Budget limitations

Although, we would all like to splurge out on a massively expensive engagement ring, sometimes it's just out of budgetary constraints and given the recent economic crises and many countries' economies showing no signs of improving, we may just have to settle for something a bit more within our budget. Luckily, the jewelery industry has plenty of choices and options for people who perhaps can't or won't spend thousands and thousands of dollars on a lavish ring. One option, that has previously been mentioned is going for birthstone gems - something that perhaps conveys a deeper sentiment and is more romantic? Of course if you're going to go for this option you need to find out when gemstone their date of birth relates to. Another option, which shouldn't break the bank is considering other gemstones such as topaz, emerald or tanzanite and getting your jewelery to bespoke the design and cut it in a way so it maximizes light reflection. You also want to carefully consider the bands that are going to be used, you should choose a metal that either complements or contrast the stone nicely. If one looks hard enough, and seeks out the most competitive deals, you'll be certainly ensuring you don't pay over the odds.

Spam Blog comments

So I've been getting quite a few spam blog comments. If you want to promote your own blog/website and get a backlink it's fine as long as you post comments that actually show you've read my post and are contributing to the discussion. Please do not just post a generic response with a link to your site, it will get rejected. And if your website is a related to palladium engagement rings, and/or jewelery, it still means you've got to comment on something intelligent and meaningful. Rant over, it just really pisses me off when people don't even bother to add even something semi-worth reading.

Bands

Palladium bands aren't for everyone, as many people just simply don't like the colour of it. Also with palladium you may find that it needs a bit of restoration now and again, some may find it doesn't polish as well as gold, is brittle and is prone to reactions with hydrogen. However, many jewelers will swear by palladium as a great cheaper alternative to platinum (which has reached ridiculous prices of late), niks less than platinum, doesn't require rhodium and is actually quite a hard metal. However, if you're on the other side and fancy gold band because of its properties but favour the white colour then there's always white gold you can select. Whatever material you decide upon, it's worth having a consultation with your jewelery to see what they recommend. Nowadays, palladium is a great metal and is being used more and more in jewelery as it does the job and looks good.  

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?

Certification and the four C's

As we looked at last week, the cut has a lot to do with how the aesthetics of the ring. The way the gemstone is cut can affect how big that diamond, emerald, or tanzanite appears. But this is not the only factor that one needs to be aware. The four C's are commonly referred to as being determining factors in the quality of the jewelery and usually when a gemologist examines your ring these are some of the factors that they will take into consideration: These are: colour, the cut of the diamond, the carat weight and finally the clarity of the diamond. The colour refers to how well the diamond or other gemstone retains and reflects the light and also of course about its natural colour properties. Often pink diamonds are sought after because of their rarity. In terms of cuts, usually the most popular tend to be the round brilliant cuts and the princess diamond cut. But of course there are so many to choose from. The carat weight is often one that people focus on and perhaps overlook the others slightly. However carat weight is not a factor that denotes the quality of a diamond, so going for rings with a large number of carats doesn't necessarily mean the ring is of considerable higher quality than one with a lesser number of carats. The clarity is also important as a mark of quality. It refers to the existence and visual appearance of internal characteristics termed inclusions.  If you are in doubt about the authenitcity and quality of either your palladium engagement or diamond engagement ring, then always get a second opinion from a qualified source.

It's all in the cut

There seems to be a growing expansion in the types of cuts you can now get for your engagement rings. New and imporoved cuts are increasing in popularity such as the marquise cut. Of course most people for palladium engagement rings still favour many traditional cuts such as the brilliant round cut or princess cut. It's very important you get the right cut for your ring. The marquise cut for example, creates a pointed shape which makes the gemstone appear larger. Whereas, something like a emerald cut will give the diamond or other gemstone a rectangular shape.

Also it's not just the cut to give careful consideration to, it's also the setting. A prong type setting can also give the apperance of the gemstone appearing bigger than it is. Generally high prongs, will make the stone look bigger. Also you may want to consider adding accent stones to the main center piece stone. As by themselves small accents stones are pretty worthless, but adding to the a small gemstone you will add to the carat weight therefore adding to the value of the ring.

It's been a while.............

Apologies to all those of you who have been following the blog. I've been out at various gem and jewellery exhibitions recently. Collecting some great ideas for a new collection I'm going to bring out in the fall. Meanwhile, I'd like you to keep on sending your email and feel free to post any questions or comments on here for people to read. Also if you've got any questions about engagement rings, be it palladium or other materials drop me a line!

Look forward to hearing from you,