Carved Wedding Rings

Carved wedding rings can convert a simple and traditional band into a work of art, quite literally. It has been popping up almost as long as the wedding ring itself. The Art Deco and Art Nouveau eras favored this type of rings, as did a little later in the 1950's and 60's. Further back in time, the Celts carved their wedding rings, as did the Romans. Luckily for us, latest technologies, including computer aided equipment means that nowadays, the carving can be extremely fine and intricate.

What's the Difference between Carved and Engraved Wedding Rings? Engraved wedding rings tend to have shallower embellishments that are more for texture or decoration. Carved rings tend to have much deeper patterns, and these can often involve the actual shape of the band. In fact, the carvings are so deep that they can be considered to be dimensional, not just surface decoration.

Popular Carved Wedding Ring Designs. These are extremely popular designs for carving. Other styles include Art Nouveau and Victorian inspired designs featuring leaves, scrolls, flowers and other natural objects such as wheat. Geometric designs can be used to great effect to either replicate the much admired Art Deco style, or contemporary designs.

Carved wedding rings can look absolutely sensational when incorporating various colored metals such as two tone. Other ideas are to have the deeper parts of the ring tinted or inlaid with other colored metals.

It can also incorporate precious gems and diamonds for even more visual impact.

Points To Consider When Selecting A Carved Wedding Ring. It may well wear over the years. The deeper the engraving initially, the longer it will take the wear to show. Some carving may need to be reworked after many years of wear. Wedding rings that have carvings involving the entire band may wear more noticeably than a carved wedding ring that only features work on the front.

Some metals may be more long wearing than others, while other metals are so hard, such as tungsten and titanium, they make carving almost impossible. Check with your jeweler as to what is going to be the best metal for your wedding ring requirements.

Conclusion

Carved wedding rings can be an excellent option for those seeking a unique or highly embellished wedding ring. Lovers of jewelry styles ranging from pagan to Celtic to Victorian to contemporary will all be able to find a carved wedding ring to suit their taste.

By Andrew Moquin

Ten Steps To Buying An Engagement Ring

Discovering the right one does not come easy. There are so many options, patterns, sizes, colors and light elegance. Hunting for the ideal ring can be like a discouraging treasure search, but do not worry. Stick with these ten invariable rules and you will be nerveless under the shiny jewelry store lights.

1) Teach Yourself= Prior to hitting the stores, you have got to discover the lingo. In spite of expectations, how can you choose a stone if you don’t recognize a Karat from a carat? Learn the 4Cs and how the 4Cs affect the brightness and value of your designated gem.

2) Begin Wisely= Narrow your searching parameters first and save time shopping. For diamonds, first decide on the 4Cs you want.

3) Set a Limit= Know your budget and stay with it. Remember that you are better off purchasing a tinier, better-caliber diamond than a large, drab stone.

4) Hone In= Pay additional heed to your woman’s clothes and manner of living. Gold or platinumor is it ruby or diamond? Plain solitaire or fancy gem? Try to estimate what she will like and what suits her lifestyle.

5) Rely On Your Feelings= Only, we say again, only buy at a jeweler who has been mentioned as worthy of acceptance or has a immaculate reputation in your community. Good choices are retailers associated with Jewelers of America or the American Gem Society. What kind of feeling does the store present? Is the personnel knowledgeable and unhurried? What are the bring back, fix and replacing policies?

6) Do Not Hurry= Make up your mind when you will propose, then permit ample time to shop about and organize a unforgettable proposal. Keep in mind that once requested, a ring can take approximately six weeks to come through, possibly longer if you are having it customized. If you need to inscribe anything on the inside of the ring, make sure to ask for the inscription when you order the ring.

7) Purchase Diamonds Unmounted= Don’t be confused by the pretty setting. Many jewelry advertisements are tempting you on to the settings, not the diamonds, even though the gem is a humongous 90% of its cost. It is crucial to buy the gem unaffixed, not mounted, so you can check the full stone with a small magnifying glass, usually set in an eyepiece, used by jewelers and horologists that your jeweler can lend you before you plop down a bunch of cash. If the jeweler doesn’t keep loose stones, go to the next jeweler.

8) Talk Terms= Many retailers abusively blow up prices. Don't pay the sticker price unless you have window-shopped and you realize it is actually a fair price.

9) The Hard Part= Here comes the really difficult part, choosing a setting. Take a look at these couple tips. If you want a prong setting, platinum prongs are tougher than gold and a casting is not as strong as die struck prongs. Whenever doable, obtain prongs that are produced from a white metal like platinum or white gold because yellow gold may cause the diamond to have a yellow cast. Be sure the ring’s shank, which is the ring part of the ring, isn’t too fragile and see to it that it is embossed with a quality mark.

10) Have It Written Down= High quality diamonds and other diamonds that are one carat and bigger should come with a diamond grading document. If no document is included, take the sale dependent on an independent appraiser’s judgement. Once you have it appraised, have it insured. High quality and large loose diamonds should come accompanied by a laboratory certificate and a free insurance appraisal.

By James Ellison