The last few years have witnessed an unprecedented stream of blockbuster-style claims about the man from Nazareth. Believers & sceptics alike have hardly had time to process one controversial theory before the next one hits the market." Recent claims about the life of Jesus have raised many questions about the historicity of the man from Nazareth. In this accessible book John Dickson addresses such issues as: When & where was Jesus born? Did he marry? What should we make of the "miracles" he is reported to have performed? How should we treat the claim that he rose from the dead? & can we be sure that he even existed? In eleven chapters
- covering the historical reliability of the New Testament Jesus birth & family his historical context his teachings miracles death resurrection & subsequent appearances
- Dickson clears away the mists of speculation revealing the founder of Christianity in sharp focus. This is a must-read for anyone wanting a lucid response to the controversial conspiracy theories of the post-modern age."

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BOOK ONE OF THE RAJ QUARTET India 1942: everything is in flux. World War II has shown that the British are not invincible & the self-rule lobby is gaining many supporters. Against this background Daphne Manners a young English girl is brutally raped in the Bibighat Gardens. The racism brutality & hatred launched upon the head of her young Indian lover echo the dreadful violence perpetrated on Daphne & reveal the desperate state of Anglo-Indian relations. The rift that will eventually prise India
- the jewel in the Imperial Crown
- from colonial rule is beginning to gape wide.

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Russia 1910. Young Valentina Ivanova charms St Petersburgs aristocracy with her classic Russian beauty & her talent as a pianist. But she scandalises society when she begins a romance with Jens Friis a Danish engineer. He brings to her life a passion & an intimacy she has never known. Unbending in their opposition her parents push her into a loveless engagement with a Russian count. Valentina struggles for independence & to protect her young sister from the tumult sweeping the city as Russia is bound for rebellion. The Tsar the Duma & the Bolsheviks are at each others throats & Valentina is forced to make a choice that changes her life for ever.. . ...

This is a comprehensive guide to identifying buying using & caring for a wide array of jewels & gems. It covers the origins of gemstones & how to assess the quality rarity grade & cut of precious & semi-precious stones. There are clear illustrations & colour photographs to help you identify the different types of gemstone available & demonstrate how they can be used in a vast variety of designs & settings. A chapter on pearls is also included. Cuts & facets settings
- both old & new designing your own settings appraising buying & handling gemstones as well as how to spot synthetics & fakes are also covered. The result is a complete guide to all you need to know about gemstones.
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A compelling & dramatic new saga of the north west set in the austere 1920s Emma Coles life is shattered when her widowed father Frederick is imprisoned for theft. She never believes that he is guilty
- but her intimidating uncle David Hawksworth thinks otherwise. Reluctantly giving Emma a home over his jewellery shop he forbids all contact with the convicted man. But Emma secretly visits her father in prison. As time progresses Emmas relationship with friend Ricky who works at the prison deepens & for a while it seems that the future might not be as difficult as she feared. Then tragedy strikes. Caught in a welter of family politics & feuds Emma remains determined to prove her fathers innocence. Yet when the identity of the real culprit is uncovered the revelations are shattering. Only by facing the truth about the past can Emma find happiness
- & see justice finally done.

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Making jewellery & accessories is a great way for kids to express themselves
- & is also a fun & creative way to introduce them
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Recycled Materials is firmly based on providing simple illustrated step-by-step methods & techniques for creating jewellery from recycled materials. This handbook covers the importance of using recycled/reused materials in terms of environmental impact sustainability creativity necessity v. choice & ideas of making the common valuable & precious through treatment & presentation. The variety of projects included in this title will teach readers how to make a necklace from tin pendants from keys use fabric for a cuff & to use plastic cardboard cork & foam to make bangles necklaces earrings & brooches. Also included is an extensive list of scrapstores & suppliers of recycled materials as well as information about how to find free or very cheap materials from other sustainable sources. ...

This is a complete course in designing & making jewellery. Carefully structured tutorials guide you through every stage of the process revealing how to translate inspired ideas into workable wearable designs & youll find professional advice on presenting & selling your work. Learn about tools equipment & safe working practices; how to build an inspirations file; select suitable materials & transfer your designs; work with precious & semi-precious stones metals glass plastic resin & wood. Clear step-by-step photographs demonstrate all the techniques you will need at-a-glance panels explain the effect that different techniques have on a variety of metals & practical exercises provide guidance in tricky skills
- with ideas for trying these out on inexpensive substitutes before using your chosen materials.
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Do you love jewelry & beading? Would you like to know how to make chic jewelry & accessories? Jewelry & Beading Designs for Dummies is packed with patterns step-by-step instructions & inspiring color photos to get you stringing knotting & looping in no time. From earrings & necklaces to pins purses charms & more you'll discover new techniques for making just the right pieces to suit you
- or give as fantastic fashionable gifts! This easy-to-follow visual guide speeds you right into the basics of jewelry making: assembling your gear; working with pliers; & fine-tuning your stringing bead weaving & wire wrapping skills. You'll use elastic cord ribbon leather a wire jig & more to make bracelets bookmarks pendants & napkin rings. Before you know it you'll take your skills to the next level & beyond using multiple techniques & materials on thrilling & unconventional designs. Discover how to: Make more than 75 fresh fun & practical projects Hone your basic jewelry making skills Work with silver leather glass beads & crystals Create rings bracelets phone covers wine charms & more Use bead crimping knotting & weaving to make beautiful designs Make stunning earrings & necklaces using a wire jig Fabricate beads & wire components Find nontraditional materials such as hardware beach glass & more Add beauty skill & satisfaction to your life with a little help from Jewelry & Beading Designs For Dummies!
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Coco Chanels passion for fabulous jewels for exceptional stones for improbable marvels produced pieces were unparalleled in their insistence on luxury & refinement. Drawing inspiration from tradition Chanel was never the slave of everyday formulas or mere market values. Yet she reinvented tradition in the most arresting & modern jewelry pieces based on her love of colours as well as her assured command of austere classical beauty. Chanel was a creature of contrasts: there was the Chanel of the most sumptuous baroque of rococo mirrors & dazzling playful unrestrained jewelry; & there was the Chanel of the utmost restraint of classicism a la francaise. Out of this dialogue between ostentation & austerity the jewelry that Chanel created throughout her long career has been celebrated in many revivals of her exceptional taste. From the direct re-creations of the 1932 Collection to the newest interpretations of comets & stars plumes & feathers & Chanels signature flower the camellia this book is true to the spirit of her enterprise. Classic images from the archives combine with exciting new photography to bring old & new together. ...