Things to Consider on a Custom Engagement Ring

The decision to ask for someone's hand in marriage is extremely personal. Men search out for ways to be distinctive in their proposals and a custom engagement ring offers that option. It is a great opportunity to have a ring with special meaning to you and your partner. You may choose to surprise your sweetheart with a ring you have designed for them or you may want to include them in the design, both of you working in partnership. Designing a custom engagement ring is a great way for you and your partner to express your deep connection through art and it can be a very rewarding experience for your relationship. There are different degrees of customization available depending on what you want your ring to look like.

The Custom Designed Ring

Once you have decided on a custom ring, you will need to find a jeweler who offers customized services, either at their store or contracted out. There are also companies online with whom you will be able to design your ring through their website and have the completed product delivered to your door. The most difficult step will probably be deciding how the ring should look. This is when it is useful to seek the advice of the jeweler and research styles of engagement rings. You may also choose to contact an independent jewelry designer who, after speaking with you, can draw up your ring and then create it. With a designer you can guarantee that your piece will be one of a kind and you can sign a contract that stimulates that the design never be created again by that designer.

The Ring with Customized Options

Most jewelers can offer you rings with customized options. A custom ring also can be as simple as a personalized engraving on the inside of the ring. It doesn't need to be an entire ring created from scratch. You may also choose to customize it by selecting the setting, the prongs and the stone. You may choose to veer away from the traditional diamond and pick an emerald, ruby or sapphire to grace your ring. You are also able to choose the metal for the band and band style; the most popular being platinum and gold.

A journey into your relationship and a commemoration in jewelry of your love, a custom ring is a distinctive choice. A memorable token of your affection, a custom engagement ring is definitely one way to make your proposal exceptional!

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How Engagement Rings Became A Custom

Engagement rings are a traditional gift bestowed upon a woman when an offer of marriage is proposed. It can be presented to the intended bride during the proposal ceremony, or after the proposal has been offered and accepted. In some cultures, both the man and the woman wear a ring, whereas in North America and parts of Europe, it is typically only the woman who receives and wears the gift.

The Romans are credited with invoking the tradition of a betrothal band, which was known as a truth ring. The ancient Egyptians had a belief that the vein of love, vena amoris, travelled directly from the heart straight to the end of the third finger of the left hand. Therefore, this finger became the choice location to showcase the symbol of love and betrothal. This tradition continues today in many countries.

However, this is not the standard in all cultures. In Ukraine, the betrothal band is worn on the right hand, while in Germany, the symbol is worn on the left hand during the engagement period. The ring is then switched to the right hand upon marriage.

During the middle ages, a man would offer a woman a Gimmel ring, also known as a bond ring, when proposing marriage. It was during this time that the bands became more decorative. Individuals who could afford to do so added fashionable coloured gems such as sapphires or possibly rubies.

At one time, only the highest earning income class could afford to add diamonds to engagement rings. Others with lessor earnings offered a band which featured two clasped hands in lieu of precious stones. This was called a faith ring. The faith ring is the predecessor to the current pre-engagement rings, also known as promise rings. A promise ring is given as a token of commitment until an official proposal takes place.

In the late 1800's, offering a ring to signify upcoming nuptials became an expected practice. The circle is a symbol of fidelity and represents eternity, since it has no beginning and no end. In 1870, De Beers Consolidated Mines gained control of the diamond market when an abundant supply of the stones was uncovered in the Kimberly diamond region of South Africa. Using the unbreakable gem to decorate the betrothal band as a sign of eternal love was a marketing strategy to promote the retail sale of the stones.

By the 1930's, a diamond ring was the accepted standard to offer as a gift for a marriage proposal. Once again, clever marketing campaigns from diamond sellers instilled the belief that a man should spend at least three months salary on the engagement ring. While diamonds continue to be the popular choice, in the modern era, the stone is often an accent to a birthstone or other precious gem.

The tradition of offering engagement rings when proposing marriage is a continuing symbol of commitment and intended marriage. It remains a popular gift to bestow upon a future mate. It is considered a promise to wed and a token of endless love, loyalty and fidelity.

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Custom Bachelor Party Favors Get the Party Going

Before the wedding, all sorts of planning, buying, designing, and setting up have to be done in order for a smooth-sailing event that is memorable and as stress-free as possible. Also before the wedding a bride usually has a day out with her bridesmaids and other friends where they can relax and celebrate before the wedding. Better known as a bachelorette's party, the bride-to-be is able to celebrate her last night before becoming wed. At the same time the groom also gets to celebrate his last night as a single man! Bachelor's parties are very common and are a great way for the groom to celebrate his upcoming life as well as his life as a bachelor.

Planning a guy's night out should be fun and easy and most importantly stress-free, as this is your time to relax and enjoy things before the big day! If you really want to get the party going and bring some life to your party, be sure to buy custom bachelor favors. Party favors are a great way to spice up any celebration! With custom bachelor party favors you'll be able to give your friends and family members a token to remember the day by.

Beer mugs

Beer mugs often work as the perfect boy's night favor because they are practical and can be kept long after the party is over. Beer mugs can be customized with the date of your bachelor party and possibly even the date of your wedding. Be sure that the beer mugs you choose are of high quality and will last! Beer mugs come in all sorts of shapes and sizes such as pilsners, the standard beer mug, and even beer gauntlets. Get a little creative and choose something out of the ordinary!

Beer holders

Beer holders meant to hold beer cans and beer bottles also make for great custom favors. They too can be personalized with dates and designs that go along with your bachelor party theme. Beer holders are perfect for all of the guys who attend your bachelor party. They can take them home and reuse them over and over. Practical custom bachelor party favors are truly great.

Remember that there is no one type of bachelor favors that fits all guys. You'll want to keep your budget in mind along with your own wants and needs when it comes time to choosing the best party favors for your celebration.

Where to buy custom bachelor party favors

If you want a wide selection of custom party favors to choose from, the best place to look is online. While stores may sell some custom bachelor party favors, you will surely find a much better selection online as online vendors have access to hundreds of party favors that can be used and personalized for your special bachelor party. Remember you want your bachelor party favors to be fun and light-hearted! Be sure that the party favors you choose are worth keeping.

DiscountMugs is a large distribution company based in Miami, Florida. They are web-based and factory-direct which allows them to keep prices lower than the rest of the competition. They have a huge selection of bachelor party favors to choose from. You can custom design your own beer mugs at DiscountMugs today!

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Custom Engagement Rings - Customizing for a New Year's Engagement

What could be better than starting out the New Year with a beautiful occasion like an engagement? To truly make it a memorable moment for you and your special someone, custom engagement rings are the best way to go. Not only will you be able to offer a wonderful token of your love but also a beautiful memento that will last forever.

While there are millions of different engagement ring designs that are beautiful as they are, there are still a few things that can be done to make a ring more unique and personal. From ring design changes to little decorative additions, every last part of the ring can be changed according to your needs and even the budget.

Get the Latest Trend

A great way to stay on top with beautiful custom engagement rings is to check out the trends that will be coming up the following year. Make her feel special with a custom engagement ring for the New Year, that's totally ahead of the pack in terms of trendiness and style.

To find out what the upcoming trends are going to be for engagement ring designs, check out designer sites or ask a professional jeweller. Custom engagement rings are constantly changing to suit trends and seasons, so jewellers are always on top of upcoming trends to ensure they have exactly what their clients want.

Engrave it to Last

To seal the special moment in time, consider engraving the engagement date along with both of your initials. This is a simple yet wonderful gesture to show everything was planned for the perfect moment. If you would prefer to engrave a special message to your loved one instead, a professional jewelry engraver will be able to clearly add several words on a band, which is a lovely choice for those who are sentimental.

How to make it Sparkle on a Budget

The holidays are certainly an expensive time and choosing custom engagement rings for a New Year engagement will generally add to the cost of the season, however that doesn't mean you will have to settle for anything less than perfect for your special lady.

Although traditional engagement rings are generally a solitaire setting with most of the focus lying on the size and sparkle of the diamond but with custom engagement rings, there's nothing holding you back from changing the design and even create a beautiful piece that can sparkle more than any solitaire, no matter how large the stone may be.

Pavé settings are ideal for anyone looking for sparkle on a budget. The smaller stones are arranged in a manner that provides the most sparkle from all sides of the ring. The best part about choosing pavé arrangements is the versatility for creating a unique look regardless of the type of stone that you choose.

This option is ideal for mixing different coloured stone to create patterns or decorative images like flowers or swirls and they create a stunning luxurious look that really makes a statement.

No matter what the style, budget or design that you would like for custom engagement rings this New Year, you are sure to have hundreds of options available for personalizing the perfect ring. Not only will you have the chance to pick and choose the type of band and stones that will be used to accent her lovely hand, but you will also have the option of leaving a sentimental message of love that will stay with her for many years to come.

Original article

Designs Incorporating a Season for Custom Engagement Rings

Getting engaged to someone is a life changing event that will stay in both of your memories until the end of time, so why not make it extra special by choosing a beautiful ring that's customized to suit the season of "the big question"?

Custom engagement rings are versatile and can easily be personalized to match any theme, colour scheme, style and budget. From the bands, stones and decorative details, there are virtually endless options available to you.

To get ideas for custom engagement rings for each season, take a look at the following guide to help you out:

Autumn

Autumn is filled with warm colours that are usually reflected beautifully in the gemstones that sparkle with deep reds, golden yellows, spicy oranges and browns. Combine the stones for a warm decorative setting, create autumn themed decorative touches with a leaf-shaped cut stones or vine engraving along the band.

Match these warm tones with gold bands for a tone on tone style or choose to combine the cool white gold with warm coloured stones to make them stand out more.

Red
- Garnet
- Ruby
- Topaz

Yellow
- Canary diamond
- Dolomite
- Magnesite

Orange
- Amber
- Carnelian
- Citrine

Brown
- Tiger's Eye
- Agate

Winter

Winter is a lovely festive season filled with stunning scenery and although there is a lack of diverse colours, they offer a wonderful collection of sparkle and subtle shine for custom engagement rings with a winter cool touch.

Common combinations are white shades, soft blues, purples and even powder rose colours. While some prefer simplistic designs for sleek modern engagement ring designs, some also like to add snowflake details as a memento of the event and the season.

Clear or White
- Diamond
- Pearl
- Moonstone
- Opal
- White Drusy

Blue
- Aquamarine
- Blue Sapphire

Purple
- Alexandrite
- Lavender Jasper
- Charoite
- Opalite

Rose
- Rose Quartz
- Pink diamond

Spring

Spring is known as the season of love and new life. There are many blossoming flowers adding a wonderful splash of colour to the landscape and energies are renewing after a long cold winter.

Since new buds are beginning to show and the snow is slowly melting away, you will notice many pastel colours pop up, which is why many custom engagement rings for spring will have touches of soft pinks, yellows and greens.

Pink
- Rose Quartz
- Rhodochrosite
- Pink diamond

Yellow
- Palm Wood
- Canary diamond
- Dolomite
- Magnesite

Green
- Aventurine
- Emerald
- Peridot
- Gaspeite

Summer

Summer is a vibrant and energetic season filled with hundreds of bold colours found in the rainbow. This is the season where virtually anything goes, as long as it makes a bold statement. Combine one or more colours for a beautiful eye-catching setting.

To add texture and decorative touches on the band, you can engrave floral or leaf designs, create a nautical theme, combine different colours as a bouquet of flowers or keep it simple with a small pavé arrangement that surround one central stone in a bold vibrant colour.

Red and Pink
- Alexandrite
- Garnet
- Rhodochrosite
- Ruby
- Tourmaline

Orange and Yellow
- Coral
- Carnelian
- Citrine
- Topaz
- Beryl

Green and Blue
- Lapis Lazuli
- Sapphire
- Opal
- Larimar
- Turquoise
- Aquamarine
- Amazonite

Multiple Colours
- Spectrolite
- Agate
- Pyrite
- Jasper
- Azurite
- Hematite

Play around with the colours and styles that might suit the season and create a ring that you and your loved one will remember for the rest of your lives.

Original article

5 Steps for Designing the Best Custom Engagement Rings

Custom engagement rings are among the most beautiful choices for a special engagement surprise because they are custom made gifts from the heart that virtually no one else in the world would have. Rings are among the most versatile jewelry pieces that can be designed and customized to any look and style, which is ideal for anyone wanting to get something to match someone's personality. The custom engagement rings can also be designed perfectly for a specific theme that the couple can share together.

In order to give you a better idea how to design the best custom engagement rings and the options that are available to you, consider the following tips:

Size

First of all, it's very important to get the proper sized ring because nothing's more disappointing than a romantic engagement and the ring doesn't even fit on the finger. It may not be easy to get the best fit, it's always better to go bigger than smaller, since larger rings can easily be taken down a size or more.

One sneaky way that many people find out a ring size is simply checking existing rings that the person who will be surprised wears on a fairly regular basis. Simply fit it according to your own fingers or measure the contour with a slip of paper.

General Style

The next step is to decide the general style that you would like to get. This will provide a good base that you can then work with to create plans for custom engagement rings in several designs that you will then be able to choose from in the end. Think about the style and personality of the person you would like to purchase the ring for. Some people love vintage designs while others prefer modern or unique artistic styles.

Metals

There are many different types of metals and material that can be used for custom engagement rings, with each one offering a different look for each style. While some yellow gold rings are better suited for more traditional designs, there's also the opportunity to combine white gold or platinum to a traditional piece, just to give it a nice mix of modern and vintage mix.

Stones

There are also thousands of different stones and combinations of stones that can be incorporated into custom engagement rings. Traditional engagement pieces tend to have classic diamonds but there's nothing stopping you from choosing more significant stones like someone's birthstone or a stone that matches a favourite colour.

Colourful stones are especially versatile when it comes to custom designs that have a floral or very feminine design.

Extra Details

Finally, there are the final details that can make an engagement ring perfectly customized and unique. Adding engraved messages or an engraved design to the band is certainly a wonderful way to add a warm personalized message from the heart.

Another great touch that some people choose for their unique engagement ring is to shape the band in a decorative manner. A professional jeweller can beautifully shape a ring band in a swirl, floral, wave or even a geometric shape to add a more dramatic touch.

An engagement is something that will be cherished and remembered throughout time, which is why so many try to make the entire event as unique and personal as possible. By including a custom engagement ring that's created for your special someone, it truly shows how much love and consideration was placed on getting something that would be perfect for the occasion.

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