You are here: Home / Jewelry Articles

Propose, Reuse, Recycle: Engagement Rings that Love Planet Earth

December 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment
eco friendly engagement ring

Recycled Engagement Rings

Finding the perfect engagement ring can be quite a task.  She has expectations. She has hopes.  She’s been dreaming of the perfect ring since age 5.  Picking out the right diamond and the right setting can be tricky.  But it may seem even trickier if your fiancé-to-be is an eco-conscious activist chic who just doesn’t feel good about the negative impact that the jewelry industry has on planet earth.
Lucky for you, recycled jewelry and eco-friendly engagement rings are easier to find than you might think.  In fact, you don’t even have to get up out of your chair. Simply move your hand towards your mouse…and click.

A number of new eco-friendly engagement retailers have been popping up all over the web. Online retailers provide consumers with exquisite engagement ring collections that are made from recycled materials and sometimes synthetic, rather than mined, diamonds.

Synthetic diamonds are simply stunning and are chemically created to have the same look, weight, and cut as a naturally forming diamond.  Synthetically produced diamonds are typically cheaper for the consumer and they do not have such a negative impact on the environment.  Moreover, synthetic diamonds do not fuel any conflicts in African regions which feed into humanitarian injustices.  Going eco-friendly and conflict free in your diamond purchase will inevitably help the environment and the greater good of the planet

Most eco-conscious stores have collections of diamond and gemstone rings in chic, contemporary designs that are made entirely from recycled precious metal and lab-grown diamonds.  Stores may offer customers a three step ‘Recycle, Reuse and Donate’ program whereby consumers can donate their old fine jewelry for store credit or have it immediately recrafted into new designer ring.  Their new rings are all made from 100% natural, conflict-free metal, gemstones and diamonds.

Jewelry is easily imbued with meaning and the engagement ring is one of the most meaningful jewelry items of all. Make the ring even more meaningful by recrafting your grandmother’s old engagement ring into a stunning new heirloom.  Vintage rings and family stones are truly meaningful for a new branch in the family tree.  Giving your girlfriend a family heirloom is a beautiful combination of ecological consciousness and sentimental value.   It’s a perfect way to show her that you love the earth almost as much as you love her.

Filed Under: Jewelry Articles

Men’s Wedding Bands

July 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Men's Wedding Bands

Men's Wedding Bands

Men and Women’s Wedding Bands are special and personal jewelry items. And men can be just as fussy as women when it comes to wearing something they aren’t used to, getting used to a new idea, or picking out a particular style and design.

First things first, let’s get this out of the way: wedding rings are not girly! Just because they are rings, it doesn’t mean that wearing them is any sign of you being less many. Wedding rings for men and for women have become a cultural norm in almost every part of the world. Women and men exchange have been exchanging vows and rings for over 60 years now.

Ok, now that we got that straightened out, let’s talk about matching rings. Some couples decide that they want to exchange rings that match. This can be a really beautiful thing, but it can also be frustrating. Make sure you sit down with your significant other and decide together what kind of styles you each had in mind. It is totally NOT sacrilege if you decide that you each want to pick out your own wedding band. Really.

Whether or not you are getting matching rings or not, there are a few things to keep in ming when making your decision:

1) Comfort: Because most men just aren’t used to wearing rings, I think that comfort is essential. Men should try on a few rings to decide how heavy they want their metal to be and how thick they want the band to be.

2) Lifestyle: Active men who work with their hands frequently like gardeners, handymen, mechanics or firemen should pick a simple and durable metal band. It’s probably not the best idea to spend thousands of dollars on a 18 karat gold diamond and gemstone encrusted band simply because of its fragility and delicacy. I would go with platinum, tungsten or titanium, three very strong, durable (and manly) metals.

3) Personal Taste: Men’s rings come in many designs. Some more poplar designs are two toned rings, titanium rings, or rings with one or more small diamonds embedded around the band. The brushed metal look is also a popular men’s wedding ring style, adding a bit of ruggedness to the ring’s overall look.

So, men, don’t be afraid to try something new, to show your colors and to pick out a fabulous wedding ring!

Filed Under: Jewelry Articles Tagged With: , ,

What is Wedding Jewelry?

July 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Wedding Jewelry

Wedding Jewelry

Wedding jewelry is any and every jewelry item that makes you feel unbelievably gorgeous and breathtakingly beautiful on your wedding day.  Wedding jewelry can be a simple pearl necklace, diamond stud earrings, a delicate tiara or an elegant bracelet. 

Most wedding jewelry is white and romantic.  Pearls, diamonds and crystals are classic. Earrings are typically chandelier style, reminiscent of fragile snowflakes floating from the ears.  Wedding necklaces range from simple cameo pendants and pearl strands to thick diamond chokers or wreath-like crystal designs. 

Diamond tiaras are hot wedding jewelry items these days and might not look the way you’d expect.  Many of them are ethereal and floral, looking less like a medieval crown and more like a frosty garland or celestial halo.

 More traditional brides like to follow the old saying “something old, something new, something borrowed something blue” when picking out their wedding jewelry wardrobe.  They’ll go for one vintage item like their grandmother’s heirloom cocktail ring, one new item like a designer wedding tiara, one borrowed piece like a friend’s tennis bracelet and one item with a bit of blue which can be pretty much anything!

Some brides go a bit overboard when picking out their wedding jewelry.  Yes, it is a special occasion and you want to drape yourself in delightful jewels, but it’s important to keep everything in proportion. When shopping for wedding jewelry, keep in mind that the jewelry is an accessory.  Your guests came to see you.  You don’t want to be hidden beneath layers of expensive jewelry!  Picking out just the right wedding jewelry can brighten your face, illuminate your look and make you feel the way a bride should: breathtakingly beautiful on her special day.

Filed Under: Jewelry Articles Tagged With: , ,

The History of Wedding Rings

July 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The History of Wedding Rings

The History of Wedding Rings

The way I see it, the wedding ring is the most intimate and beautiful jewelry item. Wedding rings ceremonial, they are publicly exchanged, and no matter what style or design they radiate the beauty of true, everlasting love. But where did the tradition come from?! Even today, the specific particulars of how to wear a wedding ring vary from culture to culture, and so it only follows that the tale of its origin varies too.

Most agree that what we know today as the wedding band originated in the exotic desserts of ancient Egypt. Ancient Egyptians believed strongly in the symbolic power of the circle. It represented eternity, infinity, the supernatural and the sun, one of their many gods. It’s said that Egyptians would weave plant fibers into circular bands to signify never-ending love. They also believed (incorrectly, but romantically!) that a special vein ran directly from the heart to the tip of the ring finger, or fourth finger. This became the finger of the wedding band.

The Greeks and Romans had a similar custom of wearing a wedding ring on the fourth finger, but the Roman ring was not a gift of love. The Roman wedding ring was a symbol of ownership! Roman men would “brand” their wives by placing a ring on her finger. In fact, the wedding ring was frequently attached to the exchange of property during a wedding (ugh! I know!) in ages and cultures where marriage was more of a familial contract, rather than a symbol of love.

In fact, the practice of the woman placing a wedding ring on a man is pretty new. Only in the face of World War II did men’s wedding rings start to become popular. Young soldiers decided to wear the wedding ring as a symbol of their marriage and a memento of their wife and family back home.

As you can see, there have been innumerable variations on the wedding ring, One of the strangest ones was the wedding thimble! That’s right, in the colonial years when America was still a brave new world, protestant Christians believed in a very plain and modest lifestyle. They believed that extravagant or luxurious things could be sinful. So, instead of exchanging rings, they gifted a practical sewing thimble as a pledge of their eternal partnership. I know, a thimble. Totally weird.

Well, It seems like over the years, the wedding ring has evolved with the idea of marriage. In cultures where marriage meant individual, unique, special sparks between two people who decide to enter into a life-long partnership, the ring became a symbol of eternal devotion and infinite love. And in cultures where marriage was arranged by families and communities, the ring was seen more as a contractual stamp or identifying mark.

Filed Under: Jewelry Articles Tagged With: ,