Technology, Dentists and Moissanite

There are days when I do speculate that technology is plotting against me! I have been unable to load pictures easily onto my blog (which, dear Readers, means that the picture you see here is attributable to my own hoop-jumping, alternate source hosting, and HTML code insertion by hand.) This is a matter of absolute vexation for me, as I do enjoy capturing my day via photographs. Apparently Blogger is having problems loading images – or perhaps their heads are too firmly entrenched up their own arses as far as “upgrades” are concerned?

Am I the only one experiencing technical difficulties?

The sample picture above is of myself. I felt like being a girl today, complete with curled hair and makeup. It was not until I actually looked outside the bathroom window and saw the bitter winter weather wrecking havoc in my yard that I decided to downplay the cute outfit and throw on a men’s Steelers hoodie. (I should add that all traces of femininity were promptly removed upon my return home this evening! My face is now squeaky clean, and I am content to schlep about the house in warm sweat pants and a Chicago Cubs shirt.)

Better Half and I enjoyed a lovely day in Pittsburgh. He had his molar worked on (and an impression for a crown made), and we have scheduled him for his periodontal crown lengthening. Exciting stuff, yup. I shall attempt to jump through another hoop in order to treat you to an in-operatory photo of him and his dentist (whom we simply adore!)



I have been getting back on my feet physically (hence the long break after my trip to Colorado) and Better Half treated me with an early Valentine’s Day gift yesterday – a pair of Moissanite studs shaped in a traditional round brilliant.

“Moist what?”

Moissanite, dear Readers. I do not fancy diamonds. I do find geology and astrophysics irresistible. Rather than have some bland diamond in my engagement ring, I have an exquisite Moissanite. I am much too tired to go into great detail, so I shall take the information directly from Charles and Colvard:

“More than 50,000 years ago, a shimmering mineral of uncommon brilliance came to earth in a meteorite.

"In 1893, Dr. Ferdinand Frederick Henri Moissan—an eminent French scientist who would later win the Nobel Prize for chemistry—was examining geological samples brought to him from the meteor crater located in Canyon Diablo, Arizona when he observed brilliant sparkling crystals.

"Dr. Moissan's research showed these sparkling crystals were not "diamonds from space," but rather a new mineral—silicon carbide (chemical composition: SiC).”

With more fire than any popular gemstone (including diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald) no other gemstone or jewel compares to Moissanite. In fact, fire can be measured scientifically; with a dispersion of 0.104, moissanite has nearly 2½ times more fire than diamond. A diamond’s brilliance (reflective index) sits at 2.42, whereas a Moissanite registers between 2.65 – 2.69. The luster of a diamon averages 17.2%; a Moissanite hits 20.4%. The diamond Mohs (hardness) is 10; Moissanite is 9 1/4. For those who do not understand any of these things: “it looks purdy.”

Just Google it already.