Tag Archive for 'Engagement Ring'

Engagement Ring Shopping Is Twice The Fun!

Published on January 11, 2012 in Diamonds, Engagement Rings, Proposals and Wedding Jewellery. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

Way back when, long, long ago – okay, not really that long ago – traditionally, it was a man’s responsibility to find the perfect diamond engagement ring for the woman he wanted to spend eternity with. The problem was that snooping inside of their girlfriend’s jewellery boxes, eavesdropping on her friend’s conversations and trying to learn a woman’s fashion sense could be physically exhausting and mentally overwhelming to most men.

As time has moved along, so has the way men used to shop for engagement rings.

Diamonds are timeless, classic and elegant and when making this purchase, it literally represents the most sacred choice you and your significant other will ever face. If the wrong engagement ring is chosen, men will forever remember the look of disappointment on their girlfriend’s face or else women will feel incredibly awkward and possibly forced to wear a ring they dislike, forever.

This is exactly why more and more women are choosing to shop WITH their boyfriends to pick out the perfect engagement ring together.

But gentlemen, this doesn’t mean that the element of surprise needs to be taken out! The proposal can be everything you’ve dreamed and much, much more this way.

You can still surprise her with a box containing a starter engagement ring, the dinner, the bending down one knee or whatever romantic idea it is that you’ve. The only difference is that the ring is still in the store and not yet on her finger.

As anyone knows, women love to be understood more than just about anything else! Shopping together for her input will make your woman feel incredibly important and extremely valued because she can contribute to the whole decision-making process about the ring that will be worn forever with pride and love.

Choosing an engagement ring together might sound a little strange to some people but think about it for a few minutes: It’s practically a foolproof situation! You get to give her the story of her life to tell everyone she knows while she gets the ring she’s dreamed about since she was a little girl.

Men get to spend less time going from store to store stressing out and women can have the ring resized and looking just right all in one go. Both parties are much more at ease making this experience a memorable one, not to mention, the end result is phenomenal!

You’ll worry less about what she might think of the engagement ring you’ve chosen and be able to put more time and effort into the whole proposal. Your better half will feel nothing but happiness and surprise, leaving no room for that awkward silence of accepting a ring they hate – assuming, that is, she wants to say yes.

Buying these rings are definitely not a light purchase to be made which is why diamonds are always considered an investment no matter their size and not just another ring to wear to the latest gala.

Not only that, it’s much more common to look at choosing your engagement ring together than you think! Out of all women who are proposed to, 75% of them receive a diamond engagement ring and from that, a whopping 53.7% of couples chose the engagement ring together. That’s more than half!

As the numbers continue to increase, some worry that this could mean a decrease in sales for diamond engagement rings but in Australia, jewellers say that their sales has remained exactly the same while the U.S. reports only a $600 decline as of 2008.

Shopping for engagement rings together has become the new trend of diamond wear and hopefully will continue to be so for the decades to come.

Are you one of those couples who have shopped for your engagement and wedding rings together? If so, we’d love to hear your story – leave a comment below for me!

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An Easy Guide To Pink Diamonds

Published on September 11, 2011 in Diamond Education, Diamonds, Pink Diamond Investment and Pink Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

With all of the hype surrounding pink diamonds, it’s only natural that the popularity has increased for replacing the typical white diamond set in your engagement ring with a gorgeous pink diamond.

Pink diamonds are one of the most valuable coloured diamonds in the market which makes the decision of picking the perfect pink rock for you, just as significant! This means when shopping for a pink diamond engagement ring, first find out all you can about pink diamonds through your own research, who the most reputable jewellery professional as well as extremely knowledgeable in pink diamonds and lastly but most importantly, never rush into buying your pink diamond!

Pink Diamond Origin

The very first pink diamond to be known about was found in 1643, where it was gifted to Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Conde and Commander of the French Army during the Thirty Years War. This light pink coloured diamond, named, Conde Pink Diamond, weighed 9.01 carats and was later bought by Louis XIII but now sits in the very famous, Musee de Conde in Chantilly, France.

Throughout history, large pink diamonds have surfaced to make their grand appearance but only recently, have people’s perception increased of its value within the last 30 years, when the Argyle Diamond Mine released its first pink diamond in 1985.

While scientists are still unsure as to what truly forms a pink diamond, they’re 100% sure of the fact that these little beauties go through the worst malformation abuse of all white and coloured diamonds. Only found in one kind of rock, called Lamproite, has made Australia famous for pink diamonds since no other active mines have yet been found to contain these gorgeous diamond’s very unique mode of transportation.

Searching For Your Pink Diamond

With the Argyle Diamond Mine producing one-third (around 35 million diamonds per year) of the world’s natural supply of diamonds, it only makes sense that they also produce the largest amount of pink diamonds. With 45% of their diamonds in the near gem quality diamond pile and 50% of industry quality diamonds, that leaves a mere 5% of rare, coloured diamonds out of which, only 0.1% of that will be pink diamonds.

To put that into better context, for every 10,000 white diamonds mined, only one pink diamond will be mined and the chances of that one pink diamond being an industry quality diamond is even rarer than that!

The Argyle Diamond Mine does release a very small, set amount of pink diamonds each year but only to select clientele. These lovely stones will always be very limited due to their rarity and more severely, the fact that by 2030, pink diamond mining will come to an end with the belief that no more pink diamonds will be available to mine.

The fact that the pink diamond supply will eventually cease may make you feel the urge to rush out and get one but this is an investment that you should NEVER take lightly or be rash about.

The first and most obvious step to take, once you’ve found a jeweller who specialises or is very knowledgeable in pink diamonds, is to set an appointment with your jewellery professional. He/She will be able to let you know what’s available, what’s a good asking price and narrow down your options to make a well educated decision.

If you can’t afford hundreds of thousands of dollars (or millions), then lighten up your choices – literally! The lighter and more faint a pink diamond is, the lesser the price. The darker and more vivid of the pink in a diamond, the price steeply climbs up the ladder.

Remember that pink diamonds aren’t ever remotely near anything close to a cheap price and you’ll never find a sale surrounding it. In other words, be prepared to spend a substantial amount when you make your final purchase!

Creating Your Pink Diamond Engagement Ring

Jewellery professionals are talented artists who appreciate every aspect of what makes up any piece of jewellery. If you’re planning on having a pink diamond engagement ring to pop the question with, then your best bet is to have the ring design customised so that this engagement ring gets a fabulous one-of-a-kind design the pink diamond truly deserves!

Your jewellery professional will sit down with you to go over many different designs of ideas he/she has that will enhance the pink diamond’s quality and appearance while also taking your own ideas and thoughts to create some designs of your own.

If you already know exactly what look you’ll be going for, then go ahead and sketch out your thoughts. Even if you aren’t the best artist in the world, your jewellery professional will understand once you’ve arrived at your appointment.

After looking through all of the different engagement ring designs that both of you have drawn up, the final outcome will produce the exact design you had in mind while including the final tweaking it needs to produce the perfect engagement ring.

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The Royal Wedding Jewellery

Published on August 7, 2011 in Diamonds, Gemstones, Jewellery, Proposals, Sapphires, Uncategorized and White Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

A special thanks to Dr. Marc Dussault of Exponential Programs for providing us with this great find on Happily Ever Richer! With the royal wedding still abuzz around the globe, it was only a matter of time before the jewels became a highlight for us to talk about!

Click to enlarge

There probably isn’t much of Prince William’s and his new bride, Kate Middleton’s wedding left that hasn’t been viewed or talked about all over the world. This ‘It’ event of the year (or century) has people are talking about a Cinderella-ish wedding that girl’s only ever get to dream of!

While people are still buzzing about the wedding dresses (yes, that’s plural!) Kate wore during her big day, let’s talk about the royal wedding rings that are just as lavish and worth much, much more.

Engagement and Wedding Ring

In an era where coloured gemstones and diamonds are the new white diamond, the engagement ring that Prince William proposed to Kate with extravagantly fits right into that category. Previously, Princess Diana’s own engagement ring, this 18 carat oval blue sapphire surrounded by 14 small diamonds originally cost $45,000 USD.

The sapphire, alone, is now valued $300,000 USD. With the total price of the ring equalling a little over half a million USD, what many people may not know is that Princess Di’s sapphire engagement ring was originally given to Prince Harry while Prince William received her Cartier watch. When the older Prince became engaged, Prince Harry gave the ring to him for Kate Middleton. How’s that for brotherly love?

As for the wedding ring itself, the Prince has chosen not to wear a wedding ring but that doesn’t mean he skimped out on Kate’s ring! Going to their family jeweller at Wartski, a jewellery company founded in Bangor, the ring was made from a single, large nugget of Clogau gold only found in Wales.

What makes this gold even more valuable is the fact that this type of gold is extremely rare making this wedding ring, very possibly, the last piece of jewellery to ever be crafted from this particular type of Welsh gold.

Earrings

Princess Diana’s engagement ring wasn’t the only family heirloom passed on down to Kate. During their honeymoon, Prince William also gifted his mother’s diamond and sapphire earrings to his new bride.

Using the great advantage of custom jewellery, Kate took Princess Diana’s favourite earrings and had them the remodelled to include a more modern look that suited her own personality. These exquisite earrings were originally designed as large, jewelled studs but are now a gorgeous pair of single tear drop earrings.

On her wedding day, Kate was given a pair of new diamond encrusted drop earrings designed by Robinson Pelham as a wedding gift from her parents. While these earrings were certainly jaw dropping in price, the simple yet elegant style suited Middleton perfectly

Tiara

Now, not many girls get the option to choose which historical, jewelled filled tiaras they’ll be wearing, Kate Middleton certainly did – and choose she did!

The talk was that Middleton would perhaps wear the famous tiara that Queen Elizabeth wore on her wedding day but instead, she chose the 1936 diamond Cartier tiara that was originally purchased by the Duke of York who later became known as King George VI.

Set in platinum, the tiara is made from old, baguette-cut diamond with the upper part forming a range of lotus flowers and the lower ‘zig-zag’ part forming a removable piece that can be used as a bandeau. This royal tiara was given to Queen Elizabeth when she was still just a princess and has now been passed on to Kate Middleton.

A statement hasn’t been released yet as to whether or not Kate will keep this tiara as her own but for now, all clothing and jewellery is up on display at Buckingham palace.

So there you have it! Something old, something new, something borrowed and a lot of things blue!

While the total value of all these jewels can only be found in a royal bank account, the style and sentiment behind them are entirely priceless!

*If you’re having a hard time viewing the picture, click it to zoom in closer.

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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!!

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Why Do Men Attend Weddings?

Published on April 17, 2011 in Bridal Jewellery and Wedding Jewellery. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

When a man decides that he wants to be social, it usually doesn’t involve a wedding with frilly cakes, tuxedoes and bridal jewellery. Instead, their idea of a social event typically includes a couch, television, snacks and an occasional beer with a few of his buddies.

If you’re a married man, part of the groom’s party or a family member, there will be very little that can be done to turn down a wedding invitation with a pathetic excuse. Even worse, this happens to include the entire population of men since brides and grooms tend to invite family members, married or coupled friends and their closest companions.

Statistically, this means that men, overall, dislike weddings, which makes one wonder, what is the REAL reason behind men going to weddings?

Just for a little bit of fun, take a look at this graph and see if you happen to fall under any of these categories:

Deciphering Your Colours

If you fall under the green category, you may be the guest who has fallen asleep during the wedding ceremony. In return, you can expect a lot of pictures to be posted on whichever social network you belong to, a grumpy wife/girlfriend and a lot of ribbing from your guy friends. Let’s just hope you aren’t the colours green and blue at the same time!

If your colours are blue and/or orange, chances are, you’ll be the first in line for the open bar trying to get rid of the bachelor party hangover. Remember that you’re in the spotlight throughout this entire occasion and will be in almost all pictures – which apparently last a lifetime so party carefully!

If you fall into the pink AND red slices of this wedding pie, then you may be in a completely different category of what is commonly known as wedding crashers. Wedding crashers might pretend to be an ex-roommate from college or a very distant family member who only sneaks in for the free booze, food and women.

  • Drink the misery of having to leave your precious couch behind to come to the wedding
  • Prepare yourself for your girlfriend who’s now expecting an engagement ring
  • Hit on the ladies
  • Sing karaoke
  • Celebrate the wedding being over

Now that you’ve been colour-coded, here’s an ironic little fact: Guys will never admit this is true but there comes a point where most men do turn over to the dark side of actually enjoying weddings!

Once a man places an engagement ring on their girlfriend’s finger and they’re the one at the alter exchanging their vows and wedding rings, you can bet that they’ll have a completely different point of view!

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Choosing Wedding Rings Together

Published on March 6, 2011 in Bridal Jewellery, Diamonds, Engagement Rings, Eskae Private Jeweller, Jewellery, Mens Jewellery, Platinum, Wedding Jewellery and White Diamonds. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , .

There was a time that it was popular for men to save every cent of their hard-earned money to secretly buy an engagement ring while believing they were concocting the perfect surprise. After hiding the brand new, dazzling wedding ring set in their jacket pocket for a couple of weeks, they would then plan a romantic date, the next hour was filled with stuttering and nervous fidgeting before finally bending down on one knee and giving his fiancé the surprise of her life: A marriage proposal.

Ironically, since females tend to have a lie detector implanted in their brain at birth, covering up surprises isn’t the easiest feat to pull off. Because of this, women feign their surprise and reply with, ‘How did you-when did you-I swear I had no idea!’ before bursting into tears. In all actuality, it’s the true emotion of being proposed to that turns their tear ducts into waterfalls and causes shouts of joy and unfortunately, not the element of surprise.

As this cat was slowly let out of the bag, men and women began picking out their wedding rings together. When the emotional aspect of the proposal was over, it was discovered that when looking down at their new engagement ring, most women didn’t fancy their wedding ring set at all. It became a taboo subject to broach since it sounded entirely ungrateful of all the hard work that their beloved went into finding what they believed to be the perfect ring; but, to wear something intended to be worn for a lifetime – well, that’s just a fashion catastrophe for a woman!

As more and more couples are beginning to pick out their wedding ring sets together, the ‘surprise’ wedding rings purchased have dropped down to a mere 19% as of 2007,[1] changing the proposal scenario a little bit. While men may still try to scheme the perfect proposal, the ring part of this performance is saved for when both partners can go ring shopping together.

Going to shop for a ring together may sound as though the woman will choose her wedding ring while the man chooses his wedding ring. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Call it old-fashioned but men enjoy having a large amount of their choice being included with the final cut (pun intended) of which wedding ring his fiancé chooses.

Women, not to be outdone, also enjoy getting to have her thoughts and ideas incorporated into her significant other’s wedding ring. After all, it’s what says to her; ‘You’re mine – now and forever,’ allowing her to always be reminded of its significance.

Because the newly-engaged pair’s thoughts and feelings lie within the wedding rings, it’s important to understand how each of their ideas can be integrated while keeping each other’s needs in mind.

Ladies first:

Tips On Choosing Wedding Rings For Women – The Men’s Guide:

Find Your Inner Fashion

That’s awful sounding to a man but its intent was to get your attention! The real ploy is to take notice of the colour metal your fiancé wears most often. If she wears silver toned jewellery a lot, the obvious choice would be a platinum wedding set. For yellow gold, then stick with yellow gold. Simple enough, right?

The trickier part is helping to decide what type of wedding and engagement ring design to go with. When noticing which metal your fiancé favours, also notice the style in which she’s wearing jewellery: Is it a lot of dangly jewellery, chunky jewellery or simple studs, gemstones and fragile looking chains?

For women who wear dangly jewellery, this can be incorporated into the wedding ring set by the amount of stones and the settings in which they’re placed in. She’ll already know exactly the style she’s looking for so don’t stress out too much!

Women who like wearing over-the-top, big jewellery then obviously, the size of the diamond (or precious gemstone) they’ll be looking for will follow suit. If the cost is too high, both you and your woman may be able to compromise on distributing some of the stones into a multiple stone cluster setting rather than a single high carat gemstone.

Then there is the simple woman who wears just enough jewellery to subtly enhance her features. A simple diamond or coloured gemstone will suffice, along with a smooth, metal band.

Find The Right Sized Ring

How many times has your girlfriend-turned-fiancé come asking for your opinion on how something makes her look? Chances are, she most definitely has. It’s not to be confused with low self-confidence, rather, that your thoughts are the thoughts that count and matter the most to her.

This is the reason why your input for her wedding and engagement ring is so important to her. The ring your sweetheart finally chooses will be something that she’ll want to display to make a statement of the man she’s marrying. Your fiancé may want to wear something large to show off to friends and family but it may not look the best on her. It’s up to you to rein the excitement in and help her choose a wedding ring set that flatters her, not outweighs her.

Women’s hands are much smaller than men’s hands meaning that her wedding bands should remain a smaller width than his. There are generally four shapes female fingers go by:

  • Long Fingers – For women with long fingers, keep away from marquis and oval shaped cuts. Other than that, any sized stone and band width will do. Just keep in mind that going too large can weigh the hand down while going too small will appear even smaller.
  • Wide Fingers – If your fiancé has wide fingers (never say this aloud to a woman, I guarantee you she’s aware!), stay away from round and rectangular cut stones since this can make fingers look even shorter. Nudge her in the right direction of wearing elongated stones such as teardrop cuts, marquis cuts and pear shaped stones to lengthen the finger by giving it a slimmer shape.
  • Narrow Fingers – Much like long fingers, narrow fingers are more forgiving to any shape or width of wedding and engagement rings. With narrow fingers, big stones look stunning! Cluster rings, which have become extremely popular lately, go perfectly on narrow fingers because it leaves little skin showing on either side, maintaining a full sense of balance.

Find A Sense Of Patience

Women are sentimental and emotional creatures. Already on cloud 9 from a near impending marriage on the horizon, they will take their time looking at and inspecting ALL wedding and engagement rings. It will need to be the perfect size, perfect metal and perfect design since this will be the most valuable possession she’ll treasure for the rest of her life.

Putting aside the shopping aspect, now your gal gets to tell everyone her story of how she got engaged while introducing her new fiancé to everyone within eyesight. The time spent together shopping for wedding rings will not only be cherished but stored away into her mental lockbox. Impatience can bring out the strongest of emotions and allow your soon-to-be-bride to break down into tears or worse, cause a quarrel that will forever change this historical memory of a great experience.

Tips On Choosing Wedding Rings For Men – The Women’s Guide:

Find A Manly Ring

This doesn’t mean picking the biggest and heaviest wedding ring out on the market. Men worry about their looks just as much as women do; they’re just quieter about it and jewellery isn’t a rule to that exception!

Because rings can easily look too feminine or too gaudy on a man’s hand, take some time to get familiar with the size and shapes of his hands and fingers. If your fiancé has smaller shaped hands with lean fingers, think proportional – not too small and not too wide. Going on the heavier side of the ring will weigh the hand down; going too small will make the hand look overtly feminine – which is never a good thing for a man!

For men with heavy palms and thick fingers, thinner wedding rings are better . Without going too small in the band width, keep it on the slimmer side of measurement. A neat trick-of-the-trade is if choosing a diamond or coloured gemstone to place into his wedding band, have the stone set in vertically which also helps lengthen the finger!

Men with medium sized hands and long fingers should opt for a heavier, thick or average-sized wedding band that will help keep a balanced look.

Find The Right Level Of Comfort

Comfort is a MUST for men, whether it’s clothes, shoes or jewellery – especially for men who don’t like wearing jewellery in the first place, such as, active men who play sports or men who work with their hands. Wearing a wedding ring that has the feeling of impending normal physical activity can cause annoyance and cause wedding rings to be found on the bathroom sink or left on dressers.

To determine the correct level of comfort, there are several factors to take into consideration:

  • The edge of the wedding ring – Different wedding ring designs call for different styles of edges. The best option is having a ring with a soft curve on the inside edges of the ring for maximum comfort level. While this edge is more commonly found in yellow gold wedding rings, it can also be placed in other rings with different metals used or different designs.  Another option is having a comfort curve placed on the inside of the ring. Talk with your jeweller about options available to soften the wedding ring’s curve so that your guy is getting both the style and the comfortable feeling he’s looking for.
  • The width of the ring – Although wedding band width can vary in size according to men’s tastes, the average size of the width is between 5mm and 7mm.[2] Obviously, the smaller you go, the more comfort he’ll feel but remember, going too small can make the ring appear too feminine on a man’s hand!
  • The depth of the ring – This part of the ring is known as the ‘wall thickness’ defining the distance from the inside of the ring to the outside of the ring.[3] Because the depth of the ring determines the weight of the wedding ring, this is considered as more of a comfort to your fiancé’s bank account but it can also factor in the overall feeling of his wedding band.

Find His Fashion Sense

With new styles of male wedding rings more present than ever, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the selections available. While yellow gold was always the most popular choice of metal for men, platinum, tungsten carbide and titanium has risen to meet its match.

Not only is there a bigger selection of precious metals to choose from, there’s also the choice of designer work, engraving and precious gemstones to add to the assortment. Have your fiancé share his ideas with you before going shopping together for that stylish wedding ring. Portray his ideas to your jeweller, who can then present both of you with an array of wedding rings as described, minimizing your fiancé’s stress level.

Keep Emotions In Check

Picking out wedding sets can generate excessive tears and emotional swings between stress and happiness. Remember that your soon-to-be-husband may not necessarily enjoy shopping as much as you do and by remaining calm, he’ll participate more and have as much fun picking out your ring, as you do his.

Also, because you’ll most likely be choosing two rings instead of one, planning ahead on which style to look for or perhaps looking up different styles online from home before heading to your jewellers will decrease his amount of time spent wedding ring shopping.

References:

[1] http://www.yourtango.com/2007945/study-finds-that-more-women-picking-out-their-engagement-ring.html

[2] http://www.man-wedding-ring.com/mens-wedding-band-01.htm

[3] http://www.weddingrings-direct.com/guidance/profile_guide.php#http://www.weddingrings-direct.com/images/category_images/plat_wed_cat_7b.jpg

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Designer Rings And Men – Squashing Stereotypes

Published on February 13, 2011 in Designer Jewellery, Diamonds, Eskae Private Jeweller, Jewellery, Mens Jewellery, Platinum and Wedding Jewellery. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

It’s natural for most people to automatically associate women with jewellery because women are generally dainty creatures who love wearing beautiful diamonds and gems which enhance their femininity. While most men won’t always be as flamboyant about their love of jewellery, it doesn’t mean they don’t admire and appreciate jewellery just as much as women do.

Many times, when all a man wants to do is slip on a ring, he feels self conscious because whether it’s talked about or not, most men feel certain stigmas about wearing jewellery. They think other men may find it too feminine, perhaps it looks too flashy or the simple fact of just not knowing how to wear it properly will make them look gaudy.

Saying that, it may be hard for some folks to imagine that men’s designer rings are, in fact, the most booming area in men’s jewellery today! Some might not believe this to be true but herein is where the stereotype lies: Just because men are not as vocal about displaying their jewellery as women are (putting aside our bling-flaunting rappers) doesn’t mean they aren’t collectors and admirers of exquisite jewellery, especially rings. Men and designer rings have quite the history together for the simple fact that rings were initially worn to display wealth and status. As time went on and jewellery progressed, women started to wear them more fashionably for social acceptance and less representative of familial status whereas men continue to this very day, to keep rings as a symbol of accomplishment and manhood. Just to give a few examples – aside from wedding rings – of other men’s designer rings include:

  • Masonic rings
  • High school sports rings
  • College rings
  • Rings that represent countries, i.e., Super Bowl rings, Armed Forces rings
  • Signet rings

Unlike women, the majority of men aren’t window shoppers and instead, tend to go straight to the jeweller to have their rings designed for them. Because men do heavier lifting and more physical work than most women, their rings tend to carry the brunt of  misfortunes making a simple gold ring an easy target of daily wear and tear. Instead, durable, precious metals like platinum, titanium, palladium and tungsten are used to endure dings and scratched surfaces. Diamonds and gemstones are channel set into the ring to forego claws breaking or bending for the same reason. As always, how men wear jewellery is all about style and execution. Because wearing rings on certain fingers can look more feminine than others, it’s important to know the significance each finger represents. The commonly known international reasons for what wearing rings on each finger symbolizes goes a little something like this:

  • Thumb – Generally no ring
  • Index Finger – Means he/she is unmarried but looking for a steady relationship
  • Middle Finger – Shows he/she is in love with a fixed person
  • Ring Finger – Means he/she is engaged or married
  • Pinky Finger – Shows his/her determination for avoiding marriage from the cradle to the grave

For women, this formula can be applied since wearing designer rings is more sentimental and is usually based upon feelings and love. However, in ways that men’s rings are created differently than women’s rings, men wear their designer rings for different significant reasons which then changes this theory of wearing rings to a more updated, masculine formula:

  • Thumb – Historically worn on both, nowadays worn on one which allows the designer ring to portray a statement of self, sexuality or fashion
  • Index Finger – Wearing your designer ring here shows dominance, energy and power
  • Middle Finger – Similar to what showing the middle finger implies, wearing a designer ring on this finger shows rebellion, decadence and irreverence
  • Ring Finger – Universally shows marriage
  • Pinky Finger – Historically used to imprint their signet ring on a stamp or seal, nowadays is most commonly worn to show fashion; although some men also choose the pinky finger to beef up the gangster/mafia look or to show reference to gambling

Most men don’t wear rings on index and middle fingers but to each person, goes their own style. Wearing a ring on the pinky finger is commonly seen and recommended by all jewellers since it’s the fashionable and proper way for men to wear designer rings. Not to mention that it brings out one of a man’s most attractive features! It’s a well know fact that studies prove one of the most attractive physical traits women find in men are their hands.

An interesting trend that’s recently been on the rise is women proposing to their boyfriends with male engagement rings. Before your mind stereotypically wanders off, remember that it’s a man’s ring! It won’t hold a high diamond setting with lots of frilly highlighted details; it will be a customised thick band sometimes including a channel diamond, etching or even a two-toned band for those who wish to add some pizzazz. While men and their rings have a lengthy history together, the mindset is changing as more and more men are accepting designer rings, not only as a form of symbolism or another trophy to add to their collection, but as a fashionable statement of self that’s shows confidence and class. The bottom line is that designer rings are as equally desirable for men as they are for women and there’s nothing stereotypical about that!

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Private Jeweller

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50 Top Celebrity Proposals, Part V

Published on January 23, 2011 in Bridal Jewellery, Designer Jewellery, Diamonds, Engagement Rings, Fun Stuff, Jewellery, Platinum, Proposals, Wedding Jewellery and White Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

Watching celebrities lives unfold can sometimes be interesting. They live their lives in the eyes of the public no matter what the circumstances are. At times these moments can be inspiring while other times can be humiliating. In this last in a series where I examined some of the breathtaking moments when celebrity women become celebrity brides, we’ll look at the last 10 in my list of 50.

1 Kara DioGuardi and Mike McDuddy

Kara DioGuardi is used to life in the public eye as a former judge on American Idol, so it comes as no surprise that her engagement to former school teacher and general contactor Mike McDuddy went public as well. While the two were on vacation in Mexico, Mike decided to pop the question while Kara sat in her thermal pajamas. With lit candles he presented a champagne citrine stone designer ring to Kara.

2 Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin

While True Blood costars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer were heating it up on screen, they were also secretly heating it up off screen. The pair managed to keep their relationship out of the public eye for quite some time before going public with their engagement. Stephen proposed to Anna in Hawaii on the beach while vacationing with friends.

3 Jeff Francoeur (Atlanta Braves) and Catie McCoy

The “beauty” Catie McCoy found true love with her “beast” when Jeff Francoeur proposed to her during a production of “Beauty and the Beast” in Atlanta. While in the theatre Jeff got down on one knee and gave Catie a diamond engagement ring. Hopefully this marriage ends just as the movie.

4 Nick Cannon and Selita Ebanks

Vitoria’s Secret model Selita Ebanks and Actor/Musician Nick Cannon had a night of magic when he proposed to her on May 7, 2007. After leaving the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala in New York, the couple headed to Times Square via limousine. On the JumboTron screen the words “Selita, will you marry me” appeared for her and the world to see.  After Selita answered with a yes the couple celebrated with friends and relatives at Butter. Unfortunately, the party may have lasted longer than the engagement. The couple broke up in October of 2007.

5 Tiffani Thiessen and Brady Smith

Former Saved By The Bell and Beverly Hills 90210 actress Tiffani Thiessen had a dream engagement to actor Brady Smith. Brady presented Tiffani with a scrapbook he handmade that showed their relationship step by step. Their wedding took place in July of 2005 in Montecito, California. Some of the celebrity guests included Jeannie Garth, Tori Spelling and Jason Priestley.

6 Travis Barker and Shannon Moakler

Tattooed rocker Travis Barker became engaged to actress Shannon Moakler on December 24, 2003 while on the Haunted Mansion ride in Disneyland. The couple got married in October of 2004 in California. Their wedding was inspired by the movie “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and was full of Goth inspired décor’. Two kids and a reality series later, the couple filed for divorce in 2006 and reconciled in 2007. After officially breaking up again the couple reconciled for a second time. It sounds like their marriage is still on the Haunted Mansion roller coaster.

7 Brendon Fraser and Afton Smith

Funny man Brendan Fraser had big plans to propose to actress Afton Smith. While on a vacation to Paris the couple was having a Polaroid picture taken of them. Right before the camera snapped the picture Brendan opened his coat to reveal a note that read, “Will you marry me, Afton?” Once the picture was developed he realized the words were too small so he had to open his coat a second time to reveal the note. The couple married in late 1998 and now has two sons.

8 Faith Hill and Tim McGraw

“Spontaneous Combustion” was the title of the tour and has since become the headline of the lives of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. The couple met on tour in 1996 and Tim proposed to Faith right before a performance. Since Tim didn’t have time to hear what her answer was she wrote her answer on a mirror for him to see when he came off stage. The rest has been made history. The couple and their children lead the picture perfect lives.

9 Neve Campbell and John Light

British actor John Light and actress Neve Campbell had a romantic evening when he proposed. John recited lines from Shakespeare while on bended knee. Neve said yes and the couple married in Malibu in May of 2007.

10 Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi

We’ve all probably watched “The Bachelor” at one point in time, but the engagement of Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi was beautiful. While on the island of Saint Lucia Jake presented Vienna a three carat, princess cut, Neil Lane diamond platinum ring. While in her one shouldered teal dress Vienna said yes to Jake as he knelt on one knee. We all had hoped their romance would be as breathtaking as the engagement ring but it seems already to be over.

Celebrity proposals are not always what we think they will be. Some are corny and some are romantic, but one thing is for sure; it is always fun to see how the lives unfold of those whom we see in the public eye.

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50 Top Celebrity Proposals, Part IV

Published on January 16, 2011 in Bridal Jewellery, Diamonds, Engagement Rings, Eskae Private Jeweller, Fun Stuff, Hand-made Jewellery, Proposals and White Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Most celebrities have fabulous weddings that the public rarely gets to see, and proposals can be just as much fun. From the first date to the I-Do’s sometimes the relationships can be kept hush-hush. I have been reviewing the top proposals in a series of posts and here are 10 more that made the top 50.

1 Chris Bosh and Adrienne Williams

After dating for one year Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat and Adrienne Williams got engaged in Miami just outside of their home. After the proposal they partied with friends where Adrienne was seen sporting a large diamond ring.

2 Kendra Wilkinson and Hank Basset

Kendra Wilkinson and Hank Basset were atop the Space Needle when he popped the big question. Hank wasn’t originally going to propose that day but decided that it would be a huge surprise so he made the decision to do it anyway. After taking family pictures with both families Hank got down on one knee to propose. He presented her with a 2 ¼ carat diamond mounted with sixty diamonds and white gold. Sources say Kendra was extremely shocked and very happy.

3 Simon Cowell and Mezhgan Hussainy

American Idol’s former make up artist Mezhgan Hussainy and former judge Simon Cowell met on the set while filming episodes for the show. The couple starting dating in 2008 during filming. The engagement ring Simon presented her with is almost bigger than life. It is reported to be six carats and approximately $750,000. The age difference between the two (fourteen years) has not slowed them down.

4 David Walliams and Lara Stone

Finding your engagement ring in a hamburger may not be your idea of glamour; but if it was a $100,000 art deco ring from Tiffany’s you may think twice. This is how model Lara Stone found her ring from comedian David Walliams. Apparently David thought that since Lara always removed the top bun from her burger to remove items she didn’t want it would be a clever way to present her with the ring. After Lara accepted his proposal they went on a romantic vacation to Mexico.

5 Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush

With twenty bouquets of roses and five hundred candles on a tennis court, actor Chad Michael Murray proposed to actress Sophia Bush. The couple held an outdoor wedding overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica. Unfortunately, their marriage didn’t burn as long as the candles and they were separated just five months later.

6 Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan

Channing Tatum proposed to Jenna Dewan on an island in Maui. Channing invited their closest friends to view the proposal without Jenna knowing anything was going on. The couple met during the filming of the movie “Step Up” but didn’t begin dating until after filming was completed. The engagement ring was purchased from Neil Lane but no other details of the wedding were being disclosed.

7 Bill Rancic and Giuliana DePandi

In a helicopter ride over Chicago with pizza and champagne, season one winner of The Apprentice, Bill Rancic popped the question to E! News co-host, Giuliana DePandi.  The couple who had been dating for one year returned to Bill’s apartment which was filled with roses and chocolate cake. Their wedding took place in Italy in 2007.

8 Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott

With a horse drawn carriage ride that leads to a Christmas tree farm in Canada, Dean McDermott proposed to Tori Spelling. Lights led the way to a table for two in the middle of the trees. The couple soon wed and could not be happier. On every anniversary Dean presents Tori with a new wedding ring. She says it reminds her of the day she first became his wife. She says she looks forward to the day when she can pass on her large wedding band collection to her children.

9 Howie Dorough and Leigh Boniello

Backstreet Boys Howie Dorough found that singing in front of 40,000 people was easier than proposing to his girlfriend Leigh Boniello in front of the family. Howie made sure to ask Leigh’s family for permission; included in this were her parents and grandparents. The couple met in 2000 while she was working as Webmaster for his band. The relationship was kept quiet at first but  they decided it was time to share the news with the world right before the wedding. The ring was one round diamond surrounded by two smaller round diamonds that Howie designed himself.

10 Brandon Routh and Courtney Ford

Superman Brandon Routh wasn’t so brave when he asked girlfriend Courtney Ford for her hand in marriage. While the couple was painting a mural for a charity he asked her to reach into his pocket for his chap stick. Instead, Courtney came out with an engagement ring. Brandon said he was afraid he would say something dumb so he chose to do things the easy way.

Join me next time when as I take a look at 10 more celebrity proposals.

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50 Top Celebrity Proposals, Part III

Published on January 9, 2011 in Diamonds, Eskae Private Jeweller, Fun Stuff and Proposals. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

The celebrity world of proposals is both interesting and intriguing. It is fun to see where these couples have gone and mourn those who couldn’t go the distance. Regardless of how they end, the beginnings – through the proposals – are always filled with excitement and beautiful jewelry. Here’s a look at the next 10:

1.  AJ McClean and Rochelle Karidis

The Backstreet Boy is now off the market as he has officially proposed to girlfriend, Karidis. The decision was made while McClean was celebrating his birthday. McClean made a very public proposal to Karidis at a band gig, asking for her hand in front of the crowd while on stage. McClean gave Karidis a princess cut diamond ring, surrounded by at least 20 princess-cut diamonds on the band.

2.  Karolina Kurkova and Archie Drury

While visiting Capetown on Table Top Mountain in South Africa, Drury decided it was time to propose to Kurkova. Drury hid the engagement ring in his sock and then convinced Kurkova – who is scared of heights – to go up the mountain with him. The heights nearly distracted Kurkova from what was happening and Drury had to ask four times before he secured a, “Yes!”

3.  Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert

The “hillbilly” singer put on his best manners to secure the hand of Lambert. The country music duo make a cute couple and Shelton leaned on tradition for his proposal. Before asking Lambert for her hand, he called her dad to get his blessing first. Shelton then selected an engagement ring to offer to Lambert in a surprise proposal in the woods near Lambert’s home. She readily said, “Yes!”

4.  Bret Michaels and Kristi Gibson

Michaels has been known as the ladies’ man and constant bachelor for years, but his recent brush with death appears to have given him the kick he needed to make a big decision. After his brain hemorrhage, Michaels decided to finally propose to on-again, off-again girlfriend – and mother of his two daughters – Kristi Gibson – after the 4th of July weekend at his ranch outside of Scottsdale, Arizona. Some say the proposal never happened and Gibson’s ring is simply a promise ring – either way, the engagement ring is beautiful.

5.  America Ferrera and Ryan Piers Williams

The girl with the unusual name is set to tie the knot. Boyfriend Ryan Piers Williams reportedly went all out for the proposal, presenting Ferrera with a $70,000 diamond engagement ring. The 4-carat, round-cut ring is set in platinum. The two seem to be tight-lipped on the actual proposal, but happy with the results!

6.  Pink and Carey Hart

Never one to do things the traditional way, Pink actually proposed to Hart. The event took place during the motocross champion’s third lap on the race. Pink picked up a pit board and wrote, “Will You Marry Me?” on it and held it up in front of the grandstands. As Hart continued another lap, Pink wrote another message on the board, “I’m serious!” At that point, Hart let his competitors pass him, pulled over to the side and picked Pink up to give her a “Yes!”

7.  Courtney Cox and David Arquette

Life may not be all sunshine and roses for Cox and Arquette right now, yet the proposal the two shared is still one for the books. Known as the constant funny man, Arquette was able to rely on his softer side to ask for Cox’s hand. He proposed to her on a Florida beach, arranging for fireworks to go off at the same moment he popped the question. How could a girl refuse?


8.  Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman

Music executive Bratman proposed to singer Aguilera while vacationing in Carmel, CA. Bratman had a hotel room filled with rose petals and gift boxes. Each of the boxes contained a present and a self-penned poem. After Aguilera opened the last box, she found a 5-carat engagement ring. At that point, Bratman got down on one knee and popped the question. She, of course, said, “Yes!”


9.   Ellen Pompeo and Chris Ivery

Known as a very laid-back couple, Ivery proposed to Pompeo on her 37th birthday. The two were at the home they share and it was just after breakfast. Pompeo had no idea and was both shocked and thrilled. Ivery presented Pompeo with a 3.5-carat emerald-cut diamond set in platinum, which she readily accepted.

10.  Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood

This proposal was definitely one worth writing about as Brooks created an original proposal opportunity. The country legend popped the question during an unveiling of a bronze statue made of himself. The event took place at the Buck Owen’s Crystal Palace in front of 7,000 fans. When the statue was unveiled and he pointed to a wedding ring etched into “his” bronze hand, he then got down on one knee and asked Yearwood for her hand in marriage. Although completely overwhelmed, Yearwood said “yes” as she wiped away a tear.

Join me next time as I take a look at 10 more celebrity proposals.

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