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Stylish Wedding Band Fashion for the Current Wedding

When considering the styles of men’s wedding rings it is well worth thinking about the personality of the individual. While different men have very different personalities different rings will suit different personalities as well. A loud outgoing man, for example, can wear a loud outgoing unique men’s ring.

There are many different ring materials which also reflect the personality of the individual. Titanium or Platinum are both becoming much more popular. Whilst diamonds are not, of course, as popular with men as with women, they do make a clear statement which pleases some men who choose them. Diamond men’s rings clearly say “I can afford it” or at least the big ones do. But it can be a brave man who chooses to wear a large diamond band.

It became the custom for US soldiers going to war to publicize their marital status by the wearing of a man’s wedding ring. They were happy to make public their commitment to their wife by the wearing of a public symbol that declared that commitment to all. Given that this habit of wearing men’s wedding bands was reasonably new it was all the more creditable that these men were willing to forego the marital obscurity available to them from not wearing a ring and actively chose to make a public statement about their choice.

Men’s wedding rings have become increasingly more common since that time. Today it is probably as common for a newly married man to wear a ring as not. This may be due to several factors. The modern man may consider it his duty to choose to make the same public marital statement as his wife will. And his wife may well consider it a condition of the marriage that he do so. After all, in these days of equality, if she is prepared to make a statement then should he not do so as well?

Despite the fact that the wearing of a ring by a woman is a matter of choice, it is in fact almost obligatory due to the fact that it is so common. Many women do not even consider the possibility of not wearing one. Often, however, a man usually considers the wearing of a man wedding ring very carefully.


Glorious Eternity Rings in a Remarkable Metal: Platinum

Long ago, when platinum was first discovered, the miners who found it in search of silver mistakenly considered it an inferior form of the metal they sought and named it “platina”: a diminutive of the Spanish word for “silver”. This error was soon disproved, however, and platinum has since gone on to become the prized and beloved material it is today. With an approximate rarity of five times that of gold and a timeless beauty, it’s easy to see why platinum is the most valuable metal in the world, and the elite material when it comes to creating and wearing fine jewelry.

Platinum contains a certain amount of other materials naturally, but for a piece to be considered platinum it must be refined to a purity of 90% or better. As one might imagine, with such a valuable metal as platinum, the standards for determining what can be credibly sold and advertised as platinum jewelry are very strict. A piece at this level would be stamped as 900 platinum; higher quality pieces, like most of the items sold here, are stamped “950 Plat”, which indicates that the mix is 95% pure platinum.

Platinum comes by its pale white color naturally and will never lose its brightness or become discolored; contrast this with white gold, which is simply natural yellow gold mixed with lightening metals and plated in rhodium, which will wear off to make the gold appear yellowish. Long ago, when platinum was first discovered, the miners who found it in search of silver mistakenly considered it an inferior form of the metal they sought and named it “platina”: a diminutive of the Spanish word for “silver”. This error was soon disproved, however, and platinum has since gone on to become the prized and beloved material it is today.

Platinum is a denser metal than most used in jewelry, which makes it stronger and accounts for the substantially heavier feel of a platinum piece. This superior strength also ensures that, while the shank of gold ring will wear away and thin out over time, platinum will hold its structure.Platinum does not tarnish, but will develop a patina over time which many feel actually improves the appearance of their platinum jewelry.

To properly care for your platinum jewelry, it’s best to follow the same general guideline for cleaning gold jewelry: don’t risk damaging or ruining your jewelry with a randomly-purchased jewelry cleaner or other harsh chemicals. Use liquid soap and a soft cloth for home cleaning, and when in doubt have the cleaning done professionally.


Decoding Diamonds Purchases: The Four Cs

Learning about diamonds can be confusing for consumers new to jewelry shopping. A helpful way to learn the basics is this guide to the basics of diamond quality.

If you’re new to jewelry shopping and asking yourself “What is a diamond?”, a diamond education page is an excellent resource for beginners. A diamond clarity chart and other special sections and visual aids make these pages worth a look for more experienced shoppers as well. Most retailers will have a good quality page of this type, and it’s a good idea to check it out to learn all about the 4 Cs, just to brush up on the differences between diamond clarity grades, and see what diamond-related knowledge they bring to the table.

Diamonds have many particular characteristics that make them special; in addition to their unusual beauty, diamonds are the hardest naturally-occurring material on Earth.

Cut is the most important of these factors, as proper cutting of a diamond is essential in bringing out the sparkle and fire that made this gem famous. Cut is often confused with shape, the form into which the diamond is cut.

Color is the next step, and this one can be easy to see. Diamond color grades range from D-Z but you won’t find much fine jewelry set with anything beyond K color. Diamonds beyond this color grade steadily decline in rarity and value as they have noticeable yellow or brownish tints. Of course, diamonds with very pronounced natural colors including bright yellows, pinks, and blues are the rarest of all and actually more valuable many types of white diamond.

The next of the four Cs is clarity, which is the evaluation of a diamond’s internal and external flaws. Generally speaking, flaws inside a stone are called inclusions while flaws on the surface are known as blemishes. However, for the purposes of grading, gemological labs refer to all diamond flaws as inclusions.

Carat weight is the trait most people can see and understand easily– it’s the unit of measure for the weight of a precious stone, and differences are visually detected simply by the size and/or number of diamonds. Diamonds of larger carat weights don’t get proportionally expensive with increased carat weight– they jump a lot in price from one carat to the next because finding large, good quality diamonds is less likely than finding small diamonds.


The Wide Arena of Tungsten Carbide Wedding Jewelry

Now that tungsten rings have become so well-known and fashionable, there are as many styles of tungsten rings out there as there are people to wear them. Let’s look at a few:

Tungsten Celtic wedding bands represent a rich history and tradition and are a unique way to celebrate the art and ingenuity of one’s Celtic ancestors. The Celtic tungsten rings on this page include designs that capture religious Christian iconography; interlaced, decorative knot patterns representing never-ending love; and the storied Claddagh, a token of fidelity steeped in folklore and custom.

Other tungsten rings express indentifying information as well. Birthstone tungsten rings make use of the mythology surrounding particular precious and semi-precious gems and their effects on different kind of people and assigns them to particular months or astrological signs. Mother’s tungsten rings are a more recent development in the vein of birthstone jewelry, as these tungsten rings are designed to hold birthstones representing each of a mother’s children.

Other tungsten rings represent interpersonal relationships, and the best-known types of tungsten rings are among these. Friendship tungsten rings are popular in certain regions, and one might have trouble finding anyone in the modern world unfamiliar with the engagement tungsten ring or wedding band and what they mean. One style of tungsten ring that notably serves many functions is the claddagh tungsten ring, an Irish symbol of love, loyalty, and friendship. The latter makes it quite popular as a friendship tungsten ring (especially as a gift), and claddagh tungsten rings can also serve as engagement and wedding bands with the hand on which it’s worn and the direction of the heart’s point indicating the wearer’s status.

When shopping for tungsten weddings bands pros and cons are an important thing to consider. Do you like flat, domed or concave rings? Would you like to add a bit of detail through etching or engraving? Is this ring a comfort fit or standard fit ring? This is a good question to ask, because the two styles of fit cause a small difference in the sizing of the rings, generally half a size. Most tungsten rings are comfort fit and should be chosen one half size smaller than a standard fit, so be sure to ask.


Gorgeous Eternity Wedding Rings for Everyone

Eternity bands are sometimes difficult to make, as they are most often sold by total carat weight and thus limited to an exact stone size to form the right size circle for each different wearer’s finger.

Eternity rings, which make wonderful anniversary gifts, are available in a number of setting styles that display and secure the gems in different ways according to the wearer’s preferences. Some of the most popular types of eternity ring settings are the bar setting, channel setting, four prong setting, pave, micro pave, shared prong, and single prong.

Eternity bands are sometimes difficult to make, as they are most often sold by total carat weight and thus limited to an exact stone size to form the right size circle for each different wearer’s finger. Caring for eternity rings can be done at home to a degree– most jewelry benefits from a simple soap and water rinse now and then, but to remove heavy dirt and oil buildup or tarnish, you should take your eternity rings to a jeweler for safe, proper maintenance.

Eternity rings have become extremely popular for both their beauty and their symbolism, and as well as finding a place in fashion jewelry, they’ve become some of the most desired modern wedding bands. Caring for eternity rings can be done at home to a degree– most jewelry benefits from a simple soap and water rinse now and then, but to remove heavy dirt and oil buildup or tarnish, you should take your eternity rings to a jeweler for safe, proper maintenance.

The different style possibilities for eternity rings are practically endless, as the metal color and type options, setting style, diamond grade, and diamond/precious stone combination allows eternity rings to be tailored to every individual.


Pros and Cons of Matching Wedding Bands

The question “do wedding bands have to match?” is a common one, but the truth is that there’s no one way for a couple to choose their wedding bands. If corresponding wedding rings do appeal to you, however, there are a lot of options for achieving the look.

The simplest approach to choosing matching wedding bands is to simply get rings that are actually identical. With every design from plain gold bands to laser-etched Celtic knots rings in modern metals available, choosing identical matching rings that reflects your tastes as a couple is a simple prospect.

Another option, which is more common and addresses the proportion prblems that can arise with identical rings, is to pair wedding bands that are the same metal, color, and style in different widths appropriately scaled up or down for each spouse.

One major benefit of buying wedding bands in pairs is saving money, and tungsten rings are an exceptionally great choice for couples interested in purchasing a good quality cheap wedding set. What could possibly be better than a shiny, sturdy, tungsten carbide wedding band? Two tungsten matching wedding rings, of course! Couples in search of modern affordable wedding ring sets suitable for the very traditional practice of matching wedding bands need look no further than tungsten carbide bands.

Some other wedding band traditions you may or may not wish to observe include the practice of each member of the couple paying for the other’s ring, and for the respective rings to be given to the best man and maid of honor for safe keeping until the rings are exchanged during the ceremony.

Making decisions together is something the two of you will be doing a lot of from now on and coming to an agreement on wedding rings is a romantic, meaningful, and fun way to get started.


Demystifying Fine Jewelry Purchasing: The 4 C’s Explained

First-time diamond shopper? This guide will help you learn the basics of everything you need to know about choosing diamond jewelry.

Crucial information makes these pages worth a look for more experienced shoppers as well. Most retailers will have a good quality page of this type, and it’s a good idea to check it out to learn all about the 4 Cs, just to brush up on the differences between diamond clarity grades, and see what diamond-related knowledge they bring to the table.

In addition to their unusual beauty, diamonds are the hardest naturally-occurring material on Earth. Diamonds have many particular characteristics that make them special, and how well these naturally occur or are carried out my the artisans in charge of them are grouped into a list generally called the 4 Cs.

The most important of these is the cut of the diamond. This is what makes or breaks a diamond’s beauty and worth. Diamond cut is not the same as the shape of the diamond (people often cofuse this, as in “princess cut” which is actually a shape.) Rather, cut is the precise way of angling facets of the right size to align and reflect light optimally.

Color is the next step, and this one can be easy to see. Diamond color grades range from D-Z but you won’t find much fine jewelry set with anything beyond K color. Diamonds beyond this color grade steadily decline in rarity and value as they have noticeable yellow or brownish tints. Of course, diamonds with very pronounced natural colors including bright yellows, pinks, and blues are the rarest of all and actually more valuable many types of white diamond.

clarity is the evaluation of a diamond’s internal and external flaws. Generally speaking, flaws inside a stone are called inclusions while flaws on the surface are known as blemishes. However, for the purposes of grading, gemological labs refer to all diamond flaws as inclusions.

Carat weight is the trait most people can see and understand easily– it’s the unit of measure for the weight of a precious stone, and differences are visually detected simply by the size and/or number of diamonds. Diamonds of larger carat weights don’t get proportionally expensive with increased carat weight– they jump a lot in price from one carat to the next because finding large, good quality diamonds is less likely than finding small diamonds.


The Best Ten and Five Year Anniversary Gift Ideas

Finding the perfect anniversary gift can be quite the challenge, particularly if the anniversary celebration you’re planning centers on one of the more notable milestone years. If you’re at a loss in determining which gift or activity might be best, it can be helpful to look the the past and find ways to modernize the traditional anniversary gifts and themes to make them your own.

For the ten-year mark more modest gifts were once the norm, but these days, with couples marrying later in life and becoming more affluent sooner, this standard has changed. This anniversary is now commonly considered the diamond anniversary, making a five stone diamond ring and other types of diamond anniversary jewelry a popular gift.

Your five-year anniversary is the next major landmark in your marriage after your first anniversary. A diamond ring would be an especially considerate gift, especially due to the growing regard for five-stone diamond rings. The five diamonds represent each year of marriage and the ring itself symbolizes your bond and dedication to each other.

The five-year flower is the daisy, the color is pink, and the traditional gemstone that corresponds to the fifth anniversary is the sapphire, so a five stone ring or eternity ring incorporating blue, pink, or yellow sapphires into the design is also an especially thoughtful five year anniversary gift. Traditionally, the daffodil and the color blue are also associated with the 10-year anniversary, so a five stone ring with a yellow diamond or a diamond and blue sapphire eternity ring is a lovely and symbolic gift for this occasion.

The way a gift is presented, especially on an important day like one’s fifth or tenth anniversary, can be just as important as the gift itself. Again, we can look to the history of anniversary symbolism for ideas; port wine is associated with both years, so perhaps a picnic with gourmet cheese and wine or enjoying some port during a romantic dinner at an upscale restaurant would be a good setting for presenting your 10 year or 5 year anniversary gift.

In the end, of course, it doesn’t matter how traditional or trendy your gifts and celebrations are; if your jewelry and other gifts are chosen with love and attention to detail, your anniversary will be as joyful as your wedding day.


Wedding Traditions for Men Let Grooms Share the Spotlight

Even though the emphasis of wedding day festivities is often on the bride, the increasing popularity of the 2 ring wedding ceremony has also put other customs & traditions for grooms at center stage.

Wedding bands for grooms, though quite popular & almost viewed as standard these days, have only been in wide use since the 1940s when many married couples were divided by WWII.

It was one major step from no mens wedding jewelry at all to simple gold rings for both spouses, & since then a lot of more leaps have been made to bring about a diversified & attractive men’s wedding ring selection on the market. Currently jewelers present a remarkable assortment of gold wedding rings, platinum rings, tungsten wedding bands, palladium wedding rings, and many other styles of tungsten, gold, or platinum jewelry in varying shapes and styles.

The garter toss is a groom’s wedding custom that is often the subject of dispute. Some brides and/or groooms find it tacky and refuse to participate at all, while others make it a raucous and risque part of the reception along with funny dances and games. The best approach, perhaps, is to find moderation between the two; for example, the bride will wear an extra garter closer to her knee than the real garters, and the groom will take care not to push her dress too high to get it.

The groom’s cake is an additional entertaining custom for weddings and has origins in the southern U.S. — as the story goes if the single women in attendance slept that night with some of the groom’s cake under their pillows, they’d dream of who they’d marry. This is a fun bit of superstition similar to the bouquet toss, and can be personalised to express the groom’s or couple’s interests in very creative ways.

As you can see, it’s not just rehearsal dinners and bachelor parties anymore– there are a number of wedding traditions and new customs that put the groom in the spotlight.


Do Wedding Rings Have to Match? The Truth About Tungsten Rings

Do wedding bands have to match? Yes and no. While some etiquette indicates that wedding bands should at least have some basic identifying traits in common (like color, metal type, or shape), the practice of both spouses wearing wedding bands at all has only been widespread in Western culture since the 1940s. The most imporant thing is, of course, to find wedding bands each of you will be happy wearing, and if finding rings that match or complement one another is part of that for you, these guidelines may help.

The most basic approach to matching wedding rings is choosing two rings or a set that are actually identical in color, width, shape, metal, and so forth. However, if the couple’s hands or ring sizes are drastically different, the same ring can look perfect on one but strange and disproportionate on the other.

Another option, which is more common and addresses the proportion prblems that can arise with identical rings, is to pair wedding bands that are the same metal, color, and style in different widths appropriately scaled up or down for each spouse.

If costs are a concern, as they so often are when planning a wedding, a strong, good quality cheap wedding set in tungsten carbide is a particularly solid choice. Rings in this material are attractive and affordable, and they hold up extremely well. Buying them in pairs makes these styles even more budget friendly.

Along with matching or corresponding rings, a few other ring-related practices have become modern customs, such as giving the rings to the best man and maid of honor for safe keeping until the ring exchange portion of the marriage ceremony.

Picking out your wedding bands together and finding common ground in styles that match in some way to complement both of you can be a lot of fun when approached with an open mind and creative attitude. This is a great chance to get some practice in making important decisions later, which will, of course, be a big part of your upcoming married life.


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