Bridal Jewelry Traditionals

While diamond wedding rings tend to take stage in the United States and across the world, there are a few notable exceptions both in style and symbolism.

The first appearance of wedding rings has an arguable start. Some claim the Egyptians began giving wedding rings; another claim states that wedding rings were not common until the 11th century. Whatever the time frame, wedding rings have become a symbol of commitment to marriage throughout many cultures.

Although a plain gold band continues to be the most popular type of wedding ring throughout the world, there are a few variations. In France and many French speaking countries, it is common for the wedding ring to consist of three interwoven rings symbolizing love, hope, and faith. These rings are commonly made of three different colors of gold; yellow, white, and rose gold. In Greece and Italy, it is common for men to receive a type of puzzle ring made of gold to wear as a wedding band. The idea here is that they must prove their commitment by solving the puzzle and prove their faithfulness by wearing the ring constantly so as not to dislodge the puzzle.

The world over, women’s wedding rings most commonly contain diamonds as a sign of indestructible love, however other gem stones have also had a stay. In medieval Europe, the ruby was commonly used because they were red, like a heart. Sapphires were also used to symbolize the heavens, from which love came. Posey rings became popular in France in the 17th century.

These rings were inscribed with poems and love verses either inside or outside to declare adoration. Engraved wedding bands remain a very popular choice today. Wedding rings containing aquamarine represent marital harmony, where as pearl engagement rings were considered bad luck because the shape of the pearl was similar to that of a tear. In Victorian England, snake rings complete with ruby eyes were popular wedding bands because the coil winding around the finger symbolized eternity.

In renaissance Italy, silver betrothal rings became popular. These were highly ornate rings that were usually engraved and filled with black enamel so the pattern would contrast with the metal. Later, when gold became the popular metal of choice, the Italian silver betrothal ring was given first to be followed by a duplicate ring made of gold given at the wedding itself. This is most likely how the idea of separate engagement and wedding rings came into play, a tradition that continues today.

Tradition states that wedding rings are to be worn on the fourth finger of the left hand (including the thumb) because it was thought that that particular finger contained a vein which leads directly to the heart. This is not traditional throughout the world however, as is the case in Norway and Russia where the wedding ring is to be worn on the same finger of the right hand. Wearing two rings, the engagement ring and the wedding ring, on the ring finger has become the norm in North America. The engagement ring in this case usually holds the diamond which is given as a symbol of love and a promise from the man to the woman to take care of her. In Sweden, the bride wears three rings after her wedding; an engagement ring, a wedding ring, and a ring for motherhood, a promise to bring forth a family.

Most Christian weddings include an exchange of rings with the exception of the Quakers who may or may not exchange rings during or after the ceremonial Meeting. Quakers do not consider the traditions of wedding rings to be as much of a necessity as do other denominations. Early on, the Protestant Puritans claimed that wedding rings were a pagan ritual and were not to be used. Further, they were enraged with the Catholic claim that Mary and Joseph wore wedding rings made from onyx or amethyst.

Most religions throughout the world now consider the exchange of wedding rings to be a powerful and romantic symbol in a marriage ceremony. As a matter of fact, Irish folklore indicates that it is bad luck to be wed without a gold ring, even to the extent of considering the marriage illegal without one. Whatever the stone or metal choice, the exchange of wedding rings symbolizes the same ideal the world over; unending love and commitment.

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Diamonds Jewelry Really Forever

“Diamonds Are Forever” is the seventh in the series of James Bond spy movies, as well as Shirley Bassey’s title song, inspired by Ian Fleming’s novel of the same name. The song emphasizes that diamonds last “forever and ever” and “when love is gone, they’ll luster on.” Diamond is the world’s hardest natural material and diamonds are the most durable and ever-lasting material on Earth, so, yes, diamonds really are forever thanks to their durability. .

Durability is stability, hardness and toughness

A gemstone’s durability is its degree of stability, hardness and toughness. Toughness relates to chipping and breaking, while hardness has to do with scratching. Stability refers to how well the gemstone resists light, chemicals and heat. Diamonds have excellent stability and hardness as well as good toughness so this all adds up to incredible durability.
Stability – Diamond is used in the electrical industry and in engineering drill bits because of its high resistance to heat, light and chemicals. Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) is technology that allows synthetic diamond to be fabricated, either in thin or thick sheets, due to a gaseous chemical reaction.
Although diamonds are highly resistant to most chemicals, bleach should not be used to clean diamonds. Diamonds are often cleaned with a mixture of ammonia and water or a diamond cleaner and soft-bristled brush. Diamond has an extremely high melting point of 3,820 degrees Kelvin. It is the best heat conductor of all natural elements, due to its high lattice density. Lattice density refers to the amount of atoms per unit of volume. As atoms are denser in diamond than in any other natural material, diamond is also the hardest of all natural materials.

scale. The Mohs scale is named after Friedrich Mohs, a German mineralogist, and it tests hardness by how easily a mineral can be scratched. Talc has a score of only one to diamond’s ten.
Softer minerals cannot scratch harder minerals. Diamond is so hard that the next hardest mineral on the Mohs scale, corundum – which is sapphire and ruby, is four times softer than diamond. The hardness of diamonds makes them perfect for wearing as jewelry as they are not easily scratched. Since diamonds can scratch other diamonds, however, diamond jewelry pieces should be kept separate in a jewelry box.

Toughness – Ruby, sapphire and alexandrite are all tougher gemstones than diamond, but diamond is still very tough. A diamond will usually only break if it is dropped on a hard surface or hit with a blow that splits its four-way cleavage. Cleavage is a straight, clean crack in a gemstone.
Feathery cracks on the top of a diamond may cause easier breakage and diamonds with these types of surface cracks are not very durable. A good quality cut diamond has its girdle, or outer rim, left thick enough to prevent chipping. The pointed end of a diamond is called a cutlet and if the cutlet is too pointed, breakage could occur during the setting process.

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Men Make Buying Jewelry

Men, you know you’ve done it. It was the evening of her birthday, Valentine’s Day, your anniversary, Leif Erikson Day, what have you, and you waited until the last minute to buy her a gift.

Your brain searched frantically for an idea…flowers made her sneeze and the last time you gave her a funny card and a teddy bear you slept on the couch for a week. What else is there? Jewelry always works, right? Well, I must admit, yes, but only if you don’t fall into the common pitfalls of the uninformed jewelry buyer.

If you really did wait until the last minute, you have already made the first mistake, and guys are not the only ones guilty of this. A rushed buyer is far more likely to leave the store spending far too much on a less than quality piece of jewelry. The cure for this is simple; plan ahead so you have time to shop around. It will save you headaches in the long run and besides, girls love it when you put some thought into her gift.

“What can I help you find today?” These very words from even the friendliest salesperson can send a customer into a panic because instead of hearing an offer to help, they hear “what can I scam you into buying?” Let’s call this Mistake Number Two. When a salesperson is asking you what they can help you find, they want to know the occasion for which you are considering a jewelry purchase, but they also need to know what she likes, what your budget is, and what her lifestyle is like. Many folks don’t take this highly important factor into consideration when buying a gift for someone. For example; your wife works in a factory where she works with her hands. You’d like to buy her a ring for her birthday and you think that a birthstone would be ideal. Her birthday is in May; the emerald. Have you caught the error yet? Emeralds are beautiful stones but they are also considered somewhat brittle gems. If your wife worked in an office where she didn’t hit her hands as much, there would be little cause for concern. But for someone who works with their hands quite a bit, an emerald may cause trouble because it is more likely to crack or chip, in which case she will soon find herself without a ring. Your salesperson needs to know how ‘hard’ a person wears their jewelry so that they can help you match the right purchase to the right wearer.

Let’s say that you didn’t heed this warning, you bought the emerald ring and the emerald cracked. Now what? Did you look into the warrantee before you bought it? Common Mistake Number Three. A broken piece of jewelry is disappointing, but it happens all the time; the trick is taking care of it. Each jeweler has their own warrantee policy. Some jewelers require you to purchase a separate warrantee; with others you are given a limited warrantee. Some require you to have your jewelry inspected by a salesperson every so often, and even then only certain defects are covered. Buying from a reputable jeweler will not always save you. It is up to you to find out how your purchase will be protected when you leave the store and make sure you get the warrantee in writing.

Have you ever gone into a jewelry store and told the salesperson your budget only to have them smirk and show you an item twice the price? High pressure sales tactics are a huge reason as to why so many customers shy away from jewelry stores. It is also the main reason why so many folks leave the store with a $400 purchase when they can only afford $100. Common Mistake Number Four; folding under pressure. When you are making a jewelry purchase, especially if it is a gift, you want to feel good about what you’ve found; not guilty for having a budget, and certainly not burdened with a huge credit card bill. Stick to your budget, and if you feel that your salesperson is trying to get you to spend out of your comfort zone, walk away.

You’ve done all of your homework and you’ve found just the right gift. You’ve put all of this effort into this great purchase and you feel good about it. Do you know how to care for it so it stays looking great? Common Mistake Number Five; now what? Do you know that an opal should be oiled regularly? Do you know that pearls should not be immersed in jewelry cleaner? Often times, warrantees can be voided if the proper care instructions are not followed. Be sure to ask your jeweler how to care for your new purchase so that it can be enjoyed for years to come.

Buying a piece of jewelry can be a bit intimidating, but if you avoid these common pitfalls, nothing can be more fulfilling than buying the right gift, for the right person, at the right price.

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Ring Wedding bands

French jeweler Mauboussin offered giving away 5,000 free diamonds on Monday to get attention of Japanese. More than 5,000 people were waiting in line which was more than a mile long, stretched for blocks in downtown Tokyo before the Ginza Mauboussin store to open at 9am. Trend-loving Japanese came from nearby cities after seeing the deal on TV news to get free diamonds. Mauboussin was offering 0.10 carat diamonds for its first 5,000 customers at a value of $50.

This unusual promotion would help Mauboussin to get the brand recognition since drawing lines in Tokyo has become a signature way for businesses to get publicity.

Mauboussin was established in 1827 and offers fine diamond jewelry including watches, diamond rings and leather products. The French Jeweler has stores all around the world including six stores in Japan.

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