Steel wedding rings provide low-cost alternative to gold in weak economy
With high gold prices and a weak economy, it seems that steel (believe it or not) might just gain a foothold in the jewelry industry.
John Christian, a small custom-jewlery company in Austin, Texas, is now offering jewelry, including wedding rings, made of a stainless steel alloy, "Platanium," (not to be confused with platinum).
The company said it was unsure of whether jewelry shoppers would take to the new products, made with an alloy designed to be lustrous like platinum but strong like titanium, but now, over half of its sales come from the Platanium line.
Chief Executive, Wes Weaver, told press that while it provides a 30-day warranty for sterling silver items, the company offers a lifetime guarantee on Platanium because of its natural durability and resistance to scratching.
Another plus: all of the items in the Platanium line cost less than $200, providing a much lower-cost alternative to gold during this time of economic downturn.
"People are still going to get married and love their kids and celebrate special times in their lives, but the jewelry's going to have to change,"
John Christian sells its Platanium items under its Carved Creations brand. To check them out, visit the company website at www.ccforlife.com.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh to bring steel history to the 21st century
Thanks to a 2008 National Leadership Demonstration Grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will be able to digitally preserve more than 400,000 pages of historic materials related to the iron and steel industry and make them available to the public.
The $600,000 grant, awarded this week, will finance "The Legacy of Iron and Steel" project.
"Steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie's industrial legacy is found in the thousands of museums, universities and libraries he established," said Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh President and Director Dr. Barbara K. Mistick. "Pittsburgh's iron and steel industry was a key factor in the industrial revolution of the United States. As a public library it is our responsibility to connect customers through technology and provide access to our
region's rich history."
Currently the library owns a large collection of historic books and other materials that document Pittsburgh's steel and iron legacy that date as far back as the 1800s. However, nearly 20 percent of the collection is too fragile to handle. By saving the materials in a digital format, the library can make them accessible to local students as well as historians via the Internet. The project incorporates the use of social networking software that will enable people to comment upon the items. The software also has the capability to connect customers with each other.
Chairman and CEO of US Steel, John Surma, had nothing but praise for the project, commenting: "The Library's plan to make these records accessible using modern, digital social networking tools is a great step in assuring that our region's heritage is preserved and shared. The young people of this community, and people around the globe, will have the ability to view and read and interact with a tremendous part of the region's historic documents."
Nokia introduces "carbon" phone
Jewelry isn't the only unlikely product being made of steel these days - Nokia recently introduced a phone made of stainless steel, carbon fiber, titanium and polished glass.
Nokia says the 8800 Carbon Arte model was inspired by the use of metals in architecture, sports cars and aerospace.
The phone also has anti-fingerprint coating, which will reduce smudges on the metal and glass.
As for the technical specs, the phone has 3G capabilities, a 3.2 megapixel auto focus camera, high quality audio, an OLED display, 4GB built-in memory, and a hidden micro USB connector.
The Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte will be available in the 3rd quarter of 2008. But be prepared to pay a pretty penny for this luxury item - the estimated retail price is $1,600.
First steel columns erected at WTC site
The first shipments of more than 8,000 tons of steel that will be used for the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center started arriving at ground zero last week and are now being erected.
Construction workers installed the first steel column for the memorial near the location of the World Trade Center's north tower Tuesday, and steel has now reached street level in another corner of the site for the Freedom Tower, one of five skyscrapers being built to replace the WTC.
The "Reflecting Absence" memorial will include a landscaped plaza around the empty space where the twin towers once stood, with the names of the victims displayed around the voids, which will be filled in with two giant pools. The memorial plaza is planned to be ready for visitors by September 11, 2011, with a museum following a year later.
"We've worked hard to get the memorial back on track and on budget, and to raise necessary funding from many generous donors," said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who is also the chairman of the memorial and museum. "Now we must all ensure it is our collective top priority, so that it's open by the 10th anniversary."
The memorial and the museum will cost a total of $530 million, financed by private donations and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation.