The Opal Gem - 1951 Words

Compared to the night sky, holiday fireworks, and the power of erupting volcanoes, opals contain a majesty incomparable to other precious gemstones. One opal can display a vast amount of color with intense display. Extreme color variations in an opal can challenge even the most expensive gems, such as rubies, emeralds, and even diamonds. The birthstone for October and for a couple’s fourteenth wedding anniversary has a unique history and a list of characteristics that make it stand apart from other gemstones and solidifies itself among the best of all gems. The opal gem has a rich history that spans across many cultures and locations throughout the world. Its name is derived from the Sanskrit word â€Å"upala† meaning cloud or precious stone (Sanskirt Dictionary). Eventually this word was absorbed into the Roman language; their word â€Å"opalus† means precious stone. The Greek language also contains the word â€Å"opallios† meaning to see color change. Definitions such as these fit the opal gem quite well because both the Roman and Greek civilizations saw the opal as the most valuable gem, only second to emerald. Opal was treasured to the Romans to such an extent that the scholar Pliney praised the opal, saying: For among them the gentler fire of the ruby, there is the rich purple of the amethyst, there is the sea-green of the emerald, and all shining together in an indescribable union. Others, by an excessive heightening of their hues equal all the colors of the painter, others theShow MoreRelatedRocks, Gems And Minerals1098 Words   |  5 PagesFrom the time I can remember I have been fascinated by Rocks, Gems and minerals. Over the years in my spare time I learn about the different kinds; Where they are from, what they can be used for. Each rock, mineral and gem has energy and many are used for meditation and healing I am going to start by going over the three main groups of rocks; Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic. Igneous Rocks come form deep within our Earth where the magma is. Magma is made from molten gasses and minerals. WhenRead MoreBirthstones9275 Words   |  38 Pagesï » ¿Birth Stones The first association of a special gem with each month was recorded in the Bible, in Exodus 28 and 39. An original breastplate of the High Priest of the Hebrews was said to be made by Moses in 1250 BC, according to instructions he received during 40 days in the mountains. The 12 gems in the breastplate were later linked with the signs of the zodiac, and later still associated with the months in the year. Different cultures have different lists. Jewelers’ lists are often inconsistentRead MoreOpal Mining Of Australi The Mining Capital Of The World2223 Words   |  9 PagesOpal Mining in Australia Australia contains a lot of opal, especially in South Australia producing an estimated 95-97% of the world’s opal supply. All of the opal mines in Australia are located in the Artesian Basin which contains many mining towns such as Lightning Ridge, Andamooka, White Cliffs and Coober Pedy, which has been called the mining capital of the world. All of these towns are situated in Australia’s outback, the land mostly consisting of barren dry rock and dirt. But hiding in theRead MoreAstrology : A Constant War Between Ancient And Modern Methodology963 Words   |  4 Pagesin Hindu mythology that when the demon king Bali was killed, gems came out of his body as a symbol of victory of gods over demons. Diamonds were found from his bones, pearls from his teeth, ruby from his blood drops, emerald from his gall bladder, blue sapphires from his eyes, lapiz lazuli from the juice of his heart, cat s eye from his nails, coral from his flesh, and yellow sapphire from his skin. The story continues. From these gems, the sun took away the rubies, the moon picked up the pearlsRead MoreEssay about Birthstones Have Been Around Since Prehistoric Times1024 Words   |  5 Pagesin to the future, giving them an almost psychedelic, magical of glory. These fiery green gemstones are wonderful to look at, and can be originate in a wide range of cuts and shapes. The gorgeousness and richness of this gemstone makes it the perfect gem for birthstone jewelry, and is something that the wearer can lead and take pride in for a forever. June birthstone the magnificent Pearl birthstone is for the month of June, and this gemstone has been connected with modesty and chastity, making itRead MoreWhy Egyptians Use Jewelry And Its Effects On Society1316 Words   |  6 Pagesalways occurred in nature, but only within the past few centuries have people began to manipulate these precious stones to show off their beauty through lapidary- the art of working or engraving in stone, and even more recently with gem cutting. Lapidary and other forms of gem cutting have greatly impacted the evolution of jewelry across cultures. The continued fascination with gemstones and jewelry has withstood the test of time and has left people for centuries curious about how gemstones form in natureRead MoreDistinctive Visuals in Run Lola Run Essay1190 Words   |  5 Pagesbelonging to Australia. The poem captures the diversity and colours of the Australian landscape through descriptive language and colour imagery. The word â€Å"sunburnt† is suggestive of red, earthy tones while â€Å"jewel sea†, â€Å"sapphire misted† and â€Å"opal-hearted† uses gems to illustrate the broad spectrum of colours characteristic of the Australian landscape. Personification captures the power, beauty, and temperament of the land, â€Å"Her beauty and her terror†, ‘tragic ringbarked forests’ and â€Å"pitiless blue sky†Read MoreJewellery3808 Words   |  16 Pagesto the exact nature of the stone he referred to as  Adamas;  In 2005,  Australia,  Botswana,  Russia  and  Canada  ranked among the primary sources of gemstone diamond production. The  British crown jewels  contain the  Cullinan Diamond, part of the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found (1905), at 3,106.75  carats (621.35 g). Now popular in  engagement rings, this usage dates back to the marriage of  Maximilian I  to  Mary of Burgundy  in 1477 Amber Amber, an ancient organic gemstone, is composedRead MoreDifferent Kinds of Love in William Shakespeares Twelfth Night5635 Words   |  23 Pagessuperficiality of love. In addition, Feste can see through him, and tells Orsino, â€Å"the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal†. Feste is implying that Orsino is quick in changing his mind, from, â€Å"doublet of changeable taffeta, and that he is very fickle-minded, from, â€Å"mind is a very opal†, as the opal is a symbol of changeability because of its iridescent qualities. All these show that Orsino, being very fickle, is also easily changed with regardsRead MoreObject Oriented Database5341 Words   |  22 Pagesextensions. GemStone merges object-oriented language concepts with those of database systems. And provides an object-oriented database language called OPAL which is used for data definition, data manipulation and general computation. Architecture The GemStone system exhibits client/server architecture, and is distributed over two processes: the Gem and the Stone processes. The Stone process, running on the server, delivers the data management capabilities performing disk I/O, concurrency control

The Single Life Free Essays

Adult Development and career Life Assessment Jan. 21, 2010 With the internet implemented worldwide the dating scene has revolutionized. The single lifestyle in my opinion is slowly becoming a thing of the past, especially with social networking sites such as e-harmony, match. We will write a custom essay sample on The Single Life or any similar topic only for you Order Now com, my-space, or even facebook. How can one define the single life? It depends on who you ask on what kind of definition you will get. In the dictionary single is defined as a relating to the unmarried state or no longer living with. I define being single as being someone who is not actively participating in a relationship with a like minded individual. I have been single for the most part of my life. My very first relationship was my sophomore year in high school. I was only about fifthteen or sixteen years old. Her name was Carla, she and I met in the cafeteria one morning while we were having breakfast before homeroom period started. Even though our high school was very small, I cannot recall ever seeing her before. Once we became friends, we started to date. We would attend school functions, basketball games, choir concerts, basketball games and track meets; as time progressed a little we both got our driver licenses and jobs. This at first was a really good thing for the relationship, due to the fact that we could attend and participate in other functions and activities outside the ones that were primarily school related, for example: the movies, or the fair. One side effect that I noticed from my new experience was that of a wondering mind. I would often find myself not focused on school work or any task for that matter. I would always become distracted when trying to accomplish anything; my attention would immediately be directed to Carla’s and I relationship. This was not benefiting me in anyway. My grades dropped, I became less and less productive at work and didn’t get much rest. Finally I made the decision that if a relationship would cause me not to maintain my focus and career goal that is was not for me at that time. Carla was my first and last serious relationship, and I have made the judgment to remain single until I have reached my educational aspirations. I would like to think that there is no pressure and is a personal choice on staying single or to get married, but it is not like that. Once a person can whole heartedly accept the fact that they are living the single life, it becomes somewhat easier for that individual to interact with others on a daily bases. For example, when a person really and truly feels as if they need to be in a relationship or cannot understand why they are not, that individual could have some problems dealing with others who are in a relationship or someone who is content with the single lifestyle. In my opinion â€Å"coming from personal experience† a person is more likely to find themselves when single as opposed to being in a committed relationship. Being a person who has been in a relationship and single, I can see some pros and cons in both being single and being in a relationship. Attached you will find a diagram with some of the pros and cons. ? ? Pros SINGLE IN A RELATIONSHIP Freedom Someone to share More friendsShared experiences Self-Sufficiency Can Depend on someone Prioritizing Career Two incomes Cons ? SINGLE IN A RELATIONSHIP Lonely Arguments No one to talk toJoint bank accounts One incomeLess time to work Having to cookLess time to focus on school In conclusion I’ve express my view and thought on the single life base on information obtain from personal experiences and article and information researched via the internet. Base on the information presented in my paper I have concluded that being single is conducive to the hectic lifestyle of a young, working college student. I do feel as if everyone needs and deserves someone. Which is why I do not wish to remain single for the remainder of my life, I can honestly say I am at the point in my life where being single is ok and works for me. How to cite The Single Life, Papers

Breaking Out free essay sample

My grandmother used to say, Women are nothing but trouble. Some might agree with this ancient Chinese saying, but it simply reflected the patriarchy society I grew up in. Even though Taiwan is a developed country, its cultural ties are nowhere far from mainland China. Growing up in a society and a family full of elders that carelessly emphasize the importance of sons over daughters, I learned to do everything better for myself. Perhaps I wanted to prove all the patriarchy societies in this world wrong, but mostly I wanted my family to recognize the equality between me and my brother. One of my first profound memories was when my mother was pregnant with my brother. I asked her if the family was in the same felicity when my sister and I were born. She told me that people were happy that my sister was born because she was the first child, but my birth was less celebrated in comparison to my older sisters birth. We will write a custom essay sample on Breaking Out or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I began to doubt my existence and the sincerity of my familys love towards me. I was further put into doubt when my mother went on and said, When you were born, no one came to visit; not even one soul. Your father came late from work, and your grandmother only made a phone call to ask for your gender. She sighed and said, When your grandmother found out what you were, she hung up the phone and never paid me and you one visit in the hospital. Although I knew that my parents loved me regardless my sex, I felt constantly shadowed by my older sister and often ignored by my parents over my brother. I was never as outgoing as my sister in front of adults, nor was I as successful as she was in elementary school. Not only did she get As on tests and quizzes, she also played the piano brilliantly; she even won multiple English speech competitions. While she succeeded in almost everything, I struggled to break out of her shadow. I said ‘yes’ to almost everything my parents asked me to do. From picking up the violin at the age of four, entering a speech contest unprepared, doing chores that I hated, watching basketball games that I didnt understand, to finally becoming the nice, obedient child that my parents wanted me to be. For almost eleven years of my life, I never knew what I really wanted, what I was capable of doing, and who I really was. Things took a gradual turn shortly after I turned eleven. The second semester of fifth grade, our family moved back to Taiwan after one and a half year of business venturing in Canton, China. I entered a new school, but soon enough I was just one of the faces in the crowd. I never saw my potentials in anything until my teacher asked me to enter a Chinese improvisation speech competition of the City of Taichung in the elementary division. I, without any hesitation, accepted her offer, because I got tired of seeing other people return with their awards and honors. The day of competition, I was given the topic: What would you do if you were a magician? I didnt plan anything out in my head, not even the second before I went on the stage. To my surprise, I won first place – I was finally recognized for something. I ran out the classroom right when the dismissal bell rung through the school. Before my father greeted me, I squeaked in excitement, Dad! Dad! Dad! You would not believe this! I entered the competition and guess which place I won?, before he answered me, I went on, First place! Can you believe it? Can you believe your daughter won FIRST PLACE!? He smiled and said, Of course I believe you won first place, in fact, I knew you were going to win. All my children are smart. No, I am not surprised, but I am happy for you. On our way home, I was too busy wearing a big fat smile on my face to have a conversation with my father. Before we entered the house, I asked my father again, You really knew I was going to win? He replied, Well I never thought you were going to get first place, but I knew that you can do anything you wanted and be good at it. Those words meant more than anything in the world to me. For the first time, I felt capable of doing anything, and most importantly, for myself and not for anyone else.