Engagement Rings and Wedding Band Buying Guide

Celebrating a Special Occasion with Jewelrywedding service in which the priest arrives at the
Nothing more personal than our response to color.fourth finger after touching three fingers of the
Color is the new language of passion, and nothingleft hand: "In the Name of the Father ... Son ... and
captures it better than distinctively styled jewelry.Holy Ghost." A more romantic legend that
Leave her speechless with our brilliant colorlessharkens back to Egyptian times holds that the
and fancy colored diamond or bold brilliantfourth finger of the left hand follows the "vena
gemstone jewelry styles.amoris" (vein of love), a vein that was believed to
The Jewelry Hutrun from that finger directly to the heart. The
Engagement and Wedding Rings, The Buyingmore practical explanation is that the fourth finger
Guideis the most protected finger, so by placing the
Engagement Rings and Wedding Rings through thering there, one could best avoid damage to it.
Ages- In the Eighteen century diamonds abound
Engagement and Wedding ring traditionsThe 18th century produced a sparkling variety of
- The middle ages set the stage for betrothalbetrothal and wedding rings. The discovery of
traditionsdiamonds in Brazil dramatically increased the
As early as the 15th century, the diamonds,supply so that diamond jewelry became widely
although only available to a very few, was prizedavailable. Simultaneously, improved candle lighting
above all others as the gem for betrothal, It wasincreased the number of social events held in the
acknowledged as the ultimate symbol because ofevening, when sparkling diamonds could be
its unique properties, especially its ability to resistadmired to the fullest. A woman appearing with
destructive forces.the fingers glittering with diamonds reflected the
In 1477, one of the first recorded accounts ofheight of fashion. Providing enough diamond
the use of diamond was found in a betrothal.jewelry became the major preoccupation of the
Desiring to please his prospective father-in-law,18th century jeweler.
Archduke Maximilian of Austria proposed to MaryPolishing techniques underwent improvement to
of Burgundy, heeding the words of a trustedmeet the demand for glittering stones, and the
adviser who wrote: "At the betrothal your gracerose cut was replaced by an early version of the
must have a ring set with a diamond and also around, brilliant cut. Settings were pared down to
gold ring."show more of the diamond, and silver settings
Maximilian wed his beloved Mary within 24 hourswere created to enhanced the diamond's white
of the betrothal ceremony. Thus began a traditionsparkle. Stones also were often backed with
that has spanned centuries. At the time of Marymetallic foil to add greater brilliance and sparkle, or
and Maximilian, goldsmiths often used thin, flatto emphasize or enhance color; red foil to
pieces of diamond called "hohback" diamonds thatenhance the red ruby, green foil emerald, and so
had "cleaved" (split) from a natural diamondon.
crystal. The imaginative jeweler could createMid-eighteen century introduces diamond "keeper
intricate and interesting details using hogbacks,ring"
such as the beautiful letter "M" you see in Mary'sBy mid-eighteen century, jewelry design began to
ring. Diamonds in their natural crystal form wereshow the effects of the fanciful rococo spirit.
also used. Certainly this was in part because itColored gems (including colored diamonds) became
was the hardest natural substance known andincreasingly popular and the stones themselves
man lacked knowledge and skill to cut it. Butincreasingly became centerpiece of the design,
perhaps there was more to it than that. Diamondespecially when used in combination with white
crystals look like two pyramids joined togetherdiamonds. In keeping with its romantic tradition,
base to base. From the time of the Pharaohs, thethe heart motifs was especially popular, often set
shape of the pyramid was identified with power,with both white and colored diamonds, and
and mystery, so the "pyramidal" shape of thecolored gems such as ruby. Delicate, feminine
diamond crystal itself may have added tojewelry of this kind expressed the elegant and
diamond's allure, to the mystery and powerrefined taste of the time.
identified with it. The very shape of the naturalRings that symbolized love and romance were
diamond crystal may have made it all the morecherished, particularly the betrothal ring. In 1761,
attractive as the choice to symbolized the powerKing George III of England started what was to
of love and marriage.become a popular tradition when he presented
One might think that using an uncut diamondQueen Charlotte a diamond keeper ring on their
would have detracted from the beauty of thesewedding day. This was a simple diamond band
early rings. However, this was not the case.worn on the finger next to the engagement ring
Medieval goldsmiths used imagination and ingenuityto protect it and, perhaps, the marriage itself. The
to create beautiful mountings to hold the diamondsymbolism of the diamond was indestructible and
crystal. Ornate and complex settings distinguishedwould protect; the unending circle represented
by elaborate enamel detail made up for theeternity. We find a contemporary version of
somewhat crude condition of the rough diamondsQueen Charlotte's keeper ring in today's diamond
they held.wedding or anniversary band, a band that usually
At the same time, the inside of the ring took oncontains a single row of diamonds encircling the
added significance as the "posy" ring gainedfinger.
popularity. These rings were known for the little- The Nineteen Century: Forerunners of modern
poems and romantic messages inscribed inside thetraditions
hoop of the ring, a tradition that has continuedAt the start of the 19th century, the idealized
until today, although with inscription somewhatstatus of woman was reflected in the style of
more concise than the poems of olds!their jewelry; pretty, feminine, and sentimental.
The first significant breakthrough in diamondSymbols of love; hearts, crowns, flowers,
cutting techniques occurred by the end of thefollowed them from the previous century. But as
15th century, enabling a cutter to apply the firstthe century progressed, jewelry began to play a
"facet" cut to the natural diamond crystal. Thesemore important role and increasingly became a
early cut diamonds were called table cut becausestatus symbol in 19th century society. The
the big, flat facet resembled the top of a table.Industrial revolution provided greater wealth for
This was the initial step toward diamond cuttingmore people than ever before. Men could now
and polishing, and the first step in unlocking theafford extravagant gifts for the woman they
diamond's hidden fire, brilliance, and dazzling beauty.loved. Gem-studded jewelry became the favored
- Sixteenth century craftsmen reach new heightschoice. Diamonds were increasingly in demand but
The table cut diamond became a great challengeuntil the last quarter of the century supply
to the goldsmiths of the 16th century as theyremained very limited, so they were still available
strove to create designs that could exhibit theto only a few. Then, in 8170, supply greatly
rare stone to it fullest potential. As they refinedincreased when a major diamond deposit was
their art; with the full support of the royal court,discovered on the African continent. Diamond, the
their efforts reached a peak of perfection. Thegem that most could only dream about, suddenly
results are masterpieces of delicate design andbecame available for a far wider public.
fine enameling, combined with pointed or table cutAnd so, with the rich new supply of diamonds the
stones. An impressive example is the wedding ring19th century would see the diamond's full beauty
of Duke Albrecht V of bavaria, a rosette set withrevealed. The supply of rough diamonds from
sixteen small diamonds.Africa not only influenced availability and jewelry
Renaissance Jewish Wedding Ringsdesign, but also resulted in greater
Some of the most beautiful and intricate ringsexperimentation with cutting and polishing. Soon
ever created were those associated with thediamonds showed a truly unique beauty; they
Jewish wedding ceremony during the Renaissancebegan to exhibit a brilliance and fire unknown in
period. These Jewish wedding rings, however,any other gem. Thus, set alone, the glorious
were used only during the wedding ceremony, asdiamond became the height of fashion.
they were far too unwieldy for daily wear. InDuring the 19th century, Queen Victoria was the
many of these elaborately ornamented rings, themost avid collector and visible promoter of the
bezel took the form of a gabled building, ajewelry of the period. She not only maintained an
synagogue, or Solomon's Temple. They wereimmense collection, but spent many thousands of
further enhanced with extensive detailing inpounds with her Court jeweler, Garrard. In 1850,
enamel, as well as Hebrew inscriptions.she excitedly accepted the magnificent 105.602
The Gimmel Ringcarats Koh-i-Noor (the largest in the world at that
The increasing technical know how of Renaissancetime), a gift form the East India Company.
goldsmiths also created a new style of marriage- The Twentieth century and the Tiffany setting
ring called gimmel, from the Latin gemelli, meaningDramatic changes in jewelry design took place in
twins. The gimmel, or twin ring, has two hoopsthe late 19th century. As the role of woman
(sometimes three) that fan open from a pivot atchanged from docile and demure to increasingly
the base. When, they open, they often containedstrong and independent, jewelry correspondingly
intricately sculptured forms symbolizing eternitybecame larger, bolder, and more assertive. Then,
by using figures that represented both life andin reaction to the boldness, a romantic,
death. When shut, the hoops slid together sofreethinking spirit emerged in the form of what
perfectly that only a single ring could be seen. Thecame to be called Art Nouveau. This movement
gimmel ring thus symbolized the coming togetherbrought a fluid delicacy back to design that
of two lives truly as one. When three hoops werecontinued into the early 20th century. And, as
used, the third symbolized the presence of God indiamonds continued to be the central element in
the marriage. This symbolic allusion to marriagerings of love, it was the perfect environment to
was further emphasized by an inscription on theintroduce the revolutionary new "Tiffany mount"
hoop taken from the marriage service: "Whomat the close of the 19th century. This exciting
God Has Joined Together Let No Man Putsetting began a tradition for the diamond solitaire
Asunder." Martin Luther and Catherine Bora were(a ring with a single large stone at the center)
married with an inscribed gimmel ring.that carried into the 20th century and continues
Around 1600, the gimmel began to incorporateto be the most popular choice for the
another romantic symbol; two clasped hands. Inengagement ring.
the ring known as the fede (Italian for faith), theTiffany, the famous New York jeweler, invented
gimmel hoops ended in hands which, when thea dramatic "open" mount. In this innovative
ring was closed, joined together. Another symbolsetting, the stone was held up prominently by six
was also added in this period; a heart, and intiny prongs (like little fingers). This setting allowed
some of the elaborate fede rings we findthe fullest amount of light to enter the gemstone,
delicately enameled hands embracing a sumptuousso that it could exhibit maximum brilliance and
diamond heart.sparkle. Unlike old style settings, which concealed
In addition to its prevalence in the fede ring, themost of the stone (and many of its flaws), the
symbol of the heart was very popular in 17thnew Tiffany style revealed the diamond fully,
century rings. This natural symbol of love andalong with its overall quality; the cut, color, and
romance was often depicted "aflame with desire,"clarity of the diamond was now clearly visible and
incorporating rose and table cut diamonds orcould be fully appreciated.
colored gems.Today, modern cutting and polishing techniques
At this time we also see a reaction against thehave been refined and enable the full beauty of a
increasing use of rings, especially the morediamond to be revealed as light radiated from
elaborate examples. In contrast to an atmosphereeach of its facets. Modern materials such as
in which expensive symbols of romance wereplatinum and new alloys have also provided
fashionable, the Puritans, rebelling against Churchgreater freedom in design and setting, opening up
ritual, attempted, unsuccessfully, to abolishfresh new vistas for 20th century craftsmen.
wedding ring. This test of tradition ultimatelyDesign now concentrates more on finding the
proved that the symbolism surrounding theright balance between personal style and
custom of the wedding ring was too powerful toemphasis on the gemstone.
be destroyed!The skill of present day jewelry designers
The tradition of the "Fourth Finger"continue to delight lovers with exquisite new ways
Wedding rings of the 17th century wereof presenting the gemstone of their choice and
frequently worn on the thumb. During theincorporating the symbolism and traditions of
marriage ceremony, however, the fourth fingercenturies. When today's bride receives her
was most commonly used. There are differingengagement and wedding rings, she will become
theories as to the origin for the tradition of placingconnected to men and women in love in both
the ring on the fourth finger. According to onepast and future generations. She will become part
source, the custom stems from the Christianof a tradition of love that has spanned centuries.