Broken Covenants Edit
Chapter Two: The All Night Society Edit
Chapter Three: Laws of the Dead Edit
Chapter Four: Rules of the Night Edit
Chapter Five: The Parliament of Owls Edit
Chapter Six: The World We Die In Edit
Chapter Seven: Storytelling Edit
Appendix One: The Living Edit
Appendix Two: Conditions Edit
Epilogue Edit
Background Information Edit
Originally titled Blood and Smoke: The Strix Chronicle' before being renamed to Vampire: The Requiem Second Edition. Similarly, the Second Edition rules update for the Chronicles of Darkness ("New World of Darkness") game line as a whole was originally included in The God-Machine Chronicle; later, it was fully updated to a new core rulebook, which was under development as "World of Darkness Second Edition" before it was finally released under the title Chronicles of Darkness: Revised Storytelling System Rulebook.
Memorable Quotes Edit
Characters Edit
References EditSolace
| Previous book:
VTR: Reap the Whirlwind
| Game Books
Vampire: The Requiem books
| Next book:
VTR: Blood and Smoke Storyteller Screen


text: 12 Ways to Eat Peanut Butter and Jelly\\nDid Uncle Sam come calling this tax season and leave you with empty pockets? Turn to a good old pb and j to save a little cash over the next month. But don't just sandwich it—upgrade these classic flavors with our favorite Pinterest-found ideas.\\nSo sweet, you'll forget about that check you had to write the IRS. Basic cupcakes get livened up with pb and a sweet jelly center. Definitely a worthy splurge.\\nHow good do these look? They're perfect for a weekend morning, and you get two times the peanut butter flavor—in the body of the scone and in the pb glaze on top. Sign us up.\\nThese vegan cookies feature healthy ingredients like almond butter (try our [DIY recipe](/blogs/flash/2014/02/nutrition-diy-nut-butters.html)), rolled oats, raw almonds and your favorite jelly. The result? Sharable cookies that your officemates are gonna love.\\nSure, regular sandwiches are great, but cookie sandwiches? Um, yes please. These nut butter cookies require just five ingredients, and then after cooling (if you can wait that long), just put your fave jam in between and eat up.\\nThis is a great way to use up the whole wheat tortillas you've got leftover from fajita night. Pop one in a skillet, spread with your favorite nut butter, fold, flip, serve. Put your favorite fresh berries on top and you've got a breakfast of champions.\\nYou're already a smoothie queen—why not throw a tablespoon of peanut butter in there to change things up? You'll get a small serving of leafy greens to boot (and you won't even realize it!)\\nUm, why didn't we think of this? With only four ingredients, these treats are so simple that we predict you'll be eating them all summer.\\nIf you're already making oatmeal as a healthy morning start, try adding peanut butter, applesauce and jelly to make it a touch sweeter. This recipe has 12 grams of protein—fuel for that big meeting.\\nFancy! This recipe uses almond butter and frozen raspberries to whip up a delicious dairy-free dessert (try saying that three times fast). And the hidden ingredient? Avocado. Who knew?\\nIf you prefer your peanut butter and jelly sandwich sans-bread and served as dessert, then you're in luck with this one. This tasty fudge will keep in the freezer for a few weeks.\\nLeftover waffles from Sunday brunch? Don't let them go to waste! Make them the bread for your lunchtime PB&J. See? That was easy.\\nYou already know that apples (a [superfood](/fooddiet/2010/03/20-superfoods-slideshow#slide=2)!) are a great pairing with peanut butter. Take it a step further and make a peanut butter and apple sandwich—no jelly needed. Toasted whole wheat bread makes a great pb-apple transporter.