Bridal Jewelry --How to Accessorize Your Wedding Day

OK ladies, here's music to your ears (and neck, and wrist)... now that you've got your wedding dress, it's time to accessorize it! There's no doubt about it, the right baubles perfect your wedding ensemble. Here's what you need to know to accessorize like a pro.

Bridal Jewelry Style Tips

Keep it Simple
Before the fun begins, please heed this advice. When it comes to your bridal jewelry, less really is more. Simple jewelry makes a timeless fashion statement; overdo it and you risk a phone call from Diddy asking for his bling back.

Formality Rules
Along with all other accessories, the bride's jewelry, should reflect the formality of the wedding celebration. A small, informal wedding calls for simple jewelry, while a large, formal wedding calls for more elaborate pieces.

Complement the Gown
Wedding dress style also plays a major roll in jewelry selection. As a general rule - the more detailing on the gown, the simpler the jewelry, while a dress calls for added embellishment.

Let Your Neckline Lead the Way
Your dress neckline will guide you towards what pieces and styles you'll wear. Many gowns are strapless or have low necklines, which is a perfect style to showcase a great necklace. If your gown has a high neckline, you may want to forego the necklace and concentrate on finding the perfect earrings.

Make It You
Above all, wedding day duds should reflect your personal style. So stick to studs if you've never worn chandeliers, and if you've never left the house without your favorite strand of pearls - around your neck is where they should be when you say "I do."

Pick your Metals:

The shade of your wedding dress will guide you to which metals work best:

•If your dress is white - choose platinum or silver jewelry, as yellow gold may clash with stark white.

•If your dress is off-white - either golds or silvers/platinums will work.

•If your dress is ivory - the slightly yellowish undertones call for gold jewelry.

Pick Your Gems:

Pearls - A Classic Choice
The tradition of pearl bridal jewelry stems back to the ancient Greeks, who believed pearls promoted marital harmony. And of course, style icon Jackie O donned a strand the day she became Mrs. Kennedy, further cementing pearls as the refined gem of choice for brides everywhere.

Diamonds - The BFF of Jewelry
Diamonds didn't get their "girl's best friend" status for nothing. They're always good to add a touch of sparkle to your wedding dress. The good news for your wallet is that faux varieties work just as well.

Add Some Color
Of course, colored stones/gems present a great way to incorporate some color into your wedding day look, so don't shy away from blues, pinks, yellows - you name it.

Pick your Pieces

Necklaces:

•The Choker: The classic choker features one to three strands worn close around the neck. This length works well with a jewel or bateau neckline, as it may get lost if too much skin is showing.

•The Collar: This Victorian style consists of three or more strands fitting securely around the middle neck. This length is a great accent to a low or strapless neckline.

•The Princess: This length falls about 16 inches to the hollow of the neck and often supports a pendant. This style works with almost any but a high neckline.

•The Matinee: This style hits the top of the bust and looks great with a bateau, jewel, or a lower neckline with sheer fabric covering the decolletage area.

•The Opera: The opera necklace is a long single strand falling below the bust. It creates a dramatic look when paired with a very high neckline.

Earrings:

Keep your earrings simple if your necklace is especially large or grand. You also may not want to wear earrings at all if you're wearing a tiara - as the two may compete. On the other hand - if you're going sans necklace, consider highlighting your look with elaborate earrings. Remember, the key to accessorizing is balance.

Deck your Wrist?

Although not as common as necklaces and earrings, brides can wear a bracelet with sleeveless, short-sleeve, and three-quarter sleeve gowns. However, a watch is best left at home on your wedding day unless it's a family heirloom or antique.

Recommended Online Sites:

• Zales Jewelry Offers high quality jewelry are reasonable prices. (Mid-price)
  
• PalmBeachJewelry.com! Designer collections at Savings up to 70% (Great for limited budgets)
  
• Ross-Simons Pearl Jewelry & Diamond Collections (Mid-Price)
  

Cori Russell - About the Author:
Cori Russell is editor for Elegala.com and Gala Weddings Magazine. Elegala.com is a complete Weddings, Wedding Planning resource with a national directory of wedding venues and services, how-to guides, photo galleries, checklists, and expert advice to walk brides through every step of the wedding planning process. Brides can request wedding vendor quotes from top vendors across the nation.

How to Buy a Diamond ~ The 5 C's

The five C's

You may have heard of the four C's, well, we found five! Here's how to make sure you're spending wisely.

Cut refers to the angles the diamond cutter extracts in transforming a rough diamond into a polished jewel, as well as how much light is reflected from the diamond. The higher the rating, the more light is reflected from the stone. A well-cut diamond shines more intensely than a poorly cut one. A master diamond cutter will have the experience and skill to bring out the fire in any given diamond. Cuts can make a smaller diamond appear larger and more sparkly.

Color measures how little color the diamond has. Generally, the less color and more "white" a diamond is, the better. The rating system works on a range from D (absolutely colorless) to J (color slightly detectable to the naked eye) to Z (colored). Warmer white stones with a hint of yellow look great set in yellow gold and frosty whites dazzle in white gold and platinum. There are also extremely rare, naturally occurring colored diamonds in shades of blue, yellow, orange, green, pink and, the rarest of all, red.

Clarity measures how many "inclusions" a stone has. Inclusions are nicks, cracks, fractures and feathers that occur naturally when a diamond is formed and make up the diamond's unique handprint. To see the inclusions, jewelers and gemologists use a magnifying loupe and rate imperfections on a scale with the highest rating as FL (for "flawless", which is extremely rare) all the way to I1, I2 and I3 (I = imperfect, so I3 is the most flawed).

Carat is the weight of the diamond, not size. The more carats in a single diamond, the more money it costs. If you choose a ring that has one larger stone and another that has two smaller stones of the same carat weight as the single stone ring, the ring with more stones will be less costly.

Certification ensures that your diamonds are authentic and provides you with a reliable safeguard of your diamond's uniqueness. They are generated by independent gem labs that evaluate each diamond and offer a grading report—an objective detailed analysis of an individual diamond. The certification does not appraise the diamonds monetary value, but it does certify the dimensions, rates the 4 C's, indicates flaws, brilliance, inclusions, etc. Certification takes two to four weeks and costs upward of $75 for the first carat and increases incrementally. The most respected and reliable labs include the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the American Gem Society Laboratories (AGSL) and International Gemological Institute.

Suggested online Diamond Dealers

• Angara's A dazzling collection of jewelry & engagement rings at up to 80% off!


• B2C Jewels Smart Buys on Gorgeous Engagement Rings

Additional Wedding Advice: Create Your Own Wedding Website- Great way to keep your guests updated on your wedding!

Engagement Rings - Guide to Ring Settings

By Cori Russell

When it comes to shopping for engagement rings, it's best to come equipped with a little savvy. Ring settings, the mountings that attach the diamond to the ring's band, are an integral component in achieving the right look for your ring, as some are more appropriate for certain diamond shapes. Here is a complete rundown of the most common engagement ring settings.

Prong

Prong settings usually have six or four prongs (or claws) that cradle the diamond. Prongs allow the maximum light to enter the diamond from all angles, making it appear larger and more brilliant. The prong setting with a solitaire round brilliant stone is the classic engagement ring look.

Bar

A variation on the prong setting, rather than individual claws, prongs on each side of the setting are fused into elongated bars to hold the stone in place. This option highlights more metal without obscuring the stone as much as bezel or channel settings might.

Bezel

The diamond is set with a metal rim around the perimeter of the diamond to hold it in place. A bezel setting can be a full bezel, or a part bezel. In a part bezel setting, the metal only partially surrounds the diamond, leaving the top and bottom of the stone exposed.

Tension

The diamond is held in place by the pressure of the band's metal, resulting in the startling appearance of the diamond being held in midair. The result is a highly contemporary, fashionable look.

Channel

Diamonds of similar size and shape are lined in a row between the band's two horizontal sides. A variation of the channel setting is the Channel End setting - which features thin vertical bars in between each of the stones.

Pave

This design coats the entire surface of the ring with gems, each set into either a minute depression or secured with thin, unobtrusive prongs. Because of their vintage antique look, pave settings are becoming increasingly popular.

Cluster

This setting surrounds a larger center stone with several smaller stones. It is designed to create a larger ring from many smaller stones.

Baguette

Setting Baguettes are rectangular shaped diamonds that can be added to the sides of a larger stone, adding dimension to a solitaire setting.

Three Stone Setting

This setting features a trio of stones (symbolizing yesterday, today and tomorrow). The stones can either be of equal size or the center stone slightly larger.

Our Recommendations for Great Online Diamond Deals

• Zales - Nothing says Love like a Diamond from Zales Blowout Sale

• Save 50% on All Classic Solitaire Engagement Rings!

• Diamond Jewelry at Mondera

Author: Cori Russell is editor for Elegala.com and Gala Weddings Magazine. Elegala.com is a comprehensive wedding planning resource with a national directory of wedding venues and services, along with articles, expert advice, checklists and photo galleries to lead brides through every step of the planning process. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cori_Russell


Additional Wedding Advice:

MerryBrides
Fun Weddings
Great Wedding Advice
Create Your Own Wedding Website- Great way to keep your guests updated on your wedding!

How To Shop For Wedding Bands

By Cori Russell

Shopping for wedding rings involves slightly more than picking out a strand of beads. These steps will walk you through it…

Step 1 Choose Your Style

What's Your Function -
Since this is a ring you'll wear every day, it must match your lifestyle. Super active? Work with your hands? Opt for a simple metal ring with rounded edges, appropriately named a "comfort fit," instead of a wide detailed band or one with stones. If you have skin allergies to metal alloys (found in gold bands), you'll need to invest in platinum, a pure, hypo allergenic metal.

Mix it Up -
Freaking out because he likes yellow gold and you like platinum? Relax, there's no rule that your bands have to match. What matters is that both of you have a ring you'll enjoy wearing.

Test of Time -
Wedding rings are not the accessory for paying homage to the fad gods. Make sure to select a classic style that won't look dated decades down the road.

Step 2 Examine Your Budget

Since metal selection is so closely tied to cost; you'll need to examine your budget before you get too carried away with your preferences. Here is what you can typically expect to pay:

For a plain gold band - prices range from about $100-$200

For a simple platinum band - prices run between $400-$1000

For a band with diamonds - prices vary widely depending on the metal and quality of stones you choose, but the cost of an average diamond wedding band is about $1000.

Engraving can cost from $1 to $8 per character. Actual cost depends on the font and whether it's engraved by hand or machine.

Step 3 Start Browsing

Start your wedding ring search at least two months before your wedding day - and even earlier if you want a custom piece or engraving (which can take up to 1 month). Just like any other big ticket purchase, avoid the urge to buy the first thing you see; browsing is a vital part of the ring selection process.

* Recommended online Jewelry sites

• DesignBands.com Find the Perfect Wedding Band

• Stauer Jewelry Luxurious DiamondAura


• JewelryVortex.com Great discounts

*Please visit our sister site for more great advice Merry Brides

What You Never Knew About Traditional Irish Weddings

By Gregg Hall


The distinctive traditions like Claddagh Rings, superstitions, a special toast, as well as kilts and bagpipes make it really easy to distinguish an Irish wedding from the wedding celebrations of other countries. Let's take a close look at some of these unique components in the Irish wedding.

One of the most unique of all is the Claddagh ring, a traditional Irish ring made to resemble a pair of hands holding a heart with a crown. According to tradition, these rings must be passed down from mother to daughter and since they are intended to be passed down through many generations it is considered improper to purchase one of these rings on your own. There is also a tradition that states how the ring is supposed to be worn. If someone is engaged, the ring is to be worn with the tips of the crown facing outward towards the fingertips. Someone who is not romantically involved would wear the ring in the outward position, meaning that the tips of the crown are pointing to the wrist.

Some of the other unique aspects of traditional Irish weddings are the strange superstitions that surround them. Although a rainy or overcast day is really unwanted at any wedding, it is even less desirable at an Irish celebration because according to tradition the sun must shine down on the bride so that the couple will be blessed with good luck. The Irish are very superstitious people; another sign of good luck for a new couple is the sound of a cuckoo or the sight of three magpies. When it comes to wishing the couple well and congratulating them it is bad luck for a female to be the first one to offer congratulations to the bride. This is why a relative or close friend of the Groom will always be sure that he is first.

No celebration in Ireland would be the same without the sound of Bagpipes and the presence of kilts. By tradition it is customary for the pipes to be played by family and friends of the couple as they walk into the church and also to the reception. In addition, these people who have brought their own bagpipes may also continue to play the pipes for dancing. It is a great opportunity for these individuals to dress in traditional kilts creating a truly distinctive occasion.

Superstitions a play a large role in a traditional Irish wedding and many of the traditional superstitions relate to objects or occurrences that are thought to bring the couple good luck. These events are festive celebrations that involve family, friends, lots of food and great music.

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Recommended Products

Claddagh Rings

Bagpipe music

Claddagh Jewelry from Ireland Wedding and Family Rings, Pendants.

Irish Gifts & Merchandise - The Premier web site for Irish Gifts, Jewelry and other items.

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Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about Ireland and Irish Gifts Online at http://www.uniqueirishgifts.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregg_Hall


Additional Wedding Planning Advice

http://merrybrides.livejournal.com
http://funweddings.blogspot.com
http://windsor.weddingwindow.com
http://weddingsbyashlee.com
http://funweddings.blog.com

Buying A Wedding Ring? Avoid Classic Diamond Scams

By: Lesley-Ann Graham

As you walk along on your quest for the perfect diamond for your mate,
you hear, “Pssst! Hey mister, I hear you’re looking for some good
rocks. I’ve got some great stones, really reasonably priced. I’ll even throw
in the ring for free!”

Sounds shady? You bet he is! Of course, you wouldn’t really buy a
diamond from a guy in an alley wearing a trench, right?

Bet you’d be amazed by how many scams are pulled and in broad daylight
by jewelers who seem absolutely honest. Some of them even have
beautiful shops that look really hi-tech. Beat them at their own game by
learning their scams.

The bigger the better, a lot of people say. When a jeweler tells you
that you have a five carat diamond ring, don’t get dazzled by the carats.
If there was only one stone then you’d have no problem. You might
actually be getting a 1 carat diamond surrounded by eight half-carat smaller
pieces.

An honest jeweler will tell you the weight of each stone in the ring
separate from the center diamond. In fact he’ll even give you a
certificate from a reputed lab such as the Gemological Institute of America
(GIA) as proof. If he can’t or won’t do these, you’re better off buying
from someone else.

Then there’s the bait and switch. The jewelry store will advertise a
diamond at a great price. Problem is that when you get there, they’ll
tell you that it’s already been sold and try to convince you to get
another piece instead. Rarely is this case true. Usually there was never such
a piece and they’ll show you something more expensive that they will
try to get you to buy instead.

If the diamond that they announced for sale isn’t available, ask for
another just like it. If they can’t produce another one of the same
special quality and price, you are better off walking out the door. Don’t
let them get your hard earned money.

Normally when you go to a jewelry shop, the gems are lying on a
beautiful cloth bed under bright lights. The gems are so white and tempting.
Hold it right there! Most diamonds really will look whiter especially
under lights that give off a certain blue component. If you really want
to check the color of a stone, check it in sunlight. If they refuse,
refuse to purchase as well.

You were finally able to find the gem that symbolizes your love. You
ask your jeweler t o know make it into a ring so that you can propose to
your beloved. He said that you would have to leave it with him for a
few weeks and he’ll call you when it’s ready.

When the ring arrives, it is beautiful but….something about it just
doesn’t feel right. You can’t quite put your finger on it but this doesn’t
seem to be the diamond that you bought. How can you tell?

The solution is simple: have the diamond checked by an independent
gemologist certified by a group such as the GIA. Have them compare it to
the certificate of your diamond to confirm that it is a match. After all,
no two diamonds are exactly the same. Then you’ll know and can demand
proper action.

Bottom line, to avoid scams you should take the time to educate
yourself about the basics of diamonds. Next you’ll need to find a jeweler or
gemologist that you can truly trust. Lastly, always ensure that you are
given the proper certificate for your gem, one issued by the
Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or another reputed independent lab. These will save you a whole lot of money and avoid giving you headaches.

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Unusual wedding and bridal shower favors at My Wedding Favors.com.

"Newlywed Name Change Kit"

PurePearls.com!!!

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Article Source: http://www.wedding-wisdom.com
Lesley-Ann Graham runs the www.WeddingTrix.com website, a valuable wedding planning resource with bridal guides, articles for the bride and bridesmaid, wedding etiquette advice for brides, tips for brides, bridal checklists, wedding planning worksheets, and more! The Bride, Groom, Best Man, Bridesmaids and Groomsmen can find it all the site.