We have received so many questions over the last few weeks from brides wanting to know about the trends in the jewellery business, wedding bands and engagement rings and how to make sure what you have is going to last forever and make you smile every day.
I called upon the amazing Arman's Fine Jewellery to let us in on their secrets.
Wedding ring trends for 2012
We are currently designing personalised Engagement rings, clients like to see as much of the diamond as possible while still having it securely set. In particular they love to see the culet-the point of the diamond and by doing so it shows more of the diamond rather than it being hidden away by Gold/Platinum.
Check out this incredible, modern design by Levon and how creatively he designs the ring around the diamond showing off the diamond's point. Wow!
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/40123087 w=400&h=300]
Wedding band for the ladies- Diamonds are the way to go usually or ¾ of the band, it really depends on your taste and what would look right against your Engagement ring.
For the grooms, usually they don't want a high bling wedding band. We find that a lot of our customers are loving the matt & polished finish combined rather than a highly polished one. Also mixing up the metal eg White & Rose gold in certain sections or patterns - they also want something different and unique.
What are the pro's and con's for handcrafted rings vs. mass produced?
At Arman's Fine Jewellery we specialise in handcrafted jewellery pieces which are one off makes. By doing so they are more personalised designs to tailor the client's needs, as each girl really doesn't want to have another person have the same Engagement ring or jewellery items.
Mass Produced- The item is a copy of the original handmade jewellery item. This lowers the cost and less time is put into making them, however by doing this, the quality of the piece is not the same. Although, sometimes you can't tell the difference between the two at first, future problems can occur, for example porosity, where the jewellery has air bubbles. This is why we choose to handcraft each and every piece of our jewellery items.
Top tips for choosing the right engagement ring for your fiancé.
Make sure that your Engagement ring can have a wedding band that will sit flush against it. For the men out there doing the process by yourselves, when you're getting closer to the wedding and choosing wedding bands some ladies may wish they had chosen the Engagement ring with you.
If you do decide to choose the Engagement ring for your soon-to-be-fiancé, keep in mind that ladies always want to see the maximum light of the diamond. That's why you should ask for finer claws/or the setting you want while still having it safe enough to secure the stone.
Make sure that if your surprising her- get some thoughts of what you think she would like or what diamond shape she would prefer.
What is the best way to clean/polish/care for rings?
The best way to clean your rings is to bring it back to your jeweller so they can clean it in an Ultrasonic (water bath) which takes out all the dirt for you, usually at no charge. Some jewellers also offer clients a free polishing cloth because it can be difficult to get back so often. When a girl leaves Arman's Fine Jewellery, eventually she will put moisturiser on her hand and next thing you know the diamond looks dirty. All she has to do is simply give it a good wipe with her free polishing cloth to bring it back to it glamour.
Where/how and with who should couples get their rings insured?
Many jewellers can offer insurance to their clients - Arman's offer their clients, in some cases free insurance for a year. By doing so it gives the customer relief while purchasing their personalised item. After the first year the Insurance company gets in contact with our customer to see if they would like to continue the program if they choose to. They also offer Australia's cheapest rate for insuring items and don't charge excessive amounts. If the item get's lost or stolen (whatever the situation) you pay no excess fee's which also gives a lot of relief to our customers.
Arman's jewellery pieces can be seen on their website but also at their shop: Shop 10, St James Arcade, 80 Castlereagh Street, Sydney.
Thank you to Levon from Arman's Fine Jewellery for all your advice, tips and insight!
Have a wonderful and successful day of wedding planning!
Kate x
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For information on how to choose diamonds - check out our 'Diamond's are a girl's Best Friend' article.