Manolo for the Brides

Ack! Jury selection strikes and I have still not gotten my bookmarks back, which means that I have to try to cobble a post together on a Sunday night. Cross your fingers and pray that I am not selected for some sort of awful grand jury type case. I don’t mind doing my civic duty, but being a freelance means that if I don’t work, I don’t get paid!

A few of you sent me links to the first legal Hello Kitty Dream Wedding in MTR Station in Hong Kong.

MTR passengers can indulge in a special romantic moment at the “MTR Hello Kitty Love Garden”, launched from today to 14 March 2007. The Love Garden is a prelude to the first-ever legalised MTR Hello Kitty Dream Wedding in Hong Kong. Specially designed by Sanrio, Hello Kitty and Dear Daniel will appear in the “MTR Hello Kitty Love Garden” in wedding dress to celebrate the joy of love with MTR passengers.

Nadine wrote to ask me to recap the ins and outs of guestwear. Specifically, she wanted to know what would be most appropriate for an April wedding with a ceremony starting at 2 p.m. and a reception starting at 5 p.m. I suggested a simple cocktail length frock with a fabulous scarf or chunky jewelry…something like this, perhaps:

And finally, the wonderful Kelly used Photoshop to make a mock-up of my ring based on my description and did a fabulous job! Take a look:

Last night, my engagement rings came in the mail. Have you ever tried to take a picture of something as small as a ring with a older model digital camera and no photographic skills? You end up with a flash of light with a hint of gold in it as opposed to anything that might resemble jewelry. Or, at least, that’s what I ended up with.

So instead of showing you a photo of my actual topaz ring, I will now show you a ring that sort of resembles it…if you picture it in your mind and make some slight modifications.

Start withswiss blue topaz and yellow gold ring. Then take away all of the smaller gems. Finally, turn the large topaz 90 degrees. There, that’s my ring!

Now I’m thinking of buying some simple earrings to match…how about these?

First off, thanks so much for all of your well wishes! It means so much to me to have you all following my progress as I shop around. How many other brides-to-be can say they have as many fabulous peeps as I do? Not many, I’d wager

Now let’s get down to business. At lease one of yesterday’s commenters expressed interest in my labradorite ring…which, of course, did not come with today’s mail like I was hoping it would. Labradorite is really such an interesting stone. At first glance, it will look gray, mossy, or deep green, but if you wiggle it around in the light you’ll start to see all sorts of wonderful fiery blue, pink, yellow, and orange lamellar intergrowths. In this sense, it can be almost opalescent, though the correct term is actually “labradorescence.” The sparkle is subtle, however, and so labradorite’s charms are easily overlooked.

You can see the diffuse blue lamellar intergrowths in this sphere:

What are lamellar intergrowths, you ask? I was just getting to that. Mineral Galleries says:

These intergrowths result from compatible chemistries at high temperatures becoming incompatible at lower temperatures and thus a separating and layering of these two phases. The resulting color effect is caused by a ray of light entering a layer and being refracted back and forth by deeper layers. This refracted ray is slowed by the extra travel through the layers and mixes with other rays to produce a light ray coming out that has a different wavelength than when it went in. The wavelength could correspond to the wavelength of a particular color, such as blue. The effect depends on the thickness and orientation of the layers. If the layers are too thick or too thin no color shiller is seen. Also if the viewer does not observe from the precise angle or if light is not supplied from the proper angle then no color shiller is seen. The labradorescence is truely a one of a kind mineralogical experience and must be observed in person in order to truely appreciate its beauty.

Anyhow, the labradorite in my ring looks more like this:

Fun fact: A more intensely color stone of the same feldspar family is known as Spectrolite.

What’s the big Valentine’s Day surprise, you ask? It’s that yours truly is engaged. Yes, N.t.B. has entered the ranks of those who are not only obsessed with weddings, but also articulate their expressing by spending thousands of dollars on stuff with no practical purpose! But pretty is purpose enough sometimes, right? Are you with me here?

I know ya’ll love reading about the who, what, when, and where of two people deciding to spend their lives together, so here’s a dramatic re-enactment of the proposal:

Just kidding. The Beard was totally mushy about it, all with the getting down on one knee and the wearing of the ceremonial tie. And while they have not yet arrived, I am getting not one, but two engagement rings! A classic ring set with labradorite and a more modern ring set with Swiss blue topaz.

What’s this mean for the blog? Well, it probably means that you’re occasionally going to have to listen to me while I ramble on about my own wedding planning experiences. And I may just have to bombard you with reviews of the schwag I actually bought, the schwag I wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole, and the schwag I wish I had enough money to buy.

First up? Books, of course. I wouldn’t have sprung for wedding planning books…being that I don’t have much need for them…but, heck, this blog is a job, which means that all my books on nuptial know-how are tax deductible! Whoo! I naturally went for some of the more eccentric titles:

As an aside, I’m sorry to have to disappoint all the romantics out there, but it wasn’t a Valentine’s Day proposal. I just thought I’d save it up so I’d have something sweet to post for V-Day. So happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Just in case you’re jonesin’ for some cuteness, here is a picture of some pigs in love, courtesy of Go Veg:

I’m not particularly concerned with reality. At least not where gemstones are concerned. Sure, it’s neat to possess something that’s relatively rare, but these days it’s pretty hard to tell what’s rare and what’s not in the world of gemstones. And we’re no longer savages dazzled by the blood of the sun, either. You could say I fall right into the “pro” camp where created gems are concerned.

Curious as to how diamonds are grown? Here’s a how-to from Gemesis:

The technology used to produce gem quality diamonds suitable for jewelry markets was conceived in the 1970’s by Russian scientists in Siberia, perfected in the late 1990’s at University of Florida laboratories, and production engineered at the turn of the century in Gemesis manufacturing facilities. The container in which a diamond grows is centered in the production machine and consists of a carbon source, metal catalysts and a tiny diamond seed.

Gemesis Cultured Diamonds photoApproximate pressures of 850,000 pounds per square inch and temperatures reaching over 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit are applied to this container. Under these conditions, the carbon source dissolves in the molten metal mixture and grows, atom by atom, on the diamond seed. In just over three days, the pressure and temperature are returned to normal; the container is broken and the hardened metal core is removed and immersed in acid.

And here is a rainbow of ready-to-wear (and clickable) baubles set with created gems:

I’ve recently fallen in love with Black Hills gold jewelry. What is Black Hills gold, you ask? Let me dazzle you with the backstory: In the 1870s, sometime after a prospector named Horatio Nelson Ross found a bit of gold in the waters of French Creek in the Black Hills of South Dakota, a French goldsmith named Henri LeBeauold (or LeBeau, depending on who’s telling the tale) traveled to the Dakotas to cash in on what is often called the last great gold rush in U.S. history.

LeBeauold’s skills as a prospector were not up to snuff, however, and he found himself parched and starving in the Black Hills. Fearing his death was imminent, he went to sleep. And, as he dozed, he dreamt of beautiful rushing stream with lush grape vines growing on its banks. When he woke, he climbed over a rise similar to the one he’d dreamt about and came face to face with the very stream and vines he’d seen in his dream.

In his gratitude, LeBeauold chose to dedicate his life to crafting jewelry in yellow, green, and rose gold that featured grape leaves, vines, and clusters…no doubt after he’d slaked his thirst and calmed the rumbling in his belly with hefty handfuls of ripe grapes. So, Black Hills gold refers to the design as well as its origin. Here is an abridged description of the Black Hills gold jewelry-making process from Black Hills Gold Outlet:

The process of making Black Hills Gold jewelry begins with pure 24 Karat gold. It is alloyed with exact percentages of other metals to achieve a more durable karat quality of 10K, 12K or 14K. The traditional pink and green color gold used for leaves and other details is made when copper or silver is combined with the pure gold. The resulting gold bars are then readied for rolling.

The alloyed gold bars are rolled by presses to different thicknesses for different types of jewelery. Component parts are carefully stamped, one at a time, out of the rolled gold sheets using patterns and dies. The solid gold leaves and other patterns are now ready to be added to a cast jewelry base.

Great for engagement rings or wedding bands. Provided the male component of the partnership is willing to do pink.

Ever been in love with the overall design of a ring but still wish you could change just one little teeny thing about it? Like the color, width, or type of gemstone, perhaps? With some jewelers, you have two choices: Accept the piece as is or move on. Should you choose the latter option, you could then get a ring custom designed from scratch - and potentially pay out the nose for the privilege.

Luckily for those in search of rings (wedding or otherwise), many jewelry designers offer their clients a range of designs with customizable options. Novell Design Studios makes all of their wedding bands to order and allows brides- and grooms-to-be to choose whether to have their rings crafted in platinum, 18kt gold, or white, yellow or pink 14kt gold. They can also personalize their wedding bands with decorative finishes, diamonds and colored stones. Features from different rings can even be combined to make an entirely new design. Cool, right?

This ring was supersized to include 15-point round diamonds and embellished with a 18kt yellow gold edge.

On this ring, the twisted inserts were removed and replaced with 2-point diamond channels.

And here, the original diamonds were switched out in favor of heirloom rubies belonging to the client!

Of course, it seems from some of their samples that customization is just another way for people to create huge, bling-encrusted jewelry that would simply consume a smaller finger. Thus confirming my theory that rings, in general, are getting out of control. What’s wrong with something simple like this:

Here is the deal. I have a HUGE migraine and my Imitrex is not working. And when I’m in pain and there is little I can do about it, I like to drown my pain-ridden brain in beauty. Since October’s birthstone is the iridescent opal, I’ve passed the time today perusing jewelry featuring this most unusual stone.

The name opal is most likely a derivative of the Sanskrit word upala, the Greek opallios, and the Latin opalus, all of which just mean ‘precious stone.’ I’m glad the name stuck, considering it might otherwise just be called ‘hydrated silica glass,’ which is a far less pretty moniker.

Here is some educational mumbo-jumbo about opals from wikipedia:

Australia produces around 97% of the world’s opal. 90% is called ‘light opal’ or white and crystal opal. White makes up 60% and all the opal fields produce white opal; Crystal opal or pure hydrated silica makes up 30%; 8% is black and only 2% is boulder opal.

The town of Coober Pedy in South Australia is a major source of opal. Common, water, jelly, and fire opal are found mostly in Mexico and Mesoamerica. Another Australian town, Lightning Ridge in New South Wales, is the main source of black opal, opal containing a predominantly dark background (dark-gray to blue-black displaying the play of color).

Boulder opal is found sporadically in western Queensland, from Kynuna in the north, to Yowah and Koroit in the south.

A source of white base opal in the United States is Spencer, Idaho. A high percentage of the opal found there occurs in thin layers. As a result, most of the production goes into the making of doublets and triplets.

Okay, enough of that. On to the opals!

This simple white gold opal ring would make a lovely engagement ring or even a wedding band, IMO.

Or, if white on white isn’t your thing, you could try a yellow gold and blue opal ring, which is a bit more striking.

But why limit yourself to finger candy?

A nice set of opal and white gold earrings can really compliment your wedding ensemble.

Has anyone noticed that the engagement rings they are trying to foist off on bumbling future fiances are getting bigger and bigger? I’ll admit it - when I’m sweating away at the local Y, I like to read the really corny celebrity magazines. I’m seeing so many ads for overstated multi-diamond engagement rings that could stand in for a definition of ‘bling’ in the dictionary. And it would appear that ‘huge rocks’ are coming back into style. It’s not unusual to see things like this when cruising bridal baubles:

I won’t lie. I like this yellow gold and aquamarine ring from Gioie . But it is, um, a little large. Or how about this platinum bridal ring from Ultra Diamonds:

Yowza! So that’s what five g’s and a lot of love will buy you. BLING BLING!

Fiances-to-be that are strapped for cash can always opt for lab-created gems or faux alternatives. But fellas be warned: Be honest and never try to pass off fake bling as the real thing. There is always a chance that your loveybear will discover your deception. Trust me when I say she will not be a happy camper upon finding out that her huge rock is a huge falsehood.

ACHTUNG: The lovely Style Graduate is looking for a contributor to handle the wedding beat at her eponymous blog. If you’re on the ball when it comes to matrimonial style (or know someone who is) drop her a line!