All about Rubies

Rubies are gemstones which vary from pink to blood red and are a variety of corundum mineral gems. Other varieties of this family are called sapphires, Rubies and sapphires are two of the cardinal gemstones. The cardinal gemstones are gems which are thought of as being traditionally precious above all others. Rubies colour is produced by the presence of chromium within the gem and to be considered a ruby there must be enough corundum to give within the gem to give it it’s distinctly red colour.

The Burmese Ruby tiara was  commissioned in 1973 to The Garrad’s. Her majesty wanted a specific design that would also add to the symbolism of the Rubies. Her majesty commissioned a combination of the white rose of York and red rose of England. In this tiara the queen used the 96 rubies she was gifted as a wedding present from the Burmese people, They believe that Rubies help protect the wearer from the 96 diseases that can afflict the human body. The Rubies are set in a series of rose motifs and if you know of English history you may recognise the combination of the red and white petals as the symbolic Tudor rose.                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                         

How did the Wedding Ring become a tradition?

Many wedding traditions date back centuries, but the wedding ring is one of the oldest.

The first version date back to prehistoric times when they would bind the wife’s arms and legs, this was because the life expectancy was very low, and the people believed that a person sprite flowed throughout their body, so in order to stop her soul escaping they would tie a piece of the binding rope (grass) to her finger to prolong her life. This tradition evolved from grass, to rope, to leather, and then as it is now metal.

The more expensive the material, the more love was shown to the receiver and the value of the ring showed the wealth or status of the giver, showing the ability to financially support the women.

History says that the Romans believed that the metal ring should be worn on the third finger of the left hand because that was the “Vena Amoris” meaning the “vein of Love” and the left hand because the heart is closer to the left arm.

As people moved around the world this metal band become one of the wide-spread traditions.

Later traditions were the diamonds, the first engagement ring to have a diamond in was not until 1400’s but as they were very rare and hard to find they did not catch on until the 1700’s when new mines were discovered, and the engagement ring became wide-spread. Today we use diamonds in wedding rings as diamonds are the hardest and strongest mineral on earth.

Ancient Egyptian’s would have given rings to the people they were intimate with, they were the first people to wear ring for love and both men and women would wear them, they would be a band with no end to symbolise eternal love but this did not last as Ancient Romans saw their wife’s a possessions and they had to wear the ring as a sign of ownership. Men did not wear wedding Rings until much later. The Romans also started the marriage laws.

In the middle east they also used rings as a symbol of ownership, but they had a different way of ensuring that their wives stayed loyal but creating “puzzle rings” so if their wife tried to take it off it would fall apart.

Men’s wedding rings are the newest tradition, in the new world men were recognised as the dominant sex so they did not feel the need to wear a wedding ring but when world war 2 started men began to wear weddings ring to remember their wives back home, this became a tradition for military men but after the Korean war it became more popular for civil men to wear wedding rings. To this day men and women have many different styles to choose from, but it is a symbol that has grown and will continue to be passed down throughout the ages.

How to choose an Engagement Ring

The most important thing to buying an Engagement ring is to DO YOUR RESEARCH and look at the stones using a eye glass, Know what you are buying before you commit. 

 There are so many different styles of engagement rings, remember to look at the styles that better fit your lifestyle. Think ahead of what style of wedding you would like a see if they fit nice together. If you are on a budget then make sure you go for a single stone design as you will get a bigger better stone for your money. if you like unusual shapes then make sure you can get a matching wedding ring to see and check if they fit nicely together, as you might need a shaped to fit wedding ring.

The best metals to choose for low maintenance would be Platinum, Palladium and red gold, yellow gold, as these do not need Rhodium plating every 3-6 months for people with hard labour jobs, all white gold is Rhodium plated and cheaper but can cost more over time. Remember the metal you buy your engagement ring is the same metal you should buy for your wedding, this helps the rings to last and not wear to much over the years.

Some people cannot see the difference in the diamond setting but it can make a lot of difference depending on what hobbies you have or your lifestyle.
Bezel set is the safest setting, Pave set is for a more vintage look and channel set is a more popular modern setting also very safe. The French V slip or Cathedral set lets a lot of light in to the stones so is very nice for diamond wedding rings and engagement rings shoulder stones.

We always recommend to look at diamond grading charts before you buy an Engagement ring, it helps to know what you are buying and where's best for you to spend your money. Clarity is the most important as this is the imperfections in the stone, next is colour, D highest and Z Lowest. Then the Cut, the more symmetrically cut the stone the better the sparkle. When talking about Carat people think it is the size but this is not true it is the weight of the stone.

Brilliant cut diamonds are the most popular shaped of diamonds as this cut will sparkle more than other cuts, a good Emerald cut diamond is nearly as clear as water. Princess cut diamonds if you get a symmetrically cut stone will be almost as sparkly as a brilliant cut.

Remember that the symmetry is as important as the Colour, Clarity, Carat.

Call Goldfinger on 0207 405 7590 Design your own rings.

Just Engaged?

Firstly, congratulations on your engagement and hope you were given the engagement ring of your dreams! 

This is a very exciting time in your life which you need to share with your family and friends but where to start on the wedding plans! 

Here are some ideas on how to get on track to planning the perfect wedding day with your special someone.

Choose your wedding party:

This can be very hard but choosing your best man and maid of honour very early can help with all your plans and they can help with picking the venue, dress, suits, Photographers etc…

Choose a style:

What style of wedding would you like, traditional church wedding, hotel wedding, Barn wedding, wedding abroad. Choosing your style can help to look for a venue that will be to your liking with so many wedding venues it will be easier to narrow it down. When you have chosen a few venues book to view them with the chosen wedding party to check out which of the venues are most suitable for your wedding plans.

Set the budget:

Yes, the budget! You must have one so be realistic, look at average prices online to help you get an idea for you to set the budget and then try not to go over that budget for each item. Ask for discounts where you can and ask friends and family to recommend suppliers they have used. But most importantly make sure you set a good amount of the budget for the things you will have after the wedding day! Like Photos and wedding rings.

Set the date:

Once you have chosen your favourite wedding venue book the date. The most popular dates are between May and September and on Fridays or Saturdays. If you love your venue but the price is too much, then ask for a weekday or winter/spring prices as most venues will do offers for out of season weddings.

Wedding planners:

Wedding planners can be very helpful, you can either have a personal wedding planner or you can do your own wedding planning online to help you get organised and know when to book certain parts of your wedding and help with time scales.

Guest List:

You will need to do a rough guest list as soon as possible so you can get the estimated numbers for the total wedding, like how many for the day and how many for the reception. You will need to know numbers for the venue, food, cake, accommodation etc…

Find Suppliers:

The best place to find wedding suppliers are from recommendations and wedding fayres. Recommendations are always good but if you do not have any then go to wedding fayres, you can take your wedding party to help you pick suppliers. Wedding fayres are a fantastic way to get ideas and to see what is out there for your special day. Some wedding suppliers offer on the day discounts, it is a great way to see their work and to book consultations before using them for your special day. 

Family run businesses are recommended as they will take the most pride in their work and normally have better customer services.

Ready to book:

Once you have all the above in place you can book to view dresses, meet photographers, cake and food trials, but the most important thing to remember is to have fun! Enjoy booking and planning your wedding day and have what you want but try not to worry about making the people attending happy, REMEMBER IT IS YOUR DAY!!

For Wedding fayres in your area:guidesforbrides.co.uk/wedding-fairs/ 

Bespoke wedding rings:www.goldfinger-rings.com
Call 0207 405 7590 for a quote on any design

The whole world has been watching Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after the proposal last week, their 16-month relationship that began when they met on a blind date in London arranged by a mutual friend. Prince Harry revealed he proposed while the couple made roast chicken at his home in Kensington Palace.

Wow, the Engagement ring is stunning but what would you expect when the centre stone Prince Harry had sourced from Botswana as this Place has special meaning to him. The 2 side stones were from his late Mothers Princess Diana’s brooch totalling 4.5 carats and all set in 18ct Yellow Gold. The 3-stone engagement ring was commissioned by London-based Cleave & Company, the official jewellers to the Queen. 

We have heard that the wedding will be held at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, May 2018. It is said that Harry and Meghan will be planning most of the wedding and that the Royal Family will be funding the Church, flowers, and decoration for the day.

Meghan will have a very busy time ahead not only planning a wedding, but she will have to be Baptised and confirmed into the Church of England and apply for British citizenship.

Although Meghan will not become Princess Meghan due to the standards of British royal protocol, the former Hollywood star lacks "royal blood", there is talk that the couple will become but not confirmed Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The couple will embark on their first official visit together in Nottingham on Friday, visiting the World Aids Day charity Fair at the Nottingham Academy. Ms Markle will not be continuing her acting career in the United Nations, she will instead start new charity work as a full time Royal.

We here at Goldfinger Rings wish them all the best in the future and a wonderful wedding.

Are you thinking of proposing? Would you like a similar 3 stone diamond ring made in Hatton Garden too? then we can help you to design your own, choose your own diamonds, and mount and have the ring handmade for that special someone. 

If you would like to book your free design consultation all you have to do is Call us today on 0207 405 7590 or email us at info@goldfinger-rings.com

 Why book a wedding planner?

Your wedding day is possibly one of the biggest days of your lives, which can cause a lot of pressure to get it right and doesn’t get any easier if it is a small intimate wedding or a large elaborate wedding. So, having a wedding planner can simplify this for you.

A wedding planner is not there to run the whole show! They can be someone you go to book venues and suppliers. As a wedding planner, they will have a lot of contacts whom will have exclusive offer deals with and they would have a good knowledge of the type of venue you are looking for.

You might just need a little help with table plans and menus, just the little things that are very time consuming. A wedding planner can look over all your contacts, insurance and booking form for all your suppliers and can negotiate on details and price.

Your wedding day should one of the most memorable occasions, a wedding planner should not take over but simply offer ideas you may have not considered, support where you need it, help in areas you may unsure of and generally relive the pressure and stress that comes with planning a wedding.

Some brides have a wedding planner just for the day of the wedding, this will give you the chance to relax and enjoy your special day. The wedding planner will work with you to arrange the times and coordination for the day.

Expensive?? A good wedding planner is worth their weight in gold. Obviously, there is an additional cost but it is definitely worth it, to save time and money. Using the experience and knowledge of reliable suppliers will help you to stay within your budget and saving you money overall.

Goldfinger Rings met up with one of our recommended wedding planners Lisa Evans of Taylored weddings. She is a very charming, professional and has been working in the wedding industry since 2011. 

See her website for more details https://www.tayloredweddingplanner.com/

Re-Fashion your Jewellery

Yes that's right Re-Fashion! You can re-fashion almost any piece of jewellery in to a more in fashion item by adding more stones to changing the metal from Gold to Platinum. In this day and age,

we love to restore old houses, old furniture, old cars so why not restore your beloved jewellery that might have seen better days.

Jewellery was meant to be worn!

 So many people are passed down amazing jewellery but it might  not be quite to your taste, design something to suit you, use the diamonds and gem stones to make a  stunning new piece of jewellery. We can help whatever the item of jewellery, we offer free consultations at home or our meeting room in London.

Family Run company & UK manufacturer.

Also Did you know you should have your jewellery re-valued every 3 years? We offer new valuations and we can also do a probate valuation on a lost loved one’s jewellery.

So if you would like to book a 

free consultation please contact us on 0207 4057590 and we will

happily arrange a day and time around you. 

See our websites: http://www.goldfinger-rings.com

                               http://www.belovedmemoriesjewellery.co.uk