Moissanite The Glitter Gem

Photo: Instagram from LaurenJewelry

Moissanite, a naturally occurring mineral in nature, was named in honor of Henri Moissan, the French chemist who discovered it in 1893. While a diamond is common, a pure carbon in nature that is heated by the Earth over billions of years; a moissanite is a combination of silicon and carbon (a/k/a silicon carbide - SiC) that is likewise heated by the Earth over billions of years to produce the rare gem. In fact, there are so few moissanites in nature that all moissanites on the market are lab created gems. (If anyone ever finds mineable silicon carbide in nature, moissanites will cost more then diamonds.)

Registering at 9.25, the gemstone is 2nd to diamonds on Moh's Scale of Hardness, making it a good choice for an engagement ring (as well as other jewelry!) since like a diamond, it is beautiful and durable. What's more, a moissanite has twice the brilliance and fire of a diamond, so it will sparkle and light up a room like no other gem! Side by side, moissanites look much like diamonds, but not exactly once you know their characteristics. A moissanite isn't an imitation diamond, but gorgeous in its own right!

What makes a moissanite especially attractive is its affordable price. At about $400 per carat (compared to $4,000 per carat for a similar diamond), the stone costs up to 90% less than a diamond.

This is partly due to the mineral's rarity in nature and the need to create it in a lab for jewelry. And just like lab created diamonds, a lab made moissanite has the same chemical makeup, hardness and optical value as its counterpart in nature. A moissanite costs less per carat than both natural and lab created diamonds because of  (1) the consistency of the produced stone; (2) demand; as well as, (3) the clever DeBeers marketing strategy of 1947 ("A diamond is forever") that lingers with us even today. Yet in reality, while diamonds are common in nature, moissanites are very rare, gorgeous and last forever too!

Photo: Wikipedia

Charles & Colvard was the 1st scientists to create "near colorless" ... and later "colorless" moissanites, which they began selling in 2015. Called Forever One, these colorless moissanites are similar to GIA-certified E color diamonds. A colorless Forever One stone costs about $600 per carat, a tad more than a near colorless one. Still a great savings for a brilliant white stone. A similar grade diamond would cost $4,000+ per carat -- rising exponentially per carat once you pass 2 carats.

Moissanites outshine diamonds because at 2.65, the stone has a higher refractive index (i.e, the way light comes into and out of a stone) than a diamond does at 2.42, with greater fire (colored light) and brilliance (white light). The unique sparkle of moissanite is especially notable in sunlight and with bigger stones.

Some people love the flashes of color, called a "rainbow," or "disco ball" effect, while others claim the greater sparkle makes the stone look "fake," when compared to a diamond. It comes down to personal taste ... and to a degree the longer popularity of diamonds. We like the familiar ... until the "new" becomes the familiar.

Moissanite is sold as a diamond alternative, an excellent gemstone choice for people who either worry about the ugly history of diamond mining, or desire a huge stone and effect on a budget.

Priced lower than diamonds by far, these gorgeous white stones can put the sparkle on your fingers, or neck without breaking the bank. In the photos above, can you tell the moissaites and diamonds apart? Watch this YouTube video for the answers to see if you are correct. And, Savvy Shoppers always shop around to get the best price!


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A Convertible Briefcase

Once upon a time a briefcase was heavy, bulky, full-grain leather and expensive. No wonder the man of the house threw his back out periodically! But times change, and nowadays there are many user-friendly styles available. 

Hands-free of weight, a convertible briefcase is the only way to go! Today I'll feature two briefcases I like, both under $50.

First up, Ecosusi's Woman's Briefcase Backpack is multi-functional. Made of soft vegan leather, it holds a 14-inch laptop; has 2 sections (a wide and a slim) and wears like a backpack. Brass hardware for enclosures. Plus it comes with a separate small purse for pens and small items. Adorable style in 4 different colors, and if you prefer more of a handbag look, this is the one for you.

I have owned the next briefcase for about 2 years. Mine, too, is slender; designed to organize; and it looks more like a briefcase than the 1st one. At times T. J. Maxx sells this 2nd briefcase for half its listed price ($25!).

The name, Solo's Duane Convertible Briefcase, is made of grey polyester fabric and suitable for both men and women. I selected the polyester material for its durability in all types of weather, and it's proven to be rain resistant.

The interior is divided into two large compartments with a 3rd inside slim pocket. One compartment is fully padded to hold a 15.2-inch laptop. Furthermore, there are 2 attached good-sized front pouches with inside slits to hold lists; IDs; credit cards; a phone; or thin electronics. There is also a large slit-pocket in the back by the shoulder straps that fits a magazine. 

The 2 center carrying handles, hold together with magnetic snaps and are padded to make carrying the briefcase comfortable. But I don't carry it very far. I wear it as a backpack.

Lots of zippers make opening and closing the briefcase a breeze! With so many amazing pockets for storage, I confess to sometimes organizing a few of my essentials out of existence. C'mon, you do it too, right?😳

Solo's briefcase is more stylish in person. Since I rarely stuff books in mine, only notes and papers, an iPad, a snack (Yes, a snack. Who are you judging?😏), water, and a small umbrella, it's thin when I carry it. I love how strong it is on occasions I do carry my laptop or extra stuff.

For a 3rd choice of a convertible briefcase that is a full-grain Italian leather with a hefty price tag to match go here to one of my earlier blogs. Senreve's Maestra will last a lifetime versus replacing a cheaper briefcase a number of times. Yet clearly not everyone requires an ultra costly briefcase.

So consider your needs. If an article is durable enough to last several years for much less, I don't mind replacing it. But if you use a briefcase night and day, plus need it for long commutes, it might make sense to spend big bucks. A value shopper buys what s/he needs, nothing more and nothing less.

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Happy 11th Birthday To THE SAVVY SHOPPER

Eleven years ago when I began blogging, on March 3, 2009, I didn't know I'd have 11 years of topics to write about. Back then Facebook had no ads, and Instagram and Snapchat didn't exist. At the time, YouTube vloggers earned little notoriety, or money. With all the options of where eyeballs can spend time on social media, I want to thank you, dear readers, for supporting THE SAVVY SHOPPER.🎉🥳 

I still enjoy the written word over only photographs; and sometimes reading a blog is faster for absorbing substance than watching a talking head. It's also convenient to bookmark blogs if you need to flashback to information at a later time.

Thank you readers for your emails and likes on our Facebook page, Pinterest and Twitter accounts. I love the input! Your comments are icing on the cake!🍰

I haven't posted many photos on Instagram. When out and about, I try to stay in the moment! 

Here's to sharing our mutual intellectual curiosity ... in writing for another year! 

Celebrating THE SAVVY SHOPPER 's 11th birthday and its awesome readers for stopping by. (The blog's bottom right lists the most popular blogs.) Thanks for the privilege of your time💋😘, and let me know if there are any subjects you wish covered. 

Do You Have A Germ Phobia?    
The Savvy Shopper Is A Decade Old Today
Smart Ways To Put Money In Your Piggy Bank 
The Marriage Of Charles II And Catherine Of Braganza

My Daily Artisan Bread

Photo: Wikipenda Commons

Sooo. I'm on an artisan bread kick. The kind sold by a good New York deli: Hard and crusty on the outside, yet fresh, fluffy and soft on the inside. Costing about $10 for a small loaf, it's not as easy to find nowadays with more and more mom and pop shops closing their doors. Often it's easier and certainly cheaper to make a loaf myself. Oh, and mine are 2 pounders! I use all-purpose flour, then toss in some whole wheat flour and ground flax seed for fiber and extra nutrition. The following is my basic everyday bread recipe:

Debra's Daily Bread

Ingredients:

12 ounces water (room temperature)
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 extra large eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup of non-fat dry milk powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup of ground flax seed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Optional: 2 teaspoons dried garlic (or more)
butter to coat the bread pan and top of unbaked bread

Directions:

1) Start by pouring 10 ounces of lukewarm water into a large bowl. (I use a wok pan.) Stir in 1/4 teaspoon dry yeast. (Hold the balance of the water. If the dough is too dry after all the flour is sprinkled in, pour in a little more water.)

2) Toss and mix in the rest of the ingredients, eggs, dry milk powder, salt, flours, ground flax seed and olive oil. (Note: Extra virgin olive oil is almost wasted when used in baking, but it's the only cooking oil I stock, so it gets used in cooking, broiling and baking😊.)

3) Optional: I like to add some garlic. It's a subtle flavor. You will need to add more than 2 teaspoons if making garlic bread to really taste the garlic.

4) You can use the long handle end of a cooking spoon; or a small spatula to fully incorporate the flour to form a ball of dough. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl clean with the spatula. 

5) Let the dough proof overnight in the bowl or wok. Proofing for 12 hours gives the bread a delicious flavor. I butter the top and cover with plastic wrap and a towel.

6) The next morning, use the spatula to press the air out of the dough. Sprinkle flour on top of the dough as needed. (Since I proof in a large wok, I don't need to dump the dough onto a flat surface. Only one thing to clean: the wok.) Work the dough by stirring, and you can fold it over a couple of times if you feel like it, not much is required. It should feel elastic and smell like yeast.

7) Form the dough into a loaf, or circle, lay it in a well buttered pan; and butter the top of the loaf. 

8) Let the dough rise again in a warm place, this time until it more than doubles in the pan. I leave home, run errands and return several hours later.

9) Bake in a 400 degree F preheated oven for 45 minutes covered and 10 - 15 minutes uncovered. 

The recipe is forgiving in the following ways. You can use bread flour; or 100% whole wheat flour. 100% whole wheat will make a dense, less fluffy loaf. As mentioned, I like my bread crusty on the outside, but soft and fluffy on the inside, which is why I use a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flours. The ground flax seed is for extra health benefits like fiber, lignin (lowers cholesterol) and Omega-3 fats. 

Bread flour has slightly more protein than all-purpose flour. [12% - 14 % vs. 8% - 11%] Since I never buy bread flour, I toss in eggs and milk for extra protein. You can also substitute regular milk, as opposed to, using water and dry powder milk, if you wish.

Extra Tip: If you toss in 1/4 cup of uncooked oatmeal flakes you get multi-grain bread. I sometimes toss in a cup of oatmeal, then reduce the all-purpose flour by as much as a cup, but anymore makes a loaf of bread dense in lieu of light and fluffy.

Finally bake the shape of bread you desire: round, loaf, or artisan and unstructured. You decide.

Perhaps I'm biased, but think my recipe has better ingredients than the upmarket shops who have replaced the old mom and pop bakeries in my neighborhood. Cut into thick rich and tasty slices. Enjoy!


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Okay Blended Rose Oil

Photo: shutterstock

Lately I'm obsessed with rose oil. An essential oil extracted from the petals of several types of roses, rose ottos are removed by steam distillation (a separation process), while rose absolutes are drawn out by solvent (liquid-liquid) extraction. It takes about 60,000 roses to produce 1 ounce of rose oil making it one of the more expensive essential oils to buy. But forturnately, we don't need much to reap its benefits. (And naturally I've found an affordable, quality rose oil product for us all!)

Rose oil comes from 2 types of roses: The damask rose (rosa damascena) grows in Bulgaria, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Syria, Turkey and Uzbekistan, and the cabbage rose (rosa centifolia), which lives in France, Egypt and Morocco.

Frankly, the real reason I rub it on my skin after a shower is I love the scent! It's my latest craze! But others seem to like it too. Whenever I spray on Diptyque Eau Rose Eau de Toilette and the new scent, Eau Capitale Eau Parfum (rose, bergamot and patchouli) at Bloomingdale's fellow shoppers walk up to tell me how good I smell!! Men ask what scent I'm wearing. It has happened several times over. And I know Dr. Hauschka's top-notch skincare line contains rose oil as a main ingredient due to its healing and anti-aging powers. But both luxury brands are expensive, so I had to find a more affordable, high end product to use daily.

Okay Rose Oil, a rose oil blend, has rose oil as its 1st ingredient, and the light oil smells divine! Very floral, pleasant and clean. Never overpowering or artificial like many perfumes. Plus, I desire the anti-aging properties of the rose oil. Heck yeah, I'm not giving that up!

Rose oil contains complex antioxidants and minerals. Not only does it soothe and moisturize dry skin, but it also has antiseptic and astringent components to treat acne, as well as, anti-inflammatory properties to slow down aging and help heal wounds. Some people also use rose oil to lighten skin or prevent scars.

Moreover scientistic studies show that rose oil eases stress, anxiety and depression, as well as, stimulates circulation and is an overall mood booster. Go here to read about several more benefits.

Okay Rose Oil is an excellent choice as you can dub drops directly into your skin and hair (yes, it conditions hair too). Like all essential oils, pure rose oil is too concentrated and should be combined with carrier oils before using. Here the price is right, the smell heavenly, and the high potency blend gentle and effective. Highly recommend!🌹


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Pearls The Queen Of Gems

Pearls are called the gem of Queens and the Queen of gems. As beautiful as diamonds, yet usually less costly, they are the only jewels made by a living creature. What's more, they are versatile and classy whether paired with denim or a little black dress.

A pearl is formed when an irritant, or parasite gets inside the shell of an oyster, or mollusk. To protect its soft mantle tissue, the mollusk deposits layers of calcium carbonate in the form of the mineral aragonite, which is held together by conchiolin, an organic compound. The mixture is known as nacre or sometimes called mother-of-pearl.

To correct a myth: Natural and cultured pearls are both real pearls. Nowadays almost no natural pearls are harvested due to pollution killing off sea life (stopping the production); the dangers of pearl diving; and/or the rise and efficiency of pearl farms. 

The natural pearls sold today are always vintage and therefore pricey because they are scarce and usually inherited.

When natural pearls were the only pearls available only ultra-rich people could afford them, unlike today. Also, oysters were killed to harvest the pearls, whereas today it is in the best interest of pearl farmers to nurture and care for the living mollusk (oysters and mussels). Their livelihoods depend upon it.

Moreover the composition and beauty between natural and cultured pearls are equal. The main difference is cultured pearls are formed by intention and not an accident of nature. Nowadays when a cultured pearl necklace costs over $150,000, it's because the pearls are large, perfect and uniform -- the result of going through thousands of pearls to find.

Cultured pearls are created in saltwater, or freshwater depending upon their source. Saltwater Pearls include the following: 

1) Akoya pearls are grown in Japan and China. They are usually

white or cream in color and round in shape. They tend to be smaller compared to the pearls grown in other regions, ranging from 2mm (tiny) to 10mm (rare) in size.

2) South Sea pearls come from Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines. They are white, cream or golden in color and are the largest in size of all pearls, ranging from 9mm to 20mm.

3) Tahitian pearls are produced in Tahiti, as well as, the French Polynesian Islands. These are the black cultured pearls you see, yet their colors can include grey, blue, green and purple. Typical sizes range from 8mm - 16mm.

$300,000+ undyed cultured pearls at Saks 5th Avenue. I love the research I must do to write these blogs!😍

The other source of cultured pearls: Freshwater pearls are grown in rivers, ponds and freshwater lakes, mainly in China. Today freshwater pearls rival and resemble Akoya pearls. This is due to many improvements during the 1990s in the pearl farming industry leading to greater quality, strength (thicker nacre) and number of freshwater pearls on the market, lowering their price and making them a favorite of jewelry designers and customers alike. 

When buying pearls, there are 5 characteristics to consider:

1) Luster - gives pearls their beauty.

2) Surface (complexion) - includes smoothness and the lack of blemishes. As an article of nature, however, sometimes blemishes add to a pearl's uniqueness and cost.

3) Size - The value of pearls rises starting at 8mm. Over 15mm is very rare and expensive. Fortunately, when I bought pearl earrings, the 7mm size looked more proportional and stylish in my ears than the bigger sizes. So bigger, more expensive isn't always better. Try on different sizes to know what size looks best. Like furniture needs space to create balance in a room, sometimes you need ear to surround and showcase pearl earrings!

4) Shape - There are 8: round, semi-round, oval, drop, baroque, button, pear and circle. Shape is subject to personal taste. Perfectly round pearls are the rarest and take a bit of effort to match, so have an edge in value.

5) Color - There are many hues including white, cream, pink, silver, gold, blue, purple and black. Color is determined by the lip of the living oyster or mussel. Different mollusks produce different colors and sizes.

Although only registering a 4.5 (out of 10) on the Moh's Scale of Hardness, if you take care of pearls they will last several lifetimes. Clean them sometimes (your skin oil and perfume dissolve them); and store them in a soft cloth, or pouch to avoid scratches from other jewelry.

Pearl rings were the first pieces of jewelry my parents give me; and over time a pearl ring, earrings and necklace were the first pieces of jewelry I bought for myself after I began working to look like a grownup at fancy shindigs.

Pearls are beautiful, timeless and budget-friendly. Most of us can afford a lovely set (earrings, ring and necklace) of freshwater pearls without mortgaging our house. Do you own pearls?

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Dupes For Charlotte Tilbury In Pillow Talk

Unlike reds or bight pinks, nude lipstick is so wearable for daytime because it's also low maintenance. I can't bring myself to spend $34 for one designer lipstick, the price of one of my favorite brands, Charlotte Tilbury. Pillow Talk, a brownish (hint of peach, hint of pink) nude is a huge seller as you can wear it every day. A matte formula, it feels creamy on your lips and has staying power.

'Tis time to find its dupes. Costing $5.82 - $9 depending on the retailer, the following have a matt finish, the creaminess and staying power of Charlotte Tilbury in Pillow Talk the original:

1) Flower Beauty Pouty Lipstick: Spiced Petal - the #1 doppelgänger

2) Flower Beauty Pouty Lipstick: Naked Blush

3) L'Orèal Color Riche Matte: #633 Moka Chic

Even the 3rd choice, L'Orèal's Moka Chic, if not an exact match, is a near-perfect match and beautiful shade for less! So alike on your lips, you won't notice the difference.

Perhaps 6 times more for the luxe brand is never worth the price. Think of all the money saved in a year's time by buying a dupe.

You're welcome!


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Be My Valentine

Wishing all my readers a Happy Valentine' Day. As the saying goes, "no wo/man is an island." Today we celebrate being part of an us ... i.e. relationships ... as friends, family, or partners.

Whether it's: I like you. I love you! I want to be near you. You make me happy. I'm glad you're in my life. 

A day set aside to express our fondness with hearts, cards, sweets, red wine, flowers, a lovely dinner, or jewelry. The words and deeds are up to you ... whatever makes sense in the relationship.

I want to thank my readers for stopping by or returning to THE SAVVY SHOPPER. XOXO

Happy February 14th to each of you. On this day, let's go out to shower the world in goodwill. Be kind-hearted and love ❤️ everybody.❤️ 

May Cupid's arrows find you!💌

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