We're very lucky over the Christmas period to have two guest blogs - the first from the renowned Longleat. Make sure you take a look at their site Longleat Weddings if you're looking for an outstanding luxury wedding venue. With a choice of wedding packages, including a bespoke package, which can be tailored to your needs, it's a really magical venue - perfect for a Vintage wedding - or, in fact, any type of wedding!
We know some of you will have been planning your wedding over the Christmas break - and if you haven't yet chosen the ring this great piece from offers lots of good advice to ensure you get a ring you'll love for a lifetime ... or perhaps you can leave this blog page up as a bit of a hint to your Mr Right! Over to Longleat Weddings:
"If you’re planning to ask
that special lady to marry you, then you’re going to want the right sort of
sparkler to ensure you get that all important ‘yes’. According to the Guardian,
75 per cent of British men, at some point, have to go engagement ring shopping,
and most are terrified of getting it wrong. After all, their partner is going
to have to wear the ring for the rest of her life, so she’d better like it!
Times have changed a lot
over the past few decades, and the surprise proposal is somewhat a thing of the
past. Most couples at least discuss getting married before he decides to pop
the question, and some go as far as planning a holiday to ensure their
engagement takes place in a suitably romantic location. Plenty of modern
couples actually go out together to choose an engagement ring, which takes a
bit of the guess work out of picking the right one.
Even when the blushing bride
to be is involved in the decision making process, getting just the right
engagement ring is a tough task. With so many cuts, designs, diamond sizes and
other variables involved, the couple can truly be spoilt for choice. But when
you want to look as incredible as all those amazing wedding venues you’ve been
dreaming about, it’s important to get it right. Here are some great tips to
help you locate the perfect engagement ring in the sea of possibilities that
surround you.
Understand the code of the diamonds
As
much as you want to get a nice design for your engagement ring, the main value
of the piece is locked up in the diamond itself. By understanding what the
different qualities of a diamond are, you can pick a ring that will hold its
value for many years to come.
- Cut: The
most common cut is round, but you can also see cuts such as the princess, the
pear, the heart and the marquise. Make sure you know what cut you are keen on
to help you hone down your search.
- Colour:
The best quality, and most expensive, diamonds are completely colourless. The
most colourless diamonds are graded ‘D’, with the scale going down to ‘Z’ for
those which display subtle colours.
- Clarity:
Don’t get too hung up on the clarity, as it won’t affect your diamond greatly
and you can’t see the imperfections without a magnifying glass anyway. However,
do be aware that the very best grading for clarity is IF (internally flawless)
and the worst is I3 (imperfect 3).
- Carat: The
size of the diamond is measured by carat. A whole carat is 0.2gm and is divided
into 100 units of smaller measurement called points. Most engagement rings are
somewhere between half a carat and one carat.
A
good jeweller will know about all these standards, and will be prepared to take
the time to talk you through each one. If you want to be completely sure of
getting a high quality diamond, get a ‘cert’ stone which has been graded and
coded by a gemmological laboratory.
Choose the right metal
Consider
your options when it comes to the metal that you have your diamond set in. Most
diamonds are set in gold, but that’s not the only option.
- Platinum:
This, the strongest of all precious metals, is a more expensive options than
gold but is a material designed to last a lifetime.
- 18k gold: This
gold is a cheaper yet still highly valued option. Because it is malleable, it
is more susceptible to damage, but can be repaired more easily too.
- 14k gold:
The lower the karat number, the less pure the gold is. 14k gold is cheaper than
18k, but still offers great value and a beautiful finish.
- Palladium: Like
platinum, this is an incredibly hard wearing metal of the highest purity, but
is lighter and cheaper. It has an attractive whiteness to it which can make it
an interesting choice for an engagement ring.
When
thinking about which metal to have your ring made in, it’s important to
consider more than just the appearance and cost. If your partner wears other
rings next to her ring finger, buying a harder metal for her engagement ring
could damage the neighbouring jewellery. Remember too that whatever metal her
engagement ring is fabricated from, her wedding ring will need to be made of
the same to avoid causing damage to either piece.
Getting it right for her
The
design of the ring has to be perfect for her, so make sure you understand her
preferences before you start shopping. Does she like vintage clothes and décor
at home, or does she prefer a modern style? Have a look through her own
jewellery collection and see what types of pieces she’s been shopping for
herself.
If
you’re choosing your own wedding ring, the only real answer to finding your
perfect style is to look, and look, and look. The web is a great resource of
images, as are wedding mags and jewellery stores in your local high street. If
you want something really unusual, you could have your ring bespoke made by a
local craftsman, which is often not as expensive as you think.
Whether you’re shopping for
the engagement ring together or planning a surprise proposal, your perfect ring
is definitely out there somewhere. Make sure you buy from a reputable supplier
if you don’t want to get ripped off with a cubic zirconia, and remember to keep
the receipt just in case things don’t go entirely to plan!"
