We are honored to have been included in Style Girlfriend's LEVELED-UP ENGAGEMENT RING GUIDE. Among many nuggets of wisdom are a couple of favorites: 1. SNOOPING IS ENCOURAGE and it's good to do your homework, but....
2. IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT THE SIZE (OR PRICE)
Read the whole guide here!
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6 Things You Need to Know to Select the Ideal Men's Wedding Ring + Our Current Favorite Sources9/23/2016 We. Will. Keep. It. SIMPLE. Here are the major things you need to know about men's wedding bands: 1. ON MATCHING: Her wedding band needs to match whatever metal the engagement ring is. So if her engagement ring is platinum, her wedding band needs to be platinum, too. If her engagement ring is 18K yellow gold, so should her wedding ring be. Unless you are mixing metal colors, stick to one metal type. However, YOUR ring doesn't need to match hers. So go with what you truly like the look and feel of! Definitely consider all the options: white gold, platinum, palladium, yellow gold, rose gold, matted, hammered, an alternative metal... 2. ON WIDTH: The most standard width for a men's wedding ring is somewhere between 4 - 6 millimeters. If you want a thinner, lighter band, then choose something closer to 4mm. If you want a wider, heftier band, then skew closer to 6mm. The 5mm is dead on "classic". Thinner than 4mm is totally cool, but on the slimmer and more feminine side. And wider than that is also a great look, but it's certainly going to feel heavier and bulkier. 3. ON METAL & STYLE CHOICE: If you decide to go with a white metal, then we strongly Fancy. Color. Diamonds. Yep, that’s a gemological term! Any diamond that isn’t your typical crystalline white color is likely considered a “fancy color”. Yellow, blue, green, red, chocolate, champagne… the list goes on. Fancy colored diamonds are less common for most folks to choose for a central engagement ring gem, but they are real dang cool and we love it when we do get to work with a client to select one. For those considering a colored diamond engagement ring, we tapped Emily Duke of Diamond Envy. She’s the first person we call when we are on the hunt of a fancy colored diamond and she’s here to give us all a little background on How Fancy Colored Diamonds Work! What are the most popular of colored diamonds? Yellow was the gateway to color for most people. “Canary diamonds” as they are often called, are still very popular along with brown or “chocolate” diamonds (Levian’s trademarked term.) They are more abundant in nature and are therefore, a very affordable option for diamond lovers. Thanks to impressive auction results over the past decade, along with some celebrity attention, pinks and blues are also quite desirable. They are much rarer though, so prices are significantly higher - a collector’s item of sorts. Are colored diamonds more expensive than traditional colorless/near colorless diamonds? Yes and no. Colorless and natural colored diamonds are both valued based on rarity. As I mentioned above, yellows and browns are mined frequently so their prices are generally lower, especially compared to a D (colorless) flawless diamond. Very rare colors though, like green, purple and red are so rarely discovered that they can sell for over $1 million per carat, blowing colorless diamonds out of the water! Of course other factors like carat weight and color intensity can affect price too. What is your opinion of lab created colored diamonds? Lab created diamonds are interesting. Right now they are being touted as an eco-friendly and conflict-free alternative to mined diamonds - but that might be a whole separate conversation to have. As far as their beauty? I can’t say for sure. I would say that because they have the same chemical makeup, they can be just as lovely. Color treated diamonds though, to me, are just not as incredible as the real deal. Many are “coated” with a color that can wear off or chip. Others are heat treated to get better color. Part of the intrigue of natural colored diamonds is that Mother Nature combined these rare forces to give us unique jewels. Is there a specific shape and color combo that you see time and time again? Diamonds with natural color are a challenge to cut. From the rough, the cutter wants to bring out the most color. Rounds are best at reflecting white light so the shape is best for colorless diamonds. Brilliant cut fancy shapes (cushion, oval, radiant, pear, marquise) bring out the color best. We see a lot of yellow radiants because they produce strong color. As far as fashion and demand, we’re seeing a pretty big surge in cushions and pink just keeps gaining popularity. Yellows will probably always have a place in the business though because they are pretty and affordable. Is there a specific shape and color combo that you think is amazing that the general population just hasn't tapped into yet? I think chameleon diamonds are just absolutely insane. They change color and scientists aren’t completely sure why. How cool? They are priced really well too but that likely won’t last if we see a spike in demand.… maybe it’s just because my favorite color is green! My other thought on this has to do with saturation. I think it’s interesting that most shoppers only want really strong color. A nice fancy light pink oval? So dreamy. Plus, they’re way more budget friendly than fancy intense or vivid options. What are your favorite setting designs for a colored diamond? I’m not a fan of the halo when it comes to colorless diamonds, but when you put some bright whites around a colored diamond, the color really pops. I think a traditional three stone is also nice for the same reason. There’s something so chic about taking a classic style and adding your own twist - in this case, a colored diamond center. How long have you been working with colored diamonds? Why did you choose this avenue? Our founder grew up in the business and he’s had his own wholesale company for over 15 years. He started out cutting colorless diamonds, but when he came across natural colored diamonds, he fell in love. I started in the industry just 3 short years ago but I’m hooked too! For us, color is exciting. Each stone is unique and special. There’s so much to learn and see. We have an affinity for rare. Since starting in colored diamonds, we’ve added emeralds, sapphires and rubies to our inventory. We focus on each stone individually. If it’s extraordinary, we’re interested. We always joke that it’s hard to sell because we have a hard time parting with something so beautiful. It can be a challenge to find natural colored diamonds in retailers across the US and the world, so we decided to share our passion with everyone. In 2013 we launched DiamondEnvy.com to bring our rare inventory to the web. Dudes, meet GEM HUNT. This is the place your girlfriend goes on the internet when she’s hunting down the best engagement ring styles for her secret engagement ring Pinterest page or indulging in some online hot diamond materials before moving on to her next task in Asana. Editor Catherine Cason founded GEM HUNT after becoming engaged a few years ago. She is witty, irreverent, fun, and knowledgeable so we asked her to share some sage advice with you. Dear Men,
Congratulations, you are looking to get engaged. I will be straight with you being engaged is awesome — all champagne bubbles and fun. That said, It's always a pleasure to chat with the good people at GH. Check out this piece on Lab Diamonds vs. Real Diamonds. We answer the following questions: 1. What is a lab diamond? 2. What makes lab diamonds different than earth mined diamonds? 3. Are there different ways of making a lab diamond? 4. Do lab diamonds cost less than earth mined diamonds? 5. Who is a lab diamond for? 6. Do you think lab diamonds will be become more popular? 7. Where do you think is the best places to shop for a lab diamond? 8. Tell us about the "Real Is Rare" movement and what does it mean to consumers? And it turns out that we've got some stuff to say! Check out our answers here.... "Thanks for bringing something innovative and fresh to the industry! So innovative and brilliant!" - Judith, MakeHerSayDuh.com LITTLE BIRD has something very dear in common with the team over at Make Her Say Duh = we believe in going the extra mile to help our clients imagine super personalized jewelry. Recently, Judith at MHSD chatted it up with LITTLE BIRD founder Danielle Mainas. The most common engagement ring questions, engagement ring mood boards, the most memorable proposal stories, best precious metals, lab created diamonds and dream engagement ring trends, it's all here. Thank you for a great interview, Make Her Say Duh! The mutual admiration society is strong. xoxo" The Birds The terms "cut" and "shape" are sometimes used interchangeably both among jewelry experts and jewelry shoppers. There is a significant difference, so we thought we would lay things out for you in two quick lessons: 1. There's No "C" in "Shape"Here are some of the most common diamond shapes you will encounter on your search. People often confuse shape with "cut" which is one of the 4 c's of diamond grading. Cut refers to proportions, shape just means... well, shape. Check out these shapes. Want to know more? If you have any questions you are welcome to contact us for help. 2. The 4th C is for "Cut"The cut of a diamond refers to the proportions and angles of the facets in a ROUND BRILLIANT. Much like the cut of a suit, it is a major factor in the quality of the diamond. This chart shows the proportions that make the best use of a diamond's refractive index to bounce the maximum amount of light upwards and into the eye. A well cut diamond will appear brighter, more lively and will capture the eye. Do you really need to memorize this chart? No. But you should definitely double check the chart of a diamond that you are buying against this standard. This chart only applies to round brilliants. If you are looking for a cushion cut diamond, radiant cut diamond, emerald cut diamond, princess cut diamond, the gorgeous oval cut diamond, or maybe even an Asscher, marquise or pear cut diamond, or any of the other shapes, things can get complicated. Please drop us a line for a free double check or a quick consultation. with care, The Birds 4 Ways Little Bird Can Help You Design or Locate your Ideal Engagement Ring or Wedding Bands6/14/2016
Thank you Offbeat Bride for putting together such a fun and super well written piece about how Little Bird Engagement Ring Consultants help our clients nail their dream rings. We've officially made Engagement Ring Consultants "a thing"? It's so so exciting.
xoxo, The Birds In a sea of fashion bloggers there are but a few standout jewelry bloggers. Chief among them, Gem Hunt. On the average day, Gem Hunt reports on all things hip while eating diamonds for breakfast. Us Little Birds? Well, we are usually deep into diamond selections and proposal planning. So GH interviewed LB on how to make sure you and your finance are on the same page when to comes selecting the perfect engagement ring! 4. Would you want to design something together or would you want to surprise me out of the blue? Known for their insatiable appetite for well-cut carbon and rock solid fine designers, Gem Hunt's Intagram is quickly becoming a must-follow...
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