Gold Bubble Readies For Final Thrust

During the oil price boom, forecasters were predicting levels of $250 a barrel.  It topped at $140 after piercing the psychologically important $100, and then fell heavily to bounce at $40.  Gold pierced the $1000 level on its second attempt, after rising from $350 and then has flown over $1300.  The shape of the rise since 2001 is the dreaded parabola.  The more the price rises, the more and the faster it rises.  A parabola is the shape of a herd driven price rise.  The final thrust is when the public joins in, backing the trend which the professionals started. 

Once the herd turns, the charge south can be devastating.  

At least with oil, people in the real world had to keep buying the stuff.  Gold is simply being hoarded.  Jewelry sales worldwide are collapsing, and scrap is being traded at a significant discount to the market price.  The moment the market will break is when the bulls get nervous.  That moment could come at the same time as a stock market reversal.  We will see.  The bulls I know will be checking inhere to comment.  But here anyway is your parabola.  It's a bubble, and we know what always happens to them.  They reach for the sky then crash to the ground.

Dealing Nicely With An Armed Robbery

What can a retailer do when faced with an armed robbery? Either hand over the loot, or fight back. It's a risky strategy to fight back but in the above video, the home team scored an undoubted victory. For everyone who's ever been robbed with violence or the threat of violence, this must be the ultimate fantasy. ''If only we'd done that'' must be the feelings of millions of victims.

There are hundreds of comments on youtube. Here's just one. The law in the US is more favorable to those who want to defend themselves than it is in Europe.

It's kind of disturbing to read these comments because it's clear that very few people really understand ccw law. A ccw permit holder does not have to wait until he or she is fired on before using lethal force. The fact that an attacker is pointing a gun at you is all the justification you need to use lethal force. I hope permit holders out there are actually paying attention to what their instructors are teaching, and not just sleep walking through these courses.

Lindsay Lohan's Jail Jewelry

Only a celeb would think of turning up in court, most likely en route to jail, wearing jewels valued at thousands of dollars.  The white metal matches the rocks and her black/blonde colour scheme.  

I guess B&W helps to get her in the mood for prison stripes to be worn later in the day.  Somehow that won't look quite as sassy, but then again this girl could make even prison garb take on fresh appeal.  

But Lindsay, don't take the jewels in with you.  You would be unlikely to ever see them again in the place you're headed.  Wearing stuff like that you don't look like a criminal.  Maybe the judge will pass a lighter sentence when he sees such fine dress sense.  Jewelry can be a good investment, you know, other than for its precious content alone.

Oxygen Therapy Reverses Balding

I left the Philippines four and a half months ago and returned yesterday. The flight was OK apart from the fact that I had a filthy cold picked up at the last minute. I was greeted by my loyal household of three females who met me as usual at the airport in a taxi. The usual 'compliments' were given.

'Ýou've lost your weight, Tay' ( a likely tale!)

and

'Your head is brown' (from French summer holiday. Being brown skinned here is thought of as inferior, of someone poor who has to work outside in the sun. White is the best colour to be in Asia)

It was the next compliment though that surprised me.

'Tay, your hair is growing back again,' accompanied by many giggles.

Thinking it another unlikely tale I paid no attention. But later on I compared the current crop of hair with a photo they had taken of me six months before. Then I had a clear runway down the middle, ready for uninterrupted takeoffs and landings. But now there are bushes and hedgerows sprouting healthily on previously barren turf. It was quite a surprise as I don't normally look up there in any great detail as a rule!

I've found the cure for baldness, it appears, but I've no certainty as to exactly what it was that did it. I wonder if anyone else has experienced mysteriously returning heads of hair. Not unwelcome of course, but after losing gradually for thirty years, I wondered what might the reason the process had reversed to some extent. After a while, the most likely answer came to me.

I had a course of oxygen therapy in May, June and July, breathing 2 litres per minute of near pure oxygen from a DeVilbiss concentrator through a CPAP mask all night for nearly three months til I stopped. That is about the only thing I can think of. My body tissue oxygen levels were very low according to my doctor, but are now, he says, much healthier.

As a farmer's son I pride myself in not being too bothered about the vanity game, but if breathing pure oxygen all night mixed with air (maybe making oxygen levels about double that of air overall) can restore hair growth, there are no doubt many males who would want to give it a try. My experience would say give it three months worth, and then stop.

I am sure the same could be said to apply to skin condition. I had had comments from friends in the UK saying my complexion looked much better than previously. Some had pointed out my skin colour had been grey prior to the oxygen therapy, which was not very encouraging.

Who knows what will be next?

In town next week, I'll be expecting things like 'But Sir, you look so much younger than you did before'.

And yes they will get a tip!

You Keep Your Dog On A Lead. Why Not Your iPod?

People don't care much about their wedding rings, or their other jewelry if a recent Facebook survey is to be believed. In the survey, jewelry scored the two 'least prized' positions. The top scorers were all electronic gadgets, with pets, cars and older technologies, such as TVs and cameras, placed in the middle.

Jewelry is a highly prized possession amongst some women, but the average age of a Facebooker might not be high enough for this to weigh in the statistics. The report from the online insurance company who carried out the survey reads as follows -

Only 1% of people regard their wedding ring as their most valued asset, according to a survey carried out on Facebook in August on behalf of insurance firm Protect Your Bubble, with 12% of the 500 respondents voting for their iPods as their most prized possession, just outdoing the Blackberry, which received 11.5% of the votes.

Meanwhile, cars were the favourites of only 4% of people on the social network. Dogs got 9% of the vote and cats received 5%.

The first iPod launched in 2001 and the devices are still hugely popular despite the massive surge in purchases of smartphones in the last 12 months, with new versions of the iPod nano and iPod touch recently hitting the shelves alongside the iPod shuffle and the iPod classic.

Stephen Ebbett, spokesperson for http://www.protectyourbubble.com stated, “As online insurers it is particularly interesting for us to see what people regard as their most prized possession and with the iPod evolving so much since its release it has clearly won a place in our hearts. The popularity of the device over laptops and smartphones is quite revealing and we offer competitively priced policies to cover the entire range of gadgets.”

“Perhaps some of the results show more about the demographics and preferences of Facebook users, with wedding rings and cars so far down the scale, but the iPod definitely seems to still rule as the gadget of choice.”

Survey results in full:

•iPod 12%
•Blackberry 11.5%
•iPhone 10%
•Laptop 9%
•Dog 9%
•Games console 8%
•Macbook 7%
•iPad 6%
•Cat 5%
•Camera 5%
•Television 4.5%
•Car 4%
•Video camera 4%
•Other jewellery 4%
•Wedding ring 1%

One idea for securing your most prized possession, other than insurance, is to physically fix it to your person. Most phones and iPods get lost in cars, taxis or buses, and a simple connection from the leather slide-in case to your trouser belt-loop is sufficient to stop these kinds of loss.

Some Curteis customers have worn phone chains for years. You see all kinds around the place, but we make ours out of sterling silver.

PICTURE.

As more and more data is stored on a phone which is not backed up every day (who does that for pity's sake?), the loss might not only be financial. That girl's number you met at the party might never be found again. Worth a thought?

Are The Beckhams Sexy?

The Beckhams are selling sex. In the advertising sense. Their new brand promotion video called 'Intimately Yours' shows David and Vicky, as they are called Stateside, going for it in an elevator. The comments around the sphere appear less than convinced, this one for example -

David is beautiful, but he never did it for me. Posh, on the other hand, was my favorite Spice Girl lol. She was so much cuter back when she had a couple extra pounds and wasn’t so self aware, like every move was a pose. In pictures, she always looks so severe. However, I think she’s a lot more likable in interviews and can actually be quite funny. This video is horrible though, they both look asexual.

Here's the video for you to judge for yourself - (why doesn't it embed?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9ACpkyhKeY

Victoria's only wearing her engagement and wedding rings. Surely some classy understated gold neckwear or earrings would have done better than layers of expensive cake mixture. This kinda thing.

More natural, don't you think.  Less terrifying.  Sexier altogether.  When it comes to sex appeal, less is usually more.  You only need a  tease, not the whole faceful.

The same applies to this Kate Moss effort.  Nice try.  But no subtlety.  Oh well.  Back to the drawing board.

The Beckhams are selling sex. In the advertising sense. Their new brand 'Intimately Yours' shows David and Vicky, as they call them Stateside, in a video going for it in an elevator. The comments around the sphere appear less than convinced, this one for example -

David is beautiful, but he never did it for me. Posh, on the other hand, was my favorite Spice Girl lol. She was so much cuter back when she had a couple extra pounds and wasn’t so self aware, like every move was a pose. In pictures, she always looks so severe. However, I think she’s a lot more likable in interviews and can actually be quite funny. This video is horrible though, they both look asexual.

Here's the video for you to judge -
The Beckhams are selling sex. In the advertising sense. Their new brand 'Intimately Yours' shows David and Vicky, as they call them Stateside, in a video going for it in an elevator. The comments around the sphere appear less than convinced, this one for example -

David is beautiful, but he never did it for me. Posh, on the other hand, was my favorite Spice Girl lol. She was so much cuter back when she had a couple extra pounds and wasn’t so self aware, like every move was a pose. In pictures, she always looks so severe. However, I think she’s a lot more likable in interviews and can actually be quite funny. This video is horrible though, they both look asexual.

Here's the video for you to judge -


VIDEO TO FOLLOW - see Youtube - Intimately Yours.

Come on Blogger. Your new version is not uploading video and pics today. 



Victoria's only wearing her engagement and wedding rings. Surely some classy gold neckwear or earrings would have done better than layers of expensive cake mixture. This kinda thing.

PICS to follow ASAP
VIDEO TO FOLLOW - see Youtube - Intimately Yours.

Come on Blogger. Your new version is not uploading video and pics today. 



Victoria's only wearing her engagement and wedding rings. Surely some classy gold neckwear or earrings would have done better than layers of expensive cake mixture. This kinda thing.

PICS to follow ASAP

Are The Beckhams Sexy?

The Beckhams are selling sex. In the advertising sense. Their new brand 'Intimately Yours' shows David and Vicky, as they call them Stateside, in a video going for it in an elevator. The comments around the sphere appear less than convinced, this one for example -

David is beautiful, but he never did it for me. Posh, on the other hand, was my favorite Spice Girl lol. She was so much cuter back when she had a couple extra pounds and wasn’t so self aware, like every move was a pose. In pictures, she always looks so severe. However, I think she’s a lot more likable in interviews and can actually be quite funny. This video is horrible though, they both look asexual.

Here's the video for you to judge -


VIDEO TO FOLLOW - see Youtube - Intimately Yours.

Come on Blogger. Your new version is not uploading video and pics today.



Victoria's only wearing her engagement and wedding rings. Surely some classy gold neckwear or earrings would have done better than layers of expensive cake mixture. This kinda thing.

PICS to follow ASAP

Chinese Jewelry Cadmium Scare

I remember in the 1980s when we first began to receive notifications that the tiny amount of cadmium present in most gold solders at that time would become illegal. We bought in our gold wires at that time from Johnson Matthey in Vittoria St, Birmingham, England.

We began making our own wires in 1991, and mixing our own alloys, as we built Phase 1 of our new factory at Caia Lane. We started from the beginning without cadmium. The guys working in the wire department were not going to need to worry about quite so much protection and extraction. The worst they faced now was zinc and copper, other than gold and silver. These two are not known for toxic effect on humans.

It saddens, but does not surprise me to hear that in China Cadmium has come back in. It is a highly toxic metal even in tiny quantities. Different people have different susceptibilities, but the human nervous system is already under heavy load in most modern environments from all kinds of pollutants, cars, industrial burning, water contamination and even cosmetics, which don't to reveal their ingredients under international agreement. Each known toxin that is eradicated helps to stop the onslaught of nervous system disorders, such as Parkinsons, Alzheimers, paralysis and so on.

The Chinese industrial boom is not known for its humane considerations, and other lesser toxic metals like Nickel, associated with dermatitis, have crept back in. That is bad enough, but allowing Cadmium back in is a step too far, in my opinion. In the 1970s, we at least had the excuse of ignorance, but no one can say that now. The lethal effects of the toxic metals are well known.

Play safe, and buy from manufacturers who aren't selling you a known poison, is my honest advice. Maybe some Chinese manufacturers are OK. I don't know them all. But be careful, OK.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/cadmium-jewelry-california-china.html

EXTRACT -

The Los Angeles Times' Lily Kuo reports on the cadmium trade from our Beijing bureau:

The cupcake-shaped pendants came in shades of blue and pink, studded with rhinestones. Meant for little girls, they hung on simple faux-silver necklaces and cost as little as $8.

And they were potentially deadly, according to consumer advocates.

The thigh's the limit !

Lindsay Lohan has found a very novel way of using silver chain to accessorise her outfit on a night out in L.A.

The actress displayed a bizarre set of chains around her thigh while hiding her ungainly anklet with a pair of knee high boots.

Whether this is a nod to more celebrity inspired leg jewellery we will have to wait and see.

New product for Spring 2010


The Spring season is here and we are celebrating this with new additions to our silver Echo range. Our in house designers created four new silver collections. With silver sales strongly replacing gold sales at the moment, the additonal ranges have been developed with fashion trends in mind and the popularity of silver.

All new and exsisting products are made to exceptional quality and arrive with a life time manufacturing defect guarantee.

If you would like to view any of these products please contact our sales office.

Did you know Curteis supply adjuster chains ?
Curteis offers a wide range of adjuster chains made to order in whichever sizes you require and available in Silver,9ct,18ct,and Platinum.

What are the benefits of adjuster chains ?

You can choose the type of chain you want and don't have to worry about keeping a number of different lengths in stock. One chain can be fastened at any of the lengths you have selected.

Also there is no minimum order quantity so you have total control of only ordering what you want.

Interested ?
Contact our knowledge and friendly sales @ info@curteis.com

What is Curteis Creates ?


We have over 30 years experience in the jewellery industry. As well as providing an excellent standard of customer service, we also offer our customers the experience and knowledge of producing bespoke items.

We have developed this facet of our business, so that our customers can take advantage of our facilities for jewellery projects. Our highly skilled team can provide you with advice and guidance for any project that you would like us to embark upon, with total control from yourself.

Some of the services we have to offer are wire manufacturing, chain manufacturing, Hammering,filing and diamond cutting, Create your masters and hand assembly to name a few.

We will consider any jewellery project, no matter what size, and are happy to offer advice or carry out any service you may require from us.

Interested ? Then please contact us at Info@curteis.com.

Cheryl Cole Fashion Queen

She's been selected for X-Factor, but what choices is she making about what jewellery to wear?

This picture gives you a clue as to the look she likes.

Curteis Creates has noticed the Cheryl look and has made three pairs of earrings with a similar look.

Valentine Vanity

It's that time of year, when lovers plan their moves, how best to express their yearnings during the dark and dismal month of February, before joyous spring bursts upon the scene. In another sea of red, with Christmas not far behind, the winter ekes out a warm glow of hope for better times ahead.

At Curteis, the designers are naturally not unaffected by the season and have found three gift ideas to assist love-struck males keen to impress the object of their love and desire. Maybe she has already decided that she heartily returns his feelings, and needs little further encouragement. But even for the man of vanity who believes himself incomparable and fears no competitor, why take a risk? It's best to be sure.

Curteis Creates Blog Is Born

Hi everyone. This is our first blog. We will be featuring ideas, products and people here. You can feed back your ideas and comments to us, and tell us how we are doing.

Next week we are on display at the NEC, Birmingham in the UK (not Alabama! sorry the USA), where we will be showing customers new ranges of gold and silver jewellery. 7-11 February 2010.

We'll post a jewellery idea every day once we're back from the Show.

Feed back your ideas to us in the comments.

We are trade suppliers, and cannot sell direct to the public. We have a nationwide distribution network and can suggest stockists who are near to you, if you want to see any jewellery in the flesh, or try it on.