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.
Categories: Brilliance, Education, Engagement, Jewelry
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.
Categories: Diamonds, Education, Engagement, Gems, Jewelry
One of the best ways to enhance the style of the New Year is by incorporating complimentary accessories into your everyday wardrobe. Influenced by the elegance and royalty of Britain, oversized diamond brooches are a perfect touch and strive to create a harmonizing balance between the otherwise feminine and masculine appearance. Another unique, main accessory of the 19th Century that is making a comeback is the Fob Chain – also recognized as a vintage chain used to hold a watch – worn on the front waistline of trousers, or in the front pocket of a jacket/vest. Diamond Cravat Pins and Square Brilliant Cut Diamond Cufflinks prove to be excellent additions to a revamp a formal dress shirt.
The paramount accessory choice for this New Year proves to be Victorian-inspired cocktail rings and engagement rings. Due to the scarcity of diamonds during this time period, Victorian rings were typically set in a cluster, using old cut or rose cut diamonds. Antique diamonds normally possess smaller tables, higher crowns, deeper pavilions and thicker girdles than their modern equivalents. Antique diamonds were also cut to maximize carat weight instead of fire, which is the main reason why the proportions of old diamonds vastly differ from diamonds of the present. Rose cut diamonds were introduced in the late 1500’s and remained very popular throughout the 19th Century. The typical characteristics of a Rose cut diamond includes the shape, which resembles the petals of a rose bud, with a flat bottom and rounded crown, and facets that meet as a point in the center. The modern equivalents for these particular diamonds are Round and Oval Brilliant Cut Diamonds.
Brilliance offers a collection of diamonds, rings, earrings, bracelets, pendants, and necklaces to match your taste and meet your budget. If you are looking for a unique jewelry item, our jewelry designers can make a custom jewelry piece to meet your exact description. This unique service allows you to achieve the designer look of your dreams at a price you can afford.
Categories: Diamonds, Jewelry
Brilliance has officially joined Twitter and our corporate username is @brilliancecorp.
Join the conversation as we discuss subjects such as diamonds, engagement rings, and fine jewelry. We will also post tweets on special coupon codes, popular blog posts and industry news.
Categories: Brilliance, Diamonds, Jewelry
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.
Categories: Brilliance, Engagement, Jewelry
Many couples are now choosing to forego tradition and shop for diamond engagement rings together. Many men admit they’re secretly glad they can shop together and get some help determining which ring style is right for their bride. However, if you want your proposal to be a complete surprise, read on. We’ll go over some of the latest trends in diamond rings to help you choose an engagement ring you’ll both love looking at again and again.
Choosing A Special Style
Diamond rings come in a variety of styles, meaning there’s something to fit everyone’s personal style and taste. Luckily for shoppers, Brilliance.com has some of the most popular styles of diamond rings, including comfort fit solitaires, three diamond rings, halos, and vintage style diamond engagement rings.
The comfort fit solitaire diamond engagement ring is one of Brilliance.com’s most popular styles. These diamond rings have a single diamond set on a wide or thin band. The stone can be cut into a variety of shapes, but the most popular are the round brilliant and princess cut. Other popular diamond shapes include the heart, asscher, pear, cushion, marquise, oval, radiant, or trilliant.
Diamond rings with three stones have gained popularity in the past few years. The three stones are said to represent a relationship’s past, present, and future and are an ideal visual reminder of your love and devotion. These diamond engagement rings can have stones that are all the same size and shape or a large center stone with smaller outer stones. Some styles have stones all cut into the same shape or a princess or round cut center stone and triangle or baguette shaped outside stones.
Halo diamond engagement rings have gained popularity in recent years. These diamond rings have one large center stone surrounded by a set of smaller diamonds. The center stone in these diamond rings can be round, oval, heart shaped, marquise, princess, cushion, pear, or asscher cut. The outer stones can be set in a bevel or prong setting.
Vintage or antique diamond rings are ones that have been worn by someone else. They can be purchased from estate sales, antique jewelry shops, from an antique dealer, or can even be passed down through families. Because some couples are uncomfortable with the thought of using a previously worn ring as an engagement ring, it’s possible to find an antique looking ring that’s actually brand new.
Alternative Metals For Your Diamond Rings
At Brilliance.com, one of the most popular metals for diamond engagement rings is platinum. Platinum is an extremely durable metal and is a good choice for diamond rings because it is tarnish resistant. Platinum is a rarer metal though, which can make it a more expensive choice.
More people are turning to engagement rings made out of palladium and 18K white or yellow gold. Palladium is a relatively new metal on the jewelry market and looks a lot like platinum. The difference is that palladium is typically cheaper and lighter than platinum.
Brilliance.com has a large variety of diamond engagement rings in both 18K white and yellow gold. Both are good choices, but white gold can require a little more regular maintenance and upkeep than yellow gold. This is because white gold isn’t a naturally occurring substance and therefore shows wear a little quicker than yellow gold.
White gold maintenance is easy to do and should not be a deterrent if you love the look of white gold. You’ll need to simply take your jewelry in for redipping every once in a while. Redipping restores the pure, white look of the metal and any reputable jewelry store should be able to perform this service. Some stores will need to send your jewelry out for service, while others may be able to do this while you wait. No matter where you take it, make sure to ask how long you’ll be without your ring so you can leave plenty of time to get it back before your wedding.
Custom Diamond Rings
If you’re having problems choosing from the large selection at Brilliance.com, consider asking one of our personal shoppers to help you with a custom designed diamond ring. The buyer can choose from a variety of center stones and settings. Doing this means you can choose the exact diamond you want for your ring.
Choose A Center Stone First
Brilliance.com has a variety of ready to fill settings and loose center stones to choose from. If you choose a loose stone with a ready to fill setting, you definitely want a certified stone. Certified stones have already gone through a strict grading process and will come with paperwork outlining the stone’s cut, color, clarity, and carat grade. The most common diamond grading certification comes from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) but Brilliance.com also works with the American Gem Society, Hoge Raad voor Diamant, the European Gemological Laboratory, and the International Gemological Institute.
Certified diamonds are also easier to insure because a trained gemologist has already graded it. This means that you likely won’t have to have it appraised before insuring your jewelry – it’s already been done for you.
Diamond engagement rings are a symbol of your love that your bride will wear for the rest of her life and is often one of the first major purchases a couple makes. Before parting with your money, take a little time to research the different options and latest trends in jewelry design. No matter what you’re looking for, Brilliance.com’s personal shoppers can help you find something you’ll love.
Categories: Brilliance, Diamonds, Education, Engagement, Jewelry
It’s becoming common for people to bring out their diamond jewelry for everyday occasions instead of leaving it tucked away in the jewelry boxes. Women are realizing that diamond jewelry can be dressed up or down depending on their outfits and what they’re doing for the day, meaning these beautiful pieces are where they should be – on display! Whether you’re looking for diamond rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets or pendants in a pre-designed or custom setting, deciding what you’d like before shopping will help you find something beautiful you’ll want to wear every day.
Rings For Either Hand
The newest trend in diamond rings is the right hand or fashion ring. These diamond rings were originally designed because women felt as if they shouldn’t have to wait for a man to propose to get their first diamond ring. There’s no reason a beautiful ring can’t be a woman’s gift to herself and Brilliance.com has a large selection of fashion diamond rings.
The most common piece of diamond jewelry is a diamond engagement ring. These diamond rings can vary from traditional solitaires to contemporary rings with one large diamond flanked by smaller stones that run alongside the band. Brilliance.com sells both pre-designed engagement rings and empty ring settings that enable you to choose your own center stone so you’re sure to find something your fiancé will love.
Wedding bands have been updated in recent years. These bands used to be just simple circles of gold or platinum, but today’s brides and grooms are realizing they want a little bling in their life. Wedding bands can have a row of eight or nine diamonds across the top or even an entire circle of diamonds. Bands with diamonds running all the way around may be difficult to resize, which can be a problem if the ring ever becomes too loose or too big. If you didn’t get one of these sparkly diamond rings as your wedding band, consider asking for one for an anniversary present.
Diamond Earrings – Studs And More
If you’re looking to buy a pair of diamond earrings you can wear every day, consider a pair of diamond studs. Each earring is made up of one diamond and Brilliance.com has earrings ranging from 1/5th of a carat all the way up to two carats. A pair of smaller diamond studs can be a great pair of everyday earrings to pull together any outfit, but consider a larger pair for a more elegant look.
Other types of diamond earrings are chandeliers, drop earrings and hoops. These can be made from white gold, yellow gold or platinum and can have one single diamond or multiple stones. Brilliance.com has a variety of styles to choose from, meaning you’ll be able to find a pair of earrings that can be dressed up or down for any occasion.
It’s important to realize that the diamond weight of these earrings is split between the two so a two-carat pair will actually each be one carat a piece. It’s also important to find a pair with diamonds that are a similar grade. You don’t want a colorless diamond paired with one with a yellowish tinge so check to make sure each of the stones in your earrings look good paired together.
Stylish Diamond Bracelets And Necklaces
Diamond bracelets and necklaces are long strands of diamonds and gold or platinum. Necklaces and bracelets can be one continuous loop of stones or a few diamonds spaced among a metal chain. These pieces come in a variety of sizes and it’s especially important to size diamond bracelets correctly since wrists come in different sizes and it can be expensive to add or remove diamonds if the bracelet needs to be resized.
Pendants Add Sparkle To Any Look
Pendants are the last type of diamond jewelry. They can be as simple as a single diamond on a delicate chain or diamonds grouped together. Diamond solitaire pendants from Brilliance.com start at 1/5th of a carat and go up from there. These diamonds can be cut into nearly any shape, although the most popular ones are round brilliant, princess and pear shapes.
Other diamond pendants can be formed into a heart or circle, or can have a line of diamonds that cascade down the setting. Brilliance.com has a variety of beautiful diamond pendants to match any personality and style, from traditional to contemporary.
Diamond jewelry from Brilliance.com doesn’t have to be put away and taken out only on special occasions. These pieces can be dressed up or down and can add beauty and sparkle to any outfit. Whether you’re looking for diamond rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets or pendants, visit Brilliance.com’s online shop for the best selection and price on diamond jewelry.
Categories: Brilliance, Diamonds, Jewelry
The beginning of June marks the beginning of summer – hot days at the beach, cold ice cream sundaes, and breezy nights relaxing. It also marks the start of wedding season – the months of June, July, and August when most of this year’s marriages will be celebrated. Brilliance offers a wide selection of loose diamonds, engagement rings, and wedding bands for brides and grooms looking to save on bridal jewelry by shopping online. If you are planning on attending a wedding as a guest, we offer diamond earrings, diamond bracelets, and gold jewelry to help you create a striking look.
There are many reasons to shop online for jewelry, whether it’s bridal jewelry, jewelry for yourself, or jewelry to give as a gift to a friend or loved one. Shopping online is convenient; it can be done from the comfort of your home with the click of a button. Online jewelry retailers offer lower prices than traditional retail stores, saving consumers money and allowing them to get higher quality products at a great value. Further, the internet jewelry market offers many choices of styles and qualities for consumers searching for diamond engagement rings, diamond rings, diamond earrings, gold earrings, and other jewelry.
The Brilliance Team of diamond and jewelry experts and service representatives works hard to provide the best online shopping experience available. Our goal is to offer high quality products at the lowest prices, so our customers don’t have to wait for a sale or negotiate to make their purchase. Our entire selection of jewelry and loose diamonds are backed by a lowest price guarantee, ensuring that we give the absolute best deal for our products. Our inventory is currently being offered at the lowest prices of the year, so now is a great time to purchase bridal jewelry, fashion jewelry, or even shop early for the holiday season. In addition to our low prices, we are currently offering Brilliance coupon codes for order-level savings.
$25 off any order! Use coupon code BC25BR.
$50 off any order $5,000 or over! Use coupon code BC50BR.
$75 off any order $7,500 or over! Use coupon code BC75BR.
$100 off any order $10,000 or over! Use coupon code BC100BR.
$150 off any order $15,000 or over! Use coupon code BC150BR.
Brilliance offers an array of services to ensure that we become your jewelry retailer of choice. To help you save even more, we offer a 2% discount for orders paid via wire transfer. Every product comes with a 30 day return or exchange policy so that you feel completely satisfied with your purchase. In addition, every order comes with free express shipping and shipping insurance. You also receive a gemological appraisal conducted by our GIA trained gemologists. Our Personal Shoppers and diamond experts will work with you every step of the way to help you find the perfect certified diamond, engagement ring, or diamond jewelry product. Speak to a Brilliance representative at 866-737-0754 or visit us at Brilliance.com to start saving on your jewelry purchase.
Categories: Brilliance, Diamonds, Engagement, Jewelry
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