Why Gold Jewelry for Personal Use

I am grateful to have worked in one of the well respected company based in the metropolis which is engaged in making and  selling finely handcrafted jewels made of gold and silver for a couple of years.  This had given me a firsthand basic knowledge on gold jewel processing and witnessed the interesting and intricate stages of turning a plain metal into a lovely finished product.

Gold is a precious metal that does not rust, does not change in quality of appearance and does not wear away  by frequent use and passage of  time.  It is likewise not affected by depreciation for its value appreciates over  time and is considered a good and secure investment.  Using this as basic material for a jewelry piece increases its value further.  A finely crafted jewel made of gold is a lasting work of art and deemed by the owners particularly women as moral boasters and confidence up lifters.  Despite the fact that it is expensive compared to other ornaments made from other materials yet owning one is worth the price due to its beauty and durability plus the continuous  increase in its worth.  Intricately and finely crafted ones are generally considered by many as their most precious and treasured personal collections and some very fine unique pieces owned by elite and royalties are handed down from generations to generations as heirlooms.

Value of gold jewels is appraised primarily based on the karat the setting is made of, the weight, and the quality of workmanship plus the worth of precious stones if there is.  Pure gold is classified as 24 karat and thus the number of karat of a particular piece represents the percentage of gold content of said item.  Example an 18k ring setting means that eighteen parts or 75% of total mixture is gold and six parts or 25% is alloy which is composed of other metals cheaper than gold.  A 14k gold bracelet means fourteen parts or 58.33% of its total mixture is gold and ten or 41.67% is alloy. Common alloy used in making gold jewels are silver and copper. 

In acquiring a piece of gold jewelry for personal use and investment set importance on quality which is primarily determined by these three facets:

• The gold karat as this determines the sturdiness of the setting.   Twenty four karat gold is soft but resilient hence it is not suitable for a jewelry piece as this could be easily deformed.  Observe how a  22k gold ring or earring if used regularly  have a propensity to be out of shape particularly if the setting is thin, that is this mixture is still pliable hence, not suitable to be used as a personal accessory  if intended to be worn regularly.   For me 22k is only good for pieces intended for display and not for daily body adornment.  The ideal setting for a gold ornament intended for frequent use is 18k or 14k as settings crafted from either of these mixtures is strong enough and could not be easily deformed particularly if you want your items set with precious stones. 
• The item’s design plays a great part too as this is considered a personality enhancer hence choose one that fits your style and will supplement your beauty.  Select a design that will be fashionable for a very long time.  You can seek the advice of your jeweler if you’re not so sure on this aspect
• Craftsmanship is likewise important as a finely made ornament compliments the individuality and taste of the wearer.   An exquisitely  made  jewel  also command a higher price since someone with an eye for  fine jewels would not have second thoughts in choosing  a quality work  creation over  a rough one of the same carat, weight, and design notwithstanding the price difference.

Gold ornaments does not only improve one’s image and lift up the wearer’s spirit  but also affords him to be in possession of an investment that will last long after  his  lifetime.

Life In A Jam-packed Government Office

This is a  personal observations of activities inside a crammed government office in an ordinary working day.

I have to submit a filled up form needed to update my personal records in a specific government office.  This is to facilitate the verification process relating to inquiry on my benefit claims with the said office.  This action was instigated when an ATM card issued under my account for this purpose had been cancelled.  

And this is what transpired in the process.

Day 1 – I assessed what would be the best  initial step to do, to inquire from the bank the reason behind the cancellation of my card or check with the government office first.  I opted for the latter hence, I proceeded to the concerned government  office to check why.  I  discussed  with the employee at the reception desk  the nature of my concern.  He explained that there is no need to check with the bank as instruction came from their office to suspend bank transactions in line with their records updating process. He then gave me a form to fill up and advised me to return next day as they had already issued sufficient numbers to clients who could be served for the day.

Day 2 – When I came back the following day the office is already overflowing with people.  I proceeded to the reception to ask for a number but when he checked my filled up form he instructed me to attached  a back to back photocopy of two valid Identification Cards which at the moment I had none.  My initial reaction was  to ask why this was not advised to me yesterday when I was given the form. This should have saved me time and effort  for I should have brought these requirements had I been told about it  but decided  to keep mum and left to procure these additional requirement.  It is good that I have my ID’s in my wallet and it took me almost thirty minutes to come back. This time I was given number 165 and I joined the queue of people waiting to be attended to.  I reported back at about ten thirty AM and was able to took my turn at about past two o clock PM.  That is almost four hours of waiting only to be told that there is nothing to be updated in my records as everything is in order.  The employee in charge then instructed me to check with the bank as there is no problem with my account.  Honestly I really don’t know what I had felt at that precise moment and since there is no more reason to further waste my time there I went to the bank to check.  It turned out that the bank had somewhat misclassified my account and they immediately reactivated it.

On the course of the waiting period in this office these are what I have observed:

• Insufficient staff to attend to members’ needs.  Additional staff would have made processing of transactions faster and thus minimise cases of people coming back the following day due to  lack of staff to serve them for the day.
• Some members upon submission of their documents were instructed to come back again due to incompleteness of requirements.  This could be minimized or avoided by a detailed checklist attached to every form to guide applicants/members on the needed requirements.

To sum up, I think it would be beneficial both to the employees and clients if our government offices would speed up the processing of documents by studying closely the area that needs to be improved.   Conducting an observations based on the “clients point of view”  on their existing policies and procedures would help them  identify bleak areas  that will enable them to implement measures and thus enhance the quality of their service.

Lament of A Weary Heart

Lord I feel so alone and lonely

Emptiness and gloom now shroud my soul

Aware that I’ve been so uncaring in so many ways

A worthless and defiant child who refused to heed your incessant calls

Lord I am so weak and shattered

By the world’s perfidious and beguiling ways

Which sucked up my strength and misted up my senses

The shackles that bounded me and pulled me down to my knees  

Lord please hear this hapless child's plea  

Enfold my restless psyche with your compassion

Open my eyes and touch and heal my callous heart

And let me feel the contentment, peace and security of your affection       

Lord, let me walk with you again

Take away my foolishness and selfish desires

Fill me up with your spiritual courage, strength and wisdom 

To be my gears and shield to overcome temptations and combat troubles

                                 

Lord, into your hands I now surrender

My fears, sorrows,   pains, my whole existence

Anxieties, greed and smugness had smashed my spirit

Blighted my acuity and showed my unworthiness beyond your kindness and love

Let this supplication be not too late

In begging for your forgiveness and mercy

Let your divine guidance and all powerful affection Oh Lord

Be my key into your kingdom and authorization to enjoy eternal grandeur

And this our Almighty God and Father

You’ve made possible for us to access

Through the sacrifice of your Son Jesus

Our Redeemer Who reigns with you forever.

Supporting Someone to Overpower Depression

Depression is defined as a mental state characterized by prolonged and disproportionate feeling of sadness, apathy, low-self esteem and despair.   This is a malady picking on persons of all ages, regardless of sex and race.   I am sharing these tips and ideas based on a “layman’s point of view” hoping this would help break the shackles of hopelessness and relive a more peaceful life.

This emotional state is triggered off by a myriad of causes.  Perhaps topping the list is failed relationships, then financial difficulties, physical flaws, failures in life, social inequity, and countless factors that lessen one’s zest to live.

A person is apparently suffering from this disorder if he: 

-       Is always suspicious of most people and everything around him.

-       Is always irritable and quick to anger

-       Finds it hard to get sleep or sleeps most of the time

-       Lacks appetite or has resorted to eating as a past time

-       Is either losing weight or gaining more weight  by the day

-       Is apt to notice more of the negative side of things and finds it difficult to appreciate the beauty of people and the goodness in most situations

-       Is prone to sickness and has a poor mental concentration

As the person sees himself as useless and hopeless it is all the more difficult to deal with him.  He may construe well meaning advises and attentions in a negative way hence extra care should be exercised.  

Thus to help him heal from his anxiety we need to:

-      Extend utmost understanding and patience

-      Let him feel that he is loved, important and needed

-      Help him realize his talents and positive traits and the benefits of putting these into use.

-      Help him find therapeutic activities like engaging in sports, hobbies and art that will help calm down his nerves and drive away his attention from his concerns and worries

-      Help him reach out to people

-      Make him understand the importance of seeking  psychiatric help (in worst cases)

Depression is not only self destruction but also devastation of people attached to the victim.   Strive to put meaning into his life again.  And, help him turn to God for strength and guidance.  Faith has changed countless lives for the better and our Lord is just a prayer away call on Him if you must.

A Martyr Wife’s Limitations

We have been hearing cases and were witnesses too to how wives endure physical, emotional and mental pains commonly due to the same old and overused reason that “they want to keep the marriage intact for the sake of the children.”

Sounds rational but, what do you think of these cases?

Ana has totally accepted that she could not keep her husband away from his other woman and maybe afraid too that her husband would rather give her up than this woman she has treated the situation as a normal routine of their family life.  What’s repulsive is, she and her children are financially deprived but the other woman is living comfortably courtesy of her husband.

Levy is a working mom who in her desire to make things easier and comfortable for the family hired a household help to take up on household chores only to discover months later that it was her husband’s physical  needs that she had mostly taken care of.  Result, verbal tussle which turned to physical abuse when she confronted him on this and her husband pointed the blame on her for his immoral involvement with the household helper.  And from then on she has become a dysfunctional wife to her husband as she could not do most things right in his eyes.

Another case is that of someone whose husband turned alcoholic after the birth of their second child.  Since then, her husband’s daily concern is that he has ample supply of his favourite concoctions and she had to take care of the family’s daily subsistence including the educational needs of their children.   As she is more of the quiet type it seems that she had already adapted to this arrangement to avoid arguments or squabbles in their home.

There are countless and varying cases that showcase how women bear these physical, emotional and mental abuses.  However, despite these agonies some wives would rather prefer to remain subservient to their husbands’ wishes and caprices  for:   

• They  hope that their  husband will reform and there will be a happy ending.
• They consider their husbands as lifeline to cling to thinking that life would be more hopeless without him.
• Some claims that they are not ready yet to face the world alone or as a single parent but until when will they be ready?

Marriage is a partnership and for it to succeed it is vital that both parties have to contribute to make it flourish.  It is not a one sided affair where only one party is needed to keep the relationship afloat.

Wives are humans with intellect and emotions.  Sometimes however in the mayhem of physical and mental anguish they forgot to draw on intellect and let emotions take control.  They need to realize that they have a life of their own to take care of and lives of their children to protect.  They should try to be realistic and analyze and recognize the loopholes in their marital relationship. It is important for the wife to redeem her self esteem and thus realize that she can still be an effective and productive person who can do something to change and improve herself and her present situation.  She should believe in herself  and determine if until when will she and her children suffer.  Only she and no one else could fight and triumph over her own depression.   

She needs to overcome hopelessness through :  

• Assessing her skills and strengths and everything positive about her;  
• Counting the blessings she has and those she expects will still be coming;  
• Talking to people she can trust and knows that will always be by her side; 
• Recalling the joys and achievements she have had when her husband was not yet a part of her life;  
• Always saving  something for herself.

To moms in distress, Life is beautiful and you have to appreciate it by your own eyes and not through the eyes of someone else.  Be the strength and hope of your children and prove to yourself  for their sake that you can stand firmly  with your own two feet. Again, life is good if you want it to be and coupled with faith in God it will be better - just push a little harder.