Engagement & Wedding Rings (3rd Edition) - The Definitive Buying Guide for People in Love

Takes the fear and anxiety out of buying an engagement or wedding ring, restoring the romance and the magic of this once-in-a-lifetime experience. You'll find everything you need to know to select, buy and enjoy that "perfect" ring . . . to truly experience the wonder and excitement that should be part of finding-or creating-it.

List of contents

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction x
Old-European Cut Diamond Price Guide 50
Diamond Price Guides 105–108
Worksheet to Help You Select Your Rings 272
PART ONE
Engagement and Wedding Rings through the Ages 1
1. The Romance of the Ring 3
2. Engagement and Wedding Ring Traditions 7
PART TWO
Getting to Know Gems 15
3. Becoming Intimate with Gems 17
4. Looking for a Gem That's a "Cut Above" 23
PART THREE
Diamond Engagement and Wedding Rings 29
5. Selecting the Diamond 31
6. The Importance of Cutting and Proportioning in Diamond 35
7. Body Color 51
8. Clarification on Clarity: How Flaws A∂ect Diamonds 63
9. Carat Weight 75
10. Tips on Getting the Diamond You Really Want, within Your Budget 81
11. How to Read a Diamond Grading Report 87
12. Comparing Diamond Prices 103
13. False Claims and Costly Bargains:
How to Spot Fraud and Avoid Misrepresentation 109
PART FOUR
Colored Gemstones in Engagement and Wedding Rings 129
14. The Allure of Colored Gemstones in Betrothal Rings 131
15. The Magic and Mystery of Colored Gems 133
16. Determining Value in Colored Gems 143
vii
17. Colored Gemstone Treatments 163
18. Fraud and Misrepresentation in Colored Gems 169
19. Popular Colored Gemstones 175
20. Pearls: A 3,000-Year-Old Tradition for the Bride 195
PART FIVE
Design and Style: Getting the Look You Want 201
21. Choosing the Shape 203
22. Choosing Your Setting 207
23. Gold or Platinum for your Rings? 215
24. Choosing the Wedding Bands 225
25. The Heirloom Ring 229
PART SIX
Important Advice Before You Buy 235
26. What to Ask When Buying the Stone 237
27. Deciding Where to Make the Purchase—Retailer or E-retailer 247
PART SEVEN
Important Advice After You Buy 255
28. Choosing the Appraiser and Insurer 257
29. Caring for Your Engagement and Wedding Rings 265
PART EIGHT
Appendices 269
A Selected List of Laboratories That Provide Internationally
Recognized Reports of Genuineness and Quality 270
International Ring Size Equivalents 271
Worksheet to Help You Select Your Rings 272
Selected Readings 273
Text and Color Insert Credits 275
Index 278

About the author

Antoinette Matlins, PG, FGA, is an internationally respected gem and jewelry expert, author and lecturer. With over 1 million copies of her seven books in print in nine languages, she is the most widely read author in the world on the subject of jewelry and gems. Honored with the international Accredited Gemologists Association's highest award for excellence in gemology, Ms. Matlins’ books are widely used throughout the world by consumers and professionals in the gem and jewelry field. Her books include Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide (over 400,000 copies now in print—the only book of its kind ever offered by Consumer Reports); Colored Gemstones: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide; The Pearl Book: The Definitive Buying Guide; Gem Identification Made Easy; Engagement & Wedding Rings: The Definitive Buying Guide for People in Love; and Jewelry & Gems at Auction: The Definitive Guide to Buying & Selling at the Auction House & on Internet Auction Sites (all GemStone Press).
Former gemology editor of National Jeweler magazine, her articles and comments on buying and selling gems and jewelry and on gem investment have appeared in many national and international consumer and trade publications. She is also the author of the "Gemstones" chapter in the Encyclopedia of Investments, second edition.
Ms. Matlins has gained wide recognition as a dedicated consumer advocate, and continues to spearhead the Accredited Gemologists Association’s nationwide campaign against gemstone investment telemarketing scams and other types of consumer misrepresentation. A popular media guest, she has been seen on ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN, educating consumers about gems and jewelry and exposing fraud.
In addition to her educational work, Ms. Matlins is retained by clients worldwide to seek fine, rare or unusual gems and jewels for acquisition.
Antonio C. Bonanno, FGA, ASA, MGA, was founder and president of the National Gem Appraising Laboratory and director of the Columbia School of Gemology near Washington, D.C. He held the coveted "Master Gemologist Appraiser" title (MGA), the highest distinction awarded to gem and jewelry appraisers from the American Society of Appraisers. He worked with gems and minerals for over sixty years, specializing in forensic gemology, and was frequently called as an expert witness in a wide range of court cases. A Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain With Distinction, he was highly esteemed in the field and holds a place in the prestigious Gemstone Hall of Fame. He founded the Accredited Gemologists Association, which created the Antonio C. Bonanno Award for Excellence in Gemology in his honor after his death in 1996.

Summary

Takes the fear and anxiety out of buying an engagement or wedding ring, restoring the romance and the magic of this once-in-a-lifetime experience. You'll find everything you need to know to select, buy and enjoy that "perfect" ring . . . to truly experience the wonder and excitement that should be part of finding—or creating—it.

Product details

• Authors: Antonio C. Bonanno, Bonanno Antonio C., Antoinette Matlins, Matlins Antoinette
• Publisher: Ingram Publishers Services
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.01.2003
• EAN: 9781683360476
• ISBN: 978-1-68336-047-6
• No. of pages: 320
• Dimensions: 152 mm x 228 mm x 21 mm
• Weight: 608 g
• Illustrations: Illustrationen, nicht spezifiziert
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Art > Antiques; CRAFTS & HOBBIES / Jewelry, CRAFTS & HOBBIES / Beadwork, ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES / Jewelry, Jewellery and beadcrafts, Jewellery & beadcraft, Antiques, vintage and collectables: jewellery, Antiques & collectables: jewellery