Buy The Perfect Jewelry For Him

Jewelry. Nowadays, men’s jewelry has become so popular that, similar to women’s fashion items, it can get very difficult to choose and buy the perfect piece for him. The types and styles that are available are numerous that it can get really confusing for one to decide which one to get. There are earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, watches, anklets, cufflinks, money clips, collar stays, tie bars, and belt buckles among others. What’s more is that all of these come in different materials like gold, silver, platinum, titanium, stainless steel, and so on. They may also come plain, bejeweled, or filigreed. You may also purchase men’s jewelry from your usual jewelry store or order it from an online retailer and have it delivered straight to your home.

When looking for the perfect present for a birthday, anniversary, or any other special occasion, women would resort to the usual things – wallets, shirts, shoes, and perfume. But now that jewelry is becoming more and more popular in men, it has been added to that short list of gift items. The only problem that women encounter is that it is very difficult to select the perfect piece that would suit the recipient. In order to help you make the right decision, this article provides a simple guide to follow when shopping for the most common types of men’s jewelry.

Rings: Plain bands would only look like wedding rings. It would be better if you go for something that has a simple design that denotes understated elegance. You may get a ring with clean designs such as a curb or parallel lines. However, if you want a ring that is a little fancier, then you may get one that has engravings and a few gemstones like diamonds. If you want something that would make a statement, you may select one with symbols such as an ankh or a cross.



Watches: This category is the most popular gift for men, but its appeal has never faded. This is because they are loved for their practicality as well as for the way they can enhance a man’s look. What’s in nowadays are those shiny watches that have big dials. You can get one that is silver and made from stainless steel, as this is the material that is most flexible of all. It can be worn for your everyday activities, but it is also acceptable for more formal occasions. But if you want something less generic, you should take into account the lifestyle of the person you’re giving it to. For instance, athletic men would surely love sporty watches that are water-resistant. For professionals who always attend meetings and go to business trips, you may opt for a stainless steel watch. Make sure you choose one that is big, since small ones can be mistaken for a ladies watch.

Cufflinks and buttons: This is suitable for businessmen. You may buy a simple titanium, gold, or silver pair of cufflinks that will go with many outfits. You may also choose one that has a hint of color or a tiny gem for some variety.

Article Source: http://add-articles.com

© 2008 Jason Tye. Jason Tye is the webmaster and owner of the mens jewelry emporium - homme rock, specializing in quality, designer jewelry and rings, for men.

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Do You Want To Build Your Own Engagement Ring ?

Author: Tobias Riepe

If you answered "yes" to this question or are interested about diamond jewelry, then you might want to read on. It is very easy to build your own engagement ring online. Basically, what you do is choosing a ring and add a diamond to it. Then of course you will have to propose and show the unique gift you created for her.

Concerning the ring many styles are available, from a Solitaire ring to a Pavé setting full of little diamonds around the center one, this will be your decision. Plus, some online stores give you the possibility to see how it will look like when the diamond will be mounted on the ring, and even how it looks on a finger.

The three metals you can choose from to design your own engagement ring are Platinum, Yellow Gold and White Gold. White metals became more popular as they reflect more light as Yellow Gold. This, of course, enhance the brilliance and sparkling of the diamond.

The diamond, let's talk about that, this is the most important piece of the engagement ring. Well Important here means the most expensive. But a beautiful diamonds is not necessarily perfect. A perfect diamond, would be ideally cut, colorless and flawless. These diamonds are very rare, so you need to find a compromise between these criterias.

Don't worry, the imperfections of a diamond are only visible by an experienced eye, and under magnification. Nobody could notice slight flaws if they are not experts.

So are you ready to engage ? Then why not design a unique jewel and build your own engagement ring.

Buying an Engagement Ring - An Illustrated Guide

An engagement ring is probably the first important piece of jewelry you'll ever buy. So to help you navigate the confusing world of colors, styles, shapes and stones, here's my illustrated guide to buying an engagement ring:

Step One: What's Your Budget

Sneaky salespeople like to convince you that an engagement ring's price tag is directly linked to how much you love someone. Engagement ring magazine spreads usually feature impossibly large diamond rings, but the advertisements are emblazoned with low prices and special deals. Expectant proposers may have sticker shock when the pictures and prices don't quite add up. Before you waltz up to that counter, blinded by your love and the salesperson's sales talk, figure out what you can reasonably spend. If you have to use your credit card, or take out a loan, try to have it all paid off before the wedding. (The two-months salary guide was invented by the diamond industry, by the way. Spend what you feel comfortable spending.)

Step 2: What's Her Engagement Ring Style?

You're going to have to make a lot of choices – platinum or gold? Modern or traditional? Flashy or understated? It's easier if you've done your homework beforehand. Look at the jewelry your sweetheart wears on a daily basis – if it's all silver with intricate designs – look for a platinum engagement ring with intricate designs (often called filigree). If it's just a few heavy gold pieces, then look for more modern or simple designs.

If you have trouble deciding, considering bringing along someone who knows your sweetheart well, a few pictures of her, or some of her favorite pieces of jewelry

Step 3: Diamonds, Flash and Bling

Most of the cost of an engagement ring is in its stone.
If you're buying a diamond engagement ring, you should be an educated consumer, and know about cut, clarity, carat, and color. Two diamonds can look remarkably similar yet have vastly different costs.
For example, right now if you were looking for a round diamond of about 1 carat, you'd find:

$18,966: Blue Nile has a 1.01-carat round diamond with a Very Good-cut, D-color, and IF-clarity
$3971: Zales has a 1.01-carat round diamond with I color, and SI1 clarity (cut not specified)
$1986: Mondera has a 1.10 Carat round diamond with a Very Good-cut, I color, and I2 clarity.

Step 4: Diamond Engagement Rings Aren't the Only Story: Gemstones

Diamonds are forever, says the marketing campaign, but other stones are also lasting and beautiful in engagement rings. You might fall in love with colored gemstones. Choose them to surround a diamond, or have a colored gemstone as the main stone- you might find that you can get a larger engagement ring for less than a diamond would cost.

Step 5: Consider Diamond Shape.

A classic round diamond solitaire engagement ring is extremely popular (accounting for more than 75% of diamond sales), but that's hardly the whole story in diamonds. When you're considering engagement rings, look at what really sparkles and catches your eye. Expert diamond cutters can carve create newer cuts with different and more intricate levels of refraction. There are also hearts and other shapes that you might find perfect for your engagement ring.

Heavy Metal : Gold, White Gold, and Platinum Engagement Rings

The metal of an engagement ring can affect its style as much as the diamond. Does your future fiancé tend to wear more silver or gold jewelry? Do you like the look of diamonds more against gold or against silver? The most common metals for engagement rings are:

Gold – The classic look of gold explains why it might be the most popular choice for an engagement ring. Be a savvy shopper: gold jewelry is available in several different carats; typically 9k, 14k and 18k, which indicate the proportion of pure gold to other metals in the ring. (18k is 75% pure gold.). To the average shopper, the important differences between the carats are a) color: 18k has a richer, more yellow color than 9kt. b) Price: 9kt is considerably cheaper than 18k. c) Durability: 18k is slightly harder, making it stand up better to everyday wear.

Platinum – For those who don't like the look of gold, or who are looking for something more durable, consider platinum. Romantics like platinum engagement rings because it's pure, as they imagine their love to be. Be aware that platinum costs considerably more.

White Gold – While it doesn't have the steely whiteness of platinum, white gold is a good, more affordable alternative.

For example, at Diamonds International currently, the gold and white gold rings pictured above cost $595 each (as pictured with .33k diamond solitaire). The least expensive platinum solitaire available is a .5k diamond, and costs $1785.

By Nina Callaway

Wedding and Engagement Rings

Choosing the Perfect Ring

The wedding rings and engagement rings you choose will be one of the most enduring pieces of your wedding day. Your ring is not only an important element of becoming married, but its also a longlasting symbol of your love and commitment. Therefore, you'll want to choose rings that are timeless and high quality.

Ultimately, you'll also want to be an educated consumer who knows what you're getting for your dollar.

Style:
Follow your instincts with the look and design of your ring, while asking yourself if it will be a design you'll be comfortable wearing every day for the rest of your life. The traditional plain gold band will be in style for years to come. If that's too plain for you, consider a beaded edge or an engraved style. For a slighty flashier look, what about a ring of channel-set diamonds? Ultimately, choose a ring that you feel is expressive of your style and personality. I've heard of a couple that chose to have rings custom-made that resembled bicycle gears, reflecting their mutual love of bike-riding. There's really no wrong answer as to what style of ring you should choose.

Gold, Silver or Platinum?
Many couples choose the metal for their bands by matching it to their engagement ring. However, don't feel bound to this. A bride can choose to wear her engagement ring on her right hand, and wedding ring on the left. Also, each of you can wear a similar style in different metals. Consider which metals each of you wear regularly - is most of her jewelry silver? Is his watch gold?

Primary wedding ring metal choices include:

• Yellow gold:
  the most traditional of ring metals; for many gold is a symbol of the warmth and love of a marriage. Look at the mark inside the band to see what quality the gold is - usually 14k, 18k, or 24k. While 24k is the most pure, it is also the softest. If you work with your hands, you may want to choose 14k or 18k to prevent scratches.
  
• White Gold:
  A hot trend because it coordinates with both silver and platinum jewelry, yet is cheaper than platinum.
  
• Platinum:
  This very stylish metal is also the hardest metal, making it for many a symbol of enduring love. Also, because its not mixed with the lesser metals that gold rings are, platinum is safe for those with alloys. However, you'll pay more for platinum than for gold.

Precious Gems
When considering precious gems for a ring, remember that you will likely wear this ring every day for the rest of your life. Therefore, while softer stones can be beautiful, they aren't the best choices for an engagement or wedding ring. The Mohs scale registers a stone's ability to resist abrasion; 10 (diamonds) is the strongest and 1 (talc) is the weakest. Anything less than a Mohs scale 7 is not recommended for an engagement ring. If you are a person who does a lot of activity with their hands (how long does a manicure last on you?) then I would advise limiting your selection to rubies, sapphires and diamonds.

To help you out, here's a list of common stones, and their hardness level:
Diamonds 10
Rubies 9
Sapphire 9
Emerald 8
Topaz 8
Aquamarine 7.5 to 8
Amethyst 7
Garnet 6.5 to 7.5
Opal 6

You should also know that a general rule of thumb is the darker the color, the more expensive the stone.

Diamonds:
Looking to buy a diamond engagement or wedding ring? Before you do so, read this article to make sure you are well acquainted with the four c's - color, cut, clarity, and caret.

Men's Rings
Men, are you trying to decide whether or not to have a wedding ring? Here's some more information that might impact your decision.

Tattoos
The most adventurous couples are opting for tattooed wedding rings - a very permanent and personal decision. Why not read more about this new trend that's been around for centuries?

source: http://weddings.about.com/