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Diamond Engagement Rings: Making Your Selection

October 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

f_21310581305_132.jpgWhen you’ve found the one you want to spend the rest of your life with, selecting an engagement ring can seem a daunting, yet necessary, task. Diamonds are a classic and traditional choice for such rings. However, with numerous color, size and appearance options available, how does a hopeful groom select the perfect diamond engagement ring for his bride-to-be?

Style

Men should be conscious of his significant other’s taste and lifestyle when choosing an engagement ring. Is she formal or casual? Does she prefer large accessories or dainty pieces? Is she active or sedentary? Does she own mostly gold or silver-colored jewelry? All of these factors should be evaluated before selecting an engagement ring.

An engagement ring should match the personality of its owner. A woman who throws on jeans and a t-shirt every day may want an attractive yet simple ring to go with her easy lifestyle, whereas a formal dresser would likely prefer a more dramatic ring with a larger diamond. Active brides-to-be may value comfort over a cumbersome stone that may be easily damaged. A woman who wears mostly silver jewelry might prefer a platinum or white gold setting to coordinate with her existing accessories.

Diamond Rating System

In considering the purchase of a diamond engagement ring, men should be familiar with the “Four C’s- of diamond grading: Caret (weight of the diamond), Clarity (presence of flaws), Color (the slight tint of the diamond) and Cut (exact cut within the shape of the diamond). The rating of the diamond can raise or lower the ring’s overall cost.

Metals

The type of metal used in the band can also significantly affect the appearance and price of the ring. Platinum rings are currently a popular selection due to their strength, beauty and light color. Because platinum is over 90 percent pure, it is hypoallergenic for most people. Platinum is the most expensive metal. Gold is a considerably less expensive metal for wedding rings. While yellow gold is a traditional choice that compliments many settings, white gold is an option for those who want the light color without the sticker shock.

Customization

Men may wish to consider a customized diamond engagement ring for their intended. A custom ring serves as a personalized representation of the couple’s love for each other. A man does not have to be a designer to create a unique ring — many jewelers can help translate his rough ideas into a beautiful reality.

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Diamond Jewelry Authenticity – Easy ways to Distinguish Between Real Diamonds and Imitations

October 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

f_11310581248_brushedleafdesigngoldpinbroochjewelry2httpprettyjewelrythingsstorecom.jpgChances are, if you are buying a diamond ring for someone, you want your diamond to be special, durable, and most of all, authentic. With all of the imitation diamond jewelry on the market today, it is wise to know a few helpful hints on how to determine a real diamond from a fake.

Learn the tools of the trade and gather a few of these easy tricks up your sleeve. It is time to put your diamond to the test.

1. Real Diamonds are flawed; fakes are not.

While some might think that the goal in purchasing the perfect diamond is to find one that is virtually flawless–that is not always the case. Carefully crafted Cubic Zirconia sports absolutely no imperfections, making it easy to label as fake. Real, pure diamonds contain tiny ‘flaws’ which oftentimes creates a brilliance that cannot be seen in fakes.

2. Look inside your Diamond.

Much like looking inside a crystal ball, looking inside your diamond will reveal the truth about its true components and its authenticity. The key is: Real diamonds always have something inside. If you look into your diamond with a 1200x microscope, you should be able to see tiny inclusions within the stones infrastructure. If you hold the diamond in front of your eye and look through its side, you should not be able to see through it, nor should it look to be one clear, unified color. If the stone exerts zero degrees of brilliance, and if you can see through it from the side, then it is definitely fake.

3. Look at the Setting & Mount.

Since stones made up of imitation substances such as Cubic Zirconia and Moissanite are so much cheaper than diamonds, they are usually set in less expensive metals. Chances are, a fake diamond would not be set in real gold.

4. Check the Wear and Tear of the Stone.

Real diamonds have remarkable durability and a hardened sharpness that is strong enough to scratch glass. If there or any scratches or nicks on the surface of your Diamond, or if you can make them, then your diamond is not real.

Simple Two-Minute Tests

1. The Reading Test.

If your diamond is not mounted, set it on a newspaper. If you can see through it at all, even if you just see distorted black smudges instead of clearly-marked letters, than your diamond is a fake. Real diamonds have so many intricacies in their infrastructure that it is impossible for light to pass all the way through them without being first refracted.

2. The Sandpaper Test.

Diamonds are the hardest known substance. That being said, it is impossible for real diamond jewelry to be scratched. Using either wet or dry sandpaper, test your diamond by scratching it vigorously on the brittle surface of the paper. If it becomes nicked, it is surely a fake.

3. The Sparkle Test.

View your diamond from the top, then from the side. Compare the shiny, reflective qualities that you may have noticed when looking down onto the face of your diamond, with the way your diamond shines and reflects when being viewed at a side angle. Imitation diamonds are purposely crafted to look like real diamonds from a birds-eye-view, but are less commonly apt to carry those same characteristics throughout the rest of the stone.

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Omega Watches – An Intriguing Look At The History Behind These Luxurious Watches

October 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

f_01310580681_page1top.jpgEngineered to the nth degree, the Omega watch brand is a staple on many a well-to-do man’s dresser; tucked safely away inside its luxurious velvet box, ensuring that this extremely fine timepiece will be free from dust and scratches when not eloquently strapped to its owner’s wrist.

Now let’s take a brief but intriguing look at the history behind these luxurious watches long before they signed Hollywood A-list stars Nicole Kidman and George Clooney, as well as tennis superstar Maria Sharapova, to become their celebrity endorsers.

The fairy tale known as the Omega Watch Company actually started way back in the 19th Century -1848 to be exact, when the Omega founder, Louis Brandt, a Swiss watchmaker who resided in La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland, began creating his “Omega” masterpieces. Of course, back then he constructed each piece using only his bare hands by meticulously assembling each watch piece by piece.

The first watches that Mr. Brandt made were pocket watches, because back then they were the timepiece that was considered to be vogue and were highly sought after and cherished. In the mid 1800′s the thought of attaching a bracelet to their time piece never even crossed a persons mind. The fashionable and preferred thing to do was to carry their beloved “Omega” watches – which, at the time were called “Bienne” watches – in their pockets.

Unfortunately, Mr. Louis Brandt passed away in 1879 and he left his modest company to his sons, Louis Paul Brandt and Cesar Brandt who carried on their father’s tradition of impeccable pocket watch craftsmanship. They decided to rename the company “Bienne” in January 1880.

The birth of the Omega watch brand actually took place in 1894, more than a decade after the renaming of the company to Bienne. Louis and Cesar Brandt introduced, for the first time, the brand “Omega” to the Swiss public. Over time, the Omega watch has come to be one of Switzerland’s biggest and most luxurious exports. The Omega watch name actually came from one of the two Brandt brother’s watch movement calibers.

Sadly, the reign of the two Brandt brothers in the Omega watch company was short-lived because both brothers suddenly died in 1903. This resulted in four individuals taking control of the Omega watch company. One of the individuals was Paul Brandt, who not only inherited the Brandt family name but their entrepreneurial instincts as well. At just 23 years old, Paul was actually the oldest of the four who took over the Omega watch company after the death of the Brandt brothers.

After a merger with fellow Swiss luxury watch brand, Tissot in 1930, SSIH (Soci

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