Congratulations to our "Happy Couple" 

Got Married

April 24, 2014 

Charlotte, NC

We met 7 years ago April and fell in love. God has carried us through many struggles together. He has now blessed us with a life full of Love, Praise and Thanks. To God be the Glory!!!!

Which Hand Does A Woman Wear Her Wedding Ring On

Which Hand Does A Woman Wear Her Wedding Ring On

So What Do You Know About Purchasing a Diamond?

Reading all about diamond qualities is no substitute for seeing and handling diamonds for yourself. A diamond can not be judged purely on the details given on a diamond report or certificate. We have been offered many diamonds that sound fabulous on paper but when seen in real life they just don’t work.

If you are planning on purchasing a diamond, it is important that you know as much as possible about how diamonds are classified as the cost of a diamond is determined by the 4 C’s which are the top most criteria one needs to become familiar with - Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight. Please refer to the following:


CUT
The cut of a diamond allows it to make the best use of light. When a diamond is cut correctly, light is reflected from one facet to another, then dispersed through the top of the stone. If the cut of the diamond is too deep, some light escapes through the opposite side of the pavilion. If the cut is too shallow, light escapes through the pavilion before it can be reflected.

Please do not confuse the cut of a diamond with its shape. Diamonds can be cut into a number of shapes, depending on the qualities of the rough stone before it is cut.

The most popular diamond shapes are round, marquise, pear, emerald, oval and heart. Whatever the shape, a well-cut diamond is the work of a master diamond cutter. When the cut is right the diamond gives more sparkle.

Diamonds range in color from faint yellow or brown to very rare pinks, blues, greens, and other colors known as "fancies."

The best color for a diamond is no color at all. A totally colorless diamond allows light to pass through it easily, resulting in the light being dispersed as the color of the rainbow.

Colors are graded from totally colorless to light yellow. The diferences from one grade to the other are very subtle and it takes a trained eye and years of experience to color grade a diamond

CLARITY

A diamond's clarity is determined by using a 10-power magnifying glass and a trained eye.

FL Flawless - No inclusions or surface blemishes under 10 x magnification

IF Internally Flawless – no inclusions and only insignificant surface blemishes under 10x magnification.

VVS1 – VVS2 Very, Very Small inclusions – extremely difficult to see and usually only visible on a microscope or to an experienced grader with a loupe.

VS1 – VS2 Very Small inclusions, visible with 10x magnification but should still be difficult to find.

SI1 – SI2 Slightly Included, usually easily found with a loupe but still ‘eye clean’.

When viewed without magnification the difference in appearance between these clarity grades will be negligible.

I1 - I3 Included - inclusions visible to the naked eye (sometimes referred to as P1 – P3 or piqued). As these inclusions are becoming more visible they may affect the outward appearance of the diamond, the best I1 clarity diamonds will have an inclusion visible to the naked eye of a trained grader but not to the untrained eye and will still be very bright.

Most diamonds contain very tiny impurities know as "inclusions." An inclusion can interfere with the light passing through the diamond.

The fewer the inclusion, the more beautiful the diamond will be.

Diamonds have the capability of producing more brilliance than any other gemstone. A diamond that is free of inclusions and surface blemishes is very rare and therefore very valuable

CARAT-WEIGHT

This is the weight of a diamond measured in carats.

One carat is divided into 100 "points," so that a diamond of 75 points weights .75 ct.

The carat-weight of a diamond is the easiest measurement to determine.

Most importantly, two diamonds can be of equal carat-weight, but their value can differ greatly due to their cut, color, and clarity.

Don't rush into your diamond purchase. Take your time and evaluate your choice carefully. It took thousands of years for nature to form your diamond and the skill of a master diamond cutter to bring your diamond to you. The time you spend now can bring you a lifetime of pleasure.


CERTIFICATION – Whilst most diamond reports or certificates that you will see use the same terminology the standards to which each laboratory grades can vary and the difference between the most highly regarded reports and lesser reports can in our experience be as much as two grades. If we offer a diamond for sale with a certificate it will usually be from the GIA (Gemological Institute of America), HRD (Hoge Raad voor Diamant) or IGI (International Gemmological Institute). As non of these laboratories have a base in the UK if you would like a report to be issued on any of our non certificated diamonds we will usually use AnchorCert based in the Birmingham Assay office and this will be charged at the cost price of the certificate (usually around £40.00 -£60.00 dependant on the size of the diamond).

With Same Sex Marriage Laws Come Stunning Alternative Wedding Bands

In recent months, many states have passed groundbreaking laws allowing same sex marriage. While not yet federally recognized, the laws have allowed many people the chance to make their relationships official and even to obtain tax and health benefits that states allow to other couples. With these changes, a segment of the population that was largely excluded from the wedding community has a chance to make their love official, and with these ceremonies come a host of remarkable alternative wedding bands.

While a number of same sex couples opt for traditional wedding bands, many couples are looking to alternative jewelry. While for some the choice is in order to obtain custom matching bands, for others the choice is about finding rings that stand out and serve as a reminder of how hard they fought for the right to have what the rings symbolize. Alternative wedding bands come in a variety of designs, settings, and colors, and the choices are nearly infinite.

One popular trend among same sex couples is to purchase matching bands or rings for their wedding. Many of these bands share a common inscription, which may be on the inside or the outside of the ring. The inscriptions vary, from names and dates to sentimental phrases, literary quotes, biblical verses, and more. Other couples opt for matching rings with symbols of gender or traditional wedding symbols, such as the Claddagh.

Another common trend among current same sex couples is to choose matching settings and use alternative stones rather than diamonds. The most popular stones chosen are for each member of the couple to use the other’s birthstone. This creates beautiful rings that mark a special occasion in a unique way.

Many same sex couples also consider rings with six differently colored stones representing the rainbow, which is considered a symbol of gay pride. When these rings are made with real gemstones, they are both exceptionally beautiful and quite valuable. For couples unable to afford these gemstone bands, there are alternatives made with simulated stones.

Perhaps the most popular ring style among same sex couples is the band. While the band can be simple or elegant, it does not contain protruding stones. This is for both aesthetic and practical reasons. Many people do not enjoy protruding stones that immediately draw the eye, and in many professions they are considered hazardous and even forbidden. They can quickly snag on gloves and machinery and can present a risk to wearers, patients, and coworkers. This has helped to increase the popularity of alternative wedding bands.

While many people can not wear rings with three dimensional stones, many couples still seek rings that offer more than a simple, single colored band. Many alternative wedding bands feature a combination of two or more metals in a pattern. This can be anything from black titanium and platinum to a combination of white and yellow gold. Designs range from simple stripes to intricate Celtic knot designs and gay pride symbols.

There is really no shortage to the designs that can be implemented on alternative wedding bands. Many same sex couples elect to create their own custom wedding bands in order to have a set of rings that is truly unique to them. These couples have waited a long time, some of them an entire lifetime of sixty years or more for this day, knowing that they may never see it, and the desire for everything to be perfect means the creation of the perfect wedding rings.

While not yet legal across the nation, a few states have set forth this groundbreaking legislation. Political arguments aside, these laws allow for numerous happy couples to finally have the chance to walk down the aisle and pledge their lives to the person they love. While each ceremony is still considered groundbreaking and each couple still feels incredibly lucky to take part, at the heart of every ceremony is a simple exchange of vows and rings that symbolize the culmination of many years of struggling. With the exchange of these alternative wedding bands, these couples can take a look at their ring fingers and know two very important things; they have finally been able to legally promise to spend their lives with the ones they love, and they were truly a part of changing history.

With the legalization of what has long been called an “alternative lifestyle”, it is only fitting that there is commonly an exchange of what we consider alternative wedding bands. Not the three dimensional, diamond studded bands that are expected at most weddings, but quieter, more subtle, and often with stones embedded inside the band, these rings are unique and often one (or two) of a kind. They seem to make a perfect way to mark a union so unique and so desperately fought for.