engraving your diamond wedding and engagement ring

A diamond ring is forever. It is perhaps the most romantic symbol of love for most couples and has actually become an essential in engagements and weddings.

Nothing can be more romantic? except of course a diamond ring with an engraving inside. Engraving your diamond wedding rings is one of the ways that would make your rings special and personalized.

Putting messages for your spouse in the titanium wedding rings will ensure that your message of love will always be with him or her. Most jewelers offer this additional service of engraving wedding and engagement rings.

Often this service is only offered with plain wedding bands with no stone but some jewelry shops can engrave diamond engagement and wedding rings.

Here are some of the ways that jewelers do this. One of the ways is by hand engraving where an expert will use a hand tool to engrave the words in the metal.

Because this is done by hand, the process is not perfect and the letters are not as precise as one would like. Still, because it is handmade, the effect is more natural and far more unique than when done by machines.

In choosing this process, make sure that the expert, often called the artisan, is skilled and experienced in doing the craft.

Another process is of course through the use of the engraving machine. Unlike the hand-made engraving process, this is much faster and more precise.

Mistakes are minimized and the letters appear crisp. One disadvantage of using the engraving machine is the fact that one can only put up to 20 characters only.

Although this is more than enough for the space provided by the ring, some prefer to put longer verses in smaller fonts. One of the most modern processes is the use of the laser technology in engraving. The discovery and later use of laser has opened a whole lot of possibilities for jewelry engraving.

Unlike the old engraving machine, couples can now put up to 225 characters in the metal. This is quite long and will be more than enough for one ring to take. What is more, the engraver can be customized. One can choose the size of the font, the slant and sometimes even the kind of font that is used. That is why this process is not only used in engraving wedding and engagement rings but also bracelets and necklaces. Some are even able to put vows and verses from the bible with this kind of machine. About the Author: This content is provided by Low Jeremy.

It may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more information on Diamond Rings & other useful information, please visit http://diamond-ring.articlekeep.com

comparing titanium and tungsten wedding rings

Both titanium and tungsten are considered “model metals” in the jewelry industry because they were not available to the consumer market as commodities until ten years ago. They have gained tremendous popularity since the introduction and become an integral part of the jewelry material spectrum.

Due to the rather little exposure, many questions arise concerning titanium and tungsten when it comes to choosing jewelry. The followings are some points of consideration if you are seriously thinking about buying a titanium or tungsten wedding ring.

1. Hardness

Titanium and tungsten are both known for the superior hardness over traditional metals such as gold, silver and platinum. One thing worth noting is that it is not the metals themselves in a pure form that possess the hardness, it is their alloys that do. Roughly speaking, the hardest form of tungsten carbide is harder than titanium alloys, and only under extreme circumstances, such as abrasion from diamonds, can it be damaged.

2. Ductility

Titanium is more ductile than tungsten in the common alloys used in jewelry. In other words, when a wedding ring is under high pressure, such as hit by a car door, a titanium ring would be bend out-of-round whereas a tungsten carbide ring would fracture into several pieces. Hence, in terms of safety, a tungsten carbide ring is “safer” to wear.

3. Hypoallergenic

This is the very same concern as buying silver jewelry to some people: Will I be allergic to the jewelry? In general, titanium jewelry is virtually safe to wear for everybody. Yet, some tungsten carbide jewelry contains the element cobalt that some people are allergic to. Interesting, another form of tungsten alloy using nickel as a binder metal is hypoallergenic, even to people who are allergic to nickel.

4. Weight

Titanium is lighter than tungsten, or more precisely, has a lower density. Titanium alloys are about 43% lighter than stainless steel and tungsten carbide is about 90% heavier than stainless steel.

5. Coloring

Titanium reacts with different chemicals and produces alloys of different colors. Jewelry makers use anodization to coat colored patterns on titanium rings. Black titanium is another form of titanium alloy that has a different color than the commonly used grey color. On the other hand, tungsten carbide is usually offered on in black color only.

6. Pricing

Titanium jewelry is in general cheaper than tungsten jewelry primarily due to the difference in equipment and environment control need to produce them. The temperature for forming a tungsten carbide is about 6000 Fahrenheit, which has to be in either a vacuum or hydrogen environment.

7. Engraving and resizing

Titanium wedding rings can be engraved and resized. However, a tungsten carbide ring is too hard to be engraved or resized. Although engraving can be done, the letters will be very faint and difficult to read. So if you are buying to ring to engrave, get titanium rings. About the Author

Scott Murff got his MBA from MIT business school and currently is the marketing manager in Titanium Kay that specializes in men’s titanium wedding rings, titanium bracelets and tungsten wedding rings.

How to Choose a Wedding Ring

Any couple planning a wedding should remember how important their choice of wedding rings is; this should not be rushed as they will wear these rings all the time they are married. Take as much the time as needed to consider which will be chosen; rings should look spectacular both now and in the future. For something this important a couple should find a specialist jeweler for their wedding rings; you may not find the right type of jeweler from the many in your local mall.

The type of ring available in these stores is usually quite limited; they may also have a restricted price range, another reason to seek out a jeweler who only sells this type of ring. Using a specialist should also make it easier when you are trying to find a ring that works well with the engagement ring so the two do not conflict.

It is often the case that brides-to-be choose a wedding ring that is more elaborate than the engagement ring; The aim should be to find jewelers that can supply a ring that compliments the other. If this is not possible you will need to try on as many wedding bands as you can to see how they look when positioned next to the engagement ring.

Metals most often used are: (1) Yellow Gold, (2) Silver, (3) Titanium and (4) White Gold; of course, the budget is almost always a contributing factor but durability is an issue and that is why platinum is becoming so popular. The groom is often the one that needs a harder ring and that is certainly the benefit of platinum. Why men? Well they are more likely to damage their ring whilst working; a greater number of men still work in manual industries than women.

The next step is to have the wedding ring fingers measured; you really don’t want the rings to fit poorly after all the planning that has taken place. Neither ring should be so tight that they require lubrication to put them on or take them off; just as in the same way they can be so loose they can be easily lost.

The jeweler should be given plenty of time to complete this task because there may be others he is adjusting rings for; make certain that you give plenty of time before your wedding day for both choosing and for adjustments to be made. Choosing wedding bands you will both like and that match the engagement ring may take some time; allow for this as it is not uncommon for couples to choose in haste and then regret their decision later.

Keep in mind that wedding rings are a symbol of love and commitment; wherever you go around the world, the ring will instantly tell a person of your status.

Find Low Cost And Unusual Wedding Favors

If you are in the process of arranging your wedding you will probably know how important wedding favors are these days. Many options now exist to fit almost any budget and even timescale if you are in a hurry. This should make things much easier for you and will be one less thing to worry about before the wedding day arrives.

If all other options fail you can always choose the easy wedding favor of flowers which can also decorate the reception at the same time. There is virtually no preparation involved in this and depending on how many guests you have you may not have to order them well in advance.

A symbol of love, the red rose is one of the more popular choices and they do not require much preparation. It is simple to have these placed by the caterers on the day just prior to the wedding reception.

Unfortunately flowers do no appeal to everyone, but with three in every four receptions using candy, this is an easy wedding favor that will. If you prefer, there is an even easier method to give candy which can also save money at the same time. This just needs a large quantity of various candies placed in a large bowl on the middle of the table.

You can then provide each wedding guest with a small bag and a note encouraging them to enjoy the candy in the centerpiece. This could be called a self service gift because all you have to do is supply the candy and something to place it in.

If you prefer not to give your guests more to eat then another option is a small picture frame and if you like, it can be used on the day as placeholders. Whilst this is a great idea for a wedding favor gift it is only easy to do if you can present it without having to wrap it. By using the picture frames as placeholders provides a way around this, making it a gift that does not need to be wrapped.

Another easy wedding favor option to end this article is to arrange for a professional photographer to attend the wedding reception and take a photo of every couple as they arrive looking their best. If he brings along a printer you can distribute the photos before your guests begin to leave the reception. As everyone will be looking at their best this is a wedding favor they will really enjoy; seeing themselves this way in a professional photo.

As a little extra you could ask the photographer if he could bring along a small projector and have a slide show during the reception when guest can see the photos he has taken.

Wedding On A Budget

It is incredible just how much money a wedding costs these days; over 25 billion dollars is spent each year on weddings, with an average 20-25,000 spent on each. It is understandable that many couples feel pressured into spending money they do not have but it really isn’t necessary; you can still have a great day even if you plan to have a cheap wedding. A little guidance and cost saving ideas could make it all possible; you can still have a day to be proud of at a fraction of the cost.

A Used Hand Made Wedding Dresses

Fortunately there are several options available to help reduce this cost, including the option of a dress that has been worn before. Many brides spend two to three thousand dollars (often more) on a wedding dress and only wear it once; why not make use of a beautiful dress that someone else has only worn once, for a fraction of the cost?

Planning the Reception

The most expensive area is the wedding reception but savings can be made here as well; the average number of guests is just under 190 but this is an area where costs can be reduced as soon as you start to plan your cheap wedding. There is a tendency to invite everyone you have ever known or is a member of the family but this is completely unrealistic and unnecessary; if you have a buffet instead of a four course meal, waiting staff will not be required either.

To save on a costly wedding reception venue in a hotel, consider the alternatives; some people now arrange to hold them in a club house where they can place a set amount over the bar for certain beverages like beer, wine and soft drinks for the children.

Wedding Pictures

As far as the photographer is concerned, why not just hire one for the service; most guests take cameras and will be happy to take photos at the reception and of course you will have plenty to choose from. Although it may sound like an unusual idea, you always have the option to not use a professional photographer at all; there is no reason why the photos can’t be taken by your guests and you will find yourself saving many hundreds if not thousands, of dollars.

Print At Home Contemporary Invitations

Other areas where you can be assured of saving money is wedding invitations and other stationery; today’s home computers and printers are able to provide near professional results. The quality of printers available combined with sophisticated programs means it is quite easy to do; in fact very professional looking results can be achieved on a home computer.

Flowers at the Wedding

Cost cutting measures can also be found in the area of flowers and their arrangement; these can actually be purchased in large quantities from wholesalers or even from your own garden if you have the capacity. There is no reason why a friend or relative can’t bake the wedding cake; this will save more money plus the traditional fruit cake does not have to be used as there are many other fillings that people enjoy.

Transportation for the Wedding Day

One last suggestion relates to the limousine which could easily be a beautifully decorated car belonging to a friend; this is not actually that uncommon.

Remember, a cheap wedding does not necessarily mean a bad wedding; just think of how much you will have saved!