From the engagement ring and wedding bands to your earrings, deciding on that perfect bit of sparkle to make you shine on your big day is no easy feat. But when you're working with a family-owned jeweler like Fourtané, the process is bound to be a whole lot easier. In addition to hand selecting each piece in their collection for brides and grooms around the world, the folks at Fourtané are serious masters at really personalizing the experience. Keep reading for their surefire tips for choosing just the right piece!
5 Tips for Buying Wedding Jewelry
1. Choose your wedding jewelry like you chose your fiancé; pick with your heart and go with what feels right!
2. Don't forget that you will be immortalized in these photos, so stay away from overly trendy styles.
3. Consider the style of the dress: ultra-contemporary jewelry may not be the ideal match for a vintage-looking lace gown.
4. Don't obsess! You will make so many decisions while planning your wedding and there will always be more choices, so pick something you love and stick with it.
4. Don't obsess! You will make so many decisions while planning your wedding and there will always be more choices, so pick something you love and stick with it.
5. Diamond jewelry can be a pricy expense, so if possible, pick pieces that you can wear again… say, to dinner with your husband on your anniversary?
On choosing an engagement ring… A combination of research and hands-on experience usually produces the perfect ring! Whether you are presenting an engagement ring as a surprise or selecting your ring with your partner, this process can be among the most challenging of decisions. But don't forget: this is both a joyous occasion and frequently a large purchase, so it is advised to gather a bit of information before you embark on the journey. For those seeking to surprise someone, this typically means checking with his- or her friends in hopes that they have dropped a hint or two as to what they might like in a ring and for those shopping together, it is always a good idea to discuss budget before falling in love with a ring that is unattainable. Either way, there are a few steps to begin with that will help make the process a pleasure for all involved.
First, do a bit of on-line research and browsing to narrow down what is appealing to you and familiarize yourself a little with the language of engagement rings (like diamond color and clarity). If you are working with a salesperson you trust, they will certainly help educate you along the way, but it's easier for everyone if you have a foundation from which to jump off. Also, you must consider your timeline: a custom-designed and hand-fabricated engagement ring can easily take three months to create from start to finish, so if you are hoping to get engaged next weekend, this option is not realistic. Still, a custom ring is truly one-of-a-kind and will certainly become a family heirloom some day, so it is an option worth considering if this is a service your jeweler offers. Finally, there is no substitute for coming in to a jewelry shop and trying some pieces on, as seeing them on-line is just not the same. We frequently have clients who come in telling us they know exactly what they want, based on hours of virtual research, but, after trying on just that, end up choosing something entirely different. You can't tell how a ring will look on your finger from seeing a picture of it on your computer screen and you certainly can't tell how it will make you feel when it's on your hand. In my experience, tears of joy are the best indication that we've found the perfect ring!
On choosing precious metals... Platinum versus White Gold… Both are white metals, but each has its own character. My number one recommendation is that if most of the other jewelry you wear regularly is either platinum or white gold, stick with the same metal for your engagement ring, so your jewelry will match. These metals can look nearly identical in the showcase at a jewelry shop, but they can look quite different after months of daily wear. Platinum is naturally a white metal, so, although it can dull a bit from minor scratches resulting from normal wear, the metal will always appear silver in color. All gold is yellow to begin with, so white gold is created by mixing white metals into yellow gold and, frequently also by rhodium plating the jewelry piece. This rhodium plating can wear off over time (it can also be easily reapplied by a skilled jeweler), allowing the yellow cast of the gold to show through and making the color of the metal a bit warmer looking.
On choosing an engagement ring… A combination of research and hands-on experience usually produces the perfect ring! Whether you are presenting an engagement ring as a surprise or selecting your ring with your partner, this process can be among the most challenging of decisions. But don't forget: this is both a joyous occasion and frequently a large purchase, so it is advised to gather a bit of information before you embark on the journey. For those seeking to surprise someone, this typically means checking with his- or her friends in hopes that they have dropped a hint or two as to what they might like in a ring and for those shopping together, it is always a good idea to discuss budget before falling in love with a ring that is unattainable. Either way, there are a few steps to begin with that will help make the process a pleasure for all involved.
First, do a bit of on-line research and browsing to narrow down what is appealing to you and familiarize yourself a little with the language of engagement rings (like diamond color and clarity). If you are working with a salesperson you trust, they will certainly help educate you along the way, but it's easier for everyone if you have a foundation from which to jump off. Also, you must consider your timeline: a custom-designed and hand-fabricated engagement ring can easily take three months to create from start to finish, so if you are hoping to get engaged next weekend, this option is not realistic. Still, a custom ring is truly one-of-a-kind and will certainly become a family heirloom some day, so it is an option worth considering if this is a service your jeweler offers. Finally, there is no substitute for coming in to a jewelry shop and trying some pieces on, as seeing them on-line is just not the same. We frequently have clients who come in telling us they know exactly what they want, based on hours of virtual research, but, after trying on just that, end up choosing something entirely different. You can't tell how a ring will look on your finger from seeing a picture of it on your computer screen and you certainly can't tell how it will make you feel when it's on your hand. In my experience, tears of joy are the best indication that we've found the perfect ring!
On choosing precious metals... Platinum versus White Gold… Both are white metals, but each has its own character. My number one recommendation is that if most of the other jewelry you wear regularly is either platinum or white gold, stick with the same metal for your engagement ring, so your jewelry will match. These metals can look nearly identical in the showcase at a jewelry shop, but they can look quite different after months of daily wear. Platinum is naturally a white metal, so, although it can dull a bit from minor scratches resulting from normal wear, the metal will always appear silver in color. All gold is yellow to begin with, so white gold is created by mixing white metals into yellow gold and, frequently also by rhodium plating the jewelry piece. This rhodium plating can wear off over time (it can also be easily reapplied by a skilled jeweler), allowing the yellow cast of the gold to show through and making the color of the metal a bit warmer looking.
Jewelry: Fourtane