Engagement
Rings

How to Choose Earrings that Flatter You

Earrings are at the top of the jewelry hierarchy in importance not only because they draw attention to your face, but also because they can complete an outfit. Earrings can dangle in a seductive way; they an communicate lightheartedness or even convey authority. How to choose the appropriate earrings is the question to consider.

Starting from the ear

The obvious place to start is the ears. Most people’s ears are asymmetrical, but unless the earlobes have really significant difference in height, this is nearly unnoticeable.
If your ears are not pierced yet but you want to pierce them, be sure that the placement of the holes is at equal heights.

If you like the appearance of your ears, you can wear pierced clip-backs or kidney wires, which can highlight beautifully shaped ears. Delicate wires are best for smaller ears. Larger ears require heavier wires or even earrings that cover the lobe such as huggies.

If you are self-conscious about your ears, there are styles that may be able to disguise any imperfection or scar, such as button shapes. If your ears protrude, try earrings that are wider rather than linear.

A rule of thumb is to let the size of your earlobe determine the size of the earrings. Tiny studs go best on delicate ears, larger studs on larger ears.

Highlighting the shape of your face

The shape of one’s face can be accented with earrings that bring emphasis to its shape. For example, square earrings with angular motifs can highlight a strong, square jawline , while oval earrings can soften angular lines .

Basically, the eyes of the observer is drawn to the point at which an earring ends, especially if the earring is shiny or sparkling. Earrings should not be longer than your jawline. Perhaps you will prefer shorter earrings if your face has a square, triangular or inverted oval jawline. Shorter earrings deflect attention away from those areas.

Drawing attention away from your nose

Here are some tricks to draw attention away from the nose:

• Use earrings that are not identical to the length of the nose
• Cover the earlobes
• Do not dangle below the earlobes
• Bear no resemblance to the shape of the nose
• Optimally mirror a shape found in your eyes or mouth

Disguising the sighs of age

In order to camouflage the signs of aging, it is important to stay away from dangling earrings, because they bring attention to sagging features. Here, studs or button earrings will help look younger by drawing attention to your eyes. In addition, if your nose has a vertical emphasis, you might want to stay away from vertical earrings because they may have a mirroring effect. This occurs when the shape and size of the earrings correlates with the shape of the nose. When earrings are about the same size and shape of the nose, the nose will come into focus.

About the length of your neck

As a general rule, the longer your neck, the greater is the range of earring lengths that are flattering. If you have a short neck, studs or smaller earrings are more flattering than drop earrings. A longer neck can support longer earrings; a shorter neck looks best with studs or button shapes.

Bring your earrings to work

Earrings that are appropriate for the workplace includes studs of almost any type: pearl, diamond, gemstone or metal, shell-shaped earrings ¾” to 1” in diameter, and ¾” to 1” diameter round, oval or hoops. These three categories encompass hundreds of styles. Keep in mind that diamond studs may be considered too flashy for the workplace.

1 - How to Compare Diamonds

If you are shopping on a budget, remember that all diamonds sparkle, and the most important attribute of an engagement diamond is the way it makes a woman feel. Diamonds are the ultimate gift of love. Any diamond you choose will make your woman feel cherished.

However, it is important that you do a little homework before you go shopping. The 4C's (Cut, Clarity, Color and Carat Weight) are the basic attributes used to compare diamonds. An understanding of the 4C's will give you a way to compare two diamonds and help you set basic price parameters.

How to compare diamond color:

The finest diamonds are colorless, rare and expensive. On the GIA grading scale below, D, E, F are considered colorless, G, H, I, J, K, and even L, near colorless and any grade M or below shows an increasingly yellowish tinge. Beyond the preference for a whiter stone, however, the color of a diamond does not affect its brightness or sparkle.

Worthy of note:  Most experts agree that, when mounted, diamonds in the "G, H, I, J" range appear colorless and represent a much better value than "D, E, F" stones which command significantly higher prices.

How to compare diamond Clarity:

Diamonds with fewer flaws are rare and therefore more highly prized. In many cases, these flaws (or inclusions) don't detract from the beauty of the diamond because they are invisible to the naked eye. The GIA grading scale below shows clarity ranges from "Internally Flawless" (IF) to "Very Very Slight" Inclusions (VVS), to "Very Slight" Inclusions (VS), to "Slightly Included" (SI), to "Included" (I).

Worthy of note:  Any grade "SI2" or above has inclusions that are "eye clean", not visible to the naked eye. An "I1" grade can be an excellent value, particularly if the inclusion is on the outer edge. "I2" grades can still exhibit a fair degree of fire and light. "I3" grade diamonds are noticeably more opaque or dark to the naked eye.

How to compare diamond Cut, Symmetry and Polish:

More than any other attribute, it is the Cut that makes a diamond brilliant and beautiful. A diamond that is well cut reflects light internally and displays a dazzling shower of light back through the top of the stone. A poorly cut diamond will leak light out of the bottom and sides, as illustrated below. Symmetry is another important factor in the brilliance and beauty of a diamond. A diamond is like a small house of mirrors. If the facets are lined up properly, the diamond returns more light to the viewer's eye. Finally, a diamond that is well Polished will reflect more light and sparkle from the surface to the viewer's eye. Cut, Symmetry and Polish are rated on your diamond certificate from Poor to Excellent.

Worthy of note:  The measurements listed on your diamond grading report also give an indication of how brilliant your diamond will be. The formula for cutting a diamond of ideal proportions was written in 1919 by Marcel Tolkowsky. Although it is rather complex, you can find the information by searching his name from within any popular internet search site.

How does the diamond Carat Weight compare to in relation to a human hand:

All the information about a diamond such as carat weight, clarity, and color are very important but, when all is said and done, what will really matter is how good it looks on a woman's hand. Following is a series of example images showing diamonds of various carat weighs and how they look in relation to an average woman's hand.

Click on the buttons below to view the relative size of different diamonds in a solitaire engagement ring. 2 carat total weight 1 1/2 carat total weight 1 carat total weight 3/4 carat total weight 1/2 carat total weight 1/3 carat total weight 1/4 carat total weight

2 - Finding a Balance Between Value and Quality

All diamond rings look bright and sparkling when worn on a woman's hand. Women love to wear diamonds. So don't be too concerned if your budget allows only a lower quality diamond. Let's face it: for the same price, some women would prefer a larger diamond of lower quality over a smaller diamond of higher quality.

However, the quality becomes clear when different diamonds are viewed under a microscope.

How to choose the best diamond value:

While choosing a diamond is a matter of opinion, we have our preferences. For the price, larger is better as long as the diamond does not fall below your expectations for brilliance and beauty, which are determined by the Cut, Symmetry, Polish, Clarity and Color ratings.

The images below show a range of diamond qualities viewed under a microscope.

This is an F color VS1 clarity diamond with an "Excellent" Cut and Symmetry. It has no flaws visible to the naked eye. It will display a shower of fire, scintillation and brightness when moved under a source of light. Nearly all of the light entering the diamond is reflected back to the viewer's eye through the table and crown of this diamond.

This is a G color I1 clarity diamond with a "Very Good" Cut and "Excellent" Symmetry. It has a flaw (near the top) that would be visible to the naked eye. However, a diamond like this can be a very good value for the price and the G Color is virtually indistinguishable from the highest color (D) after the diamond is mounted.

This is a G color I2 clarity diamond with a "Good" Cut. It has several flaws and it looks a little dark overall, but there is plenty of light reflecting through the table, and it will show flashes of fire and scintillation when it is moved under a light source.

This is a J color I3 clarity diamond with a "Fair" Cut. It looks opaque because there is very little light reflecting through the table. This is a result of both a shallow Cut and several cloudy flaws inside the stone. Stones like this can look fairly dull.

Guidelines for Making your Diamond Selection: For those on a budget, we would recommend a diamond with a Good Cut and Symmetry rating, a Clarity rating of SI2 & I1(GIA CERTIFICATES) OR SI2 & SI3 (EGL CERTIFICATES) and a Color rating of J-K-L (GIA CERTIFICATES) OR H-I-J (EGL CERTIFICATES). The reason for the different color & clarity grades is because the EGL CERTIFICATES are a little more leniently graded than the GIA CERTIFICATES. That means you will get lower prices with EGL CERTICATES with the same grade as the EGL CERTIFICATES. The Cut and Symmetry rating have the greatest effect on the brilliance of a diamond. While a Clarity rating of I1 means that the diamond has a flaw visible to the naked eye, it may not detract from the overall beauty, especially if the flaw is near the outer edge of the stone and could perhaps be hidden under a prong. The Color rating does not affect the brilliance of a diamond, so we've chosen to compromise a little more on this attribute in order to lower the cost. For those seeking an exceptional diamond, we would recommend an Excellent Cut and Symmetry rating, a Clarity rating of VS1 or better, and a Color rating of G or better. The Excellent Cut and Symmetry will return an extraordinary shower of fire, scintillation and brilliance to the viewer's eye. A Clarity rating of SI or better is "eye clean", meaning that no flaws are visible with the naked eye. A Color rating of G or better is nearly impossible to distinguish from the more costly D Color after the diamond is mounted. 3 - Can I Trade-up In The Future?

Buy the diamond ring you can afford today, and trade it in for a larger diamond tomorrow.

Da'Carli Diamond Jewels guarantees the full trade in value of your diamond purchase toward a larger diamond worth 100% or more than the original price, at any time you wish. You will receive credit for the price paid for your diamond towards a new diamond purchase. There is no limit on the number of times you can upgrade, and there is no re-stocking fee. Simply call our toll free number, speak with one of our friendly representatives, and obtain your Return Authorization Number (RA#). The original purchase price of your trade-up will be applied toward the purchase of a new diamond with at least double additional value, providing the following conditions are met: A. Diamond is not damaged. B. The original diamond certificate is included. (If you do not return the original diamond certificate, there will be a $150.00 fee). C. The copy of original purchase receipt showing price paid and date of purchase. Shipping: Please send your diamond with original diamond certificate, copy of original purchase receipt and Return Authorization Number to: HIR Industries Dacarli Attn: RA# 1953 N Federal Highway Boca Raton, FL 33432 Phone: (561) 750-3163 or Toll Free: (888) 527-9422 Note: Please, send your item fully insured. You should not write anything outside of your package that might hint to anyone that it contains jewelry

Milgrain Decoration

Milgrain (also spelled millgrain) literally means a thousand grains. The word milgrain is used to describe a jewelry decoration. Milgrain decoration are strings of tiny bead shapes coined right at the edges of a jewel. Milgrain can usually be found surrounding set stones or on the edges of a ring or other piece of jewelry. This jewelry decoration is commonly present in antique style jewelry.

There are several stylistic characteristics which connote antique or vintage style in jewelry, such as engraving, scroll work, filigree decoration, and milgrain detail. We immediately identify these details in jewelry as conveying an antique look.

Milgrain In History

It is believed that the use of milgrain decoration begun to appear in jewelry originating from Southeast Asia. Jewelry making in India and China dates back to 5000 BC. A wonderful example of the early use of milgrain work in jewelry is the Royal earrings from Andhra Pradesh, 1st Century BC. The mentioned pair of Royal earrings is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Since then, the use of milgrain decoration in jewelry has spread around the world. We have countless examples of milgrain decorated jewelry throughout time and from many different cultures and regions of the world. Milgrain decoration has been a part of the history of jewelry making and is sure to continue to be a constant presence in jewelry making into the far future.

How is it made?

Milgrain decoration is created with a special engraver's knurling tool. First, the jeweler uses a graining tool to lower the center of the jewel leaving thin raised rims. Then, he uses this milgrain tool to shape the raised edges into tiny rounded bumps.

On modern days, the milgrain decoration is done through the use of computers. Jewels are now designed with the aid of 3D modeling computer software. Right from the beginning, the milgrain decoration can be applied to the 3D model. Special 3D printers are used to create a three dimensional wax model which is a perfect rendering of what is displayed on the computer screen. With the wax model, a jewel can be cast in metal with the milgrain decoration already present.

Milgrain Setting

Milgrain is sometimes referred to as a type of stone setting style. The milgrain setting is usually done on a piece to match the style of a jewel that already has milgrain decoration. An experienced jeweler will set stones using a beading tool, rather than prongs. This will leave little raised nodes of gold which can then be turned into tiny decorative rounded bumps by using an appropriate setting tool.

In addition to being part of an antique-style vocabulary, milgrain edges leave the impression of excellent craftsmanship, a quality which is highly sought-after. When selecting an engagement ring or a wedding band, the most desired fashion today is the antique, which connotes a kind of stability or permanence, which, after all, is exactly what an engagement ― a long term commitment that will lead to a marriage ― is suppose to convey!

Searching For Jewelry Featuring Milgrain Decoration

If you were looking for antique looking jewelry, you need to look no further. Da'Carli Diamond Jewels has the largest selection of attractive antique style jewelry on the internet. Our jewels feature all the telltales that are the hallmark of an antique looking jewel. Our jewels are richly decorated with the finest milgrain work and expertly set with bright diamonds and precious gemstones.

Feel free to browse around and bookmark our website. We are sure that the talent and craftsmanship of our jewelers and our constant pursuit of perfection are going to transpire in the quality of our carefully finished products. We guarantee that you will be more than pleased with your purchase.