ny times

NYT Talks Diamonds

Filed under: Jewelry

Since jewelry is always a hot choice for the holidays, it's important to stop for a moment and take into consideration what it is you are purchasing. Those special prices can look tempting, but it's worth putting in a bit of extra effort (and perhaps a bit of extra cash) to ensure you get something worthwhile. It will pay off in the long run when you have a lovely diamond that will probably increase in value. In fact, that is just the point that the New York Times makes with their tips on the ABCs of diamond-buying. The first thing to do is forget the setting and look at the quality of the stone. Color, clarity and cut are paramount. Once you've got a good one, you can think about the setting and the jeweler. But don't let yourself be blinded by a special sale price unless you're blinded by the brilliance of the diamond you're buying, too.

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Tags: diamond, diamonds, gifts, guide, jeweler, jewelry, jewels, new york times, ny times, shopping

Luxury Kitchen Remodeling On A Budget

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Dining

The New York Times reports that the kitchen is the most expensive room in the house to renovate. The average cost is $25,000, with some experts saying that it is easily double that in New York City - a somewhat surprising discovery, given that space can be so tight there. Some New Yorkers are looking to do things on a budget of less that $15, 000, though, and by limiting their luxury purchases to one or two big-ticket items, they can have a kitchen that looks fantastic and saves them money.

The best ways to save include doing most of the labor yourself and salvaging some of the more expensive items, such as a refrigerator or range that can last for another five years. Getting some furniture from Ikea also proved to be a popular choice with the home redecorators in the article, as they could get a specific look without going with custom-made cabinets. The final thing to keep in mind is that it's important to compromise. As one woman said, after ending up with a green kitchen when she was originally thinking of blue, "green is kind of blue."

But what items did people splurge on when they didn't have $162,000 to spend?

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Tags: kitchen, new york, new york times, ny times, remodel, remodeling

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