INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Your diamond ring is going to be easier to sell when you can provide verification that the piece you're selling is a genuine diamond of the quality you are stating. Include the diamond certificate with the ring, if you have it, to establish the quality of your ring. Save a copy of the certificate for your records, but offer the original with the sale. If you do not have the diamond certificate but are dealing with a potentially valuable stone, you may consider getting a grading report from an independent laboratory such as the Gemological Institute of America. Regardless of what you are selling, postings both online and in print get better responses when the lister includes high-quality images with the listing. Include at least one quality, color image of the face of the ring. If possible, post a few images including one of the band and one of the setting profile, as well.t It is better to take a variety of images before you create your ad. If there is a cap on the number of images you can use, you can always select your best ones later on. Try shooting the ring under natural lighting and with no visible clutter around it. You can use a white towel or sheet to create a neutral backdrop. Decide what marketplaces you want to use to advertise your ring, and create a listing. Write a clear description of the ring that includes appraisal details such as color, cut, and clarity, along with the ring size and the diamond carat size. Add your images, and post your ad. If you are using a specialty jewelry auction site such as I Do...Now I Don't or Worthy, they may have you input pre-set values about your ring, and generate the auction page automatically. If you are on a broad platform such as Craigslist or eBay, you will need to completely create your own ad. Remember to make sure the contact information associated with your account is up-to-date. Typically, this will not be displayed directly to potential buyers. However, this is where the website will send you notifications that someone is interested in your piece. Newspaper classified ads can help you reach audiences that are not likely to shop online. Call your local paper and ask about the cost of running different sized ads. Take out an ad large enough for you to include details like the ring size and the diamond characteristics, as well as a photo of the ring. Let buyers know whether your price is firm or if you are open to negotiation. Many people who frequent classified ads like to be able to haggle. Shipping a diamond ring is not the same as shipping most items. The small size and high value of the object means that you want to look for a shipper that can offer you shipping insurance should your parcel get lost, damaged, or delivered to the wrong address. Insuring a package typically costs more, so don't forget to roll that cost into the overall price for the ring. Avoid any conspicuous markings on the outside of the package to suggest that it contains a diamond ring. This may prompt package inspection or theft. Package the ring in a hard box such as a formal ring box, avoiding materials such as cardboard. Then, package the ring box in a small cardboard box, using packing tissue or filler to ensure that the ring box does not move too much within the cardboard box.

SUMMARY: Offer authentication. Include quality images. Post your online listing. Take out a print listing. Set up your delivery system.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Even if there are visiting hours provided on the website, etc., the person you are wanting to see may not be well enough to see anyone at the time. This is absolutely vital; non-visiting hours are used mainly for ensuring sufficient recuperation for the patients, so that they get well quickly. You can't be sure whether or not a medical procedure is taking place or if the patient is sleeping. The patient is likely to tire easily but may be too polite to ask you to leave. Also remember that you're not likely to be the only visitor and having many visitors can be tiring. If the patient wants you to know, he or she will tell you. Otherwise, this can seem too personal and very invasive of the patient's privacy. Instead of flowers or candy, consider purchasing a gift card to the patient's favorite store. A post-surgery patient usually can't eat for several days, so candy isn't a very tactful gift. Hospital rooms are small; there may not be room for flowers and they are usually a nuisance when the patient is ready to go home. If visiting a co-worker, refrain from mentioning the latest round of budget cuts or layoffs. If there is any bad news from the home or work front, try your best to not relay it unless you think that it is absolutely essential. It is best for the patient to be relieved of bad news until they're well enough to cope again. Days are very long at the hospital, and a patient can quickly feel isolated and out of touch. Most patients value their privacy and may not want to be seen hooked up to machines and drainage tubes. Moreover, if they feel really ill, they're genuinely not up to receiving visitors.

SUMMARY: Call first to make sure visitors are allowed. Observe the hospital's visiting hours. If the patient's door is closed, knock and wait for permission to enter. Keep your visit brief. Don't ask about any surgical or test results. Bring a gift card. Stay positive. Assure the patient that he or she is missed at work, school, church, or social groups. Don't be hurt if you are asked not to visit.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Finding the NPVs for multiple investment opportunities allows you to easily compare your investments to determine which are more valuable than others. In general, the investment with the highest NPV is the most valuable because its eventual payout is worth the most in present dollars. Because of this, you'll usually want to pursue the investments with the highest NPVs first (assuming you don't have enough resources to pursue every investment with a positive NPV). For instance, let's say that we have three investment opportunities. One has an NPV of $150, one has an NPV of $45, and one has an NPV of -$10. In this situation, we'd pursue the $150 investment first because it has the greatest NPV. If we have enough resources, we'd pursue the $45 investment second because it's less valuable. We wouldn't pursue the -$10 investment at all because, with a negative NPV, it will make you less money than investing in an alternative with a similar level of risk. Using a slightly modified form of the standard NPV formula, it's possible to quickly determine how much a present sum of money will be worth in the future (or how much a future sum of money is worth in the present). Simply use the formula PV = FV / (1+i)t, where i is your discount rate, t the number of time periods being analyzed, FV is the future money value, and PV is the present value. If you know i, t, and either FV or PV, it's relatively simple to solve for the final variable. For instance, let's say we want to know how much $1,000 will be worth in five years. If we know that, at bare minimum, we can get a return rate of 2% on this money, we'll use 0.02 for i, 5 for t, and 1,000 for PV and solve for FV as follows: 1,000 = FV / (1+0.02)5 1,000 = FV / (1.02)5 1,000 = FV / 1.104 1,000 1.104 = FV = $1,104. The accuracy of any NPV calculation basically depends on the accuracy of the values you use for your discount rate and your future cash inflows. If your discount rate is close to the actual return rate you can get on your money for an alternative investment of similar risk and your future cash inflows are close to the amounts of money you'll actually make from your investment, your NPV calculation will be right on the money.

SUMMARY:
Compare investment opportunities by their NPV. Use PV = FV / (1+i)t to find present and future values. Research valuation methods for more accurate NPVs.