From the past, we have learned that rich families usually possess a considerable quantity of gold rings, bracelets, and coins; it is a symbol for family wealth and social status. If you happen to fit in this category, you must have a personal treasure passed down the line from your ancestors, and increased by the gifts of husband, children and business associates.

Middle class families also inherit pieces of jewelry from their mothers or grandmothers. Women usually take care of those generation-passed-down jewelries very seriously because they often are precious and have significant meaning. Those rings and bracelet are meant to be kept from generation to generation.

Gold Marriage really existed. Before the 21 century it used to be very common for married couples to stay together all their lives. Divorce was rare and considered a mishap. People had pride in committing to each other for life. To celebrate this union, people would even publicly remarry when they reach the 50th anniversary. The attendants to the gold wedding shower ceremony would bring gold gifts to the couples. The couple would also exchange their gift for each other, such as new wedding rings or a gold bracelet, necklace or chain, sometimes engraving the date of the event or their spouse’s endearing name in it. This was not only a token of respect and appreciation for 50 years of love and friendship, but also an investment to be passed on to their descendants. Sadly, nowadays 50th wedding anniversary doesn’t exist as much now.

Read the rest of this entry »

Metal cut outs are a creative way to dress up any outfit. They are delicate, beautiful and feminine to look at, providing an understated yet whimsical feel.

Of all the trends on the market today, metal cut outs seem to have a presence everywhere. The pendant necklace cut out is very hot right now, with many designers catering to this style. Pendant choices include natural elements such as: flowers, butterflies and leaves. The butterfly is especially favored this season, as the most coveted and beautiful insect. Other cut out symbols such as hearts, shamrocks and crosses are other chic possibilities.

Cut out cuff bracelets are extremely hot, with the focus on very wide designs. The width of the bracelet balances out the delicate design of the metal. This type of bracelet also acts an alternative to a solid bangle, as it can be molded around your wrist or upper arm, and is very lightweight.

Read the rest of this entry »

From the outside appearance, diamond and CZ jewelry seems quite similar to one another. It’s a hard for us average consumers to notice the differences between the two. However, with the help of modern technology, a trained jeweler is able to recognize the differences, and here are some of their major distinctions.
Appearance Differences
Firstly, Cubic Zirconia stone’s brilliance has more colors. This is because of CZs high dispersion of prismatic light. In layman’s terms, this means you see tons of rainbow colors from CZ stone. CZ stone itself is colorless thus it reflects surrounding obejcts’ color. According to the Diamond Color Grading Chart, it’s not unusual for CZs to have a high color grading of D, which is colorless. On the other hand it is almost impossible to find a grade D colorless diamond.
Another way to distinguish between Cubic Zirconia jewelry from diamond jewelry is the differences between the cuts of the stone. In order to maximize the brilliance of the stone, CZ is often polished differently. CZ’s cuts are more rounded and its edges are smooth. Diamonds have sharper edges and cuts because that’s where the facets meet.

Hardness
Diamond is well-known for its hard and unbreakable nature. On the Mohs’ scale of hardness, a diamond has a perfect score of 10. It is also true that the only thing can scratch a diamond is another diamond. Both the beauty and the long-lasting nature of the stone made it a top choice for marriage commitment. Cubic Zirconia stone has a score of 8.5 on the Mohs’ scale of hardness.

Read the rest of this entry »