Popping the question

Finding the right ring for your beloved is just part and parcel of the engagement process, another stressful aspect to it for some might be actually the proposing part that presents the most difficulties. There's a lot to consider, as with everything timing, picking a place, the mood and atmosphere are all conducive to creating a lasting memory.  Do it wrong and it could affect the final answer given. So, whilst the ring is a big deal breaker sometimes, the actual proposing part for many other halves could be just as important. Therefore, it's essential that if you want to get the proposal right, to read this Marriage Proposal Ideas from an Oprah Expert


The best way of finding out how to propose is to read how other people did it, and what worked for them. This way when you come to propose you'll be more confident in your approach knowing how to create a romantic mood, what to say and how to act...If you want to get it right first time, it's highly recommend you give it a read.

How to deal with pushy salesman

We've all been there, just casually browsing at a shop or store and then all of a sudden our peace is disturbed by an overly pushy salesman. It's enough to drive you out of the shop, even if you had intended on buying something. Of course pushy salesman are not exclusive to just jewelery shops, you'll find them everywhere nowadays and it's no wonder more and more people are going online to make their purchases. But, it shouldn't be the case, we shouldn't be forced to make our purchases online, because of the fear we may have from going into a store and being pressured into a decision we didn't want to make. The Ebook I featured last week in my post, has some interesting advice and suggestions on how to handle push jewelery salesman so that it actually works in your favor and you can utilize and leverage them to make a well informed decision, rather than being pressured and manipulated by them. Even if you decide to shop online, you still have to be careful of being directed towards certain purchases without exploring the whole catalog or getting something tailored towards your requirements. So, you may have to make a phone call to one of those pushy salesman! Either way, 'How To Buy An Engagement Ring' will certainly aid you in the process.

How to Buy An Engagement Ring

On previous posts I've given you some useful tips and pointers for going about buying engagement rings, but nothing puts it all quite into perspective and sets it out in a comprehensive way than an Ebook. If you're like me you may ocassionally buy an Ebook get excited about it buying it, and then only reading a couple pages before its resigned to the remote regions of your desktop PC. Well, I'll have to hold my hand up and say I've come across some shocking Ebooks before that I haven't learnt anything from and then again I've come across some gems and read every single page, page to page. I decided searching for some jewelery ebooks, and in particular ones which tell you how to go about buying engagement rings. I bought a couple, and whilst most were informative, I was looking for something a bit more concrete with more practical advice people could implement.

The Ebook I've found that I'm confident readers will find useful when it comes to shopping for engagement rings includes everything you need to know about the buying process: including how not to get ripped, where to shop and where not to, what to look for and much more. If you're serious about finding the perfect engagement ring for your beloved you need to read this!

Click Here to get your copy.

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?