Unique Designer Men's Rings

Men’s diamond rings actually haven’t been around all that long. Up until about 120 years ago, there weren’t even men’s wedding bands. It was very unusual for even a woman to wear a diamond wedding band. Major diamond merchants such as DeBeers in their attempts to create new markets managed to sell the idea of matched women’s and mens wedding rings, but the “diamond” part – mainly for economic reasons – didn’t catch on until much later. Until around 1950 or so, when government economic policies allowed the growth of an American middle class, womens and mens wedding bands were basically simple, unadorned gold or silver rings. It has only been in the last half-century or so that men’s diamond rings have become popular.


Jewelry For The Male

Men have been wearing jewelry at least as long as women, of course, but usually for different reasons. Whereas women’s jewelry is meant to adorn and enhance the wearer’s beauty, men’s jewelry has traditionally been worn as a status symbol, badge of rank, or even in recognition of achievement.

When it comes to men’s wedding bands, there are several options available, but few consist of the plain gold band of yesteryear. Popular motifs include Celtic knot work patterns, Greek key designs, Arabic geometric patters and even abstract designs. Often, these can be engraved.

What is the difference between men’s diamond rings and a diamond wedding band? Not much; men’s wedding rings can fall into either category. Generally, a diamond wedding band does not have a large gem, prominently mounted, but does have small diamonds embedded in the surface.


Beyond Gold

All three varieties of gold (yellow, white and rose) are beautiful, but soft and not particularly durable. The surface can be easily scratched, and gold will tarnish over time. As a result, some prominent jewelers have been offers men’s wedding rings in new, harder and more exotic metals such as tungsten, platinum and palladium. These metals are extremely hard and resistant to tarnish, making them excellent heirlooms.

Today, one can find a mind-boggling variety of mens diamond rings, either as solitaires or as part of a wedding set. The gems set into rings for men are generally square-cut rather than round cut, but again, the choice is up to the buyer. Some jewelers sell wedding sets as “semi mounts,” meaning that no gem is inserted into the mounting until the customer chooses one. They represent just a small fraction of what is available on the market today in men’s diamond rings.


About the author:
Jonathon Blocker writes about diamond jewelry http://www.gemfind.com/ , colored diamonds, and certified loose diamonds http://www.gemfind.com/diamonds.aspx . He is a consultant for GemFind.com, a trusted name in the jewelry industry since 1999.

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

What to Look For in a Diamond Wholesaler

Whether you're looking to purchase wholesale diamonds for investment purposes, for business purposes, or just because you love the idea of owning diamonds on your own, there are some things to look for when it comes to a diamond wholesaler. Before you run out and start plunking down your investment dollars or jewelry business start-up finances for any loose diamonds, keep in mind that you don't want to send money to just any diamond wholesaler. Like any other investment option or business vendor, you need to be choosy and use some discretion.

First, keep in mind that a diamond wholesaler will be offering a large inventory with different cuts, carats, and so on. It's up to you to educate yourself about what makes a diamond valuable and why there will no doubt be a wide variety of prices between diamonds of the same carat, and so on. Your diamond wholesaler may offer some tips and education in this regard but it will be up to you to learn as much as possible about diamonds themselves.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the American Gem Society (AGS), and the International Gemological Institute (IGI) are the three most widely known and respected diamond grading laboratories in the world. Each of the grading laboratories have developed a very similar nomenclature for identifying the 4 C's of diamonds. The 4 C's stand for Carat, Color, Clarity, and Cut.

You could insist on a certificate from GIA or AGS for each and every diamond you purchase for a wholesaler but bear in mind that this certification process will increase the final price of the diamonds. A certificate describes the quality of a diamond, but it does not place a monetary value on the gem. An appraisal places a monetary value on your diamond, but does not certify the quality of the diamond. After you have been purchasing diamonds for a while you should be able to learn how to certify and appraise the diamond on your own and not rely on any outside sources.

A diamond wholesaler should be a direct importer of diamonds rather than a reseller. They may cut their own as well; this usually means that you get a better selection when it comes to quality and value, something that will be very good for a startup jewelry business. When you start to deal with a reseller, the costs go up, so it's best to look for a wholesaler of diamonds that imports their merchandise directly.

You need to be sure where the wholesaler gets his diamonds from. There are many gems that have a poor history for how they have been cultivated; many civil wars in Africa and other areas are started and waged over diamond mines. Diamonds known as conflict diamonds originate from the war zones of Africa.

In May of 2000 The Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) was adopted. It is a plan that could halt the trade of conflict diamonds by establishing a way that diamond origin could be certified.

On December 1, 2000 the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution defining the role of conflict diamonds with the intent of cutting off the sources of funding for rebel forces and to help shorten the wars and prevent their recurrence.

Among the countries most affected by the terror inflicted by traders in conflict diamonds are Liberia, Sierra Leone and also Angola. Unscrupulous groups still manage to elude the legal barriers and still find ways of infiltrating the diamond centers of the world. Insist on a certification before purchasing any diamonds. It will tell you the stone's carat weight, its color and clarity, flaws, and its origins.

If you do some research about any potential diamond wholesaler and check their paperwork carefully, you're sure to make the right decision for your investment or business.


About the author:
David Cowley has created numerous articles on Diamonds. He has also created a Web Site dedicated to Diamonds. Visit Diamonds http://www.diamonds-team.com/


Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

Where You Can Find a Discount Diamond

In today's age of discount stores and retailers, it's not unusual for any shopper to be looking for a lower price on anything they're looking for. This is true even when it comes to a discount diamond; shoppers are scouring the internet and anyplace else they can think of to save a few dollars off the price of a ring or pendant or even loose diamonds for their own investment or startup jewelry business. If you're in the market for what could be called a discount diamond, where to start looking and what to look for?

First, keep in mind that a diamond doesn't lose its value simply because it's old or has been owned before, the way a car or some other merchandise might. A ten-year-old car is going to be less than a new one because of the wear and tear and damage it suffers through everyday use, but a ten-year-old diamond is going to be just as valuable today. So when looking for a discount diamond don't rule out places such as estate sales, auction house, jewelry stores that are going out of business, and so on. People today have a certain mindset that tells them that something needs to be new to be valuable but this just isn't applicable when it comes to diamonds, gold, platinum, and so on.

When shopping for a discount diamond check out wholesalers. Many have not just loose gems but they also cut and polish them and have many mountings from which you can choose. If you're looking for an engagement ring or other setting, you might not have as many options for your discount diamond as you would if you went to a jewelry store or elsewhere, but usually a wholesaler will offer enough variety with their settings that you'll find something you'll like.

If you're shopping online at a place like eBay or another such site, be sure that you get a certificate of authenticity for your discount diamond. There are many legitimate pieces of jewelry and deals to be had online; if you had some old jewelry you wanted to sell you'd probably list it online too, right? So there's no reason to think that every auction or online site is a scam, but you do want to use some discretion. Any legitimate seller should be willing to send you a copy of the certificate of authenticity before you buy, if they don't have it visibly posted online.

With the advances in technology it is very difficult to tell the difference between a man made or synthetic diamond from a real one. Even some of the experts can not tell the difference and in some cases a man made diamond may even be of better quality than a natural one because it will have less flaws in it. A man made diamond has all of the properties of a natural one and the only difference is it did not take several million years to create. A man made diamond usually run about 25 to 50 percent of the cost of a natural one so if you are looking for a great deal on the price of a diamond then take a look at man made diamonds.

Shopping for a discount diamond is just like shopping for anything else for which you want to get a discount. It requires some work and research and a bit more effort on your part, but the savings you'll find will be worth it.

About the author:
David Cowley has created numerous articles on Diamonds. He has also created a Web Site dedicated to Diamonds. Visit Diamonds http://www.diamonds-team.com/


Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

Tips For Buying Princess Cut Diamonds

Israel Itzkowitz of Ambar Diamonds created the princess cut diamond in 1979. Three years of research went into the design to create a new faceted diamond that had similar optical properties to the round brilliant cut diamond. It is now the second most popular diamond cut shape only exceeded by the round brilliant cut.

The overall shape of the diamond is a square or rectangle with the top of the diamond cut into a square shape and the body of the diamond is similar in shape to a pyramid. The princess cut is usually less expensive than the round brilliant cut because not as much of the diamond needs to be cut away to get the desired finished shape. The ability to retain more of the crystal weight makes this shape popular amongst diamond cutters. The diameter of the princess diamond is usually smaller than that of a round diamond with the same carat weight, and the length is usually longer than that of a round cut. Some of the brilliance is sacrafice in order to have this unique square shape.

Tastes may vary but the minimum recommendations for buying a princess cut diamond are as follows:

Cut should be Very Good.

Color should be G or better.

Clarity of the diamond should be VS2 or better.

Percentage of depth to width needs to be 58 to 80 percent.

Princess cut diamonds are considered brilliant-style shaped because this particular cut takes advantage of the light with their vertically angled crown and tent-like facets, by bouncing the light around within the diamond. Princess-cut stones sparkle more than ordinary square-cut diamonds and after seeing one it’s easy to understand why they call it brilliant cut.

When a diamond crystal is being examined the gem cutters try to determine the cut that will allow for not only the best look but also the best profit margin, after all they are businesspeople as well as artists. The carat weight yield of a princess-cut diamond can be as high as 62% higher than that of a round cut counterpart. It is not uncommon for both of these cuts to be cut from one single crystal. The rough diamond is simply sliced in half through the middle and one half will be come a princess cut and the other a round cut. It is also easer for natural flaws to be hidden in the uncut corners of the princess cut diamond.

Flaws or inclusions are small bubbles of gas, liquid or other impurities that were caught inside the diamond crystal during its formation and are quite common. The uncut corners of the diamond are usually hidden by the four-prong used to hold the diamond in the setting of the jewelry. Although you may not be able to see these flaws, the flaws are week points and proper care must still be taken to protect the diamond from becoming chipped or even cracked.

If you love the fire of the traditional round brilliant cut but want something a little different, you might just fall in love with the icy fire of the princess cut. Since it was designed to get the maximum brilliance from a square cut you will get a little more carat weight for your money.


About the author:
David Cowley has created numerous articles on Diamonds. He has also created a Web Site dedicated to Diamonds. Visit Diamonds http://www.diamonds-team.com/


Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com