Friday, August 21, 2009

Where and How Gemstones Are Mined

You may be wondering exactly how your jewelry came to be. Well, that is a normal question any jewelry enthusiast would ask. You do question how these gems are placed into metal and you also question exactly where these gems came from.

There are gem stone mines everywhere around the world. The most popular are in Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Uruguay and Africa. There are also mines in Europe and the United States, depending on what kind of gem stone you are looking for.


Amethyst - Amethyst is the most valuable kind of quartz. It is found everywhere around the world. For this very reason, it is one of the most affordable. The quality of amethyst is quite unique, depending on where it was obtained. Amethyst that are found in the United States are larger compared to those found in Africa. However, the latter has higher saturation when it comes to their colors.

Amethysts with the highest saturation are those found in Australia. There are also amethyst found in Brazil that are usually large and have different hues and cuts.

Emerald - Emeralds are mostly found in Mexico. Two main sources are the mines in Guerrero and Vera Cruz. Emeralds found there have a tendency toward lighter shades and are clearer than those found in other countries. The stones have lighter hues and the crystals are phantomed with a transparent interior and a saturated exterior.

Emeralds that are found in Guerrero are saturated dark green. They have a visible termination of their interior color saturation and exterior transparency. The highly saturated emeralds are the most elegant.

Sapphire - The most notable source of Sapphires are those found in Brazil from Minas Gerais, Bahia, Maraba and Rio Grande do Sul. Among those containing the best sapphires are the large pockets that are formed by volcanic material.

The sapphires that are produced here vary in their color saturation ranging from pale up to medium blue. Those that are navy blue are the sapphires that have the highest saturation.

Diamond - Africa is known to be a producer of diamonds, thus the inspiration of the recently released blood diamond. There are diamond deposits in Zambia and Namibia. The diamonds found in Africa can be as large as an egg and are outstandingly clear.

Jade - The United States has various gems. In Maine, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Montana and Colorado, the most popular stone is the Jade. The color is from the medium saturation. It may be smoky or translucent, depending on where it was obtained.

Jade from Maine and North Carolina are usually dark while those found in Montana or Colorado have a green tint.

Now, the next question, how the jewelry is made. Diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, amethysts, and jade are only a handful of precious gemstones out there. Some of them are very valuable because of their rare appearance.

How are these gemstones formed? Well, they are formed underneath the Earth. The process involved varies in each gem stone. The stones react with the minerals, specifically water. This is how they are dissolved. When the solution evaporates and cools down, these minerals are formed.

The water then mixes with the silica-rich rocks like sandstone. This produces the gemstones like amethyst, opals, agates, sapphires, jade and topaz to name a few. When the copper-rich rocks mix with the water, it bears the minerals like turquoise, malachite and azurite.

Emeralds and tourmalines are formed from rain water or the water from cooling bodies like magma that is mixed with the minerals and crystallized in cavities or open cracks. These spaces are filled with minerals which create the hydrothermal deposits needed in the formation of these gem stones.

There are also gemstones that are formed directly from the mantle. They consist of up to 70% of Earths total mass. They are usually made up of magnesium, silicon, iron, oxygen, silicate and aluminum compounds. The upper layer of the Earths mantle has a volume of the olivine which is quite common in the whole procedure.

Whenever you hear the word metamorphic it means the change of form of these rocks. Metamorphic gems are garnet, emerald, ruby, aquamarine, sapphire, onyx and zircon. They are formed over a long period of time because they wait for the rocks to be altered with such pressure and intense heat in order to interact with the other solutions.(Allen Jesson from freearticles)




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Wednesday, August 19, 2009

8 Great Makeup Tips

By: JR Lang

Makeup is an essential part of most women’s appearance. The cosmetics industry is a multi billion dollar market and for good reason. It is a fact that women have been using makeup throughout history in an effort to improve their appearance and accentuate their features. In fact, before we had MAC makeup, Revlon, Cover Girl and all the others women used to make makeup out of anything they could find including, using juices from berries as rouge and lip color and using egg whites as a home made face powder.

Lucky for us we no longer have to get so innovative and desperate, we have an unlimited selection of products and colors to choose from that can enhance any and all facial features. Once you have selected the perfect makeup, it is time to find the perfect makeup tips to help you professionally apply your new makeup.



8 Tips for Applying Makeup

1. Make sure to wash and moisturize your face before applying any of your makeup. Use a moisturizer that is meant for your skin type. You will want to be sure to put moisturizer on your eyes and lip balm on your lips as well.

2. After you put on your foundation, use a translucent setting power to set it in place.

3.Use a neutral color eye shadow as a base on your entire eyelid.

4. To accent your eyes you will want to choose a mid tone hue. Put this in the corner of your eye in order to add emphasis. This color should not only look good with your skin but it should also look good with your jewelry and clothing as well.

5. Before applying eyeliner to your own eyes, you should practice so that your line will be both clean and straight. Eyeliner should be applied after you put on your eye shadow.

6. In order to create thick lashes you will want to use an eyelash curler. After curling your eyelashes apply two coats of mascara. It is a good idea to use waterproof mascara.

7. Your lips should be outlined with a lip liner. Make sure that you stick with the natural shape of your lips though. The point of using a lip liner is to simply make the natural shape of your lips more visible.

8. Once you have outlined your lips with lip liner you will want to fill them in with a moisturizing lipstick. In order for your lipstick to stay on longer you will want to make sure that it is transfer resistant.

Learn more about applying and using makeup like professional makeup artists with lots of Video Makeup Guides from professional makeup up artists, and MAC senior artists that show step-by-step guides for eyes, skin, cheeks, including, How-To for Smokey Eyes and much more and shop for all the collections, colors and types of MAC makeup and fragrance at very cheap discount prices at Cheap MAC Makeup.
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Ladies Golf Apparel: Play the Game in Style

By: Lesley Lyon

Ladies golf apparel helps the women play the game in style. Ladies golf apparels are getting more flattering and fashionable. Feminine line of golf clothes makes every piece of apparel very detail oriented. The increase in popularity of the game with ladies has helped in expanding the demand for the apparel among women golfers.

Any woman on the golf course would like to have the best look. When the woman is dressed in an appropriate golf wear, she is taken seriously by fellow players and also it makes her look fashionable at the same time helping the lady to play the game better.

Due to the availability of wide range of womens golf apparel, women golfers can get an apparel to suit their style and golfing needs. Online golf stores help the shoppers to pick the right kind of golf outfit from the comfort of their houses. The only draw back is that they cannot be tried on the shopper before purchasing, but many of the online stores allow the golf apparels to send back which do not fit properly and can get of a appropriate size of golf apparel in exchange.

Golf apparel includes shorts, long sleeve golf shirts, visor and sweaters which can be bought to suit the fashion sense and need of a woman golfer. Most of the golf wear are color coordinated and hence it becomes easy to get a good coordinated wardrobe that consists of shorts, skirts, tops and pants. A golf bag is very important as it completes the golf apparel.

The golf bag should be very functional with many compartments and also pleasing to the eye too. Many women golfers are turning towards imprinted golf balls in order make their game a sense of originality. They are imprinting their favorite design or logo on the golf balls.

Tips for selecting the best womens golf apparel:

The first important thing, which is considered while selecting the golf apparel, is the style. A well fit and cut khaki trouser and a polo shirt may be very stylish and comfortable for the woman player.

Some women may wish to have their personal style in mind and may even invest a lot on the golf dress to achieve it. It all depends on the player.

The next important aspect of the gold apparel is its functionality and performance. If the type of wearers body is of over heating very fast, then such people should buy items which are made up of high tech clothing.

Also while playing golf under humid climatic conditions it is good to have breathable layers in the golf apparel in order to keep the moisture at bay.

To complete the overall look of the woman golfer, perfect fitting and stylish golf shoes are very necessary.

The golf shoe should be designed in such a way that it supports the feet and ankles very well. They are available in various colors and styles.

Also golf gloves are needed to protect the hands from perspiration. A visor or hat may be needed to protect the woman golfer from sun. There are many more accessories used like the headbands, wristbands, socks, golf bags, etc which can be chosen according to the style and comfort of the golfer.


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Monday, August 17, 2009

Tips on Buying Perfumes Online

All women love perfume and invest a lot of money in buying the best. But most of them avoid buying perfumes due to the heavy rush in stores and having to face rude salesmen. Thus an excellent option for them is to log on to the Internet and buy perfumes at their leisure.


Thanks to technology, we have great sales and bargains available over the Internet, which have proved to be very reasonable and affordable. These world wide websites have given such a big opportunity to retailers to market their products on the net, which gives them huge sales and profits.

The Internet has even proved to be very cost effective for retailers as they sell their products on the net, without extra costs of shops, man power and so on. All women love perfume and invest a lot of money in buying the best. But most of them avoid buying perfumes due to the heavy rush in stores and having to face rude salesmen.

They despise leaving their homes in the heat, battling heavy traffic and paying a huge sum in parking fees. Thus an excellent option for them is to log on to the Internet and buy perfumes at their leisure. Just by the tap of their fingers they will get the best bargains. The best part about online shopping is the convenience of shopping at any time of the day in the comfort of our homes and offices. However, many find it difficult and risky to shop over the net, as they don’t get to see or inspect what they are purchasing.

Most of us like to preview each item that we buy. For instance while purchasing a fragrance, we like to smell the perfume, spray it on ourselves and inspect it thoroughly. But the Internet does not provide this for us. Thus it is best advised never to buy perfumes online if you don’t know the fragrance. However, there is a solution to the problem. While going to the departmental store for your daily purchases, you could stop by the perfume counter and try out various fragrances and keep a note of the ones you like.

You could then come home and purchase the perfume of your choice online, where you will get the best bargains. Before purchasing your perfume online, make sure that it is an authentic online store. These days there are a lot of duplicate stores available online, waiting to swallow your money or obtain your credit card number, to make unfair use of it. Thus you should be careful of choosing the best and most popular online store.

To make sure that the online store is authentic and legitimate ask you friends and family if they have heard or used the store. If they have had bad experiences, they will warn you. You could also order a page of the website and search for the logo of authenticity. You can also search the consumer forum websites to see if there have been any negative reports on the online store. Many online stores provide the service of Cash on Delivery. Even if they demand higher prices, you should always opt for this service to avoid cases of fraud.
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Saturday, August 8, 2009

How to Properly Apply Blush - Contouring Your Face

By Carol Belanger


Properly applying blush as part of your makeup routine can add so much to enhance and accentuate your facial features. For instance, if you have a round face, blush can elongate your face. If you have sunken check bones or cheek bones that are not really prominent, blush can define your check bones and give dimension.

There are several factors to consider when choosing a blush. The first is selecting the right color and the second is selecting the right blush for your skin type.

Blush Color:
When selecting your blush choose a blush shade that is correct for your skin tone. Additionally stay away from blushers that are to bright, too dark or to pale for your skin tone. Below are a few tips to help you choose the right color.

Fair skin tones are best suited to pink, tawny, and beige blushes. Darker skin tones look best in plumbs if they are cooler and auburns or rich bronzes if they are warmer. For olive to yellow skin tones, try blushes in copper, almond, and warm brown shades. Finally, tanned skin often looks best on warm colors like peach, coral, apricot, and orange. Varying the intensity of blush -- bolder colors for darker skin and softer colors for fairer skin-- will help you achieve a natural glow.

Fair skin tones -pink tawny and beige blushes
Warm skin tone - (you skin has a yellowish hue) brown shades
cool skin tones (your skin has a bluish hue) pink, tawny
Dark skin - plum and bronze shades
Sun tanned skin - orange, apricot, peach and coral shades
olive to yellow skin tones - copper, almond and warm brown shades.

In general bolder colors for darker skin and softer colors for fair skin will help you achieve a natural glow.

Blush Type:

Blush comes in a variety of textures such as creams, powders, and gels.

Powder blushers provide a natural looking finish. Generally it is easy to apply, goes on smooth and blends well. Apply with a wide brush after you have applied your foundation or powder. Select a texture that is sheer and can easily build upon. Additionally powder blush is recommended for oily.

Application: A wide good quality quality brush is recommended. To ensure an even application tap the excess blush off the brush before application to the face. A good blush brush will give you a nice application and follow the natural curves of the cheek bone. Smile in the mirror and apply the blush to the fatty part of the check going upward and back, blend as you apply. A good tip is to apply blush where color naturally arises. Use short up-and-down vertical strokes moving toward the top of your ear. Consider a teardrop shape with the thinner part at the top and the wider part pointing toward your nose.

Cream blushes are oil-free. Apply with fingertips to give a more precise and even result. Additionally, cream blushers blend easily and provide a natural result. Cream blushers are appropriate for normal to dry skin types. Furthermore, cream blush is recommended for dry and mature skin as it blends easily.

A proper blush application with the right color can add dimension to your face and accentuate your facial features. A blush can add depth and elongate your face and make it look thinner.

Tip to make a round face look longer and well defined:
Purchase a blush palette which enhances your skin tone. The palette should consist of a dark tone, medium tone and light tone.
Apply the darkest tone just below the check bones; even if not prominent at this time. Do not apply past the corner of the outer eye.
Apply the medium shade and blend well all the way to the hairline.
Finally, highlight the check bones with the lightest shade. You should see that your round face will look naturally thinner and has an apparent glow.

A blush palette will add dimension which can not be achieved with just one ordinary color.


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How to Apply Makeup

bY Jean Feingold

Women use makeup to enhance their natural beauty. Following these instructions will help you will learn how to apply makeup for all occasions. Begin by washing your face. Use a gentle cleanser that does not dry out the skin. Follow up with a moisturizer appropriate for your skin type. Cover your clothing with a towel to protect it while you do your makeup application.

Concealer comes next

Even top models don't have flawless skin. Concealer hides any blemishes or undereye circles. Select a color one shade lighter than your foundation. Using your ring finger, put dots of concealer over any blemishes and undereye circles. Blend it in with the tip of that finger or a makeup sponge. You can use either a liquid concealer or a solid type.

Foundation is the base

A liquid foundation that matches your skin tone exactly is the best choice. Start by putting it on in dots over the middle of your face. Use your fingertips or a makeup sponge to spread it out until it covers your entire face. The foundation will cover the concealer.

To keep the foundation in place, dust on loose or pressed powder in the same color with a brush or powder puff. You can take a compact with pressed powder with you for touchups later.

The eyes have it

There are several steps in how to apply makeup around the eyes. Start with the eyebrows. If they have been plucked excessively, you will need to create a browline using eyebrow pencil or powdered shadow. These products can also fill in any gaps in the natural brows. Eyebrow pencil can look harsh and unnatural unless used carefully. To apply powdered eyebrow shadow, use a hard slanted brush.

Eye shadow should coordinate with your eye color and your skin tones. Use dark eye shadow to line the edge of your upper eyelid, following along above the upper lashes. Medium colored eye shadow is placed above that and up to the crease of the eye. Light eye shadow goes from there to just under the eyebrow. For day wear, use matte colors. Gleaming or sparkling colors are more appropriate for evening.

Wet a cake eyeliner in a darker coordinating color to bring out the eyes more and apply it in a thin line on the bottom edge of the upper eyelid using a brush. If you wish the eyes to appear larger, apply the eyeliner only on the upper eyelid, extending the line about one-half inch beyond the corner of the eye. Women with large eyes or who prefer a more dramatic evening look may also apply eyeliner on the edge of the lower lid below the eyelashes. Make sure the lines are thin to avoid a raccoon appearance. Eyeliner pencil can be used instead of the cake eyeliner.

Mascara is the last step in the eye part of makeup application. Again, select a color based on your skin tone, using dark brown if you are fair and black for darker skin. Navy or plum can be used for evening, but are not really appropriate for work. Dip the applicator into the tube and gently wave it over the upper and lower lashes. Wait a few minutes for it to dry before applying a second coat. This will help avoid clumping. For evening, you may wish to use an eyelash curler to get a more exotic look, but be sure to do this before applying mascara.

Blush adds life

Blush comes in both powder and gel forms. Whichever you choose, apply it sparingly to avoid looking like a clown. Find the apples of your cheeks by smiling and then put the blush either on them or just below, whichever is more flattering to you.

Kissable lips

Pick a lipstick color that goes with both your skin tone and your outfit. Either apply it from the tube or use a lipstick brush as professional makeup artists do. Add lip liner around the edges of the lips after the lipstick has been applied. Make sure the lipliner color is a similar shade to the lipstick, as very dark lipliner with pale lipstick will look silly.

Be safe with your cosmetics

Cosmetics don't last forever. They can become contaminated with bacteria, so to be safe they should be discarded once they get old. This is especially important for mascara which should not be kept longer than one year after it is first used. Avoid risking health problems by not sharing cosmetics with other people.

Now that you know how to apply makeup, why not practice before your next big event? By following these instructions, you'll look great wherever you go.


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Easy Steps in Getting Perfect eyebrows

Is your self-confidence down the drain because of thin eyebrows? Have you been hoping to do something about them? By all means, be aware of this: You can rest and not stop the problem once and for all. There are already simple steps to have the brows you always hoped for. It’s easy for you to attain eyebrow growth and save a lot of money in the end.

The Techniques for Eyebrow Regrowth

Are you excited to teach yourself to grow eyebrows? These are some handy tips for you.

Bear in mind that the mineral sulphur should be added in your food plan. It helps you to burn fats in your body and can be useful to quicken the speed of your metabolism. Indeed, you need it if you’d like to lose some pounds. Nevertheless, sulphur is an important because with it you can start having beautiful eyebrows. Hence, you need sulphur so you can have more beautiful eyebrows.

You can acquire multivitamins that contain it , or you can eat meat or maybe legumes. These foods are abundant of sulphur.

Another popular method of having eyebrows is to use a number of ingredients found at home , items that can make your brows look thick and bold These are extra virgin olive oil, and Vaseline, which you can also use for other things. You’d realize that they are uncomplicated and no hassle to apply.


What you have to do is simply dab smaller portions of them into your thin eyebrows, utilizing a cotton tip. They would be more effective if you’re placing your ingredient of choice before you sleep. You can remove them once you wake up.

These self-made treatments are applied by a lot of people because they allow The brows to develop in a very short time. Once you can have your brows back, they are thicker , and they are easier to pluck.

You should also try to have the vitamins and minerals. You may not be aware or have nothing but doubts on the usefulness of vitamins, but there’s a big possibility that one of those reasons why you possess eyebrows that are thinning is because you lack the essential vitamins that help take care of your body and minerals that sustain the development of the hair strands in your brow.

Aside from sulphur, you can also try looking for vitamins that include as well as enriched with vitamin E, since it is just what is needed for your hair, especially your brows, , as well as anti-oxidants such as vitamin C.

Use a Stimulator

There are also women who make use of the eyebrow hair growth product such as Librow. The eyebrow growth product contains a lot of extracts —vitamins and herbs— which are backed up by studies that reveal them to be extremely efficient for the development of hair in your brows.

And once you have these brows back, they look like not only fuller but would also appear to be very lush and bold. You may also notice that they have become soft to your skin and are very strong.

If none of the strategies given won’t work and fail you in giving eyebrow that you desperately seek, you should see the family physician. The thinning of your eyebrows may be a case of eyebrow hair loss. This can be caused by significant determinants, one of which is heredity. It is very important that you consult with someone who’s expert on the hair if you have a problem on hair loss. You would continue to acquire it until you are able to seek the sure-fire treatment to your medical condition right now.

No More Disguises

You can skip your idea that you are going to assume that your eyebrows are fuller, bolder, and thicker. You won’t have to pretend or to overcast your eyebrows through long front hair. Sooner than you thought, you will already be wearing them proudly. You will find the ways to be just breezy and actually fun. And if these weren’t enough, the methods are affordable.
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Thursday, August 6, 2009

How to Clean Your Jewelry

by Vicki

Cleaning your jewelry is important, it is amazing the germs that can form on your rings or necklaces. Many people forget this important aspect of owning a piece of jewelry and cleaning it not only makes it look better and keep its sparkle but it restores it.

If you have a silver piece of jewelry you do not need to spend huge amounts of money on specialist solutions, simply use a soft tooth brush with a mild soap.

Gently brush the item of jewelry to remove any debris, one this is done rinse the item of jewelry under a running tap then use a soft cloth to gently buff the jewelry until a stunning shine appears. Although there are many dips and solutions you can buy that you simply place your silver in the solution and remove, you need to be careful if you do decide to clean your jewelry this way. If you leave your silver in the solution for too long or do not rinse it properly once you have taken it out you may find that a white residue is left with can be unattractive.

Gold jewelry especially rings can form a greasy film making the ring look dull and no longer eye catching, the use of body lotions, creams and you skins oil can add to this build up. If you need to clean a piece of Gold jewelry remove the ring or necklace and mix together som
e mild soap or washing up liquid in a bowl of warm water. Place the gold jewelry into your solution and leave to soak for a few minutes to soften any debris or oil. Remove the jewelry from the water making sure your hands are clean, use a soft brush to gently scrub the item of jewelry until clean. Once you are happy that the jewelry is clean use a soft cloth or a polishing cloth to gently rub over the jewelry, this will restore a beautiful shine.

Platinum jewelry can be cleaned in the same way as gold and silver jewelry however it is important to remember that soaking in solutions such as ammonia can damage the jewelry, harsh chemicals are really best for hard gemstones such as diamonds. You can also have you platinum jewelry cleaned by a professional jeweller. If you have an item of jewelry that contains a diamond, do not be fooled by the diamonds strength, quite often diamond jewelry has been coated to protect it and harsh cleaning solutions can remove the protective film. Simply soak your jewelry in soft washing detergent then brush gently with a soft brush, using a hard bristled brush can damage some jewelry. It is important to clean your jewelry as often as you can to maintain its sparkle and to get the most out of your jewelry. Read more...

Sunday, August 2, 2009

What to Look for in a Jewelry Designer

The way we express ourselves is shown through the things we wear on the outside. The clothes we wear and the accessories we use can make powerful statements about who we are. When you pass by a person on the street you instantly make an impression about what that person is like, at least in general. The same thing applies to you, so you need to choose your looks properly.

While clothes are very important to a person, jewelry is also an important factor that can be used to determine another person̢۪s impression about who you are. Because of this you should choose what you wear carefully. There are some jewelry pieces that have a much more important role than just complementing your outfits, but you need to choose the ones that appeal to you most.

Most people prefer products that are the creation of a jewelry designer. The reason for this is because they are crafted with a lot more care and attention to detail than other items, some of them being unique. If you choose the source for your jewelry wisely and you do a little research prior to the purchase, the items you are going to wear can be life changing.

Many people are fascinated with the cultures that have a rich history behind them, either filled with violence, or with great mystery and impressive developments. These cultures have guided their beliefs in tone with certain symbols that were believed to help them throughout their lives.

The symbols I am talking about are believed to have hidden powers. Just as Christians wear a cross around their necks because they believe it will keep them safe, those symbols addressed similar fields of interest or others. David Weitzman is a jewelry designer that has set on a mission to help other people through his jewelry designs and creations.

As a jewelry designer, inspiration comes from nature or surroundings, but David has traveled the world in order to come in contact with many powerful cultures, finding inspiration in their symbols and transposing them into jewelry pieces. Each piece is meant to help people around the world find the right path in their lives and not worry about simple things.

Among the creations of this jewelry designer you will find sacred symbols that do not take into account language or religious barriers. Some of the symbols that can be found in his creations have been found in cultures half way around the world from each other, in ancient times, and with no possible link between them.

Symbols for love, unity, health and for following the right path and doing the right thing in life can be found among the creations of this jewelry designer. Each symbol present in his portfolio is meant to help the person who wears is. Because of this, prior to commercialization, each piece is submitted to a deep meditation process that will imbue it with powers.

If you are interested to find out more information about the journeys of this jewelry designer trying to understand different cultures through their symbols, all you need to do is visit the website ka-gold-jewelry.com. Here you also have access to his wide collection of unique jewelry designs with a detailed description for each piece in order to know what they mean and what their powers are.

There are many things in life we use to express ourselves, but not many of them can help us. The creations of the jewelry designer presented afore can become an important part of your life, helping you make the right choices and staying out of harm̢۪s way.
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