Bling Jewelry
Bling is all about shiny shiny metal and glittering gemstones. Some people find it gaudy and tasteless - others are captivated by it. This page is, of course, aimed at the lattter.
Most of us can't afford to buy 18 karat gold bracelets or watches studded with dozens of real diamonds. However there are less expensve alternatives that allow us to enjoy the bling sensation.
Bling doesn't have to be about wealth, it can also be about just having fun.
Image: 14K Gold Diamond Dog Tag Pendant Charm, 9.58ctw
Buy Bling Online
How did we ever manage before specialist online stores?
What Is Bling?
Modern usage of the word appears to have begun with the record Bling-Bling by rapper B.G. (Baby Gangsta). Some give credit for the term to the rapper alliance Cash Money Millionaires.
Bling spread out into the rap/hip-hop culture and from there to the rest of Western society. Initially it simply represented weath and conspicuous consumption. As bling went mainstream and the glitter became available to ordinary people it acquired more light-hearted, even post-modern, associations.
For the early rappers bling may have been a symbol of success in a hostile universe. For some it's a fashion statement. For me it's simply fun.
Although I have to admit that I draw the line at grillz...
Pimp My iPod!
Today adding a bit of bling is a way to "pimp up" and personalise almost anything, from mp3 players and cellphones to dog collars and even baby pacifiers! A general guide is that if there's room to stick diamonds on it then someone, somewhere, will have iced it up.
As always, whether this is fun or tasteless depends on the attitude of the buyer more than the nature of the goods.
Amazon Spotlight
BLING BLING: HIp Hop's Crown Jewels
Amazon Price: $22.00 (as of 12/23/2009)
Minya Oh talks to rappers about rocks
Diamonds
Unfortunately real diamonds are expensive to buy. There's also the issue of conflict (blood) diamonds.
For ordinary people there are alternatives to real diamonds available which have much the same look as the natural stones. These include synthetic diamonds as well as simulants such as cubic zirconia (CZ) and moissanite. Recently there has been a trend to marketing simulants as stones in their own right rather than as mere diamond substitutes.
More Information about Diamonds
Gold
Gold doesn't have the sparkle of diamond yet is undeniably part of the bling experience. The precious metal has been valued by cultures throughout history.The purity of a gold item - ring, chain, whatever - is measured in karats. This is sometimes confusingly spelled carats although it has nothing to do with weight.
Pure gold is defined as being 24 karat (24k). However this is almost never used in jewelry - it's too soft and is easily damaged. 18 or occasionally 22 karat gold is more common although even this needs to be treated carefully to avoid damage.
For those of us with normal sized wallets, 10k (9k in Britain) or 12k gold is our most likely buying choice.
More gold information
Image: 14K 22.mm 2T Light Mesh Bracelet 7.5"
Bling on eBay
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Thanks For Reading
I hope you've enjoyed this lens, please take a second to rate it using the stars at the top of the page. Feel free to leave any comments or suggestions below
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- cdreyer03 cdreyer03 Nov 28, 2007 @ 10:57 am
- Awesome bling, I like the iced out chains! I ranked your lens 5 stars! Check out my Crunk Cup lens and rank me too.
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Reply
- rockycha rockycha Nov 26, 2007 @ 6:25 pm
- high fives - good job!
by trevorm
Hi, I'm Trevor and I live in Edinburgh - the capital of Scotland.
I'm interested in a wide variety of things and love learning. I intend to write a sim...
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