Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Diamond Rings to Mark Important Milestones

A gem-quality diamond is one of the rarest materials on earth. It is also one of the oldest. Most of these precious stones are formed in the Earth's mantle, about 90 to 120 miles underground. Because diamonds require rare volcanic eruptions to bring them to the surface, most stones that are subjected to carbon dating are between 1 billion to 3.3 billion years old.
Since it is the hardest natural substance on earth, diamonds were named for a Greek word that means unbreakable. But that hardness was not their most prepossessing property. The optical qualities of diamonds are without equal. A clear stone can reflect all the colors of the visible spectrum. Gemologists and jewelers refer to this ability as brilliance. No other precious gem can compare to a diamond when it comes to coruscation.
The story of how the stone became a popular decorative material and created a massive global industry is a long and convoluted one. According to historians, diamonds were most likely discovered in Indian around 3,000 years ago. Due to their extreme rarity and the difficulty of mining them, the stones were only owned or traded by the wealthy.
Unlike other precious materials, diamonds were not considered a traditional wedding gift until the 20th century. By comparison, gold wedding bands were given as betrothal gifts by the Ancient Egyptians. What changed?
Though diamond mining became more efficient and affordable in the modern era, it was really the rise of the middle class that made the stone an option for average people. The diamond is now the most popular pre-wedding gift. About eighty percent of married women in America received a diamond engagement ring before they said €I do.€ The other twenty percent only wish they had.
When to Give Them
Engagements
About 9 billion dollars worth of diamonds are mined each year. Although we don't have the numbers, we would wager that most of those gem-quality stones are used in engagement rings. As we mentioned, eight in ten married women in America received a diamond ring as an engagement gift. Most of these stones weigh in at about one carat, which typically costs the groom-to-be between two and three thousand dollars. As a general rule, an engagement ring is the most expensive present a husband will ever purchase for his wife.
Selecting a diamond engagement ring is an excruciating process for most love-struck Romeos. After all, most men know next to nothing about buying diamonds. The best advice we can give you is to follow the 4 Cs. This simple mnemonic device reminds us that clarity, color, carat and cut are the most important considerations when shopping for diamonds.
The most straight-forward of these Cs is carat, which is simply the weight of the stone. But it may not be the most important. The clarity of a diamond has an enormous effect on its price. If a stone is flawless or nearly so, it can be worth as much as a diamond that is twice its size. When it comes to color, clear stones are the most sought-after, since they capture and reflect more light. Last but not least, cut is the most confusing because it describes how the stone is cut, not its shape.
Milestone Anniversaries
Unless you are wealthy as Bill Gates or Warren Buffet, your wife will not expect you to present her with a diamond ring every year on your anniversary. However, there are special anniversaries that are commonly considered milestones in the relationships of married couples. These include the 1st, 10th, 25th and 50th anniversaries.
Which anniversary requires a diamond ring? According to the modern list of anniversary gifts, the 60th anniversary is the one where diamonds should be given or exchange. But since few couples stay together, or even survive for six decades, most married men give their wives diamond anniversary rings much sooner. The tenth and the twenty-fifth anniversary are probably the most common times to purchase these stunning ornaments. What are they?
Unlike engagement rings, anniversary rings rarely contain large center stones. Rather, they have rows of smaller diamonds that are often set in channels in the bands. One of the most popular anniversary rings is called the eternity ring, which features a row of small colorless stones that completely encircle the ring. Because small stones are far more common than large ones, anniversary rings are generally not as pricey as engagement rings.
Diamonds rings for special occasions can be purchased at competitive prices from reputable jewelers on the internet.

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