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Platinum Wedding Rings: A New Fashion Wedding Jewelry May 31, 2006

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If you’re wondering why so many brides are saying “I do” to platinum, you’re not alone. While many of us have been prepped on the “4 Cs” of diamonds, we’ve kind of been left in the dark about the differences between gold wedding rings and platinum wedding rings – and why it’s so popular.

Platinum is both rarer and purer than gold — one of the reasons why its price has been increasing over the years, just as the demand for it has been increasing (in February 2003, its price exceeded $700 per ounce for the first time in over 20 years). It’s 35 times more rare than gold, and is found in very few places in the world — mainly South Africa and Russia — and only 88 tons of platinum are made into jewelry each year. It literally takes eight weeks and 10 tons of ore to produce one single ounce of platinum!

Platinum Facts

Platinum is about 95% pure (as compared to 18-karat gold, which is about 75% pure). All metals have alloys, or blends of other metals, but platinum has very few alloys, so it doesn’t fade or change color, and retains its shine for years. Many think that white gold is comparable to platinum since they both appear to be the same color. But what many of us don’t know is that white gold is simply yellow gold with white alloys added to it, so it’s not uncommon, after many years of wear, for a white gold ring to return to its natural yellow color. Platinum, however, will retain its pure white luster for your entire lifetime and then some, ensuring you can pass down your most precious possession to your daughter and she to hers.

PLATINUM is the hardest of the precious metals, it never tarnishes. Its intense luster remains intact over the years, and it is completely hypoallergenic.

If and when you decide to say “I do” to platinum’s rarity, durability, purity and limitless eternal qualities, forever will truly mean forever.
Follow these easy tips to help keep your ring looking as great as the day you got engaged:

Choosing a Diamond Engagement Ring May 31, 2006

Posted by in : Diamond Jewelry, Engagement Rings, Jewelry, Wedding Jewelry , add a comment

This is a post from a fellow blogger, rating her experience with Danforthdiamond.com.

Take a look at these Diamond Engagement Rings and tell me if you’ve ever seen a selection of 18k yellow gold rings in a store that allowed you to choose the arrangement, diamond shape, and carat, for a price this low. I must have spent 1/2 hour learning about diamonds, looking at all the terms, for clarity, brightness, color – I never new that yellow diamonds were flawed. I always thought the yellow ones were more expensive.

I will admit that I looked at the stone in my engagement ring, to compare the quality my husband bought me ten years ago. Of course it was beautiful – what can you expect from a Welshman. But, if he knew of this site then I would have had something stunning. Not only is the price 30 – 40% less than in ‘brick and mortar’ stores, but they let you choose your diamond by size, quality, brightness, carat, and price. You just keeps selecting what you want until you are at the page that has your diamond on it. I must admit that it made me wonder if a couple other pieces of my diamond jewelry were not quite up to the grade the sales clerk promised.

There is also a great selection of other diamond jewelry on their site.

It could be because I am a woman and love diamond. It could be the guarantee, low price, and free shipping. It could be that I found a couple potential gifts for myself, but I had to rate Danforth a ten on my scale.

Which Engagement Ring Design Best Suits Her Style? May 18, 2006

Posted by Jill Renee in : Buying Engagement Rings, Engagement Rings, Jewelry, Wedding Jewelry , add a comment

Choosing an engagement ring
The first consideration when choosing an engagement ring style is your loved one’s lifestyle.

Is she very active? Will her engagement ring need to stand up to an adventurous lifestyle of mountain climbing?

If your beloved is very active, you should probably stay away from stone shapes that are easily chipped or broken. Pear and Marquise shaped diamonds contain points that can easily chip. High settings are also more inclined to suffer damage from hitting hard surfaces and catching on everyday objects and clothing.

However, if your fiancé has her heart set on a shape or style of ring that is among the more fragile and she has an active lifestyle, make sure you order a “V-end” prong setting which will protect the points of the diamond.

Determine How It Will Look On Her Hand
Are her hands small, and are her fingers short? Or does she have a long and slender hand? These are questions you will need to consider when choosing your engagement ring style.

Pick The Diamond Shape that’s Right for Her

A broad banded ring will not flatter a small hand with short fingers, however, it will balance the proportion of a long slender fingered hand. A small ring will make a larger hand appear bigger and most women do not like that! Hand size and proportion are very important when deciding on the engagement ring. Take a good look at your loved one’s hand and decide what size of engagement ring will look best. You can still choose from all of the styles, but you must keep proportion in mind.

Finally, remember that you will purchase a wedding band to be given on the day of your marriage. It is important that the engagement ring and wedding band complement one another. We offer a wide variety of wedding ring sets to make this process effortless.

Engagement Ring Styles January 5, 2006

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Choosing the style of your engagement ring can be a daunting decision. Read about the different styles that are available.

Solitaire – Refers to a ring with one diamond or other gemstone. It will often be extended to mean a piece of jewelry with one important diamond or gemstone in the center and accent stones on each side. Solitaires are made by two distinct manufacturing processes.

Rings with Side Stones – Most of the popular diamond cuts are used as side stones on bridal rings. Included in this group are baguettes, tapered baguette, round, trillion and oval. These are used to enhance the center stone and not detract from it.

Cathedral Mounting – Ring setting that arches when seen from the side. Cathedral rings have projections on each side of the stone and these design elements are what gives this ring it’s name. They are inspired by the arches that supported the walls of early cathedrals. Just as these arches were a distinctive and important design element in architecture, the graceful projections on our cathedral rings add support and protection to the setting. They also give the ring its classic and unique look.

Bypass – A ring design in which the two sides of the band do not meet in a straight line, but “bypass” one another.

Three Stone – Three stone rings are popular for both engagement rings and anniversaries. A general rule is that the side diamonds must be at least 25% as large as the center.

To view all the styles of engagement rings as well as a variety of diamond and cuts, please visit .