Beauty pageants and diamond tiaras

There's nothing quite like a good old fashioned beauty pageant to exhibit some of the world's best jewelery items. Apart from the obvious beauty of the contestants participating in some of the most renowned beauty pageants, theres also the stunning diamond tiaras that are presented to the winners in contests such as the infamous Miss universe contest. Every year stunning beauties gather from all around the world in a contest that is not just about beauty. Other factors come into play, such as personal achievements, what that person represents and how well they act as an ambassador for their country.

The 2009 Miss Universe contest was won by Stefanía Fernández of Venezuela, who charmed the judges with her outgoing personality and natural beauty. Amongst the huge range of perks that come with winning the Miss Universe Contest she was also able to keep the Diamond Nexus Labs Tiara, featured below with carefully crafted rubies decorated around the crown:

Picutred winner: Stefana Fernadez who gets a Manhattan apartment for a year, jewelery, clothes, an undisclosed monetary sum, and lots more. It's enough to make a guy consider a sex-change operation with all the perks offered!

Conflict diamonds

Conflict diamonds are also sometimes referred to as blood diamonds, and are typically mined from conflict areas such as Sierra Leone, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia and Angola. The money from the trade of diamonds is used to fund local arms, thereby contributing and worsening the situation of the conflict. In recent years the West has become exposed to where their diamonds might actually come from, and various campaigns have ensued to eliminate buying diamonds from conflict areas. In the UK, media coverage on the subject of conflict diamonds was heightened by music celebrities - who often glamourise extravagent jewellery, actors and actresses and other celebrities to stop 'blood diamonds' being used in the UK's jewellery industry. And of course who can forget the motion picture staring Leonardo DiCaprio as the greedy diamond merchant looking for that ultimate stone. This movie helped to bring the issue really into the mainstream, and help combat the issue.

What this means today, for the average consumer is that they should be aware of the policies that jewelery companies have in relation to blood diamonds or conflict diamonds. People, should study websites, or any literature provided by their prospective companies and question where they are sourcing their diamonds. Has the companies' website got a statement relating to ethical buying/sourcing of their diamonds? Are they a reputable company. It's always worth doing some research before committing to buying a diamond engagement ring.

 

How much should i be prepared to spend?

A lot of the time, people will be stumped on how much they should spend on engagement rings for their beau.
Often the saying that people base their expenditure on is that the ring purchase value should be the equivalent of 2-3 months salary. But this to me seems quite nonsensical, as one man's wages is certainly not equal to another man's monthly salary. It's all very much dependent on your financial circumstances at the time of purchases.
There are people who can happily spend $3,000-$5,000 on a palladium or platinum engagement ring and not batter an eyelid. Then, again this large sum of money can seem out of the reach of many people, who are struggling just to pay the rent and electricity bills. If the latter is the case for you, then there's always the chance that you can get your ring on credit, just be careful to read the contract careful whichever company you choose to go with, and understand the risks and what you're entering into.

However, you may find that the ring you're looking at is somewhat less conventional, and thus has a lower price tag with it. Say an engaement ring under $1500. If this is the case, you need to think carefully about what your loved one will say to such a ring, if they are not materialistic then it's fine. But if he or she has always dreamed about something that sparkles then it may not be the best propositional ring for that person.

Whatever, kind of ring you decide upon, you should first determine your budget and if you're going down the route of financing the purchase make sure you get the best deal out there on the market. After you've found something suitable and at a good price, all you need to plan is where you're going to pop the question.

Are diamonds a girl's best friend?

It's always thought that diamonds are simply what ever girl hopes and dreams for when it comes to engagement rings. For years now diamonds have had great appeal, and are highly coveted for their sparkling nature and large size when cut and set in the right fashion. Generally, the rule goes: 'The bigger the rock, the more expensive the ring'. And we've all at one point found ourselves flicking through those celebrity gossip magazines marvelling at the sheer exuberance and extravagances of the latest celeb couple to tie the knot and what he presented her with.

But, there has been a growing movement in recent years away from diamonds, perhaps due to the controversy of 'blood diamonds' and people scrutinizing in closer details where the diamonds they are about to buy actually came from. This has given rise to the growing popularity of other gemstones such as topaz, emerald, tanzanite and birthstones. Who says the ring you present to your loved one has to be a diamond anyway? My mom for example, wears a birthstone ring. I think, sometimes a birthstone ring has a deeper sentiment resonating and really show a couple's true love for each other. Okay, I'm starting to get a bit sickened myself and what I'm writing. So back to diamonds. Aren't they just lovely?