Gisele's Engagement Ring and Wedding

In February of 2009, 31-year old New England Patriots superstar quarterback Tom Brady, he of three Superbowl rings, married the world's highest-paid supermodel, 28-year-old Brazilian superstar Gisele Bundchen. Despite their superstar status and their essentially unlimited coffers, the couple had a rather small, intimate ceremony to bond themselves together. Bundchen had once said that her wedding should be "a simple ceremony...I don't like parties, I prefer something more intimate, just for the closest people." It seems Brady was perfectly content to fulfill her wedding dreams in more than one way.

The pair had been dating since 2006. But the engagement was kept as subtle by Brady as the little-photographed wedding was. In fact, Bundchen denied, with all sincerity, that she was getting engaged even after Brady had been found out. Before he presented her with the engagement ring, she snapped, "Someone deduced I was getting engaged...I don't know how people are so creative!"

Well, perhaps it was because in late October of 2008, Brady was found out. He tried to do a quarterback sneak into Cartier jewelers in Beverly Hills right before he had his knee surgery, but he got sacked by a few photographers. He came out of the shop with an engagement ring that consisted of a five-carat yellow diamond flanked by two triangular diamonds. The cost? A mere $145,000. Hey, Tom--that's not even two weeks salary for you, let alone two months!

After his caught play, a reporter leaked the information. "He's seriously considering proposing. Tom has a lot of free time now that he may miss the entire football season. It's made him realize he's finally ready to get married." The handsome Brady is known to be one of the most low-key and modest superstars on the planet.

At their quietly elegant wedding at St. Monica Catholic Church in Santa Monica, Bundshen wore a form-fitting ivory lace strapless gown with scalloped edges, a trumpet skirt, a long train, and a floor-length veil along with attached handmade satin roses and headband, all of it designed by Dolce & Gabbana. They live together now in the gated Los Angeles community of Brentwood in an $11.7 million property. One has to wonder if they paid cash for it.

By Julie Shields

Unique Engagement Rings For Men and Women

The definition of a unique engagement ring is something that is rare, different and stands out from the crowd. What makes it unique is the person who wears and has an outlook and believes that the engagement ring she wears is unique. What you think is unique will make it amazingly unique in the eyes of others.

Having a unique engagement rings also depends on the rings setting, styles, gemstones and type of metal band used. If you have matches your center stones to the metal band, that will absolutely be unique. A three-stoned diamond cut with a white gold metal band is unique. A pearl sprinkled with diamonds around it looks lovely and admired by most women. Any gemstones goes well with pearl. Diamond engagement rings are in demand, common but famous among other gemstones when it comes to engagement or wedding rings. If you're searching for something different, why don't you try other gemstones than diamonds. They don't cost much than the diamonds do.

Here are some great choices to consider:

Sparkling Ruby Diamond Three-Stone-Rings

Ruby gemstones are not that popular when it comes to engagement or wedding rings, it's not that common so choosing this stone is unique. Especially if it's designed by diamonds. Rubies are desirable with color red. For red symbolizes heart and love.

Emerald Cut Solitaire Engagement Rings

Emeralds are considered as semi- precious gemstones. One of the most desirable stones for engagement rings. A green and white emerald is a perfect choice for center stones with a white gold metal band.

Sapphire Engagement Rings

Princess blue and pink sapphire are great choices too. This kind of stones are now in demand for they look amazing.

Diamond Engagement Rings

They say that noting beats the best. And diamond is indeed the best. Diamonds are girls best friend that last forever. This stones looks perfect with any type of band like platinum, gold, white gold and silver. Though silver has a tendency to tarnish. There are some diamonds that are expensive depending on the carats. Diamonds are classified by four C's. Which are color, cut, clarity and carat.

Edwardian Antique Engagement Rings

If your lady is looking for something that looks like a treasure. Go for an Edwardian engagement rings. This type of ring was once given to Queens and Princesses started at 1500s decades ago. An Edwardian wedding ring can be found on your grandmother or great grandmother maybe. Diamond, pearls, jade and opals are most preferred nowadays. Platinum is the best setting for an Edwardian engagement or wedding rings.

Pearl Engagement Rings

Pearl represents simplicity and natural because it comes in either fresh or salt water. It is considered as timeless and classic. Perfect for wedding day. Most bride wear pearl jewelries because it matches well with their dress. It also symbolizes purity and sincerity.

By Christy Powell

Engagement Rings - Choosing the Best

When a man has made the decision to propose to the woman in his life, there will be a million and one thoughts racing through his mind; the most pressing one will probably be, will she say yes?! However, another important consideration will be the type of ring that he chooses, as this is integral to the entire proposal.

Picking the best ring to suit your purposes is a tricky business and without the right guidance it can be a veritable minefield of shapes, sizes, not to mention price tags. Some men will have the useful guidance of their future wife actually choosing the ring for them, yet for the more romantic grooms-to-be that are out there, here are some tips on choosing the best engagement ring.

The first thing to sort out is how much you are willing to spend on the engagement ring; it is tempting to blow as much as you can on the ring, yet this might not leave you with enough for a honeymoon! Traditionally, it is thought that two months salary is a good guide as to how much you should spend on an engagement ring, although it can be safely assumed that your fiancée would not complain if you spent a little more...!

Choose a reasonable bracket that you are willing to work within and stick to that as much as possible; of course, if you find a real bargain then you should snap it up and conversely, if there is a ring that you know that would make your fiancée ecstatic that is a little out of your price range, then it is probably worth saving up for.

Once you have decided on your price range, it's time to get researching; compare the entire market, from thrift shops to fancy jewellers and consider every ring going. A useful little tip is that real bargains can now be found in online jewellers, with many sites offering discounts for buying online.

To narrow down the options for engagement rings, try and find out what type of metal your future wife likes the most; this can be done by rooting through her jewellery collection or confiding in one of her friends and getting her to act as a spy...just make sure you can really trust them not to spill the beans.

The most important element of choosing an engagement ring is that you put your whole heart into it; it may sound cheesy and a little 'Hollywood', but if you have put as much love, care and attention into choosing the ring as you have your relationship, then you will definitely make the right choice.

By David Harfield

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