Choosing a Diamond

If you are looking to buy that special someone an engagement ring or a ring to show how much you care you should first be knowledgeable about diamonds. By knowing some basics about diamonds you can make a smart choice which will also fit into your budget. The more you know about diamonds the better you will be at the finding a high quality diamond at a reasonable price. The first thing you should be aware of is what jewelers call the 4 C’s; which are cut, color, clarity and carat weight. These are the things they use to obtain the value of the diamond.

One thing to consider is the brilliance of the diamond depends heavily on its cut. The cut give a diamond the brightness that makes it shine. The diamond cut is on a grading scale which is; Ideal, Very Good, Good and Fair/Poor cuts. The Ideal cut gives maximum brilliance and is more expensive. Very Good cut diamonds let in a lot of the light and have a good deal of brilliance. The Good cut diamond offers quality and beauty for a reasonable price. Fair to Poor cuts only reflect a small portion of light and most reputable jewelers to do not carry this cut.

It is normal for diamonds to contain some type of flaw or inclusions that happened when they were formed in the earth. The clarity of a diamond takes into account the number, size and visibility of the flaws. The less   flawed diamond will create more brilliance and therefore are highly prized and pricier. It is possible to find a diamond with some imperfections that still has brilliance and sparkle.

No color is the most desirable in a diamond because it allows the most reflection of light. Jewelers refer to a professional color scale to grade the color of a diamond. The highest rating is the letter “D” for colorless and the color scale goes to Z. Diamonds that are graded J through M may have a very faint hint of yellow in the diamond and look stunning in a gold setting.

The unit of weight a diamond is measured by is called a carat. Large diamonds are higher priced because they are less common than small diamonds. The standard is usually the larger the diamond is, the higher the price will be. Your budget will help determine the size of diamond you will want to choose. If you compare diamonds you will find one that is the size and quality you desire.

When you are looking for diamonds it is in your best interest to look for ones with a Diamond Certificate. The Diamond Certificate will give you all the information about the diamond. It will have the specifications of the 4C’s and also a diagram explaining all aspects of the diamond. If you buy an uncertified diamond you are not going to know exactly what you’re getting. The Diamond Certificate is like a blue print on the diamond and will have all the properties listed. An appraisal is not the same as a certificate; an appraisal gives the approximate retail replacement value of the diamond.

A diamond engagement ring can be a substantial investment and you should choose carefully and wisely. If you use the information provided you will be able to make a knowledgeable decision. By being informed you will be able to get the best quality diamond that will fit within your budget.

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Wedding Fashion Trends for 2011

You’ve been dreaming of the day since the first time you draped a piece of lace over your head and pretended to be a bride. Now, you actually are a bride and it’s time to choose all the little details of your own bridal look. Of course, you want to look classic and timeless at your engagement—these are pictures you will treasure for the rest of your life. But every year’s runways bring with them modern trends and twists that can apply beautifully to a bridal ensemble. The key is subtlety—you never want to look dated or super-trendy, only modern and fresh. By choosing design elements you love and incorporating them into a classic bridal look, you will look up-to-date and elegant without worrying that you will one day regret your big hair or voluminous lace collar. It’s very similar to engagement ring shopping—you want to incorporate new and fresh designs into a framework that is very classic and traditional.

The 2011 runways provided many brides with exciting new bridal fashion ideas. Badgley Mischka showed a 1920’s-inspired look, with dropped waist dresses, art deco jewelry elements and geometric draped fabric. Brides can incorporate that art deco look into their wedding day ensemble with geometric beading and simple silhouettes. Carolina Herrera offered a cheerful but sophisticated runway show, with elegant but bold details and interesting asymmetrical silhouettes. Brides can incorporate the look with delicate details and subtle prints in their bridal gowns. Designer Monique Lhullier, known for her ultra-feminine looks, is perfect for bridal inspiration. Her runway show offered pastel looks with lush tulle draping, flowing chiffon, and dramatic use of ruffles. All these fun details—tulle, chiffon, ruching and ruffles—work perfectly for the girly bride. Meanwhile, Nicole Miller prefigured the Kate Middleton inspired look that is sure to become the biggest bridal trend of the year—the daring but modest v-neckline on an otherwise classic dress.

For a quick cheat sheet on the must-have bridal fashion trends for 2011, check out these top ten trends. Choose one or two for a bridal ensemble that is current and up-to-date without going overboard with every option!

1. Sleeves.

Experts predicted that Kate Middleton would wear sleeves to her traditional Westminster Abbey wedding ceremony, but when audiences around the world saw her beautiful sheer lace long sleeves, calls went out to bridal ateliers around the world. Sleeves are unexpected, fashionable, classy, and flatter every figure.

2. V-necks.

With long sleeves, a crew neckline can seem a little frumpy, while a scoop neck can seem over-exposed. A narrow but deep v-neck shows a little sexy skin, without revealing too much, and also helps elongate the figure, making you look tall and thin. And who doesn’t want that?

3. Color.

Expect to see more and more brides opt out of the de rigeur white bridal dress in 2011, and walk down the aisle in gowns that are pink, gray, or even purple. For less adventurous brides, adding a shot of color through colored gemstone jewelry, a ribbon sash, or a great pair of shoes can be a great way to personalize a classic dress.

4. Vintage.

Not only are vintage dresses unique and fashionable, but they are eco-friendly too, which more and more brides care about. Finding the perfect vintage dress that is retro without looking dated, and then getting it altered to fit you perfectly, can be more of a challenge than brides expect. Leave yourself plenty of time to search for that perfect dress, and be prepared to replace parts that are faded or out of date.

5. Colored shoes or comfortable ballet flats.

Brides are no longer stuck wearing boring white satin pumps. You can add a sassy pair of red patent leather heels, a vintage-inspired pair of suede booties, or beaded flat sandals, to tailor your dress to your wedding. Some brides are even choosing to skip the heels altogether and wearing comfortable, neutral-tone ballet flats so they can dance all night without blisters!

6. Hats.

If one trend is likely to cross the pond after the royal wedding, it is the elegant and quirky British mini-hat known as the fascinator. These small hair ornaments are attached to the head with clips or combs, and can be decorated with anything from feather to flowers to genuine gems. Trendy brides are topping bridal fascinators with retro birdcage veils for a bridal look that is totally 2011.

7. Short gowns.

One continuing trend in wedding planning is simple, casual events where guests can wear comfortable clothes and eat fun, unfussy food while dancing to Top 40 hits. Weddings like these call for short bridal dresses like linen sundresses and little white cocktail dresses, so the bride can party til dawn with her guests.

8. Groom fashion.

Grooms have a lot more options than the basic black tuxedo. Dress your fiancé in a cute and trendy gray suit, or dress up a classic tuxedo with a colored vest or tie in your wedding colors. If your guy is leaning towards a simple, dressed-down look, suggest that he pair a casual pair of slacks with a linen blazer for a classic summer look.

9. Hair accessories.

Bridal hairstyles remain simple for 2011, with most brides choosing to wear their hair down in loose waves or pulled back softly in loose chignons. But the trend is in the ornamentation, with modern, trendy brides choosing creative hair ornaments like clips, combs and even tiaras embellished with rhinestones, crystals and even gemstones.

10. Wedding colors.

Moving away from boring pastels, brides are choosing summer wedding colors that reflect their personalities. Fun colors like turquoise and coral add a tropical feeling to a summer wedding, while subtle hues like latte, slate gray, and muted yellow make a sophisticated, elegant impression. Black and white wedding colors remain popular, but the number one bridal color of the year is the official Pantone color of the year—honeysuckle. This fun, upbeat shade of pink is confident, courageous, and looks great on everyone.

Select ideal engagement rings of your dream from online shop whiteflash.com. Best purveyor of bracelets, engagement rings, diamond studs, GIA certified diamonds and other jewelry – Whiteflash.com.

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Advantages of Cubic Zirconia

Cubic Zirconia (CZ) was developed by the Russian space program for use in laser guidance equipment as a cost-effective alternative to using rubies which were needed in early lasers.  CZ is virtually identical to diamond in terms of its optical properties, and this lends the use of CZ to producing jewelry – it looks, shine and sparkles in almost identical fashion to diamond.

So why should you use a cubic zirconia stone in place of a diamond?

Cost

The obvious advantage over diamond is cost; diamond is one of the most valuable substances known to man and it costs roughly one thousand times more than a crystal of zirconium of the same weight.

Cost is not the only advantage over diamond which CZ possesses, just the most obvious one.

Imperfections

Diamond is a naturally occurring crystal which is formed by natural processes deep within the earth’s crust.  CZ on the other hand is man-made, using a precisely controlled manufacturing process which allows for excellent quality control over how the crystal is formed.

All diamonds carry imperfections created by trapped gas or foreign matter, so upon close inspection you will see bubbles or imperfections within the stone.  There may also be irregularities in the uniformity of the crystal structure itself.  None of these imperfections present themselves with CZ, because the process is so stringently controlled – what you get with a zirconium stone is a flawless crystal.

Color

Diamonds usually come with a clear to yellow hue; it is very rare to find a perfectly colorless stone because of the natural environment within which they are formed.  Zirconium can be completely clear or have whatever color is desired, so you the jewelry buyer have a wider choice to select a stone from.

In colorless form, CZ is indistinguishable from diamond to the naked eye.

Shape

Diamond is a very rigid and extremely strong form of carbon atoms, laid out in a rigid pattern; in fact, it is the hardest naturally-occurring material known to man.  This hardness and crystalline rigidity makes it difficult to cut a diamond, however zirconium lends itself to being worked by a gemstone cutter. The result is that zirconium can be worked into a wider variety of shapes and forms than diamond, which again means greater choice for you.

Fire

How brilliantly a stone reflects and refracts light which passes through it determines the sparkle it possess – this is known as “fire”.  Zirconium refracts and reflects light better than diamond (remember the Russians developed it precisely for this purpose with their space program).  Zirconium may be lighter than diamond, and less hard, but its crystalline structure ensures it is able to generate more fire.

The Environment

While diamonds are naturally occurring, there is nothing natural about how they are extracted from the earth.  Diamonds are mined requiring the use of huge amounts of energy and significant environmental damage is caused directly by mining.  There are also large amounts of toxic waste produced in separating diamonds from the tons of earth which are excavated and must be disposed of.

Zirconium requires only a fraction of the energy which diamond excavation uses and waste products are minimal in comparison, making CZ the green alternative to diamond.

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