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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.

5. Dream Shoe Designer: Stuart Weitzmann, assisted by Oscar Heyman Bros.

Fully understanding what women want out of a shoe, Stuart Weitzmann has created some of the finest, artistic and most expensive shoes of our time. Designing, perhaps, a coveted shoe during the times of The Wizard of Oz, these sparkly red slippers are fully studded with 642 oval Burma rubies that come in with a total weight of 123-33 carats and are set in a half pound of platinum.

When the stilettos were first created, they were the most expensive shoe of their time and designed to be worn only by the famous. Currently ranking in at #5 on the list of Most Expensive Dream Shoes, they still cost an arm and a leg of $1.6 million USD.

4. Dream Shoe Designer: Stuart Weitzmann

Deemed the ‘Cinderella slippers’, these elegant heels are heavy with 565 platinum-set Kwiat diamonds that total up to 55 carats of clear diamonds and one enormous 5 carat amaretto diamond, worth one million USD on its own, on each shoe.

These fairytale 4 ½ inch stiletto shoes are every girl’s dream and with their steep cost, may just remain that! While they’ve been worn once by Allison Kraus at the 2004 Oscar ceremony, these shoes now sit on display in Beverly Hills, California and are worth $2 million USD.

3. Dream Shoe Designer: Stuart Weitzmann and Jeweller, Le Vian

Tying 3^rd and 4^th place with himself on the most expensive shoes list, Stuart Weitzmann, in collaboration with Le Vian, have created another $2 million USD pair of evening shoes.

Rightfully so, these million dollar stilettos rank in the top 5 of the world’s most expensive shoes due to the 185 carats of museum quality tanzanite, 28 carats of diamonds and another huge 16 carat tanzanite that dangles on the front of the heel from the ankle strap. All of these rare and precious stones are placed on the silver leather embellished shoe making it one of the daintiest and rarest high-heeled stilettos ever made.

2. Dream Shoe Designer: Ronald Winston from the House of Harry Winston

Not to be outdone by Stuart Weitzman, Ronald Winston carries on The Wizard of Oz theme by celebrating its 50^th anniversary with these Harry Winston Ruby Slippers. Tying in at first place with Stuart Weitzmann on the #1 spot, not only are they eye-blindingly glittery with very possibly, more rubies that any person has seen at once, they also carry more weight than any shoe designed to date! Completely covered in 4,600 valuable rubies, these low-heeled pumps have a total weight of 1,350 carats or pure ruby.

To coincide with this one-of-a-kind pair of treasures, it also carries a one-of-a-kind price tag of $3 million USD!

1. Dream Shoe Designer: Stuart Weitzmann

The factor that determined whether the Harry Winston Ruby Slippers or the Stuart Weitzmann Rita Hayworth Heels took the number one spot was which shoe was more current.

Labelled as the most recent, over-the-top creation in designer shoes, these shoes were inspired by earrings worn by the late Rita Hayworth and worn only once by singer/songwriter, Kathleen Bird York, at the 2006 Oscars. Now owned by Rita Haworth’s daughter, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, they’re off the market although their beauty can still be admired from afar.

These open-toed heels were designed using a rust-coloured satin and decorated with rubies, sapphires and diamonds, all nested in the satin ruffle at the toe of the shoe. Unsurprisingly, the Rita Hayworth shoes hold their value at $300 million USD.

Everyone wants to own the nicest and latest fashioned, name branded shoes but what about shoes that girls can only dream about? Believe it or not, they do exist! All you have to do is add the most exquisite diamonds, jewels and precious metals to these coveted shoes.

Still don’t believe it? Well, go ahead and take a look at the first half of the world’s most amazing and expensive dream shoes!

10. Dream Shoe Designer: Unnamed Italian Designer in Wuhu

Although the designer has remained vague about his creation, his masterpiece is anything but! These sparkling, gold pumps used 680 grams of pure gold to mould them into perfection under the invitation of the World Gold Council.

While the price is has also not been released, if you calculate the going rate for 1 gram of gold ($44 USD), then the price for the gold alone comes in $29, 920 USD.

9. Dream Shoe Designer: Bruno Frisoni for Roger Vivier

Named, The Dovima, these taxidermy bird shoes (yes, they’re actually real birds!) were dyed a rose pink colour and attached to the toe of these heels by their crystal encrusted head. Frisoni really knew how to set himself apart in the designer world since this is the type of shoe that will never be forgotten once you’ve seen it!

Each bird’s crystallised head is surrounded by 24 carat gold-coated mesh, silk, ribbons and crocodile-skin rosettes with the added bonus of protective crocodile or snakeskin that are attachable to keep the shoes, themselves, from ever touching the ground.

These oddly creative, animal-esque shoes can be ordered for $30,000 (USD).

8. Dream Shoe Designer: Giuseppe Zanotti

This Italian shoe designer created the design for these extremely pink shoes with the help of the fine jewellery company, Chopard, who gave the jewellery needed for this fascinating footwear.

Unlike the previous shoe Shellis designed using one specific type of stone, Zanotti incorporated pink diamonds, pink sapphires, tourmalines and russellites to create this one-of-a-kind satin high-heels.

The biggest plus for these shoes is that the jewelled ankle strap of the shoe is removable so that the owner can have not one, but TWO valuable bracelets!

Totalling 22 carats of diamonds, 134 carats of rubellites and 199 carats of pink sapphires, Giuseppe Zanotti also designed a matching set of rose gold, pink sapphire and diamond hoop earrings.

Believed to be auctioned off for up to $175,000 dollars USD for amfAR’s fight against AIDS, these gorgeous bejewelled, satin stilettos sold for an even bigger sum of $200,000 (USD) to a private bidder!

7. Dream Shoe Designer: Christopher Michael Shellis for House of Borgezie

Founder and jewellery designer of the House Of Borgezie, Shellis has designed some of the most expensive shoes of all times with his main attributes to them consisting of diamonds, platinum and solid gold.

This shoe was given the title of, The Eternal Borgezie Diamond Stiletto, and rightfully so due to the 30 carats of 2,200 encrusted white diamonds set into this platinum beauty.

Since all of his jewelled and precious metalled shoes are made with such precision and the best raw materials, they’re guaranteed to last much longer than 10 lifetimes – 1,000 years!

Shellis’ reason for creating these expensive shoes is to showcase the jewels and create jewellery rather than making shoes for people to wear. He has begun the pricing at £100,000 UK.

6. Dream Shoe Designer: Christopher Michael Shellis for the House of Borgezie

Designing another shoe on our Top 10 list, Shellis has once again created his own pair of diamond encrusted stilettos that he calls, ‘A treasure of the feet’ – which, they truly are!

These shoes required a team of goldsmiths to work with temperatures of over 1000ºC to create the entire shoe out of gold. After the base was made, over 2,200 white diamonds were again added to both shoes, totalling a humongous 30 carats.

Having gone on sale just 5 months ago, these dream stilettos can be bought for the big price of £140,000 UK or $319,469 USD.

10. CREW 60TH White Gold Tebaldi fountain pens

Price: $43,000

TIBALDI Pens CREW 60TH are a landmark in pen making history with Bentley, the automobile giant creating its own handcrafted pen sets in association with the worlds best Italian luxury designer pen maker, Tebaldi.
These expensive Tebaldi for Bentley pens have a two-tone 18-carat yellow gold nib covered in rhodium and ruthenium. The pen’s barrel has the fine finish identical to Bentley’s dashboard. This finish was first used in Bentley’s earliest car with a technique called engine tuning. The pens cap, upper and lower barrel parts are knurled for a good grip while writing for the executive. You can see the level of ink through the transparent window of the Tebaldi for Bentley pens. A handmade tie shaped clip on the pen marks Tebaldi’s signature. The Tebaldi for Bentley Crew 60th white gold fountain pen collection is a limited edition of 40 solid white gold fountain pens

9. Gaia High Luxury Omas Fountain Pens

Price: $43,000
Gaia high Luxury fountain pens and roller ball pens by Omas are a glimpse into the dark and deep recesses of the earth. The impenetrable inner core of the earth has inspired wonder, curiosity and interest in man since creation. A miscellany of precious materials such as the white and yellow 18K gold, the Onyx, the Crystal rock, the hematite and the vegetal resin has been utilized into the making of this mystic model by Omas.
Gaia high Luxury fountain pens and roller ball pens are a presentation in the celebration of Jules Vernes futuristic vision of the world. It also commemorates the one hundredth death anniversary. Depicting geographical wonders of the world, the pen absolutely differs from pens that reflect the classic essence of history. The dark grey colour of the metal that it is made of, symbolizes the trip to the dark interior of the earth. The body of the pen from top to toe features the engraved images of gigantic spiders, carnivorous plants, and water beasts. The blend of fear and wonder in the engraving of these horrors makes this particular model different from a range of pen collections.

8. MARTE Omas Fountain Pen

Price: $43,000

Omas Fountain Pen MARTE is part of the Viaggi dellUomo, Travel of Man, Masterpieces collection of custom design fountain pens, roller ball pens and pen sets. The Marte (Italian for Mars) is actually a map of Mars made from classic rose gold to represent the pink-red hue of the planet. Deserts, mountains and craters are all featured on the barrel of this pen with four rubies to mark the landing points of the Russian and American probes. The cap is encrusted with 2K of small diamonds reminiscent of the polar ice caps and the clip details astronomer Tycho Brahes Mural Quadrant. Even the rose gold nib is engraved with a representation of the Greek God Mars! There are just 30 of these fountain pens in circulation, so they are perfect for the pen collector to add to his expensive pen collections or for the executive who enjoys writing with designer pens.

7. Visconti The Forbidden City H.R.H. Fountain Pen

Price: $50,500
The Visconti brand is known for best quality, style and creativity. This distinguished Visconti pen is the Forbidden City H.R.H. Limited Edition fountain Pen. Made of black resin, 18K gold and diamonds and boasting of Power Filler innovative filling system invented by Visconti, it is sold for $50,500.

6. Visconti Alchemy H.R.H. Fountain Pens

Price: $ 57,000

The beautifully handcrafted Alchemy HRH by Visconti is part of the HRH collection of handmade fountain pens and roller ball pens from this fine pen maker. This luxury pen, unlike other fountain pens, has two nibs, two ink reservoirs and is trimmed with two different metals – exquisite gold and silver vermeil. Both nibs are of the best 18K gold and come in different sizes to suit every writing style. Even those used to writing with roller ball pens will love using the Alchemy.
The body is made from a classic, rich, red resin and the gold and silver trim is decorated with expensive 4K diamonds and rubies. One cap has gold trim, the other silver and these trims interlace to create a cosmic map with alchemic symbols stunning!

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:

[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

Showing individuality has been the longest, ongoing trend with engagement rings as pointed out with our series on celebrity engagement rings and several of our other, more recent engagement ring related entries.

Wearing these one-of-a-kind engagement rings often comes with a price tag better left to millionaires due to the use of traditional white diamonds or large, coloured diamonds, sometimes using the combination of both.

To give you a little taste of designer creativity that knows no bounds, here’s an inside look at the five most expensive engagement rings in the world that have had a part in inspiring this trend:

With exquisite diamonds comes an exquisite name: Secret Kiss Of The Roses. This engagement ring holds the secret of a 4.18 carat white diamond wrapped encasing a 0.80 carat rose cut pink diamond – all set in platinum.[1]

Total Price: $545,000 (USD)

Internally Flawless is the name given to this, well, internally flawless 5.98 carat oval diamond with a total of 3.96 carat diamond surrounding to form a floral designed engagement ring – all set in platinum.[2]

Total Price: $1.3 million (USD)

Just in case it isn’t enough to just hide one finger under its enormous weight of 14.79 carats in one diamond, the Tiffany Oval Diamond engagement ring also comes with an additional ring complete with 12.3 carat diamond-shaped pillows. Both rings are placed in platinum settings.[3]

Total Price of the 14.79 carat diamond ring – $1.49 million (USD)

Total Price of the 12.3 carat diamond ring – $800,000 (USD)

Total Price: $2.29 million (USD)

Having a more traditional style of design to it, the De Beers Platinum engagement ring holds a massive 9 carat single white diamond set in what the title claims – platinum.[4]

Total Price: $1.83 million (USD)

And last, but as you’ll see, definitely not least, is the most expensive engagement ring in the world titled as The Chopard Blue Diamond Ring. The treasure that lies in this ring is – drumroll please – the extremely rare blue diamond that is 9 CARATS in size! This fortune of a rock sits in 18 carat white gold and therefore earns its title, by far, as the most expensive engagement ring in the world![5]

Total Price: $16.26 million (USD)

And This Is Affordable To Me, How?

With all this talk about extravagant, customised engagement rings, some may look down and find that their current engagement ring could use a little updating or those still in the market may have decided to take a step away from the traditional look and have begun looking for a more modernised, trendy version.

The problem that many people will run into, however, is this question: How on earth would I ever be able to afford such an extravagant, multi-coloured, multi-diamond engagement ring?

Let’s start by taking a look at a few documented costs of the average engagement ring buyer:

• In 2009, Americans spent an average of $3,150 on engagement rings[6] with the average diamond size being .38 carats[7]
• In Australia, the average cost of engagement rings run $5,116[8]
• In 2005, the average amount of money in the UK spent on engagement rings was £1,289[9]

Keeping these averaged budgets in mind, there are certainly limitations as to how extravagant one can go when purchasing a unique engagement ring, but there isn’t any limitation on how creative one can be.

When thinking with a resourceful mind, options become available to re-create the design and style of an engagement ring you’ve chosen in your mind long ago. Talking with your jeweller is the best way to begin your process of customising or designing your ultimate engagement ring. By incorporating this step right at the get-go, options such as coloured diamonds or types of precious metals can be discussed to change around carat sizes, integrating gemstones and having the stones placed in ways that make it more affordable for you.

PLEASE REMEMBER – that while you can experiment with the quantity of the material needed for your ring, the one thing you must never substitute for is the quality of your ring! This can’t be stressed enough. While it may look beautiful the first time you place it on your finger, it won’t last and is guaranteed for replacement within a handful of years.

This means, when thinking diamond, think diamond! Don’t consider replacing a diamond with cubic zirconium. Instead, if you love pink diamonds and yet it’s entirely out of your budget, converse with your jeweller about pink gemstones that will resemble a pink diamond but cut the amount of money required down to something you can afford.

Is it still difficult to see the end result? To paint a clearer mental picture of how you can make one of the most expensive diamond engagement rings in the world end up on your ring finger, let’s explore how to make the original price for the Secret Kiss Of The Roses engagement ring come down to an amount that fits your budget.

When talking with your jeweller, you can discuss which gemstone and carat size suits you and your future engagement ring better. While there isn’t a single stone out there that perfectly imitate a brilliant white diamond, there are genuine gemstones that, to the naked eye, will give a great resemblance of a diamond. Substituting gemstones such as white sapphires and white topaz instead of white diamonds can be a great choice for the big carat selection. In place of the pink diamond, embed a pink tourmaline gemstone in the centre to create the proper effect of this magnificent ring. The budget that’s been set aside for the biggest price of the engagement ring – the diamond – can then be placed in the sequential order covering the band.

Keep in mind that customised or designer engagement rings can rack up the price if you’re not careful so keep things realistically within proportion. Instead of going for 4.18 carats, you may find you’ll be just as happy with a 1 carat gemstone.

The end result? You’ll have a customised, designer engagement ring that doesn’t forgo on quality and yet, gives the fantastic look of a multi-thousand dollar ring!

While trends may come and go, engagement rings have been around for many centuries and aren’t going anywhere – so have fun with it, book an appointment with your jeweller and get trendy!

References:

[2] http://engagementring.org/the-reason-behind-extensively-expensive-engagement-rings

[3] http://www.theoddpics.com/2010/07/4-most-expensive-engagement-rings-in.html

[4] http://www.worldinterestingfacts.com/wealthy/top-6-most-expensive-engagement-rings-in-the-world.html

[5] http://buydiamondrings.org/most-expensive-diamond-rings-ever

[6] http://blog.learnvest.com/learnvest-daily/average-cost-of-an-engagement-ring/

[7] http://www.ringenvy.com/engagement-rings/fun-%28and-useful%29-engagement-ring-facts

[8] http://money-guide.com.au/2009/12/average-wedding-cost-australia/

[9] http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/bargains-and-rip-offs/article.html?in_article_id=397984&in_page_id=5

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.

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.

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 4^th 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 37^th 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.

Simply put: Handcrafted jewellery is jewellery made by hands, not machines.

This type of jewellery sounds pretty self-explanatory, doesn’t it? Believe it or not, there’s much more depth to handcrafted jewellery than just the use of hands to create exquisite pieces of jewellery art.

When jewellery was first recognized during ancient Egyptian times, obviously, electrical working machines weren’t yet invented – therefore, all jewellery was handcrafted by artisans as a trade. Over time, jewellery evolved from shells and pebbles, eventually becoming a career for artisans-turned-jewellers who continued taking jewellery design to a whole new level.

The great thing about handcrafted jewellery today is that it’s the one type of jewellery that still carries over ancient history all of these years later, albeit, in newer and more modernised fashions.

Modern or Art Deco, Boho, Modjewellery and Ethnic are just some of the newer titles given within handcrafted jewellery; all carrying some piece of history with them. Nowadays, creating handcrafted jewellery tends to fall under two main categories: Professional and hobby.

Professional jewellers have the artistic and dexterity skills required to incorporate gold, platinum and other precious metals along with pink diamonds, white diamonds and coloured gemstones into their handcrafted designs while people at home tend to use more cost-effective resources, such as, alternative metals like brass and copper wire, beads, polymer clay, wood, fabric and whatever other materials the designer may find attractive.

Because of this distinction, it puts the cost of handcrafted jewellery on opposite ends of the price spectrum. When professional jewellers create this type of jewellery, it falls into the class of being a one-of-a-kind type of custom designer jewellery, which in turn, makes it an expensive piece of jewellery.

People who make handcrafted jewellery as a home business or as a hobby use cheaper means and cheaper materials. It doesn’t mean their workmanship is cheap, it means the worth of their jewellery is lower than that of a professional jeweller.

Depending on personal style and budget, both hobby and professionally handcrafted jewellery have become an extremely popular choice when shopping for accessories.

The Popularity Of HOBBY Handcrafted Jewellery

Everyone loves jewellery – whether it’s a simple pendant necklace or a 5-carat diamond ring – but not everyone can afford valuable jewellery items. The next best thing to buying jewellery is making it or buying it from home, leading to the online craze of sites like Etsy.com, Rubylane.com and good, ole’ Ebay.com.

In fact, if you were to actually Google handcrafted jewellery, you’ll come across hundreds of how-to’s for starting your own jewellery business and personal websites selling these items. Very few websites touch on anything more about handcrafted jewellery, unless you just so happened to come across this blog, wink, wink!

The reason behind this hobby/home-business frenzy is the fact that handcrafted jewellery is perfectly fitted toward individual tastes, follows the latest fashion trend and it’s affordable for both parties – those who craft and those who buy.

Teenagers who want to become entrepreneurs, stay-at-home moms who are looking for some extra cash and people who want to one day become professional jewellers are the biggest contributors to the handcrafted jewellery hobby.

The great thing about making jewellery as a hobby is that it’s often a stepping stone towards becoming a fantastic jeweller!

The Popularity of PROFESSIONALLY Handcrafted Jewellery

Much like custom jewellery, handcrafted jewellery appeals to all people, especially women. Jewellery made by a person rather than duplicates made by machine is sure to make a woman stand out in a crowd – and who doesn’t want attention drawn to themselves after spending all that time glamorizing?

While pieces of jewellery made by home artisans are great for a night out, jewellery handcrafted by a professional jeweller are sure to add the WOW! factor for years of nights out, again and again! A jeweller who makes jewellery by hand is a sure sign that they’re not only extremely skilled but creative and artistic which leaves the guarantee of owning an enviable piece of jewellery.

Unlike home-business handcrafted jewellery, you won’t find plastic beading or fishing wire holding the necklace together from a professional jeweller. Instead, you’ll find completely original, valuable materials used such as semi-precious and precious stones, authentic crystals, glass beads, silk and precious metals amongst other uniquely, beautiful materials that are incorporated.

What makes handcrafted jewellery different than custom jewellery is that from the sizes, width, and colours all the way down to which metals and gemstones are used, it’s the customer who has complete control over the design, not the jeweller. What’s not to love about it?

Another great advantage of professionally handcrafted jewellery that most people aren’t aware of is that it’s the perfect way to refurbish heirlooms! More often than not, heirloom jewellery is handcrafted and made of precious jewels and metal before the 20^th century when machines were not yet available.[i] Such immaculate designs cannot be remanufactured or redistributed which is exactly what makes this jewellery so priceless.

Perhaps your great, great, great, great grandmother’s diamond engagement ring has been sitting stowed away to keep it undamaged and out of harm’s way. Taking it to a professional jeweller (one you know well and trust) can either help you put the shine and lustre back into that ring or update it all together to recreate the heirloom to show off your heritage while still keeping it in the family line.

With all of these great advantages, handcrafted jewellery doesn’t only keep customers happy; handcrafting jewellery even has perks for jewellers! By not using machines, one handcrafted ring alone cuts gold or platinum loss by 5% meaning less recycling of gold or platinum, less refining and of course, more money saved which we can pass on to you![ii]

Making handcrafted jewellery is a wonderful part of every culture whether to hold a piece of history close by or invent a new fashion trend. Regardless of who does the designing or creating, handcrafted jewellery is vastly becoming the most popular selection because of its authenticity and never-ending choices of design.

Sam Kritsotakis
Eskae Private Jeweller

References:

[ii] http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/Platinum-wedding-bands.htm