One Hundred =100

One Thousand = 1,000 or 10 One Hundred Dollar Bills

Ten Thousand = 10,000 or 100 One Hundred Dollar Bills

One Hundred Thousand= 100,000 or 1000 One Hundred Dollar Bills

One Million= 1,000,000 or 10,000 One Hundred Dollar Bills

Ten Million= 10,000,000 or 100,000 One Hundred Dollar Bills

One Hundred Million= 100,000,000 or 1,000,000 One Hundred Dollar Bills

One Billion= 1,000,000,000 or 10,000,000 one Hundred Dollar Bills

Ten Billion= 10,000,000,000 or 100,000,000 One Hundred Dollar Bills

One Hundred Billion= 100,000,000,000 or 1,000,000,000 One Hundred Dollar Bills

1 TRILLION= Amount of money US Administration paid for Afghanistan War / Iraq War.

1 TRILLION= Amount of money US could have spent for complete oil free nation.

1 TRILLION= Amount of money US owes to other nations. Sorry. 50 TRILLION.

1 TRILLION= DISEASE ERADICATION.

1 TRILLION= FREE HEALTHCARE FOR ALL

1 TRILLION= FREE EDUCATION FOR ALL

1 TRILLION= NEW ROADS AROUND THE US.

1 TRILLION= FREE GAS FOR ALL FOR EVER.

1 TRILLION= NO MORE BUSH....EVER. 

This had originally started out today as a way to figure out who I should vote for in the Elections this November.

But in order to do that this entry would be 20,000 words long.

So I thought I would talk a bit about someone.

They really aren't speaking to the issues yet.

After this past weekend and being at the Senate District Caucus in my area, I really don't know if many people are uncommitted since most people were for someone.

I orginally was going to try to get credentialled under the group "Clinton and Obama , Taxation, Healthcare and Education.", but at the last minute I listened to a voice on my shoulder and changed to "Uncommitted for Civil, & Human Rights, and Health Care",

When I got my chance to speak to the 400 people there, I complimented everyone on the fact that they had "great platforms", yet for the past 6 months I had heard day after day about Civil Rights, and Human Rights and Healthcare and what people were rallying about.
So I changed my sign and platform to reflect that. No one else had Civil, or Human Rights as an issue. Many people applauded and then when it came time to stand by the group that interested them the most, I stood alone.

I stood alone.

It was apparent that the people that thought Civil Rights and Human Rights were not important in this election. Yet, there were at least 5-6 resolutions in the Civil and Human Rights Category that people had submitted for the caucus to consider adding to the democratic platform.

Go figure.

There were 8 groups in the end from what I saw. 1 large group of about 40 people were for Obama & Silva (sp?), and 3-4 groups were for Obama & Franken, and 3-4 groups were for Clinton & Franken.

I folded my sign and stepped in with a group of 25 women who were "Clinton for Education and HealthCare". They asked me as the only guy available to join their group and informed me that I would most likely get credentialled if I joined their group.

Unfortunately, at the last moment the very guy that I would not survive the credential vote against, joined our group and I consequently lost my attempt to move forward to the Congressional and State Conventions.

I will move forward and try again in 2 & 4 years.

My hope here is that John McCain wins the election, and Hillary Clinton is the 2012 Nominee. Or That Barack and Hillary will run together. Barack and Hillary need to swallow their pride and run together, only deciding who will run as president moments before the Presidential Elections or Presidential Swearing in ceremony.
Either way, Someone wins.

The Crazy part is that my life goes on.

What people don't realize, is that no matter who becomes President, that person will have less chance to reshape the U.S.A. and the world, than if they lost.

The Senate and House-Primary Branch, Supreme Courts-Secondary Branch, control the shape of the world and U.S.A more than the figure head in the White House.

The President just wins the job of Marketer and Promotional Director of the USA.

I am not sure even a Megalomaniac would want that job anymore. It would be smarter to stay in the Senate or become a Diplomat/Ambassador/ Representative to an Ally and make a greater difference than take on the job of hand shaker, poser, and moving target.

Anyways, my hopes are that someone leaves the office soon, and someone gets elected soon.

Maybe I will help someone run for office soon as well.

Just a thought.

Tanzanite!

There are hundreds upons hundreds of gemstones out there.
They are all precious. There is NO such thing in the appraisal world as a "semi-precious" stone. There are different classifications and different inclusions in stones as well as varying degrees of transparency.

With all the hype over Tanzanite currently I wanted to make sure that you know and understand everything you need to know about Tanzanite right now.

The only thing that makes me madder is when someone I know purchases a stone or a home without talking to me, or a expert in the field first, and then has the audacity to complain to me that they got taken for a ride on the purchase. The only thing I can say is "I am sorry that you thought you were more educated on the subject and thought you could take care of the process on your own and didnt talk to me, someone who would have been a second voice for you and would have also spoken and negotiated in your favor." I like to call this, "reason and logic".

So, for this reason, I write today on Tanzanite.

DO NOT buy this stone anywhere else but through a REPUTABLE dealer. Pay for the intelligence and their knowledge.

OTHERWISE...just go buy a cheap $20 costume replica at the checkout counter at your local department store.

Tanzanite can be easily Lab created, crystal, or glass. You the consumer CANNOT know or tell the difference.

Zoisite, the family that Tanzanite comes from is not easy to create. But the look is simple to create.

Be careful, with any ring or stone purchase.

As of this past few months, technicians and lab creation companies that USED to create gems for industrial purposes are now creating HUGE slabs of HIGHLY sought after stones for nothing.

Alexandrite, Ruby, Diamond, sapphire, emerald and every other stone in the market.

If you do not have a good reputable company selling it to you. its your own damn fault if you dont get what you paid for.

TANZANITE at your jewelers should look like Iolite, or Royal Purple Blue Sapphire. It should not look like light white lavender sapphire. It should be Deep Royal Purple Blue with radiating flashes of red if moved in sunlight or flourescent/ halogen lighting. You cannot miss this color. The cheap lavender stones that are out in the market are not worth your money. Save the cash and double up and spend the money on the upgrade.

There are some unheated, untreated Tanzanites that are almost white sapphire appearing and have a light green, light yellow and a hint of lavender or light blue in minor spots. This might be Tanzanite, but is not what the public seeks or what you see in jewelry arenas.

Tanzanite is mined in Kenya and Tanzania, NOT to be confused with Tazmania.

Tanzania, the Mererani, or Merelani Hills of Simanjiro District, 16 kilometres south of Kilimanjaro Airport, or 70km south of Arusha, Tanzania, at the BASE of Mt. Kilimajaro.

Tanzanite is 1000 times more rare than a white Diamond. The mines have been open since 1967 when a tailor named Manuel D' Souza was prospecting for Rubies and a member of the Mesai tribe showed him the find. He could not control his claim and soon lost control of the find. The country of Tanzania took control of the mines and gave control of them to the State Mining Corporation in 1976.

Unheated, untreated tanzanite is copper brown and when heated at temperatures up to 600 degrees it turns a beautiful royal purple blue and is often confused with Sapphire.

There are currently 4 ACTIVE Tanzanite Land Plots with several mines on them. 2 of the plots have more than 400 small mines and they are mined off and on throughout the year. 2 of these plots from what I am told are not like the copper or gold mines that you and I would think they might be, and are more like a massive plot that is often associated with ore, granite or gravel. Imagine 4-7 gravel pit mines that are 1-2 miles by 5-6 miles across or larger!

4 of these are more actively mined. "A" block area, and "C" block area, are reserved for foreign investment through "site holders". These two are mined with large equipment. "B" block area, and "D" Block area are mined by and for the ingenous locals and not by machines. The B and D Block areas have around 400 tiny mine pockets that can be mined and have individuals "wana-apollo", small groups or businesses that employ up to 100 people and a system called "bing" to search for pockets and then the mines are dug and "daisy chained" and then the dirt and gems mined, bucket by bucket.

Merelani Township is where the miners trade their mined crystals and stones.

In 2005 a consortium known as Tanzanite One, LTD.took control of Tanzania's largest Tanzanite Mine known as "C" block. That mine is at a greater than 1000 ft depth and many people believe that in the next 5-10 years all of the mines will no longer produce quality stones worth purchasing.

Tanzanite One has established a De-Beers like control over the Tanzanite Market. There are Millions of Carats of Tanzanite out in the world, but Tanzanite One will only release it, a few thousand Carats a month or year in order to keep the price high and rising.

A major concern in GIA and ASA appraisal circles is the lab created Russian Tanzanion.
This is a lab created pulled synthetic Forsterite. This is a very convincing and extremely good replica of Tanzanite. It has physical and pleochroic characteristics of Tanzanite.
There is now a YAG (Yytrium Aluminum Garnet), simulated Tanzanite and it too is a convincing substitute as well.

AS OF EARLY 2008,
Floods in the area of Mererani (Meralani) and Mt. Kilimarjaro have washed out, and flooded several of the Tanzanite Mines, and have killed at least 80 people as of April 2nd, 2008. Several of these mines ARE NOT, repeat, ARE NOT, expected to open, according to www.english.aljazeera.net . At least 6 people have been killed and 87 miners were underground when the floods took over the mines. The government is rapidly acting in the hopes to obtaint the equipment and drain the mines in the hopes the get the bodies of the miners out of the plots.

On February 18th 2008, President Bush and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete signed the Millenium Challenge Compact and The United States gave Tanzania more than 675 MILLION US dollars for economic development. Which should ensure the development of mining and gemstones in the area. Tanzania is the 3rd largest producer of Gold, Diamonds, Rubies, Emeralds and Sapphires, according to Independent News Organization Al Jazeera.

Tanzanite prior to 2000 was about $100-$400 per carat. In 2004 Tanzanite was $400-750 per Carat. In 2008 Tanzanite is about $650-3000 per Carat. Oviously the larger and darker the stone the higher price and closer the price will be to 2-3 thousand per carat.

With the recent floods and the locals or " wana-appolo" cautious more and more with flooding and looting, it will only cause the foreign run investment mining operations to raise prices without competition form locals and supplies in market at record lows.

Currently only a few of the plot mines are open and running, several have been flooded and the Foreign Invested mines are up and running. It is more and more likely that several wil close for good, but several will stay open , as this is many tribes, and locals' only way and means of income and trade.

You can expect current auction prices to go from $500-600 per carat to $1000 per carat immediately. As they already are doing.

You can also expect that by 2010 per carat price on good quality Tanzanite, not even high quality Tanzanite, to reach $3000-5000 per carat.

DO NOT EVER clean Tanzanite or any other stone with anything other than cold-warm water, and a very very mild 1 drop to 1 gallon soap water. No steam, No sonic, no Acid cleaners, no heat, no jewelry or gemstone cleaners. Just warm water with a mild natural soap.

If you like the stone because its pretty and are ok with paying the price no matter what they say the stone is, then fine, buy the stone., If you are buying the stone because they say its a "blank blank blank" stone, and its more than just pretty and might be an "investment" for you, then you had better trust the person and the company you are buying it from, or they had better have an iron clad reall good return policy.

If you don't have the stones to toss down the money and know for sure that it is what they say it is, then don't. Ask them if they have a return policy and whether or not you are able to return it if you take it in to a reputable appraiser after purchasing. If its not what they say it is, you should be able to return it right away. Besides, you will know in your heart if the dealer is reputable. Check out www.Bbb.org online as well before you go.

In the Carribean, Bahamas or Mexico such as Aruba, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Bahamas, and other islands...
I really like and trust, Tanzanite International,  Emeralds International, and Diamonds International. They have a New York and Florida affiliate.
In Santorini, go to Poiniros, first jewelry store on left up past cliff restaraunts, once you reach the top ( tell them Troy from US sent you.) They will give you 10% off, they said.
When in St. Maarten, check out Depti at D and K Gems International, 69A Front Street ( Tell Depti, that Troy and Carol from MN sent you).
If you are in the U.S. Contact me or contact me before you go.

Remember, as always, walk away, compare, go online, contact me, go back to the store the next day OR in an hour or two. The will always drop the price. Always.

*************
Gee I am so glad that I bought my 3 stones a few years ago. They were a 6 carat, 8 carat and 13 carat stone that were less than 400 per carat. Today they are more than 1000 per Carat Each.

I am currently completing my colored stones portion of my Gemmological Institute of America Classes on Colored Stones and Diamonds, or more commonly known as GIA.

If you have any comments, questions, or concerns about stones or jewelry, please contact me first and I am sure I can help you...

Q: Why does the jewelry or ring I have reform itself or bend?

A: This is generally due to the warming and purity of the piece.
If you have a gold piece or ring that is higher than 14k gold, the higher the gold content 14k-22k the easier the metal will bend, it is because the heat warms the piece and by touching it or wearing it, the item remolds itself. White Gold and Rose Gold are just different Gold Tones depending on what has been added to the Gold to change the Color. Silver, Nickle or Copper can be added and still maintain the 14-22k quality. Unless the item is a small to medium trinket, knick knack statue or collectible, I would never reccommend having 22-24k for anything. Unless it is in coin form or Bar form.

A jeweler will usually help you and reshape it for free if you bring it in and politely ask them to help you figure out why it is doing whatever it is you are having an issue with.

If the item is silver it will generally warm and bend much much easier.

Gold is easy to fake. Usually polished brass/ Copper and will smell like dirty metal.

Pewter, Just don't. Please. Its not worth it. Putting a stone in pewter is like sticking a jet engine in a Go Cart. Why would you. Its cheap, soft and you're gonna lose your stone(s).

Copper will turn you and the piece green. Mixed with another metal, can look like gold.

Titanium. Excellent and quite useful. Please make sure the jeweler is reputable. Possible to fake.

Platinum. Easy to fake Platinum. Look for the .975 symbol. Buy from a reputable jeweler.
All the Platinum on the Planet could fill a 14x14x14 cubic space. Kind of like your living room. The need to want to fake metals right now is highly attractive to many people.

As of 4/2008:

An ounce of Gold is around $950.00

An ounce of Platinum $2000.00

An Ounce of Silver $20.00

Palladium $450.00

18k Gold is @ 75% pure.
14k Gold is @ 58% pure.
10k Gold is @ 46% pure.

1 gram of 10k Gold is @ 12.31
1 gram of 14k Gold is @ 18.18
1 gram of 18k Gold is @ 23.50
1 Gram of 24k Gold is @ $35.00

If the piece was cheap and you'll know it, it could be that the item isn't Gold or Silver and you should have saved your money and put it into a nice piece when you can afford it.

Always try to buy nothing less than 14k and NOTE that anything over that will be significantly higher in cost and will also remold itself through the years.

Make sure that you get a Guarantee and Warranty that if you get a VALID GIA or IGA affiliated appraisal, and the item turns out to be something other than what they said it is, that you get your money back. This should also apply to significant discrepancies in the appraised valuations as well.

When in doubt...Buy from a reputable store front. Trust my experience!
 I began this journey on my own as a hobby and am only now following the dream and making it a knowledge source for others as well.

I have travelled to many places in the past 15 years, been to many jewelers, stores, dealers and I have seen many things, and still not even enough to touch the tip of the gem and Jewelry Pyramid I am sure!!

We have thousands of pieces and thousands of stones. Dozens of reference guides and Dozens of books and websites for research.

If you have a question, please, contact me.

These are my opinions and are not to be construed as law. We will be able to offer Appraisals in early 2009. But if you want just my own researched estimate that is not going to be a cetified GIA or IGA affiliated appraisal, yet, let me know and I will try to help.

Thanks again!

T. Andrewz & Company