Posts Tagged ‘Wedding Jewelry’

The early Roman era is credited with the initial custom of giving rings for wedding purposes. After families reached a marriage agreement for their children, an engagement would be celebrated with an established rite. Engagement rings would be exchanged during this ceremony. The engagement ring would be placed on the left ring-finger in accordance to an Egyptian belief that that a very fine vein ran directly to the heart from the left finger. The Romans used an ancient clasped hand design for betrothal rings. This “fede” or “trust” ring remained popular for centuries and is still used in jewelry.

Typically antique wedding rings from the 19 th century and the 20 th century were plain gold bands. Many of these gold bands were engraved with expressions of affection or important dates. Gemstones in antique jewelry were expensive luxuries as trade with the Middle East and Asia had not yet allowed for the flow of imported stones. Not all wedding rings were plain gold during the 19 th century. Some antique wedding rings were made with a delicate designs using turquoise, which symbolized the forget-me-not flower. It was not uncommon to find 19 th century wedding rings using pearls or small diamonds.

During the early 1900s, wedding jewelry was designed to be delicate and feminine. Edwardian wedding rings were set in platinum or a mix of yellow gold topped with platinum or silver to allow diamonds to shine. Diamonds were the most common gemstone in 1910 wedding rings. Edwardian engagement rings would often have old-mine cut diamonds or old-European-cut diamonds. Old-mine cut and European-cut diamonds have high crowns that enhance luster under candlelight. 1910 antique filigree rings were crafted with delicate gold or platinum. Antique platinum diamond rings have maintained much of their beauty because of the durability of platinum.

The 1920s wedding rings used more geometric designs and colored stones. Art Deco engagement rings were constructed with old-mine cut, European-cut and brilliant-cut diamonds and set primarily in platinum or white gold. New diamond cutting techniques allowed for new diamond cuts which would add an enhanced geometric flair. Synthetic sapphires or rubies were used to accent art deco engagement rings. 1920s engagement ring shapes featured a center diamond in square, octagonal or hexagonal pronged settings. Art Deco wedding ring settings may have been domed or even stair stepped. 1920′s and 1930s engagement rings would be embellished with engraved designs on the shoulders and shanks of rings. The 1930s wedding rings would be made of 18kt and 14kt white gold filigree designs. Ring shanks would continue to be thin by today’s standards.

During the 1940s, platinum was required for war efforts and was prohibited for other purposes in the U.S. Silver would often be used instead of platinum and jewelry hoarding occurred.

1960s and 1970s wedding rings would bring a change by using yellow gold mixed with diamonds instead of platinum, silver or white gold.

When shopping for antique and estate wedding rings it is important to confirm that the ring is symmetrical. It is also important to verify that all gemstones in estate engagement rings are tight and in good condition. Antique diamonds should be closely examined for chips or internal fractures. Antique platinum rings should be checked closely to see if the engraved design is still visible and that all parts of the filigree are intact. Antique Pearl or Turquoise wedding rings need to be checked for discoloration and scratches. If an estate wedding ring needs to be resized, make certain that all hallmarks and inscriptions are retained.

Ten Two Three’s Antique Filigree Engagement Wedding Rings
K. Greene

Author: Kelly Greene
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger

What is it about wedding jewelry that makes a bride choose to purchase a piece of jewelry, and what should she look for ? Hmm… An interesting question, for both brides and for the stores selling to the bridal market.

Well, to begin with, each piece of bridal jewelry should be as finely made as the bride can afford. If the bride plans on giving the bridesmaids and flower girls their jewelry as their bridesmaids gifts for being in the wedding party, then the metals used to make the wedding jewelry must be either sterling silver, 14k gold filled metal or gold. any other silver metal will quickly turn color and turn to brass. What a letdown – to see beautiful, and expensive bridal and bridesmaid jewelry turn to junk! A word of advice to brides – read what you are buying – if it just says silver, you’re not getting the real thing! Truly, silver is still not that expensive a material that a wedding jewelry company cannot afford to use a small amount in any piece of jewelry.

A wedding jewelry design company should use only the finest materials in every piece of bridal and wedding party jewelry they make.

As to sterling silver, the better bridal jewelers are now moving towards using argentium sterling silver, which tarnishes very slowly, holds it’s bright shine much longer, and doesn’t need polishing for very long intervals in-between times. As bridal jewelry is quite delicate and many pieces have hand-wrapping, especially bridal & bridesmaid earrings, this can be really important. The hand-wrapping creates tiny areas that are hard to polish. Rough handling of the delicate jewelry while polishing it could break it. Thus the comparatively more expensive and valuable argentium silver is well worth the price.

By the way, to take care of your sterling silver jewelry, argentium or not, when mixed with pearls, either use a polishing cloth, or put a bit of toothpaste on a soft brush and polish only the silver. You don’t want harsh abrasives near any freshwater or other natural pearls in your wedding jewelry as they will be damaged. Swarovski and many other faux pearls, on the other hand, can take a good deal of abuse without becoming damaged.

Now, one thing that really draws brides towards buying a particular wedding accessory is the shine, sparkle, and excitement that each piece of jewelry radiates. Pulling together our collections of bridal necklaces, we made certain to have some wedding necklaces that had crystals with such bright sparkling to reflect wonderful light on the brides face. Necklaces with brilliance like this draw so much attention to the bride and her beautiful face are really quite wonderful!

You know, that is one of the main reasons for wearing jewelry after all; To draw attention to oneself! And nothing does it better than sparkling jewelry!

The size of jewelry pieces and the importance of each piece is often a consideration as to what to purchase, especially when the bride is considering purchasing hair jewelry, necklaces AND earrings. Well, the key here is that only ONE (1) piece of jewelry should be the main star ; Or the jewelry pieces should all belong to a set – that is, of the same design or design elements, so that as a whole they work as a beautiful set. You don’t want each piece fighting for center stage – that would only pull attention away from the bride and the bride’s face – counterpoint to the whole reason for wearing jewelry!

Crystal wedding jewelry, by the way will usually give you the best sparkle. When shopping, look for a wedding jewelry design company with a large selection of both pearl and crystal designs in bridal earrings, bridesmaid bracelets and wedding & bridal accessories.

If you’re looking for jewelry that harmonizes your colors and wedding theme with the colors of your bridesmaid dresses and the jewelry for the wedding party, there’s nothing better than working with swarovski crystals and pearls. They come in so many colors that by themselves or in combination with one another create any color look that you might be looking for. Swarovski crystals still come from Austria and are the finest crystals made. They come in many shapes and sizes, and there are also a nice variety of pendants that can showcase a design or set off a design.

It’s been my experience that you need to have many, many styles for many different tastes.
Brides want to see a nice sampling of bridal jewelry in an online catalog. They’re really interested in seeing very different designs of jewelry in a collection. Marketing to the bridal jewelry market is really similar to the bridal gown market.

I Wish You Love and a Happy Life Filled With Love!

Rika Bronsther
Wishing You Love and a Happy Life Filled with Love!
Wedding and Bridal Jewelry & Accessories

Wedding Jewelry Designs

Author: Rika Bronsther
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Duty on LCD/Plasma TV

If you think that all couples wishing to get married are choosing only modern designs for their wedding rings … think again. This is because among them, there are many couples who are planning to have a more traditional wedding and more so because some such couples are into old-fashioned romance. It is precisely these couples who are choosing antique wedding rings to match the overall style of the traditional wedding they have in mind. The choice of antique style wedding bands also reflect the individual personality and taste of the couple. It’s true that searching for the perfect antique wedding rings, or for that matter, antique filigree wedding rings, can be a daunting task given the enormity of the range of antique style wedding rings available online, in jewelry stores or advertised. However, it is quite possible to get antique wedding rings to match your old-fashioned romance as well as the old-world style of the wedding you’ve planned.

Believe it or not, the best place to search for antique wedding bands could be your own home and that of your partner’s. If both of you are lucky enough to possess family heirlooms in the form of antique style wedding rings, you could end up with authentic antique wedding rings and what’s more, for free. The advantage here is that if you wish to make alterations in the size and design of such rings to suit you, these can be carried out by any professional jeweler. In case, you wish to change the gem stone settings or add other embellishments, this can also be done easily. The beauty of heirloom, antique style wedding bands and even antique filigree wedding bands is that they have the ability to exude an antique look yet appear as good as new when thoroughly cleaned and polished.

To cater to the special segment of couples looking for antique wedding rings, several jewelry stores and retailers have separate sections where you and your partner can find matching antique style wedding rings. Apart from such jewelry stores, there are many specialized, mail order jewelry catalogues and online jewelry stores which feature a wide range of antique wedding rings as well as antique filigree wedding rings. However, it is important to be fully convinced of the legitimate status of such stores, the specification of the antique wedding rings you may order and the authenticity of the gem stones, should they form part of your rings. Photographs of antique style wedding rings in jewelry catalogues or online directories can be deceptive, therefore, you must be careful and exercise some caution.

If you and your partner have mutually agreed on an idea or design that you’ve created yourselves for your antique wedding bands but not sure what they will look like when finished, you can get a professional designer at any reputed jewelry store to come up with a more realistic illustration or an actual prototype. If you succeed, this will be one more precious memory, among the many others, of your contribution to the creation of your own antique wedding rings and all the other events that made your old-fashioned wedding a big success.

Wedding Rings
Why People Love Antique Wedding Rings

Author: Jen Carter
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Pressure cooker

So much beautiful mass-produced jewelry exists, and it can create wonderful accessory pieces for both the bride and bridesmaids. Since this production jewelry is so available, why would a bride opt for artisan jewelry for her wedding party?

Artisan jewelry is jewelry designed and created by the artisan. Artisan jewelry can be can be either fine jewelry made with precious metals and precious stones or bridge jewelry made of semi-precious stones and semi-precious metals such as sterling silver and gold-filled wire. Each piece is either one-of-a kind or limited edition. The jewelry can be created just for the bride or for the entire wedding party.

A bride spends a lot of time planning every phase of wedding and gives infinite attention to detail with the gown. Jewelry is essential to the entire presentation and should enhance, but not overpower the gown. Uniquely designed artisan jewelry will give the bride a unique opportunity to present herself and her wedding party beautifully. The artisan can create jewelry to match the colors and theme of the wedding and the gowns and hairstyles of those in the wedding party.

When you meet with your jewelry artisan, take pictures of your gown and the gowns of your attendants. You will also need some samples of your colors. It is also a good idea to give the jewelry artisan an idea of the size and coloring of each person who will be wearing the jewelry. You will also need a description of the hairstyles that will be worn by the members of the wedding party.

The jewelry can be custom made for each individual with unique shapes and colors, with an eye to later wear ability. The entire ensemble of jewelry worn in the wedding can be well coordinated so each person has something unique but not clashing with the other members of the wedding party.

To be sure that you and your jewelry artisan are both envisioning the same thing, you may want to ask for some sketches of the planned jewelry before you proceed. You will probably have to pay for this because design and sketching are a huge part of the job and your artisan will have spent a good bit of time working on your behalf.

In choosing the materials to be used in the jewelry, you will want to consider the individuals and the clothing they will be wearing, but you will also want to plan the jewelry to look best with the lighting you are using in the wedding. If it is a candle light wedding, you might find crystal to be the perfect accessory, as it will reflect the flickering light from the candles.

Crystals come in dozens of colors and some are subtle enough so that each piece of jewelry can be a little bit different from the others and blend. A bridesmaid with blonde hair and blue eyes might look best in the palest of blue crystals while your red haired bride’s maid would look wonderful in the light peach crystal.

If your wedding is in natural daylight, freshwater pearls will be a beautiful choice. These can be accented with crystals for a little sparkle. Freshwater pearls come in a subtle range of colors that can be matched to the coloring of your attendants.

Just as a general guideline, you really need only one piece of statement jewelry; the other pieces can accessorize that piece. If you have huge earrings, your necklace should be simpler and if you have a large cuff bracelet, you probably don’t want a heavy necklace. Sets of two pieces are nice and you might even get away with three matching pieces, but matching earrings, necklace, bracelet, ring and tiara is just a little too much. Working with common techniques and materials should help the pieces coordinate nicely.

If you are wearing your hair down, you will want a larger earring. Hoops are usually a little too casual for such an event, but a stylish pair of chandelier earrings will look beautiful. If you are wearing your hair up, you might plan for a smaller earring, but still have a bit of a dangle so it will have movement. If your hair is worn up and you have a small earring, you may want to use a larger necklace if the neckline of your dress will accommodate it. Your jewelry artisan can create a tiara to suit your hairstyle and also to hold your chosen veil.

Consider the neckline and sleeve of your dress. If the dress has a high neck, you would more ornate earrings with maybe a fine chain with a small pearl pendant on it or if the dress has a V-neck or square neck, you can use a heavier necklace. If the dress has long sleeves, a wide bracelet isn’t your best choice, but if you have short sleeves or your gown is sleeveless, you might want to wear either a wide cuff bracelet or a series of fine pearl and chain or crystal and chain bracelets together on one arm. If your dress is simple, your jewelry can be more ornate, but if your dress is beaded, ruffled or heavily textured, you may want to use jewelry with a cleaner line.

You will see your wedding jewelry in the pictures for years to come. These pieces become keepsakes in the family and can be passed down through the generations. Choose these pieces with consideration toward the tradition you are setting and the timelessness that the jewelry symbolizes.

Kingfisher Designs http://www.wireweavers.com

Jewelry artisan, Louise Coulson along with her husband Don designs and creates jewelry from sterling silver and gold filled wire. Their jewelry shows the wire used almost as if it were a fiber. The fiber arts approach comes from Louise’s long background as a weaver and the meticulous craftsmanship is due to Don’s background in engineering. The pieces are one-of-a-kind or limited edition.

Author: Louise Coulson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger