| 15-engagement rings / Engagement rings |
In the British-American tradition, an engagement ring is a ring worn by a woman on her left-hand ring finger indicating her engagement to be married. By modern convention, the ring is usually presented as a betrothal gift by a man to his prospective bride while or directly after she accepts his marriage proposal. It represents a formal agreement to chastity and a future marriage. Similar traditions seem to date at least to the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians. In Rome it was believed that the "vein of love" was located on the fourth finger of the left hand. In the United States today, it is becoming more common that a woman will also buy an engagement or promise ring for her partner at the time of the engagement. In Brazil and Germany, both the man and the woman wear engagement rings.
http://www.wikipedia.org |
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| 16-engagement rings / Engagement rings - Budget? |
In some societies, it is traditional for the engagement ring to cost the equivalent of one month's pay of the man's wages. In the United States, de Beers and some jewelry merchants have promoted a general guideline of two or three months' pay. A spokesperson from Tiffany’s Australia, quoted on the television program A Current Affair (February 1, 2005), suggested that a man should spend two to three month's salary on an engagement ring.
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| 17-engagement rings / Engagement rings - Material & Design |
Designs of engagement rings have varied greatly over the years. It traditionally is a precious band, and mounts a diamond or other gem. Current fashions for engagement rings are for a gold, platinum, or silver band with a single diamond. This trend dates sinc 1940s.
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| 18-engagement rings / Engagement rings - Alternatives |
An engagement ring is often intentionally expensive as a sign of a man's permanency. The argument for a diamond is that it is the most enduring, beautiful, and expensive gem. Many women, however, prefer different gems or semiprecious stones to the stark clarity of a diamond. Most of these stones are colored. Sapphires, star sapphires, emeralds, and rubies are often used in engagement rings.
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| 19-engagement rings / Engagement rings - History |
The inception of the engagement ring itself can be tied to the Fourth Lateran Council presided over by Pope Innocent III in 1215. Innocent declared a longer waiting period between betrothal and marriage; plain rings of gold, silver or iron were used earliest. Gems were more than baubles; they were important and reassuring status symbols to the aristocracy. Laws were passed to preserve a visible division of social rank, ensuring only the privileged wore florid jewels. As time passed and laws relaxed, diamonds and other gems became obtainable to the middle class.
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| 20-engagement rings / Engagement rings - History |
At one time, engagement rings mounted sets of stones. One traditional sentimental pattern mounted six to celebrate the joining of two families: The birthstones of the bride's parents and the bride (on the left), and the birth stones of the groom and his parents (on the right). The parents' stones were mounted with the mother to the left of the father. The bride and groom's birthstones would be adjacent in the center. Another similar pattern, for four stones, mounted the birthstone of the parents' marriages, and the birthstones of the bride and groom. These token rings often disassembled, to expose a channel in which a lock of the suitor's hair could be treasured.
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| 21-engagement rings / Engagement rings - History |
Others believe the engagement ring goes back to the time of the Egyptians. Why wear the ring on the third finger of the left hand? The ancient Egyptians believed that the vein in that finger ran directly to the heart. As for that big rock of an engagement ring, the first recorded diamond engagement ring was presented by the Archduke Maximillian of Austria to Mary of Burgundy as a betrothal gift in 1477.
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| 22-engagement rings / Engagement rings - jurisdiction |
Tradition generally holds that if the betrothal fails because the man pursues other women or himself breaks off the engagement, the woman is not obliged to return the ring. Legally, this condition can be subject to either a modified or a strict fault rule. Under the former, the fiance can demand the return of the ring unless he breaks the engagement. Under the latter, the fiance is entitled to the return unless their actions caused the breakup of the relationship, the same as the traditional approach. However, a no-fault rule is being advanced in some jurisdictions, under which the fiance is always entitled to the return of the ring. The ring only becomes the property of the woman when marriage occurs. An unconditional gift approach is another possibility, wherein the ring is always treated as a gift, to be kept by the fiancee whether or not the relationship progresses to marriage.
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| 26-gold jewelry / Gold jewelry - Purity and karats |
Gold's purity is measured in karats. The term "karat" harks back to the ancient bazaars where "carob" beans were used to weigh precious metals. 24 karat is pure gold, but its purity means it is more expensive and less durable than gold that is alloyed with other metals. Different alloys are used in jewelry for greater strength, durability and color range. The karatage of the jewelry will tell you what percentage of gold it contains: 24 karat is 100 percent, 18 karat is 75 percent, and 14 karat is 58 percent gold. When comparing gold jewelry, the higher the number of karats, the greater the value.
http://www.thediamondbuyingguide.com |
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| 28-gold jewelry / Gold jewelry care |
Gold is durable, sturdy, dependable, and makes an ideal setting for your precious diamond jewelry. However, to get a lifetime of enjoyment from your jewelry, be sure to keep it clean and safe. Do not wear jewelry during rough work or when handling harsh chemicals. Store it in a fabric-lined box away from other pieces to preserve it from getting scratched. Finally, check the diamond settings periodically for any damage to the gold prongs or bezels. If you see a loose prong, or if the setting looks out of line, bring it to a professional jeweler for repair at once.
http://www.thediamondbuyingguide.com |
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| 29-gold jewelry / Gold colors |
Yellow gold is alloyed with silver and copper. It is the most frequently used type of gold there is. Malleable, ductile, and generally non-corrosive, it has a high melting point and is not susceptible to compression. White gold is alloyed with a large percentage of silver, or a selection of other white metals. The percentage of gold naturally varies, according to the amount of other metal used. White gold is highly reflective and not subject to tarnish. The ancient term for it was Electrum. Its use predates that of Palladium and Platinum.
http://www.thediamondbuyingguide.com |
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| 4-romantic ways to give jewelry / Romantic way to give jewelry... |
When it comes to giving a romantic gift, it’s not just what you give, but how you give it. For the most impact, creativity is
important.
Here is an idea for you. For your favorite lady, think jewelry, jewelry, and more jewelry. And instead of wrapping those earrings or a necklace in a
plain gift box, place them on a bed of fresh rose petals inside an engraved trinket box.
http://www.thingsremembered.com/TR/Articles/General+Topics/Romantic_Gifts.htm |
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