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The cowrie shell has many uses and meanings. It has shown up in the form of money, jewelry, and even religious accessories in almost every part of the world.

Found in the islands of the Indian Ocean, the cowrie shell soon gained popularity throughout much of ancient Africa. Its influence, however, also spread to China, where it was used as a form of currency to such an extent that the Chinese used its shape to form their pictograph for money. Today excavations have found some of the money of ancient China in the form of brass and silver cowrie shells. Wherever the cowrie shells were found, it seems as if they were thought of as wealth.

The back side of a cowrie shell resembles a female sexual organ. The front side is shaped like the abdomen of a pregnant woman. The meaning is not erotic, but represents a miricle of life. This unique design of the cowrie shell is one main reason why this shell has maintained so much popularity throughout history.

Spiritually, according to African legend if you are attracted to cowrie shells you could be family to an ocean spirit of wealth and earth. It also represents Goddess protection which is very powerful and connected with the strength of the ocean. Throughout Africa, and South and North America, the cowrie symbolized the power of destiny and prosperity. Thought of as the mouth of Orsisas, it also is believed to have taught stories of humility and respect.

However you interpret these tiny white shells they are a fascinating, unique addition to your wardrobe. Whether in jewelry, or in crafts, or in any other use you can imagine these shells are sure to add an exotic feel of Africa and make an excellent, one of a kind, fashion statement.

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We place quite a bit of importance on our shoes these days. At one time in the long ago past, shoes were meant to protect our feet. Today, they are made to make a statement! Our shoes are a big part of our wardrobe. They can make or break an outfit, and womens designer shoes are all the rage. Womens designer shoes, however, are quite expensive! Are they worth it?

For most women, the answer to that question comes in three forms - yes, no, or sometimes. Now, keeping in mind that these designer shoes can cost hundreds, and sometimes thousands of dollars, the way a woman answers that question says quite a bit about her. If she says yes, that designer shoes are worth every penny, then this means that style and fashion are high on her list of priorities.

If she says sometimes, it means that in most cases, they are not worth it, but for special occasions – she is willing to pay the price. It doesn’t necessarily mean that she believes they are worth those outrageous prices – it just means that she is sometimes willing to pay it. If she says no, this simply means that she is price conscientious and she believes that she should get value and durability for her money. The majority of women, believe it or not, fall into that last category, and they don’t believe that designer shoes are worth the price tags that accompany them.

Designer shoes are indeed beautiful – in most cases. There is also quite a bit of prestige in wearing shoes that were designed by famous design houses – when a woman is wearing designer shoes, other women – and often men – sit up and take notice. However, that is pretty much where the value of a designer shoe ends.

Looking from a durability standpoint, designer shoes are not sturdy in their construction. Can you imagine paying five hundred or more dollars for a pair of shoes, only to have the ankle strap break the first time you wear them? Can you see yourself walking along a wet sidewalk after a light rain, in $1200 shoes that have the sole disintegrating as you walk? Most women simply are not willing to pay that kind of money for one pair of shoes – no matter whose name is stamped on them!

What about protection. Remember, shoes were originally designed to protect our feet. Today’s designer shoes do nothing to protect the feet. It seems that the less shoe there is, the higher the price is – and among the fashion conscientious crowd, the more the shoe is in demand. Have you seen some of the designer shoes lately? Have you wondered how they stay on the foot?!? There is little or no protection, and in fact, the way some of those designer shoes are designed, there is not only no protection, there is also danger involved when wearing them!

Are designer shoes comfortable? Comfort has never played a role in fashion. No, in most cases, they are extremely uncomfortable. What about support? There is no support in most designer shoes – unless they are designer sneakers. Many models literally ruin their feet over the course of time – modeling designer shoes!

But because each woman has her own unique style, and her own priorities, designer shoes are well worth the money to a select few – these are the women who can not only afford to pay the prices, but are also very interested in wearing the latest fashions – designed by the most famous designers.

What many people don’t realize though is that these women are not in the majority of women – these women are actually few and far between. Most women would not dream of paying more than $100 for a good pair of shoes – others wouldn’t dream of paying more than $50, and some even refuse to pay more than $25! Where do you stand on womens design.

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In order for a Rolex watch to be made available for sale it has to go through a ten step manufacturing process. Each one of these stages ensures that the watch meets the highest quality standards and will withstand the rigorous testing that Rolex requires.

The first component of the watch is that it is made waterproof. Back in 1926 Rolex made the world’s first waterproof watch, the Oyster model. Now they use this technology in all of their models and continue to develop it to withstand even more extreme conditions, depths and temperatures of water.

The perpetual rotor is a vital element in the Rolex. It is a mechanical device which fits inside the watch and which utilises the wearer’s movements to create and transmit energy in to the mainspring. This maintains the tension in the timepiece, ensuring the continued functionality of the watch.

The movement of the watch is contained in what Rolex call the oyster case. This is formed from a single block of metal and is similar to a miniature safe as it is virtually impenetrable.

The oyster case is covered by the case back. This is screwed on to the oyster case using a special locking device to ensure that it is watertight and will not work itself loose.

The knob used to wind the watch, embossed with the Rolex crown, fits snugly on to the watch and creates a seal around itself similar to that of a submarine hatch. This prevents water and dust from entering the watch and so helps to maintain the long life of it.

All of Rolex’s watches are made from only the highest quality materials. Whether that be metal or precious stone, it is guaranteed to have passed the intense testing to ensure the quality is to the standards Rolex will accept.

Before the watch is tested by Rolex for its quality levels it is sent to the COSC, where it is studied, examined and tested for 15 days and nights to check that it can receive their seal of approval. They are looking primarily to ensure the watch will maintain reliability under the most extreme of conditions.

Once COSC have approved the watch it returns to Rolex for further quality control testing. This is done at every stage of the watches manufacture and each individual component is tested along the way, as well as the finished product.

The penultimate component of the Rolex watch is the Officially Certified Superlative Chronometer. This is the self-winding movement used solely by Rolex for their watches and it takes over a year to construct each one.

Finally, Rolex carry out their own intensive testing on the watch before it is sent to be sold. This testing places the watch in extreme conditions of temperature, depth and environment to check its mechanical excellence, as well as checking it for aesthetic discrepancies.

These elements all combine to create a watch which is to an exceptionally high standard, both in terms of the quality of its mechanisms and design levels. Only then are Rolex satisfied that it can be sold with their name on it.

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