Tag Archive for 'Wedding Day'

Choosing Wedding Rings Together

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ladies first:

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

Find Your Inner Fashion

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

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

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

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

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

Find The Right Sized Ring

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

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

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

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

Find A Sense Of Patience

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

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

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

Find A Manly Ring

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

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

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

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

Find The Right Level Of Comfort

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

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

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

Find His Fashion Sense

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

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

Keep Emotions In Check

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

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

References:

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

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

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

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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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50 Top Celebrity Proposals, Part III

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

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

1.  AJ McClean and Rochelle Karidis

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

2.  Karolina Kurkova and Archie Drury

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

3.  Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert

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

4.  Bret Michaels and Kristi Gibson

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

5.  America Ferrera and Ryan Piers Williams

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

6.  Pink and Carey Hart

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

7.  Courtney Cox and David Arquette

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


8.  Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman

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


9.   Ellen Pompeo and Chris Ivery

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

10.  Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood

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

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

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The History of the Wedding Band

Published on December 12, 2010 in Bridal Jewellery, Eskae Private Jeweller, Gold, Jewellery and Wedding Jewellery. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

In an earlier post, I took you on an exploration of the romantic history of the engagement ring. With such an intriguing past and blended foundation, I knew there had to be an equally interesting story attached to the history of the wedding ring. After doing some research, I discovered that this history is both rich and vast.

The concept of the wedding ring is said to have originated along the fertile flood plains of the Nile River in North Africa. Plants that grew alongside the riverbanks provided the material for the first wedding rings. The circle shape was viewed by ancient cultures as a symbol of eternity as it had no beginning and no end.

It is such associations that led to the use of the ring to symbolize love and marriage as the individuals involved hoped their love would match the characteristics of the circle, capturing eternity and never ending. The promise of love and commitment should have no end and in many cultures, the circle ring was the symbol of this promise.

Interestingly, this is not the only history associated with the wedding ring. I discovered another theory that suggests the ring’s shape has more to do with religion than a symbol. Some historians argue that the wedding ring actually represents two halves of a united whole. When the circle is complete, the primitive man has completed his religion. This belief is not widespread and appears to have only been dominant for a short time, but is part of the history none-the-less.

The wearing of the wedding ring on the fourth finger was not put in place at the very beginning of the wedding ring’s use. Earlier cultures used rings around the extremities to exercise superstitious beliefs about keeping the spirit in place. This attempt at protecting or prolonging the life of a new bride did not have quite the romantic appeal that wedding bands today hold for the betrothed.

Egyptians and Romans later introduced the use of the fourth finger as they believed a vein ran from the fourth finger to the heart. As a result, this finger was the only logical location for a ring that would symbolize something so precious as marriage. By the time science disproved this theory, the fourth finger was already a well-worn tradition.

Interestingly, there are elements that exist within the traditional wedding vows that relate to ancient practices that have less to do with love and more to do with laws and rituals. Is it said that ancient Romans did not use the fourth finger to demonstrate love, but rather possession. The ring symbolized ownership and the woman rarely had a say in the decision to become owned by the man. Once captured and ringed, the woman was married to the man, forced to always obey.

A tradition in the Far and Middle East that was put in place to ensure a woman was faithful was the use of puzzle rings. These collapsible rings would fall apart if the woman removed the ring. The “puzzle” could be put back together, but only by those who knew the correct arrangement of the pieces of the puzzle and the husband rarely divulged such information to the wife.

Puritans often believed that jewellery was frivolous and therefore wedding rings were an extravagance that was not necessary. Instead, young couples exchanged “wedding thimbles”. As the Puritans often viewed thimbles as a practical gift, such an exchange was considered to be acceptable. For some young brides, however, a ring was still desired and once the wedding was complete, she would cut off the bottom of the thimble to create a ring.

As time passed and more modern times emerged, the modern ring began to take shape. Always a circle, the wedding ring has been made of leather, aluminum, stone and metal. Interestingly, even as the human approach to love and marriage was evolving, wedding rings were largely something worn only by a woman until World War II.

It was during the war that men in the military were in fashion if they wore their wedding bands to remember wives waiting for them back home. This practice increased during the Korean War and is still growing today as more men throughout the world readily demonstrate their commitment to another.

Today, we see wedding bands made up of mainly gold or platinum, although some wish to express their individuality with a tattoo or the use of titanium. Whatever your interest, you cannot dispute the wide-reaching and interesting history associated with the wedding ring.

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$20M Wedding Cake!

Published on October 15, 2010 in Bridal Jewellery, Coloured Diamonds, Diamonds, Engagement Rings, Eskae Private Jeweller, Fun Stuff and White Diamonds. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , .

WOW!

Now this takes the cake if you can excuse the pun! This video was sent to me by a friend Sarah Foster who is a fantastic virtual assistant, someone who I have used my times over the past few months. I can highly recommend her services for anyone who is in need of some help in their daily activities.

Below is a short YouTube video of a wedding cake reported to be worth $20M – having been adorned with diamond jewellery, along with a helping of engagement rings and designer jewellery – I can see where the value comes from!

Sam Kritsotakis

Bridal Jewelry

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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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Traditions a Happy Wedding Do Make

Published on September 20, 2010 in Bridal Jewellery and Wedding Jewellery. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , .

There is a number of different traditions that make each wedding special. While some are born of the culture, others get their start in a unique family. Still others begin during a specific period of time and reach beyond culture to embed itself in the nature of the event. One tradition that falls into this last category includes this English version that got its start in the Victorian era:

Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue
And a silver sixpence in her shoe.

Many a bride understands this poem is a representation of good luck on her wedding day. It is said that if she attends to each detail in the design of her apparel on her special day, the marriage overall will be happy. What you may not know, however, is that not every phrase in the poem refers to something that bride must wear or carry.

From the beginning, “Something old” was to symbolize the continuity of the bride’s family and the past. “Something new” is to represent optimism and hope the bride has for her new life ahead of her. A happily married friend or family member generally supplies the “Something borrowed” with the expectation that the good fortune in his or her marriage will be bestowed upon the new bride. This item is also meant to act as a reminder to the bride that she can depend upon her friends and family.

Selecting something blue is said to date back to Biblical times when the colour was associated with purity and fidelity. What may have once gone so far as to be a blue dress or blue trim sewn into the outfit has become a colour that is included in the garter worn by the bride under her dress. Wealth and financial security – which is also offered in a wealth of happiness and joy – is then promised in the sixpence included in the bride’s shoe.

Whether you are the bride preparing for your wedding day or the groom staying out of the way as your betrothed makes all the plans, there are many considerations that go into your big day, not the least of which are your wedding bands. I can show you a wide range of styles that allow you to incorporate the past and present into a beautiful display you will be proud to wear for a lifetime of happiness.

To take the sentiment in this English tradition as it is, check out World Coin Cufflinks. This company specializes in creating wedding cufflinks using old coins, many of which are no longer in circulation. This unique approach to linking the past with the present provides you or your groom with a unique sense of identity. A wide range of options includes: coins from more than 20 countries and listed in 6 languages or check out the cufflinks using the English sixpence.

If you are not so keen on using the coin idea, here at Eskae Private Jeweller we have the skills and technical expertise to custom create your ideal wedding day jewelry. I have many clients who take this tradition one step further where the happy couple buys each other wedding day gifts.

Generally speaking, the groom will buy his lovely bride a pair of earrings to match her engagement ring. The bride may buy her man a pair of cufflinks that have some form of symbolism – either engraved or cut into them – that is from his family or a more personal significance that only the two of them will appreciate.

Of course there are no hard and fast rules that need to be adhered to, as your wedding day is YOUR wedding day and you are free to celebrate it any which way you choose! However, I do believe that your wedding should be a unique experience, while still holding onto traditions that mean something to you. I’d love to show you how you can get the best of both worlds through your bridal jewellery.

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Bridal Jewelry

Published on September 13, 2010 in Bridal Jewellery, Engagement Rings, Hand-made Jewellery, Jewellery and Wedding Jewellery. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , .

For the bride, a wedding isn’t a wedding without bridal jewelry!

Bridal jewelry isn’t only about looking great on your wedding day – although that’s part of it – it’s also a representation of custom and culture.

For different parts of the world, bridal jewelry is worn very differently. Let’s take a look at how three different cultures portray their tradition through bridal jewelry.

Indian Bridal Jewelry

For Indian women, wedding dresses are the accessory to their jewelry. They pride themselves on how much jewelry they can wear for their week of wedding festivities since it’s more focused on religion and culture.

It’s customary for the bride’s family to give the bridal jewelry to the wife-to-be – mind you; this includes extended family meaning down to the 3rd and 4th generations. That’s quite a lot of jewelry to accumulate!

Yellow gold is the metal of choice since it’s considered to be exceptionally sacred for Indian weddings. It’s adorned with precious jewels such as ruby, jade, garnet, amethyst, pearl and diamond that are designed to complement the wedding dress.

Other bridal pieces include waist bands, bracelets with rings, finger and toe rings, anklets, arm bands and nose rings that are often attached to the Maang Tikka – which is the thin, jewelled chain worn down the part-line in the centre of the woman’s head which hooks on hairs, resting in the centre of the forehead.[i]

An interesting cultural fact: Toe rings and gold earrings are designed and worn during the ceremonies to mark an Indian bride’s evolution from bride to wife. During the wedding, the mother of the bride again gives her daughter more jewelry called bangles.

Bridal Jewelry from India

These bangles are thin and most often gold that is welded closed to fit the bride’s wrist perfectly which must be worn 40 days after the wedding.

While that is the traditional length for wearing bangles, most Indian women continue wearing these bangles for the rest of their lives, much like other cultures wear engagement rings for the rest of their lives.

Sri Lankan Bridal Jewelry

Kandyan brides use precious metals and jewels quite differently than the Indian culture we just described.

Where Indians decorate every inch of their bodies with bridal jewelry, Sri Lankan women wear most of it within their traditional wedding sari.

If you’re not Sri Lankan, you may be wondering how someone can wear jewelry within a sari, right?

Here’s how: Kandyan women stitch their saris with gold and silver thread, using pearls, beads and jewels to sequin their wedding gown. Talk about creativity!

The most stunning Kandyan bridal jewelry piece is called a nalalpata, which is the traditional bridal headgear designed by early Kandyan Kings and to be worn only once and only by the bride on her wedding day.

Bridal Jewelry from Sri Lanka

It’s placed on the middle of the forehead with one stem extending down the middle parting of her hair and another two branches extending across the forehead to each ear.[ii]

Although these rich headgears were traditionally designed to incorporate red jewels, it’s now creatively handcrafted using different stones and jewels with a figure of the sun and moon placed on either side to represent eternal love and a fulfilling relationship.

An interesting cultural fact: Sri Lankans are very superstitious regarding numbers so you’ll never find a single piece of bridal jewelry containing an even amount of jewels or stones.

Not only do they consider odd numbers incredibly lucky, the number ‘7’ is considered the magical number and for this reason, Kandyan brides wear 7 pendants around their necks.

Swedish Bridal Jewelry

As with other cultures, Swedish brides wear extremely unique pieces of bridal jewelry.

Their most exquisite piece of jewelry is called the brudkronan. While it may look similar to a tiara to some people, it’s actually a true crown made up of silver, gold or brass. Because it’s a true crown, it’s created entirely of precious metals and adorned by precious jewels and stones making this headpiece quite heavy to wear.[iii]

The brudkronan is important to Swedish brides because it represents purity and virginity. Its history originates from the Catholic Church and more specifically, the Virgin Mary dating all the way back to the Middle Ages.

Since brudkronan’s require such a large amount of precious metals and jewels, these crowns are either passed down from generation to generation or donated to Catholic Churches for brides to rent or borrow on their wedding day.

Bridal Jewelry from Sweeden

An interesting cultural fact: Swedish women definitely luck out in the ring department!

Swedish brides wear not two rings, but three rings after completing their marriage vows. The first ring signifies engagement, the second ring represents matrimony and the third ring is for motherhood.

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The point of explaining differences traditionally and culturally is to show you that bridal jewelry is valuable and an absolute must no matter which geographical location of the earth you live in.

Bridal jewelry is respected, honoured and admired whether it’s sewn into your wedding gown, worn in your nose or atop of your head.

Because of its significance and value, it’s passed down from generation to generation and treasured for lifetimes to come.

Picking bridal jewelry that not only complements your wedding gown, but yourself as an individual, is truly and without a doubt – priceless!

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Private Jeweller

References:

[i] http://blog.rajasthanistore.com/essentials-of-indian-bridal-jewelry-set.html

[ii] http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Sr-Z/Sri-Lankan-Americans.html

[iii] http://www.nasocommunity.org/wedding-jewelry-customs.html

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looking your best with jewellery on your wedding day

Published on February 8, 2009 in Diamonds, Gemstones, Gold, Jewellery and Platinum. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

Many girls spend days dreaming about their wedding day. They want to look their best, however beauty is incomplete without the proper jewellery. Especially when it comes to a wedding, you can’t imagine a bride without her jewellery. Your wedding day is one of the happiest days in your life and you don’t want to look outdated or stuffy.Most women are pro active in keeping abreast of the latest fashion and trends, and jewellery trends and fashions change like the seasons. However, as the wedding day approaches you want to make sure the style of jewellery can add the extra spark to not only your attire, but the way you are feeling.

Here are a few tips that can help you choose the bridal jewellery.

First, you need to keep in mind that you have to choose jewellery that will not only suit you but also your dress. You need to keep in mind the ‘mood’ of the wedding… The time of the wedding should be considered, whether it’s going to be in the daytime or in the evening, as this will help you select jewellery accordingly. Don’t just go by what you like, but see to it that the jewelry compliments your wedding gown. Before you get down to your jewellery shopping conduct some research on the latest fashion and the various types of designs that are available on the market.

If you are planning a glamorous wedding, jewellery with bold designs and a good use of sparkling diamonds will be just perfect to give you a glamorous look. If you are going for a simple wedding, you can select jewellery that has a classy look. This type of jewellery tends to be sleek and modern with simple and striking lines. Antique jewellery with pearls will help you get an elegant and classically beautiful look.

If you have organized your wedding at the seaside, you need to choose simple, but outstanding jewellery. As beach wedding means having loads of fun while dancing and jumping around. You don’t want the heavy jewelry to stop you. So to avoid this, you need to select lighter jewellery. If you plan for a cultural wedding, you can choose jewellery that suits your customs. Many times it happens that you want to wear colorful jewellery but the white gown stops you. It’s a myth that colorful jewellery doesn’t suit the white gown. Instead you can match your jewelry with the wedding theme. and even more importantly, there are no hard and fast rules for your wedding day, it is called “your day” for a reason…

There is variety of jewellery on the market, but if you are a perfectionist you can even ask the jeweller to design the jewellery as per your needs. Most of the bridal jewellery is made with beautiful white diamonds. These white diamonds, will need to be at a quality of ” G “colour or better to really take advantage of the fire and sparkle that diamonds are known for. Diamonds are available in many shapes and sizes and will be able to be turned into the most perfect piece of jewellery that you can imagine.

Pearls are an all time favorite. Pearls are known for their classy and traditional look. A strand of pearls combined with pearl earrings will surely add to your charm. You can combine the pearls with diamonds to add that extra shine.

if your wedding day is coming up, or you know f someone who is starting to plan a wedding, get in touch with me at Sam@EskaeJeweller to arrange a no obligation FREE quote on a suite of bridal jewellery that will suit you and your plans on your special day.

Sam.
Eskae Jeweller

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Wedding Day Traditions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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