Tag Archive for 'Earrings'

Birthstone Of The Month – July

Published on July 31, 2011 in Coloured Diamonds, Diamonds, Gemstones, Jewellery and Rubies. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

While people whose birthdays lie in July are thought to be more laid back (according to horoscopes), their birthstone is quite the opposite. One of the boldest and richest coloured gems known to man, the ruby is full of mystery, loud and oozing with royalty.

Origins

Much like their bold colouring, how rubies are formed is also extremely interesting! Coming from the Latin word ‘ruber’, which means large, high-quality natural rubies are extremely rare making it no surprise that these beauts come with a steep price. Most rubies found in stores are synthetically made but if you ever come across a deep, red-coloured ruby, you can bet it will be worth more than a diamond!

The main element used in forming rubies is called corundum which is the elemental mineral consisting of densely packed aluminium and oxygen atoms. As an interesting side-note, corundums without the red or white colour are a very common gemstone that most are familiar with: Sapphires.

Corundums are typically colourless; however, depending on the small amounts of chromium that lay inside of a corundum give off the red colouring that is associated with rubies.

Because of their rarity, geoscience professional deem rubies as a minor geological miracle since the entire process of how a ruby is formed from start to finish still remains unknown, although the ‘glow’ of a ruby can be explained quite easily.

The dazzling glow factor that occurs inside of rubies is simply when the chromium element meets ultraviolet lights. This is one of the main factors that have given rubies their mystical qualities that still run strong today.

Mystical Qualities

Rubies are one of the most revered gems in all of history as well as currently. Centuries ago, Burmese warriors were known to actually embed rubies under their skin to make them invincible in battle while warding off enemies. Probably not the healthiest of tactics but it does portray the strong amount of faith people have put into rubies.

In today’s era, rubies are most notably worshipped by Hindus. Those of Hinduism belief follow a very distinct ritual, each and every time, before ever wearing a new ruby on their body. This is based on the person’s birth month, date and year, followed by varied numbers of chants while letting the ruby sit in unboiled milk.

Believed to be a representation of the sun, here is how the entire process typically plays out:

  • Rubies must be without flaws, transparent and dark red in colour
  • Rubies should be set in gold at the minimum of 14 carats
  • If the jewellery is a ruby ring, it must be worn on the left ring finger for males and right ring finger for females
  • It can only be placed on the body after being bathed in unboiled milk and gangajal AFTER sunrise and BEFORE 10am on Sunday
  • The ruby must touch the stone on the feet of any favourite God after chanting the appropriate mantra – for 10 continuous Sundays
  • There are a couple mantras of Sun. After picking the suitable mantra, it must be chanted 108 times after the Ganesh mantra

*Please note that this is only one of many methods, mantras and beliefs of the ruby.

More generalised beliefs of rubies revolve around symbolisms of everlasting love, good fortune and was/is worn as a talisman to ward off evil spirits and natural disasters.

Gift Ideas

With birthstones and coloured diamonds being the new ‘It’ trend for engagement rings, rubies are no exception. The difference between a ruby and another coloured gemstone is both the value and the colour which should both be kept in mind when considering the purchase.

Because of the value that rubies hold, chances are that a ruby engagement ring will be the proposal gift of the year but that also means insurance is a must. Knowing how to care for a ruby is also extremely important.

While rubies are extremely hard, depending on how many inclusions or if it has any internal fractures, it will crack over time if not monitored. Most jewellery professionals offer ring rejuvenation services to polish and clean your engagement ring while checking for any problems it may have.

Rubies are a much bolder jewel than most other gemstones which means that wearing a ruby makes a bold statement in itself. The colour of a ruby speaks for itself meaning that you won’t need to deck yourself up too much with other jewellery since it will either get outshone by the ruby or worse, clashing and turning a magnificent statement into a fashion faux-pas!

The same rules apply to all ruby jewellery, whether it’s a necklace, bracelet, earrings or rings. Value and colour! Keep those two things in mind and you’ll be wearing your ruby like royalty!!

  • Share/Bookmark

The 5 Most Common Mistakes Brides Make When Choosing Bridal Jewellery

Published on January 30, 2011 in Bridal Jewellery, Coloured Diamonds, Designer Jewellery, Diamonds, Engagement Rings, Eskae Private Jeweller, Gemstones, Jewellery, Wedding Jewellery and White Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

With so many things to do before a wedding, it’s easy to overlook problems you may run last minute on your wedding day. Considering jewellery plays a crucial role in your big day, you’ll want to know the about most common mistakes brides make in order to prevent these unwanted disasters from happening to you!

Mistake #1:

Choosing An Ultra Trendy Engagement Ring

Trends come and go but engagement rings are designed to last a lifetime. Unless you’re having an engagement ring custom designed for you according to your own personal taste, you may want to think twice before choosing the next ‘It’ engagement ring.

For example, the latest trend in the engagement ring market is replacing the classic, white diamond with a birthstone. There’s no mistaking that this is a fantastic idea but remember to ask yourself if you want to be reminded of your birthday every day or your future husband.

Also keep in mind that your coloured birthstone may not match all of your clothing. If you were born in April (diamond birthstone) or June (pearl birthstone), then you can easily get away with this dilemma but if you were born in a colourful month like July (ruby birthstone) or August (peridot birthstone), your engagement ring may not flow as well with all of your pink or orange clothing.

Engagement rings can be an investment and the last thing you’d want to do is look back five years later and realize your wedding set has long gone out of style leaving you wanting a new set. It could possibly hurt your bank account as well as your spouse’s feelings.

The Fix:

If you’ve already chosen your trendy ring, enjoy it! If, however, in a couple of years, you decide that you’d like something more classic or updated, there’s always the option of having your jeweller make the changes necessary to keep you enjoying your ring forever.

For those who are 100% certain of putting colour into your engagement ring, think about opting for coloured diamonds instead of birthstones. Not only will they remind you of your most memorable day, they’re 58 times harder than the next hardest mineral on earth making them almost indestructible – that is, unless you plan on putting your ring into a fire of 1405 degrees Fahrenheit.[1]

If you’re still in the process of choosing your custom designed engagement ring or having it designed, the best selection would be a timeless wedding set that, 25 years later, you’ll never grow tired of admiring its beauty.

Mistake #2:

Picking The Bridal Jewellery BEFORE Picking The Wedding Dress

Once a woman receives her engagement ring, the frantic planning for the race to their dream wedding day begins. Because there is so much pre-wedding planning to do, it’s easy to lose order during the chaos.

Picking the wedding dress beforehand allows the bride-to-be to pick the bridal jewellery that emphasizes the gown rather than hiding under it or worse, clashing with it. The last thing any bride needs is to look just as chaotic as they felt when pulling together their wedding. By creating the wrong fashion statement with something as simple as the wrong choice of necklace, it will ensure that their wedding will be remembered for all of the wrong reasons!

The Fix:

The two most important considerations to notice before picking the bridal set is the neckline of the wedding dress and also, the embellishments that may or may not have been added. If your dress includes embellishments such as pearls or crystals, you’ll want to follow the theme accordingly with your jewellery.

For the neckline of your wedding gown, you’ll want to consider wearing your bridal jewellery the following ways:

  • Halter Neckline or Backless Dress – These are perhaps the most restricting gowns when it comes to jewellery choices. Wearing only stud earrings and a bracelet would be the perfect selection.
  • Square Neckline or Strapless Dress – These necklines are just the opposite, leaving many varieties open for most types of jewellery to be worn. The best choice would be to wear drop or chandelier earrings with a single or double stranded necklace. Another option that looks fantastic is wearing simple earrings with a fancy bridal choker.
  • V-Neck or Plunging Neckline – Since you’ll want to draw attention to your face, wearing stud earrings with a y-drop or a pendant necklace will do just that!

Finding your dress and picking bridal jewellery afterwards is the common sense approach to take; however, if you’ve already fallen in love with the jewellery that you’ve decided is a must-have for your wedding day, you can always opt to design your wedding around the jewellery. Just remember that that can get a little tricky since the philosophy behind wearing bridal jewellery is to enhance your overall wedding look while bringing your own personal style into play.

Mistake #3:

Not Styling Your Hair According To Your Bridal Jewellery

That sounds a little silly, doesn’t it? But think about it, if you’ve chosen to wear beautiful pearl stud earrings with a matching necklace and have left your hair down, you wouldn’t even see most of your bridal jewellery!

The Fix:

Before going to the salon to have your hair glammed up, check out a few bridal magazines or try your jewellery on while standing in front of a full length mirror to get a feel of how you want to look on your wedding day. Ask a close friend or family member for their honest opinion because most store employees will say anything to get a sale.

Unless your wedding dress is extremely embellished, you’ll most likely be wearing a full bridal set and it’s a safe bet to say that you won’t want to hide it under your hair. By keeping your own personal style, you can incorporate professional styles to elegantly pull your hair up off of your neckline and away from your ears. If you have short hair, sweep either one side or both sides up over your ears to show off your gorgeous bridal earrings.

If you’re unable to decide on your own, much like consulting with your jeweller to pick out the perfect bridal jewellery, you can consult with your hair stylist to pick the perfect up-do meant just for you!

Mistake #4:

Not Matching Your Bridesmaids

Every bride wants to stand out on her wedding day and looking unique is a sure way to do exactly that. Your wedding day should be all about you which means this is the one time it’s okay for you to be selfish about who wears what with of your friends without sounding catty. Much like buying the bridal jewellery set before the wedding dress, you must plan out your bridesmaids’ entire ensemble beforehand so there aren’t any last minute clashes.

The Fix:

Most women prefer to give jewellery as a gift to their bridesmaids but if buying complete jewellery sets are out of your budget, purchase just the earrings, bracelet or necklace for your friends to set the tone of the theme. By choosing the coloured gemstone and/or design for them, they’ll be inclined to follow suit that emphasizes you and doesn’t upstage you on your perfect wedding day!

Mistake #5:

Choosing Your Bridal Set From The Store At The Mall (Gasp!)

Sure, bridal jewellery sets can be costly and after purchasing the wedding gown, wedding ring set, bridesmaid dresses, facility rental, DJ (the list goes on and on), you’ll be feigning to save money when you can. However tempted you may be, jewellery is one area you should never forego quality on.

Bridal jewellery is not always necessarily worn after the wedding day but it either already is or will be a future heirloom to pass down to worthy family members. In other words, bridal jewellery is meant to last not just your lifetime but generations to come.

The Fix:

You can cut down on extravagance to save some dollars but you should never wear cheap jewellery on your wedding day. You’ll want every little detail to be stunningly perfect and guess what? Cheap jewellery can tarnish even the most beautiful of all wedding dresses, not to mention the greenish marks left behind on your skin. To make sure you don’t fall victim to committing this wedding faux-pas, talk with your jewellery designer to use materials that work for your wedding day as well as your budget.

If you aren’t planning on holding onto your bridal set to pass down as an heirloom, discuss options to make your jewellery a part of your life that you can wear to fancy occasions or wear as an everyday piece.

Knowing what you now know to avoid falling into these common little traps, you can put your mind at ease and be rest-assured that you’ll not just look great on your wedding day; you’ll look above and beyond spectacular – you’ll be DAZZLING!

References:

[1] http://didyouknow.org/diamonds/

  • Share/Bookmark

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Corporate Beholder – 2/3

Published on November 28, 2010 in Diamonds, Eskae Private Jeweller, Gemstones, Jewellery, Mens Jewellery, Pearls and White Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

People get older, women have children and accidents occur that sometimes permanently changes sizes and/or appearances. For some people, nature cruelly creeps into genetics on the day of conception – it’s an unstoppable force. You can love it, hate it or EMBRACE it!

Studies show attractive people tend to fare better in the corporate world because good looks appear to go hand-in-hand with self confidence which matters A LOT in the workplace. People are walking advertisements of themselves which is portrayed by the way they dress and present themselves.

When people aren’t confident about themselves, they tend to go into ‘hiding’, which instead, creates the opposite effect. Those who want to hide excess weight might wear baggy clothes making them appear even bigger than before. Men who miss long, lost strands of hair on top of their head may hide behind hats or a comb-over, which has yet to make the Top 10 Fashion list. Women who are self conscious of teenage acne scars might hide behind excessive makeup creating a clown-like resemblance. These are all ways that many people try to cover their flaws when, as you might have noticed, more attention is being drawn to them.

Appearing ‘corporately attractive’ (meaning tall, well dressed and good-looking) may sound discriminating and be a controversial subject to broach but you can’t change certain stereotypes. You can, however, create attractive illusions by learning how to subtly hide flaws by creating an overall balance.

While wearing the right type of jewellery won’t magically lose those extra pounds or gain those couple of inches, it WILL trick the human eye at first glance, helping you add a couple of beauty points overall.

Try applying these Jewellery Do’s and Don’ts to your business attire and see if you don’t feel more confident, look better and receive tons of compliments!

Jewellery Do’s and Don’ts:

Do’s

  • Do think vertically - Perhaps the most famous rule of any fashion guru is to never wear stripes horizontally because it adds pounds. This applies to all aspects of apparel and isn’t limited only to stripes. Wearing jewellery that drapes downward rather than hugging your body can have a slimming effect. Make jewellery and accessories work for you, not against you!
  • Do use symmetry – The highest emphasis on what deems a person as good-looking is held within the facial features. Symmetry is more important in the face, rather than the body as a whole, because it gives the appearance of good and psychological health. Wearing single stud earrings or single pearl earrings adds to the overall effect of symmetry, oftentimes drawing attention out at evenly, rather than pinpointing specific areas of the face.
  • Do wear big jewellery if overweight – Chunky jewellery, big stone pendants or collarettes help balance weight without weighing the body down. While wide bracelets make wrists appear thinner, there is one exception to this is for people who carry extra weight on a small body frames. Because wrists are the dead giveaway of frame size, they’re the one area of the body that won’t pack on the pounds, in which case, nix the bracelets and stick to only earrings, necklaces and rings.
  • Do wear long jewellery to add height – When lengthening height, the last thing you want to do is bog it down with excessive amounts of jewellery and accessories. Keep jewellery long but keep it simple. Choosing long chain and opera necklaces with matching dangle or drop earrings will perfect your illusion of supermodel height!

Don’ts

  • Don’t wear loud jewellery – In an office, especially a small office, wearing loud, jingly jewellery is just as annoying as someone wearing excessive perfume to the point of knocking people unconscious. While it may be trendy, it’s certainly unprofessional and distracting, drawing ALL of the positive attention away from the amazing look you worked so hard to achieve.
  • Don’t over-accessorize – Sure, most people have many favourite pieces of jewellery or a lot of jewellery containing their favourite gemstones that they feel they must wear all at once but that doesn’t mean you should.. For those who insist on wearing a lot of jewellery, remember that in the office, it’s very distracting and even worse, others might actually perceive you as superficial. Choose either one matching jewellery set or keep it toned down to one pair of earrings, one bracelet, one necklace and one ring on each hand.
  • Don’t ‘over-match’ your jewellery – Jewellery should hold its own while emphasizing physical features and attire. If you’re wearing an all black business suit, why not create your own fashion trends by adding colourful gemstones that pop?
  • Don’t limit jewellery to just women – Men can also wear jewellery and accessorize in ways that show masculinity! Choosing the right wristwatch or ring can show power and stamina, as long as it’s not too flashy and matches body proportions.

While these tricks are great for boosting your confidence and enhancing your attractiveness, the most important thing you can do for yourself is to continue taking the utmost care of your body. Get enough sleep to get rid of your dark circles, stop drinking large amounts of caffeine and if you’re a smoker, stop smoking to rejuvenate your skin, get on a healthy diet to remove pesky zits and exercise to stay healthy.

When you feel great, you look great! Everyone CAN look attractive in their own way; it’s just a matter of emphasizing the nice parts and hiding the flaws so that you can put yourself on display in the corporate spotlight!

Sam Kritsotakis
Eskae Private Jeweller

  • Share/Bookmark

Eskae Private Jeweller – apprentice week 2

Published on September 21, 2010 in Art Deco Jewellery, Designer Jewellery, Eskae Private Jeweller, Hand-made Jewellery and Jewellery. 1 Comment Tags: , , , .

Hello again,
I am back to tell you how my week has been going in my new world of jewellery making. I last spoke to you at the end of week two and I have now completed week three.

Like the first two weeks, I found this week quite challenging at times. This week I practised and focused on how to correctly and efficiently use the handsaw to cut out different shapes and various files to clean up and make rue the different shapes I was working on.

One of the tasks I was given was to find various images of either shapes, architecture or anything really which appealed to me and could somehow later be turned into jewellery. One of the images I decided to focus on was an Art Deco style wallpaper print, I segmented a piece of the print and duplicated it to make a pair, then I placed the copies onto a sheet of silver and traced out the interesting design onto it. I then began to cut out the shapes using my handsaw. This can be quite tricky and frustrating at times as parts of the design were hard to get to with the saw. The fine corners were especially tricky, as well as the cut outs I had decided to incorporate on the inside.
I was shown how to get into these inside cut outs with a very sneaky technique, unfortunately I cannot tell you, as it is a jewellers secret!

Other challenges arose whilst cutting the designs out, as I had decided that these particular designs would eventually become earrings, therefore they needed to be identical and symmetrical. Being that they were cut out separately and had curved edges and internal cut outs, it was quite difficult to get the two looking perfectly alike. I did my best using various shaped files and techniques and so far they have turned out quite even.

Learning how to use the different shaped files was the most important lesson I learnt this week. I learnt which file can be used to get into the more intricate parts of the design and which file can be used to create a rounded or curved edge or which file creates a more straight edge.

Its now time for me to get back to turning them into a pair of gorgeous earrings. I hope week four is just as exciting as the first three, so I will have lots of interesting news to tell you, until next time, have a great week.

Holly
Eskae Private Jeweller

  • Share/Bookmark

Wedding Day Traditions

Published on December 7, 2008 in Diamonds and Jewellery. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

what is the tradition for your wedding day? most people are not aware that there are a couple of small things that you can do that will make your day that extra bit more memorable. they are only small but can make a big difference to the way you and your partner remember your special day.

for instance, did you know that it is tradition for the groom to have a gift for his bride? and that she should also have one for him?

in the most traditional scenario, the groom will present his bride to be with a pair of earrings that match or at the very least tie in with her engagement ring. for example, if you have a princess cut diamond set with 4 claws as your engagement ring, then you would have a pair of princess cut 4 claw earrings made to match the overall design of the ring.

you don’t need to be stuck with traditions though, at ESKAE we have just made a wedding day present for a client who got married yesterday, he was not taken by the idea of the traditional earrings, and after meeting his now wife a few times, he made the right decision by going for a right hand ring. this ring matched the style of the wedding bands and had a combination of small pink diamonds, white diamonds and coloured gemstones set around the ring.

there are plenty of options that we can look at when t comes time for you to tie the knot and really make your day that extra little bit more special

in terms of what the bride traditionally gets for her man, is a pair of cuff links that either have his family crest engraved into the face or his initials engraved into the face. there is another option here, which i believe is probably the best one that is to design the cuff link to actually tie in with the design of her engagement and wedding rings.

i have made a couple of great pairs of cuff links in this fashion, where she has a round brilliant cut diamond as her engagement ring and she has followed this through with round diamonds in her wedding band, so what we did for him is we used the round diamond theme and combined it with a round piece of black onyx and keeping in theme with her rings we used white gold as the metal.

this colour combination provides not only a striking contrast but also keeps the look of the piece masculine and very smart. this way he can wear them at work or he can wear them when out and about on the town with out feeling like he has a girlie pair of cuffs on.

these are only a few ideas, and we can literally do anything that you might like to gift your better half! if this is something you are interested in looking at for your day get in touch with me here at Sam@EskaeJeweller.com and we can run through the options available to you.

  • Share/Bookmark