Choosing Jewelry

Jewelry choices and selection - how to

Ancient Greek Jewelry
Ancient bracelets from Greece were formed from a pennanular tube with animal-head terminals. The rings had round or pointed oval bezels with intaglio or embossed ornaments and were often set with scarabs and, later, seal stones. A few pieces of jewelry necklaces have been discovered intact. One of the loveliest, from Eretria, had a bull's head at the center and acorn and ovoid beads. Ancient diadems were usually simple, with embossed ornamental bands and naturalistic wreaths gilded in gold or silver. The pins or brooches were elegantly designed, with fibulae usually made of silver.

Gold Filled and Plated Jewelry
Gold filled or gold overlay refers to the process of permanently bonding, through heat and pressure, a layer of at least 10-karat gold to one or more surfaces of support metal. The support metal is then drawn or rolled into a prescribed thickness. The gold must comprise at least 1/10 of the total weight. In gold plating, a layer of 10-karat gold or better is bonded to a base metal. The karat gold content, which may be less than 1/20, must be accurately identified by weight in terms of total metal content. Gold leaf is similar to gold plating; the difference is that the gold is pounded and applied by hand. More information about gold jewelry.

Durable and Inert Metal For Rings
Immune to corrosion by saltwater and moisture, titanium rings exhibit exceptional resistance to a broad range of harsh gases, acids, and alkalis as well as attack by microbes. Titanium is inert, which means it doesn't react with other substances, and hypoallergenic. It is virtually nonmagnetic as well, making it ideal when electromagnetic interference must be minimized in certain applications. Pure titanium is 50 percent lighter than steel but has about the same strength. When titanium is added to various alloys, its toughness, hardness, and tensile strength can be dramatically increased even more.

Pearl jewelry
Pearl necklaces and other types of pearl jewelry have been worn for thousands of years. Pearls have always come into and out of fashion. Now they have become very fashionable again, and people are wearing them for many different occasions. People all over the world are wearing all types of pearl jewelry. People are buying and wearing pearl jewelry, and giving these beautiful creations as gifts.

Birthstone Traditions
Birthstones are gems associated with the twelve month of the year. Wearing a birthstone, generally in a ring or bracelet, is traditional for bringing good luck or health. It is believed that each gem has a unique mystical power. A birthstone ring or bracelet makes a great birthday gift for Mom. You might cook her a favorite meal, arrange the food nicely on a tray along with her favorite sections from the newspaper, and treat her to breakfast in bed. Cards and the silver mother's bracelet or birthstone ring can be placed on the tray before presenting it to Mom.

Gold Money Clips Make Great Grooms Gift Ideas
You have not yet decided what to get your groomsmen? Since it is the subtle details that make the man, try giving your groomsmen something that will add to their personality. A gold money clip or cuff links. You could even have the cufflinks personalized. The perfect groomsmen gifts are gifts that best represent you and your friendship.

The 4 C's of Diamond Shopping
When shopping for diamond wedding rings, look at cut, color, clarity, and carat, or weight. Cut is most important; a skillful cut is what unleashes the brilliant fire in a diamond. Cut refers to the faceting, not to the overall shape. Some terms for shape are marquise, oval, and princess, or square. Regarding color, grading begins at D. The further one goes into the alphabet, the poorer the color grade. Ask at the store to see loose diamonds on a sheet of pure white paper and note whether there is any contrast, which is undesirable. Superior clarity refers to the lack of inclusions such as bubbles, spots, or lines. Clarity is graded on a scale that ranges from flawless (FL or IF) to imperfect (I).

The theme of your wedding
You can use the theme of your wedding to think of many different gift ideas for your bridesmaids. You may want to individualize them to reflect the personalities of your bridesmaids. Deciding on an overall plan is one way to make shopping for gifts easy. For example, you could keep it simple by getting everyone the same thing. You'd have to find a gift with wide appeal. You could add a personal touch by having their initials engraved or imprinted on their individual gifts in the main color scheme of your wedding. This way the gift would be tied to the wedding as well as personalized.

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