How to Choose the Right Gemstone for Your Jewelry Making Project

Are you looking for a new hobby or an interesting creative project? Creating your own jewelry line is not only fun, but it is also a productive activity to engage in during this ongoing pandemic. For many, jewelry making is an addictive and relaxing passion project, and one of the most popular materials used in making jewelry are gemstones. 

Whether it’s bracelets, necklaces, earrings, or rings, adding gemstones would certainly make your pieces look more classy, elegant, and valuable. But with so many gemstones to choose from, it can be hard to pick the right ones that would suit the piece you are working on. To help you out, we’ve assembled a guide on how to pick the right gemstone, so let’s dive right in.

Birth Month and Zodiac Sign

Did you know that gemstones are associated with your zodiac sign? One way to make your jewelry pieces special is by using gemstones that reflect one’s birth month or astrological sign. Whether you are looking for a thoughtful gift for someone close to you or you want a personalized accessory, using your birth month gemstone would be perfect. It is said that your gemstone is linked not only to your birth month but also your associated star sign. In astrology, it is believed that using your star sign or birth month’s gemstone would bring good luck and protection. So if you are aiming for success and positivity, opting for gemstones aligned with your horoscope can do the trick.

For instance, those born in June might consider moonstone, not only for its captivating appearance but also for its reputed healing properties. You can learn about surprising moonstone benefits that include promoting emotional balance and enhancing intuition, making it an excellent choice for personal jewelry. This gemstone is particularly favored for its ability to connect with a wearer's inner spirit, making pieces that incorporate moonstones deeply personal and meaningful.

Manifesting Your Desires

Gemstones are also used in manifestation rituals. Is there something that you want to manifest in your life? Whether it is love, money, success, or something else, wearing certain jewelry and stones could help you reach your goals. For instance, wearing jewelry studded with Moldavite can help ease any financial concerns you might have. For abundance and prosperity, citrine can do wonders. On the other hand, if you want to bring love into your life, rose quartz is highly recommended. However, if you want to gain wisdom, then Amethyst would be perfect. There are many more gemstones you can use to achieve a certain desire. The best thing to do before you start with your jewelry project is to understand your intentions and your heart’s desires. This way, you will be able to identify which gemstones would suit you best. 

Yoga and Meditation

If you are a practicing yogi or if you are into meditation, using gemstones that would support your practice could be very helpful. Some people believe that gemstones possess a distinct personality and energy that will improve your meditation sessions. 

Do you want to sharpen your focus while meditating? Then making jewelry with Flourite would be your best option. For will power, labradorite would be perfect. Moonstone on the other hand is another crowd favorite for intuition benefits. Whatever you want to improve or gain in your meditation session, there is a corresponding gemstone that would suit your needs.

Skintone

Wearing jewelry embellished with beautiful gemstones would certainly make you stand out. To make you look better with your gemstone jewelry, using stones that complement your complexion would do wonders. If you have neutral undertones, diamonds, pearl, and ruby are the must-haves. On the other hand, if you are cool-toned, go for turquoise, aquamarine, and emerald. For those with warmer skin tones, garnet, yellow topaz, and sunstone would be great for you. Remember there is no fixed rule so feel free to experiment and shop around to see what will look good on you. 

Budget

Just like any investment, your budget also dictated the right gemstone for your project. When crafting your jewelry, you have to ask yourself if you are making an everyday accessory or a bold statement. This will help you weigh in the type of gemstone you need based on pricing. The price will depend on the color, transparency, cut, and carat of the stone. Your selected gemstone’s size will also matter in terms of pricing. All of these factors are a personal choice so you have to know your priorities when selecting a gemstone that fits your budget.

Gemstones do not only make your jewelry pieces look elegant, they also offer numerous benefits when it comes to channeling and attracting different energies. At the end of the day, picking the right gemstone for you is a matter of personal choice; the best ones for you will depend on your personal style, needs, and budget. Before you start shopping around, take the time to read up on the different types of gemstones out there and learn how each one can help you manifest your desires in life.

7 Fun Things You Can Do on the Internet When You're Bored

Feeling bored at home can be such a nuisance because it makes you feel trapped, with nothing to do and nowhere to go. Boredom is quite common nowadays, especially since the global COVID-19 pandemic has forced everyone to stay home. However, technology and the digital world can help people occupy their time and avert boredom. The internet is a remarkable tool that can be used for countless purposes. For instance, you can explore innovative AI platforms like https://www.joyland.ai/ to discover interactive and engaging activities allowing for a more immersive and dynamic online experience. Read on to learn more about 7 fun activities that you can do online to help pass the time.

1- Watch Videos

The internet has millions of videos that you can watch and enjoy on many streaming websites. Several platforms have thousands of content creators that know how to attract people online. These creators understand that video content should be useful, simple, and entertaining, reeling in millions of people worldwide to watch. You can watch guides, news, celebrity interviews, fan-made animations, comedy sketches, and even documentaries. People will never run out of content to watch because videos are being uploaded online every day.   

2- Online Gambling

Another interesting activity to do online is to dabble in some gambling. Placing bets on sports or playing different lucrative casino games can be quite exciting. The appealing aspect of online gambling is that you can participate easily from the comfort of your own home anytime you want. If you’re into poker, the folks at beastsofpoker.com recommend finding a website that has great bonus terms that can give your profits a boost. Bonuses are the best aspect of online gambling because they give you a chance to double or triple your earnings if you follow the requirements. Playing some entertaining casino games that help you earn money can be a great way to pass the time, just make sure to set limits before you go online.

3- Listen to Podcasts

Listening to podcasts is entertaining and fun because hosts have a way of reeling you in and keeping you hooked on their topics. Podcasts are popular for several reasons and the most important one is that you can get genuine information with little to no bias most of the time. The shows can be a few minutes or go on for hours and sometimes the hosts bring guests that have insights or opinions that can interest you, helping you tune in and enjoy while relaxing at home. Podcasts are appealing because the main goal is to explain several arguments or opinions from different sides, giving you all the information to form your own opinion. Not only is it entertaining, but it can be eye-opening as well.

4- Take Virtual Tours Around the World

Technology has helped people take tours around the world from the comfort of their homes, by logging in to live broadcasts of different and interesting world sites. The global lockdown made people stick to social distancing, decreasing the number of tourists and visitors in most attractions or monuments around the world. Google and technology have combined ways for people to watch, explore, and enjoy museums, landmarks, and even countries that you wish to visit. Log on and click to start a virtual tour to see the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower, or even the Great Wall of China!

5- Watch Movies and TV Series 

It’s time to catch up on some of the movies and series that you haven’t seen yet. Several online streaming services provide users with the latest and most popular movies and shows, getting you hooked on intriguing and entertaining content. Subscribing to one or two streaming services isn’t too expensive and it’s worth it when you can occupy your time with a fun movie or show.

6- Video Calls with Loved Ones

Catching up with loved ones by using video call apps will always be a great way to pass the time. If you can’t visit them, then you can have a nice dinner together, talk, or play engaging games that come with the apps. Your loved ones are just a click away whenever you miss them.

7- Play Video Games

The lure of online video games is too good to pass. You can enjoy your favorite games - perhaps making use of custom mods or R6S Cheats, for instance, to add an element of fun and unpredictability - while interacting and socializing with your buddies online. Popular MMORPGs are always packed with players every day. You can meet new friends, go on epic adventures together, or defeat difficult bosses for better gear and weapons.

Another entertaining option to alleviate boredom is to play retro games online, where you can relive classic video games from your childhood and experience nostalgia while having fun

The internet gives us a variety of things to do, preventing us from ever getting bored. You can even play games through Talkie ai, and create your narrative with your own words. There is always something new to read, watch, or listen to, and an endless supply of content to enjoy. The digital world can offer you a great opportunity to make some money too with several lucrative games that will keep you engaged for hours on end. You will surely find countless entertaining ways to occupy your time, and the above suggestions can be a good place to start.

7 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint at Work

The Earth is slowly heating up, which is having a massive impact on the world we live in. That is a scientific fact. We often hear all about the major culprits - big coal, the oil industry, cars, planes, and boats. However, carbon emissions control comes down to the smallest link in the chain we call human civilization. Us. 

Each and every one of us has a carbon footprint that adds to the global warming issue. Join us as we go over several ways you can reduce your carbon footprint at work. 

1. Ride Share or Use Public Transport 

Modern cars are becoming increasingly efficient at reducing the amount of toxic gases they release into the atmosphere. Unfortunately, there’s still plenty of older generation cars that aren’t so efficient. 

One of the most impactful ways you can reduce your carbon footprint at work is to carpool with someone or use public transport. If every car was packed with four passengers, the overall carbon emissions would drop by a decent margin. Now imagine if every bus was packed? 

2. Be Frugal with your Energy Consumption 

We’ve become a society that is dependent on various devices, gadgets, and appliances to function. 

All of these require power to work. Choosing the right type of device can reduce how much energy you’re using on a daily basis. For example, a regular desktop computer consumes around 200 watts per hour on average. Compare that to 50-100Watts per hour that an average laptop needs, and the conclusion is obvious. 

3. Go LED 

The current way we organize work days has us sitting in the office well into the evening. Especially during the winter days. That being said, some offices have no access to natural lighting at all.

In both cases, you’ll need to use artificial light. The type of bulbs you choose can greatly reduce your carbon footprint. Environmental experts over at https://www.beeco.green/ argue that going with LED bulbs is a much cleaner and eco-friendlier solution to artificial lighting. As a bonus, you also get to choose the temperature of the light you’re using. 

4. Use as Little Paper as you Can 

Long gone are the days when your average office was stacked with towering piles of paper. Most businesses have gone digital. Yet, there are still things we print on paper. By going over these, chances are you’ll find at least a few that would be comfortable in a digital form. Paper production is cutting down forests all over the world, forests we need to tackle the CO2 buildup. 

5. Dial-in the AC 

HVAC systems are essential for any office space. It’s difficult to work if you’re hot or cold. However, people often tend to overestimate just how much heat or cool air they need to feel comfortable. That wouldn’t be an issue if every degree of temperature you go above or below the room temp in your office didn’t cause a power consumption spike. 

6. Make your Office Space Green 

This tip goes out to all the business owners out there. The building your offices are has a massive impact on your carbon footprint. We’ve already mentioned how HVAC draws a lot of power in order to heat up or cool down office space. 

Making sure that that heat or cool air isn’t escaping through windows that aren’t sealing properly, or walls that have no heat insulation, is key. 

7. Recycle 

Although recycling isn’t all that it was hyped up to be just a few decades ago, it’s still a great way of reducing the carbon footprint. Educate your employees or colleagues about recycling and make small recycling stations all around the office. 

If you can get your coworkers to recycle paper they use and disposable plastic containers, you’re off to a great start. 

Every Bit Helps 

Most people have this feeling that nothing they do helps. How can one person make a dent in the overall global warming situation if major shipping companies still burn the dirtiest fuel out in the international waters? As it turns out every bit of effort helps. 

Solving global warming is a team game that requires everyone to work together and pitch in. If you can make your office greener, you’re already putting a dent in the overall problem. More importantly, others will see what you’re doing and follow suit. Be an example for people around you. 

If every or every other person did as much, global warming would be slowed down significantly. Don’t worry about the major players. They will fall in line through international pressure. All you should think about is how you can help make the change! 

How to Get Clients for Your Real Estate Business Online

So, are you just starting a new real estate business, or are you looking for a new marketing strategy in order to get more clients? Well, whatever the case may be, the first step of creating a good marketing strategy is doing the research first, so, good for you! There are plenty of different ways in which you could go with your business strategy due to the fact that every business itself is under different circumstances, but that being said - there definitely are some musts, and that’s what we are going to talk about in this article.

All of that being said, if you want to find out how to get more clients for your real estate business online, stick around to find out!

Never Overlook The Importance of SEO

Now, the importance of Search Engine Optimization can’t be stressed enough. As experts over at Perth SEO company explain, your SEO campaign is the cornerstone of your digital marketing plan, due to the fact that the main place where people can find your real estate business is, well, by using a search engine online. To explain things a bit more, working on your SEO (when we talk about real estate) means working on different ways that will make your business show up among the first few results when a potential client from your area types anything relevant to real estate on google search.

But, how can you achieve this? Two main ways to do so are on-site SEO and off-site SEO.

On-site SEO

The first way to work on your SEO rankings, and the most important one for you due to the fact that you can impact it the most - on-site SEO. It refers to all the ways in which you can tweak your website in order to make it more relevant and clear due to the fact that these are very important factors when it comes to how Google algorithms assess your website.

We will talk about different ways for you to tweak your algorithm a bit later, but for now, you should know that if you don’t have a website, you pretty much need to make one because it will help you reach clients immensely. 

Off-site SEO

Off-page SEO basically refers to a number of different ways in which you can boost your SEO rankings that don’t in any way involve you actively working on your website or. That being said, due to the fact that you have fewer variables that you can affect, off-site SEO is definitely a bit more complicated than on-page SEO. The most prominent way for you to work on this is through backlinking and encouraging your clients to leave reviews and ratings, as well as to interact with your website and social media.

Work On Your Website

Your website is practically the key to reaching more clients that otherwise wouldn’t be able to find your real estate business. Working on it is directly tied to working on your on-site SEO, so, in order to help you be more successful in it, let’s talk about what you should do exactly.

Relevance

Now, first things first - it’s extremely important that your website mirrors what your real estate business is at its core. And no, this doesn’t mean that basic info like your address, contact, and the team is enough - you need to represent your brand in many different ways. 

So, adding supporting articles in which you go through different topics related to real estate that have links to other sites that may be useful for your clients (but that don’t lead them to your competitors, of course), as well as explaining different terms related to real estate as well as your take on the problems that your clients might face. Another important thing regarding all this additional content is that they contain your keywords, which are basically the things that people are most likely going to type into their search bars, but that is unique to you and represent your brand. Also, be sure to add so-called supporting keywords, which are there to, well, bridge your potential customers to your actual keyword and to your website.

Clarity

Okay, now that we have relevance covered, let’s talk about another important aspect. Just because your website contains all the necessary information, it doesn’t automatically mean that your website is pleasing and easy to browse. This is why you need to work on making your interface user friendly. 

If you fail to do so, the most probable scenario is the following - your potential client reaches your website, and tries to find something. If the person in question fails to do so after around 15 seconds of browsing, the probability is high that they will try to find it on another real estate business. You don’t want this to happen, so, organize your website in such a manner that all that it contains can be easily found.

In the end, the road to creating a good strategy that will attract clients is the road paved with trial and error. That being said, don’t get discouraged if something doesn’t go as planned - take that situation as an advantage to work on your weak points and utilize them to create an even better marketing strategy.

Blunders To Avoid When Buying A New Build

Thinking of buying a new build instead of an existing home? Here are some of the common mistakes to avoid when opting for a new build.

Skipping the display home tour

You can’t view a property that hasn’t been constructed yet. However, there may still be the option of viewing a display home to get an idea of what your new home might feel like. Viewing this display home will give you a better idea of what your property will feel like opposed to simply basing your decision off designs and sketches. This will ensure that you haven’t overestimated the size or the quality of the property. Many new builds such as these Armstrong Estate homes for sale will have display homes available to view. Virtual tours are the next best thing if a display home is not available.

Not researching the area

On top of getting a good idea of what the property will be like, it’s worth researching into the area. New builds can often be built on the outskirts of towns - you may want to check that your new home is not too far away from essential amenities such as shops and schools. If you need to commute to work, you need to make sure that the distance is not too far. You may also want to see what locals think of the development proposal - is your home going to be resented by neighbours or are they happy with the project. 

Overlooking incentive schemes

Some developers offer incentive schemes that can reduce the cost of purchase. If you’re a first-time buyer, you may also be eligible for financial support in some states when buying a new build. Such incentives are worth looking into - they could save you a lot of money.

Failing to agree on a completion date

New builds can take a few months to a few years to be constructed depending on how many delays there are. A good property development company will work hard to reduce delays. Agreeing on a completion date is likely to reduce the chance of long delays by spurring your developer to meet a deadline. If they fail to meet this deadline and you have agreed on a completion date in writing, you will likely be able to claim compensation - which could be vital if you have already paid for the property and are already paying off the mortgage.

Not ‘snagging’ your property

Snagging involves checking a new property for defects. Many developers will offer a warranty to buyers, which could last up to two years. This warranty is likely to cover any necessary repairs or improvements as a result of new build construction errors or ‘snags’ are sometimes called. By snagging your property, you can ensure that any problems are fixed while you’re still covered by your warranty. There are professional snagging companies that you can hire to check for defects. Alternatively, you can try snagging your property yourself. This guide at WhosTheMummy? offers tips on snagging a property yourself. 

How to Find out the History of Your House

Be it a modern new build or a century-old farm dwelling, there’s no house without history. You never know what fascinating things you might learn about your home by delving into its past. You will uncover its architectural history, previous owners and inhabitants, and maybe even the stories of their lives. We can’t blame you for being curious. Here are some ways to explore. 

Start With a Title Search

Perform a property owner search if you want to find out who lived in the house. You’ll probably do this anyway if you’re buying a new house. Many buyers choose to pay for a professional search. By looking through tax records, these searches show prospective buyers who has owned the house from when it was first constructed to the present. A buyer really has no other way of knowing if the person selling the house is the actual owner. 

Many publicly accessible sites can be used if you want to do a title search. You don’t have to pay someone to do it! The process is very simple. Just enter the last and first name, ex. Watson James. There shouldn’t be a comma between them. 

Check With the National Park Service 

You would do this if your house is old and you suspect it could be considered historic. The National Registry of Historic Places, managed by the Park Service, will reveal a list of officially historic homes. They are categorized as historic because of their general significance, style of architecture, and/or age. 

Visit a Preservation Center, Historical Society, or Library 

A collection of historic pictures should reveal a lot about your house. Get in touch with your local library as you research the history of an area or home. Make an appointment to look at their archives’ historical reports, newspaper articles, maps, and photographs. Preservation centers and historical societies save and archive important documents and photographs. Occasionally, they host events and exhibitions related to the city or area. Preservation centers work to beautify, protect, and preserve historic areas and homes.

Ask Your Real Estate Agent

You’ve probably thought of this, but more specifically, they should be able to tell you the names of any previous owners. Keep in mind living in historic districts comes with certain regulations and rules. Normally, they are related to the exterior of a house. They help maintain the overall appeal and look of the neighborhood. These rules can be quite restrictive. Before buying the house, make sure you’re prepared to take the responsibility. 

Look for Clues on the Premises 

There could be some clues about the house’s history on the premises, from the backyard to the basement. These include any items buried in the yard or under the house, additions to the house, the style of architecture, wallpaper, or other décor associated with a given historical epoch, any plaques on the house, and the style and age of the flooring. There could also be personal clues around the house. For example, you might find mementos or photos of the previous owners in a box in the basement. You might find items belonging to former owners in the attic or buried in the ground. It’s never too late to start exploring. 

Census Records can be Telling 

You might be able to find the names, places, and dates of birth, marriage status, jobs, personal belongings, and even the year of immigration of some of the people who lived in the house by searching old census records. Remember that not all of this data is listed for each census year. 

Finding out more and more about the history of a house will make the owner increasingly appreciative of its historic charm. We hope our suggestions will help you explore it.