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Hallmark
Is an official marking made by a trusted party, usually an assay office, on items made of precious metals (platinum, gold and silver) that guarantees a certain purity of the metal. This should not be confused with a marking, often just a number such as 925, which is done voluntarily by the manufacturer, and unfortunately does not always reflect the true purity of the metal. A hallmark is only applied after the item has been assayed to determine its purity. Often the hallmark is made up of several elements including: the type of metal, the maker and the year of the marking.
Polonaise
Polish: polonez, chodzony; Italian: polacca is a rather slow dance of Polish origin, in 3/4 time. Before Fryderyk Chopin, the polonaise had a rhythm quite close to that of the Swedish semiquaver or sixteenth-note polska, and the two dances have a common origin. From Chopin onward, the polonaise developed a very solemn style, and has in that version become very popular in the classical music of several countries. Polonaise is always a first dance at a studniówka (means: "hundred-days"), the Polish equivalent of the senior prom, which is ca. 100 days before exams. One fine example of a polonaise is the well-known 'Heroic' Polonaise in A flat major, Op.53. A masterpiece with exceptional pianistic demands, the paragon of such a piece can only be achieved by those with virtuosic skill. Chopin composed this polonaise as the dream of a powerful, victorious and prosperous Poland. Polonaise is a wide-spread dance on carnival parties. There is also a German song, called "Polonäse Blankenese" from Gottlieb Wendehals alias Werner Böhm, which is often played on carnival festivals in Germany about this dance.
Tom Clark
Is a Canadian television journalist. He is the Washington, DC bureau chief for CTV News, and a substitute anchor for the CTV National News.He was the first Canadian Journalist to ever interview U.S president george w. Bush one on one. Clark comes from a family of journalists. His great-grandfather Joseph T. Clark was editor of Saturday Night, his grandfather was a reporter for the Toronto Stars, his father was the founder of Canada NewsWire, and his grand-uncle Gregory Clark was an acclaimed writer and journalist.
Royal Doulton Company
Is a quintessentially English name in tableware and collectables with a pedigree dating back to 1815. Today, its offers a full range of lifestyle choices including dinnerware, giftware, cookware, porcelain, glassware, collectables, jewellery, linens, curtains, lighting, and more.Its three key brands are: Royal Doulton for British quality, Royal Albert for English romanticism, and Minton for contemporary cosmopolitan style. Together, the three brands make up Doulton Home, and they are now part of the wider Waterford Wedgwood group.
Norman Rockwell
February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978 was an early 20th century American painter. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States, where Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine over more than four decades. Among the best-known of Rockwell's works are Rosie the Riveter (the less-reproduced of two works generally given that title) and the Four Freedoms series.
Thomas Kinkade
Born January 19, 1958 in Sacramento, California is an American painter most widely known for his mass-produced prints. He is marketed as the "Painter of Light", a phrase he has trademarked.His prints and paintings are distinguished by their glowing, highlights and vibrant pastel colors. Rendered in a impressionist style cross-pollinated with American Scene Painting values, his works often portray bucolic, idyllic settings such as gardens, streams, stone cottages, and Main Streets. He has also depicted various Christian themes including the Holy Cross and churches.Kinkade claims to be placing emphasis on the value of simple pleasures and that his intent is to communicate inspirational, life-affirming messages through his work. A self-described "devout Christian" (all of his children have the middle name "Christian"[1]), Kinkade has said he gains his inspiration from his religious beliefs and that his work is intended to contain a larger moral dimension. Many pictures contain specific chapter-and-verse allusions to certain Bible passages.Kinkade is, according to his own promotional website, America's most-collected living artist[2]. Relatedly, he is often criticized for the extent to which he has commercialized his art (for example, selling his prints on the QVC home shopping network). Others have complained that his paintings are merely kitsch and are without substance.
Swarovski
Is the brand name for the range of precision-cut crystal glass products produced by companies owned by Swarovski AG of Feldmeilen, near Zürich, Switzerland.The Swarovski Group also includes Tyrolit (makers of abrasive and cutting tools); Swareflex (reflective and luminous road markings); Signity (synthetic gemstones); and Swarovski Optik (optical instruments).The company runs a crystal-themed indoor theme park, Swarovski Kristallwelten (Crystal Worlds) at its original Wattens site.
The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans before the voyages of Christopher Columbus; it includes Europe, Asia, and Africa (collectively known as Africa-Eurasia), plus surrounding islands. The term is in distinction from the New World, meaning the Americas.Although the interiors of Asia and Africa were not well known to Europeans at the time, their existence was known, as far as Japan and South Africa, so they are considered Old World. Australia and Antarctica are neither definitely Old World nor definitely New World, since the terms "Old World" and "New World" predate their discovery by Europeans.
Limoges
Limòtges in Occitan is a city and commune in France, the préfecture of the Haute-Vienne département, and the administrative capital of the Limousin région. Population city : 137,502 (limougeauds), urban area: 247,944.Limoges is known worldwide for its medieval enamels ('Limoges enamels') on copper, for its 19th century porcelain ('Limoges porcelain') and for its oak barrels (Limousin oak), which are used for Cognac production.
Armani
Is a famous Italian fashion designer particularly noted for his menswear.Giorgio Armani was born 11 July 1934 in Piacenza, Italy. He originally trained in medicine, then gave it up to pursue photography, before being called up for national service in 1957. He then worked in a department store, La Rinascente, as a window dresser. From 1961 to 1970, Armani worked as a designer in well-known fashion house Nino Cerruti, after which he left to pursue freelance work. In 1974, with assistance from his partner, Sergio Galeotti, he established his own company, Giorgio Armani S.p.A. with a menswear label, introducing a ladies' wear line in 1975. He is known today for his clean, tailored lines. He achieved his international breakthrough by tailoring for numerous Hollywood names and especially for Richard Gere in the title role of American Gigolo in 1980/81. His sister Rosanna Armani joined him in the company; Galeotti died in 1985.In 1996, Armani was one of several designers convicted of corruption.In 2001, Forbes magazine named Giorgio Armani the most successful designer out of Italy, estimating his net worth at $1.7 billion.In 2002, he was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.In 2006, he designed the outfits worn by participants bringing in the Italian flag at the 2006 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Italy.Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Giorgio Armani (subscribers see complete biographies — view sample) CFO Paolo Fontanelli EVP, Worldwide Communications Robert Triefus
Avon
Was formed under the Local Government Act 1972, on April 1, 1974. It took in the areas of the former county boroughs of Bristol and Bath, and areas from the administrative counties of Gloucestershire (Kingswood, Mangotsfield, and the rural districts of Warmley, Sodbury (most) and Thornbury (most)), and Somerset (Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon, Keynsham, Norton-Radstock, Portishead, and the rural districts of Bathavon, Long Ashton, Axbridge (much), and Clutton (much). Like most of the new counties created by the Act, its boundaries were substantially trimmed from its inception, with Frome and Bradford-on-Avon removed from the proposed area.It had six districts. Bristol and Bath were taken in directly from the former county boroughs. In the north, the Gloucestershire side, the urban districts of Kingswood and Mangotsfield formed a single borough of Kingswood, with the rest becoming Northavon. In the south, there were two districts, Woodspring, on the coast, and Wansdyke, in the interior.To the north it bordered Gloucestershire, to the east Wiltshire and to the south Somerset. In the west it had a coast on the Bristol Channel.The area of Avon was 1347km2 (520mi2) and its population in 1991 was 919,800. Cities and towns in Avon included (in approximate order of population) Bristol, Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Yate, Clevedon, Portishead, Midsomer Norton & Radstock, Bradley Stoke, Nailsea, Yatton, Keynsham and Thornbury.
Boyd
Is a village located in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 680.Boyd is located at 44°57'7" North, 91°2'21" West (44.951890, -91.039134)GR1.According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 4.8 km² (1.9 mi²). 4.8 km² (1.9 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with waterAs of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 680 people, 274 households, and 178 families residing in the village. The population density was 141.9/km² (367.5/mi²). There were 290 housing units at an average density of 60.5/km² (156.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 99.71% White, 0.15% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 0.00% from two or more races. 0.15% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.There were 274 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.09.In the village the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 103.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.The median income for a household in the village was $37,250, and the median income for a family was $46,875. Males had a median income of $27,273 versus $19,732 for females. The per capita income for the village was $15,738. 4.7% of the population and 2.8% of families were below the poverty line. 1.1% of those under the age of 18 and 13.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Harmony Kingdom’s unique collections are handmade of crushed marble and resin in the tradition of the English cottage industry. Artistic Director Martin Perry oversees a growing group of talented artists from Wimberley Mills, his headquarters in the picturesque Cotswolds region of England’s West Country. The whimsical animals of the Treasure Jest series, the beautiful blooms of Harmony Garden, and the entire Harmony Kingdom range all display the attention to detail and quirky sense of humor for which Harmony Kingdom’s artists are known.
Lenox
Is a town located in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 5,077. For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Lenox, please see the article Lenox (CDP), Massachusetts. Tanglewood Music Center, summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, is located in Lenox. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 55.6 km² (21.5 mi²). 55.0 km² (21.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.7 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.26% water.As of the census2 of 2000, there are 5,077 people, 2,212 households, and 1,291 families residing in the town. The population density is 92.4/km² (239.3/mi²). There are 2,713 housing units at an average density of 49.4/km² (127.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 96.57% White, 1.30% Black or African American, 0.08% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. 1.91% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.There are 2,212 households out of which 22.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% are married couples living together, 6.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% are non-families. 36.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 20.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.17 and the average family size is 2.84.In the town the population is spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 24.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 46 years. For every 100 females there are 84.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 79.5 males.
A Fabergé is one of fifty jewelry Easter eggs made by Peter Carl Fabergé of the Fabergé company for the Russian Tsars between 1885 and 1917. The eggs are among the masterpieces of the jeweller's art.Fabergé (or more accurately, his goldsmiths) made the first egg in 1885. It was commissioned by Tsar Alexander III of Russia as an Easter surprise for his wife Maria Fyodorovna. On the outside it looked like a simple egg of white enamelled gold, but it opened up to reveal a golden yolk. The yolk itself had a golden hen inside it, which in turn had a tiny crown with a ruby hanging inside, reminiscent of the matryoshka nesting dolls.The tsarina was so delighted by this gift that Alexander appointed Fabergé a "Court Supplier" and commissioned an Easter gift each year thereafter, stipulating only that it be unique and contain a surprise. Nicholas II continued the tradition, expanding it to include an annual gift for his wife Alexandra Fedorovna as well as his now-widowed mother.As the House of Fabergé prospered (due to in no small part to the cachet of imperial patronage), the preparation of the eggs came to take up an entire year; once a concept was chosen, dozens of artisans worked to assemble the project.As of 2003, just ten eggs were still in Russia, all on display at the Kremlin Armory Museum. Another nine were purchased by Viktor Vekselberg in February 2004 from the Forbes |
