August 30, 2007

Researching The Gold Rush Online

In the past, students wanting to learn about the gold rush had to spend hours at the library pouring over books and hoping to develop an understanding of what it must have been like. Today, children can experience this time in history in ways that have never before been available to them. By simply doing an online search for gold rush museums, any student can quickly find themselves taken virtual tours of history and learning about it in an interactive way and not trying to imagine it from books.

Alaska

One such online resource is http://www.library.state.ak.us/goldrush/. Here, students of all ages or anyone who is interested can peruse maps, read stories, examine a miner?s life and even meander through what they call the Alaska Gold Lode. This is a section of the website devoted to photos and other images from the Alaskan gold rush. As an added bonus, this library offers information for teachers to help them teach this historical event in a way that all students can understand.

California

The website http://www.museumca.org/goldrush/ is another resource on any student?s path to gold rush understanding. In 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter?s Mill, which kicked off the great California gold rush and this, along with a veritable fountain of other vital information is just a few mouse-clicks away. Like the Alaskan state library webpage, this site offers curriculum materials, images, stories and even information on the rush for silver and the effects of this push on Native Americans in the area.

The Klondike

Historical gold rush information can also be found on the Internet at http://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcoll/exhibits/klondike/. This site specializes in information from the Klondike gold rush that includes stories, photos, art, and many other ways that a student can begin to understand the nuances of being a miner in this area at that time. When the promise of gold drew men to the area, they often arrived without prior understanding of the bitter cold. This meant they were often horribly underequipped, but suffering gold fever so badly they wouldn?t leave.

Where else can a student learn of these events so completely as when they travel through the Internet to some of the most important gold rush locations? The Klondike, California and Alaskan gold rushes were some of the most important events in mining history. There is no longer any good reason why any student should have to learn these events in the back room of some stuffy library when they are easily accessible online with a variety of options for students to use in order to learn as much as they can about the gold rush.

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August 28, 2007

Customized And Removable Gold Teeth

Gold teeth come in a variety of styles and with different stone choices. You can get gold teeth that follow the natural tooth shape as a part of its design or you can get stylized teeth that have abstract designs, recognizable symbols, bands of gold or stones in diamond or other precious gems. Fine jewellers can also create customized gold teeth from your own design.

Removable Gold Teeth

Gold teeth may be permanent or removable. A dentist performs the permanent gold tooth replacement. You can find jewellers who will create customized removable teeth for your individual smile including ones that are missing any teeth. You can find suitable fine jewellers who can make removable teeth for some or all of your teeth.

Clip Holds Removable Teeth In Place

The removable gold teeth are held in place by a clip and these removable teeth should be treated as gently as you would treat traditional pieces of fine jewellery. These removable teeth cannot not be treated the same as dental work which is of a permanent strength unlike gold which is a soft metal. You should not sleep when you are wearing your removable teeth.

Diamonds And Other Precious Gems

You can find gold teeth designed with finely inlaid diamonds and precious gems such as rubies, emeralds, topaz, citrine and whatever color gemstone you think would enhance your gold teeth.

Karats and Color

You can get different karats and colors of gold including 10K, 14K, 18K, 22K and dental gold and the available gold colors include white gold and gold. You can also use silver and platinum metals in combination with a gold metal for your gold teeth. There are advantages and disadvantages to the different metals and karats.

Mould For Proper Fitting

It is easy to do a fitting for removable teeth with a mould kit. A mould kit is used to make impressions of your teeth so that the fine jewellery can use the mould to customize the fit of the removable teeth. Either you can make the mould impression of your teeth yourself or you can get your dentist to take the mould impression of your teeth. The impression of your teeth can then be sent on for the jeweller?s use.

You can choose from pre-manufactured designs or you can choose a customized design. Your gold teeth can be created to display the design that you want and you can enhance the design with metal, gem and color selections with the help of fine jewellers who can create gold teeth for their clients.

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August 25, 2007

Gold Watches Are More Than Just Timepieces

When your watch is more than merely a means to tell the time, then perhaps you are ready to begin looking for a gold watch. There are many different styles to choose from, which provides enough of a selection that even the most discerning of tastes can be satisfied. So, if a gold watch is something that you are interested in then decide on the basic style, find a reputable dealer and begin the fun of searching for the perfect gold watch.

Important Information

The most common gold karat weights for watches are 10K, 14K and 18K respectively. The reason that watches are not often found in karat weights that contain more than seventy-five percent pure gold is due to the softness of gold. Because a gold watch is usually located on the wrist, it tends to take more abuse than jewelry in other locations; therefore, it is important to have a stronger material.

Additionally, a gold watch has to be hollow to accept the actual timepiece and that mechanism needs to be protected, so it stands to reason that the metal has to be sturdier than 24K gold can be. It is also important to note that when you are buying a gold watch, the gold is the actual band and face only. The timepiece cannot be made of gold because of the need for durability in very small moving parts. This said, however, the faceplate of a watch can, and usually is, be made of the same blend of gold that the actual watch is fashioned from.

The Styles Available

If you can imagine a style of gold watch, you can probably find it. Watches can be found for both men and women with the daintier of the two usually found in women?s styles. These timepieces can be designed for the wrist or the pocket and can be elaborately designed or something much more plain. Gold watches can be two or three-toned gold and/or studded with diamonds or gemstones either on the band or faceplate.

Whatever your desires in a gold watch are may be found with a little determination. However it is important to make sure that your watch has a good timepiece or you will have little more than a very pretty gold bracelet. One of the most well known makers of watches is Geneve, but a shopper can also find gold Rolexes, should that be the direction he or she wishes to go. Another avenue for finding the perfect gold watch is to peruse antique stores or search antique varieties online.

Many consider the gold watch to be a status symbol, and others simply view it as another piece of jewelry. Whatever your particular case may be, know that you can find exactly the style and design you are looking for with a little perseverance and a lot of patience.

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August 23, 2007

Panning For Gold: Adventures Along Gold Rush Trails

Have you ever wanted to go panning for gold but thought it was an adventure lost in time? Do you look wistfully at the pictures of old forty-niners standing in a stream bed with gold pan in hand and wish that could be you? Have you always wanted to follow in the paths of those forty-niners but never thought it would be possible? Well, today you too can have the panning for gold adventure of a lifetime.

Panning for Gold In Many Places

The first thing you need to decide is where it is that you want to go panning for gold first. The reason for this is that there are a variety of places to choose from like across the northern part of California, into Oregon, and possibility even Alaska. One possibility is http://www.oregongoldtrip.com/ where you can visit scenic Southwest Oregon State and keep what you mine. On this trip you will eat home cooked meals and actually stay in a cabin built for miners in a time gone by.

You can also go to California simply by logging onto http://www.goldfun.com/Panning_Trips/panning_trips.html and following Joshua Vick?s guidelines. This trip will take you to Woods Creek in the heart of gold rush country where you can pan for gold to your hearts content. Still another California adventure is http://www.strikeitrichadventures.com/ where you can receive lessons on how to pan for gold as well as take a guided tour into an old mine providing there are six people who wish to do so.

There are lots of ways you can follow your dream to pan for gold. However, if an adventure is not enough and you wish to add some competition to your future plans, there is a number of open panning for gold championships that you can watch and perhaps someday join. While many are held in California and other gold rush areas, you can also travel as far as Africa to try your hand at panning for gold in competition.

While a competition cannot replace having lived in the days of the gold rush anymore than an adventure can provide a true feeling for what it was like then, these possibilities can offer you and your family an exciting new hobby and means to get outdoors and meet new people. You will quickly find that panning for gold is not easy?it is an art. And, like all art forms requires practice and patience to master.

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August 22, 2007

Why Buy Solid Gold Jewelry?

Have you ever had a favorite ring, pendant or earring bend unexplainably? Have you ever wondered why that puffed heart suddenly became the dented version of a regular heart? Well, while that dent may be reminiscent of many relationships, it is not what you want out of a piece of jewelry that you spent your hard-earned money on. The simple fact is that happened to you because the piece of jewelry was not solid gold.

Hollow Gold Jewelry

One means by which jewelry makers save money and pass that savings on to their customers is by creating hollow pieces of jewelry. Those puffed hearts are one example of this. They are pretty yes, but incredibly fragile. Often ?puffed? is simply a synonym for hollow, so buyers beware. Gold simply is not sturdy enough to be thin and not bend or dent unexpectedly. Am I advocating for no gold puffed hearts? No, I am absolutely not saying that. What I am suggesting is that when you wish to purchase jewelry that needs to be durable then make sure it is made from solid gold, not hollow.

Solid Gold Jewelry

But, solid gold jewelry is heavy looking and clunky, right? Wrong. In fact, solid gold jewelry can be every bit as dainty as its hollow counterparts, but will withstand everyday wear and tear while maintaining its shape and beauty. The one real drawback to solid gold jewelry is the cost, because it is more expensive than hollow gold jewelry or that is the way it seems. Consider when you purchase hollow gold hoop earrings and they bend, what do you do? Do you continue wearing them or do you buy new ones? If you answered that you buy new earrings, then you have to ask yourself how much savings have you really had. Would it not really be cheaper in the long run to spend a bit more initially?

If you love jewelry and want to get the most out of your money, then buy good pieces that will last often for generations to come. Solid gold is the type of jewelry material that will stand this test of time, whereas hollow gold simply cannot due to the fragile nature of the metal. So, the next time you find yourself in the position of having to choose between that puffed heart and one that is more solid, do yourself a favor and spend a little bit more. The end result will be a piece of jewelry that you can pass down for generations to come.

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August 21, 2007

Presidential Dollar Coin: In Honor Of Government’s Highest Position

The United States Government is about to release into circulation a set of coins known as the presidential dollar coin. These coins will be released depicting each of our presidents, in the order they served. For example, in 2007, they will issue the Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison, in that order. They will continue to release four presidential dollar coins per year until all the coins have been issued. The coins will have other unique features that set them apart from previous coins. They will have side inscriptions, including the year they were issued, and they will have reverse designs of the statue of liberty and more. The size, weight and color of the coins will be the same as the Sacagawea coin but the uniqueness of these coins sets them apart.

Bringing Coins Back

The hope is that by issuing the presidential dollar coin, it will reinvigorate the demand for the coin currency. The coins are supposed to be aesthetically pleasing to make people want to save them and spend them as they would paper currency. However, the coins have a lot of hype to live up to if they hope to take over paper currency, for people love their paper dollars that they can fold up in their pockets.

The presidential dollar coin is going to look similar to the Sacagawea coin in height, weight and color, but that’s where the differences end. The presidential dollar coin is going to have more elaborate artwork. It’s going to have side inscriptions with the dates they were issued, E. Pluribus Unum, and In God We Trust. The coins are going to look very attractive, which is what the designers are looking for. Hopefully, people will take to circulating the presidential dollar coin, rather than collecting them or doing away with them, as people did with the Sacagawea coin.

To get your hands on the newly issued presidential dollar coins, contact your financial institution. Banks, credit unions and other financial institutions are the main source of the circulated coins. You can also ask businesses to give you your change in the presidential dollar coin. You can also get collector books for your presidential dollar coins so that you can preserve them for years to come. The books are designed so that the coins are placed in the order they are released. You can find collector books online or by contacting the U.S. Mint.

The Presidential dollar coin is similar to the release of the fifty state quarters. These quarters are still in circulation today and that’s the hope for this new coin. Hopefully, if everything goes as planned, people will do away with their old one dollar bills and they’ll instead use the presidential dollar coin as their preferred currency.

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August 20, 2007

How To Buy Top Quality U.S. Gold Coins

It certainly beats collecting stamps for those who love the yellow metal, and U.S. gold coins can be enjoyed more than bars or jewelry stashed away out of sight. A collection of U.S. gold coins is a rare…

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August 19, 2007

One Dollar Coin

Will The One Dollar Coin Ever Catch On?

When you think of a dollar, you probably think of a paper dollar. Just like all other paper currency, the dollar can be folded into your pocket with a bunch of other dollars and it’s not very cumbersome. What if we didn’t have paper currency, however? What if there was a one dollar coin instead of the paper dollar? Would people respond positively to the one dollar coin or would they reject it as they have in the past? The fact is, most people love their paper currency and would rather collect the one dollar coin rather than spend it as currency.

The Silver Dollar

The one dollar coin looks great, but that may be its only good quality. There have been various versions of the dollar coin in the past. There was the silver dollar, which has been around for a long time. You rarely see the silver dollar coin, however, as most of them are in the hands of collectors. When you do find a silver one dollar coin, it’s almost as if you’ve found a treasure. You can either save it as part of your collection or you can spend it, as it is worth the same as your one dollar paper notes.

The Sacagawea Dollar

More recently, they have released a gold colored one dollar coin. This coin is called the Sacagawea dollar, named after the famous Native American woman printed on it. This one dollar coin quickly fizzled out, just like the silver dollar, and today it’s very rare to see one in circulation. The Sacagawea, too, is most likely in the hands of collectors. The reason this coin didn’t catch on is likely the same reason the silver dollar didn’t catch on. It’s too bulky and it doesn’t fold as the paper currency does. So, will the one dollar coin ever catch on? Maybe, but the government may be going about it the wrong way.

Europeans Have It Right

In Europe, when they begin to circulate a coin, such as the one dollar coin, they will remove the paper currency so that people don’t have a choice. If the United States government wants people to use the one dollar coin, they are going to have to stop giving people a choice. People are going to want the less cumbersome, foldable version of the dollar, the paper dollar, leaving the one dollar coin to the collectors.

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August 18, 2007

White Gold ? Fashion Statement Of The Young

People often wonder what white gold is, and how it differs from other gold, and if it is gold at all. White gold is an alloy of natural gold, with some other metals mixed in that give it the white color….

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August 17, 2007

The History Behind The Nickel Coin

The coin that is worth 5 cents in the United States is called a nickel coin. It was first designed in 1938 with a picture of President Thomas Jefferson on the back of it. From 1938 through 2003 Monticello’s picture was on the coin. Then in 2004 and 2005 there were various pictures on the back of the nickel coin commemorating the bicentennials of the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition. These new designs were called the Westward Journey series. In 2006, Monticello’s picture was on the back of the coin again and Jefferson was on the front of the coin.

General History Surrounding The Nickel Coin

before the nickel coin was introduced, there were really small five-cent pieces that were called half dimes. However, there was soon a shortage of silver both during and after the American Civil War. As such, it was important to find a new type of metal to use to create the five-cent coins. This is when copper began to be used and it is still used to make the nickel coin today. Unfortunately, there were a lot of problems during the 20th century because of how hard nickel is. Today’s modern minting equipment does not have any problem with making a nickel coin though.

Until the early 1950s the nickel coin was able to be used to place a local phone call from a public phone booth in the United States. Many rural places in the United States still charged a nickel until the mid-1970s. It is also interesting to note that it only cost a nickel to ride on a public transit vehicle, such as a bus or a subway car, for the longest time. With this in mind, you will be able to see that a nickel would get you a lot of great things when it was first invented.

The Worth Of A Nickel Coin

The term nickel was applied to this coin before they were ever made out of nickel. In fact, the term “nickel” was originally applied to the Indian Head coin that existed from 1859 through 1864. These coins then came to be known as nickels during the Civil War. Finally, in 1866, the Shield nickel hit originated and was very popular. This nickel coin forever changed the way that Americans associated coins that are made from nickel and were worth a specific denomination. Now you know how we have come to have the coin that we call a nickel today.

 

 

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