Once you have resolved to get married you are confronted by many difficult choices which accompany saying "I do". There is, the flowers, the guest list and of course the wedding jewelry. The selection of your wedding rings will be one of the most important decisions of all as they symbolize your love for each other. The type of wedding ring which you pick will be very much a matter of personal taste. Many couples choose a traditional gold band, while other couples choose a somewhat more involved design for their wedding rings. Many couples nowadays are even going to expert jewelry makers to have elaborate rings custom made to their own ideas. But is it really necessary to put yourselves to the trouble of engaging the services of a designer when you could design your wedding rings yourselves?
Possibly the most obvious benefit of choosing to design your wedding rings yourselves is that you can incorporate elements into the design which give them a very personal and special touch. Despite the fact that you will have to work with a designer to manufacture the rings, you will nevertheless have control over all of the essential decisions in the design process. Ensure that you are happy with the designer you pick so that you can express your opinions about the design of the rings because, when all is said and done, it is really only your opinion which matters. One thing you will have to pick is the type of metal you will use for your rings. Do you prefer the classic look of gold or would you prefer platinum, titanium, silver, or white gold? You must also consider what cut and type of stone you may like to use if you are designing your own wedding bands.
While diamonds remain a popular choice, some couples prefer to include opals, pearls, rubies, or emeralds, while many couples of course opt not to include a stone at all. If you are designing your wedding rings yourselves, you will also be able to choose which extras you want your rings to have like as engravings, accent stones, or a brushed finish. A pair of wedding rings which have been custom designed by you are one of a kind and a superb way to show your love for each other.
A further benefit to deciding to design your own wedding rings is that it is budget friendly. The designer name on a lot of wedding rings which you can purchase from a jewelry shop make them both fashionable and valuable and this also means enormously expensive. For couples who design their own wedding rings, the absence of a designer name can lower the price appreciably. By designing your own wedding rings you are creating a unique expression of your love for your partner. Designing your own wedding rings is not only practical, but they will become cherished pieces of jewelry which will acquire incalculable sentimental value in the years ahead.
Rings that display Celtic knot work are becoming ever more popular choices for wedding bands. As it has no beginning or end, the round shape of the wedding or engagement ring is a sign of never-ending love and fidelity. The continuous strand of the Celtic knot is also a sign of perpetuity and is a striking complement to the symbolism of the ring itself. The crossing of the strands of the knot stands for how our lives are intertwined.
Spirals, Triskeles, and Triquetas, Shield Knots and Sun Symbols are all types of Irish wedding rings. However, most popular by far is the Irish Claddagh. Different traditions give different meanings to the Claddagh, depending on how it is worn. The tale of the Claddagh starts when buccaneers captured a fisherman Richard Joyce and other crewmembers shortly before Joyce was to be married. They sold Joyce to an Algerian goldsmith, and it was there that Joyce made the first Claddagh, named for the village where his fianc'e still waited for him.
Two German mineralogists discovered the cubic form of zirconium oxide in 1937, but it wasn't until the 1970s that Soviet scientists learned how to grow this mineral in the laboratory. It was then that jewelry designers first took notice of Cubic Zirconia. Swarovski & Co., a world-renowned Austrian producer of leaded crystal, began producing Cubic Zirconia in mass quantities, and that is when the substance really took off. Even trained gemologists find it difficult to tell the difference between Cubic Zirconia and real diamonds with the naked eye.
Any ring that can be made with near-colorless diamonds can also be made with yellow diamonds. It may be harder owing to the uncommonness of yellow diamonds, and the greater problem of finding matching stones, but it can be done, with great results. Fancy colored diamonds are very effective when used together with white diamonds. Solitaire rings remain a favorite for fancy colored diamonds.
Wedding rings are a sign of union. This custom of making public the union between a man and a woman is a tradition that goes way back to the ancient Egyptians. Rushes growing on the banks of the Nile were braided around the finger. Although this tradition goes back thousands of years the wearing of men's wedding bands is much newer ? this custom only started after the Second World War.
Wedding rings are perhaps the most significant piece of jewelry you and your intended spouse will exchange during your lives, regardless of their design. Although a lot of brides and grooms prefer to have matching rings, it is not essential. Because it's the hardest type of gold, and it maintains its luster better over time, 14-karat is most commonly used for wedding bands.
Adam O'Connor is the owner of www.bridaljewelrypro.com, which provides excellent free information on wedding and engagement rings. Adam O'Connor is an expert in this industry and his website helps people find answers to questions such as, should one buy fancy colored diamonds or stick with the traditional white.
Both Pierre Smith & Adam O'connor are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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