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February 18, 2010

Crystal Corporate Gifts As A Means Of Advertising

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: britain, business, celtic, corporate, crystal, gifts, glass, happiness, ireland, other, politics, religion, spirituality, traditions, Uncategorized — Owen Jones @ 10:47 am

It can be very difficult to find beautiful and unforgettable corporate gifts. Many corporate gifts are just junk, especially the less expensive ones. However, there is a class of gift that is always treasured and can be thought of as useful too.

Have you always given a calendar or a letter opener? Or a key ring, just like every other business does? Or a bottle of wine that is forgotten the day after it was opened? Well, there is hope yet. What about glass crystal? Everybody loves lead crystal, do they not?

Lead crystal items really are the bees’ knees of gifts, corporate gifts or not. People always need ashtrays, paper weights, and pen holders and made in lead crystal they look expensive and stylish adding to the image of your company.

Lead crystal goods come in many varieties. They make fruit bowls, vases, glasses, paper weights, pen trays, ashtrays, picture frames and carriage clocks along with a dozen other items. When selecting a lead crystal corporate gift, you might like to bear the following things in mind:

If you are presenting these corporate gifts to your staff, you may like to distinguish between your employees or give everyone the same gift. You can on grounds of sex, length of service, marital status or input to the company’s profits. There again, you may know the longest serving personnel very well and want to get them something that will suit them personally. You can do this in terms of price or style or both.

For example, office staff might like a lead crystal paperweight, pen-holder or picture frame. Blue collar workers may rather a lead crystal vase or bowl. Single people might play golf or sail and like an item etched with a golfing or sailing motif. Married people might love a picture frame or a vase. Long-serving personnel or high-earners might appreciate a carriage clock.

Cost is obviously an important factor, but usually corporate gifts are tax-deducible and glass crystal items differ greatly in price depending on the manufacturer. For example, you can get a nice lead crystal goblet set for $15, but if you want to give Waterford lead crystal, you can expect to pay three times as much.

Are you presenting these corporate gifts to clients or / and prospective clients? In this case, you will have to have them engraved with your firm’s contact details. You will also want the corporate gift to remain in the client’s office, so it should be office orientated, not home orientated. Something like a heavy paperweight shaped like a rock or a desk tidy fashioned like a boat.

This is the best mode of promotion after word-of-mouth and sign-written vehicles and should be taken seriously by any business that must have clients. Giving a well-thought of gift like lead crystal is a way of enhancing your status and that of the recipient.

The only other thing to keep in mind is that corporate gifts in lead crystal are precious and need to be handled with care, so if you are having them inscribed, which you have to do, then you will need to know how long it will take to get your consignment done and delivered.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with Waterford crystal vases. If you have an interest in Irish crystal or wedding rings, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

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February 17, 2010

Stained Glass Through The Ages

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: britain, celtic, crystal, gifts, glass, happiness, ireland, other, politics, religion, spirituality, traditions, Uncategorized, vases, waterford — Owen Jones @ 3:34 pm

No one actually knows when stained glass was first invented because it happened before people started recording history. However, some historians reckon that it was first used as a luxury in the homes of affluent Romans in the first century AD. Stained glass was eventually acclaimed as an art form in the fourth century as Christians started to worship candidly and to construct elaborate churches in which to celebrate their religion.

On the other hand, some historians show that there are remnants in ancient ruins that suggest that pagans employed stained glass in their rites. Although we will probably never really know the start of stained glass, it is pretty clear that the proliferation of Christianity is directly connected with the spread of use of stained glass.

The Gothic Era commenced in the 12th Century and stained glass windows became an essential element in the design of cathedrals. It really all started with the pioneering style of the St. Denis, France, where stained glass windows were used to convey light into the church itself and into the minds of its worshipers. Sadly, most of the stained glass in the St. Denis Cathedral was destroyed in the course of the French Revolution, but there are a few pieces left and even some complete windows on exhibit in Europe.

Gothic style stained glass was composed of strong lines, but these gradually went out of fashion as the Renaissance commenced. During the Renaissance, artisans showed greater detail and more delicate colouring in order to add to the realism. Stained glass windows became more like paintings on glass than architectural elements and some of the notable elements such as lead lines disappeared. Because of the problems in expressing the great detail essential to the Renaissance era, the old style, which was true stained glass almost died out.

In view of the fact that stained glass was used mostly by the Catholic Church, much of the work was smashed during the reign of King Henry VIII after his split with the Pope. However, not only old stained glass windows were damaged, but many of the glass making works were sabotaged as well. However, religious turmoil was not the only cause of the decline of stained glass.

The fashion of the Baroque era was for more detailed murals, which meant the use of clear glass. Therefore, many of the remaining stained glass windows were allowed to fall into disrepair, and furthermore not many new stained glass windows were produced. In the late 17th century, the public mood returned to the Gothic style of architecture, which produced a renewed fascination in stained glass windows.

Artisans still tried to paint directly onto the glass at first, but later tried to imitate the old leaden frames of medieval times. However, since the earlier methods had not been used for such a long time, they had grown to be forgotten and the artisans of the period were unable to reconstruct the exact designs used in Gothic stained glass.

During the 19th century, La Farge and Tiffany created new variations of stained glass. La Farge was interested in window designs, while Tiffany went into new areas like the Tiffany lamp shade.

Nowadays, stained glass artists are not limited by religious doctrines, although much of the work they do involves restoration. Modern stained glass is also used as the centre pane in front doors, especially uPVC doors, by rich and poor equally in the West.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with Waterford crystal vases. If you have an interest in Irish crystal or wedding rings, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

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February 9, 2010

Celtic Weddings

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: britain, culture, dating, divorce, family, happiness, love, marriage, other, politics, religion, spirituality, traditions, Uncategorized, weddings — Owen Jones @ 2:22 pm

Celtic wedding are an perfect way of showing your being a Celt. It is also a way of incorporating traditional values, symbols, themes and customs into major events in your life. However, Celtic wedding are hugely popular not only among people with a Celtic tradition, but among other couples who are taken by the ancient Celtic culture.

Celtic wedding have traditional symbolic motifs, often based on the Celtic knot. Welsh, Irish and Scottish families will sometimes marry in ancient buildings like castles or old manors, but that is not the standard. A traditional Celtic wedding is not greatly different from a normal British wedding in a lot of ways.

However, the number of similarities between Celtic wedding traditions and normal British-style weddings goes a lot further than that. If you want a traditional British style wedding, you will be going unsuspectingly for a Celtic wedding. But you can beef up the Celtic element of the wedding ceremony even further without sinking into silly theatrics.

This is a traditional Celtic poem about when to marry:

Marry when the year is new, Always loving, kind and true.

When February birds do mate, You may wed, nor dread your fate.

If you wed when March winds blow, Joy and sorrow both you’ll know.

Marry in April when you can, Joy for maiden and for man.

Marry in the month of May, You will surely rue the day.

Marry when June roses blow, Over land and sea you’ll go.

They who in July do wed, Must labour always for their bread.

Whoever wed in August be, Many a change are sure to see.

Marry in September’s shine, Your living will be rich and fine.

If in October you do marry, Love will come but riches tarry.

If you wed in bleak November, Only joy will come, remember.

When December’s showers fall fast, Marry and true love will last.

Here are a few other traditions:

Loving Cup: The traditional cup is a two-handled bowl with Celtic designs engraved onto it. The idea of the Loving Cup ceremony is for the bride and groom to share their first drink together as husband and wife and to demonstrate the coming together of their two families.

The Bell of Truce: A bell is blessed and then presented to the bride and groom. The couple is required to ring the bell, while thinking tender thoughts of each other. The bell is then kept at home as a token of the wedding day. If an argument arises, the bell can be rung by either the husband or wife to call a truce. The tinkling sound is meant to remind the couple of their wedding vows and to help them recall happy memories from their wedding day.

Handfasting: Early Celts used to ?tie the knot?. It originates from a pre-Christian custom of literally tying a couple’s wrists together in a form of probationary marriage lasting a year and a day, at the end of which a new agreement was made or the couple parted ways.

Bride’s Bouquet: In Celtic wedding traditions brides carried herbs beneath their veils to symbolize fidelity, and spices to ward off evil spirits.

Ring finger: Ancient Celts thought that there was a vein in the third finger of the left hand that ran directly to the heart, so ring placed on that finger denoted a strong love and vow to the other.

Wedding cake: A thin loaf was cracked over the bride’s head at the end of the ceremony to indicate fertility. The wheat from which it was made symbolized fertility and the guests enthusiastically picked up the pieces as good luck charms.

It was also common for the Celtic groom to throw a handful of coins into the crowd after the wedding, in the belief that this would bring them good fortune in the years ahead.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with theCeltic Knot wedding ring. If you have an interest in wedding rings too, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

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February 7, 2010

Wedding Rings

The practice of giving and wearing a wedding ring dates back thousands of years. A wedding ring symbolizes faithfulness and love between two people and are given on the day of a couple joining forces. Before the time that the knowledge of how to work metal became widely known, people used such things as plants, grass and even hair to ‘tie the knot’, which is what I think a wedding ring stands for.

These days a typical wedding ring might be made from valuable metals such as gold, titanium, platinum or even white gold. Women’s wedding rings often hold a diamond, although sapphires are rapidly becoming more prevalent. Men’s wedding rings are often just a plain band of gold. There are many distinctive styles of wedding rings, but the most popular for men is definitely the plain gold band.

For those who want something a bit more flamboyant, there are plenty of examples on the market. A man might want a more ostentatious wedding ring, because it is often the only piece of jewellery that a man wears. Some alternatives to the plain band of gold are the Celtic Knot and the Claddagh gold rings.

It is important for men’s wedding rings to be made from a robust alloy of gold. Most men do physical labour of one kind or another, even if it is only gardening, so it is a lot to ask of a pure gold wedding ring to last thirty or forty years.

A 14 or 18 carat gold ring will probably do it, but a 22 carat ring would not. It would just wear away because it is too pure and consequently too soft. Platinum or titanium are much harder, although most people prefer gold.

In most countries tradition dictates that people wear their wedding ring on their left hand, although in a few countries such as Germany, Russia and Norway, people wear their wedding ring on the right hand.

Some couples would rather have a unique wedding ring and that is not so difficult to achieve as it might first appear to be. The easiest way to personalize your ring is to have an inscription like names and a date engraved on it.

Another way, would be to buy a precious stone separately and have the jeweller set it into the ring for you. The best alternative though is to find a jeweller you can trust and have him or her make up a pair of matching rings to your own design. I have done that and it is not a lot more expensive than a good ring.

Wearing matching wedding rings is a notable experience. People notice that your ring is ’something different’ and many people ask, where you got them from. It all goes to help make that special day unforgettable for ever.

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January 29, 2010

Gold Wedding And Engagement Rings

The most frequently used element for wedding rings and engagement rings is gold. White gold is even more elite. Gold wedding rings look good whether the design is just a simple, basic band or an engraved ring like a Celtic Knot. Gold rings can be given on other occasions as well of course. Some people give their children a gold ring for their coming of age birthday.

Until not so long ago, it was customary for the man to give a gold ring when he asked for his girlfriend’s hand in matrimony. However, nowadays it is more usual for the couple to go shopping for the engagement or wedding ring together. This makes good sense, even if it is less romantic, because the wearer can get the design that she likes.

Gold symbolizes purity in many cultures and that is one of the reasons why it is given to brides and brides to be. The symbolism is all but lost though in today’s consumer society in the West. For many people though it still symbolizes the hope that they will stay true to each other, until the day they die. It is a way of showing that the wearer has taken vows and intends to stick to them.

There is a huge variety of gold rings available. However, the variety lies not only in the design but also in the purity of the gold. Naturally, the purer the gold, the more expensive it is. In the UK, most gold rings are either 9 or 18 carat. In the USA, most gold rings are 14 carat, but in Thailand, not many people would buy gold that is less than 18 carat and 22 carat is the norm for women. Pure gold is 24 carat, however pure gold is so malleable that you can mould it with your bare hands.

This might sound fine, but it is not. A 24 carat gold ring goes out of shape every few hours, just by you doing what you do every day and then it can pinch your skin. Opening a door can buckle the ring. This means that you can not set stones in pure gold, because they would soon fall out. Pure gold rings are best not even engraved because the design would soon rub off.

Therefore, the best place to begin, if you want a gold ring, is to think about what style you want. Do you want precious stones set into it? Then you should not really go above 18 carat. If you cannot afford 18 carat then 9 or 14 carat is for you. If you want something like a Celtic Knot ring, that is one with an engraved pattern, then anything up to 18 carat for you too, depending on your finances. If you want a pain band of gold, then a thick ring of 22 carat gold would be great, but not if you do a lot of labor-intensive work.

If you really want something special, why not have a gold ring crafted to your own design? It is not so expensive as you might think and you will end up with something unique, especially if you provide your own stone to be polished too. Such a gold ring would become a family heirloom and could stay in the family for generations.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with theCeltic Knot wedding ring. If you have an interest in wedding rings too, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

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January 28, 2010

Saving Money In The Sales

Everyone loves to take advantage of the reduced prices during the holiday sales. In fact, the best day to go looking for special offers is the day after the actual holiday is over.

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving and it is the busiest shopping day of the year. You will get enormous savings, but you will have to get up early, be ready to queue and jostle.

Another example is jewellery and St Valentine?s Day. Many men buy their wives or girlfriends jewellery during this period as a St Valentine?s Day gift. However, in the weeks after St Valentine?s Day, you can save a minimum of 30% on the very same pieces of jewellery that were on sale a week before. This is a clear indication that we are being hood-winked on these holiday occasions and that we should wait until the actual holiday is over.

OK, it may not seem so romantic to wait, but it must be preferable to be able to get 30% more gold for your money or to give the same gift, but be able to go for a meal too. If I were a woman, I know which alternative I would choose!

Or, instead of a nice silver or gold ring, you would be able to afford gold instead of silver or white gold instead of yellow. You could get a exquisite Celtic knot or a Claddagh ring instead of a simple band.

Striking Easter outfits are also expensive before Easter. However, why not buy the items you want after Easter and either make use of them next year or use them for parties, exceptional occasions or church? You can save a bundle of money in this way, just by using a little forward planning.

In order to help cut down on how much money you spend on Christmas gifts, why not try buying them all year long as and when you find something nice in the sales? How many times have you come across something in a sale and said to yourself: ‘that would be the perfect gift for so-and-so’? It is better to take advantage of these opportunities and keep the items aside for when the right event comes up.

Then there are those post Christmas sales too. The Boxing Day sales are a great opportunity to pick up items that you can give as gifts later in the year. And why not buy something for yourself too while you are at it? You can save a fortune on your favourite scents. Buy enough to last you the rest of the year!

You can make your funds go a lot further if you take advantage of the post holiday sales. Rely on serendipity. Buy opportunistically and you will not only save yourself a lot of money, but you will never be stuck for a gift at the last minute either.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with theCeltic Knot wedding ring. If you have an interest in wedding rings too, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

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