How to Choose the Right Handcrafted Silver Rings for Your Finger

Handcrafted silver rings are a great way to express your personal style and individuality but choosing the one that is best for you can be a tough task. There are so many rings out there to choose from in an array of styles and sizes. But following these guidelines will make the process much easier and you'll be sporting some awesome silver handcrafted jewelry in no time.

Keep in mind how often you want to wear your handcrafted silver rings. If you want them for everyday wear, something with a more simple design might be best. If you're looking for a special occasion ring, feel free to go over the top with something intricate and maybe even with the gemstone of your choice. Silver rings can be found with every gemstone imaginable and still give the look of white gold or platinum without costing nearly as much money. You should also consider what setting you'll be in when you're wearing your rings. Perhaps a big cocktail ring isn't best for everyday wear at your office job. Maybe a simple, understated ring will get lost on a night out under dim lights.

The size of your fingers should also be a factor when you're selecting a silver ring. Those with petite fingers can easily choose smaller rings and they'll look great. But go too big and your hand will get overwhelmed. Those with larger fingers - whether it's width or length - might find that smaller rings disappear or don't stand out as much on their hands. If you have larger fingers and you're looking for a bold look, you might have to get rings that look massive. But once they get on your hand, they'll appear in proportion.

The most important thing to remember when selecting jewelry is that it's a matter of taste - your taste, more specifically. If there's a trend you don't particularly care for, don't feel the need to participate in it. Find something that you love, regardless of what might be hot at that time. You want to get pieces you'll love to wear often or for certain occasions. Jewelry lasts forever so choose wisely. It's not like a pair of shoes or a bag that you can toss to the back of your closet after a season. Jewelry is a timeless reflection of your individuality. And there are endless designs available. Just make sure you love what you buy!

Getting to Know the Art of Jewelry Making

Any woman's face will definitely light up with the mere mention of jewelry making. The reality is that no women will ever turn their backs against necklaces, bracelets, earrings, or pendants. That is the reason why jewelry making can provide the creative outlet where women can create their own works of art.

The first step in jewelry making is compiling your own kit that should be composed of all the basic tools and materials you will need. Most of the time, research can do a lot of help in informing you of what are the first things you should have for your first creation.

There are also kits available in the market that you can rely on for basic materials and these usually come with instructions. Specifically, the basic materials you will be working on include wires, boutique beads, crystals, pearls, gemstones, quartz and the like.

Wire choices for stringing or wrapping can be composed of gold, sterling silver, argentium, copper, or stainless steel. In order for you to get the best quality, it is best that the wire you buy has an enamel coating. This kind of coating helps prevent chipping, rusting, or peeling. In jewelry making, do remember that the wire is the backbone of all your work that is why it is important that the quality is not compromised.

When it comes to beads, the most common varieties include glass, ceramic or wood. They also come in a number of different shapes such as oval, round, square, pear and the like. Stringing different kinds of shapes together creates more dimension and makes the piece look more versatile.

Once you have become an expert with basic the techniques, try to go one step further. Do your homework to improve your craft. Buy instruction manuals or read jewelry making magazines or books.

There are also DVDs that can help you go through each process. These DVDs will provide you with design samples you can work on as you follow the instructions one step at a time.

The jewelry making craft is so versatile that you do not have to use the same materials all the time. One example is that you can use wire all throughout the piece instead of adding beads. The possibilities are endless as long as you have the creativity and patience for it.

Gold, Silver, and Platinum - All About Wedding Jewelry Precious Metals

When you begin shopping for your wedding jewelry, the choices can be overwhelming. Not only are there numerous options, but you want your engagement ring, wedding band, and bridal jewelry sets to have a cohesive style. To get you started, take a look at this guide which explains the differences between all the different types of wedding jewelry metals, including gold, platinum, and silver.

Gold has been a traditional material for wedding jewelry for thousands of years. Malleable enough to fashion into decorative designs, durable enough to last for generations, gold has been one of the most revered precious metals since ancient times. Gleaming yellow gold will add a rich luster to your wedding jewelry. 24kt (pure gold) is considered to be too soft for jewelry like rings, so it is usually alloyed for strength and sometimes for color. 18kt gold (75% gold with 25% alloys) is the standard in Europe and is preferred by American fine jewelers for its higher gold content and richer color. 14kt gold is 14 out of 24 parts pure gold, and is popular for couples who like the beautiful color of gold but are looking to save a little bit on price.

White gold and rose gold are created when an alloy is added to yellow gold to change the color. Many people confuse white gold with platinum, but there are some differences. Platinum will have the purest and brightest white color, since unlike white gold, that it its natural color. White gold is also a bit softer than platinum, although it can still be quite durable. Most people choose white gold over platinum because it is considerably less expensive. Look for white gold wedding bands which have been rhodium finished to give them a brighter white appearance. The process may need to be repeated from time to time, but will definitely improve the look of the metal. Brides and grooms with sensitive skin should take care to select white gold wedding jewelry which is not alloyed with nickel, which can be very allergenic. Look for palladium alloys instead.

Brides who want the strongest and most valuable precious metal for their bridal jewelry turn to platinum. Very dense and strong, the brilliant white metal is ideal for securing diamonds. Due to its strength, it is common for even yellow gold engagement rings to have platinum prongs holding the diamond. It is also naturally hypo-allergenic, making it a good choice for wedding bands for men and women with sensitive skin. Platinum is popular for both modern and vintage inspired jewelry designs. The major drawback of platinum is its high price.

Silver is a very popular metal for bridal jewelry sets as well as bridesmaid jewelry. The white metal makes an excellent coordinate to a white gold or platinum engagement ring, but is also highly affordable. The malleability of silver makes it wonderful for jewelers to use when creating handcrafted sets of bridal jewelry. Silver is often used as the metal of choice for wedding jewelry sets featuring freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals.

Newer to the fine jewelry scene are metals such as titanium and palladium. The chief appeal of titanium is that it combines strength with lightness. It does not however, offer the same radiance of platinum, silver, or white gold, and titanium rings can be problematic to cut off in case of emergency. Palladium is a member of the platinum family, and until recently was primarily used as an alloy. It shares the same whiteness as platinum, but can be prone to discoloration when soldered, making it more difficult to use for jewelry. With so many beautiful options, the bride and groom can be sure that they will be able to find the perfect jewelry for their wedding.

Incorporating Birds Into Weddings

Birds have a lot of symbolism that can be very appropriate for a wedding. If you have ever been called a pair of "lovebirds", you see why birds can be fun to use as part of a wedding celebration. Of course, not all ideas are as good in reality as on paper - working with live animals is always unpredictable - but for those who love their feathered friends, these are some ways to incorporate birds into a wedding.

Perhaps the best known use of live birds in a wedding is the release of doves at the conclusion of an outdoor marriage ceremony. A pair of pure white doves has many beautiful meanings, including love, peace, faith, and hope for the future. For the newlyweds, that is. For the doves themselves, being released into unfamiliar territory can result in an untimely death, so think long and hard about a dove release. At one wedding, the guests watched the pair of birds ascend into flight, only to have the first one be snatched from the sky by a hawk and the second one smashed into a cliff by a sudden gust of wind. By the way, the "doves" are not always real doves. Some companies offer specially trained pure white homing pigeons, who at least have the advantage of being able to find their way back to a safe haven (barring a hawk, of course).

If you are a fan of the show "Cake Boss", you may be familiar with this next way that birds can be used in a wedding. Baker Buddy was commissioned to create a wedding cake with a dove on it in honor of the cake the groom's parents had had for their wedding. It turns out that from the 1960s - 1980s, wedding cakes with a pair of live doves in them were very popular for traditional Italian-American weddings (dove releases have long been an Italian wedding custom). So Buddy built a special clear box to serve as the pedestal for a traditional tiered wedding cake adorned with flowers, grapes, and ivy. At the last minute, a pair of doves was placed into the box, and the bride and groom released them as part of the cake cutting ceremony (although in this case, the birds had to be coaxed out of the box). If you are the sort of bride who loves everything traditional, from mother's bridal jewelry to her wedding cake, find out if she had a dove cake. Of course, if live birds are not welcome at your reception venue, you could always opt for a porcelain pair of white doves as your cake topper.

In some cultures, peacocks are considered to be symbols of protection and good luck. Without a doubt, their showy multi-colored feathers are absolutely stunning. If you like the idea of an over-the-top Bollywood-inspired wedding, what about a couple of live peacocks strolling around on the lawn at your wedding reception? They would surely make a grand and regal statement! It is best to find a hotel or other venue which already has its own peacocks in residence, as if the birds are rented and taken to an unfamiliar location, they will have to be kept in an enclosure. If the live birds are not available in your area, you can always have fun creating dramatic centerpieces and bouquets featuring the colorful feathers. Complete the effect with an opulent wedding gown worn with regal bridal jewelry fit for a princess.

These are but a few of the ways to use birds in your wedding. You might also consider a pretty pair of parrots in a large fancy cage to dress up a tropical theme reception or a charming pair of lovebirds in a gold cage in front of the newlyweds' sweetheart table. Of course, you can always have a bird themed wedding without using any live critters; think bird motifs on your stationery, a tiny nest for the ring pillow, and other cute ways to show that you and your fiance are truly "birds of a feather".