Thursday, October 7, 2010

Promise Rings, and Rings For Engagement


Rings Above Available At Zales.com

Rings For Engagement and Promise Rings

by: Jason Estabrook

Before you buy that ring for engagement or start looking at promise rings there are several things that can make your experience more enjoyable. More than just the standard questions of; How much? And What’s it made of? In this article we’ll go over everything from promise rings to the complexity of diamonds and how they’re rated.

First we’ll go over promise rings. This is a modern day symbol of commitment and monogamy. They are inherently inexpensive but definitely do not lack in value. For example Genuine Diamond Twin Heart solid 14K White Gold Promise Ring would be a great choice. It showcases a stunning lab created red ruby and is set beside 6 genuine point diamonds.

Rings for Engagement, These vary in price widely in style. Generally they are gold with a genuine diamond or cubic zirconium. The rule of thumb is to spend 3 months salary on your engagement ring. If you decide to follow adhere to that rule, you should really look into what you’re buying and make sure your getting the right ring for the price.

Diamonds are a way to add value to any ring. The secret is knowing which ones are best. To do this we take a look into the 4Cs. The 4C’s are simple, they’re a Diamond’s Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat. Each of the 4Cs are important. I won’t go into too much detail, instead I’ll hit the important parts and save you some reading time.

The Clarity

A diamond’s clarity is determined by the number, nature, position, size and color of internal characteristics called “inclusions” and surface features called “blemishes”. But lets be honest Most inclusions and blemishes aren’t going to be visible to you. You might want to go a little less on clarity so you can afford a larger “cut” diamond. This of course is completely up to you.

Carat Weight

There is not a lot to say about “Carat Weight” So we’ll just touch on this topic sort of lightly. Carat Weight is a unit of measurement. 1 carat = 0.2 g and so on.

The Color

The Color is determined by grading visual comparisons. Colored diamonds may be yellow, green or brown, green or shades of pink. Blue diamonds contain the element boron (B). Natural yellow diamonds contain the element nitrogen (N). The amount of yellow color decreases the value of a colorless stone. The ideal diamond should have no color at all, like a drop of spring water.

The Cut

The Cut, ensures that the stone has maximum brilliance and sparkle which would not be the case if the stone were cut for just carat weight. A stone is characterized poorly by poor optimization of brilliance and fire or leakage of light from the pavilion.

If you’ve stuck with me this far you should be good to go.

Scent-sational ideas for wedding favors

Scent-sational ideas for wedding favors

(ARA) - Hunting down the perfect wedding ensemble, negotiating seating arrangements with squabbling relatives, honeymoon flight reservations that change on a dime - how did something that should be so joyful become so stressful?

Planning a wedding can be a high-pressure time, even for couples with a clear vision of what they want and the budget to accomplish it. One aspect of your wedding that doesn't have to cause stress is choosing wedding favors. Go with something simple, elegant and timeless that will fit the lifestyle of virtually every guest - aromatherapy.


Scent is a mood-setting gift that can help establish the tone for your reception, and remind guests afterward how much they enjoyed sharing your big day. You don't have to give every guest a pricey personal essence or resort to costly scented candles to achieve the perfect aromatherapy wedding favor. Making your own favors not only saves you money, it puts your personal stamp on the mementoes your guests will keep long after the wedding day has passed.

What's more, says Tom Havran, an aromatherapy expert with the personal products company Aura Cacia, "making aromatherapy favors together can help a harried couple slow down, refocus and remember what's really important - that they're about to begin a wonderful life together and that the special guests they've assembled will bear witness to it all."

Havran offers some tips for using aromatherapy to combat wedding-planning jitters and create memorable favors:

Surround yourself with scents that soothe. A potpourri that features real lavender flowers is a wonderful way to bring comforting, peaceful aroma into your home. Sprinkle the flowers with lavender essential oil and tuck a sachet of the mixture in with your bed linens. Place a bowl on the dining room table. Store some in a mesh bag inside the luggage you'll be using for your honeymoon. Make the same lavender-based scent the centerpiece of your aromatherapy favors by placing it in small, handmade sachets that guests can carry home.

Planning a holiday wedding? Create a "wise men's favor" by recycling an empty tea tin. Paint it with your wedding colors or cover it with festive gold paper. Fill the tin with coarse salt and sprinkle with 16 drops of eucalyptus essential oil, 16 drops of lemon essential oil, 16 drops of frankincense and/or myrrh essential oils, and replace the lid. Include instructions to release this ancient sacred scent by removing the lid and placing the tin in a warm location.

Another idea that's good year-round is a soul-warming spa kit. Create a home spa kit with a mineral bath and a body and massage oil. These gifts have a green, lemony-balsamic aroma that revitalizes the body and chases away the blues. Wrap these items in a small basket, adding a loofah or other bath items. Or present them in a personalized mini-tote that features the wedding couple's name and marriage date.


Here's the essential oil blend you'll create to add to the mineral bath and massage products:

16 drops peppermint essential oil
16 drops sweet orange essential oil
16 drops lavender essential oil

To make the mineral bath, combine the essential oils with these ingredients (readily available at a drugstore or pharmacy):

1 cup sea salt
1 cup Epsom salt
1 cup sodium bicarbonate

To create the spa kit body and massage oil, combine the essential oil drops with:

2 cups sweet almond oil
1 cup grape seed oil

For a fizzy foot soak, mix the essential oils with the ingredients below (available at a drugstore or pharmacy):

1 1/2 cups sea salt
1 cup Epsom salt
1/4 cup sodium bicarbonate
1/4 cup citric acid granules

Use 1 to 2 tablespoons in a basin of warm water for a revitalizing foot soak.

For an exfoliating foot scrub, mix the essential oils with:

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup sweet almond oil

Gently massage 1 tablespoon of mixture into feet and toes, then rinse away granules.

For more aromatherapy wedding favor ideas, visit the aromatherapy experts at www.auracacia.com.