Posts Tagged ‘rings’

Opal rings are one of the most flamboyant forms of opal jewelry. They have been prized down the ages for their breathtaking opalescence and dramatic range of color flashes. They have been considered lucky charms capable of bestowing many powers on the wearer including beauty, success and happiness as well as the powers of prophecy and foresight. And they symbolize hope and purity too. But it is their beauty, which makes opal rings perfect gifts.

When looking for the best opal ring you first need to focus on finding the ideal gemstone for the centerpiece. This can be quite difficult because there are a wide range of gemstone types but whether you choose a black, white, boulder, fire, jelly or any other opal, the most important thing to look for is the brilliance of the internal fire.

Like diamonds, opals are graded four ways according to their pattern, colors, shape and clarity. Apart from clarity, which must be good, these gradings are essentially descriptive classifications which can be interpreted subjectively. After all everyone will pick a different shape stone with different colors and patterns of opalescence for their favorite! But the best opals all have strong and striking plays of color. Gemstones with poor clarity and weak color plays do not make attractive rings.

Some opals exhibit a wide range of colors including blues, greens, purples and flashes of orange red and pink. And although many people believe that the best gemstones have the widest range of color play, this is again very subjective. It is the strength and vibrancy of the colors that makes a good opal. This means that you might prefer a gemstone with a bold blue and green color play to one which has a lot of colors but no life to it.

And if you are choosing an opal ring for someone else, say for an engagement ring, try to choose a gemstone which incorporates their favourite colors in its color play.

The best opal rings have high domed cabochon gemstones at their centers to maximise the color and make the most of its clarity. Superb clarity is important because any included sand particles can ruin the opalescence of the gemstone and with it, the appearance of the ring.

Once you have found your perfect opal, make sure it is set beautifully into a quality precious metal setting. The ring will look best if you choose a metal color matching the gemstone base color. Black opal rings always look best when made from white gold, silver or platinum but white and boulder opals can look wonderful in white or yellow metal depending upon the color plays within the gemstone itself.

Finding the perfect opal for your ring can take a lot of effort. However, the end result is worth it!

View the original article here

Traditionally an engagement ring was a diamond solitaire, or rather a round cut diamond solitaire. This would be set into yellow gold, with perhaps platinum prongs to hold the gemstone for security. If the groom’s budget stretched to it, the whole ring might be platinum. Other than that, the only difference between one engagement ring and a myriad of others was the size and quality of the diamond.

These days it is all very different. Couples no longer feel the need to adhere to the norms of engagement ring traditions.

Even if a couple settles on a solitaire, they can be tempted by a vast range of diamond cuts. A heart shaped gemstone can be readily sourced online for that special design, and princess and square cuts are widely available everywhere. And engagement rings are increasingly being set into stunning white gold, as well as antique looking rose gold.

But it does not end there.

Cluster rings are still very popular. The traditional cluster ring was all diamond, with a central larger diamond being surrounded by smaller ones. In this design, the central diamond was set slightly proud. These days couples are choosing to place a colored gemstone at the center of their diamond cluster. Colored gemstones are popular because they look especially stunning when complemented by a swirl of diamonds. Although they can be set proud of the accenting stones, they are also set flush into the design of the ring for protection.

Birthstones are a stylish choice for the center gemstone. This may be because they are considered to be good luck, or they may have some other special meaning for the couple. Economy may also be a consideration. Grass green peridot is often selected in preference to the more traditional, heavily included and more expensive, emerald. And fashionable gemstones, such as tanzanite are also all the rage as center gemstones.

The actual design of the engagement ring is changing as well. Two stone diagonally tension set twist rings, three stone diamond accented trilogy and channel set band rings are fashionable. So too are highly unique designs, created specifically by the bride and groom as one off pieces.

Settings too are changing. Whereas the traditional solitaire is prong set, more and more rings are being bezel set, even channel set, depending upon the design

In fact, THE ring today is whatever the bride and groom say it is! Whilst it will almost certainly be a diamond ring, there are no hard and fast rules for its style, design, cut, metal etc. As long as it suits the bride’s personality, it is fine! After all it will be she who will wear it for the rest of her life.

So when choosing an engagement ring be confident and choose whatever suits you!

View the original article here