Knowing the Market

There are as many good reasons to consider purchasing an antique engagement ring as there are reasons for deciding when to pop the question. While modern day jewelers struggle to offer customers something unique and contemporary, the bride-to-be may be more inclined to appreciate the style and inherent charm of an antique. Another perfectly acceptable reason for purchasing antique engagement rings is they often offer buyers a better quality diamond at a lower price than purchasing a new ring.

Before beginning your search for the perfect wedding ring, it is best to ask yourself a few questions.

Do you know about the four C’s?

The four C’s are the criteria professionals use to determine the value of a diamond.

“Clarity takes into account the number, character, and visibility of flaws within the stone. These are often referred to as inclusions. The fewer inclusions, the better the quality of the stone.”

Carat is the size or weight of the diamond. The larger the stone, the higher the cost. An advantage to buying antique engagement rings is that in the 1930s and 1940s jewelers often compensated for a smaller sized diamond by setting it in an intricately designed white gold, square-shaped box. These made the stone appear larger.

“Color is a matter of taste. Modern-day standards put a higher value on a clear diamonds, as a rule. In the past, buyers wanted their diamonds to reflect a rainbow of colors, soft pinks, yellow, or green tints. While colored diamonds are still available today, they were considered more valuable in the past. It is also important to note that many of the modern colored diamonds are artificially altered to enhance the color.”

Cut is also a matter of taste and another reason antique engagement rings may be the best answer. Over the years, the preference of cut has changed. Additionally, a laser now cuts most diamonds; whereas older stones were normally cut by hand, giving them a more customized, romantic look.

What is the difference between an antique ring and an estate ring?

Antique rings normally refer to rings that are over 50 years old. Rings less than 50 years old and purchased used are considered as estate rings.

What are the styles of different eras?

Victorian Era (1835-1900) - Victorian era antique engagement rings featured diamonds or pearls set in yellow or rose gold. The ring styles varied from simple elegance to intricate detail. Many settings featured rows of diamonds that were cut with an extra facet in the bottom of the stone. This was known as a mine cut.

Edwardian Era (1900-1920) - With the invention of the oxyacetylene torch, platinum became the preferred metal for the period. The wedding bands were often crafted with lacy and pierced shapes, milgraining, filigree detail, and scrollwork. Rose-cut diamonds and sapphires were the preferred stones.

Art Deco Era (1920-1930) - Art Deco antique engagement rings feature a streamlined geometric look. They also reflect Egyptian, Asian, and Native American cultures. These rings were often made of platinum featured colorful, contrasting gemstones as well as diamonds.

Where can antique engagement rings be purchased?

Antique engagement rings can be purchased in a number of places: antique stores, estate sales, pawn shops, auctions, and there select vendors online and larger cities who specialize in the purchase and resale of antique jewelry. No matter where you purchase your engagement rings, remember to get a full description of your purchase in writing and look to vendors who offer a written returns policy. You may also ask if the jewelry comes with a certified gemologists report, which provides optimal proof that the jewelry is as described.

Conclusion

When purchasing an engagement ring, it is important to consider all your options, including antique engagement rings.

Christopher Bowne is writer for www.engagement-rings-tips.com an online guide. Chris is also publishing on topics from antique rings www.engagement-rings-tips.com/antique-engagement-rings.html to celtic jewelry.

The recession has given us all a fashion rethink. It’s been well commented that the recession has heavily impacted the fashion industry. Although recessions occur once every 15-20 years, this recent one we’re in is going to have a lasting impression on how we see fashion. We are living in a very practical period now. It wasn’t so long ago that frivolity and decadance were all part of the fashion scene - there was no such thing as too excessive or too expensive. - you only worried about being charged with being too boring. Now though the labels and catwalks are receiving a bad press. Even looking at the the more affordable fashion labels, they’re suddenly criticised for sweatshop factories. What’s happened? Why are the public are turning against brands like this?

Not at all. We humans need fashion, and always will. It is engrained in our minds to spot trends! In point of fact, looking on the web there is strong rivalry between online fashion sellers (e.g. looking for wholesale pashmina shawls or Armani Watches) - a sign there is still strong demand and supply. It’s the old-school mindset that is dying - of being dictated to by the established fashion labels. Fashion has always looked at the public rather than vice versa, and nowadays many factors are stopping us buying from big brands. For a start, people are now a lot more mindful of globalization, and showing off your fashion labels makes you look egotistical and uncaring in many peer groups today. Secondly, we’re poor! Style has always been seen as something of a luxury, not an essential. In a recession, non-essential items get hit the hardest. Finally, individuals express themselves a lot more individually these days - groups of friends are more tightly knit, there’s no large “clan” to fit in to or assimilate their thoughts, and fashion requires that kind of sheep-like thinking to trade in large amounts.

So what does this mean for the fashion industry? As always, they must adapt to survive - create a broader range of clothing lines to cater to more niches of the market. If you’re a small shop offering unique fashion lines at a cheap cost, the future looks bright for you in spite of the grim economic months we are experiencing. These days, individuals are fusing their styles, purchasing from marketplaces and smaller, bargain-priced fashion shops.

The best place to hide something is right in front of someone’s eyes. When you have jewelry that should be kept in a safe place, but you don’t want to spend money on those ugly traditional safes, what can you do to protect her jewelry? A hidden compartment safe might be a good solution.

Hidden compartment safes look like real items around the house, but they have enough space in them to keep your jewelry and other personal items. For example, they look like cleaning products or soda cans or books or even electrical outlets.

When shopping around for hidden compartment safes you want to make sure that you buy a safe that looks like a real product you might use. For example, soda cans that are weighted to feel full are more likely to be ignored by an intruder than the ones that are empty and have distinctive rattle of jewelry! If you have one that tends to rattle, pack your jewelry with tissue paper to keep it from rattling around.

Another tactic to keep your jewelry safe is to make sure the hidden compartment safe you are using is a real brand: poorly designed hidden compartment safes use brands that no one has ever heard of, while well designed ones use common products that might be found in nearly every home.

Why are hidden compartment safes so effective? Consider this: an intruder skulking through your dark empty house and doesn’t know what time the homeowners are coming back, is more likely to look through the obvious spots rather than open every book in the bookshelf, shake every pop can in the fridge, or look at every cleaning product under the sink. And they will definitely not pry open every electrical outlet in the house!

This activity is a huge time waster for them, since the likelihood of them finding a hidden compartment safe among several cans of soda is quite rare. That’s what is so great about hidden compartment safes to hide your jewelry. They use such common items that no thief will spend the time searching the house so thoroughly!

Next time you’re thinking about leaving your house, take a look around. You’ve worked hard for your jewelry. Protect those beautiful investments!

Jeff Lakie is the founder of Jewelry Information a website providing information on Jewelry

Jewelry worn on the body has always held a special significance for people. While women wear various types of jewelry like rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets, these days men are not far behind. Many men are seen wearing earrings, bracelets and finger rings. Body jewelry has become quite a fad with men and women across the world.

Wholesale, as a term, refers to the price of any product that is sold at a price that is far less than its maximum retail price. Wholesale prices of most products, including wholesale body jewelry, are reserved for people who own stores or are in business. Usually, you are offered a wholesale price only if you offer to buy jewelry above a certain minimum purchase amount. This purchase amount is not fixed, and is decided by the wholesaler. Often purchasing jewelry in a wholesale lot means you will end up with more jewelry than you will ever need for your personal use. Unless you own a store where you intend to sell, or you get a lot of other people interested in buying the same jewelry, bulk purchase is not a feasible option.

However, with many companies selling products online, wholesale body jewelry is within the reach of most consumers, and everyone can buy them at lower than retail costs. With lower transaction costs online, wholesalers can afford to sell smaller lots of jewelry at wholesale rates. You can negotiate and obtain a further discount if your order is large.

An important factor to watch out for is authenticity of the products. Several of the online stores selling wholesale body jewelry usually sell cheap imitations. Checking samples of what you want to buy is a good idea before you buy in bulk.

As someone who appreciates only the best in life, I’m on the hunt for some of the best, expertly crafted jewelry in the Inland Empire. My insatiable appetite for only the finer things in life has netted me an expansive plot of land with a luxurious mansion dwelling on it, a fleet of luxury vehicles including rare models that no one making under 10 million a year would rightfully own, along with several yachts, depending on my sailing mood, and other extremely expensive personal items. I have, what some might correctly assume, is a voracious appetite for showpiece rich people items. My aforementioned mansion is filled with the softest furs from the rarest of endangered species lying around simply for my hole-hearted belief that I can, and by all means, should, have everything that’s normally not attainable by regular means.

My wife, for instance, loves mission style custom jewlery. She just turned 19 and is easily the most beautiful female in the eastern seaboard. I buy her everything, including the finest pair of plastic attractions and personal trainers so as to be heathly and fit until her sell by date comes around if you know what I mean. I’m sure you all do. Anyways, jewlery is her thing, as well as mine, and we found a special custom jeweler designer that will adhere to whatever it is you design with diamonds, rings, pendants and other items.