Posted on:  November 25th, 2011

Figuring out what to buy a partner for Christmas is always difficult. Some go down the practical route and sacrifice romance for utility, reasoning that at least the gift will be useful, while others go in the opposite direction and try to hunt down the perfect piece of jewellery. That is wonderful when it works, but it’s important to remember that personal taste plays a huge role in the kind of accessories a woman likes to wear.

A great deal of thought should be put into the selection. The kind of jewellery she usually wears should be taken into account, as well as her favourite colours, metal preferences, and even the style of formal clothing she most often selects. The greatest gift is not just a beautiful item but also a demonstration of how thoroughly the giver knows the recipient. It should speak of the lengths they are willing to go to not just in terms of monetary outlay but also in time spent making the ideal choice. Only then will a piece of jewellery be saying all that it ought to say.

Wedding rings are an exception, although the selection should still involve plenty of time and effort, of course. They speak very clearly and every woman knows what that little gift means- that the giver wants to spend the rest of their life as a couple, through thick and thin, good times and bad. It says that the future should contain a wonderful wedding and that all the joys and challenges that come after that should be taken together.

Even a plain wedding ring has tremendous significance. They are amongst the most meaningful and powerful presents anyone can hope to give, and while they can be given at any time of year, Christmas always has a special romance of its own. It’s a time to catch up with the ones you love the most and a time to show those people how much you appreciate them. There is nothing quite like curling up in front of an open fire on a snowy, wintery night, waiting for Santa to arrive with someone special. The magic of Christmas isn’t just for the little ones.

At Marlow’s we stock a huge range of diamond gifts from delicate heart cut engagement rings to dazzling earrings. Give a diamond for Christmas and the person who receives it will be able to show it off straight away- parties are never too far away at this time of year. That could mean breaking the good news about your engagement at the family boxing day lunch or dressing up for a formal new year dinner with a stunning diamond bracelet.

Giving an engagement ring isn’t the only possibility this season but it’s one of the best and most romantic by any yardstick. If you’ve been trying to figure out how to pop the biggest of all questions, why not give her (or him!) a really wonderful gift this Christmas? It just might be the thing your special person wants most in the world.

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Posted on:  July 25th, 2011

Deciding to tie the knot with your partner might be one of the most important decisions you ever make. After all, marriage is a bond that is supposed to last for a whole lifetime and once you move into this phase of your life, things are bound to change. You are starting a new family together and pledging everlasting commitment.

These days, weddings are often grand occasions and they do not come cheap as a result. There are many details for individuals to organise. For example, if you opt for go for a traditional, white wedding, you will have to get to grips with your guest list, book a church or a civil venue for the ceremony itself, arrange any accommodation and transport needed, sort out the food and refreshments required, buy your outfits and so on.

Meanwhile, there are also the issues of decorating your reception room, making provisions for photographs and booking any entertainment you want. Furthermore, you might be keen to organise a honeymoon so you can relax after the pressure of the big day.

In the midst of all this planning and spending, it is easy for wedding rings to get overlooked somewhat. Of course, all couples buy such items. However, all too often they fall down the list of priorities in terms of attention and budget and happy couples can end up disappointed with the results.

In many ways, such bands, whether they are diamond wedding rings or any other kind of item, are the most important aspect of the whole nuptial ceremony. They are the physical symbol of your love for one another and the only part of the wedding that will remain with you constantly throughout the rest of your relationship with one another.

Long after the wedding cake has been eaten, the flowers have wilted and the memories of the day itself begin to fade, these pieces of jewellery will remain, as vivid and real as the day you bought first put them on. With this in mind, it is important you put enough thought into the products you want to buy. If you are disappointed with the items you end up with, you will have a long time to regret it.

The good news is, it is now easier than ever before to find the perfect rings for you. An increasingly popular option is to purchase ‘his and hers’ versions that match and complement one another. These fantastic products are the perfect symbol of love and devotion. They show that you and your partner are together and strong as a couple and they reflect your shared objectives.

Here at Marlows Certified Diamonds, we stock a range of such items and so, if you have not already take a look at them, now could be a good time to do so. There is something wonderfully romantic about buying rings in this way. And, whether you are after diamond engagement rings or anything else, you should not struggle to find them on our website.

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Posted on:  May 16th, 2011

Diamond wedding rings have been popular for generations, but long before most women received a diamond on their wedding day, these beautiful stones were embedded in the finest and most elaborate pieces of jewellery. There are several outstanding examples in the Crown Jewels. The great 105 carat Koh-i-Noor (Mountain of Light) diamond was presented to Queen Victoria when she became Empress of India in the 19th Century and has been one of Britain’s greatest treasures ever since.

However, the Koh-i-Noor viewers of the Crown Jewels see today isn’t quite as it was when presented. In fact, it is much smaller. It used to weigh in at 186 carats. Back then, cutting loose diamonds was much more difficult than it is today and as a result the Koh-i-Noor’s original cut was quite crude by modern standards and certainly didn’t show off this magnificent stone as well as possible. Queen Victoria had it re-cut in Amsterdam in 1852, seeking to improve the brilliance and general appearance of this fine diamond.

Because diamonds are so hard, cutting them has always been a very tricky process. Until the development of laser cutting tools the only way to cut a diamond was with another one. The difficulties faced by early diamond jewellers can easily be imagined. As early as the 14th Century, jewellers began to get to grips with it and the familiar forms of each type of diamond cut started to emerge quite quickly. Fine jewellers quickly realised that waste could be minimised by splitting the normal crystalline form of a diamond into two and making each half into a gem of a very particular shape.

They also noticed that the number of facets and the way the facets were arranged had a marked impact on the brilliance, lustre, and sparkle of the finished product. There was far more to the art than creating a pretty, symmetrical shape using as much of the original diamond as possible. The science of diamond cutting was born.

Today the physics behind it is well understood. We know that each facet reflects a portion of the light that lands on it, and the rest is refracted into the body of the stone. If the facets are arranged to gather refracted light to a single point they will sparkle like nothing else on earth. Scientists have discovered and written down the laws that govern the optical properties of diamonds and other precious stones and we can now use computers to predict the qualities of a particular diamond shape.

The advent of lasers made the diamond cutting process much easier, although it is only just beginning to be adopted worldwide and many cutters still use traditional methods. A powerful laser cutting tool can handle diamond with no problems and what’s more, the cuts achievable this way are much more precise than those that can be produced with conventional blades. Fancy cuts are easy and the entire process can be handled by a computer with very little human intervention.

Diamond cuts have evolved from crude and simple blocks to a stunning array of fancy shapes and beautifully scientific, perfectly symmetrical forms. Whether you choose the best cut for sparkle, lustre, or just a meaningful shape, you will be getting the very pinnacle of 600 years of development in the diamond cutting industry.

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Posted on:  May 11th, 2011

Ways to propose are as various as engagement rings, and there are hundreds of thousands of those. The best one to pick depends on the characteristics of your loved one, her likes and dislikes, maybe even her favourite colour. Budget is almost always a concern too. At Marlow’s we can help you pick out a truly stunning (and affordable) ring that your fiancee-to-be will fall in love with instantly, but the actual proposal is up to you.

On television, proposals often happen in the midst of a big group of people in a restaurant or a café, but this is more a narrative device than anything else. It lets us see a wider variety of reactions to the male lead getting down on one knee. Most real people prefer their proposals to be more personal, especially if they aren’t 100% sure of a positive answer, and a public proposal is only a good idea if your intended loves being the centre of attention in a room full of strangers. Some women find a restaurant proposal romantic, others don’t.

Comedies often use the ring-in-food or ring-in-glass-of-champagne plot device but this really should be avoided. Gold engagement rings never look their best damp and sticky. They should be presented sparkling clean in a suitable jewellery box for the greatest possible impact.

Holidays are often good times to pop the question. You’ll both be relaxed, enjoying yourselves, and doing what you like best. You’ll be alone together with no chance of interruption from a phone call or seeing a friend on the opposite side of the street. Many people take their breaks in the mountains or on the beach, and there is nothing like a spectacular view to help a beautiful ring seem even more lovely.

Birthdays and anniversaries give you the perfect excuse to pull out all the stops before proposing. You can arrange a wonderful romantic dinner with violins close by and her favourite dessert to follow without arousing suspicions and spoiling the surprise. It can make the perfect end to a special day.

Some people prefer to go in the opposite direction and choose the most normal of days. Proposing on a quiet Saturday when you’ve had nothing more exciting than scrambled eggs and half an hour reading the paper may seem unromantic, but actually, it can be a powerful gesture. It says that you value your intended wife (or husband) every day, even on the most normal of days, and that you love all the time you spend together, not just the holidays and special occasions.

The best moment to propose often comes along when you least expect it. You may not have a ring prepared, but that doesn’t mean a spur-of-the-moment proposal is out of the question. If you’ve had a wonderful day together and it ends with a perfect romantic moment, go for it. Such opportunities can’t always be manufactured. They are more likely to happen naturally and organically. If it feels like the right time to propose, maybe it is. You can choose engagement and wedding rings together later.

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Posted on:  April 27th, 2011

With so many couples choosing to take responsibility for their own wedding costs, it’s no wonder nervous gents across the land are looking to downplay the importance of stunning diamond engagement rings! Ever on hand to help anxious would-be grooms out of the miser chair, here are a few reasons why diamonds are forever (but perhaps two hundred wedding guests aren’t!)

It’s an Investment
Guys, if there’s one place to cut cost corners in relation to getting married it’s not the rings! Sorry to be on the side of the bride here, but investing a little more in the perfect engagement ring and wedding band rings is certainly more worthy than making sure there’s enough beer to go round the entire rugby team at the wedding reception.

Weddings are for a Day, Marriage is For Life
Sticking to the budget tends to be a great mantra to follow in life. And whilst we love diamonds, there’s no sense in beginning your married life under the burden of unmanageable debt related to wedding jewellery or the wedding itself. Sorry brides, but it may be that scaling down your engagement and wedding ring wants could simply be in the best interests of a comfortable life.

March to the Beat of Your Own Drum
If bowing to convention is leaving you strapped for cash, shy away from the more costly elements of getting married and focus on the things important to both of you.

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Posted on:  March 30th, 2011

Tying the knot with your partner may be one of the best days of your life. However, it certainly does not come cheap. Once you take into account the venues, transport, outfits, flowers, catering and accommodation, your wallet will certainly be a lot lighter.

This makes it tempting to cut corners where possible and make savings so that the important elements of the day are as special as they can be. For example, you might decide to defer your honeymoon so that you can create the day of your dreams.

However, one area that you should avoid skimping on is the wedding rings you choose. These objects are one of the few things that you will get to keep from the day, unlike the table decorations, floral creations and other such things, which will eventually be heading for the bin.

Indeed, you will be sporting the wedding band rings, whether they are diamond rings or any other type of offering, for many years to come.

Therefore, you should make sure that a reasonable amount of money is set aside for them and that this part of your budget does not get squeezed as margins start to tighten.

You will regret it if you do not get rings that both you and your other half are happy with. For this reason, they ought to be attractive, go well with any other jewellery you may own and be a size and shape that flatters your hands.

To see our range of rings, simply have a look around our site.

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Posted on:  March 6th, 2011

Weddings are special occasions. After all, they represent the public union of two people who are announcing to all those present their intention to cherish and love each other for the rest of their lives.

And one of the most important symbols of this is the wedding rings they hand over to one another. From that day forward, they will wear these items to represent their connection.

Indeed, in many ways the giving of the rings is the central part of the whole ceremony, along with the signing of the registry.

If you are choosing such rings ahead of you and your partner’s big day, it is therefore crucial that you put a lot of thought into your selection. The last thing you want to happen is to realise when it is too late that you do not like the items of jewellery.

For this reason, you ought to think carefully about whether you would prefer gold wedding rings, diamond rings or any other type of item. It often helps if both the rings complement each other, but they should also look good with other items of jewellery you own.

Meanwhile, you should bear in mind the shape of your hand when deciding which product to go for as certain designs flatter some shapes more than others.

If you are stuck concerning what to opt for, you can get plenty of tips online, or you might want to take advice from friends or family members.

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Posted on:  February 3rd, 2011

If you are tying the knot with your partner, you are bound to be swamped by organisational demands. And it is not just planning that is likely to be taking its toll. Your finances will also be coming under considerable strain.

After all, having the perfect big day is not cheap and there are many costs associated with getting hitched.

You will need to shell out for a venue, catering, transport, outfits, flowers and many other things. Also, you might be planning a honeymoon and these do not tend to come cheap either.

So, by the time you get around to choosing your wedding band rings you might be seeking to cut corners.

However, while there are certainly savings to be made if you are shrewd when planning your nuptials, you should avoid the temptation to skimp on such items.

You will hopefully be wearing them for the rest of your lives and so you should make sure they look the part. Indeed, apart from your relationship with your other half, the rings are the only permanent aspect of the celebrations.

So, whether you choose to get bands with diamonds in or ones in other styles, you should not get anything you are not totally happy with.

These days, there is a plethora of such items to choose between, including gold wedding rings and versions made from other metals.

As well as stumping up sufficient cash for rings, you should also make sure you spend enough time browsing your options. This way you are bound to get items you are happy with.

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Posted on:  January 12th, 2011

Technically speaking, white gold is not the pure gold metal. It is an alloy of normal yellow gold (if such a rich and beautiful thing could ever be described as merely ‘normal’) with another metal. Possibilities include palladium, nickel, and platinum and manganese. At first thought, this may seem less romantic than pure elemental gold but there are plenty of reasons for choosing white gold engagement rings or other white gold pieces.

First of all there is colour. White gold diamond rings have an attractive snowy colour scheme all of their own, and the colour of the metal beautifully compliments a pure white uncoloured diamond. It also suits multi gemstone rings well, especially when coloured stones are used in the design. For example, yellow gold looks beautiful with deep red gems but for pink ones a paler metal is far more pleasing to the eye.

Pure gold is also very soft. That means it is vulnerable to scratches, scrapes, and becoming worn and damaged over time. This is a particular concern for gold wedding rings which are intended to be worn all day every day for decades to come. Those who lead an active lifestyle or work with their hands may be better served by a stronger, more durable white gold ring than a softer yellow gold one.

White gold is not a second choice to yellow gold- far from it. It’s a beautiful and extremely precious metal in it’s own right. In fact, white gold is often chosen to host the very best gemstones and create the most desirable pieces.

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Posted on:  January 6th, 2011

Most diamond engagement rings are bought without the knowledge of the lady in question. They are considered an essential part of the proposal – it’s much more exciting to ask for a woman’s hand in marriage if you have a stunning ring to present as you ask – and there is no doubt that having an appropriate one will increase the chance of receiving a positive answer.

While the lady will no doubt be delighted to receive such a beautiful thing and it would be wonderful if it fitted perfectly as soon as she tried it on, it’s often difficult to ensure that and most women will naturally understand that the ring may need to be resized before they can wear it and show it off to their friends and family.

She will of course try it on straight away. It’s here that a slight problem can arise. Engagement rings that are just a touch too small can get stuck on the finger. This can be a little embarrassing and painful too, and the last thing you want is this special day being spoiled. Don’t panic, the problem is usually very easily fixed.

Don’t try to oil the finger with butter or anything like that. This probably won’t work and will certainly get the most beautiful of gold wedding rings oily and messy. Instead, get the lady to run a cold water tap over the ring (after putting the plug in the sink of course!). This will cool the hand and reduce the size of the finger ever so slightly. In most cases the ring will come off after a minute or so and no harm will be done.

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