Archive for October, 2009
October 10th, 2009
At last, the largest diamond in the world had found a worthy contender. Under preliminary forecasts of experts the weight of the new diamond-champion is one 1.5 kg.
Before now the largest diamond in the world was the Cullinan diamond. This diamond was found in the British province Transvaal (nowadays the Republic of South Africa) in 1905. The weight of the ex-champion Cullinan is 3106 carat (621.2 gr.). The diamond was named for Sir Thomas Cullinan, who had discovered the Premier in Transvaal three years earlier. The diamond amazes not only by its size but also its cleanliness, absence of mineral inclusions, cracks, and bubbles.
The Cullinan diamond was presented to the reigning British monarch, King Edward VII, in 1907. It’s interesting that diamond represents a splinter (about 1/3 part) of larger diamond, but it haven’t found till now.
The diamond was cut into 9 large stones and about 100 smaller ones by I.J. Asscher and Company of Amsterdam. The Cullinan diamond decorates the brow of the Imperial State Crown of Great Britain about one hundred years.
Nowadays, the 7000-carat diamond (1.5 kg) was found in the same country. Under armed guard the new diamond will be delivered in Johannesburg, the capital of the Republic of South Africa, where diamond will be determined its exact weight and the size with a help of special technical equipment.
What company possesses this precious find? It is not yet announced. However, during all last century the leadership in world production of diamonds belonged to giant De Beers who supervised about 65 % of all diamond market till now.
October 8th, 2009
Much lip service has been given to greener lifestyles, but what about greener service for your lips? Considering that even the most conscientious amongst us will end up licking our lips a few times a day, doesn’t it make sense to be as proactive about what’s on our mouths as what goes in them?
A new generation of natural lip balms has emerged to meet this need, but not all are as they appear. For instance, ever noticed that with certain lip glosses, the more you apply the more dry and irritated your lips become—how can anything that gloppy not be moisturizing? The answer is irritating chemicals that are combined with natural ingredients, creating a natural lip balm that isn’t quite as natural as it seems.
There are some products that really do stick to a strict “all-natural” repertoire for their lip balms, but many offer a lackluster performance in terms of aesthetics. Even those natural lip balms that feature a range of shades tend to have grainy pigments that just look “off.” And trying to layer a clear product with lipstick simply interferes with the balm’s ability to nourish and the lipstick’s ability to stay put—plus, who needs more steps in their routine?
Natural-Lip Balm’s non-sticky, clean-wearing formula contains no petroleum, paraben, FD&C dyes or other irritating chemicals, instead using grapeseed oil, Shea butter and cocoa butter to moisturize naturally. A dose of Vitamin E keeps lips youthful, while extracts of oregano leaf, thyme, cinnamon bark, lavender and goldenseal root soothe, nourish and protect. A chemical-free UVA/UVB shield rounds out this best-in-show performer, which comes in five delicate shades. And their Natural-Lip Balm in clear doubles as a secret-weapon nighttime treatment.