While looking at engagement rings the other day, this thought crossed my mind Why do we exchange RINGS for engagement and wedding, and why do we wear them on a particular finger? I mean we could have been as well exchanging other things like bracelets, or curls of hair, or hats… So I did a bit of research and here what I’ve found.
For centuries engagement rings have been considered to be the symbol of love and loyalty. The tradition to place the engagement ring or wedding ring on the fourth finger, or “ring finger”, came to us from the times of Ancient Romans, who believed that there is a so called “vena amoris” or “vein of love” running directly from the heart to the fourth finger of the left hand. This theory has been cited in western cultures as one of the reasons the engagement ring and wedding ring was placed on this particular finger. Read the rest of this entry »
A rare blue diamond weighs 7.03 carats, is smaller than a penny piece, and is one of only a handful of blue diamonds in existence. The anonymous phone bidder has yet to name the gem, mounted on a platinum ring, auctioneers Sotheby’s said.
The diamond was found in Cullinan mine in South Africa last year, and its clarity was graded as flawless – the highest designation. Auctioneer David Bennett said: “It is a new world record price for a blue diamond.” It had a pre-sale catalogue estimate of 6.8 million to 10 million francs, excluding commission. Read the rest of this entry »
Recent Interview with Seamus Fahy of Voltaire Diamonds for The Irish Independent.
The former city trader who aims to become the kind of the diamonds.
Seamus Fahy believes he can crack the gems trade by operating what is virtually a one-man show.
View the article here…
Buying an engagement ring is a very important event for many of us, and quite often it can become a stressful event too. Engagement rings come in all shapes and sizes and for all tastes. And it makes it even more difficult to pick that very special one among such wide range of rings. As they say “No choice is bad, too much choice is even worse”
Many couples today buy the ring together. It insures that the bride-to-be gets the ring she’ll enjoy wearing all her life and the man won’t get too stressed out while proposing. But what about the romance and excitement the woman gets when she sees that beautiful little box presented by her boyfriend and she can only guess what’s inside?! So, I decided to suggest some tips on how to choose the perfect engagement ring for those men who still believe in romance and choose to do some work and find that unique engagement ring for their fiancée. Read the rest of this entry »
Choosing and buying an engagement ring is a wonderful experience, but it can also be a stressful event for most. Thus, one of the first questions that arises when the time comes to think about engagement, is where to buy the ring in order to get the best deal – locally in Ireland or UK, or abroad.
Some people will advise you to go to New York, South Africa or Dubai in search of your perfect engagement ring, others will try to persuade you to support Irish jewellers… In my opinion, it is wise to do a research online, learn about diamonds, read about other people’s experiences and make your own choice. Read the rest of this entry »
Last time we talked about cut and colour of a diamond. Today we are going to find out why clarity is so important for diamond evaluation.
There are two main categories of clarity characteristics – inclusions and blemishes. The fewer the clarity characteristics, the rarer and more valuable the diamond.
These rare diamonds that have no inclusions are referred to as Internally Flawless. However, most diamonds have inclusions, some that are so microscopic that they can only be seen under 50 X magnification and others that can be seen by the naked eye. A laboratory-certified clarity rating of SI2 the point at which inclusions are technically not apparent to the average naked eye.
Contrary to popular belief, higher clarity does not always mean more beautiful. If the inclusions are not visible to the naked eye, a higher clarity does not really improve the appearance of a diamond but rather the rarity and price.
See GIA Diamond Clarity Grading System below
Category Grade
Flawless FL
Internally Flawless IF
Very Very Slightly Included VVS1 VVS2
Very Slightly Inclded VS1 VS2
Slightly Included SI1 SI2
Included I1 I2 I3
At Voltaire, we only select diamonds that have no inclusions or ones that have inclusions so minute they are barely discernible, even under magnification.
Identification of authenticity of diamonds is the work for experts. If you don’t own specialized equipment and gemmological knowledge, it is better not to risk. Today, with all the technological advances, it is almost impossible to tell a fake diamond just from looking at it. And there are really good diamond imitations on the market nowadays. Among them are cubic zirconium, synthetic spinel and quartz, leaded crystal, etc.
However, there are some points that one should pay attention to when buying a diamond or
diamond jewellery. These are sort of extra precautions, and not fundamental indicators that you should blindly rely upon.
Read the rest of this entry »
As we all know diamonds are very expensive and unique stones and deserve special care and attention. Therefore, here are some tips on how to look after your engagement and wedding ring or any other diamond jewellery.
Needless to say diamond jewellery should never be worn whilst participating in any sporting activities as diamonds, though being the hardest known substance, are also very brittle and can crack or chip under the shock of a sudden, sharp impact. Similarly, wearing diamond rings or other jewellery to a swimming pool or hot tub is not a good idea as they can be affected by harsh chemicals such as chlorine and bleach.
Read the rest of this entry »