Topic: Jewelry

Valentine's Day: cost of romance rising for flower delivery, 4 other things

When you arrange for flower delivery or take a special someone out for dinner this Valentine's Day, it'll cost more than it did a year ago. That's the cold hard fact about a warmhearted and festive day, according official US inflation data.

But the rising cost may actually be a relatively small one: Those chocolate or flower prices haven't been rising at gas-pump-fast rates. Here's the official inflation tally of five common Valentine's Day activities, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Donald Trump gets paid in gold bars

Trump accepts three 32-ounce gold bars as a security deposit. Is gold more secure in turbulent financial times?

Silver prices, gold prices on the rise

Silver prices, as well as the prices of gold, platinum, and diamonds, rose on Tuesday, amid a declining confidence in the US dollar. Rising gold and silver prices reflect heightened anxiety among investors.

More precious than gold

A Christian Science perspective.

Will and Kate visit L.A.: Locals' top 10 southern California must-sees

Royal newlyweds William and Kate have a busy, business-first itinerary for their three-day visit to southern California, which begins Friday. If they had asked us, we’d have given them these 10 tips for how to savor the SoCal experience. For every obvious tourist gambit, we’ve thrown in some insider info about where to pan for the best Angeleno cultural gold.

Iran bans necklaces: quirky clothing bans around the world

Countries ban all kinds of things, including clothing and accessories. The Islamic Republic of Iran has been in the headlines for unusual bans in the past, and its morality watchdogs have struck again, this time against necklaces. Read our list of some of the world’s strangest fashion bans.

Record gold prices spur wedding ring alternatives

With gold prices hitting fresh records and the economy still weak, a growing number of couples are switching to titanium, steel, and tungsten wedding rings.

Jewelry drives up demand for gold

2010 saw a 10-year high for increased demand for gold jewelry.

5 unusual gift ideas for booklovers

Any booklover on your list will appreciate the classic, timeless gift of a book. For lists of the best nonfiction, fiction, and children’s book titles recommended by the Monitor, click on the links above. But if your gifts have gotten so predictable that you no longer need to wrap them, you might want to try giving one of these more unusual non-book gifts for booklovers.

Black Friday online deals? Log on Wednesday at midnight.

Black Friday deals in cyberspace won't wait for Friday. Online shoppers can find equally good prices just after midnight Wednesday.

WC vuvuzelas, anathema to ear drums, now to decorate ears

Marketing executive Megan Bernstein's plan to make vuvuzelas into earrings won a competition for the best alternative use of the long plastic horns left over from this summer's World Cup.

Most expensive Barbie goes to auction

Here are the Top 4 most expensive Barbies.

542 antiquities looted in Iraq war return home. Where are the rest?

Officials triumphed in Monday's return of everything from gold earrings to a sacred statue looted in the Iraq war. But they also said that 632 pieces returned last year have gone missing.

Gold-loving India can't afford the yellow metal

India is the world’s largest importer of gold, but sales were dented as global gold prices reached record highs.

Black Friday surprise: gold price could cause sticker shock

The gold price is hitting record highs almost every day, reaching $1,174 an ounce Tuesday morning. A gold chain that cost $300 five years ago could go for $900 on Black Friday.

Job hunting? This week's most intriguing offers.

Antiquities in hiding

Christie's takes disputed earrings off auction block

The auction house has removed the ancient jewelry, which is claimed by Iraq, from a Monday sale to cooperate with an investigation into whether they were stolen from Iraq.

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