Inspiration

All That Glitters

There aren’t many times in your life when indulging and spoiling yourself with incredible pieces of statement jewellery are justified (unless of course, you’re J.Lo). But your wedding day is one of them and we insist that as a part of your wedding planning process you discover more about the sparklers that could adorn you on your wedding day. Consider jewellery shopping a part of your education

Coloured gemstones have intriguing stories attached and if chosen wisely can be even more valuable than a traditional diamond. When searching for the ideal gemstones for your bridal ensemble, consider their intrinsic value, unique properties and durability. Don’t be afraid to mix it up and show some variety in materials, and by all means make a statement. Precious metal combinations, such as white, rose and yellow gold are very in vogue, as are stacking rings, and layering gold chains. As a rule of thumb, always ask a jewellery professional, or the stylists at your chosen bridal shop, for their expert opinion on your jewellery and accessories. Bold statement pieces are completing today’s high fashion bridal look.

Today, many grooms are opting for non-diamond options to engagement rings. Colourful gems such as sapphires, rubies, and yellow or pink diamonds are unexpected and exciting choices for an engagement ring with interesting properties. It is always worthwhile to ask a jewellery professional if there is anything unique, spectacular or rare in their collection. We asked Calgary Jewellery what distinctive gemstones hid in their collection that might inspire a couple looking for something unique. “One of the lesser known gemstones, Morganite, is romantic and warm with a peach-pink glow. It compliments many skin tones, and looks especially lovely when set in rose gold.” Says Christina Smith of Calgary Jewellery.

In addition, mixing precious metals and alternative materials into the same design has become a popular design trend. “Black Cobalt, Tungsten and Titanium are some of the alternative metals that offer great affordability, although precious metals such as gold and platinum are still the most popular for quality, value, and tradition. Alternative Metals can also be used as style accents in precious metal bands.” Says Christina.

They say a diamond is a girl’s best friend, but why? Perhaps it is because they are so dependable, incredibly strong, and exploding with colour and light. All are qualities that can be applied to the relationships we celebrate.

Diamonds occur in a variety of colors: grey, white, blue, yellow, orange, red, green, pink, purple, brown, and black. Colored diamonds contain impurities or structural defects that cause the coloration, whilst pure diamonds are perfectly transparent and colorless. They are scientifically classed into two main types and several subtypes, according to the nature of impurities present and how these impurities affect light absorption. Why are diamonds so shiny? The secret to a diamonds sparkle is refraction, and total internal reflection. The refractive index of diamond is pretty high at 2.417, and is also dispersive with a coefficient of 0.044.

A 10 on the Moh’s Scale of Hardness, diamonds are the ideal choice for durability. A diamond is a three dimensional arrangement of carbon atoms linked to each other by strong covalent bonds. It is also one of the allotropes of carbon; graphite, and charcoal are the other two. This makes diamond one of the hardest materials on Earth.

Fancy diamonds are valued using different criteria than those used for regular diamonds. When the color is rare, the more intensely colored a diamond is, the more valuable it becomes. Another factor that affects the value of fancy-colored diamonds is fashion trends. For example, pink diamonds fetched much higher prices after Ben Affleck proposed to her with a 6.1 carat pink diamond from Harry Winston in 2002, worth 1.2 million dollars. It’s probably not that difficult to be BFF’s with 1.2 million dollars.

Sources

Bud Moore Photography/Calgary Jewellery Ltd/Knickers’n Lace/Ivonne Artsenault Makeup Artist/Evealeene, Nyabuoy