The Bride is Always Late: Irish Wedding Blog from WeddingDates.ie » Wedding Rings

Those Diamonds… Choosing The Right One

ClaireB — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 07:00:42 +0000

South Africa is the world’s leading producer and supplier of high quality diamonds. Browns, the high end jewellery store that has created a name for itself because of its’ exceptional service has a very resourceful section on how to go about selecting the correct diamond. There are different cuts, colours and forms of clarity. Read their go to guide and be informed before you and your man head to the shops.

Happy reading and more than that… happy ring shopping!

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Pillow Talk

Ciara Crossan — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 10:49:42 +0000

I am always banging on about how weddings should be personal to the couple and how you should try to personalize your wedding ceremony and day. Well, how would you like to incorporate a simple and high impact wedding accessory that brings something very different to the most important ritual of your wedding day? Todays post comes from guest blogger Tracie Blackshields, the creative force behind Ring Pillow Divas, wedding ring pillows.

The Ring Pillow is a relatively new concept in Ireland and it is used to carry wedding bands up the aisle to the waiting Bride and Groom, at the church or civil ceremony. Usually a flower girl or page boy are given this honour. At Ring Pillow Diva I have just launched a range of handmade ring pillows that really capture the imagination. Each pillow in the range has it’s own name and character, The pillows are the Diva’s not me!

For simple elegance you can choose Tara, in Irish linen damask or Audrey , a dupion silk with a whimsical sheaf of organza.

The signature piece is the Love Letter and this concept was borne out of the need to have a means to involve someone close, who could not be there on the day. The Love letter can carry a photo or a momento of times past. But it can also carry a token of the future…Recently a bridesmaid ordered one for the bride as she wanted to put sisterly advice in there!

The divas can be elegant, funky, vintage, fun, or just simply cute. I offer a bespoke service where you can bring some of your wedding theme or even your ‘something old’ to the pillow. You can also choose a Diva and add elements of another pillow to it.

The essence of these pillows is that they bring a sense of personality to your wedding and as they can be made with a little piece of you integrated into the design will in turn will breathe your personality into the ceremony.

Check out other styles and contact Tracie to discuss your personal Ring Pillow Diva!

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Kate Middleton’s Engagement Ring

Ciara Crossan — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 17:12:53 +0000

The biggest news on the wedding scene broke yesterday, when Prince William announced his engagement to long time sweetheart Kate Middleton. But the question on everyone’s lips was – “what’s the ring like??!!”

The Sapphire sparkler was owned by Lady Diana and William said it was his way of “‘making sure my mother didn’t miss out on today and the excitement, and the fact that we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together.”

The ring is getting so much attention, there is even a Facebook Fan Page dedicated to it and early reports are saying that sales of similar rings have gone through the roof as women around the world try to replicate Kate’s ring!

The Garrard white-gold ring features a stunning 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire in the centre, surrounded by a cluster of 14 diamonds. It cost £28,500 when it was first bought and was valued at £250,000 before Diana passed away in 1997. Obviously it’s worth alot more now!!

On the market for a ring yourself?! Make sure to check out our favourite Diamond Dealer in Ireland, Volatire Diamonds for your perfect Engagement Ring!

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4 C’s of Diamond Buying

Ciara Crossan — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:00:27 +0000

Now we all know, Diamonds are a girls best friend, but you may be out of your depth when buying one!! If you couldn’t tell a cubic zirconia from a 5 carat Pink diamond then you’d better read on before your purchase the ring that you will wear for the rest of your life!

Cut

We strive for maximum brilliance and beauty in every Voltaire Diamond. The cut, or make of your diamond determines the level of sparkle, brilliance and fire visible in your gem.
To reflect and refract light most effectively, Voltaire diamonds must be cut to the correct proportions and polished so that each facet is precisely placed. Diamonds which are not cut and polished to these standards do not handle light correctly, diminishing both their beauty and value.

Colour

Diamond quality and value is also determined by subtle colour differences, sometimes barely discernible to the untrained eye. The best and rarest diamonds appear colourless ( white) or near colourless and are graded D to I with D and E being extremely rare. Colour quality below I then diminishes as yellow/brown tones become more evident.

Clarity

A diamond’s clarity rating is a key measure of its overall quality. Almost every gemstone is marked with natures fingerprints called “inclusions”. The clarity grading of a diamond measures the position, volume and colour of its inclusions, which can be black or white in colour. The beauty and value of a diamond is affected by obvious inclusions, as they affect the passage of light through the stone.
Some diamonds have no inclusions and are very rare, these are referred to as Internally Flawless. However, most diamonds have inclusions, some that are so microscopic that they can only be seen under 50 X magnification and others that can be seen by the naked eye.

Carat Weight

The term carat refers to a measurement of weight as opposed to size. A carat is equivalent to 0.2 grams and is the unit of weight for diamonds. Carat is the most price sensitive part of a diamond as it refers to the mass and proportionate size. Diamonds are rare and as the size and carat weight increase they become very scarce.

These great tips come from our good friends Voltaire Diamonds an irish company who specialise in diamonds and engagement rings. They meet their clients in person to advise and discuss ring options and because they don’t have a big retail store, can charge up to 25% less for a top quality ring!

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Labour of Love – make your own rings?!

Ciara Crossan — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:30:46 +0000

What a fabulous idea to get creative and really have something special and memorable at the end of it! The Irish Design House is launching its program whereby you can “make your own wedding rings“. All details are outlined on the below flier. They are limiting the numbers to one couple per weekend and will lay on lunch both days, take photos of the couples progress and celebrate the completion of their wedding rings over a glass of champagne!

You can watch Clare from the Irish Design Shop talking about the course and showing some of the rings on TV3′s Ireland AM

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Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend

Ciara Crossan — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:00:34 +0000

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting with Seamus Fahy, the man behind the newly established Irish Business Voltaire Diamonds. Seamus only began selling rings privately in April of this year and already he is selling 2 rings a week. Based in Dublin, he meets couples in their homes or in a private club on St. Stephens Green to show them the Sample Set of rings and discuss with them their preference and budget. Because he doesn’t have a retail jewallry store, he avoids all unnecessary overheads and can sell diamond engagement rings for approx 25% less than you would pay for the same thing on the high street.

Seamus has been certified by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) so he really knows what he’s talking about and can advise couples on the 4 C’s of buying a diamond. The jewels on offer are all handmade, bespoke and finely crafted by some of the world’s finest jewellery designers in London. Diamonds have been source in Antwerp (80% of the worlds Diamonds go through Antwerp) and all come with a certificate of authenticity.

Seamus was also interviewed in yesterday’s Irish Independent. Congratulations to Seamus on his innovative new take on buying and selling diamonds and engagement rings in the Irish Market. I wish him all the best and recommend Dublin-based grooms-to-be out there to give him a call if you are thinking about proposing or indeed if you are ready to buy your wedding band.

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Put A Ring On It

Ciara Crossan — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 12:35:42 +0000

Christmas is traditionally a time when many men get down on one knee and propose to their beloved. So a quick Christmas post to congratulate all of those newly engaged ladies out there! Whether you were expecting it or not, whether he had a ring chosen or not or whether you will be walking down the aisle soon or having a long engagement – enjoy every minute of it!!! I could almost hear champagne bottles popping all over the country yesterday! Congratualations ladies!

And, for the rest of the still single ladies out there – here’s a little something from Beyonce, to rock out to which I’m sure most of you will be doing in the clubs and pubs of Ireland tonight!

Beyonce – Single Ladies

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