A Danforth Diamond Engagement Tale September 4, 2008
Posted by Jill Renee in : Destination Proposals, Engagement Rings, Jewelry, Proposing Marriage , add a commentEvery so often, Danforth Diamond recieves letters from customers who desire to share their engagement experience. When we checked the Danforth mailbag in August, we came across this intriguing tale about a couple who became engaged on the Great Wall of China. The contents of the letter have been reprinted below for your enjoyment. A close up of the ring is below, click the image to view the ring on our site.
Mert and I are now officially engaged! After many pretend proposals, Mert this time pulled out a real ring and proposed to me on my 30th birthday on the Great Wall of China and OF COURSE I said YES! What an amazing day. Mert arranged a private tour of the Summer Palace and the Great Wall, both magnificent places in Beijing! I didn’t suspect a thing, figured it was all for my birthday! He played it cool the whole time.Â
Along our journey of the Great Wall, we reached the 18th tower (out of 20) and I didn’t want to go any further b/c it was hard already, & getting to the last 2 towers was going to be crazy, it was already hard to breathe as it was and we had a LONG way back. Mert and I climbed to the top of the tower, he gave me a hug and I felt his heart pounding like crazy and I said, “why is your heart pounding so hard…we’re definitely not going any further…” then he said “for a good reason”, then said some wonderful things that I will cherish forever and asked me to marry him and pulled out a GI-NORMOUS diamond that he’d been carrying around all day. We shed some tears out of shear bliss and excitement…there was barely anyone on the wall, the first sighting after the proposal was a group of people who turned out to be from NBC Utah…I screamed out “we just got engaged” and they congratulated us and asked if they could interview us for Utah tv…It seemed like all a blur, we told our story while they filmed. After she gave us a business card and we will be able to view it online!Â
I said, “why is your heart pounding so hard…we’re definitely not going any further…” then he said “for a good reason”
We then started our big hike back to the cable cars…they were closed…then we climbed down to the 6th tower, where the chair lift and slide (yes I did say a slide down the hill from the Great Wall, obviously which wasn’t there in the 5th century BC?) were also closed.Â
We were beside ourselves…we would have to walk all the way down the hill down a trail…It had been such a long, exciting, and cardio-filled day and we couldn’t imagine going any further…did I also mention, we hadn’t seen a soul on the Wall for a hour or so…we sat down for awhile, caught our breathe and finally decided to tackle the hike down, then all of a sudden a sweet Chinese man popped his head out and said Ne Ho (Hello)..he worked at the chair lift/slide…we begged (with sign language since they didn’t speak english) and money to let us on either ride down, he asked this other guy..they said no…then long story short Mert showed his Olympic ID (which has gotten him and sometimes me in for free everywhere) and they did some convincing to the people at the bottom and finally they let us take the chair down! they didn’t accept our money…we were pretty thankful and what a beautiful ride down.
What a day, what a birthday, what an amazing life! We both feel so blessed to have met each other and thank God for each other every day!Â
Thank-you for sharing in our happiness!
Information provided by Danforth Diamond, your engagement ring experts. Visit us at http://www.danforthdiamond.com or call us at 1-877-404-RING.
Best Marriage Proposal Videos July 22, 2008
Posted by Jill Renee in : Proposing Marriage, Romantic Tips , add a commentDanforth Diamond is happy to announce a new addition to our site that we think you will find very entertaining. We recently scoured the Internet in search of the best marriage proposal videos ever created, and what we found amazed us. We uncovered videos of people proposing on the fifty-yard line of a football field, videos of people propsing immediately upon their return from Iraq, even videos of people proposing on gameshows, such as The Price is Right.
After trudging through all the videos, we decided on eight videos that will surely stand the test of time. These videos are now being showcased on our site for your enjoyment. We hope they inspire your wedding proposal ideas, and we hope you find the best diamond engagement ring for your signficant other. On the topic of engagement rings, 14k white gold engagement rings with red ruby side stones are gaining in popularity right now. You may want to consider those as you browse our selection of affordable yet elegant engagement rings.
Enjoy the videos and thanks for stopping by!
–The Danforth Team
Information provided by Danforth Diamond, your engagement ring experts. Visit us at http://www.danforthdiamond.com or call us at 1-877-404-RING.
The Best Times to Propose Marriage June 6, 2008
Posted by Jill Renee in : Proposing Marriage, Romantic Tips , add a commentWhat is the best time of year to propose marriage? Christmas and Valentine’s Day are perennial favorites, but are they really the best dates to ask the bribe-to-be to be whether she wants to tie the knot? It may be better to pick a date that accommodates the bride’s schedule than to pick a date simply because it falls on a major holiday and “everyone else†likes to propose on that day.
Without question, Christmas and Valentine’s Day are safe bets and are sure to be met with a pleasant reaction. But the bride may be expecting a proposal on a holiday, taking the element of surprise out of the equation. Indeed, Christmas and Valentine’s Day have grown so popular as wedding proposal days that the bride-to-be may not even be surprised at all. If you really want to catch your future fiancé off-guard, propose to her the day after a major holiday. It’s highly unlikely that she’ll be expecting a 14K Art Deco Style engagement ring on February 15th.
An important factor to keep in mind when determining a proposal date is the schedule of relatives. Is your fiancé’s sister expecting a baby in June? Then don’t propose in such a way that your announcement takes away from the birth of the baby. Is your girlfriend’s brother getting married in July? Then consider not proposing in the same month to avoid any feeling of one event overshadowing the other. Wedding proposals never exist in vacuums. They ought to be viewed in the grand scope of all family-related events.
Ultimately, you know your future fiancé better than anyone; therefore, only you can determine what the best proposal date is. Think about the characteristics of your fiancé. Does she love the cold and generally dislike warm weather. Then don’t propose to her on a beach. What’s her favorite season? If it’s fall, then take her on a day trip to an area of the country that boasts spectacular foliage scenes and present her with a white gold designer engagement ring during a candlelight dinner. Maybe she prefers warm weather. If you feel that proposing to her during the winter is necessary, then travel with her to a sunny destination and then surprise her with the ring, perhaps a three-stone engagement ring, which is gaining in popularity every year.
You may wish to consult with your friends or immediate relatives about a proper date. Doing so might put a damper on the idea of calling them to spontaneously surprise them with the news, but if there is any potential future conflict regarding the date of your engagement announcement, it may be worth asking your tightly-knit relatives and friends for their opinions. You’ll likely get a more pointed answer than you would if you asked a random person on an Internet message board, as some people tend to do.
Odds are that any date you choose to propose will be fine in the long run. After all, a proposal is merely an announcement of intentions. The far more significant date is the wedding.
Information provided by Danforth Diamond, your engagement ring experts. Visit us at http://www.danforthdiamond.com or call us at 1-877-404-RING.
Clever Tips for Finding Your Girlfriend’s Ring Size May 19, 2008
Posted by Jill Renee in : Buying Jewelry, Engagement Rings, Proposing Marriage, Romantic Tips , 1 comment so farYou want to propose and give her an engagement ring that fits, but you don’t know her ring size. A great deal of thought goes into the preparations required to make your proposal unique, memorable and error-free. In most cases, months are spent selecting the engagement ring, coordinating the exact place and time of the proposal, and rehearsing the words that come closest to expressing what the heart feels on the day the question is finally asked. And just like the glass slipper in Cinderella, the ring must fit to confirm that you are indeed the handsome prince she has been waiting for.
Finding the ring size of your bride-to-be without making your intention to propose obvious can require imagination, ingenuity and a stroke of luck. Having a ring she currently wears on her ring finger can ease the burden, but most women keep their ring finger sacred and free of jewelry that would provide an exact ring size. To help, we provide the following list which contains a few sneaky ways to figure out what the size of her ring finger is.
Trust In Friends To Help
Most of those close to you and your bride-to-be are more than happy to help you on your quest to find her ring size. Think about her best friends, coworkers, and even her mom to get the ring size information. This can easily be done if they allow her to try on their rings, go window shopping for jewelry, or have them simply ask.
Covertly Capture the Ring’s Size
If you are fortunate enough to have a bride-to-be that enjoys jewelry, then make it a point to “borrow” a ring-finger ring once it is removed. In some cases, the wearer won’t notice that the ring is missing if it’s only gone for a few hours while you’re having the jeweler obtain its size. However, if the ring-finger jewelry is only removed for brief periods (such as while showering), a model or imprint will have to do. To capture the ring’s size, simply trace the inner circle of the ring on a piece of paper or make an imprint of the ring in a soft material such as soap, clay or bread and return the ring to its former location. In this way, a measurement can be made without the physical ring being present.
Use Paper or a String to Guess the Ring
If your bride-to-be is a heavy sleeper, then it may be possible to wrap a thin strip of paper around her finger and mark where the paper overlaps itself. This method will provide a fairly accurate ring size. A twist could also be to tie a string to her finger to make sure she does forget something you deem important. Insist on having the string tied to the ring-finger, and when it is removed pocket the string. This is crafty and works best on a very unsuspecting bride-to-be.
Bring It Up in Group Conversation
If all else fails, then simply comment (or have your friend comment) on a ring that belongs to someone else. This may get the ring size conversation going in your direction. Fabricate as necessary by talking about the similarities of the ring in question with your (mother’s / grandmother’s/ sister’s) ring; ask what size it is and if you can see it; allow your bride-to-be to try it on; comment on the stones; anything to get the ring conversation going. You don’t have to get the exact size now; you can subtly revisit and finish the discussion at a later time when the two of you are alone.
Both you and your bride-to-be deserve perfection from start to finish, and hopefully, these tips will help you to make sure the engagement ring is sized perfectly. By taking the time to secure the right ring size you open up more options on your ring selection and ensure that she is showing off her engagement ring immediately following the proposal. The time spent finding out the right ring size is sure to pay off big dividends on your proposal day.
Information provided by Danforth Diamond, your engagement ring experts. Visit us at http://www.danforthdiamond.com or call us at 1-877-404-RING.
Think Before Giving a Heirloom Engagement Ring February 21, 2008
Posted by Jill Renee in : Proposing Marriage, Romantic Tips , add a commentIt’s time to get engaged, and one of the highlights of the engagement is flashing that gorgeous diamond engagement ring. As the soon-to-be bride-to-be, you’re all set to say “yes.†And the best part – instead of purchasing a ring, you and the fiancé have decided to use a family heirloom instead.
Hold on sister. Before you accept that heirloom, you may want to think twice. While the idea of an heirloom engagement ring may ooze with romance, accepting the gesture can be more of a headache than it’s worth.
Read the rest of the article on the dangers of giving a heirloom engagement ring.
Information provided by Danforth Diamond, your engagement ring experts. Visit us at http://www.danforthdiamond.com or call us at 1-877-404-RING.
Danforth Diamond Goes 3D with Diamond Engagement Rings February 15, 2008
Posted by Jill Renee in : 3D Diamond Engagement Rings, 3D Diamonds, Buying Engagement Rings, Diamond Jewelry, Diamonds, Engagement Rings, Press Releases, Proposing Marriage , add a commentLeading diamond company adds 3D viewing for diamond engagement rings
Midlothian, VA – (PRWeb) – February 15, 2008 – Danforth Diamond, a leading provider of diamond engagement rings, is proud to announce the addition of 3D view for their engagement rings to allow for an enhanced buyer experience.
As more and more buyers are deciding to purchase their wedding rings and diamonds online, the demand to know exactly what they are buying is growing. While some companies have created digital 3D representations of their rings, Danforth Diamond has created 3D images of their actual rings. No digital representations.Â
“We [Danforth Diamond] wanted to make sure that our customers knew exactly what they were getting by shopping with us,” Jill Renee, president of Danforth Diamond said. “Our 3D diamond engagement rings are the perfect way to see exactly what you want to buy to make sure you get the diamond engagement ring that’s perfect for her.”
With twenty of their most popular diamond engagement rings, and more to come, Danforth Diamond has placed themselves on the cutting edge of online ring sales. With this move they hope to provide a service that is appreciated by both their loyal customers and the new ones they gain every day.
About Danforth Diamond
Danforth Diamond is a leading online provider of diamond engagement rings, wedding rings, diamonds, and other jewelry. Their selection of white gold, platinum, and palladium engagement rings is unrivaled and offers options to fit every style and budget. Visit Danforth Diamond online to learn more at: http://www.danforthdiamond.com .
Contact
Jill Renee
http://www.danforthdiamond.com
877-404-7464
Press Contact
George R Perry
Information provided by Danforth Diamond, your engagement ring experts. Visit us at http://www.danforthdiamond.com or call us at 1-877-404-RING.
The Top Destination Proposals January 22, 2008
Posted by Jill Renee in : Buying Diamonds, Buying Engagement Rings, Destination Proposals, Diamond Jewelry, Diamonds, Engagement Rings, Proposing Marriage, Romantic Tips , add a commentWhile finding the perfect ring to propose with can be an exhaustive search, what really seems to confuse many is the actual proposal itself. When and where to pop the question can be stressful at best, and since it’s a story that you’ll both be telling for the rest of your lives together, getting it right is incredibly important.
With that in mind, more and more couples are turning to the destination proposal as a way to give the beginning of their lives together a unique twist that makes it their own. While the destination proposal will certainly take quite a bit of planning, with a little help from friends and family, and a nice sized bank account, the following destinations are a great way to ask that special someone to spend the rest of their life with you.
Venice, Italy
A city built on the water, there are few cities in the world more romantic than Venice. While proposal locations within Venice are numerous, I suggest skipping out on St. Mark’s Square and taking a gondola ride for the proposal. The combination of singing, privacy, scenery, and the tradition of kissing while passing under bridges, is the perfect combination for a proposal that will stick in her mind forever.
Paris, France
The city of lights is sure to light up her face when you show her the diamond engagement ring you’ve selected for her while standing atop the Eiffel Tower. With a view of the city that can’t be rivaled, you’re sure to take her breath away when you get down on one knee hundreds of feet in the air with all of Paris as your backdrop. Rumor has it that this was the method Tom Cruise used when he proposed to the lovely Katie Holmes.
Information provided by Danforth Diamond, your engagement ring experts. Visit us at http://www.danforthdiamond.com or call us at 1-877-404-RING.
Picking the Right Diamond…and Setting October 11, 2007
Posted by in : Buying Diamonds, Buying Engagement Rings, Buying Jewelry, Diamond Jewelry, Diamonds, Engagement Rings, Jewelry, Palladium Jewelry, Proposing Marriage , add a commentDeciding to propose to the special somebody in your life is a huge decision, one that will lead you down a path of even more decisions. Of course, the first thing that needs to be decided after you’ve decided to propose is what type of engagement ring to get. Between diamonds and settings there are so many choices that it can be overwhelming. Hopefully this can be cleared up.
The Diamond
While you’re probably more than familiar with the 4 C’s of diamonds, there are other things to consider when choosing a diamond, chief amongst them, the shape. Here we’ll focus on the shape and two of the C’s; cut and carat. Clarity and color can be saved for another day.
The Shape
With so many shapes out there it can be confusing as to the actual differences, so let’s simply talk about each of them and their individual merits.
• Round – the most basic of diamonds, and the only shape not considered “fancy,” this shape is very much how it sounds – a rounded diamond in the shape of a circle.
• Princess – arguably the most popular shape, this squared diamond has only grown in popularity while still being a relatively new shape. The princess diamond tends to find its way into solitaire engagement rings more than any of the other shapes.
• Emerald – a rectangular shaped diamond, this shape is reflective of a classic and aristocratic elegance. Unlike other diamonds, the emerald shaped diamond is not a brilliant cut but rather a step cut, being comprised of larger, planar facets that resemble stair steps and act like mirrors.
• Marquise – long and slender, this shape, originally commissioned by Louis XIV of France, is wonderful for maximizing the carat within the setting. The marquise shape will accentuate the length of the fingers and works well on a person with longer fingers.
• Oval – as the name implies, this diamond shape is a very simple oval. This shape works very well with smaller hands and shorter fingers, giving them the illusion of added length.
• Pear – a hybrid shape combining the best elements of the oval and marquise shapes, it resembles nothing so much as a teardrop. Typically used in pendants and earrings, this shape compliments short to average length fingers, helping to give the illusion of longer fingers much like the oval shaped diamond does.
• Heart – essentially a pear shaped diamond with a cleft at the top, the heart shaped diamond is the ultimate symbol of romance. This shaped diamond is frequently seen in pendants but is more than acceptable as a choice in a ring.
• Radiant – this square or rectangular shaped diamond does an excellent job of combining the elegant and classic appeal of the emerald shape with the brilliance of the round shape.
• Trillion – a wedge of brilliant fire, the trillion shaped diamond was first developed in Amsterdam. Traditionally a triangle shaped diamond, the amount of point at the corners is often open for interpretation, but these diamonds work well as both a compliment to a center stone, a unique center stone in themselves, or as a pair of earrings.
• Baguette – very reminiscent of the emerald shaped diamond, this shape of diamond is frequently used as side stones to a larger center stone. Much like the emerald shaped diamond, the baguette shape doesn’t feature nearly the sparkle of brilliant shaped diamonds, but does offer a classic beauty that is hard to match.
The shape is only the first part of what to look for, at least initially, when considering a diamond for an engagement ring.
The Carat
Carats are essentially a way to measure the weight of diamonds. While the use of the carat measuring system may date back to ancient Oriental bazaars and the carob seed, in the present we know that the more carats in the diamond, the bigger it is.
While the size of the diamond that you get can be determinate on a number of factors, not the least of which is cost, the Setting and Mounting that you choose can also have an influence on the size of the diamond that you get for your ring. (more…)
Information provided by Danforth Diamond, your engagement ring experts. Visit us at http://www.danforthdiamond.com or call us at 1-877-404-RING.
Proposing at the Holidays September 24, 2007
Posted by in : Buying Engagement Rings, Diamond Jewelry, Diamonds, Engagement Rings, Holiday Proposals, Proposing Marriage, Romantic Tips , add a commentIf you are planning to propose this holiday season here is a great idea. It takes a little planning but you will be a superstar fiancé by Christmas Day!
Advent Calendars are a wonderful holiday tradition.
Although the traditional calendar is a wooden box etc Use your imagination and create your own. Wrap twenty four small packages and number them with the corresponding date of the month..have your girlfriend open package number one on December 1 and so on…on December 24 or 25 put your engagement ring in the package. If you are afraid she will peek wrap an empty box and arrive with the “real†package in your pocket. Tell her you forgot to include the gift and pop the question!!
Here are some ideas for the twenty five packages:
Scented body lotion
Nail Polish
Lip Balm
Search and Find Word Puzzle or Small Cookbook
Earrings
Favorite Candy bar with a sweet love note
Sticky Notes
Chewing Gum
Pretty Pen
Nail File
Bath Bomb or Bath Salts
Toothbrush
Hair Clips or Headband
Shampoo
Pretty Purse size Tissue Pack
Pretty Pair of Underwear
Hand Cream
Fuzzy Socks
Mascara
Perfume
CD
Gift Certificate for a Carwash
Holiday Pin
Candy Cane
Diamond Engagement Ring
Selling jewelry over the internet has been a wonderful adventure this past year. Although our company was launched in December 2005 things did not really get rolling until this past year. As a matter of record I felt a little like the Maytag repair man for the first year! Although I have been in and around the jewelry industry for most of my life; selling through this new medium has been wonderful. One of the best parts is not having to get dressed up in heels to go to work. I can sit at my computer and converse for hours with my customers and potential customers. Now that is the BEST part. I have gotten to speak with and sell to people all over the world and it amazes me at how similar most of us are…we all want to be treated with respect and honesty and we all are so happy when we are in love. Especially when we are preparing to get engaged!! It’s one of the most wonderful times whether you are young or old it does not make a difference! That’s why we make sure each ring is made with tender loving care. One of our mottos is that we need to be sending out good karma with every ring so that the good karma comes back to us! This has its ups and downs because we will not ship a ring unless it’s perfect. We are a company that is heavily female and we all love jewelry so if we wouldn’t want it we won’t sell it to our customers. Our production team has accused us of being perfectionists and that’s how we like it. Even I have been disappointed when I have ordered potential product for the website. It looks beautiful in the pictures but when it arrives its very lightweight and flimsy or the necklace or earrings don’t look or sit right when being worn (we try everything on!). This type of product never will show up on the Danforth website. As this year comes to a close I wanted to thank each one of our wonderful customers (yes we do have the best customers) for a successful year. I wish you all the happiest and healthiest of New Years!
Best Wishes,
Jill Renee
Information provided by Danforth Diamond, your engagement ring experts. Visit us at http://www.danforthdiamond.com or call us at 1-877-404-RING.
Asking Him the Big Question August 9, 2007
Posted by in : Proposing Marriage, Romantic Tips , add a commentThis is a question that I recently got in an email that I thought I should share with everybody out there along with my response:
Dear Jill,
I would like to propose to my boyfriend. We’ve discussed everything from prenuptial agreements to both of our children. We live in separate places even though we’ve been together for 3 years. We share the same ideas, we talk a lot about everything thing, even marriage. My boyfriend is fearful, he’s concerned about having enough time and money. We both have our own finances, our kids get along very well. The kids even want to know when we are getting married.
What would be a good way to propose to him without feeling like I have made him feel uncomfortable? Your feedback would be appreciated.
Thank you,
T
Dear T,
Your dilemma is very common. You have found the person who you want to spend the rest of your life with. Everything seems perfect, yet your man is hesitant to make that final commitment. There are probably lots of reasons why not BUT you know there are lots more reasons to!
Make a list of the positive aspects of marrying. Then play the devils advocate and think of all of the reasons not too. Think like he thinks…put yourself in his shoes when you do this.
After you take the time to think through this for yourself, it’s time to talk with your man.
You need to be face to face because his body language will tell you a lot about how he is feeling. You need to speak from your head as well as your heart. After explaining that marriage is the next logical step in your relationship and that it is something from which you will both benefit. Listen to his response.
If he says no, I am not ready you will need to decide if you are willing to stay in this relationship with no hope of commitment. A good solution would be to say…ok I will expect that we will be engaged by …or we need to go our separate ways. This gives him time and doesn’t trap you in a dead end relationship.
I suggest this approach over just popping the question because you have both been in marriages before and have children. This method shows thought and will give you the best shot at helping your hesitant man get over his concerns about timing and money.
Hope this helps. Remember it’s just my 2 cents and I know you will make the right decision.
Best Wishes,
Jill Renee
Information provided by Danforth Diamond, your engagement ring experts. Visit us at http://www.danforthdiamond.com or call us at 1-877-404-RING.
