It’s not often that we find a stunning new collection for our ground-breaking boutique which we know will knock the socks off of our lesbian brides and gay grooms alike! But, folks! We’ve found it!

GayWeddings.com is pleased to introduce a dazzling new line of rings which have been custom-designed to satisfy same-sex couples as they celebrate their engagements, unions and legal marriages. Our new exclusive Tux in the City line, developed with the help of a talented NYC-based jeweler, features 14 karat white gold rings and high quality, SGI/EGL certified white diamonds (HI-SI2) paired with attention-grabbing, color enhanced Black Diamonds.

We are especially proud of this line as it lands perfectly at the intersection of traditional and trendsetting and, most importantly: it embraces the brides who wish for a ring with a bit more of a tailored feel; the grooms who aren’t afraid to show a little bling; and, all couples who want to celebrate their unions with the traditional symbol of love and strength without being predictable.

Our new Tux in the City Ring Collection — A Black & White Diamond Affair — offers individual rings which can be mixed & matched to create an ideal pairing or stacking ring set as well as jeweler-recommended pairings, all of which will help our unique couples express themselves with flair, style and individuality.

About Kathryn Hamm, President of GayWeddings.com

GayWeddings.com, dedicated to serving same sex couples since 1999, is the nation’s first and foremost gay and lesbian online boutique and planning resource. Gay and lesbian wedding expert, Kathryn Hamm, President of GayWeddings.com, has advised countless couples (gay and straight alike) with her special brand of wedding counseling; has led workshops for couples and/or wedding vendors in Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.; has managed day-to-day operations and the strategic vision for the company since 2005; and, with the help of her business partner and mother, Gretchen Hamm, she has developed a ground-breaking and unique product line for gay and lesbian couples, including cake tops, invitations, albums, rings, guestbooks, favors, gifts, certificates and more. As an interactive planning resource, GayWeddings.com also offers a community forum, a national gay-friendly vendor directory, free planning articles and “Wed Pages” for couples.

For her Fall 2010 collection, Stephanie created combs with bold metallic feathers, oversize pearls, and enormous Swarovski crystal flowers, multiple strand pearl necklaces with large filigreed broaches, and glittering chandelier earrings. Each has the feel and heirloom quality of a piece a relative found in a hope chest, dusted off, and gifted to be worn as “something old.”

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images by FoxySocialMedia

Ropes of pearls adorned with broaches and sparkling chandelier earrings that could have come out of your grandmother’s jewelry box were not only beautiful but comfortable (I did indeed try them on!).

Accessories that seemed out of your family’s cache of heirlooms filled Filippa Scott’s suite. Playful, dramatic feathered combs, headbands adorned with art deco broaches, filigreed flowers, and mother of pearl diamante evening bags all tested my self control with the compulsion to play dress up.

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all image by FoxySocialMedia

Continue on my journey to find what is the best thing that my bride can do to be up to date and fashionable and yet elegant and simple without any over dues (and any regret few years down the road) so I purchased a few of my favorite bridal magazines… Town and Country Weddings, of course “Martha Stewart Weddings” and “Well Wed” and head home to start writing.

Going through my notes to put this blog together I realized they all have one thing in common and that is “The glitz of the new fancy big bulky fashion jewelry” …
Today is all about the new fashion jewelry. Some coming from the past antique pieces and couture jewelry and some newer designs, although they all have one thing in common; they are all big and bulky and they present a fashion statement.

Alex Soldier Collection

Glancing through the Town and Country Weddings Spring/Summer issue I realized that even some big names in Wedding Gown Designs are using the same concept. For example Rivini put a beautiful ad with the bride wearing a big bulky necklace, another one with a beautiful fashionable ring. Monique Lhuillier has a bulky conversation ring on her bride’s finger; Romona Keveza used an Italian silk satin belt designed with big Swarovski-jeweled buckle like piece and last but not least Oscar Heyman’s creations on some other brides.

When you have time check out Jemma Wynne’s big rose quartz ring, love the Aspray, David Yurman’s, Dior and Buccellati’s new collections on bold and beautiful jewelry. With spring around the corner, some of these jewels have the spring’s pastel and floral accents which makes it perfect for the spring wedding.

I believe the days for the small pearl necklace and earrings are over. Although they are one of the most recognized jewelry for the brides (and I know most of the time it is from your mother or your grand mother and adds a very sentimental value to your day) but it’s time to use them for the small cocktail parties you through after your wedding to show off your registry items.

So here is my advice: “Simple but classic and timeless, and mix it with bohemian elegance and a touch of a trend”. Also remember you have to find which trend will fit into your personal style and what works with you.

Did you get the ring yet? Gentlemen, I will not kid you: purchasing an engagement ring is a daunting task, never mind the emotion that comes from the actual proposal.  Finding the right ring for your bride to be can be overwhelming.  But armed with a little knowledge and the right resources, you’ll be an expert in no time!

Let’s talk about diamonds – a girl’s best friend.

You’ll want to consider the 4 Cs:

• CARAT: Carat is the measurement of a diamond’s weight.  One carat is approximately 100 points (so a diamond under 1 carat will be denoted by points) and is 200 mg.  Carat is about weight, not size.  Its a misconception that a certain carat weight should equal a certain diamond size.  The size differences occur due to the cut of the stone.
• CUT:  There are two parts to the cut of a diamond: the shape, and the proportions and polish of the stone.  Ask your jeweler about depth percentage and table percentage (the two primary proportions to consider) as you review each diamond.  Below is a chart of common diamond shapes.  Shape is really a personal preference (however, round brilliant stones tend to reflect the most light, thus the most brilliance (or sparkle.)

• CLARITY: Clarity indicates the quality of the stone and how clear it is.  Because diamonds are nature made, there will be some defects (known as inclusions or flaws.)  The fewer flaws, the better the clarity.  Take a look at the diamond under a 10x magnification and you’ll be able to map the unique traits of the diamond.
• COLOR: Actually, this refers to lack of color: the less color a stone contains, the more valuable it is.  Lack of color allows it to reflect and refract light.  Hints of yellow is the most common shade found in diamonds, though brown or gray can shade as well.

Detailed information about diamond rating scales for cut, color, and clarity is available online at DeBeers Jeweler.  My husband swears by this book, How To Buy A Diamond: Insider Secrets For Getting Your Money’s Worth by Fred Cuellar. He read it thoroughly and took it with him to every jewelry store he visited.  The jewelers who recognized his efforts to be informed and helped him with his diamond education stood out from those just interested in the sale. Each elements mentioned above is explained in depth in the book.

• Before you launch in to the hunt for the perfect ring, make sure you have an idea of what she may like. What is the style of the jewelery she already wears?  Does she wear a lot of gold, or does she stay on the silver or platinum side of the fence? (Not sure?  Make not of her watch band or her bracelets and necklace chains.)   Is she a modern girl, into classic or traditional design, or can she claim to have one foot firmly placed into a different era?  This might give you a hint of the design of the ring: clean lines in a platinum setting, a solitaire stone in a white gold, or perhaps an art deco etched ring with side stone settings.  When in doubt, ask a trusted friend or family member (and swear them to secrecy if you must!)

• As with any big purchase or endeavor, know your budget.  Typically, you can expect to spend one to two months salary on an engagement ring.  Of course, that means planning and saving, so do your research during this time.  Ultimately, you have to be comfortable with the amount you are spending.  In this economy especially, it doesn’t make sense to start the road to marriage with debt.
• Because there are many factors and nuances to purchasing the engagement ring, make sure you trust the jeweler or salesperson.  Ask family and friends or engaged couples for recommendations.  Find a store that has staff that will take the time to help you and inform you; there is no rushing this purchase.  The staff should have the experience of handling and grading stones (and not simply read the information on the tag.)
• Make sure the stone is certified by GIA (Gemological Institute of America.)  GIA sets the standard for diamond ratings, so a certification from GIA should come with the diamond that you buy.
• Ask your jeweler to show you loose diamonds as well as those mounted in settings.  This is an opportunity to study a stone under a 10x microscope or loupe – you’ll be amazed at the view and the jeweler can talk you through what you are seeing.

In the second part of this two part post, I’ll share details on the Four Cs of a Diamond.  In the meantime, my husband swears by this book, How To Buy A Diamond: Insider Secrets For Getting Your Money’s Worth by Fred Cuellar. He read it thoroughly and took it with him to every jewelry store he visited.  The jewelers who recognized his efforts to be informed and helped him with his diamond education stood out from those just interested in the sale.

For a more regal look, this necklace from Forever 21 (via Refinery 29) is stunning and the price can’t be beat! Paired with an elegant, simple gown, you could channel Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Not a necklace girl?  How about a vintage-inspired bracelet, like this one from Haute Bride? I love that it’s pearls and shimmer!

These decadent earrings from etsy seller Noaki Jewelry are the perfect finishing touch…

If you are not into jewelry, a sash with flash (that can also be customized in different colors) from etsy seller Kirsten Kuehn Designs is versatile and very unique!

When thinking about jewelry for the wedding, consider the other parties as well–your mother, your sister, your grandmother, etc. What will they be wearing? Do they need to get their diamond studs polished and cleaned up? And what about yourself? Is there a diamond necklace in the family that you’d want to wear or will you splurge and buy something new? Maybe a relative will want to sponsor such a gift.

I know some bridal jewelry companies like Tacori have their own bridal jewelry, tiaras, and hair pieces. Most of our designers like Ritani or Verragio don’t, however, so I would suggest asking your bridal retailer about what jewelry they’d recommend.

The soaps and lotions that your hands encounter on a daily basis will cloud and dull your engagement ring, and it should be cleaned periodically to keep it brilliant.

The easiest way to clean a diamond ring is with solution of water and mild liquid detergent. A soft bristled brush can loosen dirt and a soft, lint-free cloth should be used for drying. Store-bought jewelry solutions may also be used for soaking diamond rings as well as solutions of ammonia and ethyl alcohol. Ammonia (in a mild solution with three parts water) is particularly good for brightening yellow gold, but should never be used with fracture-filled diamonds , as it may cause the diamonds to become cloudy or discolored. If you don’t know if your diamond is fracture-filled, look at the certificate. It should be clearly noted if it has indeed been fracture filled. (Most diamonds are not fracture-filled and if it is not mentioned anywhere on the certificate, the diamond is probably fine.)

Engagement rings can also be professionally cleaned if they become overly dirty. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are the most popular choices among jewelers.

If your engagement ring contains different types of stones, be sure that whichever cleaning method you choose is appropriate for all of them.

1. Cuff Bracelets: Larger cuff bracelets are bold, daring, and adventurous. Today’s’ bride isn’t a demure little flower – our ladies scream ‘Look at Me! I’m beautiful!’  Cuffs add vaa-vaa-voom to any bridal outfit. The best part is they are made for all wrist sizes – thin or thick.  So go out and get one!

2. Colors other than White: We all love diamonds and pearls but sometimes a girl needs a little something different. Colored gems and yellow diamonds are  hot right now. Channel your inner Lady Di and wear sapphires to your wedding. I’m serious – you will look positively stunning.

3. Old Hollywood: Classic old Hollywood glamor is all the rage. If you watched the Emmys this year you saw it everywhere (you know it’s hot if Heidi Klum is wearing it!). Whats the best part of this trend? You will forever look dashing and stylish in your wedding photos. Some styles just never die and Old Hollywood Glamor Girl is definitely one of them. Word of Warning:  This style is addictive! Pretty soon you’re ordering vintage lace aprons on Etsy.com and dressing like a character from Mad Men when you go to work. Don’t say I never warned you!

4. Mother Nature: Flowers, butterflies, leaves, and rosettes are very popular this fall with wedding jewelry. Why? Maybe it’s because everyone has ‘going green’ on their minds or maybe its because these themes make us feel both feminine and girlie. Either way – it’s a great trend and we hope it stays.

Which trends do you like?

If you can afford it, platinum is the way to go. It’s a pure substance. White gold is a man-made metal. There’s no such thing coming out of the ground as white gold. You take yellow gold and mix it with some white alloys like nickel and that’s what’s called white gold.

Over time, the yellowness of the gold will begin to shine through. In about 2 years, you can expect to take your ring to a jeweler to have it re-coated in rhodium. That will make it white again.

Of platinum rings, by the way, there’s different levels of purity. 950 platinum means that its 95% pure platinum. There’s also variations that are 55%, and probably everything in between.

The most important thing about choosing a wedding band is that you like it and it’s comfortable.  So while I can talk on and on about why platinum is better, really if you’re in love and can’t afford it, then don’t worry. You can get married with a wooden ring or one made of cheese! You’ll be just as happy if you’ve found the right person and you’re making a life together!

]]> http://www.weddingaces.com/2009/09/platinum-or-gold/feed/ 1 http://www.weddingaces.com/2009/09/dig-for-free-diamonds/ http://www.weddingaces.com/2009/09/dig-for-free-diamonds/#comments Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:00:39 +0000 Jonathan http://www.weddingaces.com/?p=5515

Digging for Diamonds

This past Friday we ran what is surely one of our nuttier promotions. Our company, Mervis Diamond Importers is a direct importer of diamonds with our roots at the diamond mines. We thought it would be fun to bring a little of the mining excitement to our customers here in Virginia. Soooo… we set up a huge sandpit, and buried 100 real diamonds for our customers to find.

Of course, most of the diamonds were small, but a few of them were bigger, about a half a carat each. We had a great turnout for the event and all in all everyone was really excited.

I know the readership on this blog is nationwide (perhaps even international), so while I can’t invite everyone to join us for our next event, I encourage you to seek out fun events in your area. Buying a diamond or a wedding ring doesn’t have to be a long and painful process. Make it fun!

We are excited to introduce our newest blogger, Laura Carrington, co-founder and chief stylist of Adorn Brides. Adorn Brides is an online retailer from which brides can rent beautiful jewelry for their wedding day! Laura is full of wonderful advice for all brides who want to feel a little extra special on their wedding day.

What is the name of your business?

Adorn Brides

How many years have you been involved in the wedding industry?

I’ve been involved in the wedding industry for 4 years now, but it seems more like 15! I’m one of the Co-Founders and the Chief Stylist at Adorn Brides.

Why did you decide on jewelry?

Celebrities have always had access to amazing diamond jewelry on loan for award shows and events. I’m passionate about the idea that brides should have the same access to fine diamond jewelry for their red carpet day. To me, bridal accessories are really what pulls the entire look together—and that’s an important touch!

What are some tips you can give to brides planning their weddings?

Though bridal jewelry can sometimes feel like a last-minute detail, the accessories you select to compliment your gown are a very important decision and should be considered well in advance of your wedding. From your engagement to your wedding day, it should all begin and end with diamonds. Remember, your jewelry will be the very last thing you put on before you walk down the aisle to complete your transformation from fiancé to wife. It’s an incredibly memorable, symbolic moment that should be treated as such.

What is one of your favorite trends in weddings right now?

I love that brides are willing to think outside the box and add really fun, funky touches to their event, making it very personal. For example, one of our brides wore shoes that had been signed by all her friends. With love notes and well wishes scrawled all over them, the shoes looked more like a yearbook page than high fashion, but they were the highlight of her outfit. Everyone was talking about them.

What is one of the most unique requests you have had from a bride?

I had a bride call me late one Thursday night with a major problem. She had taken her engagement ring to get it polished and tightened and the jeweler had cracked the corner of her gorgeous princess cut diamond, but was refusing to take responsibility for it. The diamond wasn’t insured and she was lost as to what to do. Long story short, we spent almost the whole next day together. I took her to one of my contacts and we watched as the diamond was professionally re-cut to remove the crack. She barely lost any carat weight off the diamond ….and was in tears she was so happy that she could wear her ring for her wedding the next day. We still keep in touch. That’s how I feel about all of our brides—anything to help make their day come together as they’ve always envisioned it would.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

When I’m not styling clients or meeting with my diamond suppliers, you can usually find me in the gym. It may seem sort of out of character, but I’ve been involved in martial arts for most of my life. I have a black belt in Karate and a purple belt in Jiu Jitsu. I love having an outlet where I can tap into my more aggressive side and get rid of all the stress that comes with running a company.

Why did you want to be a WeddingAce?

I love the idea of being a wedding ace because I truly enjoy interacting with brides. If my expertise and perspective can help someone achieve the look they’ve always dreamed they would have on their wedding day, or make even one piece of their experience as a bride-to-be more positive, then my mission is accomplished. There are so many choices these days that I think it can be overwhelming for a lot of brides, and you want your engagement period to be full of fun and happy memories, not stress. In short, I want to be a resource for insightful and reliable information.

Check back tomorrow for Laura’s first post!

Men's wedding bands

Let’s walk through the steps of buying a men’s wedding band:

1. Browse a big selection of different styles and make a choice of either a plain metal ring, or one with diamonds. This will immediately narrow your choices

2. Pick your metal type — platinum, gold, white gold, tungsten, titanium, etc. We always recommend platinum because it’s pure, it’s lasting, and it’s eternal. You can save some bucks if you opt for something else, though, but be careful with white gold. White gold is a manufactured metal, made with yellow gold mixed with other white alloys. Depending on the manufacturer, the whiteness will fade over time and the yellow will begin to shine through. You’ll have to get your ring re-plated every few years and that will cost you. So take that into account, when considering price.

3. Now that you’ve decided on a type (plain or fancy) and a metal, try on a few different rings and see what jumps out at you. Even in the “plain” category, there’s still plenty variation between the truly plain rings and the embellished ones with carving, hammering, design elements, etc.

Some things to consider:

a) Is it important that a mens wedding band match the woman’s? Some don’t mind either way, but some do.

b) If you work with your hands a lot, consider a more solid, durable ring. Or else, if you must have diamonds, consider buying two rings. One for everyday, and one for special occasions.

c) Look for a “comfort fit” ring that has rounded inside edges.

A few months back, we added a “Live Help” feature to our website, MervisDiamond.com.  For those of you who are unfamiliar, it’s like instant messaging someone from the store, instead of calling. We’ve found the feature to be tremendously popular with our customers. Firstly, I think shopping for jewelry can be an intimidating process and this eases the tension by making the correspondence a bit more anonymous. There’s less commitment involved, and you can get your questions answered quickly and easily. But a second reason I think the features is popular is that you can use  live  help when you’re at work! The boss doesn’t know what you’re typing….

Not only with retailers websites, but some designers themselves have this added value service on their websites. I know Ritani.com has their version of an online Concierge service, which is essentially the same thing. (But doesn’t concierge just sound better than “live chat”?) It makes me think we should re-name our service. I think we currently call it, “Chat with a Diamond Expert.”

To learn about Ritani rings, a combination of both the retailer’s website and the designer’s website will give you a more comprehensive understanding of the brand.  Studying just one of the two might give you a one-sided approach. Of course, each designer says he/she has the best quality, but when a retailer describes all of their designers, they are forced to describe each differently.  He/she will honestly say that Ritani engagement rings are great quality, Verragio rings are classic, but with a modern twist. A mother can love all her children, but she still has to describe them each differently!

Verragio Rings

Oftentimes, we have customers come in the door with ripped-out ads from magazines. They’ve seen a ring they like in Lucky and they HAVE to have it. Sometimes there are good reasons to buy that specific brand–good quality, unique designs, etc– and sometimes that brand is really nothing special and we have several others like it. Unless there’s a good reason to choose the brand, you might be paying for the name and nothing more. Do your research and make sure the brand has a good reputation. There are strong brands in the industry that we certainly recommend for their high quality. Be smart.

Of the brands we carry, most people come in asking for either Tacori rings or Verragio rings. I’ve mentioned Tacori in other posts, so this time I’ll highlight Verragio. This is a brand that really stands behind its product. If anything should go wrong in the lifetime of a ring, they’ll work with you to fix it. (They’ll want to know that no other jeweler has worked on the ring or else the guarantee is invalid). The people at Verragio are a pleasure to deal with and they’ll treat you as a luxury customer.

Verragio engagement rings are separated into four collections. Here are some examples:

Couture: This is Verragio’s newest collection and won’t be available in stores until the late summer. I’ve yet to see the line in person, but from the images online it seems gorgeous.

Insignia: Characterized by fluidity in style and design, the Insignia Collection features a simple scrolling design beneath the center stone.  The collection intends to feature the diamonds more than the metal and make the utmost impact.

Paradiso: This collection is designed with comfort in mind, featuring delicate curves and rounded edges that are both delightful to the eye and to the touch.

Classico: The Classico collection features the distinctive Lumino setting, which allows for greater light and brilliance to be dispersed from the center diamond.

I’ve seen it happen before and it’s not pretty. Never try and re-use an engagement ring on a second wife! It’s bad luck, it’s bad karma, and it’s just disrespectful. If your brother has an “extra” engagement ring sitting around from his broken marriage, Don’t Use it! I don’t care about the circumstances. Sell the ring if you need the cash, and buy a new one.

Here’s a story I just stumbled upon that got me thinking:

Yes, I turned down a Tacori engagement ring but for good reasons. His brother was engaged some years back. He had purchased this beautiful ring. He still has the ring. Every girl dreams of one of those.

It was really absolutely beautiful. I mean I loved having about 25k dangling on my little finger. However, I just couldn’t get the thought that this was ANOTHER woman’s ring. So, I said I didn’t like it. I want MY own ring. It doesn’t have to be one of those Tacori rings b/c quite frankly he is not rich enough for that. I will just be happy to be married to him regardless of what the ring is. I mean I don’t want a speck of a diamond, but you know what I mean;)

Celebrating Your Special Day!

A classic bridesmaid gift is something she can wear on the wedding day, but still use later on like jewelry or

A Cute Bridesmaid Tote!

some sort of hair accessories.  In some cultures, it is customary for the bride to give the wedding day attire as a bridesmaid gift.  Another cute idea is to get matching robes or make-up/tote bags and have them embroidered with your bridesmaid’s names or even just the word bridesmaid on them.  This is a fun idea and that way your girls will have something to utilize on the big day while getting ready.

If you’re creative you could try decorating martini or margarita glasses with fun colored puffy paints and rhinestones or maybe putting a scrapbook together with pictures of your friendship together and bachelorette party.

If you feel like pampering your bridesmaids after all the hard work they have done for you, try getting a gift basket and filling it with soaps, lotions, manicure/pedicure set, and other pampering items or even just a gift certificate to a day spa.

You can choose to get all of your bridesmaids the same thing, get variations on a theme, or chose entirely different presents for each person.  Whatever you decide try to spend about the same amount on each present, except for the maid-of-honor’s gift, which is typically a bit more extravagant than the others.  Also make sure that with each gift you enclose a personal note to each of your bridesmaids letting them know how much you love and appreciate them.

I had great lunch meeting this past week with Sonny Ganguly, head of marketing for WeddingWire.com. Aside from the delicious Thai food, I was impressed  at how WW has embraced Twitter. Sonny tells me they have 3500+ followers, and the list is growing rapidly. Interestingly, his favorite element of Twitter has nothing to do with his followers — it’s the ability to search anybody’s tweets. The feature is called Twitter Search.

To paraphrase Sonny, the whole point is to see what people are really thinking and saying right now. It’s not about focus groups, it’s about just listening to the web discussion. So after our conversation, I started playing around and searched the terms “got engaged,” “getting engaged.”

Of course, there are the ecstatic posts from brides and grooms who just recently got engaged. I sent congratulatory posts to them all (I don’t know twitter etiquette really, so who knows what kind of response I’ll get). More interesting, however, was the surprisingly high number of frustrated reactions people had to their friends getting engaged.

Several people commented with lines like, “Wow, 3 friends engaged this week and I’m still single…”

‘Why is the couple next to me in this dopey Irish pub getting engaged HERE?!”

So this brings up an interesting question for current brides and the the wedding industry: Should we be more conscientious of the non-wedding, non-engaged market that’s sick of hearing about how happy we are together? Are we going about celebrating weddings in the wrong way? Why are celebrations bothering so many people? Or is it just inevitable that some people will be lonely and rant online?

Of course, I have no answers, but it’s something I’ll think about now. In my everyday life, I typically only meet happy brides and grooms. I forget sometimes how lucky we have it in the wedding industry, and that the real world isn’t always so peachy.

Design by Lenora Dame

Every bride wants to look beautiful on her wedding day and most want to make a statement with jewelry.  There are many options available for today’s bride including purchasing and renting.  Here are a few of my favorite places to direct the soon-to-be Mrs. for finding wonderful statement pieces at affordable prices.

Tina Tang’s Bridal Collection features wonderful pieces made with pearls.

Adorn Brides offers the bride-to-be an opportunity to rent her luxury pieces.

For the bride that likes her look to be a bit romantic, I love to recommend designer Lenora Dame.  The necklace featured above is one of my favorites!

In the market for cheap and chic?  Without fail, Target (yes, I said TARGET) offers some really fun options.  My brides always find the best stuff (read: newest, of-the-moment designers) tucked inside the display case.  Here’s a savvy tip:  If you’re shopping online, be sure to look under the “special occasions” section.  The earrings below are a Target design!

photo: yourloosediamonds.com

By now you probably know that diamonds are measured by carats. The more carats, the bigger the diamond. (This isn’t to be confused with karats, which is a measure for purity of gold). If you’re curious to know where these funny words come from, it’s from the weight of a carob fruit. Apparently, that used to be a good way to measure things back in the day.

So here comes the important subtlety: Carats are a measure of weight, not visual size.

A diamond can be “fat” in the middle, have a heavy weight and high carat measurement, but still look small from the top. When looking at round diamonds (about 65% of the diamonds we sell), ask about the millimeter measurements. For a one carat diamond, for example, the ideal width is 6.5 millimeters. Typically, a certificate will give you the measurements across the top of the diamond, from top to bottom, and also side by side. So you’ll want a perfectly circular, 6.5 X 6.5 mm diamond, not a skewed 6.5 X 5.5 mm diamond.

When you’re at a jeweler, remember that it’s visual size that you’re looking for, not weight.

Click here to see more photos

Last week I wrote about why I love trunk shows. One of the reasons is that they’re simply just fun. They get my mind working on over-drive and crazy things happen, like calling up the cupcake guys and asking if they would know how to set diamonds into frosting (I learned later it’s called confit).

For our Wedding Ring Trunk Show, I thought let’s do a funky photoshoot with wedding rings and cupcakes. Something different, and none of that cheesy stuff you see in the Jared’s commercials.

This photo shows a set of wedding rings, mens and womens, with one of our diamond cupcake creations. I call it a Fantasy Mervis Diamond Cupcake. This one has 8 round brilliant diamonds around its edges and a 2 carat asscher cut diamond at its center. The cost is just over $30,000.

Clearly this is not a realistic dessert for a bridal shower at that sort of price range, but hopefully this will get your creative juices flowing. Do something different that will get her and her friends talking!

Let me know what you think in the comments section below. Would you like a diamond cupcake at your wedding at the main table? Maybe not at this price range, but with fewer diamonds and more affordable? What if a jeweler would let you “rent” the diamonds for the cupcake and then take them back afterwards?

I often get asked from our brides, if I have any books that I would  recommend for them in the planning stages of their wedding? And, the answer is Yes, of course. There are some very useful books out there that I often refer to and others that I have purchased for my fiancé, since we are planning our own wedding. I recommend these 5 titles, but feel free to browse through the other titles:

• The Best Wedding Reception…Ever! | by Peter Merry
• Jo Gartin’s Weddings : An Inspiring Guide for the Stylish Bride | by Jo Gartin
• Emotionally Engaged – A Bride’s Guide to Surviving the “Happiest” Time of Her Life | by Allison Moir-Smith
• 1,000 Best Secrets for Your Perfect Wedding | by Sharon Naylor
• Your Stress Free Wedding Planner – Expert’s Best Secrets to Creating the Wedding of Your Dreams | by Alison Davis
• BONUS for all my eco-friendly couples (like us) — Organic Weddings | by Michelle Kozin

Many jewelers this time of year are holding trunk shows especially focused on wedding rings. For our stores, we’re hosting two in April and May and bringing in some of our favorite bridal designers:Coast, Martin Flyer, Frederick Goldman, and JB Star.

Wherever you are in the world reading this, my advice is to seek out a trunk show in your area. They’re great because:

1. Prices are discounted

2. Many times the designer himself will be there with his ENTIRE collection. More selection is good! Any given jewelry store will typically only stock a fraction of the collection, but why not see more in one place if you can. And it’s not only about selection, the designer can give you advice better than any salesperson. She/He knows her/his line and the intricate details of each piece. She/He will be able to find something perfectly suits and matches your engagement ring.

3. It’s a more festive and memorable experience. I know when we have a trunk show, we’ll supply food and drink, perhaps some other entertainment, and did someone say CHAMPAGNE?

If you live in the DC area, please come join us this Friday or Saturday, April 3,4 for our Wedding Rings Trunk Show . You can RSVP at the link.