The practice of giving and wearing a wedding ring dates back thousands of years. A wedding ring represents fidelity and love between two people and are given on the day of a couple joining forces. Before the time that the skill of how to work metal became widely known, people used such things as plants, grass and even hair to ‘tie the knot’, which is what I think a wedding ring stands for.

These days a typical wedding ring might be made from precious metals such as gold, titanium, platinum or even white gold. Women’s wedding rings often hold a diamond, although sapphires are rapidly becoming more prevalent. Men’s wedding rings are frequently just a simple band of gold. There are many different styles of wedding rings, but the most popular for men is definitely the plain gold band.

For those who want something a bit more showy, there are plenty of examples on the market. A man might want a more ostentatious wedding ring, because it is frequently the only piece of jewellery that a man wears. Some alternatives to the plain band of gold are the Celtic Knot and the Claddagh gold rings.

It is essential for men’s wedding rings to be made from a robust alloy of gold. Most men do manual labour of one sort or another, even if it is only gardening, so it is a lot to ask of a pure gold wedding ring to last thirty or forty years.

A 14 or 18 carat gold ring will probably manage it, but a 22 carat ring would not. It would just wear away because it is too pure and consequently too soft. Platinum or titanium are much harder, although most people have a preference for gold.

In most countries tradition dictates that people wear their wedding ring on their left hand, although in a couple of countries such as Germany, Russia and Norway, people wear their wedding ring on the right hand.

Some couples would rather have a unique wedding ring and that is not so difficult to achieve as it might first appear to be. The easiest way to personalize your ring is to have an inscription like names and a date engraved on it.

Another way, would be to buy a precious stone separately and have the jeweller set it into the ring for you. The best alternative though is to find a jeweller you can trust and have him or her make up a pair of matching rings to your own design. I have done that and it is not a lot more expensive than a good ring.

Wearing matching wedding rings is a remarkable experience. People notice that your ring is ‘something different’ and many people ask, where you got them from. It all goes to help make that special day unforgettable for ever.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with theCeltic Knot wedding ring. If you have an interest in wedding rings too, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

Most people have hopes for the future. Some people sketch out their lives in intricate detail from an early age, while others just hope that their dreams will come true. I think that that depends on the philosophy of life you have as much as your personality. I certainly remember when I was a boy, that a few of the girls I knew when I was a boy, planning what they would do when they got married to such and such a film star.

They did not know much about marriage or what being married was like, they were just role playing, but some of those desires might have stuck.

None of the boys in my class thought about their future much at all. I did not either really although I knew that I wanted to go to university and travel after that. I studied French and German for three years and passed my exams.

After finishing university, I began working for an international firm and did some traveling. I have always liked jewellery although I do not wear a lot at the same time. I suppose I collect jewellery, but I like to wear it as well.

It was a custom of mine to buy a piece of jewellery wherever I went, if I saw something I liked and if I could afford it. Anyway, I met a young woman while I was in America and I told her about my craze for collecting jewellery and rings in particular. I showed her a couple of rings that I had taken with me. One was a ring with a Celtic Knot design and another was an Irish Claddagh ring.

Anyway, we got on well and she offered to take me to a jewellers that she knew. We went to a small back street jeweller, who had a range of rings I had never heard of before. They were called Black Hills Gold Rings and they looked very special. They have quite a range, including a lot of the common designs, but they also have a few kinds that I had never seen before. I was hooked and wanted one.

My friend really fell for a women’s wedding set. She had seen it in the window for months, but did not have anyone to give it to her. The engagement ring had two leaves and a grape cluster with a small diamond nestled in the middle of it, while the wedding band had two additional leaves and a grape cluster. This meant that when worn together, the two rings would fit together to enclose the diamond completely. It was very nice.

I had to grant that it was very beautiful, but felt it necessary to point out that I had not known her long enough to propose. She was a good sort and did not feel offended. I bought a striking white gold ring with the Black Hills gold roses inlaid on the top two thirds of the band, leaving the bottom of the ring plain. It was a lovely addition to my collection. As for my guide, well, she did not get a ring, but I took her for an expensive meal and she seemed happy enough with that.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with theCeltic Knot wedding ring. If you have an interest in wedding rings too, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

One’s wedding ring is often a person’s most important piece of jewellery, because of the huge significance that it has for its wearer. It is intended to denote the love that exists between two people. In most countries, the wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand – the ring finger, although in Norway, Germany and Russia, it is worn on the fourth finger of the right hand.

It is usually a good idea to have your finger measured by an expert, before buying an expensive ring, because fingers swell and shrink over the course of a life span and a good jeweller will know how much leeway to allow. If the change in the size of your finger is likely to be lasting, it is a good idea to have the ring resized, this is so that it will neither cut into you nor fall off your finger easily.

These days a lot of couples like to go shopping for wedding rings together, because they want to get a pair of identical rings that both of them likes. However, it does not have to be like that. In fact it never was, because the man bought the ring for his fiancee as a surprise. So, if you do not share the same tastes, do not worry about it.

There are hundreds of designs to choose from and several varieties and qualities of metal too. Yellow gold is still the most popular, but there is white gold and specialist golds too like Welsh gold, which is very rare. Besides gold, platinum and titanium are very popular too.

A fast developing trend is for a couple to design or have designed a unique pair of wedding rings. At first, you would think that this would be very expensive, but it is not necessarily so. If you keep your design modest and the stones, if any, equally so, then the rings might only cost 10%-20% more than those off the shelf.

Gold is still the most popular metal for a wedding ring, but silver is starting to gain ground too, although it was always looked on as the poor cousin before. Likewise, diamonds are the still the number one stone of choice, but sapphires are also very popular nowadays. Or you could go for plain bands with something like a Celtic knot design.

Shopping for wedding rings can be fun, but it is easy to go over the top and spend much more than you intended to. You could determine how much you can afford and stick to it, not that that always works either. Expect to pay a lot more for the bride’s wedding ring than the groom’s. This is because the bride’s ring usually contains diamonds, whereas the groom’s is often a plain band of gold.

You could further personalize your wedding rings with a dedication and a date. Personalized, or unique wedding rings often get handed down through the generations. Maybe, yours will too. Or, if you want to wear your grandmother’s handed-down ring, you could personalize it in some way, so that it is both old and yet something of you as well.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with Celtic Knot rings. If you have an interest in wedding rings too, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

The wedding dress is just about the most crucial item in the wedding ceremony except the vows and the rings. The bride wants to look her best and the groom wants to look his best too. A beautiful wedding dress will help the bride’s dream to look dazzling come true.

Therefore, it is imperative to select the wedding dress with care, as every bride knows. However, there are a few items that are not as clear as the wedding dress just looking stunning and we will list the most significant of these below.

Besides individual taste in fashion, the most important consideration has to be the time of the year. Which season are you going to marry in? What temperature is it likely to be? Could it rain? If it is likely to be cold, you ought to wear a heavier cloth than if it is likely to be hot. You might also permit the season to have an influence on the colours you wear, but that is a matter of personal taste. For example, winter colours could be slightly darker than summer colours.

Another vital aspect when choosing the colour of the wedding dress is the skin colouration of the bride. This matter is also true of the accessories. The bride will also need a head-dress, a veil, gloves and a bouquet, all of which should flatter the wedding dress and the bride’s hair and skin colouration.

Try to get a wedding dress that fits perfectly. This sounds obvious, but it is easy to think that you can make minor alterations yourself later on. However, making changes is not as easy as it sounds and you could end up making matters worse rather than better. In any case, you do not want to be worrying that a stitch you made will break or come undone at the wrong moment. It is far more important to get a good fitting wedding dress than to get the precise colour that you want.

It is imperative to bear in mind the quality of the image of the wedding dress, if you are buying or hiring from a catalogue or website. You also should leave plenty of time to be able to return the dress if need be. The fact is that photographs are not always true to life and packers do make mistakes, so if your selection is not what you expected, when it arrives, you will need to have a couple of weeks to return it and obtain a new one. Allow at least three weeks for the exchange; longer if possible.

White has always been the most popular colour for first time brides, but it is not a rule. Off-white or pastel shades look very good too and they will set you apart from the norm. Apple white or blush pink are very effective colours for a wedding dress, but as I said before, everything should be colour co-ordinated with the colour of the bride’s skin and hair and the bouquet, if you are dead set on carrying a certain bouquet of flowers, like, say, gardenias.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with Celtic Knot rings. If you have an interest in wedding rings too, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

The most frequently used element for wedding rings and engagement rings is gold. White gold is even more exclusive. Gold wedding rings look good whether the design is just a simple, plain band or an engraved band like a Celtic Knot. Gold rings can be given on other occasions too of course. Some people give their children a gold ring for their coming of age birthday.

Until not so long ago, it was customary for the man to give a gold ring when he asked for his girlfriend’s hand in matrimony. However, nowadays it is more usual for the couple to go shopping for the engagement or wedding ring together. This makes good sense, even if it is less romantic, because the wearer can get the design that she likes.

Gold symbolizes purity in many cultures and that is one of the reasons why it is given to brides and brides to be. The symbolism is all but lost though in today’s consumer society in the West. For many people though it still represents the hope that they will stay true to each other, until the day they die. It is a way of showing that the wearer has taken vows and intends to stick to them.

There is a huge variety of gold rings available. However, the variety lies not only in the design but also in the purity of the gold. Naturally, the purer the gold, the more expensive it is. In the UK, most gold rings are either 9 or 18 carat. In the USA, most gold rings are 14 carat, but in Thailand, not many people would buy gold that is less than 18 carat and 22 carat is the norm for women. Pure gold is 24 carat, however pure gold is so malleable that you can mould it with your bare hands.

This might sound fine, but it is not. A 24 carat gold ring goes out of shape every few hours, just by you doing what you do every day and then it can pinch your skin. Opening a door can buckle the ring. This means that you can not set stones in pure gold, because they would soon fall out. Pure gold rings are best not even engraved because the design would soon rub off.

Therefore, the best place to begin, if you want a gold ring, is to think about what style you want. Do you want precious stones set into it? Then you should not really go above 18 carat. If you cannot afford 18 carat then 9 or 14 carat is for you. If you want something like a Celtic Knot ring, that is one with an engraved pattern, then anything up to 18 carat for you too, depending on your finances. If you want a pain band of gold, then a thick ring of 22 carat gold would be great, but not if you do a lot of labor-intensive work.

If you really want something special, why not have a gold ring crafted to your own design? It is not so expensive as you might think and you will end up with something unique, especially if you provide your own stone to be polished too. Such a gold ring would become a family heirloom and could stay in the family for centuries.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with theCeltic Knot wedding ring. If you have an interest in wedding rings too, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

Everyone loves to take advantage of the lower prices during the holiday sales. In fact, the best day to go looking for special offers is the day after the actual holiday is over.

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving and it is the busiest shopping day of the year. You will find huge savings, but you will need to get up early, be ready to queue and jostle.

Another example is jewellery and St Valentine?s Day. Many men buy their wives or girlfriends jewellery during this period as a St Valentine?s Day present. However, in the weeks after St Valentine?s Day, you can save a minimum of 30% on the very same pieces of jewellery that were on sale a week before. This is a clear sign that we are being hood-winked on these holiday occasions and that we ought to wait until the actual holiday is over.

OK, it may not be so romantic to wait, but it must be better to be able to get 30% more gold for your money or to give the same present, but be able to go for a meal too. If I were a woman, I know which alternative I would take!

Or, instead of a nice silver or gold ring, you would be able to pay for gold instead of silver or white gold instead of yellow. You could get a gorgeous Celtic knot or a Claddagh ring instead of a plain band.

Beautiful Easter outfits are also pricey before Easter. However, why not buy the items you want after Easter and either use them next year or use them for parties, special occasions or church? You can save a bundle of money in this way, just by using a little forward planning.

In order to help cut down on how much money you spend on Christmas presents, why not try buying them all year long as and when you find something appropriate in the sales? How many times have you seen something in a sale and said to yourself: ‘that would be the perfect gift for so-and-so’? It is better to take advantage of these chances and keep the items aside for when the right occasion comes up.

Then there are those post Christmas sales as well. The Boxing Day sales are a great opportunity to pick up items that you can give as gifts later in the year. And why not buy something for yourself too while you are at it? You can save a lot on your favourite perfumes. Buy enough to last you the rest of the year!

You can make your funds go a lot further if you take advantage of the post holiday sales. Rely on serendipity. Buy opportunistically and you will not only save yourself a lot of money, but you will never be stuck for a present at the last minute either.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with theCeltic Knot wedding ring. If you have an interest in wedding rings too, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring