We like to think that we know a thing or two about getting engaged… After all we have helped thousands of couples choose an engagement ring over the years. Our new infographic for the upcoming engagement and wedding season takes into account our many years of experience on getting engaged and what happens next.
At Brilliance halo diamond engagement rings have been our most popular and best selling settings this year. Halo, which means a ring or a crown, is an engagement ring style in which diamonds or gems encircle a center loose diamond. Many attribute the halo shape or design to infinite and everlasting love. Halo engagement rings come in many varieties. A popular type of halo setting is where the center stone prongs are raised slightly above the encircled diamonds, which has a more prominent association. Another variation is the bezel-style halo ring setting, where there is no gap between the encrusted diamonds and the center stone. The bezel halo diamond ring is also very popular and elegant.
What draws customers to the halo diamond setting is that it accents your center stone of choice making it appear larger and adds an overall sparkle and fire to the ring. In today’s economy, not many can afford large loose diamonds but with the halo setting you can own a ring that adds the appearance of a large loose diamond without paying thousands of dollars for a larger stone. Another advantage of halo engagement rings is that the diamond’s pavilion, bottom part of the diamond that bridges the girdle to the culet, is visible when viewed from the side. The pavilion is essential to the light performance of the diamond.
Brilliance carries a variety of halo set engagement rings in all types of metals to fit every budget. In addition, we can create any number of settings that feature diamonds or gemstones surrounding the center stone. Round and square are the most popular halo shapes encircling center diamonds, however we can create a Halo engagement ring with any diamond shape. Lastly we can create custom halo engagement rings for those who desire a ring that isn’t found on our website.
Celebrities and consumers alike are opting for pave and bead set diamond rings this season. Pave or micro-pave, the French word for paved, is a technique in which small loose diamonds are set very closely together. Tiny beads or prongs are used to hold each diamond in place, which creates the illusion that the diamonds appear free-standing with no metal visible. White gold or platinum is often used to minimize the appearance of the metal so that all you see are diamonds, however yellow gold can also add an elegant and chic look to a custom ring or an engagement ring.
Pave ring settings can feature a single row of diamonds while others contain multiple rows of diamonds leading up to the center certified diamond. Pave settings come in either half-pave, where the diamonds only go half way around the band, or full pave, where the diamonds go completely around the band (many opt for half-pave since the diamonds are less likely to rub against the other fingers than full-pave). The center stone in the ring is typically set above the encrusted diamonds and gives the illusion of size against the smaller pave set stones in the band.
Brilliance offers a large variety of pave set engagement rings and wedding bands to fit any style or budget. Round and princess cut diamonds are the most commonly used as center stones in a pave ring setting yet any diamond shape can be used. Our Brilliance Personal Shoppers, with their extensive diamond and jewelry knowledge and information on the latest fashions trends are available to help you create your very own pave engagement ring. Call us at 1-866-737-0754 to get started.
Ever wonder if you could own a gorgeous Harry Winston, Tiffany or Tacori engagement ring without paying a fortune at a retail store? Well now you can. Brilliance can make a replica of any designer inspired ring at a fraction of the price. We also can create a unique one of a kind ring from scratch that meets your exact specifications. Our custom engagement rings are created by our very own jewelry designer through a three step process. First, drawings, sketches and/or pictures that you’ve submitted are sent to our designers. Next, illusion renderings are submitted for you to approve. Once the design has been fully approved, the jewelry is cast, polished and completed. It’s that simple! Contact us to today at 866-737-0754 to create the look of your dreams at a fraction of the price.
With Wedding Season approaching, more and more couples are looking for ways to have the wedding of their dreams while still keeping costs low. The price tag on the average American wedding has dropped by nearly a third from 2007, down from $29,000 to $20,000. The good news is, you don’t have to resort to a cash bar or homemade food to stay within your budget.
Collected from wedding experts and party planners, here are some tips to help you make your budget wedding:
Don’t say “Wedding”
When you call vendors for quotes, let them know you are planning an event or party, but don’t specify that it is a wedding. Florists, bakeries, reception venues, photographers, and other vendors often add a 25-30% mark-up to their prices when they know you’re inquiring for a wedding.
Reporters at a Boston television station called 11 venues to get quotes for a wedding reception. When those same venues were called for quotes for a retirement party on the same day, 8 of 11 had a wedding mark-up; one venue raised their quote from $65 to $90 per person.
Vendors will also offer only their most expensive options to those they know are planning a wedding. Ask the reception venue for all of their menu options, and explore cakes that aren’t specifically marketed for wedding events. If a florist notices your diamond engagement ring and starts suggesting that exotic flowers be imported, ask what local, lower cost options they offer.
Choose a restaurant for the reception
When you eat at a restaurant, there is no rental fee or surcharge for your table, chairs, napkins, glasses, silverware, and table décor. The price of the meal includes everything necessary for the dinner, and the same applies when purchasing a meal for 200 people. Plus, there are no transportation and setup fees, and parking is usually free, making your favorite restaurant the perfect place for your budget wedding. In fact, restaurants have focused lately on catering towards special events and making it affordable for the hosts.
Schedule it right
If you are flexible with your dates, avoid the traditional “Wedding Season” when scheduling the event. Vendors sometimes add a surcharge to provide services at weddings held during the months of May, June, and July. Additionally, venues will always charge more for an event held on a Saturday than an event held on a Sunday or a weekday.
Avoid stores that cater to bridal couples
It may not seem romantic to purchase your cake, wedding favors, or flowers at wholesale stores like Costco, but they provide the same services offered for a premium at specialty bridal stores. You can also avoid those premiums by choosing micro-vendors, like artisans and craftspeople, who sell things like bridal accessories and invitations directly to couples. To save on the wedding dress, brides have turned towards less traditional white garments and dresses that can be found at regular retailers and cost in the hundreds, instead of going to boutique bridal dress shops and paying in the thousands.
Shop online
Shopping online gives brides planning a budget wedding access to many more purchasing options than shopping locally. Almost anything needed for a wedding can be found online, from wedding invitations to wedding favors to a bridal dress, often at lower prices than at brick-and-mortar stores. Couples looking to save on the bride’s engagement ring and the couple’s wedding rings can turn to an online diamond retailer like Brilliance, which offer the same quality jewelry as traditional retailers at 30-50% lower prices.
Diamonds, fine jewelry, and engagement rings are prized possessions and it important to protect your purchase with jewelry insurance. Although every order from Brilliance is fully insured during shipment, the responsibility for your purchase is transferred to the customer upon arrival at your address. Jewelry insurance can be purchased through your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, or can be bought separately through a specialized jewelry insurance company.
Most homeowner’s and renter’s insurances automatically include coverage from between $500 to $2,500 for all jewelry items within the home. One option is to add your jewelry or diamond purchase to your homeowner’s and renter’s insurance as an additional item to protect you in the event of theft. However, these policies do not always protect against other events such as loss or damage. Additionally, they may only cover a portion of the value of your jewelry or have certain policies that you need to be aware of such as deductibles, source for replacement, coverage amount, and others. If you select this method of insurance, it is important you ask questions regarding these policies and be knowledgeable of your coverage.
The option that offers the most protection is to add a rider to your homeowner’s or renter’s policy. Before insuring your purchase, the insurance company will request a gemological appraisal, which is a document that provides a detailed description of the item to be insured as well as the replacement value of the item. Gemological appraisals are usually conducted by an expert jeweler or gemologist and can cost between $50-$250. As a unique service to you, Brilliance provides a free gemological appraisal certified by our Master Gemologist with every purchase. This option guarantees enough coverage for your jewelry or diamond. Keep in mind that the coverage rates are often negotiable.
If you do not want to add a rider to your homeowner’s or renter’s policy, or do not currently have insurance, you can also purchase insurance through companies like Jeweler’s Mutual or The Chubb Group that specialize in protecting prized assets like fine jewelry or engagement rings. These companies will also require a gemological appraisal prior to insuring your purchase. Jeweler’s Mutual policies generally cover loss, theft, mysterious disappearance, and damage. Additionally, with Jeweler’s Mutual, you get to work with the jeweler of your choice and not through a dictated replacement company, as other companies require. However, a policy through Jeweler’s Mutual does not usually cover unset stones or loose diamonds. The Chubb Group offers a policy that covers personal valuables such as jewelry. This company has an insurance option that provides full coverage for the itemized amount shown on the policy without deductibles. Additionally, this insurance covers loss and theft world-wide. In addition to the option of replacing your jewelry item, Chubb also allows you to receive a cash settlement instead of replacement. An appraisal is recommended for jewelry insurance and required for items valued above $50,000.
Any insurance company will recommend that you have your jewelry inspected and appraised often to prevent potential losses and to update the replacement value of your items. Brilliance offers this service free of charge to our clients twice a year with our care and maintenance program. You can send your Brilliance jewelry to us for free inspection, cleaning, polishing, and refinishing. This way you will keep your jewelry looking like new and your diamonds set securely to help prevent a loss. Additionally, an updated appraisal can be issued to our clients upon request.
A Brilliance representative can explain your insurance options and can assist you in the process of insuring your purchase. Upon request, we can also fax your jewelry appraisal to your insurance company prior to shipment so that your purchase is insured upon arrival to you. Contact a Brilliance representative at 866-737-0754 to get started.
A groom shares his tips on buying an engagement ring, including information on solitaire settings and other diamond engagement ring styles, diamond carat, diamond color, diamond clarity, and certified diamonds. As he explains in the video, “Planning a wedding has been an education. Everything from the ring buying to the holidays has been overwhelming, so I’ll try to help you with the things I’ve learned along the way.”
Customizing your beloved’s engagement ring is not only a growing trend, but also a process that can be quite enjoyable. When looking to give your loved one something uniquely customized, one has to look no further than examples already set by famous celebrities such as Princess Diana and Britney Spears who enjoyed custom engagement ring designs. Additionally, a custom engagement ring’s style can be inspired by the latest designers, including Jack Kelege, Harry Winston and Scott Kay, at a fraction of the price. At Brilliance.com we can help you design and create the perfect engagement ring as well as find the loose diamonds to complement your unique style.
Designing Your Own Custom Engagement Rings
In designing your own engagement rings you can create a ring that is truly one-of-a-kind. People often choose to design their own engagement rings due to not being able to find the perfect ring already on the market. Customizing your own ring allows you to integrate design elements you prefer within currently existing rings, combining them into your own unique style. If you want to keep your design exclusive, ask your jeweler whether they duplicate designs. This can assure you that your custom engagement ring for your beloved will never be re-created.
Custom Engagement Rings and Metals
Custom engagement rings can utilize standard metals such as Yellow Gold, White Gold and Platinum, but can also have more exotic metals such as Palladiam or Rose Gold. Palladium has been used as a precious metal in jewelry since 1939 and is an alternative to platinum or white gold. Its popularity is due to its naturally white properties, giving it no need for rhodium plating. Palladium is slightly whiter than platinum and about 12 percent harder.
Palladium is one of the three most popular metals used to make white gold alloys. Palladium-gold is a more expensive alloy than nickel-gold, but seldom causes allergic reactions. Nearly as rare as Palladium is Platinum. Platinum will not oxidize or decay over time and is naturally white in color. Its scarcity makes it highly prized, but its demanding nature also means that only the most skilled artisans can work with it. A single ounce of platinum not only requires exceptional effort to mine and refine, but it also involves weeks of expert handling to craft into a piece of jewelry.
If you like something more traditional, you may consider yellow or white gold. Gold is the metal that never goes out of style. Depending on your color preference, gold’s yellow tint may be a choice to inset your diamonds. If you love gold but prefer the color white, there is of course the option of white gold. The color of gold jewelry is determined by alloying other metals to pure 24kt gold. Yellow is the most natural, warm and sensual color. For a more elegant appearance, white gold is created by alloying pure gold with zinc, palladium and silver. Gold’s purity is measured in karats and 24kt gold is the most pure at 100%. This class of gold is rarely used in practical jewelry creation given its malleable nature, therefore 18kt gold, which is 75% pure and 14kt gold, which has almost 60% gold content are the most commonly used when creating fine jewelry.
Rose gold is a gold and copper alloy widely used for specialized jewelry due to its reddish color. The highest carat version of rose gold is also known as crown gold, which is 22 carat. An 18 carat rose gold may be made of 25% copper and 75% gold. For 18 carat rose gold, typically about 4% silver is added to the 75% gold and 21% copper to give a rose color. At Brilliance.com we can provide you with any of these types of metals to help you design engagement rings that will be treasured.
Finding The Perfect Loose Diamonds For Your Ring’s Design
Shopping for loose diamonds for your engagement ring requires only a little insight and information to ensure that you find the perfect diamond for the best price. Three critical criteria in evaluating how to choose the right loose diamonds are certification, the 4 C’s, and asking about diamond enhancements.
Certified loose diamonds are diamonds that have been evaluated by an independent lab where they are measured and weighed as well as evaluated for width, length, table and girdle sizes. Diamonds are also at this time graded and assigned a color and clarity grade. Brilliance.com prides itself in selling only certified loose diamonds.
The value of a diamond is based on the 4 C’s of the diamond industry: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight. Because these elements are critical to the value of a diamond, one wants to steer clear of what is called diamond enhancements. If diamonds have been enhanced, the seller of the diamond must inform you of this. Diamond enhancements include clarity treatments, laser drilling to remove inclusions, application of sealants to fill cracks and color treatments to improve a white diamonds’ color grade.
At Brilliance.com we realize that people who design their own custom engagement rings find that the flexibility and choice make it all worth the while. Armed with information and ideas, you can create the perfect ring for your beloved in no time; yet, the ring itself will be timeless in meaning.
If you’re planning a wedding, now is a busy and exciting time. It seems like there’s a never ending to do list, including picking the ceremony and reception sites, deciding on a dress, and choosing the wedding bands you want to wear for the rest of your lives. Many couples are choosing diamond wedding rings as a forever symbol of their love and devotion, but choosing diamond rings is a little more complicated than just walking into a jewelry store. Knowing what to look for before shopping for your wedding bands will make it easier to choose beautiful diamond rings. Luckily, Brilliance.com is dedicated to helping couples choose beautiful diamond wedding rings they’ll love to wear.
Choosing Wedding Bands That Match The Bride’s Engagement Ring
Brilliance.com knows that many couples want to match their diamond wedding rings to the bride’s diamond engagement ring. Many couples choose the engagement ring first and then choose diamond rings to match.
Some couples only want to match the bride’s diamond rings. Others still want to match all three pieces, either by using the same metal or by choosing diamond wedding rings for both the bride and groom. For instance, if the bride has a platinum round solitaire engagement ring, the couple can choose platinum diamond wedding rings, plain platinum wedding bands, or choose a platinum band with diamonds for the bride and a plain platinum band for the groom. Couples should choose what they want and not worry about any sort of ‘rules’ regarding diamond wedding rings.
Metal Choices For Diamond Wedding Rings
Many couples who shop at Brilliance.com choose platinum for their wedding bands. Although platinum is one of the most popular metals for diamond wedding rings, it isn’t the only material available for rings. Other popular metals include palladium and 14K or 18K white or yellow gold.
Men typically work more with their hands; so many men’s wedding bands are available in different metals than many women’s diamond rings. Some of these rings are made out of stainless steel and tungsten, both materials that are designed to hold up to harsh wear and still look great. If you or your future husband relies on your hands, it may be a good idea to buy a ring made out of these metals.
Special Fits And Finishes
Once you’ve chosen the metal, it’s time to consider the fit and finish. Our research at Brilliance.com shows that wedding rings are the most often worn piece of jewelry so it needs to be comfortable, especially for men who may not be used to wearing a ring. To make wedding bands easy to wear, Brilliance.com offers Comfort Fit wedding bands. These special bands have rounded inside edges, which makes them comfortable to wear. After just a few weeks, you’ll forget you’re even wearing a ring.
Many wedding bands are available in a variety of finishes, meaning couples can choose wedding bands as individual as their love. Some of the most popular finishes are Florentine, hammered, and satin.
Wedding bands with a Florentine finish are created by scratching intersecting sets of parallel lines into the surface of the metal. These tiny deep scratches create a unique textured surface.
A ring with a hammered finish literally looks like it’s been pounded on with a tiny hammer, which creates a textured and multifaceted finish. Antique hammered finish rings are likely one of a kind and hammered by hand, but now most hammering is done by a machine.
Wedding bands with a satin finish have a semi-glossy surface. The metal is scored with a tiny brush that creates tiny, shallow parallel lines along the surface of the ring. These small scores reduce the metal’s natural shine and give it a finish that’s not quite matte and not quite glossy.
Personalizing Diamond Wedding Rings With A Special Inscription
If you want to have completely personalized wedding rings, consider engraving a special saying on the inside. Some couples choose to engrave their rings with their wedding date and the year or a meaningful phrase. If the phrase you want to use doesn’t fit on one ring, think about splitting it up and engraving the first part on one ring and the rest on the other. If engraving your ring is important to you, make sure to take it to an engraver experienced in jewelry and leave plenty of time to get the rings back. You don’t want to be left without your rings on your wedding day just because they’re not back from the engraver.
In the past, diamond rings used to be reserved for special anniversaries or whenever a couple decided to upgrade their wedding set. These days, however, more and more couples are choosing to buy diamond wedding rings from the beginning instead of planning on replacing their wedding bands later. Planning a wedding and choosing wedding bands are fun and exciting times, so enjoy looking and remember that the personal shoppers from Brilliance.com are standing by if you need any help.
Thirty nine round cut diamonds are pave set in this white gold diamond engagement ring setting, accenting your choice of center diamond. 3/8 carat total diamond weight.
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