Men often feel like they’re playing the supporting role when it comes to their wedding. Much of the attention is focused on the bride who usually does the bulk of the planning and decision-making when it comes to the big day. Sure, you had plenty of input, but as some of your friends will joke, you’re just along for the ride!

One area that causes much consternation for men is the wedding band. Until recently, a wedding ring was an option for men, if even given much consideration in the first place. As recently as two generations ago, it was difficult enough for couples to scrape together enough money for just one band for her, never mind that many brides used to forego an engagement ring as having one was considered an extravagance. Those days are long gone!

Getting back to men, we’re not always all that thrilled by the choice of rings presented to us. If you’re like me, you never wore a ring previously; perhaps not liking a particular style or considering some to be too effeminate. Maybe you’ve reasoned this: attention should be given to her hands only, not mine!

Fortunately, wedding ring designers are considering what men want when designing a wedding band just for them and I must tell you this: they can resemble the woman’s ring without all of the glittery trappings. Her gold, silver, or platinum ring may look like yours, but hers is thinner, embedded with diamonds or other stones, and very feminine. On the other hand yours will be wider and definitely restrained when it comes to its appearance. Leave the glitter to the ladies, but still wear a ring that complements her ring nicely.

Before shopping for a ring, you’ll want to consider a few points:

Buy your ring online. Jewelers such as James Allen make shopping a breeze. Avoid the malls and getting dragged from store to store. You can contact James Allen and ask for them to send a ring sizer to you to find out what your size is. James Allen offers gold, silver, and platinum wedding bands for less, usually without state tax, and at prices well below mall stores. When shopping James Allen, you won’t feel mauled as would by shopping at the local mall!

Go with comfort. The shape of the ring and its width are two factors that will go a long way in helping you determine if a wedding band is comfortable or not. Soft, rounded edges are preferable to a ring with angular edges. The curve on the inside of the ring should be soft otherwise you’ll find the ring annoying and not want to wear it. The best wedding band for a man is the one he can slip on forget is there.

Find your style. The pressure to find a ring that matches the bride’s wing often turns guys away from wearing a ring themselves. Though a matching pair can be a nice gesture, you may find that your personal styles are at polar opposites of each other. Better to find rings you both like for yourselves, then to try to agree on a subject that really doesn’t matter.

Once you find a ring that you like then plan to wear it all the time. Sure, when you work on the car or do a household project, you’ll want to remove it, but keep it on at all times to show your commitment to her. There is something to be said by offering her a visible and tangible reminder of your love for her, something she’ll find important and highly significant.

I heard that the wedding ring should just be a simple ‘band’, but can it have a small diamond in it ?
And, can a couple just skip the whole engagement ring step ?

Like the look of platinum wedding rings but not the price tag? You may want to consider a wedding ring crafted from palladium. Over the last few years palladium wedding rings have become increasingly popular for many good reasons.

Firstly, palladium comes from the same rare metal family as platinum. Palladium is a naturally occurring shiny, white metal, which like platinum, means it does not have to be plated with rhodium to maintain a luxurious shine. White gold wedding bands generally are rhodium plated to provide that nice white shine. Rhodium plating eventually wears off rings, requiring more plating every so often to maintain that silvery shine and luster.

Secondly, palladium is less costly than platinum, and a little more expensive than gold. So, you end up with a wedding ring with a platinum appearance, but not the associated price tag.

Thirdly, palladium wedding rings are hypoallergenic as they are 95% pure and do not contain any nickel. This makes them a great choice for anyone with sensitive skin or allergies to metal alloys.

In addition, palladium is extremely hard wearing and durable, which is a consideration when you are selecting a ring that you will be wearing for a lifetime. This is also something to consider when selecting an ornate setting, as the harder metals will provide a more secure setting for a longer time as they are less likely to wear.

Palladium wedding rings showcase diamonds beautifully and the color of the metal will enhance the sparkle factor of your diamond engagement ring.

The metal palladium also has a lower melting point then platinum, making it more jeweler friendly when looking for ornate ring designs and settings.

Palladium is not only rarer than gold, but it is a harder metal than both white gold or platinum, making for a good long term investment.

Palladium weighs about the same as white gold when made into a setting, but is up to 40% lighter than platinum, which can be a consideration if you are looking at a band with a good amount of metal in it.

Unlike white gold, or silver, palladium wedding rings will not tarnish, scratch easily, or lose their shine.

Many well known jewelery houses including Verragio and Tacori will create your engagement and wedding rings in palladium.

Women love the gorgeous and captivating diamonds. Every woman dreams of having the beautiful and sparkling diamond jewellery. Women and girls all over the globe are simply crazy about diamonds and love to have them in jewellery items like watches, rings, pendants and earrings. No matter to what economic class they belong, they love to buy this shining and classy stoned jewellery. The less affording women go for diamonds with lower carat weight which fall within their budget.

Every girl dreams of and expects to get a diamond ring on her engagement, the day she had always fantasized about. So diamond engagement rings for your loved one will no doubt sweep her off her feet. Diamonds symbolize love and romance. They are a sign of purity and when given on such special occasions can be an outstanding souvenir. Girls are mad about the exquisite designs of jewellery having diamonds. An extravagant gift for your valentine can be a diamond bracelet or a ring. It will surely take her breath away and she will be pleased to know how much she is being loved and cared.

Women adore diamonds and can’t resist buying them or even glancing or touching them. Diamonds are said to be the weakness of women. It is said that there is nothing to win a woman’s heart but diamonds. Wearing diamonds has also become a status symbol. Women belonging to elite class can never imagine of going anywhere without wearing their dazzling articles of diamonds. The women’s fascination for diamonds can never be faded away. On the other hand men are of the view that diamonds are very expensive but are worthless like flowers. They think that diamond and flowers have beauty and attraction but are of no use. But these men have developed a taste for diamonds and buy diamond gifts to make their beloved happy because they know diamond will do the work for them.

Diamond jewellery is very expensive because these timeless stones are rare. Moreover the process of making the diamond requires too much labor and time. One of the reasons of its popularity is the high price of diamonds. And being expensive makes them a status symbol. Stunning and intricate designed jewellery articles are made using diamonds. The diamond cuts are very famous for their eternal beauty and uniqueness. Brilliant cut requires great effort and time and is usually quite expensive. The word diamond is derived from the word “adamas” which means ‘invincible’. And as the name indicates the diamonds are unique and truly unbeatable gemstones.

Diamond comes in different colors and types. The precious pink diamond is the rarest of all and so is the most expensive. Black diamond is one of a kind. The beauty of black diamonds is enhanced when combined with silver metal like platinum, titanium and sterling silver. Other amazing colors are also used in bangles, bracelets, rings, belts, pendants and other jewellery articles. Diamonds come in different types as well. Three main categories on the basis of the origination process of diamonds are; Natural Diamond, Synthetic Industrial Diamond and Thin Film Diamond. Diamond is made up of carbon and is prepared after a long process of heating and pressurizing the carbon under the surface of the earth. Diamond is the hardest translucent gem of all the gemstones. Exotic designs of diamond jewellery are made by using different beautiful and sensational cut diamonds.

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Diamond Cut?The Basics: Step 1 ? Understanding diamond ?certs?
Chapter 2

If you are going to purchase a diamond, and know what you are getting when you purchase it, you need to be able to understand the information that is presented on a ?lab grading report?, and how the information was obtained. Having this knowledge will further assist you to know if any follow up/independent data, presented to you by the jeweler, in conjunction with a ?lab grading report?, is valid and accurate.

Here are several examples of ?lab grading reports?. To gain a better understanding of how information is broken down on a lab report, we will examine one line by line.

NOTE: We will not be discussing the relevance of this information to the diamond?s cut quality, as that will be done in detail later on in this tutorial.

GIA Lab Grading Report
Figure 2.1

EGL USA Lab Grading Report
Figure 2.2

For the purposes of this tutorial, we will examine the AGS Lab Grading Report. Most reports have similar information on them and are simply arranged differently. Immediately below is the full copy of the ?lab grading report?. Since the lettering on this report is quite small, we have included enlarged portions of the report below that will allow us to examine the information contained in this report more closely.

AGS Lab Grading Report
Figure 2.3

Figure 2.4

Figure 2.5

Figure 2.6

If we examine Figure 2.4, we see that this area of the report displays the basic information about the diamond. Let?s break this down point by point

?��� Shape and Style

o��� Simply stated, the shape and style of the stone?in this case Round Brilliant.

?��� Measurements

o��� These are the measurements of the diamond in millimeters. The three numbers that make up the measurements given on the report are the 1) Maximum diameter of the stone, 2) Minimum diameter of the stone, 3) and the Depth of the stone. The diameter is the width of the stone as measured through the girdle. The Depth is the distance between the Table Facet and the Culet. NOTE: The average diameter measurements are very important, as most measurements expressed in percentages on a ?lab grading report? are based on the average diameter measurement.

?��� Cut Grade

o��� This is the section that deals with the overall cut grade given by the laboratory grading the diamond. Different laboratories grade diamonds differently?these different grading methods will be discussed in detail later on in this tutorial.

o��� On this report we can see the different categories?

?��� Light Performance

?��� This is the grade given to this diamond based on how it performed in the light reflection, brilliance, and other light performance analysis that it was subjected to during the grading process.

?��� Proportion Factors���

?��� In addition to testing diamonds for light performance, this laboratory also applies strict proportion standards to diamonds. It takes into account measurements such as depth, table, crown angle, pavilion angle, and minor facet measurements. The grade given to each diamond in this section is based on how well each of these measurements fit into the ranges prescribed by the grading laboratory.

?��� Finish

?��� Finish is comprised of two separate and distinct factors, polish and symmetry.

o��� Polish

?��� Polish is exactly what it sounds like?it is the polish work on the outside of the stone. After a cutter finishes the cutting and shaping of the diamond, he must polish the diamond to remove the marks made during the cutting of the stone, and give each facet a clear and highly reflective surface. This polish is graded on each facet, and only diamonds with exceptional polish across the whole diamond can receive the laboratory?s highest grade.

o��� Symmetry

?��� Symmetry is a factor that receives a lot of attention. There are different kinds of symmetry that pertain to a diamond, and it is important to understand each one, as they are completely different and affect the diamond in totally different ways. The symmetry that is graded on the lab report is the external symmetry of the diamond. It takes into account factors such as facet point alignment, table centering, facet alignment, consistency of facet shapes, etc.

?��� Color Grade

o��� This section deals with the color of the gem. Color is discussed in Emma Parker & Co.?s Diamond Tutorial. For questions about color, please refer to that tutorial.

?��� Clarity Grade

o��� This section deals with the color of the gem. Clarity is discussed in Emma Parker & Co.?s Diamond Tutorial. For questions about clarity, please refer to that tutorial.

?��� Carat Weight

o��� This section deals with the color of the gem. Carat weight is discussed in Emma Parker & Co.?s Diamond Tutorial. For questions about carat weight, please refer to that tutorial.

NOTE: A very important fact to understand about Color and Clarity is that the grading standards vary widely from on grading laboratory to another. Some of have much stricter standards than others, and this is something that should be carefully considered before purchasing a diamond.

Looking at Figure 2.5, we can see a proportion map of the diamond, with basic proportion and measurement data. The first thing that we notice when looking at this, is that the only two standards of measurements used are Percentages and Degrees. The very first measurement of the diamond is the 100%, which is equal to the average diameter of the stone at its widest point, the girdle. It is based off of this percentage that all of the other percentage measurements are calculated.

Directly under this measurement, we can see the 55.4% measurement. This is the diameter of the Table Facet, expressed in a percentage of the total average diameter.

The vertical line along the left had diamond is the measurement of the Total Depth of the diamond, again, expressed as a percentage of the total average diameter, in this case, 61.9%

The vertical line along the right side of the diamond, broken into three different measurements essentially breaks down the factors that make up the total depth of the diamond. These three factors are called Crown Height, Girdle Thickness, and Pavilion Depth.� In this case you can see the three measurements are as follows.

?��� Crown Height ? 15.5%
?��� Girdle Thickness ? 1.6% to 4.4%
?��� Pavilion Depth ? 42.8%

The two angle measurements on the left hand side of the graph are the Crown Angle and Pavilion Angle measurements. In this case, the Crown Angle is 34.8 degrees, and the Pavilion angle is 40.6 degrees.

The two numbers in the diamond represent facet length measurements.� The measurement in the small facets on top is the Star Facet Length, and the measurement in the slightly larger facets on the bottom is the Lower Girdle Facet Length. For this diamond, the Star Facets measure 51% and the Lower Girdle Facet?s measure 75%.

It is very important to understand that these two percentages are not calculated against the total depth. Rather Star Facet Lengths are expressed as a percentage of the total distance between the edge of the Table and the edge of the Girdle. Lower Girdle Facet Lengths are expressed in a percentage of the total distance between the Culet and the edge of the Girdle. (See illustration below)

Star Fact Measurement
The Green arrow, in Figure 2.7, represents 100% of the distance from the edge of the TABLE to the edge of the GIRDLE. The STAR FACET measurement is expressed as a percentage of the total measurement.

Figure 2.7

Lower Girdle Facet Measurement
The green arrow in Figure 2.8 represents 100% of the distance between the edge of the GIRDLE and the CULET. The LOWER GIRDLE FACET measurement is expressed as a percentage of the total measurement.

Figure 2.8

Lastly at the bottom, we see the Culet Size. This is almost always expressed as a word. Culet sizes vary including sizes of None, Pointed, Very Small, Small, Medium, etc.

The last graphic we see, Figure 2.6, is the Clarity Plot of the diamond. This is where the grading inclusions, that were visible at 10x magnification, are plotted by the grader. Clarity has already been discussed in brief in the Emma Parker & Co. Diamond Tutorial, however there are some simple hints to help you spot important information on the Clarity Plot. All inclusions plotted in RED INK are INTERNAL inclusions. All inclusions plotted in GREEN INK are EXTERNAL inclusions.

This basic walk through of the information that is listed on a lab grading report will give you a good foundation in what information you will be presented with later on in this tutorial, and what each measurement relates to. In the following chapters we are going to dig deeper into cut, what to look for in a great cut, what tools and reports are useful in looking for a good cut and how to read them, and more.

Written by Timothy Andre, Emma Parker & Co.���� www.emmaparkerdiamonds.com

Now that you have decided to tie the knot, the most important question is the kind of wedding ring that will symbolize the marital status of the couple. Wedding rings have always been a symbol of everlasting love between the couple. It?s strange to know that though women have been wearing wedding rings for eons, men started wearing it only recently, since the Second World War to be precise.

It?s important to decide upon the type of wedding band the man wants to wear, as this might be the only piece of jewelry that he may wear in his lifetime. So a myriad of decisions have to be made before selecting the perfect wedding band for the man.

Firstly, the ring should match the personality of the individual wearing it. While choosing a men?s wedding band, its important to consider his personality- is he flamboyant or conservative? Does he revel in the public eye or he prefers to blend in with the crowd? If the man is outgoing, he may prefer a ring that is incorporated with precious stones or metals that attracts attention and clearly states the fact that he can afford it. However if the man is conservative, he may prefer a simple wedding band, not too overt, but a band that simply states the fact that he is married.

Then there?s the question of the kind of metal chosen for the ring. Traditionally, there are the gold, silver or diamond metals to choose from. However, the modern man has a myriad of other metals to choose from. Platinum is very appealing for its durability and the sheen it develops over a period of time. Titanium wedding rings are also very popular as it is light weight and has considerable strength.

For men who are looking for something really unique, there is the option of the traditional Celtic wedding band which is simple yet stylish. The unending knot style aptly symbolizes the endless and infinite love of the man for his wife. For the more adventurous, there are the rings having the Zodiac signs and gambling symbols like the roulette wheel with numbers! Nowadays, it is also possible to have the men?s wedding bands custom made whereby one can choose the width, the style, the metal or combination of metals, the gemstone to be incorporated etc and have the kind of ring as one desires.

So, there being no dearth of the styles to choose from, choose the wedding ring you want to wear that expresses your individuality and your love for your wife.

Conclusion:

Wedding rings have a very important role in our wedding. Celtic wedding band gives every type of wedding rings in many metals online.

Cut, color, carat, clarity…what do they mean? What’s best? I know clarity is expressed as IF, VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, I1, but what do those mean?
What criteria would make the sparkliest diamond? I know I read this somewhere, I just don’t know where.
The one I DO understand is carat. Help! Thanks

The diamond wedding ring set is a fairly recent phenomenon; up until about sixty years ago, most married couples wore simple gold bands. Today, the diamond wedding ring set is fairly common. There are even diamond wedding bands for those who prefer these to diamond wedding rings that have a set stone in them.

The Story of Diamond Jewelry

Diamond jewelry has been enjoyed and desired for centuries. However, it wasn’t until about 500 years ago that the art and science of diamond cutting was born. Most of the stones that find their way into diamond wedding rings are cut and appraised in the Belgian city of Antwerp, which has been the center of the diamond business since the mid-1500s.

The DeBeers Company – formed in the 1880s by Sir Cecil Rhodes, for whom the African colony was Rhodesia (now independent Zimbabwe and Zambia) was named – was instrumental in creating an artificial market for diamond jewelry, particularly diamond wedding ring sets, where none had existed previously. It is true that Archduke Maximilian I of Austria presented his bride, Marie of Burgundy with a diamond wedding ring on the occasion of their wedding in 1477, but that did not set a general precedent. That precedent had to wait another 423 years.

“Diamonds Are Forever”

The phrase “a diamond is forever,” became the basis not only of a James Bond novel by Ian Fleming and the movie and hit song that came out of it, but of the most brilliant advertising campaign of all time. The DeBeers Company used this phrase to convince the public to abandon the plain gold bands that had been traditional for married couples for centuries, and embrace their line on fashion-designed diamond wedding ring sets.

The campaign was remarkably successful; within only a few years, plain gold bands had been replaced by diamond wedding bands and rings with set stones.

A similar campaign was undertaken by the U.S. diamond jewelry industry; the market was targeted toward those couples planning to wed. The idea was to convince the American public of an “old tradition” in which men wore diamond engagement rings as well as their fianc�es. This particular campaign was rather less successful, but it did help to increase the popularity of diamond wedding rings among American couples.

Diamond Jewelry Today

Diamonds in the rough are shipped to one of the major diamond centers in Antwerp, Tel Aviv, New York, London or Singapore, where they are graded and cut; after this, they undergo an appraisal for carat (size and weight), color, clarity and cut. After this, jewelers purchase these stones in lots and use them as settings for diamond wedding rings and other types of jewelry.

Diamond watches enable a man to project his standing and financial security to all around him.� Until fairly recently the idea of men’s jewelry decorated with diamonds was pretty much unheard of, but today this has changed dramatically, and men are increasingly interested in being able to add to their own personal style through the wearing of diamonds.� Whether rings, earrings a diamond watch, the glamour and style that such men’s diamond jewellery brings with it is unmistakable.

Perhaps one of the boldest and clearest statements that a man can make about himself is the wearing of a diamond watch. Men’s jewelry makes a very clear statement whilst at the same time not detracting in any way whatever from the professionalism that many men would wish to portray, and a diamond watch is the ultimate statement to most people.

Imagine being in your next business meeting and being aware of the fact that your diamond watch is not only unmistakable but also unmissable.� It is easy to imagine the way in which people’s impression of you and their expectations of you will be distinctly altered by the inclusion of this one item of men’s jewellery.� At one time it was a gold watch that turned the eyes, but men’s gold watches are now so commonplace that they must also be decorated with diamonds:� the bigger and the more the better in some hip-hop circles.

There are many different types of diamond jewellery available for men, some of which may appear too bling for some people, but diamond watches are in a league all of their own.� Very often, a diamond watch for men will have a circle of diamonds around the outside of the dial, in addition to diamonds which may decorate the face, hands or numbers themselves.� It needs very little light to make these individual diamonds sparkle in the most dramatic way.� With every movement of your arm your diamond watch will sparkle and shine, making its statement of elegance and success in subtle but unmistakable ways.

Because men’s diamond watches tend to be larger than watches for ladies there is often more room for the diamonds to be included.� This can usually mean two things, firstly that a man’s diamond watch tends to have more diamonds on them than ladies diamond watches and secondly, men’s watches are often more expensive.

Men’s jewelry has almost always been seen as a statement of the success and style of the man wearing it.� A cheap plastic digital watch will say as much about the wearer as a top class diamond studded watch.� The only choice that you have to make is which of the statements you wish to have associated with you.� It is clear that a diamond watch provides a statement about the wearer which suggests wealth, power, success and style.

Of course a diamond watch worn by a man can be very easily complemented with the wearing of other men’s jewellery.� For example, a suitable diamond earring or diamond cufflinks will not only match your diamond watch exquisitely, and draw even more attention to yourself, and make an even bolder statement about you and your position.� Whilst some people will be keen to wear as much bling as possible, with as many diamonds and as much jewellery as possible, businessmen may wish to be slightly more conservative, in which case men’s diamond watches provide the perfect answer.

A diamond watch can also represent the perfect gift, whether from a loved one in the same way that a diamond ring can be presented as a token of affection or even perhaps as a reward given by a business in recognition of the service provided by its most successful partners or employees.� If the wearing of a diamond watch creates an incredible and dramatic statement, the giving of a diamond watch as a gift is virtually unequalled.

Men’s diamond watches are available in a very wide range of styles, from the subtle and stylish watches that are decorated with just one or two diamonds, from the lavishly decorated chunky watches which have as many diamonds crammed onto them as possible. Whatever your personal taste or sense of style you can be sure that you will be able to find the perfect diamond watch for you.�

Today, men’s diamond watches represent a very significant industry, and a very competitive one.� This means that not only are you provided with an enormous range of diamond watches from which to choose, but that the price of these watches is surprisingly competitive.� Once you do choose the perfect diamond watch for you, nothing will possibly beat the experience of snapping the bracelet onto your wrist and feeling like a million dollars.