Benefits of Jewelry Appraisal

It is always a good idea to have your jewelry appraised especially if it’s an expensive piece and the sooner you do it the better. This is however different if the jewelry came with its own appraisal. Jewelry appraisal is an unbiased professional assessment of your jewelry’s value. The appraiser will come up with a specific figure depending on the condition, material used, the setting, gemstones if any and their characteristics. Benefits of having an appraisal are numerous, they include;

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Insurance

If you have a high value jewelry, you definitely need to take an insurance policy for it. This will protect you in case it gets lost or stolen. Your insurance company will need an appraisal from a reliable appraiser so as to get its value and premiums. The insurance company will also require you to have an updated appraisal from time to time depending on their policy.

Detailed information

When an appraisal is done, a detailed description of the jewelry is usually done. You will be given the written document that contains all the intricate information pertaining to your piece. The appraisal will also describe how the process of valuation was arrived at. This will come in handy in identifying your piece should it get lost and found.

Knowledge is power

You don’t need to have your jewelry appraised only when selling it. It can be done just so you have knowledge on what exactly you have. This information is important for you and you will better understand its value, origin and unique characteristics.

Better deal

A genuine appraisal is important when you decide to sell your piece of jewelry that you probably don’t wear anymore. You will need to have an unbiased valuation in order to get the correct and current value for your piece. With this information, you are in a position to cut the best deal since you know the value of your jewelry. The valuation of pieces with rare stones or gems like diamond will be higher than the common ones. 

Peace of mind

After purchasing that shiny ring with a huge stone on it, it is normal to want a second opinion on its quality and market price. You will be at peace knowing you were not duped and its value is close to what you paid for it.

Updated assessment

Over time, your jewelry with prolonged use may suffer some form of damage. The stones and clasps may become loose without your knowledge. By getting them appraised, such damages will be brought to your attention hence mitigating further damages and appropriate repairs done. An updated assessment will also provide you with an estimation of the current market valuation of your jewelry. This should be done every five years to keep up with the roller-coaster value on different gemstones, gold and diamond. 

Now that you are aware of the importance of having your jewelry appraised, you can have it done but with by a jeweler that you trust. They should have the necessary credentials and certified by a recognized authority. You can also your jewelry appraised at the store that you bought it from. Be sure to ask if they offer such services and if not then you can have it done elsewhere. Bottom line is, having your jewelry appraised is recommended and you will be glad you did it.

Importance of Research Paper Writing

As a student, you are most likely to find 100+ reasons why research papers are a pain in the neck. Students find them as a burden, and always postpone for the last moment when all deadlines are on fire. As a result, they have poor grades, procrastination, and even more hatred regarding the papers. Some of you can deal with them with the help of research paper writing help offered by professional services. While others try to cultivate love and learn the tips toward mastering the research paper. This guide will share with you the importance of such assignments, and the benefits you acquire when doing them.

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Key Reasons Why Research Paper Writing Is Necessary

First off, you should understand that every assignment can be a burden when you do not possess discipline. Yes, if you cannot control your timing, setting goals and delivering tasks with no trouble, you will always lag behind others. A research paper is just another exercise to help you build that discipline. As of now, it is possible to speak of the following important benefits of the research papers.

#1 Boosted Reading Skills

A research paper is not an essay where you are given complete freedom to share your own considerations, and thoughts. It stands for the research and investigation of other materials, and evidence. Therefore, you have to read a lot, pretty much. On some occasions, the investigation may take days to find the golden mean with information to put in the college paper. So, as a result, you boost your speed of reading and finding key arguments.

#2 Boosted Writing Skills

Alongside reading, it is a good practice of your writing skills, with no doubt. First, you spend time writing your brainstormed ideas. After that, you spend some time outlining the structure of your paper. Finally, you compose a final paper for the submission draft. During long hours of writing, you come across mistakes on which you work, and improve your vocabulary, and just language style. 

#3 Competition Sense

Research papers can be also considered as an exercise for achieving your goals. If you fail to write it and order it with a professional writing help company, it is one thing. Yet, when you fail but continue writing, it helps to minimize your weaknesses. Further on, it helps with other assignments like projects, reports, dissertations, and believe us, even CVs for being recruited. You know how to write about yourself the way you stand out.

#4 You Learn the Basics of Scholarly Writing

If you plan to study for Master’s, Doctor’s degrees, you will come across more complex projects and assignments. By writing research papers on a regular basis, you understand the main requirements and rules. You know how to create citations and bibliographies. You understand how to insert quotes or facts and manipulate them with other academic materials. The same concerns your knowledge about investigating materials for one’s persuasion or encouragement.

#5 Knowledge about Many Subjects

Another importance of research papers is that you acquire new knowledge. You cannot always be assigned to topics of your interest. On some occasions, a professor may give you a theme that is super complicated and boring. But, to make it interesting, you do one thing – you find with it interesting facts, or better to say a bright side. It all leads to the acknowledgment of new evidence and branches of certain fields and disciplines. 

#6 You Learn More about Your Individuality

Such assignments help one understand who they are. It is not a psychological trick but just an approach to see how you cope with tasks, difficulties, and management of time and requirements. Beyond that, you may learn how you deal with creativity with boring and trite research paper topics. 

#7 Develop Critical Thinking

If you want to master the skill of critical thinking, you should definitely come across research papers. Such assignments cannot be biased or objective. You work with a load of previously researched materials, and try to find a pool for your own considerations. You understand what can be said and what should be avoided. Moreover, it helps to understand why one or another topic is important for society or you particularly.

#8 You Learn to Engage with Others

If you have a very difficult topic that you cannot cope with without the engagement of the professor or friends, it is also a good strategy to boost your communication skills. Logically to assume, your professor won’t provide you with 100 tips on completing the paper but may direct you. While your friends, thanks to your negotiations, may also hint at the best writing strategies. 

#9 Boosted Grades

It is a normal practice for students to take extra assignments. Based on professional essay writing help experts, many of those who work part-time struggle to deliver all papers on time, and want to improve their grades afterwards. So, by asking a professor for a research paper, you can boost your grade.

#10 Boosted Confidence

Finally, research papers are not the easiest as was hinted above. So, it takes much effort, and time from you to deliver a paper on time and flawlessly. When you are done with writing, you can experience unbelievable relief and satisfaction. It then helps you to take any task easy without any fear. However, you should not think that only a research paper is a key to self-confidence. 

So, research papers are a real thing. Believing a lot of research paper writing services, it is one of the most ordered tasks from students because they simply cannot find enough time to complete them. Beyond that, some academic writing help companies say that exactly this assignment is something that greatly spoils their motivations for studying. Therefore, when you do not lose all your motivation and inspiration for the education, proceed with mastering research paper writing tips. You can do it, and avoid turning to a designated reliable essay writing service.

Impact of Covid19 on mental health

Fear, worry, and stress are normal responses to perceived or real threats, and at times when we are faced with uncertainty or the unknown. So it is normal and understandable that people are experiencing fear in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Added to the fear of contracting the virus in a pandemic such as COVID-19 are the significant changes to our daily lives as our movements are restricted in support of efforts to contain and slow down the spread of the virus. Faced with new realities of working from home, temporary unemployment, home-schooling of children, and lack of physical contact with other family members, friends and colleagues, it is important that we look after our mental, as well as our physical, health.

WHO, together with partners, is providing guidance and advice during the COVID-19 pandemic for health workers, managers of health facilities, people who are looking after children, older adults, people in isolation and members of the public more generally, to help us look after our mental health.

As the coronavirus pandemic rapidly sweeps across the world, it is inducing a considerable degree of fear, worry and concern in the population at large and among certain groups in particular, such as older adults, care providers and people with underlying health conditions.

In public mental health terms, the main psychological impact to date is elevated rates of stress or anxiety. But as new measures and impacts are introduced – especially quarantine and its effects on many people’s usual activities, routines or livelihoods – levels of loneliness, depression, harmful alcohol and drug use, and self-harm or suicidal behaviour are also expected to rise.

In populations already heavily affected, such as Lombardy in Italy, issues of service access and continuity for people with developing or existing mental health conditions are also now a major concern, along with the mental health and well-being of frontline workers.

As part of its public health response, WHO has worked with partners to develop a set of new materials on the mental health and psychosocial support aspects of COVID-19.

Self-care strategies

Self-care strategies are good for your mental and physical health and can help you take charge of your life. Take care of your body and your mind and connect with others to benefit your mental health.

Take care of your body

Be mindful about your physical health:

  • Get enough sleep. Go to bed and get up at the same times each day. Stick close to your typical schedule, even if you’re staying at home.
  • Participate in regular physical activity. Regular physical activity and exercise can help reduce anxiety and improve mood. Find an activity that includes movement, such as dance or exercise apps. Get outside in an area that makes it easy to maintain distance from people, such as a nature trail or your own backyard.
  • Eat healthy. Choose a well-balanced diet. Avoid loading up on junk food and refined sugar. Limit caffeine as it can aggravate stress and anxiety.
  • Avoid tobacco, alcohol and drugs. If you smoke tobacco or if you vape, you’re already at higher risk of lung disease. Because COVID-19 affects the lungs, your risk increases even more. Using alcohol to try to cope can make matters worse and reduce your coping skills. Avoid taking drugs to cope, unless your doctor prescribed medications for you.
  • Limit screen time. Turn off electronic devices for some time each day, including 30 minutes before bedtime. Make a conscious effort to spend less time in front of a screen — television, tablet, computer and phone.
  • Relax and recharge. Set aside time for yourself. Even a few minutes of quiet time can be refreshing and help to quiet your mind and reduce anxiety. Many people benefit from practices such as deep breathing, tai chi, yoga or meditation. Soak in a bubble bath, listen to music, or read or listen to a book — whatever helps you relax. Select a technique that works for you and practice it regularly.

Take care of your mind

Reduce stress triggers:

  • Keep your regular routine. Maintaining a regular schedule is important to your mental health. In addition to sticking to a regular bedtime routine, keep consistent times for meals, bathing and getting dressed, work or study schedules, and exercise. Also set aside time for activities you enjoy. This predictability can make you feel more in control.
  • Limit exposure to news media. Constant news about COVID-19 from all types of media can heighten fears about the disease. Limit social media that may expose you to rumors and false information. Also limit reading, hearing or watching other news, but keep up to date on national and local recommendations. Look for reliable sources, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
  • Stay busy. A distraction can get you away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed anxiety and depression. Enjoy hobbies that you can do at home, identify a new project or clean out that closet you promised you’d get to. Doing something positive to manage anxiety is a healthy coping strategy.
  • Focus on positive thoughts. Choose to focus on the positive things in your life, instead of dwelling on how bad you feel. Consider starting each day by listing things you are thankful for. Maintain a sense of hope, work to accept changes as they occur and try to keep problems in perspective.
  • Use your moral compass or spiritual life for support. If you draw strength from a belief system, it can bring you comfort during difficult times.
  • Set priorities. Don’t become overwhelmed by creating a life-changing list of things to achieve while you’re home. Set reasonable goals each day and outline steps you can take to reach those goals. Give yourself credit for every step in the right direction, no matter how small. And recognize that some days will be better than others.

Connect with others

Build support and strengthen relationships:

  • Make connections. If you need to stay at home and distance yourself from others, avoid social isolation. Find time each day to make virtual connections by email, texts, phone, or FaceTime or similar apps. If you’re working remotely from home, ask your co-workers how they’re doing and share coping tips. Enjoy virtual socializing and talking to those in your home.
  • Do something for others. Find purpose in helping the people around you. For example, email, text or call to check on your friends, family members and neighbors — especially those who are elderly. If you know someone who can’t get out, ask if there’s something needed, such as groceries or a prescription picked up, for instance. But be sure to follow CDC, WHO and your government recommendations on social distancing and group meetings.
  • Support a family member or friend. If a family member or friend needs to be isolated for safety reasons or gets sick and needs to be quarantined at home or in the hospital, come up with ways to stay in contact. This could be through electronic devices or the telephone or by sending a note to brighten the day, for example.

Adapting marketing to the new economy

Companies in 21st century have to adapt to ever changing environment. At present, companies represent a curious mix of old as well as the new economy. A great deal of research has already been done with respect to the old economy, but for the new economy, companies are learning it rather hard way. Companies have to choose elements from old and new economy wisely as to build a business model which would bring value to the company.

Technology revolution, globalization and market deregulation factors are among many sculpting the new economy. These 3 factors interact with each other at different levels creating the driving force for the new economy. The old economy was full of analog devices, which were running on a continuous signal wave, for example, gramophone records. In today’s world systems and devices are running on digital technology where information is carried in ones and zeroes. However, this digital information cannot be exchanged between devices without connectivity through wire or wireless networks. This connectivity is achieved through intranet, extranet and internet.

Internet allowed players like Yahoo, Amazon, ebay to offer products like music, books, apparel, etc. directly to customers. This move de-stabilized the traditional distributors and retailers causing some to shut down their business. However, some of the players developed online portals to offer their products and services which in turn de-stabilized new online players. Some of the old players were successful with help of their brand strength and poor business models of pure online players.

In the old economy focus was only on standardization, mass production and singular marketing policy. However, with the amount of information available in the new economy, companies are best at understanding consumers. This better understanding has led to customized products, a shift from standardization. However, this customization has its drawbacks not only for companies but also for customer. Companies find it difficult to maintain the cost level for customized products to register profit. Customization is impossible for products, which require complex industrial engineering. Customer does not know real product appearance until it fully completed and also return policy is not there in customization.

The new functioning of economy has changed the way companies approach their business. Companies are looking forward to expanding across market segments to get maximum market share while keeping focus strictly on customer needs. For these companies are making organizational changes where departments are developed to manage a segment rather than a product. Companies are looking forward to developing consumer based brand equity to foster long term relation. Companies are coming up with products, which perform superior than consumer expectation there by creating a strong brand while the earlier branding task was accomplished through advertising. Companies are treating employees, distribution channel, and suppliers as their business partner and not customer.

Since companies have changed the way they function in the new economy, it is imperative that marketing practices also adapt. As consumers are looking forward going online for major of their purchase, businesses are looking towards electronic commerce (e-commerce) as a way forward. Research has shown online users usually buy music, software, books, apparel, etc. rather than goods like automobiles, house, etc. Business buyers are also coming online as well as suppliers, thereby substantially reducing the establishment cost. E-Commerce has also open doors for customer to customer relation through social networking and community forums, in which experience and discussion are done with respect to products. Through internet consumers are able to provide faster feedback to companies with respect to products and services.

As businesses are moving online, the focus shifts to developing of web sites to provide reliable and correct experience to consumers. Web site design, maintenance and security are of paramount importance for creating a favorable impression on consumer. Online marketing and advertisement have got prominence in this internet age.

The new economy had brought forward challenges and opportunities not only for companies but also for consumer.

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu is an Indian weightlifter. She won the silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Women’s 49 kg.Mirabai Chanu has won the World Championships and multiple medals at the Commonwealth Games. She was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India for her contributions to the sport. 

Pride of India, Tokyo Olympics silver-medalist Mirabai Chanu stands a chance to be awarded the gold in the 49kg women’s weightlifting competition. China’s Hou Zhizhi, who bagged the gold in the category, has been asked to stay back in Tokyo for a dope test. If the latter fails the dope test, the Indian will be awarded the gold.

“She has been asked to stay in Tokyo and the test will be done. The test is definitely happening,” a source told ANI.

The Chinese had won the gold in the category by lifting a record weight of 210kg, and was eight kilograms ahead of the Indian lifter. On the other hand, Chanu had lifted 87kg in snatch and 115kg in clean and jerk category. The third spot went to Indonesia’s Windy Cantika, who lifted a total of 194 kg.

After the monumental effort of the Indian, News 18 Lokmat caught up with her who was lost for words after her historic performance in Tokyo. “I cannot explain in words how happy I’m feeling. I am feeling very proud, it’s our second medal in weightlifting. I want to thank the federation, my coach, family and all support system,” the 26-year-old said in an exclusive chat.

Mirabai further said her target was to win a medal at the Tokyo Games and hence she made several sacrifices to make her dream come true. “I have worked quite hard for this and made sacrifices. My target was to win a medal at Tokyo Olympic,” Mirabai said.

With this medal, Chanu had become the first Indian female to bag a medal in weightlifting after Karnam Malleshwari’s bronze-winning effort in the 69kg, back in Sydney 2020.

Apart from Chanu, it has been a disappointing show by the Indian athletes at large. Shooting, which was considered to fetch a few medal for the country; the athletes have crumbled under pressure.

5 Branding Styles for Your Business

You’ve come up with a great product or a unique service and now want to package it before presenting it to your target market. Branding will help you create a distinctive image and voice that will help set apart your products from those of the competition in the eyes of potential customers. There are a variety of ways through which you can achieve branding that will enhance your appeal to prospective buyers. 

1. Minimalistic

You may have heard the catchphrase “less is more.” You may have seen its application in the logos and websites of some of the world’s renowned businesses. Think of Nike’s simple swoosh or the overlapping red and orange circles synonymous with Mastercard. These simple symbols stick readily in one’s mind with fewer elements to focus on, especially when paired with equally simple slogans like “just do it.”

The minimalist design ethos can make your website more appealing to visitors. A site that welcomes visitors with a plain black or gray background and a few letters in large font in a contrasting color is more appealing than one that attacks your senses with multicolored media. Note that being minimalist doesn’t translate to being dull; you can keep it simple while still exciting the eye. The beauty of placing information against a plain background with clear lines and a simple color scheme is the reader can focus more on it and find what they need faster.

2. Artistic  

If you want your branding to appeal to the free-thinking, creative types, you’re better off using artistic imagery. An artsy logo will also serve you well if you’re in the creative field yourself. A hand-drawn logo will broaden a graphic designer’s appeal to potential customers than the dry capitalized letters favored by law firms and auditors. 

You can play around with creative branding elements to achieve the effect that will appeal most to your market niche. Incorporating 18th-century calligraphy and Roman numbers offer classic appeal to branding. Slapped on a bottle of whisky, it may prove attractive to successful executives in their 50s or 60s. Playful anime album cover art may enhance a musician’s appeal to teenagers or those in their early 20s.

3. Professional

Many elements go into creating a brand that will resonate with your business’s target market. If you have no marketing background, you may have to engage in extensive trial and error before you hit on a branding formula that works, even if you consider yourself a graphic design guru. There is much more to branding than designing a cute logo or an expensive website. 

Bringing on board professionals in this field will help you cut down the time it takes to develop a branding concept that will captivate the masses. Instead of reinventing the wheel, you will have people experienced in branding applying concepts they’ve seen working for others in the same line of business.

Besides helping you develop a brand that looks good, they will help you apply it consistently across the various platforms where your target audience will interact with it. Branding agencies in New York can help you conceive a professional-looking brand to appeal to your audience. The best part is that it will probably cost you less than just using trial and error.

4. Bold

If you want to set yourself apart from the competition, you may consider going for bold branding. Go for striking brand colors, a captivating logo, or a snappy, out-of-the-box tagline. However, even as you stretch the boundaries of your imagination, remember your aim is not simply to wow, but to connect with your target audience. 

Before you go all-out on that deep red symbol or those super-size fonts, it’s wise first to find out how your audience is likely to react to them. This is why it’s advised to conduct market research to get an idea of the likes and dislikes of the people consuming your branding. With freely available online tools such as Google Forms, gathering information from your target market should be easy and inexpensive. 

5. Nostalgic

One clever way to work your brand into the hearts and minds of the older generation is by using it to evoke cherished memories. From time to time, we want to relive the precious moments when we danced to our favorite songs, received a longed-for pair of sneakers, or enjoyed a family outing. With nostalgia marketing, you try to brand yourself in a way that allows your target market to rekindle those fond memories. This tactic has proven particularly effective when tapping into the millennial demographic.   

Make Your Customer the Hub

The fact that a particular marketing style works for one enterprise doesn’t mean it will automatically work for you. What will determine the form of branding that will be most effective for you will be your customers. Do your homework and discover their likes and dislikes before rolling out your branding.