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Love is a beautiful thing. It makes us do things we wouldn’t normally do. In the initial months of a relationship, even taking out the rubbish is done with a smile. In today’s world, more and more couples are living together before getting married – according to 2012 figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 75 per cent of couples are now living together before marriage. So having certain goals on your joint household ‘to do’ list is only natural.
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So whose decision is it really? Whether to get married or not is something most ladies have a say in. Now I’m not sure on the actual numbers, but it’s a well-known fact that, while us guys think we make most of the decisions, it is actually the ladies who are the main decision-makers. If you’re lucky, your lady may even let you ‘think’ that you are in control of making the decision.
This is often especially true when looking at decision relating to the home, with women having the final say on which house to buy, and basing their decision on the kitchen, bathroom and wardrobe space. Major renovating decisions are also often made by women. With the ever-increasing cost of organising a wedding, you may find yourself discussing with your partner whether to buy a ring, or a new kitchen. (If kitchens are not your thing, the choice might be between getting married and an overseas holiday or other significant purchase.)
Sometimes the decision really just comes down to which one your partner wants more at the time. If the fixer upper you just moved into, has a kitchen only good enough for takeout, and you get the feeling from your partner that it’s a new kitchen or moving back in with her parents. Then maybe it might be worthwhile postponing the pending engagement while you make your new home liveable.
For each couple, the timing of when to take the relationship to the next level is different. I have seen couples who have only been together for a matter of months before deciding to take the plunge. Likewise, I have seen couples who have been together for over 17 years, and maybe don’t really want to get married, but still choose to celebrate their relationship with a commitment ring. While there is no right or wrong length of time to ‘be together’ before marriage, one thing is for sure – once the decision has been made, it is time. A proposal is usually not too far away.
In my experience, the three-year mark is usually a rough guide for couples looking to get engaged. However, this time frame usually becomes shorter as you get older – some couples in their forties wait less than a year.
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This weeks Feature Engagement Ring is a princess cut diamond engagement ring with Pink shoulder diamonds. The centre diamond was a 0.59ct D VS2 Passion8 and the shoulder diamonds were 4 = 0.17ct 4P Pink diamonds.
One of the special requirements of this design was that it had a setting that didn’t protrude too high above the band. Although the lady had small fingers it was important that the ring wasn’t set too low either. We were aiming for a medium height of 5.2mm.
Coming from central North Queensland the ring had to stand the test of time, as a short trip down the road to the jeweller would be a little more challenging to achieve.
We also incorporated an extra thickness in the band to make sure that the ring was as strong as it could be. Having a thicker circle means that the ring is less likely to flew, and make the stones loose.
The four claw corner claw setting is the most secure setting for a princess cut diamond. The corner metal also has the added feature of squaring off the princess cut diamond, which accentuates its shape.
For the band we used a channel setting to give extra strength to the shoulder stones. Having the pink shoulder stones also created a striking contrast to the white metal.
With princess cut diamonds it is incredibly important to make sure that the engagement ring sits flush with a straight wedding band. The straight lines of a square diamond clash with a curved or fitted wedding band.
When using pink diamonds it is really important to use as white a diamond as possible. With the centre diamond being a “D colour”, we used “E coloured” shoulder diamonds to create a strong contrast effect.
One of the challenges with this design was to have the shoulder diamonds running all the way up to the centre stone. The setter had to push the shoulder diamonds between the two claws to create the full flow effect.
If you would love to know more about Pink diamonds or have an engagement ring custom made, please email me at design@xennoxdiamonds.com.au. I would be happy to answer any questions you have or talk about having your dream ring designed.
Are you absolutely frustrated with not being able to find your dream engagement ring design ANYWHERE? Have you been through a 1000 shops and nothing is jumping out at you. It may mean that you need to have your engagement ring specially designed, exactly the way you want it.
The reason you haven’t travelled down the road of having your engagement ring specially designed could be that you are unsure what is involved? How much it costs to have an engagement ring specially designed?
The first stage is to choose your jeweller. Ideally you are looking for somewhere, where they custom make engagement ring designs onsite. You also need to be completely comfortable with the look and feel of the store, and feel like they really understand your vision for what your engagement ring is going to look like.
The second stage is to sit down with a professional jewellery designer. A professional jewellery designer will guide you through all the steps, and give you advice on how to personalise your engagement ring design so that it is totally unique and special to you. Be prepared to answer a lot of questions. They should ask you things like; What you do during the day? What your design preferences are? (heights and widths of your ring) Do you want your ring to look like this or that? (two options are always ideal) After all you don’t know what you do and don’t always like, which is why you are seeking the designers help.
The third stage is the creating phase. Here the jewellery designer will work with your master jeweller to make sure the designs are being followed according to all your tastes and style. An expert designer will make tweaks and adjustments as the ring is being made, to maximise the WOW factor. You might also ask for progress photo’s of your ring to be sent to you, so that you can see how your ring is progressing. It is very easy to make adjustments to an engagement ring as it is being made, if you catch it early enough.
The fourth stage is the unveiling stage. One of my favourite parts of the whole process. Seeing the sheer joy on a fiancee’s face as she is almost brought to tears because the finished ring is even greater than she ever imagined it could be, is what drives me every day. Close enough is simply not good enough for me. I am aiming for nothing less than breathtaking.
If this is something that you would love to experience, please send me an email, or ring to make an appointment for a custom engagement ring design consultation.
Are you in need of a holiday? Or are you planning a wedding and looking for an amazing destination to kick back and recover from all your wedding planning? For some couples, all the effort that goes into planning a holiday can really take its toll. To help we are having our annual holiday promotion. We are picking up the tab for the resort accommodation at the Paradise Taveuni Resort in Fiji. This honeymoon location is a great way to recharge the batteries and reconnect with your new loved one.
With the average Australian wedding now costing over $40,000, a relaxing overseas tropical honeymoon is something high on the wish list for brides today. Even better if it is a FREE holiday. If you have been trying to decide where to go for your honeymoon, this might make the decision making process a little easier.
Lucky couples who purchase their wedding or engagement ring from Xennox Diamonds between July and August 2014, will see themselves soaking up the sun with a free holiday in Fiji. Saving the stress and expense of planning that dream honeymoon and leaving nothing to do but relax and bask in the beauty of that sparkling new ring.
While the concept for this promotion was designed around honeymoon’s, there is no reason why it can’t be used to plan a surprise proposal, Hint, Hint !!!! Gentlemen, please take note, this location would be ideal for popping the question. The money you save on the free holiday, could even go towards the ring you will be proposing with. Now there really has never been a better time to take the plunge. It will truly be a proposal she will never forget.
Taveuni Island Resort & Spa is the jewel of the Pacific. It is set in ten acres of immaculate manicured tropical gardens, and accommodates only 12 privileged couples. There are only twelve accommodations with each house positioned for maximum privacy and to take advantage of the spectacular views over the azure ocean and surrounding islands.
On trip advisor, Paradise Taveuni has received a 4 1/2 star rating from more than 200 reviews, and a 94% thumbs up rating. You can see more of the reviews here
There are three levels of accommodation on offer,
a. For purchases between AUD$4,000-$7,000 will recieve a AUD$2,000
holiday package at Paradise Taveuni, Fiji. Inclusive of 5 nights
accommodation, breakfast daily, return airport transfers and activities.
b. For purchases between AUD$7,001-$14,000 will receive a AUD$2,600
holiday package at Paradise Taveuni, Fiji. Inclusive of 5 nights
accommodation, breakfast daily, a one course lunch, two course dinner, return
airport transfers, a Paradise Massage and activities.
c. For purchases AUD$14,001 or greater will receive a
AUD$3,600 holiday package at Paradise Taveuni, Fiji. Inclusive of 7 nights
accommodation, all meals, return airport transfers, Wi-Fi access, a Paradise
Massage and activities.
All holiday packages must be booked before 30th June, 2015 and used before 30th November, 2015. You can see more of the T@C here
Please feel free to post any questions you have.
Rhodium plating is something that is done almost every day in a manufacturing workshop. Because it is something that is done by hand, there are times when it doesn’t always work out as perfectly as you would like. Every good workshop should have someone who is appointed as a quality control agent. Here are the things that you should look for after having your ring rhodium plated.
This effect usually occurs when the ring has made contact with the metal electrode. It can sometimes look like a dark spot of the ring. This can usually be fixed quite easily by giving the ring a light polish in the affected area. If it is on the inside of the ring, the ring will usually not need re-plating.
Every time a ring is rhodium plated it draws some of the rhodium out of the solution (which makes the solution weaker) and makes the end result less white. This can be fixed by filtering the rhodium solution through a graphite powder filtre or topping up the solution with some new rhodium.
White gold solder generally has a slightly darker colour. When a ring is rhodium plated it masks this discolouration. If you can easily see the join line, it either means that the solder has been polished out though the process (as it is softer than the gold) or the rhodium plating hasn’t binded to the new ring properly. Unfortunately the only solution here is to re-do the whole process.
At Xennox Diamonds we make sure that all our work has been checked by our master jewellers to make sure your ring leaves our workshop as perfect as it can be. If for whatever reason you are not happy with any element of the ring, we will change it to make sure you are 100% happy with the finished piece. If would like an impartial second opinion on any piece of jewellery that you have serviced and are unhappy with the result. Please come in and see our jewellers any time, or email me at info@xennoxdiamonds.com.au Any other questions that you might have, please leave a comment below.
I think guys who are buying an engagement ring on their own deserve respect. It can be a really daunting experience and there is a lot of pressure to get it right. Over the last 20 years I have helped a lot of gentlemen choose a beautiful diamond engagement ring for their fiancées. Make sure when you are buying an engagement ring, you make it one she will love forever. 
If you think i have missed anything, would love you to post it in the comments section below.
Passion8 diamond engagement rings don’t just have the most perfectly cut diamonds but they also have an excellent manufacturing standard. Today’s engagement ring review is on model Passion8 model 5294 in 18ct white gold with a 0.70ct F SI princess cut diamond. This engagement ring features a grain set halo surrounding the claw set princess cut diamond in the middle. One of the distinguishing aspects of this design is the diamond grain set band that comes up over the halo setting.
Pro’s
A definite advantage of this halo design is that the main head setting sits on top of an under rail, which is perfect for a straight wedding band to sit next to. While the shoulder diamonds to interrupt the halo feature, this design is a perfect choice if you want the centre diamond to stand out as a feature. The extra fine 2.2mm wide band gives the centre diamond a bigger feel. The grain set diamonds surrounding the main diamond, help to create a contrast effect to further highlight the brilliance of the centre stone. Weighing in at over 5 grams, this ring certainly has a weighty feel to it that you will enjoy.
Cons
If you are looking for that really big diamond look, this may not be the design for you, as the shoulder diamonds do break the continuous circle of diamonds around the centre diamond.
Conclusion
This style is definitely a statement piece designed to showcase the amazing Passion8 princess cut diamond. Passion8 diamonds are arguably one of the world’s most perfect cut princess cut diamonds on the market at the moment. With the manufacturing standard backed by Passion8, it is a ring that will really stand the test of time.
If you love this design, or have any questions about this engagement ring review, please feel free to post in the comments section below.
Engagement ring claws are an essential part to holding your diamond in place. Whether you have four or six claws, it is still possible for the claw to become separated from your diamond. Through normal everyday wear, your engagement ring claws are prone to being bumped and knocked. This can cause the claws to come away from the centre stone. Like anything in life, things that you use and wear require maintenance, and if properly looked after will give you many years of enjoyment.
If you feel any of the above symptoms it is extremely important to take your ring straight into a manufacturing jewellery to have your claws checked.
This is what it looks like when your claws come away from your diamond.
It is always important to have your jewellery checked at least once a year to make sure your diamond is secure. For a qualified jeweller, tightening a stone is easy. Replacing the stone once it has been lost however can be a much more difficult process.
At Xennox Diamonds we offer complimentary tightening on all our diamond rings. If you ever feel like your claws are catching, we can often tighten them while you wait. We can also extend this service to rings that are not purchased from us. If you are worried about your setting and just want to have it checked, simply bring it in to us for a complimentary clean and check.
Please feel free to post any comments or questions you have about your claw settings below, and i will be happy to answer them for you there.
Buying a diamond engagement ring is not only a big emotional commitment but a significant financial one for most couples. While the internet is usually a great tool for conducting some initial research before buying a diamond, it can become difficult when you need to make a price comparison. The key piece of advice that i give my clients is – Don’t believe everything the diamond certificate tells you. After all it is only an opinion, graded by humans, who as we all know are prone to mistakes.
1. Certificate type
While the GIA is considered one of the most renown independant certificate on the market, there are some certificates that are really not worth the paper they are written on. Some are consistently at least one colour grade and clarity grade out. (to the downside) So while it might seem cheap on face value, it isn’t when you compare what you are actually getting for your money.
2. Excellent cut grade – What does that mean ?
It used to be that approximately the top 20% of stones received an excellent cut grade, today this figure is probably closer to the top 40%, as the parameters for an excellent cut grade are widening. The diamond grading laboratories like Google won’t tell you when they move them. You just need to know exactly what a perfect cut diamond looks like. Where you sit in this spectrum will not only be seen in the brilliance of the stone but the price as well. Make sure that when you are buying a diamond you don’t pay for a top 10% cut grade stone, when you are actually getting a top 30%.
3. Independently check your colour grade.
Colour grading can be affected by so many variables. How tired was the diamond grader at the time and things like excess coffee can all affect the way we perceive colour. The margin for error is so small, that it only takes a small error to cost you thousands depending on the size of diamond you are looking at. Make sure your diamond is checked by a qualified diamond grader. The colour on the left is an F colour and the one on the right is a H colour. 
4. Clarity grade – inclusion location
If you were deciding between two diamonds – one with an inclusion in the middle of the stone or one with a mark on the edge of the stone (that can be covered) i am sure you would choose the one on the edge. It is for this reason the diamonds with marks in the middle (table facet) are discounted and made cheaper. When buying a diamond always aim to have a girdle (edge) inclusion.
5. Fluorescence
A little understood characteristic. Basicly it is the way the diamond responds under ultraviolet light (like the one in discos). Anything slight to nill is ideal. Some medium fluorescent stones can be ok, but you really need to be careful as they can sometimes make the diamond look cloudy (which reduces the brilliance). Strong fluorescent stones are to be avoided – and they are much cheaper.
6. Laser inscription
This is a little be a nice to have – not need to have. The inscription is only on the surface of the stone. If someone wanted to, it is possible to have it polished off by a diamond cutter. So don’t discard a beautiful stone just because a stone doesn’t have a laser inscription
7. Not consulting a diamond expert
For complete piece of mind, it is always important to see a diamond expert when buying a diamond. You wouldn’t take your car to be serviced to someone that just sold tyers ? Like jewellery there are some who specialise in diamonds and some that just sell general jewellery. A diamond specialist will not only be able to tell you why a diamond is a better quality but be able to show you and answer any question you have about your diamond. 
At the end of the day, unless you want to look at your diamond certificate on the anniversary of your purchase every year, the diamond paper is not as important as finding the most brilliant diamond.
If you have found this helpful or have something you would like me to answer, please email me directly and i will answer any question that you have.
Research Shows – Size Doesn’t matter !!!
A recent study found that 84% of respondents surveyed, stated that they would prefer a smaller diamond size if it was of a higher quality. This was in line with further questioning that showed that 86% didn’t want a showy engagement ring at the expense of quality.* (*Intertrade 2013)
When it comes to diamonds, diamond size is the least important characteristic. You can radically change the price of a ring by a $1000 by reducing the diamond size of a diamond by ten points (or 0.2mm, which is hardly discernable to the naked eye). To achieve the same saving without changing the size you would need to resort to having an incredibly flawed and yellow diamond, which is visible from a distance.
My advice is to always aim for a slightly smaller excellent cut high performance diamond like a Passion8 “hearts and arrows”, rather than just a larger one. Passion8 cut the most perfectly cut round and princess cut diamonds in the world. The precision cutting puts them in the top 1% in the world for cut grade. On average it takes them 6 times as long to cut a perfect cut “hearts and arrows” diamond as a regular excellent cut diamond. The also return 99% of the light that enters in through the table. One thing that clients comment on most is that their Passion8 diamonds sparkle for longer and even when dirty compared to their friends diamonds. Unfortunately diamonds are not like a bottle of wine – they are not going to get better in years to come. If you buy the best cut grade diamond you can now, it will always be the best and continue to sparkle for the rest of your life.
Come and see how much better a perfect cut looks than just going for a larger diamond size. If you have any questions or would like to know more about the Passion8 diamonds, please feel free to email at info@xennoxdiamonds.com.au
