Weddingbee Blog

Check out this killer diamond ring.

“The razor-sharp diamond point is set into the ring so it can’t get knocked out when you smash someone’s face in, and the edges of the ring are really soft so it won’t cut into your skin during the pounding. It’s romantic because it means, ‘Will you marry me?’ but it also means, ‘I can’t always be there to protect you so if some jerk won’t stop bothering you, puncture him with this.’”

Haha…. brilliant.

(source: liweddings)

Recently Mr. Bee had my engagement ring repaired because one of the small diamonds had come loose. The jeweler was kinda disgusted because my ring was FILTHY. I hadn’t cleaned it in at least 6 months!

I am sooo lazy when it comes to cleaning my rings. In fact I think I’ve cleaned my wedding band only once or twice in the past year. When I first bought my wedding band, I was told by my jeweler to scrub it lightly with a soft toothbrush and warm soapy water once a week. Even that was too much effort for me.

On a recent weddingbee post about cleaning your rings, Erica mentioned using efferdent - the denture cleaner - as an effective ring cleaner. I was fascinated because this sounded like less effort than scrubbing my rings by hand. So yesterday I went out an bought a box - 40 tablets for $4.00.

After researching a bit on the internet, I also purchased distilled water because it has no minerals to leave residue. I filled a cup with warm distilled water (microwaved for 45 seconds), put in my rings in the cup and dropped in an efferdent tablet. The water turned blue and then clear when the tablet dissolved completely.

After 15 minutes I took out the ring, rinsed it, even dried it with my hairdryer to get the full effect. The result? Sparkling clean rings! I know it’s kinda hard to tell in the picture, but you get the idea.

My engagement ring and wedding band don’t really fit together, but sometimes I wear them together. Anyway… I’m now a convert to efferdent!

Here are some other interesting reader tips for cleaning your ring from ehow:

Toothpaste
I have always used toothpaste (no special kind) to clean all of my rings and gold necklaces, and it does a good job. It makes the gold, as well as the diamond, shine. As I rinse them, I use a toothbrush to get all the toothpaste off.

I used to work in a nursing home…
And I found that using Efferdent to clean my rings worked wonderfully. I just placed them in the water with an Efferdent tablet, soaked for about 5 minutes, rinsed and they sparkled beautifully.

Blow-dry diamonds, don’t air-dry
After cleaning your diamonds (if you used tap water to rinse) always dry the diamonds with a blowdryer on a low heat. If you air-dry, chemicals in the tap water can cause a film to form on the diamonds while it’s drying that dulls the sparkle. If you must air-dry your diamonds, wash with pure, filtered water.

Distilled Water
When cleaning your diamonds always use distilled water (with whatever you are mixing in…for ex: ammonia, soap or other) because distilled water does not have minerals that can leave deposits on the gem.

Diamond cleaning Solution
I soak my diamonds in warm, soapy water and add a little bit of Windex to the solution. Let the diamond soak for about 15 minutes and pat it dry. Your diamonds will sparkle!

Engagement Ring Insurance Part I

There are jewelry insurance companies that provide insurance without requiring you to have homeowner’s or renter’s policy.

Chubb Personal Insurance

Chubb Jewelry Insurance is offered through independent insurance agents. I spoke to one in Manhattan who was able to whip up a quote for me in just a minute. The entire application process can be completed over the phone.

• Will insure your engagement ring without an appraisal/GIA certificate - the coverage is based on your estimation of its value.
• Insurance rates are based on 1-3% of the value of the ring with a minimum of $50/year. (I got an estimate of $345/year (2.3%) for a $15,000 ring.)
• Most policies are paid out in cash but you have the option of selecting a jeweler and having the ring replaced.
• There are no deductibles.
• Chubb also has a special arrangement with Blue Nile.

Jeweler’s Mutual

With Jeweler’s Mutual you need to mail in a current (within 1 year) appraisal, but you can apply for the policy by yourself without an agent.

Insuring your jewelry - four easy steps

• Click here for a Personal Jewelry Insurance application. Print the application; then complete and sign it.
• Have your jeweler provide an insurance evaluation/appraisal that includes a detailed description of each item and the retail replacement value. The cost of insurance is based on the jewelry’s retail replacement value and the state and county you live in.
• Use our rate calculator to determine your policy premium.
• Send the completed, signed application to us, along with a copy of the insurance evaluation/appraisal and your premium payment or credit card information. Coverage will begin on the postmark date stamped on the envelope.

The details:

• Provide replacement or repair for your jewelry.
• Require periodic inspections to identity problems or value changes.
• No deductibles.
• I put in a $15,000 appraisal value for Manhattan into the rate calculator and got a $300/year premium.

I think I’ll look into the Chubb Insurance policy myself because it seems to be the easiest policy to enact. But you have several different options for insuring engagement ring so look into the one that best suits your needs.

I don’t have insurance on my engagement ring nor have I ever gotten it appraised. We always meant to do it but with our cross country relationship, my moving from LA to New York, work, sleep, play, blah, blah, blah… it just became one of those things we postponed.

When a reader emailed in a question about engagement ring insurance though, I decided to do a little research.

First of all, it’s important to understand the difference between an appraisal and a lab certificate. An appraisal puts a dollar value on the entire ring. A lab certificate (GIA, EGL, AGS) provides specifics on an unmounted stone (carat weight and dimensions, color and clarity grades, cut, shape).

45.52 carats; Graded by the GIA in 1997

After you have your appraisal, it’s time to get your ring insured. I called the good folks over at All State because if it’s good enough for David Palmer, it’s good enough for me. This is what I found out:

Renter’s insurance starts at about $200/year and a basic homeowner’s/renter’s insurance policy will cover jewelry for up to $1000. In order to have a ring insured for its full value, you must bring in an appraisal and a lab certificate to have a “floater” on the ring added to the policy. The floater will insure your ring up to the appraised value in case of loss, theft, damage etc. This costs an additional $15 per $1000 of the appraised amount of the ring per year. (The additional cost will vary with different insurance companies).

If the ring is lost, stolen, or damaged, the insurance company will replace the ring with something that is identical or similar to it; they do not give you the monetary value of the ring. The agent told me about people often bringing in inflated appraisals, but because they replace the ring based on it’s specs, the inflated appraisal usually has no bearing.

The GIA right here in New York City even offers a Free Report Verification Service:

“If you would like to confirm the authenticity of your GIA Diamond Grading Report or Diamond Dossier®, or the information your report contains, you can request a free verification. Simply submit your diamond along with its original report to the GIA Laboratory. The diamond will be re-assessed and the results of the new analysis will be returned to you, along with your diamond and its original report.”

The GIA will also evaluate a stone that does not have any certification, but it must be a loose unmounted stone. The cost for the service will be based on the size of the stone.

For more information contact:
GIA Laboratory
580 Fifth Avenue, Suite 200
New York, NY 10036
T: 212-221-5858 ext. 3724
Mon - Fri 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
http://www.gia.edu/

Resources:

• Appraisals vs. Lab Certificates.
• Guide to choosing a reputable jewelry appraiser.
• More on jewelry insurance through renter’s/homeowner’s policies.

Part II - Insuring your ring through Jeweler’s insurance. Coming tomorrow…

Mr. Firefly ordered his wedding band this weekend from Wedding Ring Originals on Lexington Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets. They also have a web site, aptly named weddingrings.com.

Mr. Firefly ordered a simple 5mm white gold band. You can find the ring cheaper at various online sites, but this is a very reputable store with reasonable prices, so we felt comfortable buying it there.

I purchased my wedding band back in December.

Once his ring is in, we will get both rings engraved… but what do we put on them? K-M 6-XX-06?

Adorable Anna
Agatha
Alex Woo
American Bridal
American Pearl
Amy’s Bridal Accessories
Beautiful Silver Jewelry
Bel Aire Bridal
Belle
Ben-Amun
Boucher Jewelry
Bridal Blue Book
Bride’s Head Revisited
Carolee
Carrie D Mader
Cathy’s Concepts
Claires
Crƒ�me De Luxe
Cynthia Louise Designs
Elizabeth Showers Vintage
Emma & Me
Fragments
Glam Gal Designs Bridal
Hair Boutique Marketplace
Ice
Lee Angel
Linea Nervenkitt
Liz Palacios
LRS Design
M Flynn Accessories
Maggie T New York
Melanie Michelle
Naugi
Orkyd Pearls
Park Ave Designs
Perfect Details
Princess Bride Tiaras
Regina B New York
Robert Chiarella
Saori C
Shimmer & Stone
Shop NBC
Silver Moon Glass
Something Blue Tiaras
Spring Dream
Star Girl Jewelry
Sundance
Swarovski
Tacori
Taylor Rayce Creations
Tiffany
Turq Bridal
Voila! Bridal
Ylang 23

Photobooth ~ Death Cab For Cutie

Ok - so I know this happens to all newly engaged brides, but I cannot stop staring at my ring. It’s the perfect ring for me and my fiance just outdid himself by getting me exactly what I wanted.

I remember the first time I tried on this ring at Tiffany’s (no the ring isn’t from Tiffany’s - you crazy??) The sales lady was throwing every shape, size, cut at me and I didn’t like any of them. Then she told me to try this one. And I told her that I didnt want my ring to have pear shaped diamonds - I’m not partial to them. She insisted. I put it on my finger and literally gasped because it was so beautiful.

So since I’ve been showing it off at work, and school, and everywhere else - people keep commenting on how shiny it is because it’s new. Then I realized - man, I don’t ever want that shine to go away. But I don’t want to get it professionally cleaned every month either. Being the neurotic crazy woman that I am, I researched every method of home cleaning your diamonds.

Without further ado….

1. Soak your diamond ring in a warm solution of mild liquid detergent and water. Ivory dishwashing liquid is a good choice, but any other mild detergent is fine.

2. Use a soft brush if necessary to remove dirt. Soft is the word - dont use a brush with bristles that are stiff enough to scratch the ring’s metal setting.

3. Swish the ring around in the solution, then rinse it thoroughly in warm water. Close the drain or put the ring in a strainer to keep from losing it!

4. Dry the ring with a lint-free cloth.

Other things you can do to keep your diamond rings from daily wear and tear. I’ve highlighted #2, because I didnt know this one. The others are fairly standard.

1. Dont wear it when you’re doing rough work. Even though a diamond is durable, it can be chipped by a hard blow.

2. Dont let your diamond come in contact with a chlorine bleach when you’re doing household chores. It can damage and discolor the mounting.

3. Go to your local jeweler at least once a year and have them check your ring and other preciouis pieces for loose claw and wear of mountings.

4. When you’re not wearing diamonds, keep them in a fabric-lined jewel case, or a box with compartments or dividers.

5. Dont jumble your diamond pieces in a drawer or jewelry case, because diamonds can scratch other jewelry - and can even scratch each other.

6. Diamonds get smudged and soiled and dusty. Lotions, powders, soaps, even the natural skin oils, put a film on diamonds and cut down their brilliance.

Or, if you’re a freak like me, you might want to get an ultrasonic cleaner for your jewels. This is a good website I found - you can get a decent cleaner for $50 bucks!!

Mr. Caterpillar and I are getting married. He asked me yesterday, in Central Park, in the Pineteum. It went something like this:

Mr. Caterpillar: Will you marry me?
Me: What?
Mr. Caterpillar: Will you MARRY ME?
Me: Really?
Mr. Caterpillar: Yes, will you marry me?
Me: Are you sure? I’m so weird!
Mr. Caterpillar: Yes, because you’re so weird.
Me: YES!

My ring is gorgeous! Though, it’s back at the jeweller’s to be sized. Supposedly it’s going to be done Wednesday. I hope Cartier doesn’t mind that I’m camped out in front of their store the night before.

Right now, I’m carrying the box around. That’s how crazy I am. I’m carrying the box around and showing it to people. Though all agree the box is very nice.

More wedding rings! Because can you ever really get enough? From Martha Stewart Weddings. The cushion cut diamond below is so hot!

Check out her site for more information on carat, cut, prongs, settings, bands, and colored stones.

My Birthday isn’t for another two weeks, but I’ve been “borrowing” my fab birthday present - a Canon Powershot SD 550. Was finally able to take pictures of my engagement ring:

I bought a wedding band while we were on the cruise. It has princess cut diamonds, .5 carat total weight… can’t really see the detail in the pictures. I can’t wait to actually wear both rings!

Today we went to pick out our weddings bands and to get my engagement ring fitted. It turns out that it was a 4 but after I got it resized I found out I was a 3. Damn midget fingers.

Ok so back to the wedding bands. Woohoo! Mr. Ladybug’s like “Ok it doesn’t have to have diamonds hun. We’re gonna have to cut costs.” I agreed. So while he went looking for parking I went with his mom into her friend’s jewelry store. By the time he came in his mom and I picked out this one with little diamonds going around the entire ring.

“I thought we talked about this.”
“We did.”
“What happened?”
“Your mom and her friend said it looked better with diamonds. I swear!!! I picked up a plain one with nothing on it. For reals! It was them!”

So it’s being made. Ha ha…. Not my fault. Shoot. Blame me will you? Who am I to argue with the older generation? One might call it disrespectful. Mmmhmmm…. (muhahaha)

His looks exactly like mine but wider and he didn’t want any bling on it. His mom’s like “why not!” so I explained to her in my bad Korean but I think she got me when she heard me say the word “gay”.

CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)- Oct. 25, 2005–Today The Right Ring, Inc. launched The Right Ring.com, the world’s first ever on-line engagement ring registry dedicated to making the process of getting engaged flawless for both men and women.

“The Right Ring.com was created to fulfill a major societal and marketplace need. For decades, and probably centuries, most women have had a specific type of engagement ring they desire. However, the last thing many women want to do is seem forward or pushy, asking directly for a specific type of engagement ring. On the other hand, most men these days absolutely want their soon to be fiance’s input and guidance on this all-important purchase…after all, she will be wearing this ring till’ death do us part! The Right Ring.com holds the answer,” says Annie Thompson Pezza, President/Founder of The Right Ring, Inc.

The Right Ring.com safely stores her ring preferences in its engagement ring registry database. Registering a ring preference is fast, free, easy and secure. Whether she desires a princess cut diamond in white gold, or a pear shaped diamond in yellow gold, she can input her exact ring preferences. She can even leave her soon to be fiance a typed message with more specifics. She can send him an email hint that comes from The Right Ring.com, letting him know in an anonymous format that the website stores engagement ring preferences. She can choose to be bolder as well, sending him an email from The Right Ring.com with her name included in the subject line. She can simply mention the site when she feels it’s appropriate. The man can also initiate the ring registry process by sending his almost fiance an email letting her know about the ring registry.

The website also is focused on building a community providing education, support and advice for everyone that is about to be engaged! From the 4C’s of diamond buying to online visitors sharing real proposal stories, The Right Ring.com is a comprehensive engagement resource and community!

The company has inked several deals with advertisers focused on grabbing the “just engaged” consumer as well as the consumer shopping for the perfect ring. Revenue is also generating on both a national and regional level from retail and on-line jewelers, wedding related services and jewelry designers. Consumers can find the perfect jewelry store to purchase her ring by searching via zip code.

One of the small diamonds on the band of my engagement ring fell off a couple of months ago. I have yet to get it fixed because I usually just wear my wedding band. This got me to thinking recently about how much importance a lot of girls place on engagement rings. The carat. The cut. The color. The clarity. It has to be from Tiffany’s. It has to be at least 2 carats. It has to be worth at least $10,000.

I’m not going to lie - before getting married, I cared a lot about it too. Would I have been disappointed with a small rock at the time? Yes. I knew that Mr. Bee and I were going to get engaged and before he popped the question, I constantly envisioned myself showing off my ring to all my friends and family. I’d dreamt about the perfect ring forever and I understand completely why it means so much to women. Now that I am married however, I could care less about how big the diamond is, or how much it cost, or what store it was purchased from. Because cliche as it sounds, a ring’s value doesn’t represent how much he loves you. Unless your fiance has the money for a fat rock and is just really cheap. Just kidding.

Why do women place such importance on the engagement ring? Do women really care that much about the size, cost, etc.? Or are they more concerned with how their family and friends will judge the ring/relationship/fiance. Is it both? Is it those damn DeBeers commercials? (Admit it you know they’re good.) Does the ring symbolize how much your fiance loves you not only to you, but to the world?

How much do you care about the size, quality, and cost of your engagement ring?

I pcked up my engagement ring yesterday. I really missed it! I had it resized so that it fits on my right hand. I can’t wear my wedding band and engagement ring together because they don’t fit together; my engagement ring is an antique and we purchased the two rings separately. My ring size on my left hand is a 31/4 but it’s a 4 on my right hand so I actually had to get the band on my engagement ring replaced - it was too thin to stretch out that much. It’s so sparkly since the jeweler steam cleaned it - you can’t get results like this at home.

This is my wedding band. We found an antique-ish design that’s very similar to the small stones on the band of my engagement ring. I really love my rings because they’re different and unique.

We’ve been married for almost 2 months now. I still stop and marvel every once and awhile… I’m married!!! I was thinking maybe it still doesn’t feel real at times because I didn’t change my last name. I’m pursuing some business venture and thought it might be beneficial to maintain my current name. But now I’m thinking about doing it anyway. It was something I was going to do eventually.

Are you planning on changing your last name after you get married?