Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Tasty Tuesday - Chocolate Diamonds

A chocolate diamond is a brown diamond, one of many types of colored diamonds. Most chocolate diamonds come from diamond mines in Australia. The natural occurring brown color is thought to be created by the earth's pressure on the diamonds deep in the earth. Chocolate diamonds, perhaps due to their new name, seem to be gaining in popularity however. A brilliant marketing scheme to help sell an abundance of low color diamonds was to rename them to "chocolate diamonds." People who never gave brown diamonds the time of day, now are looking at these diamonds. They want to be able to say that they own a chocolate diamond. It's different. It's a conversation starter and more than anything else, it's still a diamond! There are also different hues of fancy colored diamonds.

For instance, the hue of a brown diamond is designated into the categories: Chocolate – light brown diamonds with no other discernable color Champaign – sparkling warm golden brown
Cognac – deep reddish/orange
Cinnamon – light pinkish brown
Honey – deep yellow orange
Clove diamonds – deep olive brown

Chocolate diamonds look great with gold and also colors like blue and green. These really make it stand out.
Chocolate pearl diamonds – this is a very elegant mix of dark brown and white that reminds many of the chocolate diamond’s namesake. Chocolate diamonds & turquoise – a very daring, but stunning mix with different textures to enhance the overall effect. Chocolate diamonds & white diamonds – this is a very common mix, but still very brilliant. Chocolate diamonds & other colored gems – again very common, but so much variety, any piece of jewelry is practically its own unique piece.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Banner contest

I'm looking at posting a new banner for my website.

Please look over these contestants and pick your favorite. Feel free to make recommendations too!

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Gotta love living in Michigan.

We started Spring Break with snow and ice.

We ended Spring Break by breaking a temperature record set in the 1920's by hitting 85 degrees.

Last night I slept with the windows open. The wind blew through the trees and instead of sounding like dried bones rattling, the branches thudded as if they were soft and coming back to life.

The spring peepers sang all night; despite keeping my boys awake, I found it to be music lulling me to my dreams. When I lived in northern Michigan, I became so used to the shrill peeper call that if I didn't hear it, I couldn't sleep. Ahhhh.....peace.

But the summer-like temperatures aren’t going to last. A cold front is expected to move through central Michigan, dropping temperatures to a much more normal range, in the low to mid-60s with lows in the 40s.

Seriously?

Sometimes I wonder if the state's weather is the result of Mother Nature on PMS. It certainly has "mood swings". For the moment I will enjoy this lovely breather. I open my arms and embrace Spring. I inhale the scent of Mother Earth as she wakes. I feel strength pour into my weary, cold soaked body.

Happy Spring to all.