Tag Archive for 'Jewelry'

The 5 Most Common Mistakes Brides Make When Choosing Bridal Jewellery

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

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

Mistake #1:

Choosing An Ultra Trendy Engagement Ring

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

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

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

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

The Fix:

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

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

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

Mistake #2:

Picking The Bridal Jewellery BEFORE Picking The Wedding Dress

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

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

The Fix:

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

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

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

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

Mistake #3:

Not Styling Your Hair According To Your Bridal Jewellery

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

The Fix:

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

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

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

Mistake #4:

Not Matching Your Bridesmaids

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

The Fix:

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

Mistake #5:

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

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

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

The Fix:

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

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

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

References:

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

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What Exactly Is Handcrafted Jewellery?

Published on December 19, 2010 in Art Deco Jewellery, Designer Jewellery, Engagement Rings, Eskae Private Jeweller, Gold, Hand-made Jewellery, Jewellery and Platinum. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

Handcrafted Jewellery

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 20th 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:

[i] http://pagerankstudio.com/Blog/2010/09/jewelers-repairer-job-description-and-jewelry-repairer-job-description-education-and-training-requirements-career-salary-employment-%E2%80%93-definition-and-nature-work/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jewellery Do’s and Don’ts:

Do’s

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

Don’ts

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

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

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

Sam Kritsotakis
Eskae Private Jeweller

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Eskae Private Jeweller – Apprentice week 9

Published on November 7, 2010 in Designer Jewellery, Eskae Private Jeweller, Gold, Jewellery and Platinum. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Week 9 has been a great week for me at Eskae Private Jeweller, not only was I making jewellery but also learning traditional smithing methods such as forging.

Smithing dates back to the Iron Age and involves striking the platinum or  gold with a hammer on an anvil of different shapes and styles to produce a desired shape, form or function. In my case, I was making a thin silver dish for wax to be heated up in and to be used with wax seal.

To begin the thin silver dish, I rolled the metal out to the desired thickness and then scribed a shape onto the metal with a carbon tipped scribe. I then cut the shape out with a saw and dressed back the flat piece of silver with a file and then my emery paper. The metal needed to be smooth and clean, before I could begin creating the shape with a hammer, so I began to emery the surface of the dish so that the preparation was done before I started the forging.

After cleaning up the surface of the metal, I began hammering with a flat metal hammer. I placed the metal over a round ball called a ball punch, which was held in place in the bench vice. The round ball punch helps to create the curve and dome in the bottom of the dish as I strike the silver with the hammer while holding it over the ball punch. I also used a softer plastic mallet to hit the metal into the desired shape as it was easy to control my hitting strokes as well as sometimes i needed to be aware that i wasnt going to bruise the silver with the steel hammer.

Forging was fun to do, as I had to learn how to hit the metal on a particular angle to draw the metal down in one direction and create curves. During this process I constantly looked at the symmetry of the piece, to make sure each side looked the same.

Once I had created the initial shape with the hammer and mallet, I then cut into the back of the dish and removed a wedge of the metal. By bringing the two cut edges of the wedge together, the dish became deeper and gave the dish a nicer looking line. Once the edges were lined up against each other with no gaps, I soldered the join.  Now that the back was soldered and tapped into place, I could then work on the visual design on the sides of the dish. To create curves and a flow in the design, I began marking with a pen what I thought would be a more organic and interesting line. I then used various files to file down the excess metal to where the new design line was. Then came the tricky part and probably most challenging- matching the other side to the newly filed side.

The dish is almost finished and I will be making a wax pourer to go with the dish and stamp.

I have enjoyed week 9 as I was able to learn an ancient technique which I am told is a dying art. It was challenging and also a great way to learn how to look at creating art, objects and designer jewellery in a different light.

I cannot wait to tell you what has been happening this week in week 10!

Have a great week, talk to you soon,

Holly

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Eskae Private Jeweller – apprentice week 5

Published on October 7, 2010 in Designer Jewellery, Eskae Private Jeweller, Jewellery, Mens Jewellery and Wedding Jewellery. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , .

Wow!

Another fun filled week at Eskae Private Jeweller. I learnt many jewellery making techniques this week, including; the process of rhodium plating and putting a matte or satin finish on jewellery.

I also practiced some other techniques I had learnt over the past month including; polishing, annealing, drawing wire, rolling out metal and filing.

I would have to say that learning how to rhodium plate a piece of jewellery would have to be one of the most important techniques I learnt this week. Rhodium plating if you don’t know, is a technique jewellers use to plate metal to make it look whiter and brighter, for example it is used most commonly on white gold, and even silver, because the natural state of these metals is quite grey as opposed to white and bright like platinum is. The rhodium plating helps to enhance the stones, especially diamonds and the design of the ring.

The other important process I learnt this week was applying a matte/satin finish onto the cufflinks I designed and made in the previous weeks. After finishing the cufflinks off by giving them a good shiney polish, I decided that to add interest to the cufflinks I would only apply the matte/satin finish to certain sections of the design. To do this you need to block out the other parts of the design so the finish is not applied to them. A neat trick to do this is to tape over the front of the cufflinks with masking tape. Then using a scalpel, I cut through some of the masking tape in the sections I wanted to apply the matte finish to. Then I used the hand polisher with a course scotchbrite type brush to apply the finish. I was quite nervous about this process as I needed to make sure I held the polisher perfectly straight up against the cufflinks, so that the satin lines which make up the finish are all vertically straight on all parts of the un-masked sections of the cufflinks.

Cuff links

As you can see in the photo of my cufflinks, the finish has turned out very nicely. The finish adds masculinity, definition and interest to the cufflinks, as well as creating some contrast for the eye to follow in and around the design of the cuff link.

Another proud achievement, made on my jewellery making journey.

Until next time we speak, enjoy your week,

Holly

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Inclusions – Natural Imperfections

Published on June 23, 2010 in Diamond Certification, Diamond Education, Diamonds, Engagement Rings and White Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

To those who have enjoyed a love of diamonds, you understand the pleasure in viewing the natural diamond is in how the light passes through the gem, creating fire and brilliance as a dance of color and light will radiate from the stone. While flawless stones are known to create the best light show, the process in which diamonds are created lends to a less than flawless outcome.

In the process of creating the diamond, it is common for inclusions to be present that will affect the way light passes through the diamond. Inclusions can also result from diamond enhancement procedures, which include laser lines, used to drill out inclusions that will then be filled with a silicon-like substance to enhance the diamond’s visual properties. Often considered to be blemishes to the natural beauty of the diamond, inclusions can also impact the strength and durability of the stone.

It is common within the diamond industry to refer to inclusions as “internal characteristics” when describing the growth crystals that are unique to that particular diamond. Inclusions occur within the stone and are often referred to as flaws as they separate the diamond from perfection. In this post we will examine the inclusions Clouds and Feathers.

Clouds


Clouds resemble a gray overcast sky when they are present in a diamond, but not always to the naked eye. Clouds are known as a dense grouping of tiny pinpoints that create a cloudy zone that may or may not resolve as individuals pinpoints when the stone is magnified 10 times. The cloud generally consists of three or more pinpoint-sized diamond crystals located in close proximity and rarely impact the strength of the diamond.

While clouds are common, a single cloud should not cover a third or more of the diamond or it will affect the visual appearance of the diamond. On a diamond grading report, clouds are indicted as circles or formations comprised of small red dots or pinpoints. While the majority of clouds are translucent, the visibility of the cloud can vary depending upon the light source used to evaluate the cloud.

Feathers


Feathers are a much more serious inclusion as they not only impact the visual appearance of the diamond, but also its strength if they reach the surface of the stone. Feathers are essentially tiny fractures in the diamond. In a grading report, the feather is generally plotted with tiny red lines or hash marks.

Feathers are not always a cause for concern, unless they break the surface of the stone or impact the brilliance of the diamond as light passing through its facets. A professional will examine the diamond closely by “breaking” it into two halves on a diagram. If the feathers run through both “halves” of the diamond, this indicates the feathers run the gamut of the stone. Such a feather could cause the diamond to crack under undue pressure.

The important think to remember is that this crack “might” happen; I am not guaranteeing that it will. Instead, I am advising you to be careful and take your time when evaluating a diamond with a feather inclusion.

There are still many inclusions to explore. Check back with us next time as we look at included crystals, cavities and cleavage.

[1] www.gemnation.com/images/clarity/clouds3.jpg

[2] www.gemnation.com/images/clarity/clouds3.jpg

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Hand-Me-Down Diamond rings

Published on May 12, 2010 in Designer Jewellery, Diamonds, Engagement Rings, Hand-made Jewellery, Jewellery and Wedding Jewellery. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

What to Do with an Unexpected… and Outdated… Hand-Me-Down Diamond ring

It’s touching and meaningful when a relative presents you with a diamond ring that’s been in your family for years.  But what do you do when the diamond ring is… well… let’s just say “outdated”?

At this point, you have a few options:

a)     You can pretend that you love the diamond ring and wear it only when you know you’ll be seeing the person who gave it to you.

b)    You can pretend you love the diamond ring and put it into your jewellery box, never to have it see sunlight again.

c)     You can tell the person that you appreciate the gesture but would rather not have the diamond ring.

d)    You can be creative and use the basic elements of the diamond ring to craft an entirely new diamond ring that’s completely yours!

Obviously, I don’t recommend (a), (b) or (c).  If you choose (a) or (b), you’ll be wasting a perfectly good diamond!  And if you choose (c), you’ll probably hurt someone’s feelings (never a smart idea!)  That leaves you with option (d), which I feel is the ideal way to have the best of all worlds.

A diamond ring that’s in an outdated setting is nothing new to expert jewellers nor is it something that cannot be fixed.  Truly, we see this kind of “problem” on a somewhat regular basis.  Many women (and men) come to us specifically to turn what is old into something modern, fresh and wearable.

There’s no one way to create a new piece of jewellery from your heirloom diamond ring, which is why I always include an in-depth consultation with individuals who want to revitalise a drab diamond ring.

Sometimes, they simply want to add some other gemstones to increase the value of the ring; other times, they want to remove elements of the ring to show off a precious diamond.  Occasionally, clients even want a large diamond ring to be disassembled, the diamond to be cut into several smaller diamonds, and the ring to be reassembled in a contemporary fashion.

Don’t allow a beautiful diamond ring to languish in a box!  If you’ve been named the recipient of a piece of jewellery that could use a professional “makeover”, consider it an honor, even if the piece of jewellery is garish, out-of-date or simply not your style.  Turn that “ugly duckling” into a beautiful swan that can be worn with pride!

To find out more about just how we can turn the “ugly duckling” into a beautiful swan click on the link to our designer jewellery page and get in touch with me from there.

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Jeweller – Your Private Jeweller

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Designing your Engagement Ring

Published on May 5, 2010 in Bridal Jewellery, Designer Jewellery, Diamonds, Engagement Rings, Hand-made Jewellery and Wedding Jewellery. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Designing your own Engagement Ring

A marriage proposal is one of the most important and personal events of a lifetime.  A very special engagement ring will reflect the significance of this event.  When you become engaged, you and your partner can create a lasting symbol of your unique love for each other with a custom engagement ring design. With the help of an experienced jeweller, the process of designing a custom engagement ring will bring you and your loved one closer and help you create a ring that both of you will treasure forever.

The Design Process

Once you’ve decided to create an engagement ring that will reflect you and your partner’s personalities and taste, the next step is to consult a jeweller who specializes in custom engagement ring design.  An experienced jeweller has the technical expertise required to guide you through the design process.  Your jeweller will explain the process to you in simple terms and make sure you have input at every step.  You will gain an understanding and appreciation of how much is involved in custom designing an engagement ring.

Your jeweller will help you make a series of important design decisions related to ring design, including:

  • The type of stone – Diamonds are a traditional choice for engagement rings, but a truly unique design can be created using other types of stones.  Emeralds, rubies and pearls can be striking alternatives to diamonds.
  • The size and shape of the diamond or gemstone – Once the type of stone is chosen, your jeweller can recommend suitable sizes and shapes.  When recommending a diamond or gemstone, your jeweller will take into account your personalities, what you want to communicate through your engagement ring and a host of other considerations.
  • The style of the setting – The design details of the setting will have a major impact on the overall style and look of the ring.  The setting can be traditional, with a clean and crisp look that will allow your diamond or gemstone to sparkle with its own “fire and brilliance” or it may be embellished with side stones, engraving or filigrees, adding more detail and intrigue to the design.
  • The metal used for the setting – The setting design, the diamond and gemstones used and the ring budget will determine the best metal for the engagement ring.

After you have expressed your design preferences, your jeweller will create a custom design for your approval.  Many couples have seen another ring that they want to copy, or they may want to combine 2 or 3 design elements from other rings.  If this is the case with your ring design, feel free to bring in drawings or photos to give your jeweller an idea of what you have in mind.  A talented jeweller will incorporate these suggestions into a single cohesive ring design, adding any details that may be needed to complete the design and convey what you would like to have represented in your ring.

The Surprise Engagement Ring

A marriage proposal and engagement ring are often planned as a surprise.  In this case, the design decisions will be made solely by the man.  His fiancée’s lifestyle, looks, body size and shape, personality and taste in jewellery should be taken into account when designing a custom engagement ring.  Family members or close friends can be a great help in creating a design that will be cherished for a lifetime.

Wedding Band Considerations

The design for your wedding bands should be considered when designing your engagement ring, especially if a bridal set consisting of the two rings is desired.  Using similar stones, metals and design motifs is the best way to tie together the engagement and wedding rings.

Generally speaking, if you use a similar design in both engagement ring and wedding bands, you will gain the benefit of having them look they were designed together at the same time.  When the engagement and wedding ring are worn together they will truly look like a matched set and not two unmatched rings that were bought at different times and places and thrown together.

Custom Engagement Ring Budget

You and your partner need to be aware that a custom designed ring may cost a bit more than purchasing a mass market existing design due to the exclusivity of having an engagement ring designed specifically for you.  It’s important to establish a budget and to work with your jeweller to stick with your budget.  Your jeweller will be prepared to offer many suggestions on how to stick with your budget.  Be prepared to listen to your jeweller’s suggestions and work with the options that are presented to you.

If you would like some further information on how we can design and hand craft for you a custom engagement ring click on the link and my website will give you more information.

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Jeweller – Your Private Jeweller

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Pearls. How are they Made?

Published on April 9, 2010 in Freshwater, Gemstones, Keshi, Pearls and South Sea. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Pearls are made how, I hear you ask?

Pearls are formed inside the shell of particular types of mollusks: as a defense mechanism to a potentially threatening irritant such as a parasite or a foreign body inside its shell, the mollusk secretes a protein which forms around the irritant, which in turn creates a pearl around the irritant to seal it off from potentially causing damage to the mollusks insides.

The difference between natural and cultured pearls focuses on whether the pearl was created spontaneously by nature — without human intervention — or with human aid.

The mantle (or shell) of the mollusk deposits layers of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the form of the mineral aragonite or a mixture of aragonite and calcite (both crystalline forms of calcium carbonate) held together by an organic horn-like compound called conchiolin. The combination of aragonite and conchiolin is called nacre, which makes up mother-of-pearl.

The commonly held belief that a grain of sand acts as the irritant is in fact rarely the case. Typical irritants  include organic material, parasites, or even damage that displaces mantle tissue to another part of the animal’s body into the inside of the mollusks membrane. These small particles or organisms enter the animal when the shell valves are open for feeding or respiration. In cultured pearls, the irritant is typically a cut piece of the mantle, together with processed shell beads, the combination of which the animal accepts into its body.

Natural pearls are nearly 100% calcium carbonate and conchiolin. It is thought that natural pearls form under a set of accidental conditions when a microscopic intruder or parasite enters a bivalve mollusk, and settles inside the shell. The mollusk, being irritated by the intruder, secretes the calcium carbonate and conchiolin to cover the irritant. This secretion process is repeated many times, forming many layers of nacre thus producing a pearl. Natural pearls come in many shapes, with perfectly round ones being comparatively rare.

The rounder and more perfect the pearl is the more rare and more valuable they become, in a similar way to the way diamonds are valued as they become bigger and better in quality.

Without getting overly technical here, a pearl is basically formed when a foreign body enters the animals membrane while the shell is open for feeding or breathing. The mollusk then secretes a protein called nacre to cover the foreign body, which will help minimise any damage it can potentially do to the muscular structure inside the shell. It does not stop there as the mollusk will continually secrete the nacre to form many many layers over the foreign body, which over time creates the pearl we are after.

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Jeweller

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the eternity ring history

Published on March 8, 2009 in Diamonds, Emeralds, Gemstones, Gold, Jewellery, Platinum, Rubies, Sapphires and White Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

Eternity Rings, they are a special gift that a husband will give his wife on the occasion of either their first child being born or their first year anniversary, which ever comes first is the norm, so i thought i would write a little bit about the history and the tradition behind the eternity ring.

What is the meaning behind an eternity ring?

The eternity ring is given as a tangible symbol of the promise of love forever. The eternity ring is simply one beautiful way to show the love your life how much she means to you. The endless or eternal loop is symbolic of eternal love as it has no beginning and no end. For this reason, some eternity ring designs are multi-stranded or plaited, this is symbolic of the many years to come that you will be spending together. Another more ancient and symbolic again is the theme of having the band formed and shaped like a snake almost always swallowing its own tail, this is a theme more common in ancient Greece and symbolises the never ending circle of BOTH life and love

What is the tradition attached?

The history of the eternity ring is very closely related to that of the wedding ring – that is a ring, or circle of metal, that has no beginning and no end – in other words is ‘eternal’. Throughout history the concept of the eternity ring can be seen in many traditions and even as far back as 2000 BC with what could be thought of as ancient eternity rings can be found. The earliest recorded examples of a simple plain eternity ring can be traced to the ancient Egyptians and then following the rise of the Greek empire, the design of these simple rings follow into that tradition.

The history of the eternity ring goes back almost four thousand years. Ancient Egyptians are thought to be the first to make and wear eternity rings. Eternity rings are essentially a continuous circle of metal studded with stones either halfway or all the way around. In ancient Greece the design of the snake or serpent depending on which part of Greece, was more prevalent, not only was the ring symbolic but also the use of the motif of the snake and serpent, as this was representative of life and love similarly to the goddess Athena. Early eternity rings were meant to symbolize eternal life and love. The unending, unbroken circle of precious metal represents a never-ending circle of trust, or the circle of life and love.

Early eternity rings in the more modern times featured stones that went halfway around the band of the ring. this began the move into the modern day version with either the band set with diamonds or a combination of diamonds and ruby, emerald or sapphire. even closer to today and we start to see that people are taking this idea one step further and setting the entire band with stones, again it is either all diamond or a combination like i mentioned above. these rings look great however because of the exact measurements needed to place and set diamonds all the way around these are generally custom crafted to fit not only you but the look you are after.

When do you normally get an eternity ring?

Eternity rings like wedding rings are a symbol of everlasting love and are typically given to celebrate an anniversary or another significant event, such as the birth of a child. traditionally they were given at the 5 year anniversary, but there has been a massive shift in this and now they are given at either the first year anniversary or the birth of your first child, which ever happens to come first.

The birth of a child is a very appropriate time to give an eternity ring. In this instance, it could symbolize the eternity of your new family or your never-ending love and compassion for your wife who has helped you create this new life. As an anniversary gift, it could symbolize the eternity that you will be together or how it has felt like an eternity being married. only in the best possible way of coarse!!! Whatever meaning you come up with, an eternity ring will leave a lasting impression and most definitely become an heirloom and beautiful conversation piece for years to come. The long-lasting reputation and never ending popularity of the eternity ring will ensure that it never goes out of style and is always admired and loved. Showing your love with eternity rings is a long standing tradition and will surely make your special someone feel loved and appreciated.

What is the typical design?

Eternity rings are usually set with diamonds. Other stones such as emeralds, rubies and sapphires are also popular choices, but diamonds are the favourite. most people go with either a round shaped stone or a square (princess) shaped stone. the round stones lend themselves very well to almost any setting style that we can come up with, while the square or sharper shaped stones are particularly well suited to having a channel set band. this is the sort of ring in which there is no gap between the stones and being able to set a straight edge up against another straight edge works really well.

It is your personal choice when deciding how to wear your eternity ring. Eternity rings are usually worn on the same finger as the wedding rings. traditionally you wear your wedding ring closest to your knuckle then your engagement ring and then your eternity ring on the outside and closest to your finger tip The eternity ring can be worn in addition to the engagement ring and wedding band, or in place of either one. Many women choose to wear all 3 together, especially if they have taken the time to get these rings designed and crafted as a set.

Because of their beauty, fire, sparkle and endurance, diamonds are the most popular gemstones for eternity rings, as symbolizing the permanence and commitment of the relationship. However rubies, sapphires, emeralds are also popular, usually in conjunction with diamonds, however i have made a few all emerald or all sapphire eternity ring, but again this was a special request as the lady had an all emerald or sapphire wedding ring which she wanted to match.

One of the benefits for the full eternity ring is that no matter how much the ring revolves around the finger, the stones will always show and you will never see anything but diamonds! Because a full eternity ring cannot usually be adjusted for finger size, they need to be custom ordered and crafted. there are some very specific measurements that need to be adhered to in order to make the ring work as a full hoop (going all the way around) design, but once the measurements are done the result is absolutely fantastic!

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