Jewellery News

Was it a trial run for a wedding to come or was it a commitment ceremony? We’ll let Prince William and Kate Middleton decide that. It happened in the Seychelles where they are vacationing and sources say that it was a proper ceremony with a local pastor as well as the mandatory two witnesses. In lieu of a wedding ring, Prince William slipped a red leather band which he picked up from a local seller on the beach.

They weren’t dressed for the occasion though – he, preferring shorts and a T-shirt and with Kate dressed in a sarong. However, it looks like the feelings were very real as Prince William promised to protect and love her as long as he lived. The couple split up but got back together in July this year.

Just six years ago, Greg Valerio’s ideas about fair-trade gold were ridiculed but today, many people are aware and choose fair-trade gold over gold they are not sure about. It’s taken a lot of educating but it’s been worth it, as far as Greg is concerned because he is deeply concerned about what happens to the gold before it becomes the wedding ring on your finger or fashioned into different pieces of jewellery.

What exactly is fair-trade gold all about? It is gold that has been mined keeping environment concerns in mind, where workers are treated fairly and where the gold does not come to the jeweller dripping with cyanide. It is gold that has not seen the displacement of innocent farmers on a large scale without adequate compensation. Basically, it is gold that has been mined and fashioned with a heart. It began with one little gold mine in Columbia complying with all these requirements and today, many more are following suit. Greg has always felt that consumers can make the change and it’s happening with gold.

That was a huge diamond ring that Lily Allen had on her finger a few days ago as she was caught entering the Quo Vadis restaurant here in London. Well, it was the ring finger on her left hand so she shouldn’t be surprised that her fans as well as the press wanted to know whether she was engaged. Her representative says she isn’t and explains that she often wears a ring on that finger.

However, when she realised that people were looking at the ring, she quickly hid her hand under the bag she was carrying as she walked into the restaurant with Sam Cooper, her partner. So were they walking in there for a celebration dinner, we wonder. The thing is, she wasn’t ready to share anything with the public as yet. If someone famous does want to keep an engagement secret, why show off the ring at all? Surely the public can’t be blamed for assuming something when you wear a ring on that finger, can they?

Here engagement ring line and perfect proposal packages are becoming quite famous but Ivana Trump obviously does not believe in practising what she preaches. She’s filed for divorce from her fourth husband, the Italian businessmen Rossano Rubicondi. They were married last year but it looks like they haven’t been together for more than a few months. The reason, sources say, is that their work kept them apart.

He has been working in Italy and she has been travelling all over the world, setting up and supervising various projects. According to Ivana, apparently it was very difficult to spend time together. Rather sad as they were together for six years before they got married in a wedding that was lavish and written about all over the world. Maybe he didn’t get his proposal right?

That’s the latest fad – celebrating a divorce. Much better than sitting in a corner and crying or sitting alone day after day and brooding alone. So what exactly is one supposed to do soon after a divorce? There are actresses and famous people who are setting a trend and throwing a party as soon as the wedding ring comes off.

Let’s take a look at some of the rituals that this new fad includes. You could watch a divorce movie – a lighthearted, hilarious one. You could dance to divorce songs and you can even order a divorce cake for yourself. Your party could be a themed one – splitsville lends itself to a whole lot of interesting ideas! You could even have a mock burial and bury your wedding ring in a little casket. Maybe this is just the thing that is needed to let in some comic relief and get over your divorce as soon as possible.

Come March in the year to come and there will be a new line of jewellery inspired by Christina Aguilera by Stephen Webster. As the London based jeweller explained when he was in San Francisco, this new line will be designed by a young team to cater to the tastes of young people. It will also be a very affordable line which he says will retail in the USA from $25 to $70.

One remembers Stephen Webster’s mosquito ring which he did for Malaria No More UK and it was made very popular with Victoria Beckham wearing it and showing it off. All the ones he made for the charity organisation sold out in hours.

Right through the festive season until a bit into the new year, sales of wedding rings peak – and this is happening this year too in spite of the downturn that we are witnessing in the world’s most developed economies. It wasn’t very clear to the jewellery industry just how the market would go this year but against all odds, engagement ring and wedding ring sales went up.

What is even more surprising is that platinum seems to be the metal of choice in most cases so it looks like people will go for the best even in bad times, when it comes to things that matter. Why is this so? Could it be that when it comes to love, there’s no time like Christmas to make it overflow? Or is it just the relaxing during the holiday season that turns people’s thoughts to love? What ever the reason, some lucky women might just find a Christmas gift which, when opened, could contain a diamond ring – and maybe they should not really be too surprised!

The tragic death of Brittany Murphy has been splashed in newspapers all over the world. The sources say it was cardiac arrest but for her fans, she was way too young to die. She first starred in Drexell’s Class when she was only 13 years old, then went on to star with leading actors and actresses in Hollywood. From a plump brunette, Brittany blossomed into a shapely blonde and was much sought after for good acting roles.

She’s been engaged thrice – and the third time, she got two engagement rings. Her fiancés include Jeff Kwatinetz, who was her talent manager, Joe Macaluso and then screenwriter Simon Monjack, who she married. When she got engaged to Simon and couldn’t make up her mind over two diamond rings, she just got both – one with a yellow diamond and the other with a white diamond.

It was a very windy day and an American tourist reached out to save his hat which was blowing away. Only to find that his gold wedding ring came off his finger and fell over the wall of the castle. There was no way they could spot it, which was really sad because he had worn it on his finger for thirty four and a half years.

Then, an Australian visitor came to the castle and it just so happened that she spotted it on the tower, a relief against the dark stones. Thanks to the custodians of the castle and the lady’s honesty, the man who lost it was contacted and the wedding ring was back on his finger – well in time for the couple’s thirty-fifth anniversary! The ring had an adventure but it came right back to where it belonged.

Apparently he did, according to Miranda Kerr’s brother and after all, the couple has been together for three long years! They went off to Morocco for a break and that is where he proposed so we’ll just have to wait for them to announce the wedding date. He was very well prepared, we think, carrying a diamond engagement ring with him on holiday.

The news is that Orlando Bloom had proposed to Miranda Kerr many times earlier but the Australian had turned him down, something she hotly denied some months ago. According to her it was just rubbish and she asked whether any girl would really do that. However, this time looks like the real thing and if sources are to be believed, one can look forward to a summer wedding for these two.

That’s the latest in engagement ring and wedding ring designs and it looks like it’s a trend that more and more are following. Today, there are a number of jewellers all over the world offering a range of beautiful filigree sets of engagement ring with solitaires and wedding rings. In fact, maybe men should take a hint and start looking at these so there’s a sure chance of the girl saying ‘Yes’!

What is it about filigree work that is so beautiful? It is lacy, it is delicate, it is timeless, it is feminine. There’s a touch of the artistic and the elegant about it too. Maybe it’s a combination of all these qualities that makes it so appealing and the designs the rings come in today are exquisite. You can get filigree work for engagement and wedding rings in yellow gold, white gold and platinum. Of course, if you can afford it, there’s nothing better than a genuine filigree antique ring with diamonds.