Can Gemstones Alleviate Ailments?

Most people see gems (or gemstones) strictly as decoration, such as gemstone jewellery; that is, jewellery to wear just for aesthetical purposes. But gems are also considered to have numerous remedial properties; e.g. (depending on the stone) the ability to promote self-confidence, concentration, relieve headaches and stress, promote a calm mind, and encourage positivity.

We will look at a small selection of gems and their claimed remedial powers. A disavowal before you read any further : The details of this article are founded on a collective belief, so there is no scientific proof as to the efficacy of such gems and their supposed restorative powers.

Amazonite
This gem assists self-assurance and imparts a sense of hope to the wearer.

Amber
This stone remedies physiological stress, calms nerves and improves self-assurance. It stimulates creativeness by eradicating negativity. It is claimed to be effective for joints and help energize the liver and kidneys.

Haematite
A powerful gem that gives boosts willpower and strength. Very useful for balancing the body and spirit. A very grounding gemstone which cuts down stress and is claimed to prevent insomnia.

Malachite
A mighty gemstone that can absorb destructive energies and “contamination”. Useful for people suffering from emotional stress.

Sodalite
Increases the power to commune with and to empathize with other people. Effective for the maturation of intuition and spirituality.

The preceding gemstones are just a tiny selection of gems that are claimed to have therapeutic powers. The only genuine way to realise if these stones can help you is to actually wear them if you suffer from an ailment that a gem is believed to help remedy.

The Jewelry Hut Article Seven: Where to Buy Fine Jewelry?

You are window-shopping and notice a famous brand name watch in the window of a small jewelry store. You go into the store and ask to see the watch. The sales person shows the watch to you with its price. When you hesitate to buy the watch, he offers it to you at a lower price. Would you buy it?

You are looking at diamonds in a jewelry store, and the salesperson offers you a diamond for cash, without a sales receipt and invoice or sales tax, for a price lower than the original one. Would you buy it?

You see sign of “Going Out of Business. Must sell all jewelry at 50% or 75% off.” Would you go into store and buy any jewelry piece there?

All of the above are examples of precisely where you should not buy fine jewelry. In buying fine jewelry, you are buying jewelry you want to keep and treasure, not to throw away the way you may do with costume jewelry. For that reason, not to mention what you may have to pay, you want to be careful where you buy jewelry. And the more you pay, the more you want to be sure the store is reliable, with a reputation of standing behind what it sells. Those qualifications automatically rule out street peddlers, strangers, or fly-by-night stores that may be here today and gone tomorrow, and stores with continual going out of business sales. But where not to go is not much help in finding the store where you should go.

If you have a reputable jeweler with whom you have dealt in the past and with whom you have always been satisfied, you will want to continue going to him. On the other hand, perhaps you have moved or you are making your first purchase of jewelry or your jeweler does not carry the type of jewelry you want. How do you go about finding the right place to buy a piece of gold jewelry or a diamond or other gemstone? How do you know whether you are getting the best advice available? How do you know the store has the kind of business and professional ethics that will mean a fair price backed up by assurance that what you buy is genuine?

One way is to ask people you know about their jewelers, just as you would ask about their dentists or physicians. The key word is jeweler. A jeweler should be an expert in precious metals and gems, with training, experience, integrity, and a reputation in the field to protect. These qualities are important, because with the price of jewelry being what it is you can not afford an expensive mistake: you need guarantee that a piece of jewelry is what it is supposed to be, Since you can not always tell just by looking at it. In this sense, jewelry is a blind purchase.

A jeweler is a person, who makes or repairs jewelry or who deals in jewelry, precious stones, watches, and perhaps silverware and china. More important to you is the fact that jeweler should not only deal in those items but also be an expert in them and stand behind what he sells and work done.

Whether or not you have the names of several jewelers, start out to find the one for you by looking around various stores. Some jewelers may specialize in certain types of jewelry. If you are interested in diamonds, make sure the store carries a good selection of diamonds. If you are interested in colored stones, make sure it has a good selection of those, including the ones you may want to buy.

A jeweler may have a wide choice of diamonds, which is good as long as you want to buy a diamond, and only one or two rubies, sapphires, or tourmalines, which can be costly, as well as for stones that are less expensive. If you want one of the lesser-known gems like peridot or spinel, for example, you want a jeweler who does not display those gems may still have them or be able to get them, but you want assurance he is familiar with gems.

Once you have found a jeweler or jewelers who carry what you want in styles that appeal to you, you still want to know more about the store. That brings up professional ethics and sound business practices.

Knowing Your Antique & Vintage Jewelry

To wear and enjoy a beautiful piece of antique and vintage jewelry with a history behind can be a wonderful, exhilarating experience. For many it is a lovingly addicting hobby. The more you collect, the more you want to collect! It’s that exciting! But when buying these jewels of yesterday, how can one be certain that what they are buying is truly authentic and not relatively new and/or of it’s claimed value? It’s always advisable to buy from reputable dealers who guarantee their items plus learning what to look for in a piece. Attend Antique & Collectable Shows, browse Antique Shops and read lots of books to familiarize yourself with period styles and their findings.

When looking at a piece, examine it carefully both front and back. An genuinely old piece will have all the ingredients to confirm its authenticity. Many jewelry styles do tend to overlap so always check the entire piece for clues. Is the piece signed, hallmarked? Surprisingly enough a lot of antique jewelry was marked in the most unusual of places so check along the edges, inside of the bale, the pin stem and even on the back of the pin stem! You’ll be amazed at what you could find and where you will find it. Suddenly a piece of jewelry that you thought was newer or made of silver plate or gold plate now may be seen in a different light as genuine antique silver or gold and have a lot of value!

A lot of old jewelry such as Victorian Jewelry was not marked. So now what? A Victorian brooch with a long pin stem extending outward is a good indication that it’s early Victorian while a shorter one is of a later date. The “C” clasp is another indication that the piece is old. Remember that there are always exceptions to the rules since the “C” clasp was also used later on in Europe so take every detail into account to come to your full conclusion. Look at the hinge and the clasp of a brooch, bracelet, necklace, etc.. Does it look like a clasp used today or does it seem a bit different to you? Compare new pieces to old pieces. Does the jewelry have a brass spring ring clasp from the 1930s or a shiny gold plate clasp? Are the findings on a piece consistent with the design of that era? Those small differences could answer your questions and drastically influence the value of a piece. The tube hinge was generally used until the 1890s where the safety catch clasp became popular in the Art Deco 1920s period. Over the years the appearance of the safety catch clasp has changed so it’s good to recognize the old from the new. Many clasps on old jewelry such as pins broke in time so replacement ones were soldered onto the back. All better Jewelry is soldered at some place but if the piece has raised pads soldered to the back of the Brooch where the clasp is attached then it is a replacement clasp.

Another good clue to dating a piece and determining the value of Antique and Vintage Jewelry is to look at the metal content where there might be some underneath wear, usually in back where it would rub against the clothing. Genuine Gold and Silver, even if it has wear, will not show a base metal underneath since it continues all the way through. Many costume pieces from the nineteenth century and into the Art Deco period were made of gold and/or silver over base metals such as gold over brass, silver over brass, silver over copper, gold over copper, etc. That’s one way of knowing the piece is at least 60 years old and more. During the war years of the 1940s there was a shortage of base metals where it affected the jewelry industry so sterling silver was substituted. If you see a marking such as “1/20 12K on Sterling” then 1/5 of the piece is 12K gold and is likely to be from 1942 to 1945. Vintage Bakelite which is a Polymeric Plastic invented by Leo Hendrik Baekeland in 1907, became popular in jewelry design during the hardships of World War II also. There are several tests in determining Authentic Antique and Vintage Bakelite Jewelry using Formula 409, Hot Water, Simichrome Polish and a Q-Tip. Still some Bakelite such as Black Bakelite may not test positive. Since Bakelite is either cast or molded it would not have a seam line anywhere and the workmanship should look hand carved and not be crudely executed as if a stamp was used. On Vintage Bakelite brooches, the clasp would be embedded into the piece.

Fine Jewelry containing Diamonds or Precious Stones such as Rubies, Emeralds and Sapphires are either bezel-set, inset or set with prongs and will always have open-backs for maximum brightness. Air bubbles seen in stones is a clue right off that the piece is glass. Marcasites which were substituted for diamonds as early as the 1700s, regained it’s popularity in the 1920s and 1930s. A higher valued marcasite piece would have better workmanship where each marcasite would be set with tiny prongs or beads versus glued in ones and because of this the stones will stay in place longer. This is also true for Rhinestones in Vintage Costume Jewelry where prong set ones are valued higher than glued in ones.

These are just some of the many tips to knowing your Jewelry. It’s so helpful to learn what to look for when buying Antique and Vintage Jewelry which also can be as much fun as wearing and collecting it! Knowledge is definitely Jewelry Golden!

To Read and See about more Antique and Vintage Jewelry & Collectibles from the Victorian Era into the 1960s, check out our YEARS AFTER Shop at www.rubylane.com/shops/yearsafter

Copyright©2006

by Sharon Lemell of www.YearsAfter.com

We at YEARS AFTER at Ruby Lane have been dealing in Antique & Vintage Jewelry for over 20 years and offer a Wide Selection of Authentic Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco, Retro, Fine Gold and Silver, Mexican Silver Jewelry, Vintage Plastics such as Antique Vintage Bakelite, Celluloid & Lucite Jewelry, Kitchenware Utensils, Purses, Dolls & Clothing and related items.

Give Them Diamonds!

Everyone Loves Diamonds…
When they said that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, they weren’t joking. Women love diamonds for their brilliance and for what they represent, and men like diamonds for the elegance and class associated with the gems. No matter whom you’re shopping for, especially if it’s yourself, you can’t go wrong with diamonds. A diamond watch is a gift that anyone would love to own.

How to Decide Where to Buy and How Much to Spend
If you need to keep the time anyway, why not do it in style? But shopping for diamond watch is never easy. Every jewelry store is competing with all the others, and you hear so many horror stories about this jewelry store and that. You hardly know which store to go to when they all make each other out to be crooks. When every jewelry store advertises that the competition doesn’t know what they’re doing, who are you supposed to trust? And diamond watches are so expensive, many of the prices found in the jewelry stores are just too much to pay.

A little Internet shopping might be the first thing you’ll want to check out, because even if you don’t buy you can get some different prices to comparison shop with. In most locations, the Sunday edition of the newspaper is filled with ads for jewelry stores. It is always easier to buy something when it’s on sale, and the Sunday sales ads offer great bargains. The colorful displays will give the casual shopper a good idea of what’s being offered, also.

The Right Diamonds for You
Diamond lovers talk of clarity, carat, and cut, but in truth the best diamond to buy is the one that you absolutely love. If it sings to you, and you can afford it, then you should take the plunge. What’s the point of having something attractive if you don’t completely adore it? A quality diamond is the one that looks the best to you. After all, a beautiful diamond watch is an item that can be passed down through generations, and will always be treasured. The right diamond watch to pick is the one that you love, because either way you’re going to be stuck with it for a long while yet.

The setting, the stones, the watch itself all must combine in just the right way. When all these different pieces come together to form the perfect whole, you will know it right away. The watch that strikes you the most is the one you’ll want to buy. Worrying about the cut and shape of the stones, the perfection and size, is less important than the general appeal and effect of the whole piece.

If you’re buying diamonds for someone else, try to put yourself in their shoes. Think about their taste and style in other jewelry that they’re worn or purchased, and mimic this as much as possible. In any case, a diamond watch is a gift that anyone will cherish for a lifetime. A beautiful diamond watch will be cherished all the more, and buying someone a gift that they would have picked out for themselves, if they could have, is a gesture that will never be forgotten.

The Gift They’ll Always Remember
Large or small, diamonds are always fashionable. A diamond watch is a great gift to give to yourself or someone close to you, and it should last you a lifetime. After all, doesn’t everyone love diamonds? Some can afford to buy the very best, and that’s always to be encouraged. Others must live on a budget, but that doesn’t mean everyone doesn’t want to buy elegant things or give precious gifts. Doing a little shopping around will help you determine what kind of watch you can afford to purchase, and at least you’ll have done your homework before you venture inside your local jewelry store. Giving someone a beautiful piece that will last them a lifetime is a gesture that won’t soon be forgotten, and if you’re shopping for yourself then you’ll have something you can always cherish. The best purchase you can make is an educated one, so be sure to do plenty of shopping around before you commit. In any case, diamonds are going to be an expensive purchase, but they are considered to be something of an investment. You’ll want to spend your money wisely, and come away with something that best suits you.

Zai Zhu is a watch connoisseur and a watch dealer. Visit http://www.discountwatchstore.com to learn more about wristwatches. You will also find a collection of over 800 fine watches including hundreds of Citizen Watches and Invicta watches, as well as brands like Mido, Orient, Luminox, Croton, Wenger, and Vanceur. Fine authentic watches for less - that is our philosophy.

Omega Watches - An Intriguing Look At the History Behind These Luxurious Watches

Engineered 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 (Société suisse pour l’industrie horlogère) in Geneva, Switzerland was created as the new parent company of the newly merged watch companies. Fortunately, the merger between Tissot and Omega was a big success, which is why in a relatively short time the SSIH group grew to over fifty other companies including Lemania, Lanco and Hamilton. And in a relatively short period of time, the SSIH group has managed to position themselves as the third largest producer of luxury watches, as well as watch movements in the world.

It was during this time when Omega produced a number of its most loved time pieces. Vintage Omega watches that are still highly sought and are famous to this day.

During the Second World War, Omega built a solid reputation for themselves by coming out with military and pilot watches for servicemen. They have always been known for their fine craftsmanship and their great attention to detail. Other popular watches from that era were the Omega Speedmaster chronograph, the Omega Seamaster waterproof sports watch and the Omega Constellation watches, which are all still incredibly popular.

During an economic downturn in 1980, Omega found itself once again merging with another Swiss watch giant - ASUAG, which manufactures and produces other popular Swiss watches such as Swatch, Longines and Rado. The new company that emerged from the Omega-ASUAG merger was called the ASUAG-SSIH company. Unfortunately, even the combined resources of the newly formed company was unable to fight off the economic slump that Omega was facing during that time which resulted in the newly formed company to be taken over by a private group. The ASUAG-SSIH company was renamed and shortened to just SMH which still exists today.

This article may be reproduced only in its entirety.

Scott Knutson is an entrepreneur and writer. For more of his articles visit: Fossil Watches | Seiko Watches | Rolex Watches

How To Restore Old Jewelry

Over the years you can acquire a lot of jewelry. Some of it you may not wear very often, while some of it might be appropriate for everyday where. So what do you do with the rest of it? Here are some ideas for you.

1. First, get all of it cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner at a jewelry store. This will help restore its luster and may revive an old piece you had fallen out of love with.

2. Next, separate the pieces you own into three piles: The pile you always wear, the pile you wear on special occasions, and the pile you never wear. For the last pile, don’t feel badly about putting jewelry in that pile. Just because you probably won’t wear it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have sentimental value for you. Very shortly you will find a way to enjoy it. But just hold on and let’s deal with the other piles first.

3. With the first pile, the pile you always wear, you can keep them in a place that is convenient for you on your dresser. If there are pieces that you rotate, and you’re concerned that they may go missing if your house were ever broken into, consider getting a hidden compartment safe built into your home. For example, get a safe that looks like a regular electrical outlet where you can keep your regular jewelry away from an intruder if they were to get in.

4. With the second pile, the pile you only wear on special occasions, identify if you wear them with a certain outfit. If you do, put them in a plastic bag and put the bag in the pocket of that outfit. That way, you don’t have to worry about it until it comes time to wear the outfit, then you can pull out the bag and put on the jewelry.

5. With the last pile, the pile you likely won’t wear, there are a few ideas you can use. First, you can find great joy in giving the jewelry to someone else, like your daughter or a special niece. Jewelry is beautiful and sentimental but is made even more special when passed from one person to another. For some of the other jewelry, take it to a frame store and see if they can put it into a shadow box. You’ll be amazed at some of the things they can do with frames and shadow boxes and will really make your special jewelry even more special, and available for everyone to enjoy!

Jeff Lakie is the founder of Jewelry Information a website providing information on Jewelry

Not Excited by Diamonds? A Few Sparkling Alternatives for Your Engagement Ring

When Charles, Prince of Wales decided to seek the hand of Lady Diana, diamond was not even in the running. Rumor has it that a call went out for a perfect ruby above six carats to consummate the royal betrothal. So rare is the pigeon blood stone that a suitable candidate could not be found. Instead the Prince made due with an eighteen carat sapphire reportedly from Sri Lanka.

Though the British royal family is not known as tight, the royals are justly admired for their sophistication, knowledge of gemstones and their desire squeeze full value from every, er, pound. Yet historically diamond is not been the gem of choice; aside from Diana, Princess Anne received a sapphire and Andrew gave Fergie a ruby. Do their Royal Highnesses know something we don’t?

Could it be the hype? Diamonds are touted as the “traditional” engagement stone but, whose tradition? The fact is that it all began in 1939 when Harry Openheimer the president of the De Beers cartel visited New York to meet with Gerold M. Lauck the president of N.W. Ayer, a leading advertising agency.

The value of diamond sales had declined 50% by the end of World War I and Openheimer was determined to do something about it, Lauck’s suggestion; manufacture a tradition. So successful was the campaign that in 1967 De Beers hired J. Walter Thompson to create a similar “tradition” in Japan, a country with absolutely no history of diamond giving. As a result, today over 90% of all Japanese women receive a diamond engagement ring.

Perhaps it’s the fact that diamond, the gem that is promoted as the ultimate symbol of beauty and rarity is not really rare at all. The fact is that world production has risen in a steady curve since 1900. Do you know a woman over the age of thirty who does not own at least one diamond?

With a world production of diamonds topping a hundred million carats a year, do you feel like your special relationship requires a more unique symbol? What are the options? Well beauty is important but durability is as well. That ring that she slips on her finger worn daily will take more abuse for more years than Daffy Duck ever gave Elmer Fudd. Luckily gemstones are one of the hardest and most durable objects on earth.

Sapphire and ruby, the royal gems of choice, are excellent candidates. They are really brother and sister, both members of the gem family corundum. Hardness and toughness are the two measures of durability. Diamond is the harder but ruby and sapphire are tougher and at 9 on the Mohs scale, ruby and sapphire are the second hardest things on earth. In fact, only another sapphire/ruby or diamond will scratch either. There are also expanded color choices: ruby is red but sapphire occurs in virtually every other color, besides, blue you may choose, pink, purple or yellow.

Looking for something really exotic (and less expensive as well? Consider spinel! In elder times red spinel was often confused with ruby, the Black Prince’s Ruby that sits in the English Crown just below the Koh-i-noor diamond is actually a spinel. Spinel comes in lovely shades of pink and is the third hardest gem.

Other options? make sure your choice is over 7 on the mohs scale of hardness: Jade and tourmaline are good possibilities. Avoid amethyst, citrine, opal, tanzanite and the softer garnets. Hard garnets like tsavorite (green garnet) and spessartite (pure orange garnet) at 7.25 are worth consideration. One exception: pearl, gem of Venus, the original symbol of love: It’s a bit soft but makes it up by being tough as nails. Avoid Japanese Akoya (thin skinned) but Tahitian Black; South sea White and Chinese Freshwater will serve admirably.

Still sold on diamond but want something colorful? Believe it or not diamond comes in every color and colored diamonds are truly rare. On big problem, hold on to your wallet: yellow and brown diamonds are affordable but blues, greens; orange, pink and red diamonds are exceptionally rare and bring breathtaking prices.

By Richard W. Wise

Richard W. Wise is a Graduate Gemologist and President of R.W. Wise, Goldsmiths, Inc. His early interest in gemstones led him write extensively about precious stones. For more information on his new book, visit his website at http://www.secretsofthegemtrade.com

An Introduction To Diamond Engagement Rings

You are very much in love and want to get married. But before you ask for her hand in marriage, you have to buy a diamond engagement ring. It won’t just stand as a symbol of your undying love and affection — it will also tell her that you care enough to choose only the best.

Here are some guidelines about diamond engagement rings to help you on your way:

The cut of the diamond on your engagement ring is probably the most important factor, because the brilliance of a diamond depends heavily on it. The ability of the diamond to handle light depends on how its angles are ‘architectured.’ The best diamonds are proportioned – the depth should be optimally matched to the diameter, among other things.

Make sure that the diamond you are buying has minimal inner flaws (called inclusions) that are created in the formation process. The more visible and the bigger the size of these inclusions, the lower the diamond is rated in terms of clarity. Clear diamonds are more brilliant, and therefore more expensive.

The best diamonds are colorless, since they allow maximum light refraction that creates sparkle. Off-white diamonds are cheaper, because they absorb light instead of refracting it, reducing brilliance.

Carat weight may seem tricky, but it is actually fairly easy to understand. Just keep in mind that the price of a diamond increases exponentially as its size increases. Bigger is not necessarily better, though, so try to strike a balance between size and quality.

Often called the ‘fifth C’ in choosing a diamond, a certificate is like a ‘grading report that contains the assessment of the diamond according to a qualified professional. This professional uses gemological instruments not only to evaluate the cut, color, clarity and carat weight, but also to document the stone’s unique characteristics.

Titanium Rings - Why Buy One?

Good question - why indeed? To answer it we need to go back to basics but also, by answering it, a whole avalanche of questions open up, so let’s start at the beginning.

1. It is hypoallergenic, which in short means that very few people have skin so sensitive that they will react to it - unlike gold or silver where reactions are quite common. A lot of customers come to us with this problem and are very pleased when they find that they have the opportunity to wear an item of jewellery that not only will cause them not to break out in lesions of Biblical proportions, but also looks stunning when inlaid with gold, platinum or diamonds.

2. Titanium has excellent corrosion resistance due to the fact that when it is scratched or machined, the surface forms a protective oxide layer almost instantaneously. This accounts for the reason why it does not lose its colour by tarnishing like gold or silver does.

3. Strength to weight ratio - Titanium is as strong as steel but with around half the weight making rings made from this material some of the most comfortable to wear. Design also plays a big part in the comfort of a ring as well of course, GETi rings are shaped for comfort and highly polished on the inside which makes them some of the easiest to wear. Many people apprehensive about wearing a ring quickly grow accustomed to wearing one of ours, this is especially true due to the fact that the majority of our rings can be modified in wall thickness and width to the personal requirements of each individual.

4. Long lasting - Titanium rings will last a lifetime if not seriously abused with hammers and spanners, but, on the other hand, they are not Kryptonite and will show signs of wear in time. Small scratches will appear quite quickly as with rings made from gold or silver and the same rule applies to Titanium rings as to precious metal rings - if you buy a polished ring it will dull down, and if you buy a satin ring it will polish up, meeting somewhere in the middle. Refurbishment of your ring is quite straight forward to us because we specialize in Titanium.

Buying your ring from a GETi stockist either online or from a ‘bricks and mortar’ gallery ensures the best possible service with regard to sizing and refinishing. We do not recommend internet auction sites or major high street jewellery outlets for your ring. A lot of these stockists import their rings from the Far East and their knowledge of the product is very limited. Also please be advised that some rings with what appears to have a reasonable solid gold inlay only have sections of thin gold plate on them - this will wear off very quickly. Please contact us for details of your nearest GETi stockist to avoid disappointment.

5. And finally (”At last!!” I hear you all cry) the answer to the question - Why buy a Titanium ring? Why not? - dare to be different. Titanium is a new, exciting material and can be enhanced with gold, platinum, diamonds or sapphires to make it as bold as you like Your ring will command a lot of attention and if the novelty wears off - just get a divorce and buy a new one!!

GETi are the UK’s leading brand of Titanium rings, hand crafted in the UK. http://www.geti.cc

The Many Styles Of Celtic Engagement Rings

Irish traditions are rich and full of both whimsy and sentiment. This is especially true when it comes to weddings and marriage. The Irish symbolize beautifully the real meaning of marriage with their wedding rings. Celtic engagement rings and wedding bands have a style all their own, but still lend themselves to adding your own personal touches. An antique gold ring with the telltale woven pattern is the perfect symbol of the blending of two lives.
 
Designing Your Celtic Engagement Rings

Once you’ve decided you love the tradition of the Irish wedding ring, you can design your own engagement ring and wedding bands to incorporate those styles.

First you begin with the precious metal that will hold the pattern and any gemstones. Rings can be fashioned out of gold, silver, or platinum. Jewelers will tell you what material best suits the stones you may be setting within the ring. Platinum for example is the perfect material for setting a high quality diamond since it will not discolour or yellow the stone as gold may.

Next the metal is moulded into the traditional woven Celtic pattern. Even an antique Celtic ring can be remade to suit the new couple’s preferences. It can be carefully resized as to not lose the pattern and it can have personal gemstones added to it.

Rings can be made in many different widths too. For example, if you have a one carat diamond, you will probably want a wider band than a ½ carat diamond would hold. That is true especially if you want to show off the intertwined pattern and not have it hidden by the stone.

Adding gems to a Celtic style ring gives you many design options. You can intersperse small stones throughout the crosses on the weaving or add one centre stone. The stone can be part of the engagement ring with a solitaire placed there, and then have either a plain Celtic band or one with several coordinating stones. The design possibilities are endless.
 
Making Your Ring a Part of the Wedding Ceremony

It is customary in many Jewish, Christian or non denominational wedding services to exchange rings. To further highlight the reason you chose a Celtic engagement ring, you can include a brief message of its meaning on your invitation.

The meaning of the intertwined or woven pattern is symbolic of the blending and joining of two lives into one never ending circle. You can further enhance this message through the music you choose for your ceremony.

Irish or not, using Celtic engagement rings and Irish music will make any wedding ceremony and reception special. This is a day to always remember and the rings you wear will be a part of that memory long after the champagne is gone and the guests have returned home. Keep the feelings you have on that day a part of everyday with the symbolic ring style.

Clinton Maxwell is a publisher for www.engagement-rings-tips.com an online internet site. Robert is helping people finding the best solutions for www.engagement-rings-tips.com/celtic-engagement-rings.html and wedding preparation.