6 Tips For Buying A Wedding Ring December 8, 2008
Posted by Jill Renee in : Jewelry, Wedding Jewelry , 1 comment so farFew men are experts on buying wedding rings. For most men, it’s a process of becoming educated quickly and then searching desperately for the right ring. The amount of money they’re expected to pay for the ring seems fluid, changing each year to accommodate retailers. At the same time, there’s a lot of conflicting advice. In an effort to help smooth the process, making it easier and less stressful, we’ll provide you with 6 quick tips for buying the perfect wedding ring.
Tip #1: Know Your Metals
In the past, most wedding rings were gold and had a golden tone to them. Yellow gold rings are still popular today, but there are other options available. White gold is becoming more prevalent because it allows the stone to stand out. On the other hand, platinum has become increasingly fashionable. It’s more expensive than yellow or white gold, but it’s also more durable.
Tip #2: Know Your Purity
If you plan to buy a wedding ring made from yellow or white gold, you’ll need to understand the purity of the metal. In most cases, gold rings come in 14k, 18k, and 24k. The greater the number of karats, the higher the purity of the gold. 24k gold is more expensive than 14k or 18k. It’s also softer and more prone to becoming scratched.
Tip #3: Know Your 4 C’s
Most wedding rings will have at least one diamond. The quality of the diamond is determined by what are known as the 4 C’s: cut, color, clarity, and carat of the stone. The stone’s cut is what allows the diamond to reflect light. The less color a diamond has, the more valuable it is. Clarity is a reflection of the diamond’s inclusions (or, flaws). And the number of carats is a measurement of the stone’s size.
Tip #4: Take Her With You
The wedding ring that you purchase for your partner will ideally last a lifetime. Many women have specific preferences for the style and design of the ring. Consider taking your partner with you. It may seem less romantic to do so, but it can help you avoid investing in a ring she doesn’t like.
Tip #5: Stone First
It’s likely that the wedding ring will become an heirloom, kept in your family for generations. If you’re struggling to afford an attractive ring, invest more in the diamond and less in the ring itself. The diamond often carries greater emotional significance over time.
Tip #6: Size It Properly
Even though having a ring resized is relatively simple, try to have it sized properly by the time you offer it to your partner when you propose. If possible, borrow one of her other rings and present it to the jeweler for sizing. A poorly-sized wedding ring won’t ruin your proposal, but a perfectly-sized ring will help make it flawless.
Investing In The Ring
A common rule of thumb for pricing wedding rings is to allocate two months’ salary. However, that’s an arbitrary figure. Instead, focus primarily on finding a ring that will match your partner’s style and preferences. While your budget will play a major role in the ring you purchase, other factors are more important. Use the 6 tips described above when shopping. If you do, you’ll be better prepared to identify the right ring, confident that your partner will be delighted with it.
Diamonds, World Domination, and You! December 5, 2008
Posted by Jill Renee in : Diamonds , 3comments
Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Today, we are all well aware that a diamond, being forever, is the perfect statement of love. From romantic gifts like a tennis bracelet to a sign of devotion like the Black Tie diamond ring, nothing quite seals the deal like a diamond. However, for you aspiring super villains, the diamond is equally irreplaceable on the path to world domination, able to aide in everything from doomsday devices to bribes, and even henchman payroll. For you, the super villain, the diamond is not just a sign of power, but also a means to procure it.
Let’s take Ernst Stavro Blofeld as an example. In the years following World War II, Mr. Blofeld assembled the well-known international terror organization SPECTRE. For a while it seemed that Mr. Blofeld would have to make himself content as mere administrator, forever to remain the man behind the scenes. He was becoming a cliché, the man in the chair with the white cat. Mr. Blofeld needed something to push him over the edge from villain to super villain. As the dramatic Hollywood reenactment, “Diamonds are Forever” showed, it was the diamond that proved to be the catalyst for Mr. Blofeld’s success.
Blofeld recognized that the diamond has certain intrinsic properties that lesser materials simply do not possess. For his space-based laser system, he knew that the diamond’s unique ability to serve as a refractory accelerator in a death ray was something that could not be fabricated or faked by any material known to man. The diamond, or in this case, many diamonds, were the only solution for turning his dream of world domination into a reality.
However, death rays and other doomsday devices are not the only uses for diamonds that a modern super villain has. Since, by definition, a super villain must be a traveler of the world, you often find yourself on the move. Travel, of course, brings the need to juggle multiple forms of currency. Switching from Dollars to Euros to Yen is a pain, and a good way to lose money through unfavorable exchange rates and fees. Diamonds, being universally valuable and with a largely stabilized global price, come in handy here. With their value largely based on size and quality, diamonds themselves can function in lieu of currency, making a villainous organization more efficient and thus more productive.
Remember, just as every diamond is unique, so is the diamond solution for every super villain. Some of you will surely need only large, fancy-colored diamonds while others can carry on with small, industrial stones. The majority of you, however, will find your own comfort zone somewhere in the middle. Don’t be afraid to experiment with how to incorporate diamonds into your organization for maximum effectiveness. After all, the world’s domination depends on it.
Diamonds Galore is both a leading expert in diamonds and member of the League of Supervillains. She travels the world lecturing on everything from engagement rings to weather devices. Ms. Galore also works as a consultant for Danforth Diamonds. Despite persistent rumors, Diamonds Galore is most certainly not Jill Renee, President of DanforthDiamond.com
