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Dear Whiteflash.com Team,
Just wanted to say “thanks” again for the gorgeous ring! I finally got to see the finished product at our wedding and I was BLOWN away! I have attached a picture of the big reveal! Happy Holidays!
Let’s face it, we’ve all taken a gander at the tiffany’s website… oogled at the sparkly settings and then frowned at that elephant of a price tag. Well instead of going into mad debt, we’ve managed to find some Tiffany inspired engagement rings, for those of you on a lighter budget! These options are still just as glamorous and unique, so take a look at some alternative bling!
This is what $150,000.00 buys at Tiffany – But at Whiteflash its $80,000.00. Same quality and service with a lower price to pass along to the consumer. Make sure you do your research out there before buying for the brand name!
It is no surprise that diamond studs are among the top of the list of gifts that women would love to receive this Christmas. Classic and versatile are the season’s buzz words, as we recall a day when well loved pieces were worn with style and grace.
Jewelry lovers are discovering the feel good nostalgia in traditional designs that befit any occasion. Indeed, for all of us, there is comfort in the enduring beauty of stunning gold or radiant gems. This is good news for the holiday buyer, who will easily find a glittering gift in our cases to delight the most fashion conscious loved one.
Diamonds are at the top of the list of forever in fashion gem, which is not surprising, because diamond studs are at the top of the wish list of women who are desiring taste and quality in their jewelry collections. Diamonds are mounted in gold or platinum, and are available in round, pear, heart and princess cuts, and in a variety of sizes to accommodate any budget. Diamond studs still leave room for individuality to meld with tradition.
They are versatile enough to go from breakfast to dinner, and diamond studs will never collect dust in your favorite lady’s jewelry case. Looking for a stronger statement or a complement to last year’s stud purchase, then check out the wide array of diamond bracelets that are now available on the market. They are accented with heart or flower motifs, bars, ridges, swirls or links, the diamonds in these bracelets can be prong or channel set or even accented with colored stones. You will be able to select some thing that is just right for your loved one, and be assured that the final product, whether it is contemporary or traditional will be a classic destined to brings years of joy to the wearer.
To adorn the neck, try a solitaire pendant that come in all sizes, which are perennial bestsellers. Alternatively, the inspiring and popular three stone pendant can represent the past, present, and future, and can be especially meaningful in a myriad ways from romantic to hopeful. A fashionable favorite, the three stone ring can complete the message.
As time honored as diamonds are, precious metals also has a rightful place in the traditional jewelry collection. Long a jewelry box staple, omega necklaces can offer casual elegance in either white or yellow gold. Gift givers will find an incredible value with the reversible omega, which will offer both options in one piece. They can come in widths from three to six millimeters and lengths up to eighteen inches.
Wearers can enjoy the traditional yellow gold look or flip the chain to reveal the more contemporary white gold. In all yellow gold metal, reversible omega is also available with more subtle satin and eye catching shiny finish on the opposing side. Whatever the choice is classic jewelry, it will remind us that some things are forever. What a beautiful sentiment to present to a loved one this season.
Ever wondered how the diamond engagement ring became the superstar of the jewelry world? The Jewelry Insider offers a brief history for your reading pleasure.
‘Tis the season to pop that fateful question fellas…
Because of their beauty, strength and durability, diamonds for centuries have symbolized the eternal love of two people that have pledged to join together in marriage.
The actual tradition of giving a diamond engagement ring as a promise of marriage is thought to have started in 1477, when Archduke Maximillian of Austria presented Mary of Burgundy with a diamond ring. This practice became a trend among royalty and the wealthy, and the rest of the world’s upper classes began to embrace it over the next few centuries.
But giving a diamond engagement ring as a symbol of betrothal really started to become an established, widespread tradition once the gems became more accessible and affordable to the public. And that all started in 1870 with the discovery of diamond mines in South Africa. These new sources flooded the market and led to the creation of the De Beers conglomerate to control the worldwide diamond supply. During these early decades of the De Beers dynasty, diamond sales flourished in Europe, the United States and other key world markets.
By the late 1930s, however, the United States and much of Europe was in the wake of the Depression, and Europe was bracing for the start of World War II – and demand for diamonds had plummeted to an all-time low. Thus, De Beers diamond mogul Sir Ernest Oppenheimer sent his son Harry to New York to meet with the N.W Ayer advertising agency. The plan was to transform America’s taste for small, low-quality stones into a true luxury market that would absorb the excess production of higher-quality gems no longer selling in Europe. The result of Ayer and young Oppenheimer’s efforts was a campaign – led by the enduring “A Diamond is Forever” slogan – that helped turn the United States into the premier market for the world’s supply of gem-quality diamonds. The successful campaign also cemented the diamond’s status as the engagement ring stone of choice in America.
Here are some other interest historical facts related to the engagement ring:
- The tradition of placing both the engagement ring and wedding band on the fourth finger of the left hand stems from a Greek belief that a certain vein in that finger, the vena amoris, runs directly to the heart.
- In the Middle Ages, men often kept a betrothal ring suspended from the band of their hats, ready to give to their chosen maid.
- Posy rings, which were inscribed with love poems and messages, were popular betrothal rings from the Middle Ages until Victorian times.
- A popular engagement ring style during the Renaissance was called the “Gimmel,” or twin, ring. The ring was typically made of two (or three) interlocking rings: one worn by the bride-to-be, and another by the groom-to-be (and sometimes a third worn by a witness). All three parts were reunited into one to become the wedding ring on the day of marriage. Martin Luther and Catherine Bora were wed with an inscribed gimmel ring in 1525.
- The smallest engagement ring on record was given to two-year-old Prince Mary, daughter of Henry VIII, on the event of her betrothal to the infant Dauphin of France, son of King Francis I, in 1518. Mary’s tiny gold ring was set with a diamond.
- A diamond cluster ring in the shape of a long pointed oval was popular as an engagement ring during the time of Louis XVI (1754-1793), and remained fashionable for 150 years afterward.
- Hearts were popular motifs for engagement and wedding rings during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Such rings often combined rubies (signifying love) and diamonds (signifying eternity).
- Despite the diamond’s growing hold on the bridal market, colored stone rings were still quite popular in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Often, the first letter of the stones within the setting spelled out the name of the giver or a word (for example, “dearest” would be represented by diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby, epidote, sapphire and turquoise).
- Queen Victoria’s (1819-1901) engagement ring was in the form of a serpent. The snake motif was believed to be a symbol of good luck.
- The Tiffany, or solitaire, setting was introduced in the late nineteenth century.
- The “princess ring,” a type of English engagement ring sporting three to five large diamonds in a row across the top, was popular in the United States in the early twentieth century. The three-stone style has enjoyed a major comeback recently.
- In the early part of the twentieth century, platinum was the metal of choice for engagement rings because of its strength and durability in holding a diamond. However, platinum was declared a strategic metal during World War II, and its usage was restricted to military purposes. This led to the rise of both yellow and white gold in bridal jewelry.
- The famous “A Diamond is Forever” campaign established many of today’s standards for diamond engagement rings, including the “two months’ salary” guideline – which basically says that a prospective groom should plan to spend two months’ salary on an engagement ring for his bride-to-be.
Tom Brady may be out for the rest of the football season, but he’s officially found his Angel.
E! News has confirmed that the benched New England Patriot popped the question to supermodel girlfriend Gisele Bündchen and she accepted.
On Christmas Eve, the gorgeous exes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Bridget Moynahan (with whom the QB has a child) hopped on a private jet from New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport to Boston. Also on board were four dozen white roses, champagne and the bride-to-be’s parents.
Cue fantasies of a row of Victoria’s Secret Angel bridesmaids and linebacker groomsmen.
Just days after the Internet was abuzz with the mile-high engagement of Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady, it appears their families may have missed that memo.
The injured NFL quarterback’s dad, Tom Brady Sr., told the Boston Globe, “We don’t know a thing about it. Nobody told me. We talked to him and there’s nothing to say. It’s rumor, rumor, rumor.”
The Brazilian bombshell’s sister, Patricia, also shot down the possibly-pending nuptials, telling the Boston Herald it’s “not true.” Meanwhile, Gisele hasn’t been seen sporting an engagement ring since the story broke.
Of course, the families could just be downplaying the story to allow the couple some private time to enjoy the special moment.
The holiday season is also the engagement season!
Yes, you read that right. It’s been said that nearly 40 percent of all marriage proposals occur between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day.
If you’re one of the lucky ladies hoping for a ring this season (or one of the nervous gentlemen contemplating popping the question), use this guide to popular diamond shapes and cuts — and the stars who sport them — to get acquainted with the dazzling world of engagement rings.
Emerald
No shape more aptly fits the diamond nickname “ice” than the emerald, a rectangular cut with lean facets extending down the sides. This elegant art deco shape received its confusing name during the 1920s, when it was typically used for emeralds.
Characterized by a flat top and step-shaped side facets, an emerald cut cries out for a clean setting.
Star Power: Eva Longoria, Ellen Pompeo, Melania Knauss
Asscher
The Asschers of Amsterdam, gem cutters for the British royal family, designed this striking, dramatic shape in 1902. A square with diagonally cropped corners and stepped sides, it features a high crown and sheds a gentle light.
Star Power: Tameka Foster, Ashlee Simpson, Christine Costner
Cushion
A square with curved sides and rounded corners, this stone shines softly instead of sparkling. Cushion-cut center stones surrounded by tiny diamonds are especially in vogue.
Star Power: Jeri Ryan, Courtney Ford, Guiliana DePandi
Princess
Think of this flirty, flashy option as the “Yeah, baby!” stone, and not only because it was dreamt up in London during the swinging sixties. The arrangement of the gem’s many (49 to 144) facets produces a hall-of-mirrors effect.
Star Power: Stephanie March, Kara Janx, Sarah Michelle Gellar
Oval
Ovals have been enjoying a high profile since Tom Cruise placed a gorgeous one on Katie Holmes’s finger. The cool cousin of the round, the oval shares many of that stone’s features, with plenty of sparkle and versatility when it comes to settings. The long shape is especially flattering.
Star Power: Bridgette Wilson, Toni Braxton, Rebecca Romijn
Pear
Made to sit with the point facing up, this lusciously feminine (and unusual) cut frequently goes solo because few wedding bands fit easily beneath the large underside of this stone.
Star Power: Katherine Heigl, Lela Rochon, Tiffany Fallon
Marquise
The name for this cut comes from 18th-century Versailles, where courtiers wore ship-shaped rings as a sign of their rank. Today the marquise can be worn lengthwise or sailing sideways across the finger.
Star Power: Catherine Zeta Jones, Victoria Beckham, Portia de Rossi
Round
Created by Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919, the round diamond is the most popular shape for engagement rings. It’s often called the round brilliant because it has triangular facets, arranged to direct light from the bottom of the stone up through the top for maximum sparkle.
Star Power: Katherine McPhee, Roselyn Sanchez, Mary J. Blige
Radiant
This rectangular stone, introduced in the seventies, lives up to its name: By combining long, lean, step-cut and triangular facets, it refracts lots of light. So if you decide on this shape, keep the setting simple.
Star Power: Heidi Klum, Leslie Grossman, Anna Chlumsky
Rose-Cut
Most diamonds have a flat top with facets on the edges and bottom, but a rose-cut diamond is domed and covered with facets. Carat for carat, rose-cut diamonds, which cast a mellow, soft light, are typically less expensive than other shapes.
Next time you travel by air, whether it’s now during the holidays, or maybe for a winter vacation, we can tell you the most important items you’ll want to keep an eye on as you go through airports.
Channel 3’s Dick Russ has an update on our first report about your property that ends up stolen, missing, or damaged, in our airports.
Brace yourself. The amount of property disappearing from passenger luggage may disturb you more than any rough landing.
Channel 3 News has learned nearly $57 million in personal property from passenger luggage has turned up broken, missing or stolen at airports nationwide. Much of that property disappears after entering secure areas of the airport.
For 7 months, Channel 3 News Investigators have been battling the Transportation Security Administration to obtain public records on passenger property.
We finally obtained an electronic database from TSA that contains about 3,000 pages of valuables that passengers reported missing or damaged.
Passengers are claiming all kinds of items have turned up missing from their checked and carry-on bags; things like medicines, laptops, DVD players, and jewelry.
Channel 3 News found the most common items missing or stolen nationwide were clothing, including belts and accessories. More than 5,900 items valued at $2.5 million.
Second on the list is more than $13 million of fine jewelry with 5,680 pieces missing. Digital cameras are third with more than 4,400 of them reported missing and stolen, carrying a value of nearly $3 million.
Nationwide, passengers have filed 76,000 claims in just 3 years. Marti Hallstrom of Wadsworth is among those who have accused TSA of stealing personal property at Cleveland Hopkins.
Marti inadvertently left her glasses, a watch and a special bracelet at a TSA checkpoint. Not to worry, TSA said she could pick them up when she flew back to Cleveland later the same day.
“The TSA officer confirmed that morning that he had all items and that he would lock them in the office,” said Hallstrom.
But when she arrived back home, TSA returned only her glasses and watch. The multi-stone bracelet, a gift from her husband, was gone. She blames TSA.
“Someone from inside that locked office took that bracelet. There’ no doubt in my mind,” said Hallstrom.
Marti filed a claim and won. She’s among nearly 600 passengers at Cleveland Hopkins alone who have filed claims in just 3 years for nearly $345,000 worth of personal property; that’s an average loss of about $600.
By far the most common item reported stolen or missing at Hopkins was jewelry, more than $71,000 worth of merchandise.
Mike Young, the head of TSA locally, has a zero tolerance policy for theft. He admits it’ tough to catch thieves red-handed, but they know if they are caught, they’ll be fired.
Young hasn’t disciplined anyone yet, but nationwide, 269 TSA employees have been fired for theft, including this federal baggage screener, who was caught on tape stealing cash and other valuables at JFK Airport in New York.
It’s not only stolen items at airports, but damaged property as well. Luggage and laptops end up damaged the most, along with clothing.
At Hopkins Airport, there is about $30,000 worth of damage a year to those three items.
If your property has been damaged at an airport, or is missing or stolen, you will have to contact the Transportation Safety Administration and file a report.
Do you know what holds a diamond up? Diamond ring settings are the things that make your diamond stay well at the place. You must definitely express your love with the most excellent gift for your special someone even though it is a difficult job. So, if you plan to give your special someone a diamond, don’t forget to pick the perfect diamond ring settings since you can choose any kinds of diamond ring settings based on various personality.
So Many Options! It is believed that diamond ring settings are not many. You will only find the channel settings, prong settings, invisible settings, and bezel settings. All of them have their own plus and minus. So, if you plan to pick one out, it depends on the look you are searching.
One of the most famous diamond ring settings is the prong setting. This setting uses three to five prongs to hold the diamond on the ring. This setting is not only the most common setting, but also the most visible.
For those who want the diamond as the most essential part of the ring, an invisible diamond ring settings are great choice. An invisible setting looks as if the diamond is just floating above the ring, not really attached. But it can be guaranteed that the diamond is securely attached to the ring.
Another type of diamond ring settings is the channel setting. This channel setting is really popular for engagement rings. If you see the setting, you will think that the diamond is sitting in between two bands, or channels. This setting is the most popular one in engagement setting because you will not only find the diamond stand, but you can also add extra diamonds or other stones on the two channels.
Bezel settings are another beautiful setting of diamond ring settings that partially cover the diamond in the ring band. It is actually reminiscent of the stone setting of a class ring. It maintains the diamond in a low profile which can be a great choice for very-active person. It would be a shame for them to pick the wrong setting since they may lose the diamond because of an accident. So, the bezel setting will absolutely reduce the risk of any damage to the ring.
It is also important for you to recognize various types of diamond ring settings before starting to purchase any kinds of diamond. Recognize that some types that are considered as a modest diamond will seem more luxurious. So, before buying, look at many kinds of settings and choose the best one.
Engagement ring season is in full swing, which, of course, means an influx proposals, but more importantly, tons of creative “will you marry me?” scenarios to top. Take a cue from these celebrities by jaunting off to memorable destinations for a proposal your partner won’t forget (or turn down!).
St. Barts
On their first date, Billy Joel took Katie Lee out to dinner, but on that November 2002 evening she got much more than a scene from an Italian restaurant.
“Afterward he took me to see “Movin’ Out” [the hit musical based on Joel's tunes], got onstage and sang the last two songs,” recalls Lee, 23, who was visiting New York from Ohio and first met Joel, 55, in the lobby of the Peninsula Hotel, where both were staying. “I knew he was trying to impress me.”
It must have worked; six months after that meeting she moved to Long Island, New York, to live with him, and in January 2004 he proposed on a trip to St. Barts. “He got down on his knee, and it was a complete surprise,” Lee recalls. “That made me feel really special.”
Though Scott Wolf, 35, of “Everwood,” and Kelley Limp, 28, formerly of “Real World New Orleans,” credit a friend with setting them up, in a way they can thank Oprah Winfrey.
“When I first called Kelley,” says Wolf, “she said, ‘I just sat down with strawberries and chocolate milk to watch “Oprah.” ‘” Apparently it was not the best timing. “Nobody calls me at 4 o’clock,” says Limp. “It’s an unwritten rule that I’m watching “Oprah”.”
So Wolf decided to catch the episode, and they discussed it afterward. The chatting continued over a dinner date at Raoul’s in New York City. A year later, on a trip to St. Barts, Wolf took Limp boating and pulled into a cove for a sunset dinner, where he gave her a Bruce Winston (son of Harry Winston) 2.7-carat diamond ring. “I said yes, like, 15 times,” says Limp.
New York City
It was Stephanie March’s first and last blind date ever. After weeks of delays, March, then starring on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, finally agreed to meet Food Network chef Bobby Flay for dinner at Nobu in New York. Within seconds of meeting Flay, her misgivings about blind dates were dispelled.
“I know it’s a cliché, but I remember thinking, Oh my gosh, this is the rest of my life,” says March. She was right: Just before Christmas 2003, Flay took March ice-skating at Rockefeller Center, where he surprised her with another kind of ice — a princess-cut diamond ring — and a proposal.
Africa
On the golf course during the 2001 British Open was probably the last place Tiger Woods, 28, expected to meet his future wife, Elin Nordegren, 24. The thunderbolt struck when fellow golfer Jesper Parnevik introduced Woods to Nordegren, who was then working as the Parneviks’ nanny.
If his scores are any indication, Woods was more than a little distracted by the stunning Swedish former model. He lost the tournament but soon won her heart. And on a South African safari two years later, Woods proposed to Nordegren during a sunset stroll around the Shamwari Game Reserve.
Nantucket, Massachusetts
Devon Gummersall, 29, thought he’d blown it after a 1998 date with “Quarterlife’s” Majandra Delfino, 27. “I showed up in this awful leather jacket, and Majandra was like, ‘Who is this guy?’” recalls Gummersall, the former co-star of “My So-Called Life.”
After losing the leather, he reconnected with Delfino at a concert five years later — and didn’t miss a beat. Soon, the future groom bought a garnet ring from the Beverly Hills Watch Co. and hid it for a scavenger hunt on a Nantucket, Massachusetts, beach.
Says Delfino, “I dug up this white box, all sandy, and opened it. Devon said, ‘Do you know what this means?’” Delfino definitely did.
New Zealand
The romance that blossomed between “Two and a Half Men’s” Melanie Lynskey, 30, and Jimmi Simpson, 31, star of “The Farnsworth Invention” on Broadway, surprised them both. The pair, who had become friends while co-starring in a Stephen King miniseries in 2000, were sharing a taxi when “good night” turned into a good-night smooch.
“We kissed each other unexpectedly!” says Lynskey of the moment. “Once that happened, I was head over heels for him.”
Simpson chose a moonlit moment on the deck of Lynskey’s family beach house in New Zealand in 2005 to get down on one knee. “He opened the ring box,” she recalls, “but then he set it on the table. I was like, ‘Can I try that on?’”
Six months after Matthew Perry introduced them at a 2004 barbecue, actor Jonathan Silverman, 41, proposed to “Close to Home” actress Jennifer Finnigan, 28, in a New Zealand rain forest.
Hawaii
Channing Tatum surprised his “Step Up” costar Jenna Dewan with a weekend proposal in Maui in September 2007. Tatum arranged to have close friends of the couple fly in for the festivities.
Canada
When commissioning an engagement ring for his girlfriend Heidi Klum, Seal had one key word for New York City jeweler Lorraine Schwartz: canary. Schwartz’s sister delivered the 10-carat yellow diamond stunner to Whistler, British Columbia, where Seal proposed to Klum on a glacier — with the sunny piece of ice.
England
In May 2004 Jason Priestley arranged a trip to London, England, — to the very street corner where he and girlfriend Naomi Lowde first met. Once there, Priestley presented Lowde with an emerald-cut, three-diamond ring by Steven Pomerantz. “It became evident that my life was better with Naomi in it,” says Priestley.
In the summer of 2006, after 3 years of dating, “Superman Return” star Brandon Routh purchased the 3-carat diamond ring that had caught girlfriend Courtney Ford’s eye during an earlier visit to Beverly Hills jeweler Neil Lane.
But since the two were traveling for the “Superman Returns” press tour, Routh asked Gilbert Adler, one of the film’s producers, to hold the ring until they arrived in England. “Poor man!” says Routh. “He carried it around for two and a half weeks.” Finally, while picnicking in Glastonbury, England, Routh popped the question.
Italy
One year after Avril Lavigne and Dereyck Whibley’s friendship turned romantic, Whibley, 26, proposed with a 5-carat diamond solitaire after a picnic and gondola ride in Venice, Italy. It was something of a shock for the bride-to-be. “I might look like a tough chick — and I am,” Lavigne once said, “but I’m a hopeless romantic inside.”
Puerto Rico
Just two days before Christmas 2007, under a full moon at midnight in a bay off the coast of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, Roselyn Sanchez and Eric Winter were seated in a double kayak, taking in the bioluminescent organisms shimmering in the water all alone, except for a tour guide in a second kayak.
After giving an “amazing speech,” Winter pulled out a 4.3-carat brilliant-cut diamond ring by Michael Barin, Sánchez’s favorite jeweler.
California
“I can’t remember the exact day I knew she was the one; I remember it was an accumulation of what she’s about, where she came from, and her family,” says tennis star Pete Sampras of his bride, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras. After nine months of dating, Sampras proposed to Wilson at his Los Angeles, California, home with a platinum ring with oval-shaped diamond from Cartier.
The romance between Noah Wyle, 29, and Tracy Warbin, 31, a movie makeup artist, was born on the frigid Maine set of the 1997 film “The Myth of Fingerprints.”
Recalls Warbin, “At the end of one shoot, there was a huge snowball fight. Noah pushed my face into a snowbank. It really, really hurt! I knew then that he liked me, because it was so kindergarten-y.”
Wyle concurs: “It’s a technique I learned in grade school, and it’s worked for me ever since.” Three years later, on Valentine’s Day 1999, at a picnic for two on the couple’s Santa Ynez, California, ranch, Wyle got down on one knee to propose, a marquise-cut diamond ring in hand.
In February 2005 Christina Aguilera and her beau, Jordan Bratman, went on a Valentine’s Day getaway to Carmel, California, where Bratman proposed with a five-carat diamond-and-platinum ring by Stephen Webster. Eight months later, the pair — who share a love of the wine country — wed in Napa Valley.
Don’t wait until the last minute to buy your wedding rings and don’t buy the first rings you see. You’re going to be wearing these bands for a lifetime, so take the time to find rings you love today and will still love when you celebrate your 25th wedding anniversary. If you’ve fallen in love with the idea of platinum wedding rings but you can’t make a commitment because of the higher price, opt for white gold, which looks very similar. Platinum costs roughly three times more than white gold. If you’re allergic to most metals, platinum or purer gold like 18K is less likely to cause a reaction. But rarely do we see a case of true metal allergy. Usually irritation is caused by soap that gets trapped under the ring.
Ideally, you’ll never take off your wedding ring, so it needs to be sized just right. Too small and it will get too tight when your hand swells, too big and it might slip off when your hand gets cold. Have your ring sized when you’re calm and your body temperature is normal.
Many couples buy a matched set of wedding bands, and they’re often more affordable that way, but there’s no rule that says your rings must be the same. If your husband-to-be wants a wide, solid-metal band and you want a dainty ring of diamonds, then you should each have what you love. After all, you’ll be wearing this ring every day for the rest of your life.
If you’re having something engraved inside your wedding rings, don’t assume that it can be taken care of while you wait. Some stores do it on premises and it only takes a day or two, but others may send it out to be done which will take longer.
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