Retro Men’s Watches

There are all kinds of men’s watches on the market that fit the definition of retro. Some are real antiques that you can get at flea markets and auction style sites and others are made by jeweler companies that specialize in this type of jewelry reproduction. There are several styles of these and of course their appearance depends on the type of era they come from.
One popular style is from the late seventies and early eighties. These are the chunky LED style watches that use to be so reminiscent of what was worn in movies like Star Wars or Blade Runner. These are chunky black rubber and have large chunky faces with red digital numbers. Some styles have really large digital numbers. The larger the face the chicer the watch actually is.
Another popular style is the sixties men watch with the super large face and large decorative numbers. Often the hands on this style of watch are very baroque looking. The hands may actually contrast in look to the numbers or other styling’s on the watch. These watches can have interesting bands made out black patent leather or white cow’s leather. Any band that is rubber or brightly colored can also retro date a watch. Today watch bands tend to be much more demure.

Watches from the forties are also popular but there are very few intact examples around. These watches tend to be square shaped and have brown leather straps. The metallic finish may be pinker or yellower in color. These watches sometimes also have very interesting details on their hands. They also have details like moon phases or barometers in them. It was also classic in that era to have a watch on your wrist that was also a compass. The style of having two watch faces, one depicting the time in one city and the other in another was also very fashionable back then as it was the era when people used to fly in planes a lot.
Of course the oldest of men’s watches in style are the pocket watches. There are all kinds of different retro styles of these on store shelves. If you can’t find the real antique version you can always find retro reproductions. Many of the more reputable jewelry companies make them. Pocket watches are definitely a sought after item because they can be passed down as heirlooms. You can always engrave one and give it to your son as a men’s watch heirloom.
Sometimes all you have to do to make a man’s watch look more retro is change the watch strap. Today black leather with big stitching is common. However to make the watch look older consider getting a patent leather strap. If you get a crocodile or alligator style strap you will also have a more retro looking watch, but you won’t be pleasing animal activists that you know!

Vintage Men’s Watches

Is there a way of qualifying whether or not the men’s watch is vintage or not? Well it seems that if it is now older than 1980 it is definitely vintage and even some items that are older then 1990 could be considered vintage if they were really limited edition. Of course anything older than 1960 is definitely qualifiedly as vintage and when we start talking about men’s watches that are older than the 1930s you are talking about museum quality antique time pieces that could cost thousands and maybe even over a million dollars.

Some people would argue that men’s watches are not vintage beyond a certain year and others define them by a moment or era in time. A good example is the LED era. Big black watches with flip tops and thick rubber bands are not that old but they are a definite type of mid eighties style. The minute you set eyes on one of these vintage men’s watches you get an idea of the era.
The company that made the man’s watch might also determine whether or not it is vintage. For instance if it is made by a company that is now defunct it might definitely be considered to be vintage. These wrist watches have a specific look and feel. A good example is Hamilton watches which have been collected for years by all kinds of different people. Hamiltons are scarce and they are very elegant looking. The priciest ones are really vintage and predate the 1940s. Many of the retro reproduction jewelry companies that manufacture watches today are looking to model themselves after these sophisticated and mannish looking men’s watches.
Once you get a vintage men’s watch you need to take extra special care of it. They have survived for many decades because they have been treated well. You should not wear them while working out or swimming. However many vintage time pieces for men are actually very well made and can hold up to a lot of abuse. You need to take it into a watchmaker every couple of years to make sure your vintage watch is clean and still work easily.
If you do not want to bother with a rickety old broken down men’s watch then you might want to consider buying a reproduction style watch instead. These are watches that look old and have all of the stylings but in reality are brand new. The good thing about his type of watch is that they keep excellent time and the same cannot be said about other watches.

Military Look Male Watches

For years now the commercial men’s watchmakers have been making watches in the style of men’s military watches. It is because the men’s military watch is so handsome and functional looking.
You cannot walk into a watch store without seeing how big the influence of this military style has been on design. Basically the military design influence is why we see black and dials and luminescent numerals and hands all the time. Yet another good thing is how damage resistant this type of watch is. It is usually heavy, strong and rugged.
There are two incredibly popular styles of watches World War II that serve as vintage benchmarks when it comes to the modeling of today’s watch styles. The first is the Beloved military styles of watches, which were manufactured all through World War II. The World War II military style beloved was known for its comfortable still back and also it’s non-hack movement. The numbers were in a Courier like font and luminescent on a pitch-black background that glowed an eerie green at night. It came in a nickel color. It was also distinguished by having no sweeping seconds and instead a round circle in the center of the watch that kept time. The bands were of any color or material. However today it is most chic to get a silver or nickel colored elasticized band to hold this together.
Most reproduction watches are known as General Service Watches, which were based on an old Hamilton, watch known as the GS Tropical. This watch was specifically manufactured for soldiers in the United Kingdom to wear. They were also issued to government personally..
There is an old story that British secret agents used to recognize each other if they spied each other wearing Hamilton watches. James Bond has worn this style of watch as a character in all of the famous spy films.
The Hamilton watch was made as a military issue right up until the late 1970s. Versions of it have been in existence since the sixties until the late seventies.
The G.S. Tropical version is a specially sealed type of watch for use in tropical climates. The seal was so that the watch would not steam up. This vintage watch is also famous for its giant luminous face. They are the hardest type of timepiece to find nowadays. When people do find them they fall in love because the heavy steel case as a great comfortable feel to it.
You can expect to pay anywhere from $300 for an old style watch to well over a thousand for an old Hamilton in pristine condition. However there are tons of imitations of the Hamilton being made by time piece reproduction companies simply because it is one of the sharpest watches ever made in the history of time keeping.

Fashion Fierce Aquamarines

Aquamarines are gorgeous stone and they almost never go out of style. They are hot for fall as the colors of aqua and red are hot this fall as well. They also look great as square cut cocktail rings. Giant gemstones on your ring finger have been a mainstay in fashion lately.
If you have been following fashion trends lately then you know that large chunky rings featuring aquamarine gemstones are all the rage. Jewels such as the 4 carat aquamarine solitaire, reminiscent of the gigantic stones that use to identify cocktail rings in the 1950s are being flashed on celebrity fingers. The larger and flashier the aquamarine is, the better it is a bling!
There are precious few other gemstones that can be cut as large an aquamarine. This is because aquamarine gemstones can be mined in relatively large sheets or blocks that don’t contain any flaws, inclusions or bubbles in the crystal. This is especially true of aquamarine gemstones that are mined in Brazil. In fact if you do see a ring that features something like a huge 4 carat aquamarine solitaire it has to be Brazilian as large pieces of this precious member of the beryl family are a rarity elsewhere.

There are many jewelry manufacturers specializing in reproducing aquamarine jewelry after the fashion of large cocktail rings from the 1940s or 50s. Usually these rings consist of one huge aquamarine gemstone that is sometimes flanked by two other smaller stones. Usually these two other stones are diamonds or sapphires. You might also have some luck finding a genuine aquamarine cocktail ring from those decades by shopping in vintage jewelry outlets online or keeping your eye on vintage jewelry auction sites. Pink gold and aquamarine rings are very valuable collector’s items.
There are some types of this beautifully faceted beryl that are considered to be “a cut above” all the rest. (no pun intended.) One of these is the Santa Maria Aquamarine.
The Santa Maria Aquamarine is known for its deeper bright blue color that can be described as the kind of blue that happens on a sunny day when the ocean’s horizon meets the sky. This brilliant blue gem stone is treasure by both collectors and new comers to the world of aquamarine jewelry alike.
Santa Maria aquamarine jewelry is found in the Santa Maria de Itabira mine in Brazil. These gem stones are supposed to be the brightest and bluest in the world although similar stones have been mined in Mozambique. To differentiate them from the Brazilian ones these brilliant blue stones from Mozambique are called “Santo Maria Africa.”
Keep in mind when shopping for aquamarine jewelry that the highest quality stones tend to come from Brazil. The gem stones from this country tend to be large, more transparent, have magnificent color and contain the least flaws. Aquamarines that are of a lower quality, but more affordable could come from Madagascar, Mozambique, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Zambia.

Crystal Jewel Fever

It is a good idea to practice the principle of Buyer Beware while shopping for crystal gem stone jewelry. The term is used to market all kinds of decorative pieces that do not necessarily qualify as being real gold or silver gemstone jewelry.
For instance when you go to any department store you will see all kinds of pieces of glass and plastic marketed as crystal. This is not the real thing. These are pieces of stone. Most quality crystal is not found in the costume jewel section of your store. Instead it is found in the precious gemstone section.
Formerly the term crystal gemstone jewelry only used to refer to gemstones that are single crystals such as diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires. It did not refer to gemstones that are rocks such as lapis lazuli, opals or turquoise. The difference between a crystal and a rock is that a crystal is a stand-alone stone whereas a rock is comprised of a different number of crystals. For instance a piece of agate could contain quartz crystals and iron ore crystals at the same time. Real crystal gem stone jewelry contains single stones that have a precious quality.
Sometimes you will see advertisements for Austrian crystals. Austrian crystals are often made of glass. For instance amber Austrian crystals are not usually made of amber. Sometimes they are single quartz crystals that have been dyed another color but usually you are just buying sparkly bits of man-made glass.
Yet another phenomenon that is very interesting is the marketing of glass as crystals or gemstones. For instance you will see a yellow stone of some kind marketed as amber or citrine but then when you talk to the salesperson or read the fine print you see what the mean is “amber colored crystal” or “citrine colored crystal.”
One of the biggest and most common shopping mistakes you can make when shopping for crystal gem stone jewelry is to mistake glass for real gemstones. However this frequently happens due to hard sells from celebrities pushing this type of thing on home shopping networks. Sometimes Austrian crystal necklaces are gorgeous but the price you pay for them is often as high as what you would pay for a real strand of beads or cabochons made from a fine gemstone.
You should be particularly careful that you are not buying little chips of glass when you are shopping for earring studs or tiny dangling earrings. These are often marketed as crystal when really they are something lab created or much more inferior.
Mind you if you cannot afford the real thing these crystals look really flashy and great on your cocktail ring finger!

Floral Sunburst Gem Designs

Perhaps one the biggest trends in jewelry design that has actually been around for a few years now. That is the trend to designing stones that look like blossoms and flowers. A century stone is used to symbolize the center of the flower and then other gemstones are used to symbolize petals. Sometimes these rings can be had in multi-colored crystal as well as in precious stones. The most fantastic contemporary examples of really large and are reminiscent of the seventies but the most authentic of designs are tiny and fairy like.
This trend of floral design harkens back to the Victorian, Art Deco and Edwardian eras when diamonds and gemstones were combined to create delicate floral designs. The only difference today is that the designs are much bolder and tend more to be shaped like daisies rather than delicate little roses or violets. Yet another design characteristic of this era are rings that look like little bugs or butterflies. Sometimes you will see both the butterfly and the flower design in one ring.
The floral design of today’s diamonds and gemstones is much bolder and the marquise cut of gemstones is used to create bright brooches, pendants and earrings that are simple as well as attractive to look at. If you have been surfing on the internet looking for gemstone rings for sale or other fine jewelry items you have probably noticed how prominent the fad for flower designs really is. The most prominent shape is petal shaped but the petals can be shaped like oblongs or be drop shaped or even just round stones placed strategically around other round stones so that the flower designs created.
One of the hottest trends in diamonds and gemstones is a combination of turquoise, diamonds and coral to create floral sunbursts that hang chandelier style from pierced ears. Another trend is pink and yellow daisy like flowers created out of marquise cut pink sapphires and yellow diamonds. This motif is very popular and seen often in modern engagement ring designs or hanging from the neck as a solitary pendant.
Of course the traditional image of the flower covered with glistening dewdrops is still quite popular. When you shop for gemstone rings for sale you will probably notice all kinds of variations on this popular theme that combines rubies, garnets and other blood red stones with diamonds or zircons to create the old fashioned jewelry look of roses dripping with dew drops. Some Chinese versions of this stone will actually feature glazed crystals or ones that seem to be encrusted with some kind of slightly fogged or crusty overlaying to make it look like the stone is covered with moisture. This looks sort of tacky and cheap though. If you want to be fashion fierce stick with clear gemstone designs.

More Wealth Bringing Jewels

In the last blog we discussed stones that bring wealth that are fashionable to wear as jewellery. Here are some more great examples of stones that are supposed to have the metaphysical property of bringing more money into your life. These are all very common gemstones and they are widely available as earrings, necklaces and bracelets.
Amethyst –
This beautiful purple stone has the effect of clearing up the clutter in your life and many Feng Shui masters place a hunk of it in a room to clear toxic vibration. His in turn assists in the attracting of prosperity. Amethysts help release fears and anxieties that might be lurking in your subconscious and preventing you from moving forward by bringing them to the surface…
As not everyone can afford rubies, sapphires and diamonds it is good to know that there are also many semi-precious stones out there that also raise your vibration to attract prosperity.
Agate: increases perceptions, awakens hidden talents, helps you do what you love so the money will come.
Amber: absorbs negative energy and transforms it into positive energy calms nerves, healing, keeps you on track
Bloodstone:, rapid healing, courage, living in the “here and now”, helps you see each failure as a step to success
Carnelian: dispels laziness, rage, jealousy, envy and fear, good for acting, writing and creativity
Citrine: money drawing, cheering, clears the aura, the only stone that does not hold negative energies and needs no cleansing.
Coral: stimulates the imagination and connection to spirit guides so that you are in the right place at the right time
Cat’s Eye: happiness, luck, serenity, protection, the ability to see the big picture
Fluorite: brings order to chaos, helps to see reality behind illusion, keeps your finances organized and helps you deal with the right people
Hematite: improves intellect, protection, transforms negative energy to the positive, protects you against bad luck when it comes to maintaining your business
Jade: money and luck drawing (but not recommended for those born in the year of the Rat or for Geminis
Lapis Lazuli: esoteric mysteries, channeling, awareness, intuition, good for assisting with wise financial decisions and good for women in business.
Moonstone: new beginnings, hoping, wishing, good for freelancers and healers
Obsidian: grounding, protection, dispels negative thoughts, well for those who work in the healing arts
Opal: brings out the best in you, acting from the heart, invokes visions so you can run your business ethically
Pearl: faith, charity, innocence integrity, spiritual guidance, teaches you to be philanthropic
Peridot; attracts friends, cleanses heart, happiness, keeps you connected to customers
Pyrite: psychic protection attracts love, friendship, good for those in the psychic business, pyrite is sometimes called Fool’s Gold and is used like a kind of magical foil to bring prosperity.
Quartz (clear): balances energy fields, restores harmony, intuition, it also keeps chi (energy) flowing smoothly through your life
Quartz (smoky): dissolves negative energies, resentment, enhances self-esteem, and attracts business
Sandstone: creativity, building solidarity, social life, clarity, makes you stand out in a crowd which can be invaluable for people who make their money through sales
Tourmaline: harmony, unconditional love, intuition, helps you do the right thing so you run an ethical business
Turquoise: improves communication, intuition, creativity, protection, and wisdom, good for anyone who does commercial transactions of any kind
Zircon: strength, virtue, integration of body and mind, helps you become a master at what you do

Gems With A Purpose - Wealth Bringers

It is very fashion fierce right now to wear gemstones that have some sort of purpose such as attracting money to you.
Gemstones are vibrational items. This means that they have the ability to manifest things greatly amplify your capacity to be able to manifest what it is that you want by using the power of intention.
There are several precious stones that are at are powerful wealth bringers. These are the diamond, emerald, ruby and amethyst. Traditionally these prosperity bringing stones were set in wedding rings so that the marriage would be prosperous. These more precious the stone the more merit it will seem to have when it comes to bringing wealth.
Sapphire –
This stone, which is a vivid dark blue, will help give you power, focus and determination so that you have the discipline to make more money. Wearing been known to rescue people from poverty and bestow them with extra spending money to be used on fun activities. It is also associated with the throat chakra which rules communication. If you are in sales or have to do some pitching or fast talking on the phone the sapphire can definitely assist you.
Diamonds
Diamonds vibrates at a frequency that strengthens your intuitive abilities and also strengthens your defenses. It helps you perceive beyond surface appearance so you can get the big picture and stay focused on making progress. It is also a stone of manifestation which can bring your wishes into reality. The motto for the diamond is “Grace Under Pressure” because they are created from pressurized carbon. This is a good motto for today’s busy fast-paced lifestyles.
Emerald -
This brilliant green stone is used to restore balance to financial situations. Traditionally, an emerald was also thought to bring the owner financial security. It is thought to help you learn lessons, so you don’t repeat mistakes as well as balance your checkbook! The emerald assists you in drawing what you need to you and of course the glittering green color of this stone symbolizes growth.
Ruby —
This is the best stone to wear when your finances are running low. The blood red light of the ruby helps to dispel feelings of discouragement and self-doubt and infuse your heart, mind and aura with the qualities of success, affluence, attractiveness and personal victory. The ruby will help you make sure that you always have the good things in life but it can also make sure that there is always food in the cupboard.

Metrosexual Soap

Who put the metro in sexual, anyway? Researchers tell us that the “metrosexual” movement started about a decade ago and was followed by the “retrosexual” and “menaissance” tail trends. But have things changed to a point where men really have shifted their personal grooming focus to compete with the tendencies and time-honoured traditions of the fairer sex? Well, the short answers are maybe and maybe not. But the market has taken advantage considerably, as it is wont to do when a trend gets the attention of popular culture. And whether the shift is real or imagined, there are definitely hygiene products out there reflective of a distinct change in male attitude.
For openers, there’s soap and soap-related products and byproducts. Perhaps some market research whiz decided that men wanted all their hygiene needs covered by one product only, in stark contrast with women, who often require dozens of shifting and evolving products (or so it seems to men who respond to market research polls). Back in the 1980s, perhaps the biggest shift in male hygiene products was the emergence of “bathing gel”, which was touted as a victory over hand soap in the male hygiene derby. Bathing gel actually managed to remain on the market as a strong competitor to soap for both male and female needs, but when follow-up moisturizer continued to tank at the male box office, somewhere along the line someone hit on the idea of combining the two. The result were products with names like “Ultimate Clean”, which was marketed as a moisturizer and body soap in ONE BOTTLE!
The jury is out on the success of such soap products, but it seems a cinch that marketers will continue to cook up ways to attract more testosterone to ring up the pharmacy cash registers. But as with any trend and its subsequent fallout, there are signs of desperation, which in the male hygiene business are manifested in the form of somewhat tricky and delicate products that address previously taboo male hygiene issues: these include creams for Male Genital Odors (MGOs) and strategically shaped soaps that really may not need to be seen to be believed.
An over-the-counter cream for removing MGOs appeared on the market in the past few years and was even brought onto a talk show by an American celebrity, who did not appear to relish promoting the cream in the way he appeared to poke fun at its intended use for men. Another somewhat offbeat product is a perforated soap that arrives with a set of instructions for male-only use. It has been touted on the internet as the answer to men “lazy about their personal grooming”, indicating the innovative marketing tactic of appealing to women to buy a male hygiene product out of disgust and concern for their male partners. All the same, it’s should be a consolation that no matter how crazy the products get, being clean should always be a trend that never goes away – for everyone.

Opals Are Fashion Fierce

There is something very intimate and special opal gemstones as a present. They are also very new age. They are going to be hot for fall because one of the hottest colors for fall is going to be purple and the glint of this stone goes well with that color. Navy blue is also huge and the white opals go great with that color as well.
Opals make a very distinct fashion statement. Perhaps it is because each one is so unique. Opals are as individual as people and perhaps that is why this type of gem stone jewelry makes such a unique and personal gift. They look great with every skin tone and hair color.
There are opal gemstones out there for every personality. Some are big and flashy and set in mounds of silver or gold as big as brass knuckles. The ones that are set like this are usually the black Australian opals and the Mexican fire opals that suit the bolder knobby settings.
The bigger the opal is the softer it is likely to be. Opals are not hard gems and therefore need a great deal of protection from a claw like setting. The sturdy setting is absolutely necessary to protect the fragile stone from accidentally getting hit or cracking. Spilling even the most innocuous substances such as coffee or cola on an opal can ruin it.
Others opals are as demure and tiny as dewdrops as is the case with tiny white opal earrings or an opal nose ring. They can look very delicate and very feminine.
Black or red opal gemstones are very masculine and make the ideal gift for a male, especially if they are presented in the form of cufflinks or a tie clasp.
This stone, which symbolizes passion, also suits dark haired women or women who are erotic stars in the bedroom. Fire red, chocolate black and Chinese orange character the colors of these sexy opal stones.
Blue opals are for creators and dreamers. They suit entrepreneurs and artists who make a living loving what they do.
Fiery Mexican opals are for “lovers and fighters.” This stone is for the person who is passionate about everything they do whether it is for business or love. You can buy these online. They look great in either gold or silver settings.
White opals have a more spiritual or healing quality to them. Opal earrings or an opal pendant make a very classy gem stone jewelry gift for the woman in your life who is a nurturer or a mother. As white opals symbolize the moon and femininity a gift of white opal gemstones is a great way to honor a mother or a woman who you think has great spiritual wisdom, strength and purity. They symbolize the moon so deeply spiritual individuals like them too.