Gemstone Hardness Verses Toughness

Photo: Effy necklace, bracelet, and earrings from Macy's and the ring from Istdibs

When jewelry lovers select gemstones for everyday wear they usually think of diamonds for their hardness, but hardness is only half of the gemstone durability story.

Gemstone durability is a combination of hardness and toughness. Hardness refers to the surface strength of a stone to resist scratching. Harder stones can scratch softer stones. A diamond can scratch a sapphire, ruby, emerald, topaz, and on down the line of Moh's Hardness Scale. Only another diamond can scratch a diamond.

Sotheby's

But while hard, a diamond isn't tough, it's brittle and will chip, crack, or shatter if abused. It's why you should remove your rings while working with your hands. Although diamonds, a 10 on Moh's Hardness Scale is 4 times harder than sapphires, a 9, sapphires are tougher than diamonds, and it takes a greater force to shatter them.

Toughness refers to the inner strength of a gemstone to resist breakage under force or stress. A diamond is brittle due to its perfect cleavage, which is an atomic structure that runs parallel making the bonds between its planes weaker than gemstones with less parallel, or imperfect cleavage. Certain softer gemstones are tougher than diamonds, meaning less brittle and more difficult to break apart with blows or force.

So what's the toughest gemstone? There are picture clues.😏 It's jade. Geologists have a saying, " Jade (rating  6 - 7 in hardness) can't scratch a diamond, but jade can break a diamond."

WEJ

Jade is the national gemstone of Japan and is popular in many Asian cultures. For over 5,000 years jade has been fashioned into tools, sculptures, and jewelry. Originally jade was thought to be one mineral but in 1863, Frenchman Alexis Damour established that jade was in fact, 2 minerals, either jadeite (Na(Al, Fe3+)Si2O6) or nephrite (Ca₂(MgFe₅Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂). Jadeite is an aluminum-rich pyroxene while nephrite is a magnesium-rich amphibole. To the human eye, however, they are difficult (though not impossible for an expert) to tell apart.

Jadeite (at 6.5 - 7) is slightly harder than nephrite (at 6 - 6.5) and is in greater demand in Asian countries. Not only is Jadeite jade harder, but denser and easier to work with and polish into a shine. Sometimes jewelers dye jade but over time the dye can fade.

Photo: Sotheby's

Burma (now called Myanmar) produces jadeite, the most sought-after type of jade in Asian countries. Jadeite's most valued color is emerald green, but other colors include black, white, red, yellow, blue, purple, pink, grey, brown, and orange. The finest quality jadeite jade is pure green with high transparency and shine called imperial jade. Other prized jade is kingfisher jade — only slightly less intense than imperial jade; apple jade — a vivid yellow-green; and moss-in-snow jade — "translucent white with bright green veining, patches, or spots," according to The Gemological Institute of America (GIA).

Stronger than pearls and diamonds, jade is toughhh... pretty... and much of it affordable. Especially wearable on Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, and in the spring! Alas, I don't own jade. How about you?

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The Pillow Shoe Is A Fad

There's a new fad in town: The Pillow Shoes. They are the rage of TicTac, and I think for good reason. They are cheap, comfortable and casual smart. Although not enough support to walk miles and miles in, pillow shoes offer good enough support to loaf around the house, as well as, run quick errands in the neighborhood.

In warm weather I normally wear $2 Old Navy flip flops around my apartment, but these offer greater support and are arguably more stylish. There are a number of retailers making the shoe style, but I like the brand, Mesh Beach Shoes for their anti-slip soles and ergonomic design claim which is supposed to evenly distribute the pressure between you feet and hips to help avoid the pain of knots and cramps. They are lightweight, waterproof and have lots of happy customers based upon what reads like honest reviews. The website features 6 colors including blue and beige. 

More expensive than flip flops for sure, but you get durability, support and style ... a fair trade off ... and hey, you can add a few inches to your height by slipping into a pair.🦶🩴

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About Beds In A Box

Little did I know when my elderly mother fell fracturing her leg, I'd be buying 2 beds, but she can't climb her stairs and must reside on the ground floor. I'm helping her, and there were no suitable beds for us to sleep in. 

We bought 2 full-size mattresses.

As it happens, 2 years ago I needed to replace the bed in my own Manhattan apartment. I did quite a bit of research then before buying it. At the time I didn't select a bed-in-a-box although the mattress reviewers and customers give this type of mattress 5 stars. I also tested a bed-in-a-box in a brick-and-mortar store by laying on it and was impressed! Luckily I saved a favorite bed-in-a-box mattress manufactured by Zinus and sold on Amazon because it got top marks by professional mattress reviewers. It is a 12-inch Support Plus Pocket Spring Hybrid Mattress. During a sudden family crisis, the ability to click to have 2 mattresses delivered by Amazon in 5 days is priceless. (How did I know to save it on my Amazon wish list?) Now that my mother and I sleep on the beds, I can from personal experience say we love them too! 

What's more, they are less than half the price of those sold by the bigger, well-known beds-in-a-box companies such as Casper and Nector Sleep and yet they seem to be made well and have all the necessary features.

Moreover, I ordered the 16" steel bed frames from the same merchant as I wanted to ensure they are a perfect fit. (The frames also come in 14" and 18'' heights). If you have the extra time to do the measuring, Amazon Basics offers slightly cheaper steel bed frames costing slightly less than Zinus.

The firm beds-in-a-box I bought are considerably cheaper than my firm box spring mattress at home, therefore it's a wash if they wear out and must be replaced sooner. They are guaranteed to last 10 years. You still save a heap of cash for a quality supportive and comfortable mattress. Highly recommended, I couldn't be happier with the mattresses or the price!

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Summer Sale On Dresses And Swimsuits

Three blogs ago I featured two end-of-summer sale dresses I added to my wardrobe for next year. Here are the dresses and swimsuits I passed on buying to be financially responsible. They are equally stylish and excellent buys! 

Nowadays I try super hard to buy everything I need without giving in to purchasing lots of other things I simply want! Far from fretting, I fully expect the following cute pieces to return next year, perhaps slightly tweaked or in new colors, but I'm sure I'll get another chance to acquire them if I have a true need. Meanwhile, if you (unlike me) require new clothes for next summer, you can't beat the following in vogue dresses and swimsuits at fabulous reductions:

1) Landsend Cotton Jersey Sleeveless Swim Cover-up Dress (top image👆) - The 100% soft cotton jersey is a thick fabric with a notch neck and neatly finished armholes that you can wear as a summer dress when not covering up a bathing suit. Why not, it's adorable!

2) Columbia Freezer III Dress - The  Freezer III dress made its feature debut on THE SAVVY SHOPPER in early July and now it's on sale! Its wicking fabric pulls moisture away from the body to keep you dry and cool. In addition, the ultra-dapper summer dress has UPF 30 in its fabric to block UVA and UVB rays. Some of the patterns are gone, but not all, and the classic dress should return again next summer.

3) Swim Solutions - Macy's has tons of chic swimsuits marked down. A brand I especially love, Swim Solutions offers ultra-flattering designs, full support (in the bust, waist, and bottom), plus minimizer-sliming coverage. The brand is of top-notch quality for less -- and since sizes are going fast, I'll link 2 places you can find them -- at Macy's and Amazon.

The devil is tempting you, my lovelies!👅👺 Take advantage of the sales if you need something for next year. The dresses and swimsuits will return next season at their full retail price. Me ... I'm trying to be a good minimalist. 😇

Here's the swimsuit I selected in 2020. It came back in 2021 but has sold out again. As you can see, I wouldn't have lost out as there are plenty of gorgeous suits on sale now!

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The Beauty Advent Calendars Are Out

Target Your Skincare: Naturium

Photo: Yahoo

Although I try to give equal coverage to all the categories featured on the blog, I'm finding great affordable skincare lately and so won't hold back: A 3rd beauty blog (plus my thoughts) in a row.🙂 💋

Target Express stores are opening all over Manhattan. As concerned as I am for Mom and Pop shops (which I also support), I can't deny liking the decent selection, convenience and savings on every day staples at the big box retailer. In the Target aisles, there are some top-notch skincare, including cleansers, serums and moisturizers costing $25 or less. The next time you go, take a look at Naturium. Online ... 31 products are listed. At the brick and mortar stores, what's available on any given day can be hit or miss, therefore if I see a frequently used item in stock on the shelf, I buy two.

Naturium is a skincare brand launched by Ben Bennett and Susan Yara in 2020. (In fact, Ms. Yara who is also a YouTube influencer, got in trouble with her fans by promoting the brand on her channel without telling them she is a co-owner!) The products are formulated to be natural, clean, non-toxic and green. They are vegan, except for the Intense Overnight Sleeping Cream which uses ethically sourced honey. Everything made is cruelty free, paragon free, skin-compatible, artificial fragrance-free, and dermatology tested. Naturium proudly follows science to continue to learn and improve its skincare. Sounds good, no?

Photo: hip2save

The most popular Naturium items include: Vitamin C Complex Serum, Retinol Complex Cream, Vitamin C Super Serum Plus, Niacinamide Gel Cream 5% and Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc. 

The cost of buying 5 products, even reasonably priced, adds up; so I recommend starting with the Vitamin C Complex for daytime use and Retinol Complex Cream for nighttime use. The pair is likely all you'll need. Consider the Vitamin Super C Serum Plus (it is a mixture of vitamin C and Retinol, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide) if you can only afford to buy a single face serum. Ideally, you want to use these ingredients separately, yet a better one (as a combo) than none! The other serums address individual skincare concerns that you may or may not have, so save your money when possible.

How impressive that a new beauty brand like Naturium started by a YouTube influencer, got Target to sell its products in such a short span of time! We all have brilliant ideas and dreams (just ask me!), but it takes luck, hard work, perseverance, connections and money to get them to market!💋👏

A head's up: The next blog will introduce you to another gemstone. Watch this space on Thursday!

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The Inkey List Skincare

 

Photo: lookfantastic

THE SAVVY SHOPPER features another effective skincare line based on science you can afford to use daily. Choice galore and deals are a consumer's best friends to keep our wallets happy! The Inkey List offers a wide array of products containing potent ingredients that are normally 3 - 4 times more expensive.

The following are your 3 basic essentials, yet at such budget-friendly prices averaging under $10 a bottle (and a few multi-ingredient formulas running about $15) you could add an item to treat a special skin care concern of yours if you wish. 

Here are the bare-bone elixirs I think you need in your skincare regiment:

1) The Inkey List Retinol serum

Contains: 

• 1% stabilized retinol (derived from Vitamin A, which the skin converts to retinoic acid, speeding up skin cell turnover. Enhances collagen production, evens skin tone and lightens age spots.) 
• 0.5 granactive retinoid
• Squalane (for hydration and smoothing).

Directions: Use a pea size amount at night to prevent or treat lines and wrinkles, the visible signs of aging.

2) The Inkey List Vitamin C 30% serum

 Contains: 

• 30% pure, stable, L-ascorbic Acid. This serum targets the signs of aging by brightening the skin. It also fights free radicals and pollution. 

Directions: This is your daytime serum, apply it in the morning.

3) The Inkey SPF Daily 30 Sunscreen

Contains: 

• 22% non-nano zinc oxide (offering both UVA and UVB protection against the sun).
• 1% Pollustop® (Shields the skin from pollutants and premature aging.) 
• 2% Shea Butter complex (moisturizes and calms the skin). 

Directions: Use during the day all-year-round as the last step after a moisturizer. 

Sure you could buy gentle baby sunscreen at your local drugstore for less, but if you want a $15 splurge for the extra anti-aging ingredients, you can at least afford it at these low prices.

Now where can you buy them? Available on the Inkey List website; Sephora; Ebay; and Amazon, the brand is never tested on animals.

Splurge and save simultaneously: What's on your Inkey List?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

💟Extra tips: 

[1] If you buy the baby sunscreen from your local drugstore and your 2 serums from The Inkey List, your entire costs for your daily anti-aging skin routine is under $25 for all the products you need. Adding the splurge Inkey List sunscreen brings the costs to under $35.

 [2] Anti-aging routines begin by eating a healthy diet, which gets easier and cheaper in the spring and summer months. Here's what I bought from my fabulous Manhattan fruit street vendor on my way home ... every bite as beneficial to the skin as the potions you put on it:

I like to wash all my fruit before putting much of it in the refrigerator. Oh yes, with refrigeration you lose some of the deliciousness, but again, costs and convenience win. I leave a few unrefrigerated pieces out, but do refrigerate the rest. I have fresh blueberries, strawberries, apricots, plums, pears and mangos. Not in the photo, avocados from another day! 

BTW: I also wash my potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant and asparagus (Asparagus steams are yuk, yet nutritious.) before putting them away, a repetitive job I hate doing! But when I cook, I like dropping clean-ready produce into a pot. I'd rather not have a job (cleaning) before I do a job (cooking). Unless buying a meal kit, you have to do the undesirable yourself. It's worth getting more for less. I'm a mean, clean machine!😎

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The Diamond Cluster Jewelry Trend

 

Effy Bouquet 14K White Gold Diamond Cluster Earrings

Fine jewelers will always make diamond stud earrings, as well as, diamond solitaire rings. Both are elegant, classic and wildly popular with the public. But more and more people are turning to diamond cluster rings and earrings, and jewelers are responding to the demand by designing them.

Wouldn't we all love to own a 5 carat diamond ring along with 4 carat diamond stud earrings. Am I outing myself only?😏 Oh c'mon, don't lie to yourself, sister! Where is THAT fairy godmother hiding herself? I've got a long list waiting!! So the obvious question becomes why is the diamond cluster trend happening in the jewelry world at the present time?

Well, it's because we don't wish to mortgage our homes and become panhandlers in order to buy big stones. For one stone (in a ring) or 2 single stones (in earring studs), diamonds get exponentially more expensive and often unaffordable with each increase in carat size. While diamonds (carbon) are common on earth, clean, flawless stones over 2 carats are rarer and harder to find. What's more, the demand for diamonds keeps the price sky high.

One of the reasons diamonds are so popular with consumers is the way in which they catch the light and sparkle like few other gemstones. Tanzanites and moissanites glitter much like diamonds often for less money. Some people buy them as budget-friendlier alternatives. Far from settling, each type of gemstone is loved by collectors for its own unique beauty.

Jewelry examples courtesy of Macy's

If a customer on a budget pines for diamonds, s/he can buy the effect of bigger diamonds without going broke by considering beautifully designed diamond clusters created to give you all the glitter and look -- the effect -- of larger stones. Most observers will pick up on the sparkle, yet not necessarily notice you are wearing a cluster of diamonds. You get a big effect; the beauty; the elegance; the shimmer without spending a huge (in 5-figures) amount of money. Still not cheap, yet a splurge a working person can save up for to buy.

It's a worthy and practical tradeoff on a budget. By buying the effect, you don't have to go without. Enjoy the beauty, skip the pain ... and as a bonus, you'll be less jittery about wearing your gorgeous ice bling every day. By now you know how THE SAVVY SHOPPER feels about buying luxury (which jewelry is, like designer purses) that stays in a box. It's a total waste of money!

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Dorothy Perkins Is Top Shop's Stylish Sister

Meet Dorothy Perkins, popular and trendy Top Shop's stylish sister! The sibling line creates affordable fashion pieces that are classic, pretty and feminine. Adorable dresses, tops, bottoms and accessories, which are a tad more conservative than à la mode articles, so they won't soon go out of style.

Cute ladylike florals; animal prints; or solids with flattering details such as a fitted waist, or pleated skirt. And subtle polka dots to boot!

There are timeless shoes and accessories for all occasions, plus you won't need to empty your wallet to buy extras in order to match your dress.

I can envision the Duchess of Cambridge (a/k/a Kate Middleton) wearing these elegant clothes!

An Ombre All Over Lace Dress ... wow ... oo la la ... wunderbar ... love at first sight! At last, understated style for grown-up women ... with a touch of pizzazz!

Well worth browsing the website. Once there, click on the upper left to select your country of origin. Enjoy!


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