Archive for August, 2009

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Choosing Radiant Cut engagement rings over other engagement rings

August 14th, 2009

The saying ‘A diamond is for ever’ is true in the real sense of the term. When we speak of diamond cuts, there are many cuts to choose from. Some of them are cushion cut diamonds, princess cut diamonds, emerald cut diamonds and Asscher cut diamonds. But when it comes to Radiant cut diamonds, there is no other cut to match it.

Radiant cut diamonds came into existence in the year 1977. It was specially created by Henry Grossbard. The radiant cut engagement rings are class above the other diamonds. They have the perfect combination of both round cut as well as emerald cut. When you talk of diamonds, they are available in varied shapes, sizes and colors. Fancy diamonds are specially cut in the abovementioned shape. Some attractive pink diamonds and fancy yellows are cut to give this shape and they look very attractive and eyecatching. They are classified under the category of costly diamonds.

Radiant diamonds come in rectangular cuts and wonderful squarish shapes. There are many other fancy shaped diamonds which are available at the jeweler shop. There are diamond connoisseurs who specifically look out for this shape and totally devoted this shape due to its sheer elegance and beauty.

Radiant cut diamonds were introduced some twenty years ago and nowadays many fancy cut diamonds take their inspiration from these diamonds. It is truly the ‘Father of fancy diamonds’. Radiant cut diamonds were the innovators of rectangular cuts. It emits a kaleidoscope effect and has many points of light which are reflected inside the diamond as compared to other cuts.

Radiant cut diamonds have either square cuts or straight edged rectangular cut corners. There are about 70 facets and it causes confusion sometimes, since many of us mix it up with Quadrillions or princess cut diamonds. These diamonds are also easily distinguishable due to the specific cut it carries. It also accelerates its brilliance. They are mainly used as centre stones in pendants and necklaces since they look ravishing and beautiful. They also look great when set with tilliant cut stones, trapezoid and half moon set.

Check out the color grades before buying Radiant cut diamonds. Any grade below J would make the colors at the corners more visible. Every individual has a preference regarding the cut of the diamonds. Some of them prefer rectangular, some may prefer square. If you have chosen a squarish shape, then 1:1:10 length-width ratio is ideal. If it is rectangular in shape then 1.20-1.50, length-width ratio is preferred.

The Radiant cut diamonds have a large facet pattern and hence it becomes important to choose the right color. The clarity ratings of the diamond need to be taken into consideration before buying these diamonds.

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Qualities to look for in bezel set engagement rings

August 13th, 2009

Marriage is a serious decision which an individual makes in his life. It is important that he is all for it both emotionally as well as financially. When it comes to engagement, it is every lady’s dream to have a perfect bezel set engagement ring. This is the ideal gift a man can give his beloved.

A diamond is a woman’s best friend and it is truly beautiful. Diamonds are always beautiful and a bezel set diamond is doubly attractive and beautiful.  Moreover, these engagement rings lend sophistication if it is platinum or a silver bezel setting.  This type of diamond ring is ideal for a woman who likes a retro style. Some women also prefer a vintage effect on the engagement rings. With more and more working class women, these types of rings are ideal the modern women follow an active lifestyle. This pattern lends protection to the diamond since it is safely surrounded.

Another quality of a bezel set engagement ring is that the imperfections and chips are superbly hidden. There are variations in the cost of diamonds depending on the design, the type of setting adopted, the size of the diamonds etc. When it comes to a bezel set diamond ring, all these need to be considered.

There are well cut diamonds which do not require a bezel set. The prices of bezel set engagement rings also vary depending on the size and quality. If the bezel set engagement ring has been intricately designed, the price is definitely more. The diamonds look radiant and brilliant. You could buy the bezel set engagement ring from any well-known jeweler’s store.

Custom made bezel set engagement rings are in trend and they are specially designed for engagements. Even though they may be slightly expensive, it is worth the price, since it would bring real joy and happiness on the face of your beloved.

A Bezel set engagement ring is a perfect gift for your bride due to the style and elegance. Nowadays, they have gained immense popularity because they augment the brilliance of normal diamonds and lend a larger look to the diamonds.

The Bezel set engagement ring comes in both platinum and white gold. The light color of these rings enhances the brilliant look of the stone.  As compared to the other ring settings, the bezel engagement rings does not lend grip to the gemstones. The setting has been designed in such a manner that the metal rim totally surrounds the outer rim of the diamond.  The metal rim lends support to the widest area of the diamond which is referred to as the girdle. When fitting the diamonds, it is important to take special care and identify the right design of the metal which would lend enough grip to the diamond.

The reason why people opt for a bezel set engagement ring is its sturdiness along with the bezel setting which is able to protect the gemstone.  This type of setting is much in demand among women who use their hands frequently through the day. Even with rough usage, the metal which surrounds the girdle and protects the diamond from every side is able to lend enough protection without chipping or cracking the diamond.

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Engagement ring advice

August 12th, 2009

The best way to select an engagement ring for your beloved is to let her do the selection. Sometimes, your partner would try out many rings and would not be satisfied enough. She needs to feel satisfied about the ring and the feeling of perfection needs to dawn on her. Hence, it is important that the engagement ring she selects is the best one and to her taste because she is going to keep looking at it day in and day out. She would appreciate you lifetime for having chosen such a wonderful gift.

We give below some engagement ring advice for you to be on the right track when you are into selecting engagement rings.
 
- It is important to give your attention to first things like your partner’s likes. If you intend marrying the woman, it is important to know the type of jewellery she likes and what she does not like. Hence, pay attention to what jewellery she wears and what type of rings she loves to wear. If your woman loves accessories and wears them matching the outfits, then you need to concentrate more on what her tastes are. If your woman is simple and does not have any special attraction to accessories, then you could always engage her in a conversation and flip magazine pages, so as to understand what she likes.

- Make sure she talks about what type of ring she would prefer, if she was to select her engagement ring.

- Check out what type of engagement ring would suit her most. Would she want to buy an engagement rings clustered with gems or would she want to go in for a simple round or square ring. If she is happy about engraving her and your name on the engagement ring, so be it.

- Make sure you also ask her questions and find out more about what she prefers and love wearing.

- Check out with close friends and relatives who have been engaged or married. They would also guide you on some good choices. This would make things easier for you especially when you are confused with the varieties of engagement rings.

- When it comes to buying engagement rings, size really matters. A 2 carat diamond ring would obviously be more expensive as compared to a 0.25 carat ring. Bigger is not always better in these cases. When it comes to selection of engagement rings, the color, cut, number of carats and clarity of the diamond is important. These are referred to as 4Cs. When shopping for a diamond engagement ring, you need to be well informed about the 4Cs.

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London Gems Heist

August 11th, 2009

On 11 August 2009 it was reported that an armed robbery at the Graff jewellery shop in Bond Street London resulted in the theft of 43 items of jewellery totalling £40 million in value – that is about £930,000 per item of jewellery.  The thieves certainly knew what they were doing as you do not see many items in a shop window of the value, they surely must have had some inside knowledge about the actual stock being held.

It is also interesting to not that Graff are reported to have quoted the retail value of the items stolen to be £65 million.  Thus in effect Graff are saying that they retail jewellery as 162.5% of the actual value, that is 62.5% profit.  Fair enough if you are selling a loaf of bread, but on a typical item stolen they would have been making a profit of £358,000.  This is a lot of profit, so lets be clear about these figures, if what has been released in the press is correct, then:

Graff would retail an item for £930,000 which “only” cost them £572,000, a profit of £358,000.

Now these are rounded figures, there could be a margin of error amounting to a thousand or two, but we are talking about huge profit margins here. The message is clear, if you are going to buy top-end jewellery then maybe you need to shop around, vast amounts can be saved by going to specialist suppliers such as www.designsbyindigo.co.uk who work on minimal profit margins.  Just think, the amount of money saved on one item of jewellery could buy a luxury flat in London. 

It certainly makes you think!

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Why is the Cushion Cut Engagement Ring Popular?

August 11th, 2009

Cushion cut rings are nowadays many a couple’s first choice of engagement rings. The popularity of the cushion cut engagement ring can be attributed to a number of factors.

Chief among the attractions of the cushion cut engagement ring is, of course, the sheer classic and romantic feel that the cushion cut oozes of. The typical Cushion cut engagement ring is made from diamond, and this adds to its attractiveness as an engagement ring, as many people look for a ‘rock’s strength in choosing an engagement ring, to signify the strength and invincibility of their relationship, which is after all (supposed to be) the basis of their engagement to one another.

Of course, when people are thinking of things like engagements and weddings they tend to go down the sentimental route – and ‘antique’ things (like antique cars, antique clothing and so on) tend to find a lot of appeal when people are in this sentimental mood, as one would note from most wedding processions, for instance. Now given that the cushion cut is also described as an ‘antique cut’ it is not surprising that it is many people’s first choice of an engagement ring, once you take into consideration the sentimental mood that engulfs us during periods like when we are just about to get engaged.

The roots of the cushion cut engagement ring can be traced back to the last (20th) century, and it is in fact an upshot of the old mine cut and the modern oval cuts which were there for eons before it. Looking at the cushion cut, in fact, one gets the feeling that it probably gets its romantic feel from the modern oval cut, while getting its classic feel from the old mine cut, as both cuts are its ‘parents.’

While many people before the debut of the cushion cut ring liked the old mine cut (for that classic feel), there was always a feeling that the old mine cut was not romantic enough. And while the modern oval cut was viewed as more romantic, there was a widely held view that it was also not ‘classic’ enough – and it was therefore no wonder that the cushion cut ring found such widespread appeal to those who wanted the best of the romantic feel and the best of the classic feel in one ring (as you can only have one engagement ring, after all). The cushion cut ring takes the best from the old mine cut and the best from the modern oval cut, and fuses them together in one fantastic offering.

Of course, efforts by the makers of cushion cut engagement rings to boost their popularity have gone a long way towards making the cushion cut engagement ring many a lover’s choice for a ring to tell their special one that they are ready to spend the rest of their lives with them. After all, there is undeniable power in advertising and very few people can argue with the fact that what is said to be a great product repeatedly soon comes to be seen as such. What is clear though, with regard to the cushion cut is that it is not just a highly hyped product design, but one that offers value to meet the hype.

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Attractive Tacori Engagement Ring

August 11th, 2009

Tacori has widely been described as the ultimate jewelry brand, and it is therefore little wonder that so many people shopping for engagement rings have a Tacori engagement ring as their very first choice of a ring, only ever opting for any other brands if they are unable to find one such Tacori ring.

One of the greatest attractions about the Tacori engagement ring is, of course, the craftsmanship that goes into its making. Tacori is, after all, a big jewelry brand- with a reputation to protect, and the only way to protect the reputation is by ensuring high standards of workmanship.

But beyond the workmanship that goes into the making of the Tacori engagement ring, another attraction behind Tacori is the quality of material that goes into making it, seeing that the typical Tacori engagement ring is likely to be one made of platinum, and platinum is many modern couple’s first choice of engagement ring material, who view diamond (which was for long held as the ultimate engagement ring making material) as a bit ‘too old fashioned’ for them. In any case, though, platinum is strictly speaking viewed in many circles as a more valuable stone than diamond, and this too, goes into making the attractive Tacori engagement ring be seen as the ultimate choice of such a ring for many people.

Tacori as brand does not, of course, come very cheap – and its relatively high value is (perhaps ironically) yet another factor behind its being viewed as the ultimate engagement ring choice. This is because engagement rings, like other types of jewelry, are in the category of products where the more costly a product is, the more attractive it is deemed to be: just by virtue of its price. Giving your loved one an attractive Tacori engagement ring therefore goes a long way in showing just how much you value her. Now while hefty value is viewed as one of the attractions in jewelry products like engagement rings, though, what sets Tacori apart from other similar brands is the fact that it offers additional value – in terms of material quality, degree of workmanship and elegance – to justify the extra price tag, whereas many other similar ‘high-end’ jewelry brands offer no additional value to justify the considerably higher prices they are sold at.

Then there is the fact that Tacori has come to be viewed as a ‘fashionable’ jewelry brand, which makes the presentation of any attractive Tacori engagement ring to a loved one (and of course their subsequent wearing of it) be viewed as some fashion statement; about both the person who shops for and presents the attractive Tacori engagement ring, as well as the person who is spotted wearing it.

Talking of Tacori engagement rings, it is important of course to add that one has to ensure that what they are looking at is actually a genuine Tacori engagement ring, because not everything that is marketed as a Tacori engagement ring is actually one. Tacori, like all influential brands of its stature is bound to have attracted some counterfeiters, and it is only essential that one ensures that they get their Tacori engagement ring from the right type of outlet if they are to be certain about its ‘authenticity.’

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Does it make sense buying loose diamonds?

August 11th, 2009

Loose diamonds are the choicest options. They are available in different sizes and shapes. Couples select these wonderful diamonds and then identify the setting for the engagement ring. This is the ideal way to create perfect engagement rings. Buying loose diamonds are ideal ways to replace the older diamonds, without disturbing the setting.

When buying loose diamonds, you have a wide selection when it comes to shapes. You could opt for oval, triangle, round or even tear drop shapes. It is advised that you check out the color, size, shape, carat weight and the cost of the diamonds. The greatest advantage in buying loose diamonds is that you would save considerable amount of money. If you buy the whole ring, it would turn out to be a costly proposition; on the contrary, loose diamonds are preferred. This is an ideal way to create the engagement ring of your choice and that too within your budget.

There are jewellery shops which give you the option of buying these loose diamonds. If you want to shop for these loose diamonds for your beloved, the shops would help you select these. Make sure you get things clarified and get proper answers for all your questions, before settling down for loose diamonds. Make doubly sure that you have got all your doubts clarified, since you would be spending your hard earned money on them.

Before opting to buy loose diamonds, do a little research about them and understand the 4Cs which would ease your selection process. The cut of the loose diamonds play a very important role. Next comes Clarity. There could be many flaws and defects in diamonds which are not visible to many of us. Color plays a very important role when it comes to diamonds. Diamonds come in pure white as well as shades of white. The lesser the color, the better is the diamond since it would help in reflecting light. The lighter the color, the greater the sparkle of the diamond. Last but not the least, the carat weight is important. If the weight of the loose diamonds is more, you would have to shell out more for these diamonds.

When buying loose diamonds, insist on a 10X Loupe, so that it helps in easy examination of the interior of the diamond. This helps in detecting flaws and any broken surface. It is important that the characteristics of the diamonds reflect in the certificate too. If the store does not have the Loupe, it is advised that you buy your loose diamonds from a jewellery store which has one.

A Loupe magnifies the diamond and you would be able to view the diamond and check for flaws, if any. Some common shapes of loose diamonds are Round Brilliant, Princess, Radiant, Pear, Marquise, emerald, baguette, heart and oval.

The Round brilliant is preferred the most since it lends sparkle and brilliance to the diamonds.

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Design your own engagement ring

August 9th, 2009

An engagement ring symbolizes promise to stay together for ever – be it good times or bad times. This tradition has been in trend since the middle ages. Diamonds represent everlasting love, romance and have created magic since centuries in almost all traditions which exist all over the globe.

When you purchase diamonds, the occasion is special.  Investing in diamonds is like an emotional investment. Diamonds also can be as expensive as your two month salary. People save money to buy a diamond ring. But then, the question arises that what is the limit for spending on buying diamonds? Sometimes, when you buy a readymade diamond ring, it turns out to be expensive. Hence, the right thing would be to design your own engagement ring. You could browse the internet, where you have a wide range of designs and styles. You could choose loose diamonds and go in for a setting as per your choice and budget. When you design your own engagement ring, it is special and rewarding too. Certain tips given below would help you in designing your own engagement ring.

A classic engagement ring comprises of two parts that is the diamond and the setting. Checking out for competitive prices on the internet would help you in saving considerable amount of money. It is important to understand the 4Cs before going in for a diamond ring. Cut, clarity, color and carat.

First and foremost when you design your engagement ring it is important to check out the setting. Select a style which suits your would be bride. First and foremost, you need to understand whether she is traditional or classic. Whether she projects a flamboyant image? If she is traditional, she would prefer a traditional diamond ring. Check out with her friends and relatives which ring would suit her and which is the one she would like? If you are a novice, it is advised that you go in for traditional solitaire rings made of diamonds.
 
The metal which is used for the ring is important. Most of the engagement rings are made of platinum or gold. White gold is always very much in demand and they are comparatively cheaper as compared to platinum. Titanium is another metal which is in trend due to its durability. The only disadvantage here is that it cannot molded into intricate designs and patterns.

Once you have the right diamond and setting, you need to identify the diamond shape. There are a plethora of shapes to choose from. Some common shapes are radiant; heart, round, emerald, princess, marquise etc.

If you have chosen the right combination of quality and diamond size, then you have obviously selected the perfect engagement ring. When you design your own engagement ring, it feels special and it is an expression of your personality.

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5 popular engagement rings

August 8th, 2009

 

Diamonds are undoubtedly a woman’s best friend. It is always one of her prized possessions. There are different types of engagement rings; the top five popular engagement rings are as follows:

1 )Solitaire Engagement Rings

Most of the popular engagement rings are embedded with a solitaire diamond. Solitaire diamonds are single stones which are elevated above the band. The ring with a solitaire diamond is quite prominent. Nowadays, the trend is a single solitaire diamond neatly surrounded by small diamonds.

2) Three Stone Diamond Rings

These rings are becoming increasingly popular. Some gem stores and well known brands have made strategies to capture the market. Their efforts have borne fruit in making the three stone diamond rings popular and in demand. The concept behind the 3 stone rings is that it is a representation of your past, your present and your future relationship you would have with your beloved.

The ring bands mostly selected are gold and platinum. Gold is available in both yellow and white colors. Platinum definitely is stronger when compared with gold, but it is not scratch resistant like gold. Platinum is a rare metal as compared to gold, and hence quite expensive. For novices, both white gold and platinum may look similar, though they are not. After good usage, white gold would get back its yellow color, whereas platinum would still retain its color and texture. White gold is in trend when compared to platinum and is less expensive than platinum.

3) Round Diamond

This cut is well in demand and is widely available. It exhibits fire and brilliance as compared to all the other available shapes. They may look smaller as compared to other shapes.

4) Princess Cut Diamonds

They come next in line and also exhibit lot of brilliance. Bigger the diamonds, expensive are the prices. Americans go in for big engagement rings. Some diamond rings are as big as 2 to 3 carat.

5) Oval and Marquise Diamonds

Both Marquise and Oval diamonds exhibit a bigger look because they have the capacity to create an illusion. Bezel setting Diamonds also lend a bigger look to the diamonds. These diamonds are neatly wrapped around with a precious metal. It lays special emphasis on the circumference of the diamond. When you compare a solitaire diamond ring with a 3 stone engagement ring, the latter one may look as big and weight as much as a 3 stone ring, but when it comes to prices, they are less expensive as compared to a 3 stone ring. Larger diamonds are a rare species and expensive as compared to smaller diamonds. This may be true even if both carry the same weight.

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