In recent months, many states have passed groundbreaking laws allowing same sex marriage. While not yet federally recognized, the laws have allowed many people the chance to make their relationships official and even to obtain tax and health benefits that states allow to other couples. With these changes, a segment of the population that was largely excluded from the wedding community has a chance to make their love official, and with these ceremonies come a host of remarkable alternative wedding bands.

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When shopping for jewelry before a marriage proposal, it is common to shop for an engagement ring.  Whether adorned with diamonds, covered in gemstones, or a simple metal band, the ring is the most popular way for people to symbolize that they are engaged to be married.  For people who prefer not to wear rings, or who are unable to, there are alternatives to engagement ring choices that abound in every jewelry store.  From bracelets and earrings to pendants and more, alternative engagement jewelry is becoming increasingly common, and can be a stunning alternative. Continue reading »

In the past, the traditional diamond ring was a diamond stone set onto a silver, gold, or platinum band. Then, the trend switched to a mix of solitaire diamonds and multiple diamonds on a band. However, in more recent times, a diamond band has because the ring of choice for engagements, weddings, and anniversaries. Symbolic of eternal love, these rings are a circle of diamonds. Although most rings offer round cut diamonds, which provide the most shine, others offer square cut diamonds, which are equally as beautiful. Continue reading »

Diamond rings are frequently associated with engagement rings and wedding rings; however, there is no denying the fact that in some cases, marriages simply do not last forever. This leaves the question of what a woman should do with a ring, or rings, once the relationship has ended and furthermore, what she should do with that bare ring finger once she slips off her engagement ring or wedding set. Continue reading »

Engagement rings are romantic enough, but the Claddagh ring is even more so. If you are Irish and seeking to design your own engagement ring, this is one symbol that speaks volumes about true love. This Irish symbol of love and faithfulness has a rich history behind it. It starts with the likes of a fisherman who was kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery before he could marry his true love that remained behind in the Irish village of Claddagh. The fisherman ended up indentured to a goldsmith who taught him his trade. Thinking every day of the true love he left behind in the village of Claddagh, he decided to make a special ring for her should they ever be united again. He crafted a ring with two hands holding a heart, which had a crown above it. It was meant to represent love and friendship. Continue reading »

Are you getting serious about your girlfriend or boyfriend, but aren’t sure whether you want to tie the knot? There is a custom that started with a ring known as the gimmel ring created by jewelers during the Renaissance period. Today’s version would not be the engagement ring but might be more like a promise ring. You promise to stay faithful to someone and they in turn promise to stay faithful to you. Continue reading »

If you like the layered look, you’ll love the criss cross rings. They offer you the change to layer your diamonds with other gemstones in bands that criss cross each other, hence the name. They can be a set of two bands criss crossing, or they can be multiple bands, some criss crossing and others not. The rings can use diamond pave for an extremely luxurious look and can be multi-patterned depending on the band that is being entwined with another band or bands. Continue reading »

Commitment ceremonies are becoming as popular as wedding ceremonies. Same sex couples are exchanging vows in commitment ceremonies and so are monogamous man-woman couples who don’t want to do anything more than share a commitment to their lives together without the bells and whistles of a marriage ceremony. After all, marriage can wreak havoc on popular Hollywood couples and it can wreak havoc with a wealthy couple’s finances too when one or both people enter into a marriage with a loaded bank account. Continue reading »

Choosing an engagement ring is rarely a simple matter. For most, it comes down to choosing an engagement ring with a diamond in the center. The problem sets in when it comes to deciding what type of diamond cut should go in the ring. It might be easy to immediately go with a round cut diamond, but for many people, choosing a round cut is too ordinary. Of course there is always the option of choosing a round cut diamond for the center stone of the ring, and then choosing a couple of side stones to go along with the center diamond. Yet again, we see a potential problem in this engagement ring choice. What cut of diamond should be set as side stones to the center diamond?

A solution that many people choose in the issue of the engagement ring is to choose an emerald cut diamond for either their center stone or for their side stones. The emerald cut diamond is a diamond that has a rectangular shape. It is called the emerald cut due to the fact that the diamond is cut in the manner that emeralds are typically cut in. The result of the emerald cut is a diamond with long planes on the top and sides, allowing for large facets gathering and reflecting the light around the diamond. The emerald cut diamond is a beautiful choice for an engagement ring, as its long planes and deep glow can accentuate certain types of hands.

This brings us to an important and often overlooked point to consider when looking into the perfect engagement ring for oneself. While the round cut diamond is the most popular diamond cut in the world today, it is not the right engagement ring diamond cut choice for everyone. This is because not everyone has the same type of hands and fingers. An emerald cut diamond engagement ring, with its long, rectangular facets, is a good means to lend a look of slenderness to fingers and to a hand overall. If one is looking to create an image of longer, slimmer fingers, the emerald cut on one’s engagement ring could potentially produce this image. Of course, one must always try on any ring and see how it actually looks in order to get a true idea of how it will affect one’s hand, but it is important to be aware of the different looks that a particular cut of diamond set in an engagement ring can have on an individual hand.

The emerald cut diamond may not be everyone’s choice for the perfect engagement ring, in as far as being a center stone, but the emerald cut is an extremely popular choice as side stones to a center diamond. The long facets of the emerald cut diamond function ideally in creating a sense of bordering, bookending and framing the center diamond in an engagement ring. With a couple of emerald cut diamonds set on either side of a center diamond, an engagement ring not only has added scintillation and shine, but the emerald cut diamonds add a warm glow of illumination on either side of a brilliant center stone.

The emerald cut diamond is proving to be a cut of diamond that is gaining popularity for use in the engagement ring. While the emerald cut diamond may never take the place of the brilliant round cut for the most popular cut of diamond in the engagement ring, it will always have a place in the most popular choice of diamond cut. With long, light catching facets, and a normally lower cost per carat, due to its more forgiving cut style, the emerald cut diamond is certain to be a popular choice for the engagement ring, and any other type of ring for years to come.

Marriage is a wonderful thing as two people join and come together as one. A good way to express that sentiment is to give your wife an eternity band. The eternity band is a strong symbol of the love you have for her and symbolizes the promise that you will spend eternity together in love.

There are many different kinds of eternity bands available on the market today. These rings can be encircled with diamonds or any other precious gemstone and are available in a myriad of precious metals from white gold to palladium and truly run the gamut on price. The most common of all eternity bands is the full version in which stones go all the way around the band to really express the thought of eternity, where there is truly no end or beginning. They are also available as half eternity bands where the diamonds stop about halfway. These bands are not as symbolic, but may be more cost effective and since the diamonds are not on the underside, they are less likely to be damaged.

The most popular stone in eternity bands is most definitely the diamond, but these rings are available with rubies, sapphires, and many other options. They are traditionally worn with a woman’s engagement ring but can be a replacement for either the actual engagement ring or wedding band. The eternity band is the ultimate expression of the love a couple has for each other and will forever symbolize the love and affection you will have for your mate for the rest of your lives.