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Top 10 Diamond Shapes - Which Will You Choose?
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Although the round diamond shape is the most popular shape of all there are many fascinating and beautiful alternatives.
Use this list to familiarize yourself with the top 10 diamond shapes before deciding to buy a diamond ring. For illustrated examples of all these shapes see the Diamond Ring Tutorial in the resource box.
Asscher
Named after the Asscher brothers of Holland at the turn of the 20th century, this square diamond shape has an almost octagonal appeal.
Cushion
If you want to be a little different, this is the shape for you. Cushion shaped diamonds can be almost square or slightly elongated giving a soft pillow shape.
Emerald
Emerald shapes are normally cut to a rectangular outline but some can be cut more square. Get advice from the supplier regarding length to width ratios.
Heart
Regarded by many as the most romantic of all the shapes, skilled cutting is necessary to maintain the diamond's brilliance due to the complexity of the shape.
Marquise
If you want to flatter the finger and make it appear longer choose the Marquise. It’s shape is elongated with tapering points at the ends.
Oval
Another shape to flatter and accentuate a slender finger. Being similar to the Round shape, it has brilliance and fire.
Pear
This teardrop shape is regarded by many as very feminine. The cut is very important with a Pear shape so the light is reflected evenly, especially at the point.
Princess
This shape has the distinction of being the most popular next to the Round shape. It boasts clean, dazzling, square lines.
Radiant
The radiant shape is similar to the Princess but can be more rectangular. It combines the classic Emerald cut with Round.
Round
By far this is the most popular shape of all. The 306 degree symmetrical shape contributes to the dazzling brilliance of this shape. It suits almost every kind of mounting.
For more information on all these shapes plus the four c’s – cut, clarity, color, carat, consult the tutorial listed below:
Mike Tony Jones is a writer and webmaster with over 10 years experience. Check his free Diamond Ring Tutorial here:
http://www.vitalstop.com/Diamond-Ring-Tutorial
Mike’s body care web site shows how to have beautiful nails and cuticles so you can wear your ring with pride. Click here:
http://www.1bodycare.com/milagro.htm
A Diamond Eternity Ring for Keeps
Synonymous with diamonds is the word “forever.” This is basically why most people—especially couples—choose this as a symbol of their affection and eternal love for their partner by putting it in a ring or any other jewelry. Unless stolen or lost, real diamonds are meant to stand the test of time and generations. No wonder these are considered as the most expensive mineral used as a gem.
For men, a pair or two of jewelry is enough. But when it comes to women, it is altogether a different story. Most of the time, men have to contend in buying the engagement or wedding ring alone to keep some element of surprise while women would want to have a companion while choosing a ring to get better perspectives.
A ring to stand the test of time
If there were one kind of ring that exemplifies eternal sparkle and beauty, that would be the diamond eternity ring. Long before, diamond eternity rings were already described as the as the best “dress” or the “best wedding ring” because its endless or eternal loop is great symbol of love that would last for eternity.
Generally, all diamond eternity rings are set with a stone or diamond set. These are categorized as a “full eternity” ring—that has stones set completely around the shank—and a “half eternity” ring—which has stones set partially around the shank. Today, many eternity rings come multi-stranded or plaited, among other themes or designs.
If you are looking forward to getting a diamond eternity ring—whether as a wedding or engagement, for purely personal satisfaction, or a major investment—take note of its special characteristics aside from carefully examining the 4Cs—the cut, clarity, color, and carat weight.
In a jewelry store, two diamonds may look alike but they can be very different and just like two diamonds of equal size that have very different values. The four qualities of a diamond namely color, clarity, cut and carat weight determine the real value of the gem you are looking for. These standards are also applicable to most gemstones.
Usually, a full diamond eternity ring costs twice or thrice as much than the half eternity because it has more diamonds. More and more people—especially women—focus in buying half diamond eternity rings that have stones concentrated in the “head” or front of the ring because they can easily be sized compared to full eternity rings, more comfortable to wear, and less expensive.
Bear in mind that square, oblong and round stones are excellent choices for diamond eternity rings because of its continuity.
Don’t forget to compare prices. diamond eternity rings need not always be expensive. If you have found a design that you really admire in a specific jewelry store or an online jeweler, try looking in other stores because they might be selling the same product with the same specifications for a lesser price. Make sure that you at least have a minor comparison of prices from several different jewelers before you finally buy that princess cut diamond engagement ring.
Check and double-check the bill of sale carefully. After buying your dream diamond eternity ring, make sure that everything about the ring is fully described in written from and explained to you by the jeweler.
This content is provided by Low Jeremy and may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more info on Diamond Ring, please visit http://diamond-ring.articlekeep.com
The Beauty of Black Tahitian Pearls
The Pacific Ocean is home to the black-lipped oysters that produce large tahitian pearls. The ocean waters are warm, and this allows the oysters to grow much larger than in other areas, thus producing larger pearls. tahitian oysters are farmed in large sheltered lagoons that are kept free of pollution and overcrowding. Water temperatures and nutritional levels, as well as environmental and biological conditions are monitored carefully. These well cared for oysters are responsible for producing the beautiful tahitian pearls.
How a tahitian pearl is formed
Aragonite, which is a form of calcium carbonate, is secreted by the pearl oyster. This substance coats the inside of the oyster shell and produces the “mother-of-pearl” lining. It also forms the layers of the pearl. The oyster can produce aragonite secretions up to four times a day with each secretion forming another layer. The layers are about one micron or 0.001mm thick. tahitian oyster live for about two years which means they produce up to about two thousand layers; more than most other pearls. The light passes through these multiple microscopic layers and is reflected and refracted to produce a shimmering effect. This shimmering creates magnificent colors which seem to travel and move throughout the pearl. This is part of what makes the tahitian pearl so unique.
Criteria
pearls are graded based on certain criteria. These are:
- Size – the expensive pearls are the larger ones. The Robert Wan Pearl is the largest tahitian Pearl and it measured over 20.92mm or 13/16 of an inch in diameter. tahitian pearls usually measure between 9mm and 14mm and are considerably larger than Chinese or Japanese pearls.
- Pearl Thickness - layers surrounding the nucleus.
- Shape - round pearls are the most sought after and cannot vary more than 2% from being perfectly spherical. tahitian pearls can also be semi-round and semi-baroque.
- Surface Purity - surface imperfections on the pearl.
- Quality - the luster and the imperfections of the pearl.
- Brilliance - the orient and the luster of the pearl. The orient, which is the shimmering quality of the pearl, is very noticeable in tahitian pearls.
Colors
Although tahitian pearls are naturally black, they are very unique in their coloration. The pearls highlights can be silver and even gold. The overtones on a tahitian pearl can be blue, purple and even green. The variations in the colors of the pearls make very striking jewelry when combined with other gemstones and metals.
Corinne writes extensively on jewelry. You can find her articles on Jewelry and More.com, a comprehensive jewelry website with jewelery stores resources, information on handmade jewelry, Celtic rings, titanium jewelry as well as directories, jewelry articles, and reviews.
The Many Beautiful Colors of Topaz
topaz is a gem that has a long history of being associated with the sun. This is because the colors of a sunrise or sunset are captured in this gem. Egyptians thought that wearing an amulet or pendant of topaz provided protection by the sun god Ra to the wearer. The Romans associated topaz with the sun god Jupiter, and felt that topaz was a powerful bringer of good fortune and positive events.
Many cultures historically believed that wearing topaz allows you to be clear of vision and thought, and to be able to ward off evil spells or enchantments. Historically it was also believed to give the wearer almost super-human strengths and abilities when in emergency or crisis situations. In ancient times many nobles wore topaz, as it was believe to change color when in the presence of poison. They often wore it in rings and placed their hands over their food or drink to see if it had been meddled with. topaz was also thought to gain strength with the phases of the moon, and thought to cure some diseases and conditions such as insomnia, respiratory problems and some blood disorders.
In more modern tradition, topaz is the birthstone for those born in the month of November. While a very hard stone, it can be split fairly easily if hit at the right angle.
Colors
topaz naturally comes in many different colors. The most recognized color of topaz is an amber or gold color, with highlights of peach, tans, browns or shades of orange. A cognac color of topaz is slightly darker than the amber shade, and tends to have more of the brown highlights.
The largest topaz is the Braganza topaz. It is found in set in the Portuguese Crown, and was originally thought to be a large diamond. This topaz, while called white topaz, is really colorless and is the most common type, found in China, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Nigeria and India.
Pink topaz occurs naturally in Pakistan and Russia, and is occasionally found in other locations. Pink topaz is usually pale pink; anything that is described as “hot pink” or “bright pink” is artificially treated or heated to produce the enhanced color. Heating some shades of pink topaz will remove the orange color and will leave a lavender colored gem.
Brown, red, dark pink, yellow, orange and sherry colored topaz are found naturally in Brazil and Sri Lanka. Heating and enhancing of these different naturally occurring colors can lead to a wide variety of darker shades and truly unique colors.
Pale topaz can be irradiated in a lab to create a blue topaz. The color of this gem is very pale to medium blue, and is not a dark blue color. The pale topaz needed to make a blue topaz is found in Sri Lanka, China, Brazil and Nigeria.
In 1998, gemologists began surface-enhancing pale topaz to create a green topaz. This topaz ranges in color from a leaf green to an emerald green. Again, this is not a naturally occurring gem and requires surface-enhancement to produce the color.
Cory Willins writes extensively on jewelry. You can find her articles on Jewelry and More.com, a comprehensive jewelry website with jewlery stores resources including information on Celtic jewelry online, handmade rings, titanium jewelry as well as directories, jewelry related articles, and reviews.
