The significance of wedding rings and engagement rings in the greater scheme of things was more than well proven recently in the well publicized case of Sergeant Brian Dulle who was recently taken down by a miscreant who was trying to run away from the police in a car. The support from the community to the family of Brian Dulle has truly been tremendous. The ring was finally found and returned to the wife of Brian Dulle, Mrs. Abbie Dulle, when she was leaving the cemetery following the burial ritual.

The wedding ring was found by a member of Dayton Diggers, which is a group of metal detector enthusiasts in the region. The member is known as Bill Baecker who has categorically specified that the discovery of the lost wedding band was just plain luck, especially because a lot of debris had already been removed by the authorities.
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The Royal Wedding has caused quite a stir, from the couple themselves to the wedding dress and other attire, the media has swarmed England and has exposed the pomp and circumstance for the entire world to see. The media has focused on many different types of things, but it seems that the jewelry is one that they are analyzing and scrutinizing with some serious thought. The tiara that Kate wore is one that was loaned to her by the Queen and was used to create some of the other jewelry that she wore including her earrings. The scrolling design was the focus of the jewelry design, but certain additions incorporated the family’s new coat of arms that include acorns and oak leaves. Diamonds are strewn all around the tiara as well as the earrings adding to the overall sophistication of the ensemble. The earrings were a gift from Kate’s mom in celebration of the wedding and its designer also worked on some other pieces that were worn by the family during the ceremony, all of which continued on with the theme of the new Middleton coat of arms.
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Imagine having an 11-month-old baby girl, a fiancé, and only a year to live.  This was what residents of Newberg, NY thought was the harsh reality for Jessica Vega. The Times Herald-Record, a local newspaper, ran a story on Vega, who they believed to have acute myeloid leukemia and only one year to live. The story touched the hearts of many residents and they as a community decided to help make Vega’s dream of marrying her fiancé come true.

It was after the story was released when Vega received an outpouring of gifts from locals in order to show her their sympathy towards her battle with cancer. The generous locals donated gifts to Vega, which included a wedding dress, wedding rings, wedding flowers, wedding photos, hairstyling and makeup for the entire bridal party, and a full paid honeymoon in Aruba.

It was clear that the community was determined to create the wedding of Vega’s dream. Unfortunately for them, their efforts would go towards nothing they had originally planned.  Instead of having all this generosity go towards a woman who they all believed was dying of a horrible illness, it went straight to a manipulative con artist. On labor day, residents of Newberg, NY were shocked and very saddened by the truth that Vega had tricked them all into believing that she had cancer when in fact she was perfectly healthy and cancer free.

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Losing one diamond ring is bad enough, but imagine losing multiple sets of diamond jewelry high-end quality and all. That’s what happened to Gail Hultgren of Australia. It wasn’t that she was careless, it’s that she had decided that the three rings wore well together, so she had them soldered together and when she misplaced one, she managed to misplace all three! The engagement ring, the wedding ring, and the eternity ring disappeared one day as she set about doing laundry. She took them off, put them on a laundry bench, and fifteen years later their disappearance was still a mystery.

Years of Looking

Gail and Max Hultgren never gave up looking for the rings. Even when they moved from the house, they advised the moving company that they might find the rings as they took everything out of the house. Despite going over every inch of the house, the rings could not be found. They tried to stay in contact with friends and acquaintances in their neighborhood, sharing the mystery of the lost rings in the hope they might someday turn up. They eventually decided they might have been stolen and had filed a police report trying to locate the missing rings. Yet, they ended up moving away and still not finding the rings.

A Good Samaritan

After 15 years, the rings remained lost until a new owner of the home suddenly came upon their dogs digging something up in the backyard: the rings! They had come apart. It took some cleaning, but eventually, the new homeowner, Josh Howland was able to make out an inscription in the band of one of the rings: Gail Max 27/02/65. He took the rings to the local police station where an old report unearthed the previous owner of the ring. Needless to say the Hultgrens were ecstatic to get a call from the police station telling them that after 15 years their rings had been found.

A Precious Mystery

No one really knows how the rings went from a laundry bench to the backyard or how they ended up dug into the dirt. After so many years, Gail Hultgren still loves her rings and has had them re-soldered together. She now wears them on her little finger, instead of her ring finger, due to arthritis. However, their reappearance has deepened their meaning and made them all the more precious to the Hultgrens.

If you’re a modern type of gal that wants to get his and her engagement rings, then you should know how to select one he’ll like. There are a variety of differences from a woman’s engagement, from the style and the look to men’s jewelry settings. While there are now sets available for his and her engagement rings, often the man’s taste and style is significantly different than the brides-to-be. Also, if you’re looking to surprise him and do the proposal, then it’s only fitting you select it for him. Here’s what to keep in mind when selecting a man’s engagement ring.

Male Jewelry Settings

The jewelry settings for men’s engagement rings are different than the woman’s engagement rings. For one, none of them have prongs like in the classic princess-style diamond solitaire. Many don’t even have diamonds, or the diamonds are of a different color than white. The metal choices can vary greatly too, with even tungsten and titanium being popular metal choices. Some even like several different metals in one ring. Remember that most of the cost of the man’s engagement ring will be from the weight of the metal and not the carat of the stone.

Gem Stones

The choice of gemstones is often very subtle. You can have a single small diamond in a man’s engagement ring, but it’s much less overstated than a woman’s ring. Many men prefer black diamonds on their ring, as they’re seen as more masculine and also elegant in appearance. Or, a different colored gemstone than a white diamond is their preference. You won’t see a center diamond surrounded by other stones in a man’s engagement ring. The only time multiple stones are added, they are put around the band in a subtle way that keeps them away from potential harm, so that the man can wear it during strenuous activity.

Style

The style of a man’s engagement ring is created through engravings or artwork on the band, or the construction of the band, more than the gemstones in it. You will see some multi-toned bands and some that are heavily engraved, but few are littered with gemstones, even if the matching woman’s ring is. A great way to add a little style that is hidden is to have the inner band engraved with something of meaning to them. This way they can wear it but not have to show it to anyone.

Get His Opinion

Just like today’s modern woman wants to be included in the design of her engagement ring, men should be consulted in the design and purchase of a ring. Odds are they won’t wear it if you just gave it them without finding out if they wanted a man’s engagement ring. Or, they have strong feelings about the jewelry they will or will not wear. Since the cost of men’s engagement rings can rival that of women’s engagement rings, it’s a good idea to find out ahead of time if they want one or not.

About 90% of the fun of a proposal is the surprise. However, when you buy diamonds, it can be expensive, especially if she doesn’t like the ring. There’s not much of a return policy and some rings may be hard to resize. There’s no reason you have to sacrifice the element of surprise, however, just to get a ring she’ll love. You just have to take a few things into account that’s all.

What’s Her Style?

If she is more modern, she’ll want a modern setting. Maybe she leads an active lifestyle and will want a setting that can wear more than a gold setting. You have to understand that this ring is likely to be on her finger the rest of her life, and for sure, she’ll want it to match the style in her everyday wardrobe. If she wears very feminine clothing, she may want a vintage, romantic, style ring. If she wears more sporty clothing, she’s likely to want something with a modern flair. If you just can’t tell, you can always opt for the princess-cut solitaire diamond as it is the most popular cut chosen and can look modern or vintage, depending on what you wear it with.

Her Ring Size

Next to style, the ring size is going to determine your choice of ring. If you don’t know her ring size, obviously asking about it is a big tip-off that you’re planning to buy a ring. There’s several ways around this. You can “borrow” one of her rings so that you can get it sized to find out the proper size. You can have friends or relatives ask about her ring size that are in on the big surprise later. You risk sort of ruining it though as the more that know; the easier it is to leak that information. You can get a ring for a different occasion like Valentine’s day, and see how it fits, whether you need to go larger or smaller, depending on what finger she puts it on. Finally, you’re really not sure, be sure to get a metal for a setting that can be resized, like gold. Platinum is very difficult to resize so you need to be careful when choosing platinum settings.

Her Social Conscience

Some people just don’t want a diamond ring unless they’re assured it’s conflict-free. If that’s your girlfriend, it’s easy to find out from the jewelry retailer whether they certify it as conflict-free. Others may want to make some sort of environmental statement by avoiding mined materials, in which case you need to really be sure that what you give her isn’t going to offend her sense of ethics. There is alternative jewelry for people who desire something different. Or, you can opt to give her something that has been handed down from family member to family members, thus more of an heirloom piece than some statement on mass commercialism. Try to match the ring you get to the bride-to-be, but always leave room for changes, if she needs them. In the end, the happier she is with the ring you’ve chosen, the more likely she will wear it everywhere she goes.

Times are tough and you may be wondering if it’s time to visit one of those gold parties. Diamonds have traditionally been a way to secure wealth as a commodity, instead of paper money, and there are companies that lend on diamonds, if that’s what you have. You probably aren’t going to own any big league celebrity-size diamonds, but even a small stone can help you score some ready cash.

Pawn Your Diamond

One easy way to use the diamond to borrow funds is to pawn it. Lots of people favor this approach because they aren’t actually selling the diamond they’re just using it secure a loan. They have a set period of time to come back and buy the diamond back. If you’re only interested in getting a loan with your diamond, there are many pawnshop companies that are willing to do that.

Sell Your Diamond

The second-hand market for diamonds varies on what type of diamond you have and what the market will bear. If you’ve gone through a divorce, you may want to sell, and there are online stores that will let you do that. IdonowIdont.com is one such second-hand retail market for diamonds. You will probably have to get the stone appraised to find out what it’s worth, so that will eat into the price of your diamond too. It’s great for sellers, but buyers may actually find a better place to shop is online places that can discount diamonds based on wholesale prices, not a retail price.

Sell the Setting

You can still opt to keep your diamond and sell the setting instead. Many old settings are made with 18k gold and are worth a bit all by themselves. You just find a buyer of gold and ask them to remove the diamond and buy the setting. If it’s worth enough to them, they’ll do it. You can always reset the diamond into a pendant or a new ring, and thus get the best of both worlds. Some cash and you get to keep your diamond! Just be sure that you have them remove the diamond in front of you, to avoid unscrupulous merchants who might want to switch the stone while you’re not looking.

Diamond jewelry like engagement rings can be expensive. However, if you know what types of decisions to make to cut the cost, you can still get the style and look you want for much less. The more say you have in how you build your diamond engagement ring, the better likelihood you can get exactly what you want at the price you can afford.

Carat Weight – If you want a large diamond, it will cost you. However, it will also depend on the cut and clarity, and color of the stone too. You might find a cushion cut diamond of low clarity or a different color, like yellow, is less than a white diamond of the same carat weight. That’s why you have to determine if size really matters to you or not. If it doesn’t you can get a higher quality diamond that is smaller.

Cut – Pear-shaped diamonds are in vogue right now; that makes them more expensive. Certain diamonds are cut to almost perfect dimensions and marketed as high-technology cuts that are near perfect. You’ll pay more for those too. Ordinary princess cuts are not as expensive as other cuts, but don’t forget you can also go for a raw diamond ring too. In general, if the cut is not that important to you, you can save money by picking a more generic cut.

Color – Blue diamonds are among the most expensive diamonds out there, even costlier than white diamonds. If you want a blue stone, you can opt for a sapphire. You can try different fancy-colored diamonds of lower grade to get a unique diamond engagement ring. There are many more options now in color choices on the diamond market than every before.

Clarity – If you’re a jewelry with loupe, you’ll want a stone with excellent clarity. However, if you’re just a consumer, visual flaws and occlusions may be visible when magnified, but invisible to the average person. The thing is though that they affect the price of the diamond, thus, it’s also a way to get a lower quality stone that still looks good in public.

Metal Settings – Some metal settings are more expensive than other settings. Platinum is very expensive, and hard to resize. White gold is cheaper than platinum, but can end up getting scratched and in need of re-coating after a few years. Yellow gold quality and cost is determined by whether it is 14k or 10k gold. Whatever you metal you choose will contribute quite a bit to how much the ring costs.

Design – If the design is intricate with multiple stones or engravings, it will cost more than a simple design. It doesn’t mean people on a budget can’t get additional features on their rings, but they might have to weigh that against the cost of the other elements of the ring, like the metal setting, the color of the diamond, and so on. Typically, the simpler the design, the less expensive it will be.

The recession has given pause to rethink the rules and guidelines in place. One of these rules, is the idea that a suitor needs to spend two months of his salary on the most beautiful engagement ring she could ever hope to wear. The good news is that you can fudge a little on the two-month salary rule, particularly if you pay attention to what she wants, and not how much it costs. There are so many options available for people on a tight budget and the best way to find out how you can best spend your resources is to make a budget and hop online.

What Is A Reasonable Amount?

Maybe two or three month’s salary is not available right now for a ring. In that case, what amount is available? You have to start somewhere. No one is going to demand that you spend two month’s salary on a ring, so it’s really up to you to decide to set a budget that you can use to buy the ring she wants. Ultimately, you have to understand that some sacrifices will most likely be made when you don’t put aside two month’s salary to buy the ring. However, if they are not important to her final happiness with the ring, then they needn’t stop you from making your purchase at a budget you can afford.

Get an Idea of Her Perfect Ring

You may have to be stealthy or include her in the buying decision. If you want it to be a surprise, you can ask her friends and relatives about her tastes. If you’d rather she be involved, you can look up a virtual diamond engagement ring designer online and take a look at a few styles. You don’t have to finalize the entire look, just have her tell you which she likes best. Then, take it from there.

Concentrate on Balancing 4 Cs

Maybe she wants a cushion cut diamond in a larger size. In that case, you might be able to balance the additional monies required for carat weight by picking a stone of lesser clarity or of a different color quality. Don’t over look some of the fancy colored stones in yellow or champagne as they can be 15 to 25% less than a white diamond.

The choice of metal used for the ring setting will also play a large part in how much you end up paying. Platinum is far more expensive than gold, and gold is far more expensive than white gold. The design and style of the setting can also increase or decrease the amount you have to pay, so make sure you know whether she wants a simple setting or something more elaborate. The idea is to get the most features she want at the price that you can handle.

If she’s not too particular about the shape, but wants a white diamond, you will still be able to change the budget by looking at the different cuts and clarity available. The virtual ring builder makes it very easy to choose different stones with different settings to help you balance your budget.

Bling and over-consumption is so ‘80s. If you’re planning to get married today, couples are much more aware of the financial consequences of such a decision. The recession has put a damper on lavish ceremonies, but there’s still one way you can impress your lady when it comes to the proposal. Show her you can find a special diamond ring that’s not going to break the future marital bank.

Everyone Wants A Deal These Days

Budget crisis in the news and forced reduction in hours or layoffs has everyone looking for a deal. People about to get married are no different. They still want the perfect proposal, wedding, and honeymoon; however, as this is an event that’s only supposed to happen once in a lifetime. It does call for a little something special. That might mean that the trip to France is still on for the honeymoon, but other deals are scouted out, like buying alternative wedding bands for the ceremony.

Couples Getting Smart with Wedding Budgets

One place that people still want quality and size is the diamond engagement ring. Prices can vary greatly at retail stores, but smart shoppers are realizing the best deals are online. Not only is it easier to shop for a diamond engagement ring online, but it’s easier to make an informed decision that fits your budget. There’s no annoying sales clerk trying to steer you towards something outside your budget just so they can make a fatter commission.

By doing some investigations online, couples have the choice of virtually designing their own diamond engagement ring, from a multitude of stones and fashion settings. They can change the type of metal in the setting or manipulate the cut, clarity, color, and carat weight to reduce the price. They can visualize the final result with a 3-D ring builder that is available online to help them decide whether it’s exactly what she wants at the price you want.

Alternative Metals for Wedding Bands

Gold has always been traditional for wedding bands, but it has become very costly during this recession. Now, you can opt for other types of metals, from tungsten and titanium to white gold to get a more modern twist, and less of an impact on your wallet. These wedding bands will last forever, just like gold, in most cases. The metal colors are easier to accessorize with today’s modern palettes also.

Imagine Her Delight

She’ll be thrilled to get just the right ring and also realize that there’s plenty of money left in the wedding budget for the wedding of her dreams. As these recession couples start out their lives together, the financial lessons of today are creating adults that want to get the most value for their money that they can. It’s not about being cheap or sacrificing quality, it’s about knowing that your money is being spent well. You should be able to afford what you want, but not have to pay too much for it. Do that and you will certainly impress her in a big way!