Sterling Silver Jewelry – Keep The Gleam!

January 28th, 2010 by admin

We love our jewelry, and want it to last as long as possible. At Gonna Luv It, we get questions all the time from people who want to know how to care for sterling silver jewelry. Use these tips to keep your jewelry beautiful.

Keep your sterling silver away from toiletries. Lotions, perfumes, hairsprays, and more can coat your silver with a sticky residue that is very difficult to remove. We suggest that you think of your jewelry as a crowning touch. Don’t put it on until you have finished putting on your other beauty products. At the end of the day, take it off before you bathe. This will protect your fine jewelry from becoming dull and unattractive.

Household chores can cause small scratches in the finish, and harsh chemicals can damage your jewelry. This is a great reason to stop doing housework! If this excuse doesn’t work in your household, make sure that you remove your precious jewelry before tackling tough cleaning chores. And avoid chlorine bleach – it can damage the finish, weaken clasps, and loosen jeweler’s cement. Gardening can also cause significant damage to your jewelry. Wear gloves, or take your jewelry off before working on tough tasks.

Protect your jewelry from extreme heat or cold. Both temperature extremes can cause damage. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can cause damage to pearls and some gemstones, while the heat can melt jewelers cement, loosening your stones. Severe cold can actually cause fractures in certain gemstones!

Store your jewelry carefully. A jewelry box is a great choice, providing it has enough compartments for all your pieces. Each item should be kept in its own compartment. When metal rubs against other metal, or against gemstones, small scratches can result. This will destroy the luster of your sterling silver jewelry. Isolating each piece also prevents tangling. There’s nothing worse than seeking a necklace, and coming out with a tangled knot of metal and gemstones!

To keep your sterling silver looking its best, we recommend that you clean it. Over time, tarnish will build up. This affects the look of your piece, reducing its shine and adding a yellowish hue. Our article on How to Clean Sterling Silver can help you restore that bright shine, safely and effectively.

Why We Use Engagement Rings These Days

January 27th, 2010 by admin

Engagement rings are worn on the ring finger of either hand, depending on which country the bride-to-be is to be wed. For instance, in Poland, the woman will wear her engagement ring on her right hand’s ring finger while in the West women will wear their engagement rings on their left hand’s ring finger. Engagement rings are said to show the formal acceptance of the bride-to-be of her fiance’s offer to get married.

A new tradition regarding engagement rings is for the woman to buy the engagement ring for her male fiancé when they get engaged. This new tradition is on the rise in Canada and the USA. An alternative tradition which is followed in Spain is for the woman to give an engagement wristwatch to her male fiancé upon her acceptance of the engagement ring from him.

It is believed that the diamond production company named de Beers is responsible for the growing acceptance of and use of diamond engagement rings in Western culture because de Beers has been advocating use of diamond engagement rings since the 1940s. Use of diamonds in rings (not necessarily engagement rings) has been a practice observed for centuries. The concept itself of using engagement rings per se can be traced to a decree by Pope Innocent III wherein couples that intended to marry should wait longer after being betrothed to one another. To symbolize this waiting period, engagement rings came into being.

However, in many countries it is not necessary to give out diamond engagement rings because engagement rings may use other colored gems rather than simply the commonly-used diamond. The diamond became accepted because it is the hardest of all the precious stones thus symbolizing enduring love. But if the couple accepts the use of other gems, the engagement rings given out may have rubies, emeralds, star sapphires, and sapphires instead of diamonds. And in certain countries, the engagement rings used may be just bands made of gold, silver or even titanium without any precious stones mounted on them. Semi-precious stones are also acceptable nowadays to be used in place of precious stones on engagement rings.

If you opt for engagement rings that are simply metal bands, do use gold or platinum since these are more durable and have higher value compared to other types of engagement rings that use other types of metals. Silver is usually not recommended for engagement rings because this metal is less durable than gold or platinum. If you do opt for a gold or silver engagement ring, the jeweler may advocate use of a platinum setting so that your engagement ring stays more durable over time.

The more contemporary types of engagement rings may use titanium or even just stainless steel because they are less expensive than gold, silver or platinum yet are stronger than the latter. One problem you may encounter with use of titanium engagement rings is that in a medical emergency the titanium engagement ring might be impossible to remove because of its sheer strength and because cutting tools in hospital emergency rooms are not usually equipped to cut through some grades of titanium. A gold ring is so soft, on the other hand, that your standard electrician pliers can cut through a gold ring within a second.

In the past, the groom-to-be was expected to select the engagement ring (or possibly engagement rings – one for his bride, one for him) by himself. Nowadays though, since many couples try to live together before marriage, it is becoming more of the norm for these live-in partners to select engagement rings together.

A woman who accepts an engagement ring is considered betrothed to the man who gave the ring. If she breaks the wedding engagement, it is generally expected of her to return the engagement ring to the man who gave it. If the man breaks the wedding engagement, the woman is not expected to return the ring. In extreme cases when wedding engagements are cancelled, the court has to intervene as to who owns engagement rings and why.

Gioiellando – Italian Jewelry

January 26th, 2010 by admin

Gioiellando has been a leader in fine Italian jewelry for the past 15 years. Not only do they offer unique Italian designs, they also give their clients the opportunity to create their own design. If you are in the market for high fashion diamond jewelry, as well as high carat gold jewelry, then look no further than Gioiellando’s. They offer a wide range of products that are sure to fit into anyone’s personal jewel collection. Because they take great care in the precision of their design and creation, you can rest assured that the jewelry you order will be the jewelry you receive.

When people order Italian jewelry, they do so because they want the best and will settle for nothing less. When you order from Gioiellando’s, you too are saying you will settle for nothing less. Their Italian design is so chic that your friend’s will envy your design. It will be like nothing else on the market, which is a good thing when it comes to jewelry. Why wear something that is not one of a kind? Instead, you will be making a statement about yourself that you know high fashion and design when you see it.

Not only does Gioiellando’s fine Italian jewelry represent the classic Italian look, they also offer creative pendants that will look good draped around anyone’s neck. From their diamond animals and zodiac creatures to their more whimsical heart designs, their pendants truly are a one of a kind look. To further represent their confidence that you will love their jewels, Gioiellando’s even offers returns on their products. You no longer have to worry about being stuck with a piece of jewelry that does not fit your style like at other jewelry stores. You can shop with confidence here.

Although Gioiellando’s has been in the jewelry business for the past 15 years, they did not hold themselves to the Italian jewelry market. Currently, they are located in four continents, with a production plant in Hong Kong. Because of this expansion, they know the Italian design as well as the world design. They are able to meet your wants and needs when it comes to your jewelry because they have been everywhere. To view their entire collection, visit their Web site at http://www.gioiellando.com. There you will find all your jewelry needs. With their huge collection in fine Italian jewelry, you will find no reason to shop anywhere else.