Not your ordinary camera

I stumbled upon this shiny looking thing and drooled unconsciously. Yes, money can't buy happiness but it certainly can buy you this Diamond-encrusted Canon IXUS camera. I wish I can afford one, don't you?

Two key figures behind the IXUS success story – camera designers Yasushi Shiotani and Seiichi Omino – joined international fashion icons, celebrities and more than 600 media representatives to mark the tenth anniversary of the first IXUS. Shiotani's 'Box and Circle' design for the original APS-based IXUS camera in 1996 spawned hundreds of imitations and remains the signature motif of the range. Omino reinterpreted the concept for the digital age with his striking design for the Digital IXUS in 2000.

Diamond IXUS
A total of ten diamond-encrusted IXUS cameras – one for each year – will be auctioned through eBay with all proceeds going to the Red Cross. The €40,000 Super Diamond IXUS is covered with 380 diamonds supplied by Antwerp-based Eddie Elzas, owner of the world’s largest collection of coloured diamonds. Nine 'his and hers' diamond IXUS cameras have also been produced with an estimated value of €3,500 each.

The Other Side of Fashion
Celebrating the anniversary of IXUS and its continued sponsorship of the London, Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks, Canon also announced the launch of 'The Other Side of Fashion' – a collection of behind-the-scenes images taken by 100 style icons including Robert Cavalli, Donatella Versace and Christian Lacroix. Proceeds from a magazine containing exclusive images from the project will benefit Red Cross youth projects across Europe.

Canon debuted the three newest additions to the IXUS range with a catwalk show on the night: the titanium-bodied Digital IXUS 900 Ti, Digital IXUS 850 IS, and Digital IXUS i7 zoom.

"The challenge facing any iconic brand is to remain faithful to its original values while staying fresh and innovative," said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. "That IXUS has kept its number one position throughout the last 10 years is testament to both the strength of the original IXUS concept and Canon's commitment to innovation."

iDiamonds on head-phones

If you think this is the iPhone and iPod generation, iDiamonds are here too. A company in Milan called Mac@Work made an iPod head-phone that is covered in diamonds. The head-phones are standard Apple ones but are covered in white gold and studded with diamonds. The diamonds are arranged in several different patterns; heart(pictured), lightning, moon and star. The Diamonds used are superior G colored diamonds.

More Diamond Facts

* Diamonds were first formed billions of years ago some 100 miles beneath the earth's surface through a process of tremendous pressure and temperatures of 2000 - 3000 degrees Fahrenheit. Volcanic activity brings diamond crystals much closer to the earth's surface.

* To produce a single one-carat diamond, 250 tons of earth will be mined.
* Gem-quality diamonds are made up from less than 20 percent of the diamonds mined worldwide.
* The first written notation of precious diamonds dates back to around 500 B.C.
* In their purest state, diamonds are brilliant and entirely colorless.
* Diamonds are found in a variety of colors. Blue and pink diamonds are among the rarest, and yellow and brown as among the most common.
* The diamond is the hardest natural substance found on the earth.
* The diamond is rock hard and virtually fireproof. In order for a diamond to burn, it must be heated to one-thousand, two-hundred, and ninety-two degrees Fahrenheit.
* In one-thousand polished diamonds, only one will weigh more than one carat.
* Although the U.S. accounts for less than one-percent of total global gemstone productions, America buys more than half of the world's total gem quality diamonds - accounting for the world's largest diamond market.
* Australia accounts for producing the most diamonds in volume.
* The Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas is the worlds only diamond mine open to the public - this is a dig-for-fee operation for tourists and rock enthusiasts.
* Since as far back as 1906, there have been more than 70,000 diamonds discovered in The Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas - this includes the 40.23 carat "Uncle Sam Diamond" - the largest diamond of its kind ever found in the U.S discovered in 1924.

$2 Million Diamond Shoes

She may be a country singer but Alison Krauss had plenty of soul at the 76th Academy Awards when she sang Oscar-nominated songs 'Scarlet Tide' and 'You Will Be My Ain True Love' from the movie 'Cold Mountain' wearing a $2 million pair of diamond-adorned shoes created by designer Stuart Weitzman.

The stiletto sandal on a 4 1/2-inch invisible heel is covered with more than 500 dazzling diamonds set in platinum giving the illusion that there is no shoe, just diamonds twinkling on the foot.

Nestled among the clear classic diamonds is an extraordinarily rare colored diamond that is amaretto in color and weighs approximately 5 carats, which was specially cut and polished for the shoes.

With the rare colored diamond valued at well over $1 million and the shoes adorned with an additional 55 carats of clear diamonds, the shoes are likely to sell for $2 million or more.

Lowell Kwiat, of Kwiat Diamonds, which provided the gems for the special shoes, said his family's firm had never seen a diamond of the color of the amaretto diamond in nearly 100 years of making fine jewelry. "I myself have seen more than a million diamonds, but nothing that looks like this," Kwiat said.

The man of my dreams

"The poorest man of all men is not a man without a cent but a man without a dream."

This is exactly what my love struggles are all about.

Like any ordinary girl, I have dreams and ambitions. Since I was a kid I dreamt of marrying an American man. I am very much attracted to their physical appearance and the thought that mixed race babies are appealing to me. I have always promised myself to marry one someday.

During my third and fourth years in high school, I started seeing tons of US Navies and Marines in our city. I was too young and naive at the time that I even cut classes just to see them. Most of these men were at the Balikatan Exercises in Luzon, training Filipino soldiers with equipped weapons during former President Estrada's term. My friends and I went there to see them. We made friends with a few and it was indeed a great experience to have at least known some foreign men in them. As determined as I was to make it possible for me to communicate with the man in my dreams, I learned the internet.


I started exchanging e-mails when I was 17, met a few in person. At age 18, I had my first American boyfriend from Arkansas. I was extremely happy then because he was my type. Boy, he was very attractive with his blond hair and blue eyes. He went to visit me in my hometown and finally met him in person. It didn’t work for us though because we broke up after 5 months. I was devastated. He broke up with me for no apparent reason at all. I tried reaching him on the phone several times at first but all I got was his answering machine. Later on he spoke to me but in a cold manner. I couldn’t believe what he did to me. It took a while for me to recover from that heart ache. I had moved on anyway.

Months later I met another guy online who was from California. He had the same physical attributes as the latter guy. On my, I can’t believe I easily fall for the same looks. For the second time around, I got all disappointed again as they guy came to meet two other ladies besides me. I thought for sure we have been serious to each other. I had been expecting too much all along. Not only that I saw other two girls but he had been window shopping for more. That was a shame. I was all embarrassed I couldn’t stand it I had to run out of the airport where I went to fetch him. He was sorry and begged for me to marry him. I didn’t get fooled by his drama and ended everything between us.

I didn’t give up and moved on to another hope of meeting someone I deserve. I met another one who was from Florida. He was all busy with his business so did with his child in his previous marriage. He had the chance to tour Europe and never to see me. It was all over for us quickly.

I’ve been hurt a few times and along the way it made me even pickier. I had almost found anything wrong in a person just to make sure I will end up with someone truthful to me. In just a little mistake such as misspelling of certain words put me off so easily from the guy.

It was in the middle of Feb.2004 on CB, I was checking my account to see who sent me a message. There were few mails and Sandy was one of them who wrote me. He first said hi along with all other information about him. I looked at this pictures posted and oh, he is so cute. And so I got back to his mail and replied with just very short note telling that he is cute and that I want to get to know more about him. That’s all it. The following day, he sent his quick reply again but I just ignored it, never took the time to reply him back because I was not interested with him.


Meantime, I myself was busy chatting and e-mailing with others except him. I was still trying hard to look for a possible mate who can bring me to the aisle. There came a time, it was 2 weeks after he sent me his first mail actually when I checked my mails and it was empty. I returned to his dormant mail which I never tried to response and read it again. I did reply to it and gave my Yahoo ID so we get to chat. Yes, for the first time we chatted. I could tell the way he hurl his words to me that he is the gentleman type, soft spoken and polite. But still I'm not interested with him because I thought "he’s too good-looking for me” and enough for cute men, they only play with your heart.

I asked him money with the intention of pushing him away and never wanting to chat with me again because I know for a fact once you ask money from foreigners they will never get back to you and get turned off for they might think that you're only up to it. This man is different. He never got discouraged instead he sent me $100 the following day. I really was surprised once informed by the money transfer office that I got something from him. So I got the money and thanked him with a promise to myself that I will only focus on him.

After four months of exchanging e-mail, chats and phone calls he decided to see me. It was in time for my 21st birthday when he proposed to me telling my father, "Elson, I came across thousand miles to marry Anne because I'm in love with her”. Even before he turned tome and declared his intention, I got teary-eyed already.

The moment, he knelt down holding the engagement ring while the other hand holding my hand asking, "Anne, will you marry me?" I got speechless. Where did my voice go? Could it be that my tongue shrunk? Now crying even more and finally I was able to respond, “Yes, I will marry you Sandy" We got formally engaged on my birthday and for me it was already a big dream come true.

Another 4 months had passed and he visited me for the second time for our big day --- the wedding. It was I who exerted much effort to make our wedding beautiful and memorable to all who witness and thank goodness, it went well.

Finally, I got my visa to come and be united with him in the states after a painstaking 9 months of waiting for the whole process to be done. Now I am so much happier. After all those thunderstorms in my life, I was able to overcome it all and thank God for the strength he had given me. Thanks to Him for he was always being there for me!

Life's lesson I've learnt is that, it only takes courage and determination to achieve the hardest goal you've ever thought you have in your life. I remember my family and friends told me "I am too ambitious to dream of marrying an American”. I had this saying before, By hook or by crook, whatever happens I will marry the man in my dreams”. I could say that I am stronger now. I am proud of my past. If not because of it, I would not be here right now living happily with my wonderful husband. I hope this will serve as inspiration to those who lost hope finding their love.

The 4 C's

Wearing and owning a diamond ring meant possessing something valuable. Besides its reputation as the most precious stone in the whole wide world, its beauty and brilliance are far becoming the icon of expressing one's love to another person. Have you been engaged lately? Are you about to declare you're ready to tie the knot? A lot of us may have not known the necessary factors to consider about diamonds. Their value is determined by their quality which are defined by Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat Weight also known as the 4C's.

What are these 4C's?

Cut
The cut of a diamond refers to its proportions. Of the 4C's, the cut is the aspect most directly influenced by man. The other three are dictated by nature.

Quite often the cut of a diamond is confused with its shape. Diamonds are cut into various shapes depending upon the original form of the uncut diamond, which is referred to as "rough". Whatever the shape, a well-cut diamond is better able to reflect light.

A diamonds ability to reflect light determines its display of fire and brilliance. Diamonds are usually cut with 58 facets, or separate flat surfaces. These facets follow a mathematical formula and are placed at precise angles in relation to each other. The relationship is designed to maximize the amount of light reflected through the diamond and to increase its beauty.


Color
The best color is no color. Diamonds allow light to be reflected and dispersed as a rainbow of color. This light dispersion, or color flash, has no effect on the technical grading of color. The absolute finest colorless stone carries a D rating, descending through each letter of the alphabet to Z, designating a diamond of light yellow, brown, or gray. This body color may be caused by the presence of trace elements, such as nitrogen, within the atomic framework of the carbon crystal. These trace elements are so minute that they are scientifically measured in parts per million (ppm). As the body color becomes more intense, the grade for color descends the scale. These gradations are so minute and precise that discerning a single grade (even by an expert) under less than ideal laboratory conditions is extremely difficult. It is always best to compare diamonds graded by either the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or the American Gem Society (AGS) for accurate color grading. When directly comparing diamonds for color, most consumers are unable to detect a difference unless they are at least two or three color grades apart. We recommend selecting a diamond with a color grade of K or better.


FancyColor

It is often surprising to learn that diamonds also occur by rare accidents of nature in shades of pink, blue, green, amber, or even red. These rarely occurring colors are referred to as fancies and are evaluated by a different set of color standards. These standards take into consideration various factors such as hue and saturation. Fancy colored diamonds are the most expensive because of their extreme rarity. Some fancy colors can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for diamonds of one carat or less!

Flourescence
Fluorescence is not directly related to a diamond’s color. This separate characteristic refers to the diamond’s ability to fluoresce under ultraviolet (UV) light. Our sun emits some UV light, but it is usually not great enough to detect fluorescence. The most common source of UV is a black light. When exposed to UV light, many diamonds will give off a distinctive glowing blue coloration. Although fluorescence may be displayed in various colors, blue is the most common in diamonds. The fluorescence of a diamond is defined by its intensity as either None, Faint, Medium, Strong, or Very Strong. Although fluorescence is a characteristic that can be measured, it is seldom an issue when selecting a diamond.


Clarity
Almost all diamonds contain very tiny natural birthmarks known as inclusions. To determine a diamond's clarity, an expert views it under 10 power magnification. In addition to internal inclusions, surface irregularities are referred to as blemishes. These two categories of imperfections-inclusions (internal) and blemishes (external)-make up clarity.

The fewer the imperfections, the rarer and more valuable the diamond. Many inclusions are not discernable to the naked eye and require magnification to become apparent. A laboratory-certified clarity rating of SI2 represents the point at which inclusions are technically not apparent to the average naked eye.

Contrary to popular belief, higher clarity does not always mean more beautiful. If the inclusions are not visible to the naked eye, a higher clarity does not really improve the appearance of a diamond but rather the rarity and price. A higher clarity is more desirable and valuable, but knowing that you have selected the right clarity for the right reasons is most important. We recommend a clarity of SI2 or better.

Clarity is graded using a very precise and complex method of evaluating the size, location, and visibility of inclusions. The diagrams to the right show a top view of a round diamond. The inclusions, shown in red, are an approximate sample for each clarity rating. The plotted inclusions may not be actual size for display purposes. Remember, the inclusions depicted in red are not visible to the average naked eye until the I1-I3 clarities. Below is the technical clarity scale with a description of each term.

Carat Weight
Most people compare carat weight to size. The larger the diamond the more it weighs. The weight of a diamond is expressed in carats. The word carat originated from the carob tree or Ceratonia siliqua. The tiny seeds of this tree are well known for their uniformity and consistent weight. Traditionally diamonds and gemstones were weighed against these seeds until the system was standardized, and one carat was fixed at 0.2 grams. One carat is divided into 100 points. A diamond weighing one quarter of a carat can also be described as weighing 25 points or 0.25 carats. Points are generally not used to describe weights over one carat. Here are some examples of different weights for round diamonds and their corresponding sizes. These may not be actual size due to your monitor. The approximate girdle diameter is displayed in millimeters.

Size
The rarity of a diamond is greatly affected by its size. The rarity of a 1.00 carat diamond is much greater than twice that of a .50 carat. Although it only weighs twice as much, the 1.00 carat is statistically much more difficult (rare) to mine than the .50 carat. For an easy comparison of price and size, see the table below. Prices are approximate and based upon D Color, internally flawless, excellent cut.