What to consider when purchasing an engagement ring.

Deciding to pop the question to your loved one can be one of the most exciting moments of your life. Whether you decide to surprise them with a ring or choose it together there are a few things to consider to make your experience more pleasurable.

Do your research. Look online for reputable retailers, how long have they been established? Do they have good reviews? What is the aftercare service like? How is the ring made? What happens if my beloved doesn’t like the ring? A good Jeweller will not mind answering any of your questions and be happy to advise you.

What should the main stone be?

Diamonds are probably the stone of choice for many, however coloured stones are popular too. By now your other half may have given you some hints about what they would like, but if that is not the case staying classic is probably a safe place to start.

A Round Brilliant Cut Diamond Solitaire would come under the most classic style in either a 4 or 6 claw setting, and made from platinum or gold.

NSEW four claw setting diamond engagement ring.

Six claw solitaire diamond engagement ring.

 

Will a wedding ring sit flush with the design I choose?

This may not seem an important factor at the moment, however it can be upsetting when your partner can’t have the wedding ring they really love as it does not fit up against your chosen design. Gaps in between rings are not favourable. Checking first saves having to have shaped wedding rings or a ring that is second best.

Once you have proposed, will the ring need resizing?

Generally this is the case so ask the Jeweller how this works? Really a simple resizing should not be charged for a reputable jewellers will not charge unless more stones need to be added or a lot more metal.

Aftercare service is also an important factor. It shows the jewellery shop you have purchased from doesn’t just want to take your money and move on to the next customer.

Make sure you are offered a complementary professional cleaning service at least once a year. Giving your ring a little MOT will ensure that it looks great and if any refurbishment or repair is needed you are advised before you lose a stone.

Enjoy your shopping experience remember it should be a happy and enjoyable time, the shop you choose to buy from will make or break it.

 

 

 

EMERALD, MAY’S BIRTHSTONE

What to Look For When Buying an Emerald

Colour: The most important quality factor in the May birthstone is colour. Emeralds that are bluish green to green, with strong to vivid colours are highly prized. Emeralds that are transparent are especially valuable.

Clarity: Emeralds typically contain inclusions that are visible to the naked eye, because of this, jewellers understand and accept the presence of inclusions in emeralds. Eye clean emeralds are especially valuable because they’re so rare.

Emerald inclusions are often described as looking mossy or garden like. They’re sometimes called jardin, which is French for “garden.”

In coloured stones, transparency and clarity are closely linked. This is especially true for emeralds. Jewellery professionals generally accept some eye visible inclusions in higher quality emeralds. But when the quantity or nature of the inclusions has a negative effect on transparency and clarity, they also dramatically reduce value.

Cut: Emerald crystals are difficult to cut. Almost all rough emeralds have significant fractures, (sometimes called fissures), and a gem cutter must work to minimise the effect of those fractures on the appearance of the finished stone.

These fissures make emeralds more brittle than other gems. Therefore are vulnerable to damage during cutting, polishing and setting or even from careless daily wear.
The famous rectangular “emerald cut,” with its beveled corners and step cut facets, maximises the shape and weight of the original emerald crystal. It also helps protect against damage because the vulnerable corners are faceted and provide a safe place for claws.

Carat Weight: Emeralds come in a wide range of sizes. There are emeralds in museums and private collections that weigh hundreds of carats. At the other extreme are tiny emeralds that weigh fractions of a carat.

PINK SAPPHIRES

MOLLY THE PUG

What Molly gets up to when (she thinks), nobody is looking.

As you may well know our Molly is an essential part of the Arlington & Co. team. However, we do have to keep an eye on her in the office otherwise she tends to run riot.

All that networking is tiring stuff for a little pug.

MOLLY THE PUG

Hi all,

I’m in the office today as SB decided I was resting too much and needed a bit of a shake-up. I really don’t know what’s got into him lately but he has been well, difficult.

I told him what’s the difference if I’m sleeping on my bed in the office or on your bed at home. He said that’s not the point, it’s a question of attitude and being available if required.

So here I am, in the office, having a post prandial snooze, as usual. If past form is anything to go by I’ll be here until 3.30 at the earliest. So he can put that in his pipe and smoke it.

Molly.

Arlington Canine in Residence.

MOLLY THE PUG

Sorry if you missed me folks but I decided to take some time out. As you know all work and no play makes a dog’s life, well a dog’s life. However I have insisted on a full daily report on events from SB.

I don’t really know how to take his but they seemed to have managed quite well without me, but I know my customers really miss me and that’s all that matters.

I’ve done a lot of thinking whilst away from the office and fully examined my work-life balance. With summer fast approaching I want to spend a lot more time in the park with my pals. Also with the ground nice and firm the muddy paws, legs and tummy problem will be solved, at least until the autumn. So my blog from the office will be less frequent but I will make up for it by letting you in to more of my private life.

Diary entry 8^th April. My early morning walk.

I met a really lovely Lurcher/Whippet cross, well that’s what his owner thought he was. He wasn’t sure as he was a ‘rescue’.

I really fancied him, but he’d had ‘the snip’ so wasn’t really interested. Anyway we had a good run about and I snaffled a couple of treats from his owner. All in all not a bad morning.

Back for breakfast and a snooze.

TTFN.

Molly.

Arlington & Co

Canine in Residence

COLOURED DIAMONDS

Diamonds come in all colours, however, natural Fancy Colour Diamonds are rare and can be very expensive. One out of 10,000 normal diamonds is a fancy colour diamond. The colour of a fancy coloured diamond is measured differently to a normal diamond. The grading scale is based on the intensity of the colour. The GIA fancy colour grading scale is: Faint, Very Light, Light, Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Intense, Fancy Vivid, Fancy Deep and Fancy Dark.  

The more intense the colour, the rarer and more valuable the diamond will be.

Where clarity is concerned, due to the nature of coloured diamonds, clarity is less important than it is in a white diamond as inclusions are harder to spot and sometimes masked by the colour.

Coloured diamonds are generally cut into non-traditional shapes to enhance their natural colour. Due to the rarity of coloured diamonds, a specific shape in a specific colour may not be available at any given time. If you are looking for a specific stone please contact us to organise a consultation and we will do our very best to source your ideal diamond.

 

FIVE WAYS TO CARE FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT RING.

Your new engagement ring is beautiful and sparkly – you’ll never take it off. However it will need a little tlc but it’s nothing some fairy liquid can’t deal with!

Here are 5 tips to help you look after you ring and help it look as good as it did the first day you received it.

Four claw diamond engagement ring with diamond set shoulders.

First things first make sure you get it insured, your ring is important to you and to have it insured properly ensures you will never be without a ring for long. Household insurance could be a good first port of call, there are also specialist companies that can insure you too. Ask in store for details.

Keep it on your finger. Especially whilst you are out taking it off to wash your hands or to apply hand cream could be a disaster, forgetting to put it back on could mean losing it forever. You can always clean your ring when you get back home.

 

Keep it clean at home yourself by placing your ring in hot water from the kettle add a little fairy liquid let the water cool and gently brush your ring with a small soft toothbrush and repeat if necessary to remove all residue. The diamond will be as good as new!

Designate a special place at home for your ring when you do have to take it off a safe, or jewellery box is a good idea just so when you look down at your finger and your ring is not there you know the only other place it would be.

Make friends with your Jeweller! Have your ring checked at least once a year to make sure all of the settings are secure, and the finger size is still correct. At Arlington we offer this service complementary with our rings, we professionally clean the diamonds and metal too to make look as good as new.

JEWELLERY DESIGN

MOLLY THE PUG

I had a starring role in the showroom yesterday and I’m quite proud of myself. Not to put a too fine a point on it if it wasn’t for me I’m not sure the client would have purchased.

In any event he did and this is what he said about me……..

‘Hi Stephen,

Many thanks for your help today.   Your service is impeccable, but I hope you don’t mind me saying that I think Molly is your greatest asset!  Whatever she’s selling, I’m buying.  I have attached the photo I took of her today.

Good or what !!!!’