Gemstones are first judged for their color and unlike diamonds not their brilliance or cut. This is even more true for emerald, rubies, and sapphire because they are rarely cut with American style meet point faceting techniques. This technique uses diagrams where the facets meet at a point and produce the best light return for a particular species of gemstone based on the refractive index.  Almost all rubies, emeralds, and sapphires are cut commercially less concern for light return but rather maximize the yield of the expensive rough stones. Generally commercial cut stones are polished to 14K diamond grit or less. Most custom cut stones will be polished to a minimum of 50000 diamond grit. Modern oxides are in common use by custom cutters and provide a polish similar to 100K diamond grit.

One mistake that gemstone buyers make when looking at well cut stones is to be dazzled by the brilliance while forsaking the color. Never forget the color! Color is the number one criterion for judging colored gemstones. Our eyes naturally gravitate to the brilliant gemstone on the counter but brilliance will make light colored stones appear better than reality. Turn the stone on its back or look at it from another angle to get a better idea of the actual body color of the gemstone without the cut affecting your perception. Brilliance or “fire” is important but should never outweigh color. Color is always the highest percentage of cost in any colored gem. After you’ve found a few gems with the best color then go and judge them for clarity, cut, and brilliance. You don’t need to sacrifice brilliance or clarity but it should not be the first aspect to look for.

I’ve always had a rather ambivalent attitude toward PowerPoint presentations. Although their potential is undoubted, target audiences tend to see them as cumbersome and outmoded. The noted author Cliff Atkinson, who wrote ‘Beyond Bullet Points’, says that PowerPoint tends to be associated more with boredom than brilliance. It remains, nonetheless, an intrinsic part of modern education and learning. Thus, if you wish to avoid inflicting death by PowerPoint, let’s look at what you can do to keep your presentations slick, informative and alive!

Think of each of your presentations as if it was a website.

Shape the structure of your PowerPoint presentation like a website. Everyone pays extraordinary attention to detail with every aspect of the branding on their website - your presentation should follow this same rule. Aesthetic concerns are of the utmost of importance, and your presentation should appear flawless and carefully designed. Utilise a theme running throughout the presentation, and refrain from using bright contrasting colours, as they will distract your audience from the information which you’re endeavouring to teach.

Avoid the use of ClipArt!

Utilise high grade graphics from stylish stock image sites to add a vibrant quality to your slides. There are several sites where you can buy photos for as little as $1 - a sound investment! Some personal favourites of mine include Stockxpert, Shutterstock and iStockPhoto, however there are lots more out there, so if you are curious, do a search on Google for “Royalty Free Stock Photography”.

Less is More

Don’t fill up your slides with non relevant text - make them simple and straightforward. Sometimes actions speak louder than words. With PowerPoint, your primary goals is to convey these actions through your images. Your presentation is a visual representation of what you are talking about - not an alternative to the presenter. Even if it’s a simple line or quote, less is often more.

Use 3D

Give your diagrams extra character by making them three dimensional, and they will grab hold your viewers attention much more than any flat, boring diagrams. This works amazingly well with pyramids, as it will make these objects practically leap off the page, instead of being static and lifeless.

And Finally… Don’t Over Animate

Going animation happy and overdoing the movement on your template is a definite no no. Having items popping in and out from all over, moving side to side and bouncing around everywhere - will only confuse people. Should you wish to employ animation in your presentations, stick to simple and stylish fading in and out. Leave the flying about to your favourite cartoon characters!

Follow these simple steps and your presentation should be a pleasure to watch, rather than an uncomfortable coffee break, and if you decide that all of this sounds like too much hassle - hire a virtual assistant to do it for you!

Michelle Dale is Chief Executive of Virtual Miss Friday, an adept and highly-proficient Virtual Assistant Service which works closely with enterprising people who really want to succeed in their chosen field. If you’d like to learn more about online business building success strategies that are tailored to your needs, check out the Campaign for FREE Virtual Assistance right away!