INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If you can't find any identifying stamps and you're unsure about the origin of the jewelry, use a testing kit to find out what the jewelry is made of. Purchase an acid testing kit from an online retailer or jewelry supply store. This kit will include a sanding stone and several bottled acids. Buy a kit that can test for both silver and platinum. The bottle labels will indicate which metal they are used to test for. If the kit doesn't include gloves, buy some separately. If you get any acid on your hands you will burn your skin. Lay out the black slate stone on an even surface. Gently rub the jewelry against the stone in a back-and-forth motion to create a line. Draw 2 or 3 lines on the stone or one for each testing acid you'll use. For example, if you're testing for platinum, silver, and gold, you'll draw 3 lines. Choose an inconspicuous part of the jewelry to rub against the stone. The stone will scratch and damage a small section of the jewelry. Lay a towel down underneath the stone to protect your work surface from scratches. Select an acid test from your kit and carefully drop a small amount of acid onto one of the drawn lines. Make sure that you don't mix the different acids together or you'll affect your results. Most tests have acids specifically for silver. However, you can also use an 18-karat gold testing acid to identify pure or sterling silver. Always wear gloves while handling acid. These reactions can take anywhere from a second to a minute. If the line completely dissolves, the test fails. For example, if you drop the Platinum acid test on a line and the line dissolves, the jewelry isn't platinum. However, if your line doesn't dissolve, the metal is pure. If you use the 18-karat gold acid test to test on silver, the line will turn a milky white color. This will indicate that your jewelry is pure or sterling silver. If you doubt your results, test the jewelry again to be sure.

SUMMARY: Use an acid testing kit on hard-to-verify jewelry. Rub the jewelry against the stone. Drop the acids on the different metal lines. Observe the reaction of the acid.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: At your initial consultation with a lawyer, you should describe your case and ask him or her to give a best estimate of how much your case will cost. While a lawyer can't foresee all circumstances that might occur in your case, he or she can usually give you a good estimate of fees and costs. However, keep in mind that if your case takes an unanticipated turn or becomes significantly more complicated, your costs may increase quite a bit from the original estimate. Some lawyers bill by the hour, but other types of billing may be available to you. Talk to your lawyer about your budget and ask about their billing practices before you commit to having her represent you. Contingency fees are a popular method of billing in personal injury cases. You pay your attorney only a percentage of the amount you recover from the other party when the case is over. However, any expenses that your attorney has throughout your case, like court filing fees, will be your responsibility. You may have to pay some of these expenses up front to the lawyer or as they are incurred throughout your case. Some attorneys use flat-rate billing when the amount and nature of work is predictable. If you have a routine traffic court matter, a DUI or DWI, an uncontested divorce, or need to have a will drafted, a flat rate might make your costs easier to foresee. Many attorneys require you to pay a retainer fee at the beginning of your case in order to hire them to represent you. The amount of a retainer fee will differ from one jurisdiction to the next, and also depends on the type of legal matter that you need the attorney to handle. This fee can be substantial in some cases. Try negotiating with the attorney to arrive at a reduced retainer amount or ask if the retainer can be paid in installments over time. Some attorneys will allow you to enter into a payment plan for their services, rather than having to pay a large retainer up front. You could arrange to be billed monthly or biweekly for the lawyer's services, which may make it easier to budget. You also will be relieved from having to come up with a large sum of money all at once. Some states may have programs that provide lawyers at sliding-scale fees, based on your income. Getting legal representation through this type of program could greatly reduce your attorney's fees. Check with your local or state bar association for information about these types of programs. Younger, less experienced lawyers may charge much lower hourly fees than older, more experienced lawyers. As these lawyers may have less business, they may be more willing to consider charging you a flat fee or a discounted rate. They also may have more time to devote to your case. For a relatively simple and straightforward legal matter, you may find a younger lawyer who is well-qualified to handle it at a much lower cost than other lawyers in your area.

SUMMARY: Get a clear idea of how much your case will cost. Ask for alternative billing plans. Negotiate your retainer fee. Ask for a payment plan. Explore sliding-scale fee programs. Hire a younger lawyer.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: To play it cool, you have to show that while you enjoy talking to your crush, your life does not revolve around him or her. Here are some ways to make this clear; Don't talk to your crush every single time you sign online. Talk to him or her every second or third time you sign on. This will show that you're not only going online to continue your conversation. Don't respond to everything he or she says too quickly. If you respond the second he or she asks you a question, this will make it look like you're obsessed with your conversation. If you don't answer right away, your crush will see that you're talking to other people, or doing other things too. Get a secret screen name that no one knows about to see what your crush is doing when he thinks you're not online. This can help you have a better sense of what your crush really thinks about you, and can help you cool it during your interactions. If you see that your crush isn't online much when he doesn't think you're online, this can suggest that he's online for the same reason you are--to continue flirting! If you see that your crush is just always online, it may mean that he'll talk to whoever--whenever. This may also suggest that he doesn't have a life. Log on to your secret screen name after you say goodbye to your crush. Does your crush sign off right away? This may show that he's only sticking around to talk to you. It's great to show that you think your crush is an engaging, exciting, and fun person, but if you overdo it, you may end up looking too obsessive. Here are some things to avoid: Minimize your use of "LOL" or "hahaha"--this will make it look like you're trying too hard to be funny. Avoid too many emoticons. This can get annoying and will make you look immature. If your crush doesn't respond right away, don't immediately follow up with a series of question marks or say, "Where did you go???" This will make it look like your world revolves around your crush's answers.

SUMMARY:
Don't be too eager to talk to your crush. Don't underestimate the secret screen name. Don't be too enthusiastic during your conversation.