Wedding Ring And Engagement Ring: Similarities And Differences

Bands have figured prominently in betrothal and marriages since prehistoric times. In fact, it would be hard to carry on an engagement and wedding without the presence of bands. Because of their long lingering presence, wedding ring and engagement ring are often confused with each other. However, it should be taken into consideration that although they are commonly seen worn by married women, they have contrasting characteristics in many aspects.

To further outline the differences between wedding ring and engagement ring, it would be logical to start with their individual functions. To simply put it, an engagement ring is given by the man to the woman prior to their marriage in order to signify that they are bound to be married. On the other hand, wedding bands are jewelry pieces exchanged by the couple during their wedding ceremony to seal their marriage vows, and serves as indication that the wearers are bound by marriage. After the ceremony and the years of their marriage, both the bands are worn by the woman on her left finger, while the man only wears the wedding ring since men are not accustomed to wear an engagement band.

Between the wedding and engagement hoops, most couples invest more on their engagement bands. In fact, an engagement ring is more attention-grabbing than a wedding ring because it is somehow a silent announcement of the soon-to-be married status of couples. Traditionally, engagement bands have protruding center stones usually made from fine diamond jewelry. Today though, it is no longer a requisite to have diamond engagement ring as other precious stones can also be used as central accents such as ruby, sapphire, and opal to name a few.

Meanwhile, wedding ring is the exact opposite of engagement ring in terms of design and finish as it is often plain and simple, or sometimes appear as less accentuated with gemstones. However, the design of the wedding bands is always dependent on the couple's choice; there are couples who also use fine diamond jewelry for their wedding bands, though this is not always the case as the plain finish of such band represents the sanctity of marriage. The wedding and engagement bands are both worn on the left finger between the index and pinkie as tradition has it that the said finger holds the vein that is connected directly to the heart which is referred to as the vena mori. However, there are also cultures that traditionally wear their wedding and engagement bands on the right hand, specifically on the right ring finger.

Commonly, wedding and engagement bands are separately purchased. They may also come as a set, which is why a wedding ring can also be as elaborate as the engagement ring. If you would be purchasing these bands separately, always try to consider that you would be using them on a daily basis, so when you are to pick each piece select the shape of the gemstone that would complement your lifestyle. A diamond may be hard in nature, but it can chip off or break overtime especially if it has pointed edges; in this case it would be more preferable to choose a round brilliant cut as it could last longer.

Generally, wedding ring and engagement ring are important pieces that represent two important stages in a couple's relationship, the engagement and marriage. They vary greatly in terms of function, purpose and design. Setting aside their differences though, what is apparent is that they share the same concept of undying love and commitment, apparently shown from their round shape that has no beginning and no end as well as the materials used to develop them. They also serve as material seals that strengthen the symbolism and sentimentality of devotion of the couples.

Wedding ring and engagement ring differ greatly in appearance and function. An engagement ring is worn prior to the marriage to denote the engaged status of the couple. Traditionally engagement ring has center piece that's of fine diamond jewelry with round brilliant cut. Meanwhile, wedding bands are the ones exchanged by couples during wedding ceremonies to seal their marriage vows. Such ring is usually a plain band or designed to match the theme of the engagement ring but is simpler.

-Lorraine Jacobs

Loose Diamonds: All The Brilliant Cuts, And Otherwise

Why get loose diamonds? They're not quite as practical as earrings and necklaces. You would not be able to wear them, or bring them anywhere you go. But diamonds have a beauty on their own that can't be compared to diamonds set in jewelry. They seem even more special when they are bought for their own sake.

Diamonds are produced in a variety of designs, known in the trade as cuts. The most popular of these is the round brilliant cut. Simply put, the round brilliant is the most well-known because it provides the most brilliance. It has been cut in such a way that it reflects the most light. What most people don't know is that the shape of the round brilliant is the least practical. As much as half of the original diamond is left out when it is turned into a round brilliant. For this reason, diamonds are available in several other shapes as well, commonly known as fancy cuts.

Now some of the fancy cuts are already based on familiar shapes, and will appeal to people even if they aren't that familiar with diamonds. The heart and oval cuts are named after their shapes. The pear cut is often viewed as an upside down teardrop.

On the other hand, how do you explain to people the differences between the Asscher and emerald cut, or the princess and radiant cut, when they may all look the same? This is where we get a bit technical, but fortunately you don't have to memorize much jargon.

Emerald and Asscher cuts are known as step cuts. Compared to the round brilliant, they are rectangular in shape, with each side bordered with small steps. Step cuts emphasize lustre and clarity over brilliance. The Asscher cut is the older of the two, and its proportions are less even.

The princess and radiant cuts are categorized under a third kind of cut, the mixed cuts. They have more brilliance than step cuts, but are more cost-effective than brilliant cuts. The princess cut is only second to the round brilliant in its popularity, whereas the radiant cut has over 70 cuts.

When choosing loose diamonds, you need not be intimidated by technical knowledge. You can buy based on what cut you find attractive. The jeweler, in turn, will narrow down your choices in terms of price and quality, and help you make the most ideal purchase.

Diamonds are produced in a variety of designs, known in the trade as cuts. The way the round brilliant cut has been cut makes it reflects the most light. Step cuts accentuate lustre and clarity over brilliance. Mixed cuts evoke the brilliance of brilliant cuts, but are more practical to produce. When selecting loose diamonds, you need not be intimidated by technical knowledge. You can buy based on what cut you like.

-Lorraine Jacobs

Diamond Jewelry Gifts Purchasing Tips

Probably by now you're thinking of offering your bride a diamond ring and ask for her hand in a marriage. The idea appears to be very simple; you'll go to your local jewelry store, buy a diamond ring worthy of her love, set a date and propose to her. In reality however, this is not always what it feels like especially if you are able to get a hold of the price tag of your chosen sparkler and you would soon realize how intimidating it is to purchase diamond jewelry gifts. If you are planning to buy a diamond, it is imperative that you take charge of your transaction, and in order to do so you must be well informed about the tricks of the trade in order for you to get the most for your money.

Fred Cuellar, a gemologist and world-renowned diamond expert, believed that there are four things that a buyer has to consider when purchasing diamond jewelry gifts: budget, expectations, savvy and timetable. When it comes to budget, you should be able to figure out how much money you are willing to spend and stick to that budget outlay; one month of your salary can already be a good guideline. For expectations, it is important that you know and understand the needs and wants of the person to whom you are going to give the diamond so that you will have an idea what to look for and what to pick out from the bunch. Being savvy requires you to know the given cost of diamond in the market and the best designs available, as they say knowledge is power; and for the element of timetable, you must have a laid plan about when and where you intend to give the diamond, do not haste things and be sure to give yourself enough time to analyze things.

Since you are now aware of the general basics, you should also consider where to buy your sparklers. You have two options where you could get your diamond jewelry gifts, first is for you to go online and second is to check your local jewelry shops. Purchasing online is a practical means to buy diamond pieces without the need to drive far as the items you need are just a click away; however, there are two major drawbacks with this option: you can't personally appraise the diamond and you never really know whom you are dealing with; if you think this would work for you, make sure to do a background check first so that you can be assured that you know where your money would go. The latter option of buying your diamond gifts on you local jewelry store is a better choice because you would be able to appraise the diamond personally and long time jewelers could help you out with your questions, which would assist you in arriving at the right decision.

Now for the diamond itself, you must always consider the 4Cs of diamond which stands for clarity, color, cut and carat as they are the determining factor of how the diamond will cost. Clarity is an indication of how clear the gemstone is and how free it is from blemishes or external imperfections and inclusions or internal imperfections. Different types of diamond are assigned with clarity grades that may range from flawless to obvious inclusions. In fact, there are so-called clarity enhanced sparklers that are treated to reduce their imperfections via irradiation, filling imperfections, or laser drilling, but they are cheaper than diamond pieces that aren't treated.

Sparklers come in a whole range of colors; however, colored diamond pieces are very rare and expensive that they are not usually available in local jewelry stores rather white and yellow diamond pieces are the most common, between the two however, it is always preferable to pick the whiter ones. The yellow coloring of sparklers came from nitrogen; hence the yellower the stone, the lesser its value this is because such color makes the diamond less sharp and sparkly. In terms of cut, sparklers may come in a whole range of shapes including round brilliant cut, box, marquise, and pear to name a few. When you look at the cut always remember that aside from indicating the stone's shape, it also determines how sparkly your diamond could become.

It is never enough for a diamond to be clear and white, because your diamond will not sparkle unless it is cut properly. As cut is extremely hard to analyze, the three things that you should look at are brilliance, fire and scintillation; however, if you really want to make things easier, the standard round brilliant cut is probably the most preferable choice compared to other cut. Finally, the carat is the standard weight unit of diamond. Majority of diamond pieces utilized for fine jewelry often weight one carat or less; a fraction of a carat could significantly change the amount of the diamond.

Purchasing diamond jewelry gifts is a daunting task. Hence, it is always best to be an informed buyer in order to get the most out of your money. Not because a diamond is round brilliant cut doesn't mean it's already a good purchase. Remember that there are still three remaining Cs that you have to consider. A clarity enhanced diamond might be inexpensive but also consider the quality. Educating oneself is a good way to make the right purchasing decisions.

-Lorraine Jacobs

Clarity Enhanced Diamond Basics

Diamonds are probably the most sought after gemstones by women all over the world. In fact, if you are a man and would wish to sweep your woman off her feet, might as well give her fine jewelry encrusted with diamonds. Of course, these gemstones aren't cheap; a piece could already cost you an arm and a leg depending on its rarity and features. However, if you would really like to cement your love with diamonds, you could actually do so without emptying your pockets and you can do this by settling for pieces that are enhanced in some aspects of their features.

Clarity is one of the most valuable traits of a diamond that also serves as a determining factor to identify its real value. Untouched loose diamonds for instance, often have higher price tags as their clarity along with their remaining C's have no imperfections and inclusions. However, there are also diamonds that are referred to as clarity enhanced sparklers found in the market today. Unlike expensive flawless diamonds, these sparklers have lower price tags because of the clarity manipulation carried out to make them visually appealing.

Clarity enhanced diamond is a gemstone that had imperfections that were once visible to the naked eye. Meaning to say, it originally had low clarity grade, and because no diamond buyer would like to have his or her gemstone with visible imperfections, its clarity issues are treated to make them invisible to the naked eye. Once the enhancement is carried out, there would be no discernible differences between enhanced and untouched diamonds. Enhanced diamonds are also referred to as "fracture filled diamonds."

There are different methods of enhancements to produce clarity enhanced diamond. The most common method is known as drilling wherein a tiny hole is drilled toward the diamond in order to remove minerals and other elements that causes discoloration. This process is done using a laser, which emits a beam capable of creating a neat hole directly towards the gemstone's inclusion. Once the drilling is done, the diamond is usually left with a small fracture, which is then covered with silicon or heavy glass that is hardly discernible to the naked eyes; such process is known as fractured filling.

If you have the intent to buy a diamond, one thing that you must remember is that in adherence to the FTC rules, diamonds that had augmentations other than basic cutting, cleaning and polishing should be fully disclosed to the buyer. However, just for a safe bet you may want to ask the jeweler if you can have the diamond appraised by an independent appraising firm. Always remember that a clarity enhanced diamond has no visual differences with a flawless diamond. Hence, the best thing that you could do is to have the diamond tested in order to know whether it has been enhanced or not.

If you're a guy who's looking for a decent looking sparkler but you are a bit tight on budget, clarity enhanced sparkler is always a good consideration. Setting aside the clarity, if all the traits of the enhanced diamond are of premium quality and the diamond has a visually clean grade, don't let the idea of treatment hinder you from opting for this option. Like untouched diamonds, treated sparklers also befit well with fine jewelry pieces of all kinds and are guaranteed to last for a lifetime. Thus, enhanced diamonds are good gemstones that could also definitely sweep your woman off her feet.

Nowadays, it is difficult to find inexpensive loose diamonds that one could befit into fine jewelry pieces. However, if you really wish to give your loved one something special without necessarily emptying your pocket, clarity enhanced diamond could be the perfect option for you. Although it does not thoroughly exemplify the perfection that an untouched diamond exudes, it is definitely a good find as its enhancements are barely discernible to the naked eye.

-Lorraine Jacobs

Fine Jewelry As Gifts

Fine jewelry refers to items that are commonly used for personal accessories, most common of which includes earrings, bracelets, necklaces and brooches. Jewelry pieces are developed from a whole range of materials that includes precious metals, gemstones and even seashells. Ever since the prehistoric period, jewelry has arrested the attention of humans, and this perspective is still applicable to date. In fact, we use different kinds of jewelry pieces for our daily activities.

For the most part, fine jewelry pieces have long been used for the purpose of adornment; however, aside from the said function they also serve as the perfect tokens for a whole range of occasions. This is because they denote fashion sensitivity and timelessness which means they never go out of style regardless of their finish and material, and they cross the boundaries in many societal aspects. A perfect example of such perspective is in the form of engagement or wedding rings which have been utilized as tokens during engagements or weddings. Jewelry pieces are also used as symbolic items for group membership; in many organizations worldwide, the use of rings or pins are strong notions of acceptance and camaraderie.

These days there's a whole range of fine jewelry pieces available for both men and women. For females, popular jewelry choices includes necklaces, earrings, brooches, bracelets and rings. For their male counterparts, jewelry choices includes cuff links, tie accessories, watches, customized rings, necklaces and money clips. Over the years, the prices and designs of jewelry pieces have profoundly changed in order to complement different cultural and occasional situations.

If you wish to give something meaningful to someone, you may want to purchase jewelry pieces with gemstones. Loose diamonds are the most preferable gemstones to accentuate jewelry pieces because they are widely available, cost efficient, and goes well with any jewelry design and occasions. If you are to offer a gift to your loved one, what better way to express it than to give her ring that have loose sparklers set on it during your proposal. This is an excellent way to tell her how much you love her as the ring itself is already representative of your undying and unending love, while the diamonds would represent your indestructible love towards her.

Earrings, bracelets or necklaces with loose diamonds are also good choices for that special gift as you can rarely go wrong when it comes to design. These pieces works well for female siblings, friends or relatives during their birthdays or for any special event for that matter. Setting aside their availability, the use of these pieces are not only restricted during special occasions, instead they can also be worn on a daily basis. Surely, loose sparklers are guaranteed to improve the look of jewelry and make it appear timeless and usable.

If you are a woman and you already ran out of gift ideas for your father or husband, you may want to look at cuff links. There are no limits as to what you can do when it comes to the motifs or themes of cuff links, as they are truly representative of male character. For example, you can give a round cut matt silver cuff link with loose sparklers to your father or husband as this design is strikingly masculine, which could represent his reticent nature. All in all, jewelry pieces are ideal gifts for all occasions as they are timeless items that totally express your emotions in small but meaningful packages, and more importantly they best represent how you value the person to whom you are going to give them.

Fine jewelry pieces have long been used as tokens due to their timeless appeal and rich symbolic value. In fact they are considered as the perfect gift ideas for all occasions. To further improve the appeal of these items however, gemstones like loose diamonds in differing cut are incorporated. Round cut loose sparklers for instance is widely used are adornments for three stoned engagement or wedding rings.

-Lorraine Jacobs