Dreams of Africa

Dreams of Africa is a designer range of custom jewelry created to help the victims of blood diamonds. 100% of profits go towards relief efforts to the WCCCI.ORG. Created and sponsored by Whiteflash.com.

A Few Fun Diamond Facts

There is a famous saying: “diamonds are a girls’ best friend”. Diamonds are often adored by women; however, it is not only the girls who love having it, but everybody. Who doesn’t want this very precious gem, right?

Basic Diamond Facts

Diamond is probably the most wanted gemstone in the world. But what do you know about diamonds? Here are some fun diamond trivia to enjoy when wearing diamond jewelry.

• Diamond is the hardest substance in the earth. However, with its astounding resistance to scratches, it is also very brittle that it will break into pieces when you hammer it.
• The land of South Africa is the major producer of diamonds. Sixty five percent of the total quantity of diamonds came from this country.
• Diamond contains carbon which is also the same in carbon found in pencil lead and charcoal. It is usually colorless and more like a crystal one and shaped like a rounded pyramid.
• The biggest rough diamond ever extracted is over three thousand one hundred carats. It was discovered in a particular mine in South Africa on the 26th of January 1905.
• Diamonds existed for over three billions years ago. The “recent” ones are over a hundred million years old.
• Majority of diamonds are formed hundred miles below the ground and some of them reach for almost four hundred miles.
• There are so-called extra-terrestrial diamonds. These are formed by an asteroid impact. These diamonds are called carbonado.
• Just like other minerals on earth, majority of the diamonds are used in the industry, the minority of it are set in jewelry.
• Long ago, diamonds were only found in riverbanks.
• Romans used to wear diamonds as talismans—to protect themselves from evil spirits.
• During the 13th century, France implemented a law that only kings can wear diamonds.

Other Uses for Diamonds

This remarkable mineral is not only known for its beauty and prestige of ownership, it also has plenty of uses just like other minerals in the world, just like the following:

• Diamond is the best tool for cutting glasses. No doubt that those “one-hour” glasses use this.
• This is also used during the Venus exploration. Diamonds was used as windows of spacecrafts because of its ability to withstand extreme temperature and acidic condition.
• Because of diamond industry, many children in the world can have their deserved education up to their age of 13.
• In India, around one million people are employed because of diamond industry.

How to Tell if a Diamond is Fake or Real

• A fake diamond is heavier than the real one when they are the same size.
• A fog test is also a useful method to distinguish the genuine diamond. A fake one doesn’t repel heat immediately unlike the real one.

Diamond Colors

Aside from its crystal clear characteristics, diamonds also have different colors and kinds.

• Hope Diamond – a grayish blue diamond that originated from India. This precious stone is currently at the Smithsonian National Museum.
• Blue Diamonds – a very rare kind of diamond that is originally white in color. But due to heating, it can turn into blue.
• Black Diamonds – these are also called the “carbonado”. They come in pea sizes unlike other diamonds.
• Pink Diamonds – natural ones are very rare. Often these are painted or irradiated
• Yellow Diamonds – these are called “fancy” or “canary” diamonds. These are rare, but are more common than pink or blue. Different colors of yellow diamonds are on the diamond grading charts — the deeper the yellow the more expensive.

Melt Hearts, Not Wallets This Valentine’s Day

Maybe money can’t buy love, but-even as they tighten their belts-Americans still spend plenty to show how much they care. This Valentine’s Day you can stretch your dollar and spoil loved ones with a beautiful gift that will truly melt their heart.

Did you know shoppers can find some of the best-looking and affordable fine jewelry by visiting Whiteflash.com? Gift seekers will find jeweled bangles, gemstones, heart-shaped pendants, diamond earrings and rings, loose diamonds and even custom diamond pieces…all at very smart prices.

Whatever you buy, be sure to remember these tips for finding the perfect Valentine’s Day gift:

Have A Plan

Have a general idea of what you want to buy. Are you looking for a watch or a necklace? A ring or a bracelet? Having a plan can help you avoid impulse buys, stick to your Valentine’s Day budget and ensure you select a gift pleasing to your loved one.

Know What They Like

Paying attention to the jewelry and style preferences of your significant other will make the shopping experience easier. If you are clueless as to his or her specific taste in jewelry, you can’t fail with jewelry that speaks to the occasion.

Quality

Think of buying jewelry as an investment-although not necessarily a large one. Look for quality pieces made with real diamonds like the One Heart for Two Diamond Pendant. Spend a little more on a quality piece they will treasure and care for, for years.

Classic or Fashion?

If you want a gift that’s sure to please-stick with classics such as cuff links, diamond pendants or cultured freshwater pearls. If you want to up the fashion quotient, options such as the Diamond Stud Earrings and the Essance Diamond Heart Pendant are sure to fit the bill.

Madoff mails diamonds and jewelry to family members

Bernard Madoff, the US fund manager who’s been accused of the largest Ponzi scheme in history, has been accused of violating a court order by mailing out packages containing diamonds and jewelry.  Madoff is currently under house arrest in his Manhattan, New York City apartment.

Prosecutors reported the mailed packages of round diamonds in court papers released on Wednesday.  They’re calling for Madoff to be jailed immediately.

Last month, Madoff was arrested and charged with an investment scam that defrauded clients of an estimated $50 billion.

Madoff apparently mailed five packages that contained diamonds and other valuable jewelry: two went to his brother, and the others went to his children.  According to the Financial Times, the list of valuables contained “diamond Cartier and Tiffany watches, a diamond bracelet, four diamond brooches, a jade necklace, a gold watch and other assorted jewellery.  One package contained about 13 watches, one diamond necklace, an emerald ring and two sets of cufflinks and could exceed $1 million.”

In a comment about the packages with diamonds, Ira Sorkin, Madoff’s lawyer, said that the transfers were innocent mistakes by Madoff and his wife, and that most of the items had been returned.  Sorkin emphasized that Madoff was not a flight risk, that he was under 24-hour security, and that Madoff and his wife had surrendered their passports.

Prosecutors have claimed that the packages containing diamonds were in violation of the court order which prevented Madoff from concealing/disposing of his assets.

Another Satisfied Whiteflash Customer

Dear Whiteflash.com,

Happy New Year! Yes, I am engaged (she said yes) and it worked out perfectly! I got down to Key West a day earlier than they had expected me–with the ring–and her dad was the only one who knew. They are building a house overlooking the water so I got up to the top deck and hid until everyone else got there. Her dad eventually ended up bringing her up there to show her ”the view” and I popped the question. She was shocked! It all worked out great. I attached a pic from where I did it and then a pic from dinner that night.

They were passing around the ring at the dinner table and her older sisters were drooling over it. Her brother in laws were going to throw me in the ocean though…..I had to buy them a couple of tequilas that night to make them forget that I had showed them up with my ring. The sparkle from that ring is blinding in the sunlight–I’ve never seen anything like it. She literally gets compliments on it every day from random people on the train and out to lunch!

She has an “above average” standard for jewelry and she absolutely fell in love with this ring. She is wondering if you have recommendations for cleaning the ring–products, number of times, anything you may know of to keep it sparkling.

Thanks again for all of your help. She was already looking for the ”Whiteflash ACA” wedding bands and I’m sure her sisters will be going through you for their future jewelry needs….You stole them away from their jeweler of 20 years!

Grant

“Always A Brilliant Diamond Buying Experience with Whiteflash.com”

Worlds Largest Diamonds

Heres a list of some of the biggest “rock” stars in the world.

1. The Cullinan – This diamond was the largest rough gem quality diamond ever found. When it was originally found in 1905, it weighed in at a mind blowing 3106 carats. It has since been cut into 105 different stones, the largest being the Cullinan I, also known as the Star of Africa which weighs 530 carats. The Cullinan II, also known as the Lesser Star of Africa is the fourth largest faceted diamond in the world weighing in at 317.4 carats.

2. The Excelsior – Until the discovery of the Cullinan, this diamond was the largest rough gem quality diamond ever found. In the rough it weighed 971 carats, and it has been cut into 10 different stones. The largest stone, the Excelsior I weighs 69.68 carats.

3. The Golden Jubilee – This diamond is the largest faceted diamond in the world. The yellow-brown fire rose cushion cut diamond weighs in at 545.67 carats and is worth an estimated $1.5 billion.

4. The Centenary – This is the worlds largest D grade flawless diamond. The modified heart shaped diamond weighs in at 273.85 carats.

5. The Millenium Star – This is the worlds second largest D grade flawless diamond. The pear shaped diamond weighs in at 203.04 carats.

Christies sells diamond for record $24.3 million

Christie’s Auction House sold an extremely rare, 17th-century fancy deep grayish-blue diamond for 16.39 million pounds ($24.3 million), a world record price for any diamond or piece of jewelry sold at auction.

The pre-sale estimate was about half the sale price, 9 million pounds.

Famed jeweler Laurence Graff bought the 35.56-carat, historic Wittelsbach diamond, which came to the international market for the first time in almost 80 years, in a highly competitive auction, a Christie’s spokesperson told Reuters.

Large blue diamonds of high clarity, such as this, are very rare. The history of the stone also enhanced its value.

“The importance of the piece, the rarity of it, was recognized,” said Keith Penton, head of Christie’s jewelry department in London.

He said there was strong interest in the diamond from jewelers and private collectors.

The diamond, which was found in an Indian diamond mine, was part of the dowry of the Infanta Margarita Teresa (1651-1673) upon her engagement to Leopold I of Austria.

Dennis Leary is blinged out with Whiteflash for the Golden Globes

More than 50 Hollywood stars have been set as presenters at “The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards” to be telecast live on NBC at The Beverly Hilton.

Dennis Leary was sporting his Whiteflash loose diamonds jewelry bling in his redcarpet preview at the 66th Golden Globes. Leary is wearing Whiteflash cufflinks just rocking and ready to go!

“The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards” will be seen in more than 160 countries worldwide and is one of the few awards ceremonies that span both television and motion picture achievements.

Presenters include Elizabeth Banks, Drew Barrymore, Pierce Brosnan, Sandra Bullock,  Sacha Baron Cohen, Sean Combs, Patrick Dempsey, Johnny Depp, Cameron Diaz, David Duchovny, Zac Efron, Laurence Fishburne, Megan Fox, Jake Gyllenhaal, Salma Hayek, Dustin Hoffman, The Jonas Brothers, Blake Lively, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Lopez, Eva Mendes, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Seth Rogen, Susan Sarandon, Martin Scorsese, Sting, Mark Wahlberg, Sigourney Weaver, and Renee Zellweger.

Nominations for the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards were announced this morning, with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Doubt and Frost/Nixon scoring a leading five nominations apiece on the film side.

As for television, In Treatment and Recount led the way, also nabbing five nods each.

Here’s the complete list of nominees:

FILM

BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Frost/Nixon
• The Reader
• Revolutionary Road
• Slumdog Millionaire

BEST MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY

• Burn After Reading
• Happy-Go-Lucky
• In Bruges
• Mamma Mia!
• Vicky Cristina Barcelona

ACTOR, DRAMA

• Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road
• Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
• Sean Penn, Milk
• Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

ACTRESS, DRAMA

• Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
• Angelina Jolie, Changeling
• Meryl Streep, Doubt
• Kristin Scott Thomas, I’ve Loved You So Long
• Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

ACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• Colin Farrell, In Bruges
• James Franco, Pineapple Express
• Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges
• Dustin Hoffman, Last Chance Harvey

ACTRESS, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
• Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading
• Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia!
• Emma Thompson, Last Chance Harvey

SUPPORTING ACTOR

• Tom Cruise, Tropic Thunder
• Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
• Ralph Fiennes, The Duchess
• Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
• Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Amy Adams, Doubt
• Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• Viola Davis, Doubt
• Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
• Kate Winslet, The Reader

DIRECTOR

• Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
• Stephen Daldry, The Reader
• David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
• Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road

SCREENPLAY

• Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
• David Hare, The Reader
• Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
• Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• John Patrick Shanley, Doubt

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

• The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
• Everlasting Moments (Sweden)
• Gomorrah (Italy)
• I’ve Loved You So Long (France)
• Waltz With Bashir (Israel)

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

• Bolt
• Kung Fu Panda
• WALL-E

ORIGINAL SCORE

• Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Clint Eastwood, Changeling
• James Newton Howard, Defiance
• A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
• Hans Zimmer, Frost/Nixon

ORIGINAL SONG

• “Down to Earth,” WALL-E; music by Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman; lyrics by Peter Gabriel
• “Gran Torino,” Gran Torino; music by Clint Eastwood, Jamie Cullum, Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens; lyrics by Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens
• “I Thought I Lost You,” Bolt; music & lyrics by Miley Cyrus, Jeffrey Steele
• “Once in a Lifetime,” Cadillac Records; music & lyrics by Beyoncé Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Scott McFarnon, Ian Dench, James Dring, Jody Street
• “The Wrestler,” The Wrestler; music & lyrics by Bruce Springsteen

TELEVISION

TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA

• Dexter
• House
• In Treatment
• Mad Men
• True Blood

ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA

• Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
• Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
• January Jones, Mad Men
• Anna Paquin, True Blood
• Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA

• Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
• Michael C. Hall, Dexter
• Jon Hamm, Mad Men
• Hugh Laurie, House
• Jonathan Rhys Meyers, The Tudors

TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• 30 Rock
• Californication
• Entourage
• The Office
• Weeds

ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
• America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
• Tina Fey, 30 Rock
• Debra Messing, The Starter Wife
• Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
• Steve Carell, The Office
• Kevin Connolly, Entourage
• David Duchovny, Californication
• Tony Shalhoub, Monk

MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

• A Raisin in the Sun
• Bernard and Doris
• Cranford
• John Adams
• Recount

ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

• Judi Dench, Cranford
• Catherine Keener, An American Crime
• Laura Linney, John Adams
• Shirley MacLaine, Coco Chanel
• Susan Sarandon, Bernard and Doris

ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

• Ralph Fiennes, Bernard and Doris
• Paul Giamatti, John Adams
• Kevin Spacey, Recount
• Kiefer Sutherland, 24: Redemption
• Tom Wilkinson, Recount

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

• Eileen Atkins, Cranford
• Laura Dern, Recount
• Melissa George, In Treatment
• Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters
• Dianne Wiest, In Treatment

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

• Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
• Denis Leary, Recount
• Jeremy Piven, Entourage
• Blair Underwood, In Treatment
• Tom Wilkinson, John Adams

Wedding Band and Engagement Ring Spending on The Decline

The weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day are typically a busy time for jewelers selling engagement rings, as the date is the second-biggest time of year (behind Christmas) for wedding proposals. The bad news for jewelers this year, however, is that the average amount spent on an engagement ring is expected to drop 9.8% in 2009 to reach $2,900.

The projected decline follows a 30% drop in the average amount spent on an engagement ring in 2008, says Shane McMurray, chief executive of The Wedding Report, a Tucson, Ariz.-based firm that specializes in wedding industry market research. Together, the declines suggest a significant shift in consumer attitudes. In past economic downturns, he says, the wedding industry has been more resilient as people continued to spend on weddings.

“The economy really has people in a big bind right now, so that has a direct effect,” says Mr. McMurray, who notes that the average amount spent on weddings plummeted 24% in 2008, compared with 2007, to reach $21,814, according to a survey of 3,000 brides that The Wedding Report conducted in 2008. This year, he expects couples to spend 6% to 8% less on weddings on average — these wedding costs include reception fees as well as items such as the wedding dress, tuxedos and rings for the bride and groom.

When it comes to wedding rings, the average amount spent on a bride’s wedding ring rose 21.3% to reach $1,129 and the amount spent on a groom’s ring increased 38.3% to reach $907 last year, due in part to couples having more money to spend on smaller-ticket items after scaling back on spending on big-ticket items such as catering and reception fees, Mr. McMurray says. This year, however, those amounts spent are expected to decrease by 8.6%, he says, adding that spending on the wedding dress is also likely to see a 6% to 8% decline this year.

Unfortunately for men, even in this downturn, a survey by IdonowIdont.com showed that women still expect their partners to splurge on a ring. In the survey of 208 women conducted in October, 64% said a groom should pay “as much as he can afford” for an engagement ring, and only 23% said they thought it was OK for the bride to chip in and help to purchase her engagement ring. (Almost 40% said “Absolutely not–would hurt the romance of the moment,” the survey said.)

Readers, do you think it’s important or not prudent to spend a significant amount on a wedding in this economy?

Burmese women in Thai ‘human zoo’ for Neck Rings

“It’s incredible,” says a Canadian tourist, snapping away with his camera, as the women pose – heads bobbing stiffly far above their shoulders – and try to sell him a few souvenirs from the doorsteps of their bamboo huts.

For years the prospect of visiting one of three “long-necked” Kayan villages in this remote corner of north-western Thailand, close to the Burmese border, has been a major lure for foreign tourists.

In return, the visitors have helped to provide a very modest income for the Kayan women and their families, who are all refugees from Burma.

Boycott?

But in a dramatic intervention, the United Nations is now talking of the need for a tourism boycott, amid allegations that the Kayan are being trapped in a “human zoo”.

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) says that for the past two years, the Thai authorities have refused to allow a group of 20 Kayan to leave the country, despite firm offers to resettle them in Finland and New Zealand.

The suspicion is that the women are being kept in Thailand because of the central role they play in the local tourism industry.

“We don’t understand why these 20 are not allowed to start new lives,” said the UNHCR’s regional spokeswoman, Kitty McKinsey.

“The Thai authorities are treating them in a special way,” she argued, pointing out that some 20,000 other Burmese refugees had recently been allowed to move to third countries.

Actually they aren’t refugees Thai official They absolutely are refugees UNHCR official

“It’s absolutely a human zoo,” she said. “One solution is for tourists to stop going.”

At the centre of this increasingly heated dispute is a quietly determined 23-year-old woman called Zember, who has proudly worn her tribe’s traditional neck rings since she was five.

Zember and her family fled their home in the hills of eastern Burma 18 years ago. Her mother, Mu Pao, remembers government troops raiding their village and taking the men away by force to work as porters.

Like tens of thousands of people, the Kayan headed for the Thai border. But instead of being kept with the other refugees, the “long-necked” families were put in a separate compound a few yards from the official camp.

Since then, the ethnic conflicts inside Burma have raged on, and the Kayan community in Thailand has swelled to about 500.

“At least we’re safe here and we can earn some money,” said Mu Pao. Each tourist pays a 250 baht (US$8; £4) entrance fee.

Better deal

Other older women in the village agreed that, with little hope of ever returning to Burma, earning 1500 baht a month to be stared at by tourists was an acceptable deal.

But in 2005, a far better deal emerged. The UNHCR began offering permanent resettlement abroad to the many thousands of refugees still living in the area.

Many of the Kayan applied, and Zember and her family were quickly told they’d been accepted.

“I was so happy,” said Zember. “They tell me a house is already waiting for us in New Zealand.”

For the past two years, however, the Thai authorities have refused to sign the paperwork needed for Zember and 19 others to leave the country.

“Actually they aren’t refugees,” said Wachira Chotirosseranee, the deputy district officer and refugee camp commander, who insisted this was a purely bureaucratic matter with no connection to the local tourism industry.

“According to the regulations, you have to live inside the refugee camp. They don’t meet the criteria.”

The Thai authorities argue that the Kayan are economic migrants who earn a good living from the tourist trade and have chosen to settle outside the refugee camps.

“They absolutely are refugees,” said the UNHCR’s Kitty McKinsey. “It comes as a great surprise that the Thai authorities are criticising them for living outside the camps, when it was the Thai authorities who wanted them to live (outside).”

In frustration, and as an act of protest, Zember has now taken off her neck rings. “It felt uncomfortable at first,” she said, rubbing her throat.

Over the years, the rings push the women’s shoulders and ribs down, making their necks appear stretched.

“Because of my rings I have suffered many problems,” she said. “I wear them not for tourists. I wear them for tradition… Now I feel like a prisoner.”