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# 1 - Wedding Rings
The wedding rings represent endless and continuous commitment to one another. Most couples purchase rings with diamonds, however, other stones are just as precious, as are solid gold and sterling silver rings – the symbolism is the same.

The trend in rings is colored diamonds--the more color the better (opposite of a white diamond). Go shopping to see the different hues and saturation and the tones. You will find colors ranging from faint to fancy light to fancy deep. Some customers like pink and blue, but a large variety of colors are available. More information can be found at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) website: www.gia.edu.

Take care of your rings by paying attention to them. Take it to the jeweler for cleaning once a year. The jeweler can also check to see if the prongs are still strong (for some rings). For proper care: do not wear your diamond ring while doing rough work because the diamond can chip. Keep the diamonds away from chlorine bleach.

Consider buying ring insurance What a great idea for a special piece. Latest trend for the 2005… colored diamonds! Popular colors are yellow, pink, blue, black and gray. You may prefer red, purple or brown. Maybe the sprinkling of color in the bride’s wedding gown can be accented by a colorful wedding ring diamond.

Shopping hints: as always, make sure you are working with a trusted jeweler. Ask to see the “grading report” from an accredited gemological lab to discover the original of the diamond color.

# 2 - Her Ring
Did he surprise you, or maybe you will shop together for the wedding ring? Don't feel alone--many brides and grooms aren’t sure what type or shape ring they really like. The best thing to do is shop around and soon you can narrow it down to a few choices that reflect your taste. Keep reading more hints below before going to the jeweler.

# 3 - His Ring
Men have hundreds of choices in rings, from the most simple band (a favorite), to a few tiny diamonds, to elaborate styles. Keep reading, then go shopping.

# 4 - Engraving
Talk about special! What bride doesn’t want a loving message or her initials or newly married name engraved in her wedding ring? Ask the jeweler for the going rate and how long it will take. This is always something that can be done after the wedding also.

# 5 - Other Jewelry
For the Bride, a necklace and earrings will add the final touch to the Bride's attire. A full dress rehearsal is suggested to really know what works best. So put on the gown, put on the head piece, and then try on a few earring and necklace pieces. Some gowns are so intricate and stylish that a necklace may be too much. Perhaps a simple pair of earrings will serve well. Soon you will say “that’s it”. Jewelry for men is simpler. Today’s Grooms may wear one or two earrings (most don’t wear any). Some prefer to wear elegant cufflinks, and others wear a pocket watch with chain. Other than that, it’s very individual.

# 6 - Diamond Basics
Here is a Diamond 101 course on the basics you should know before going to the jeweler. The easiest way to evaluate diamonds (by untrained eyes) is by recognizing the four “C”s; that is, Carat, Clarity, Color and Cut.

  • CAROT describes the size, the larger the diamond—the more rare—the more expensive (basic economics). The brilliance of large diamonds are breathless. The weight is described in carats: One carat = 100 points. You may see diamonds of .75 carat meaning that it is a ¾ carat stone.

  • CLARITY refers to the brilliance of the diamond. Diamonds are graded by the amount of clarity (lack of inclusions); the less inclusions, the more rare and expensive the stone.

  • Surprisingly, COLOR in a diamond is not what you want if you prefer the beautiful clear diamond – the rule for color is “less is more”. But the trend for 2005 is "color". Diamonds are graded from D through Z, with D being the more rare and expensive (the least amount of color).

  • Lastly, the CUT of the diamond displays the brilliance and value of the stone. Some stones are too deep cut or too shallow cut and do not display the beauty of the stone as well.

    • Keep in mind that the most beautiful diamonds are those that have the best combination of the four factors: Carat, Clarity, Color and Cut. All diamonds are beautiful, even to the most-trained eyes.


    # 7 - The Metals
    What is the difference between gold, white gold and platinum? Most rings are either 18 karat which means it is 75% pure gold, or 14 karat which means it is 58.5% pure gold. Gold is naturally a yellow metal; both are gold alloyed with silver and copper. While platinum is actually pure gold and its color is naturally white. Platinum is pure and durable. It doesn’t tarnish and it is dense which makes it reliable to hold stones. When you “white gold”, that means it is gold (a yellow metal) mixed with nickel and zinc to dilute the gold color. White gold is not in itself a natural metal.

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