Archive for March, 2009

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Shopping for men’s wedding rings

Monday, March 30th, 2009

These days, men are much more interested in what wedding ring they will end up wearing than in the past. It’s not uncommon for a man to want to purchase a wedding ring that is considerably more expensive than his wife’s wedding ring. Take for example a couple that was shopping for their wedding rings the other day. The bride was very happy to purchase a simple traditional gold band. However, the groom picked out a very ornate platinum band. The groom’s ring cost almost 4 times more than his bride’s ring.

 

There is a huge selection of wedding rings for men to choose from. There are various metals to choose from including white gold, yellow gold, platinum, palladium, titanium, tungsten, silver, and ceramic. There are even black versions of some of these metals.

 

In addition to the different metals, there are wedding rings with and without diamonds. Yes, there are many men these days who will consider wearing rings with diamonds. This is now considered very acceptable whereas in the past, this might have been frowned upon.

 

Men’s wedding rings have a fairly diverse price range. The rings made of ceramic, silver and tungsten are at the lower end of the price spectrum while the gold and platinum rings are at the upper price spectrum. Once you add any additional work into the ring, this increases the price.

 

Tungsten men’s wedding rings have become quite popular in the last few years. Their popularity is primarily due to two factors. First, tungsten rings are far less expensive than traditional gold rings. Second, tungsten is considered a “hypo-allergenic” metal. Some people do not like to wear gold or other metals as they are either allergic to the metal or the metal can turn their fingers green where worn. Hypo-allergenic metals such as tungsten offer a healthy alternative to people that are sensitive to some metals.

 

With the availability of so many different types of men’s wedding rings, it’s not easy for the average man to choose one. Visit any of the many wedding ring websites now and you will see for yourself how many different types there are to choose from.

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Hypoallergenic wedding rings

Monday, March 30th, 2009

Some people are actually allergic to jewelry that they wear. Those people are typically allergic to gold and/or nickel. However, there are metals that are considered “hypoallergenic” and those with allergies to some metals can safely wear jewelry made of these metals.

 

The most popular metals that are considered hypoallergenic are platinum, titanium, and tungsten. Each has its own characteristics and costs. Wedding rings are made out of all of these metals.

 

Platinum Wedding Rings

Platinum is the most expensive of all three hypoallergenic metals and platinum wedding rings represent the most expensive of all wedding rings. Why are platinum wedding rings the most expensive? First, platinum is not as readily available as gold. Second, the demand for platinum is greater as the supply is less than gold. Third, manufacturing a platinum wedding ring is not a simple task and top manufacturers will scrap platinum wedding rings when they are not produced to their satisfaction.

 

Titanium Wedding Rings

Titanium has become quite popular during the last two decades as it is an extremely strong metal. Its strength has led to usage in the aerospace industry as well as the military, automotive industry, medical industry. It has also become quite popular in the production of sporting goods (e.g. tennis rackets) and jewelry. Titanium wedding rings are far less expensive than platinum wedding rings.

 

Tungsten Wedding Rings

Tungsten wedding rings have become very popular in the last few years. They offer strength, durability, attractive designs, and the lowest cost of all of the hypoallergenic metals. Men are especially attracted to tungsten wedding rings.

 

If you are not sure whether you are allergic to a particular metal, consult an allergist so that they can administer a simple test.

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Chokers at the Kati Stern show at New York Fashion Week, Fall 2009

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

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Kati Stern is a wonderful designer. Her designs are elegant and would make any woman feel like a princess. Her dresses bring to mind gowns of eras past, ballrooms and Cinderella stories. It is no wonder that the jewelry she uses to accent her clothing is equally wonderful.

 

Katie Stern had her model wearing a wonderful tiara and choker with this brocade gown. The choker has a center-set stone, surrounded by other stones. It is marvelous in its simplicity. The tiara is a wonderful touch. It brings some Cinderella-like fantasy to the brocade gown. The tiara also uses stones that complement the choker.

 

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Other models also wore chokers with their dresses. In fact, chokers seemed to be all the rage at the Kati Stern show. If you can judge fashion trends by the trends in the fashion shows – then chokers are going to make a huge comeback.

 

The nice thing about a choker is that it works with any neckline of a dress – except a neckline that covers the neck. It works with any style of dress, and any cut.

 

Chokers also come in varying thicknesses. There are thin chokers that are one string of gems, metals, motifs or pearls wide. Then there are thicker chokers that can be made out of plates of metal.

 

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Chokers also come in varying lengths. To many men, it might seem strange that a necklace which is named after a horrific death (choking) should fit a little loosely. It seems strange to women as well. However, chokers are not meant to choke. They are meant to lay close to the neck, and in some cases on the neck. They are made to show off a neck, almost like a collar.

 

Chokers are going to be in this fall if this fashion show has anything to say about trends.

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Anne Hathaway’s style

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

Anne Hathaway is one of the most stylish young celebrities around. She is always classy, and generally is wearing designer clothing. She wears great accessories – especially when she is wearing classic jewelry. Anne Hathaway also wears non-traditional jewelry, but does it in such an understated manner that most people can copy her without realizing they are wearing new fashion. Anne Hathaway is fast becoming a style icon.
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This picture of Anne Hathaway is from the 2008 Oscars. She is wearing a fabulous red dress. Rather than try and overdo the accessories, Anne Hathaway is wearing very basic – yet classy – earrings. She is wearing drop earrings. Drop earrings are earrings where one stone drops down from another stone. The drops can be long or short, and made up of as many stones as you wish. Anne Hathaway does the classic two-stone drop earrings in this picture. She wears diamonds as the stones, which is very traditional. These drop diamond earrings have large center stones that are surrounded by more paved diamonds. These earrings give off a brilliance that only adds to her dress, instead of overpowering her dress.

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This picture is from Anne Hathaway’s current movie premiere. She is wearing a fabulous ring that matches her dress. However, the matching of the ring to the dress is done in a ring – on a finger that isn’t right next to the pattern on the dress, which is repeated on the ring. The separation of the patterns allows the viewer to notice the similarities without being overwhelmed by the matching. The earrings are basic and do not detract from the beauty of the dress or the ring. This is jewelry at its best.

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Art deco jewelry at the Charlotte Ronson Show

Sunday, March 22nd, 2009

On the runway, at Fashion Week Fall 2009, you see the new trends in jewelry for the fall. This last showing, one of the new trends is going to be art deco jewelry.

Charlotte Ronson used art deco jewelry to off set the gorgeous simplicity of her clothes. When she had elaborate, fun and funky jewelry on her models, she added accessories to the clothing that were as important as the clothing.

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On this model she had a wonderful star-shaped art deco necklace. The necklace turned what was a plain black outfit with an extremely low neckline into a piece of art. The necklace added class to the outfit and brought attention back to cut of the clothing and the shoulders – rather than the navel of the person wearing the outfit. The stars seem to be made out of a metal. This necklace could be easily adapted into colors to wear with other outfits.

 

In this outfit Charlotte Ronson has added flair to an otherwise plain outfit. The fabric of the outfit is rather muted, and the cut is rather plain. But by adding the selected jewelry, there is now shine and punch in the outfit. The necklace draws attention upwards to the face and neck of the model, rather than to the somewhat poofy bottom of the skirt (around her hips).

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Charlotte Ronson used art deco jewelry throughout her show to accessorize her outfits. Seeing this trend on the runway makes it certain that celebrities and fashion magazines will soon be following.

A few reminders about art deco jewelry: The pieces can be really big and splashy – so make sure to wear a plain outfit behind a piece of big, splashy jewelry. The more colors in the jewelry, the less colors in the clothing. Otherwise, you are simply adding clutter. To best show off art deco jewelry, do what Charlotte Ronson did in her show – basic black and muted, dark colors with large pieces of jewelry.

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Sapphire necklaces

Sunday, March 22nd, 2009

Sapphires are great stones. They are normally blue, although they can come in a variety of other colors as well. If the sapphire is not blue, chances are it is going to be more expensive than a blue sapphire.

Sapphire blue is a great color. Sapphire blue is a brilliant blue, which could never be mistaken for anything else. It isn’t navy, so you can wear a sapphire with black, as well as blue clothing. Sapphire blue can also be work with brown, white….well pretty much any clothing. Sapphires can be set in white gold, yellow gold or platinum and look wonderful in each setting. The versatility of the sapphire blue color is one of its great virtues.

Sapphires are great stones for necklaces. They are not as expensive as diamonds, but have versatility and everyday wear qualities that diamonds do not have.

One way to set sapphires in a necklace is to set them in a chain. This means that there is a chain, which alternates with sapphire stones, such as the one below. The advantage of this type of setting is that it can be worn with almost everything. Using a chain-like setting for the sapphires also makes sure that the sapphires are not grouped in a bunch and don’t look ornate – which means the woman can wear this necklace almost every day.

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The next way to wear a sapphire is as a pendant necklace. Pendants can be small – for everyday wear – or large and ornate, surrounded by diamonds or with other stones, and worn for special events. The great thing about pendant necklaces is that you can use any type of stone, and any size of stone. This means that pendant necklaces can fit any budget that you have. Sapphire pendants are still the brilliant blue color, but can be made to fit the budget of the person buying it. If you choose a plain sapphire pendant, they tend to be fairly affordable. If you choose to surround your pendant stone with other stones, those can reach very high costs.

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However you choose to wear a sapphire, they are versatile and affordable stones that give every woman a sense of elegance.

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Examples of two tones men’s rings

Saturday, March 21st, 2009

Two tone men’s rings are all the rage. They give the elegance and ornate feeling of having a band set with stones, without the cost of having stones. This is accomplished by melding two different metals, usually white gold and yellow gold (platinum and yellow gold are also put together sometimes) into one ring.

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This ring is a fairly simple two-toned ring. It has The outer bands made of yellow gold. Then the inner band is made of white gold, and has a bit of molding on it. This creates the effect of elegance. It also looks fabulous with any outfit – as the white gold and yellow gold will look good with any color. It gives a more ornate appearance than a plain band.

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This band is made up of white gold, with the inner band being molded yellow gold. The engraving and molding that is on the inner band creates intracacy that a plain band does not have. It also gives the ring a touch of decoration – without being overdone.

However you choose to wear them, two tone bands are very versatile and can be created to fit any budget and any man.

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Three stone rings

Saturday, March 21st, 2009

Three stone rings are a classic setting for engagement rings. The most classic versions of this ring are made using round diamonds.

Three stone rings are rings made of three stones – a center stone and two side stones. The center stone is normally the  largest stone of the three. In traditional rings, this is a round shaped diamond. The side stones are normally the same size as each other, but are smaller than the center stone. Again, the most classic setting is to have two smaller round shaped diamonds.

However, three stone rings can also be made with stones other than diamonds, and cuts or shapes other than round.  If you want to personalize your engagement ring, or don’t believe in wearing all diamonds for an engagement ring, a three stone ring is perfect. The center stone, or side stones, can be a gemstone, with the other being a diamond. This creates a personal ring that still has a hint of tradition in it because diamonds are still on the ring somewhere. Three stone rings can also be made completely of gemstones, without a diamond in sight.

Three stone rings are also made with various cuts and shapes. No longer do the stones all have to be round shaped. Many three stone rings have a princess cut center stone, or oval, pear, heart, or any other shape that is out there.

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This is an example of a three stone ring with a center stone that is a princess cut diamond – a square rather than a circle.

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This is an example of a three stone ring with the traditional round center stone, but with two differently shaped stones set off to the side in the band.

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This is a more traditional three stone ring, with all the diamonds being round. However, they are all close to the same size, which is not a traditional setting.

However you wear, or design, a three stone ring – a three stone ring is one of the most versatile settings out there.

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Heart shaped diamonds

Friday, March 20th, 2009

A heart is a symbol of love. It is seen on Valentine’s Day, weddings, anniversaries and other occasions where we express our love. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that diamonds also come in heart shaped cuts.

 

The heart shaped diamond is considered to be a newer cut, and sometimes is considered a novelty cut. There are not a lot of these diamonds in engagement rings – yet. As their popularity grows, their presence in engagement rings will be more pronounced. A heart shaped diamond is often used in pendant necklaces and stud or drop earrings.

 

A heart shaped diamond, in an engagement ring, is best set with side stones of a different gem. If you set a heart shaped diamond in a three-stone setting, and then off-set it with more diamonds, the brilliance and uniqueness of the heart shaped diamond may get lost, and often does, in the sparkle from the other diamonds. It becomes hard to tell where the edges of a heart shaped diamond end, and where the other diamonds begin.

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One way to wear a hear shaped diamond is to have it set as a center stone, and then have smaller diamonds paved around the heart shaped diamond – like the one in the picture above. This makes the shape more pronounced. This type of setting also lends a traditional element – the paving of diamonds around a center stone – to a non-traditional diamond shape, the heart shaped diamond.

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Another way to set a heart shaped diamond is to pave the band it is set in with stones of another color. These can be colored diamonds (there are such things), or other gemstones. In the picture above, the diamond is set as the center stone, and the paving is done in pink – which also symbolizes love.

 

Heart shaped diamonds are best looked at from a length-to-width ratio. This ratio will determine what the heart will look like from above. If the length-to-width ratio of the heart shaped diamond is high (larger length, smaller width) the heart will look elongated. However, traditional heart shaped diamonds have a length-to-width ratio that ranges from .90 t0 1.10 – meaning the width and length are approximately the same.

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Emerald facts

Friday, March 20th, 2009

Emeralds are the birthstone for May. Emerald is the only stone, besides Topaz, that has been found in all of the ancient birthstone tables, some reaching as far back as the Celts. They are listed as the birthstone for all Taurus on the zodiac calendar.

 

Emerald is the name given to the green variety of beryl stones that range between 7.5 and 8 on the Mohs scale. The name emerald is derived from the French word “esmeraude” which means “green gemstone.” Emeralds are a deep grass green in color, and are certainly the greenest of the green gemstones.

 

Columbia and Brazil are the major producers of emeralds. Columbia is recognized as the source for the finest emeralds. Pakistan, Russian, South Africa, India, Norway and Australia also are producers of emeralds, however they produce no where near the quantity that Columbia and Brazil do.

 

Emeralds usually contain many crack, fissures and inclusions. They are brittle stones that require special handling. When they are cleaned, they should never be cleaned with an ultrasonic or steam cleaning because those cleaning techniques are likely to make the cracks and fissures more visible and could even crack the stone.

 

Because of their brittleness, emeralds are usually enhanced by oiling. In this process they are immersed in oil which reduces the cracks and fissures visibility and brightens the stone. This process is so common today and so it is usually not disclosed.

 

In folklore, emeralds were used to ward off epilepsy in children (there is no scientific evidence for this claim). They were also used to improve intelligence, memory and to enhance love and contentment (once again, there is no scientific basis for this claim).

 

It is said that Cleopatra’s favorite stones were emeralds. Angelina Jolie recently wore them to the Oscars. She wore them in a ring and big, drop earrings.

 

Emeralds can be made into all kinds of jewelry. They can be worn as necklaces, earrings and bracelets. Emeralds can also be worn in rings. One way to wear an emerald is to get it as a center stone in an engagement ring and surround it with diamonds. Then the traditional diamonds are in the engagement ring, but the cost is lower because the center stone – the largest stone – is an emerald. This also personalizes the ring for the couple, because it will not simply be another all diamond engagement ring.

 

Emeralds are making a huge comeback.

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