Category Archives: Wedding Rings

21 Jun

Wedding Trends – 2016 to 2017

If you’re a couple planning for a wedding for late 2016 or early 2017 this article is for you.  Schwanke-Kasten invites you to consider the information below that explores the hot wedding trends!

Hot Wedding Trends

The Dress!

One of the biggest decisions for brides, pink wedding gowns are on trend.  While white is still the timeless and elegant choice for traditional looks.  Brides with modern sensibilities are choosing dresses that are a shade of pale pink or blush pink.  Dresses with texture will also take center stage in 2017.  Wispy feathers, floral embellishments, or hand-sewn beading can add a chic, modern touch to your dress.

Wedding Trends - Schwanke-Kasten : The Dress

The Wedding Party!

Matching the attire of all of your bridesmaids or groomsmen is losing favor.  Instead choose an array of shades in the same color family to complement your chosen décor, or pick a mix of textures in similar tones.  If your wedding colors don’t work for the groomsmen, have them wear various shades of a neutral color.  Think different shades of brown, grey, or white/cream.

The Cake?

One of the latest trends for the cake are animated cakes where animation sequences are projected onto an all-white wedding cake.  Other couples are choosing to forego the traditional wedding cake and instead opting for tiered displays of other delectable desserts.

 Schwanke Kasten Whats Hot - Cake

The Flowers?

The next big thing in wedding florals is no florals.  In place of florals couples are choosing simple arrangements of green leaves, branches or palms.  Greens can add more elegance and nature to your wedding and typically help to make your guests feel much more fresh and comfortable.

 

The Rings!

In addition, stacked rings for women remain very popular.  Can’t decide on a stone, metal, setting, or style? Stacked rings are the solution.  They allow you to get a little bit of everything you like and find creative ways to place them together.  Stacked rings also allow flexibility.  You can alter the look depending on an occasion, what you’re wearing, or what becomes trendy in the years to come.  Explore our line of engagement rings and weddings rings on our Schwanke-Kasten website for some ideas.  For men, cobalt wedding bands remain popular.  In fact, they have a lightweight feel which is welcomed by men not accustomed to wearing rings.  Furthermore, they’re elegant, durable, scratch-resistant, and easy to clean.  Explore our Schwanke-Kasten colbat wedding bands for men.

Schwanke Kasten Whats Hot - Mens Wedding Bands

02 Jun

Schwanke Kasten Wedding Bands: Ida Wedding Band

Schwanke Kasten Wedding Bands

Stop by our store to peruse our selection of Schwanke Kasten Wedding Bands. One of the many Schwanke Kasten Wedding Bands is part of the Naledi Collection. The Ida Wedding Band comes in 14K white gold, 18K gold or platinum ring.  Moreover, the Ida Wedding Band perfectly pairs with the Ida Engagement Ring.

Schwanke Kasten Wedding Bands

In addition, the Ida Engagement Ring is comes yellow, white, rose gold or platinum. Furthermore, the Ida Engagement Ring looks gorgeous with a round brilliant, asscher emerald, or cushion-cut diamond.

It has .35 ctw side diamonds and, depending on the center stone you choose, this ring can accommodate carat weights of .55 to 5.0 diamond.

Schwanke Kasten Jewelers encourages you to consider the Ida Wedding Band and the Ida Engagement Ring on our Schwanke Kasten website.

24 May

Wedding Rings and Bands for Women

In addition to a beautiful engagement ring, you will have to choose from a wide variety of wedding rings for your finance. Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers has provided you some ideas for wedding rings.

Wedding Rings - White Gold Half Round Milgrain Band, 5mm

Source: Schwanke Kasten Jewelers

This 2.5mm, comfort-fit, milgrain wedding ring is made with 14K white gold, but can also be created with platinum or yellow gold – as well as in other widths.  While this stunning band can be worn alone, its beauty really shines when banded with one of our eternity bands such as:

Non-Diamond Wedding Rings

Pink Sapphire Eternity Band

Created by Spark Creations, this eternity band includes a .65 ctw pink sapphire and is set in 18 karat yellow gold.

Ruby Eternity Band

In addition, Spark Creations made this .65 ctw ruby set eternity band set in 18k yellow gold.

Sapphire Eternity Band

This gorgeous eternity band has a .65 ctw sapphire set in 18 karat white gold

Tsavorite Eternity Band

Also created by Spark Creations, this eternity band includes a 1.30 ctw channel tsavorite set in 18 karat yellow.

Black Diamond Eternity Band

Furthermore, Spark Creations created this .59 ctw black diamond band set in 18 karat white gold.

Schwanke Kasten Jewelers invites you to explore more about this gorgeous white gold wedding band on our Schwanke Kasten website.

 

 

 

13 Apr

Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers Wedding Bands

Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers presents the Dura Cobalt wedding band. It is completely hypo-allergic. Out of all of the contemporary wedding ring metals, cobalt chrome looks the most like white gold.  This makes it the perfect alternative to those who can’t wear gold.

Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers Dura Cobalt Domed Band

Source: Schwanke Kasten

Cobalt wedding rings are available in comfort fit wedding band styles and have a pleasing weight.  Another plus for using Cobalt wedding bands, is that they have an extremely high resistance to scratching and will maintain their original condition even under intense wear.

In addition, Cobalt is a pure element which – like platinum, tungsten, silver, palladium, and titanium. Goldsmiths will add Chromium to increase wear properties of Cobalt wedding bands.  Furthermore, Cobalt is a naturally magnetic material. Also, goldsmiths use chrome alloys to strip the magnetic property of cobalt wedding bands.

The Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers Dura Cobalt Band is 6 mm wide. This ring has a slight dome with a ridge and a polished finish. Moreover, it’s extremely durable and it will stay white without re-plating; it is sizable to 1/4 size.

Explore the Dura Cobalt Domed Band, 6 mm from Schwanke Kasten on the Schwanke Kasten Jewelers website today for more information.

 

05 Apr

Eternity Band with Black Diamonds

The Black Diamond Eternity Band is a beautiful masterpiece from Spark Creations.  It has a .59 ctw black diamond and is set in 18 karat white gold.  This wedding band looks fantastic with a white gold band, a band with diamonds, or with other colored stones.

Schwanke Kasten Black Diamond Eternity Band for weddings

Source: Schwanke Kasten

Spark Creations is a leader in the creation of beautiful, precious diamond jewelry and they have been industry leaders for over forty years.  The unique selling point of all Spark Creations designs is the cut of the diamonds and stones.  Spark Creations has its stones especially faceted for all of its designs.  (Read more about Spark Creations).

Furthermore, diamonds can come in different colors and, like with most colored diamonds, natural black diamonds are extremely rare. They appear opaque because of their “polycrystalline” structure which prevents them from reflecting light. In fact, the diamonds are real and are filled with dark inclusions (namely graphite) to give them the blackened look.

Black diamonds are extremely popular these days and are often paired with white diamonds.  While the price of black diamonds was fairly low in years past, they are now seen as more valuable.

Explore the Black Diamond Eternity Band from Schwanke Kasten on the Schwanke Kasten Jewelers website today for more information.

15 Mar

Spark Creations – Wedding Bands

Diamond Band by Spark Creations on Schwanke Kasten

Source: Schwanke-Kasten.com

Spark Creations has been a leading creator of beautiful, precious jewelry for over forty years, including wedding bands.

Spark Creations began with in New York, NY with two brothers (Eli and Beny Aviram). The brothers focused on colored gemstones and fashion jewelry. With its unique collection of jewelry and  versatile designs, Spark has emerged as one of leaders in the fashion industry.  While every season their innovative new collections take signature jewelry icons into a modern dimension, they continuing to offer classic, timeless, pieces for the sophisticated woman.

Moreover, Spark Creations’ unique selling point is how they cut their diamonds and stones. They facet their stones solely for their unique designs, unlike many others who use stones off the shelf.

Schwanke-Kasten invites you to learn more their wedding bands on Schwanke-Kasten.com. In addition, Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers is a proud to retail this impressive brand.

04 Feb

Unique Wedding Rings

Unique Wedding Rings

In the age of the computer, unique wedding rings have become a commonplace. However it wasn’t always like this. The very first wedding bands were made of braided plant material, ceremoniously given and worn, and most frequently from the same type of materials. The symbolism of the rings took preference over appearance and style.

Unique Wedding Rings - Schwanke-Kasten JewelersThroughout the ages, wedding rings had their moments of being lavish, most notably among royalty and the elite.  Other periods focused on humble and muted looks, such as during the 1700’s in America.

Until recent decades, there has been a certain continuity of this humble approach to wedding rings in America. The only real decisions to be made were about the metal used to construct, and if there were a particular desire to have matching bands, bands which reflect the other’s taste, and the ring size.

In the computer age of big dreams, strong visions, and unlimited creativity people aspire for uniqueness. Today we are now seeing some absolutely incredibly original ideas.

Here are some of the unique wedding rings we have found out in the wild:

The Decoder Ring

The CEO of website BoingBoing has fashioned an unique wedding ring inspired perhaps by both the Lord of the Rings series and the comic book favorite – the decoder ring.

Built of three or more segments, wearers can rotate the ring to reveal a secret message. There’s nothing in the rule book that says that a decoder ring can’t be a wedding ring!

The USB Ring

Crystal masters Swarovski have been commissioned to produce a one-off ring for a couple of tech enthusiasts with an incredible and timeless utility. In fact, these rings feature a tiny USB drive surrounded by Swarovski crystal and, although they don’t conform to the traditional circular band, they allow the wearers to exchange data, photos, poems, etc. with each other through the very rings with brought them into the unity of marriage.

Couples can populate the USB drive with wedding photos or videos, photos of the kids, to share and cherished by the other.

The Gamer’s Ring

That’s right!  Internet/game themed rings!  Some of these rings stay close to the traditional circular ring. However, other rings will inlay jewels to represent the different buttons on a PlayStation or Xbox controller. There are rings which represent aspects of Super Mario Brothers, Portal, or even simple keyboard emoticons such as “ <3 <3 <3” (these are “hearts” as written in keyboard-speak).  There’s even a Lord of the Rings band of platinum, complete with Elvish writing.

Furthermore, Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers understands that these rings are unique and quite personalized.  They’re not for the average couple!   Visit our Schwanke-Kasten website to see a wide selection of beautiful, traditional wedding bands. Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers has a number of non-diamond engagement rings too.

01 Feb

Wedding Band Buying Tips

That special moment arrives and you hear those magic words “Yes! Yes, darling! I will marry you!”  Now’s time to begin looking for your wedding band and Schwanke-Kasten is here to help you explore the common questions. Should they be shopped for together? How much is your budget? Do you and your fiancée’s taste in rings have to be the same?

In this article, Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers will provide you some useful tips for finding that perfect ring and the factors you should consider.

A wedding ring is even more powerful than an engagement ring, albeit a bit more humble. It is the ring itself – the unending circle of eternal love. Although gems and settings are left to the engagement ring, there are still many choices to be made. Take these tips into consideration to speed up the process and make choosing the rings more of a beautiful adventure than a dilemma.

Wedding Band Ideas

Every couple has their own set of styles and ideas. Before hitting the shops, sit down and talk about what each of you envisions for the other. Give examples of what you’d like. Listen to your fiancée’s input as well. Peruse the Schwanke-Kasten website for inspiration and suggestions.  You can also do internet searches on certain elements you want to explore such as the metal, gems or no gems, matching or independent. Some wedding rings even interlock when taken off.

It’s also important for the woman to decide how she would like her ring to compliment her engagement ring.

Once these initial details have been worked out, you can both start focusing on your ideal rings.

wedding band ideas by Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers

Choose a Budget

Of course, it’s important to have an upper limit set for what type of wedding band you are financially able to procure. It would be a great disappointment to get your heart set on a ring that sadly might cost you a year’s salary. Understand in what range you should be looking, and stick to those choices.

Custom Rings or a Ring Set

Just because a custom ring feels more personal, a budget constraint could mean that the pre-paired “ring sets” are right for you. These ring sets do come in many different and beautiful styles, with the lady’s engagement and wedding rings form-fitting to each other for an elegant and cohesive presentation. Prices are much lower than buying custom made pieces, but that is usually due to the number of rings being sold in one transaction. A ring set does not mean that it is low quality. Many couples choose these sets and find that they are made of quality materials and are elegant.

Custom Rings

If money isn’t a concern, and you’re the creative type, designing custom rings is a deviation from the traditional which could take you anywhere. White, Rose, or standard gold. Carbon fiber and small gems, unique shapes and forms are all styles you can have hand-crafted for you.

But it’s very important to find the right metallurgist to construct these items. Reviews, word of mouth, reputations of the craftsman are all necessary. Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers can help you determine how long it takes to craft your rings. The more hours quoted means the higher attention to detail and perfection they will spend on your special rings.

With your rings being of such importance, it pays to spend as much time researching not only your styles and budget offerings, but also where it came from. You want nothing but the best for these symbols of life-long love, so educate yourself as much as you can, and ask for help along the way. Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers loves to help bring happiness into lives of couples seeking rings, and we’re always here to help you make the best choices possible.

Good luck and congratulations!

29 Jan

History of Engagement Rings and Wedding Bands

Schwanke-Kasten explores some history of engagement rings and wedding bands.

The tradition of placing a wedding band on the fourth finger of the left hand has origins dating back to Ancient Egypt.  The history of engagement rings represents a sacred bond between a man and a woman, monogamy, and the strength of Love.

The history of engagement rings began in Egypt, and the nearby North-African lands. Lovers would express one’s undying love through braiding plants. The plants fibers were placed on their lover’s ring finger to signify immortal love. Furthermore, the choice of this finger on the left hand was due to the belief of a vein that connected this finger directly to the heart.

history of engagement rings - Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers

In Ancient Rome, engagement rings were used by suitors to tell others that a person was spoken for. The widespread art and use of decorative metallurgy meant that these rings became similar to ring styles we see today.

Middle Ages

However, one and a half millennia later, in Middle-age Europe onward through the religious wars from 1400-1600, the puritanical and American colonial days leaned toward a less gaudy and pretentious styles, the ring was outlawed by the religious powers for being obscene and worthless. Until the late 16th century, suitors gave a simple and more utilitarian thimbles to their lovers.  Once the bride married, she removed the bottom of the thimble and wore it as a wedding band.

In the 1700’s, as the style became more in-line with the notion of commoner jewelry. Both women and men began to wear modern circular wedding bands at all times. They would never remove the bands as a statement of the eternal bond.  The exchange of rings between bride and groom became the standard after World War II.

Whereas the only type of pre-marriage ring in the times leading up to the actual marriage was a thimble, the engagement ring became a part of the marriage rituals in 1477 by Archduke Maximilian of Austro-Hungaria as he proposed to Mary of Burgundy with a ring set with diamonds in the shape of an “M”.

To show off status, wealth and desire, men would use engagement rings to persuade women. In 1217, the Bishop of Salisbury declared that these rings of seduction be legally binding. When a suitor gave a women a ring she became a fiancee.

Modern Day

Later on into the 20th century, an ad campaign by De Beers cemented the diamond as “the” choice of stone for engagement rings. This brings us up to the modern wedding bands and engagement rings of our time.

25 Jan

Caring For Your Rings

RING CARE

Ring care for wedding and engagement rings is crucial for one of the most valuable and important parts of what you wear day-to-day. A ring that was properly taken care of will look as good as the day it was made. There are many materials to keep in mind when cleaning and maintaining the rings, and understanding how to care for each component is of the utmost importance. What will clean one part of your ring may damage another. In this article, Schwanke-Kasten suggests some of the more important things to remember when caring for your rings.

First and foremost – DON’T LOSE YOUR RING!

As you consider the seaside areas that are very popular with newlyweds, the metal detector brigade sweeping the sands each night and Ring Care Tactics from Schwanke-Kasten Jewelersmorning seem to find more than a few wedding and engagement rings in the sand and surf. It’s very important to notice the fit of your ring at all times. Have you lost weight recently? Have you been working with slippery substances like, for example, suntan lotion?

Whenever you perform activities that could cause yours hands to sweat, either pay close attention to your rings, or better yet, remove them completely. Today’s world brings many different ways that ring could slide right off unnoticed, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. Make sure the ring size is correct too. You may need to resize your ring.

When washing dishes, always remove your rings. You can purchase ring holders made specifically for this situation. They look like upside-down mushrooms. Place your rings over the “stem”, and you will never have to fish your ring out of the plumbing .

Another common way people lose rings is while dressing and undressing. Make sure you put your rings on last after your blouse, shirt, or other topwear. Fibers can pull them off and they will remain unnoticed as they slip through the clothing and onto the ground.

Do Your Research

If you want to properly conduct ring care yourself, do your research. Make sure you know exactly what reactions your cleaner will have with the ring. What may be fine for gold may be destructive to gems, and vice-versa. Even things like make-up and hair products can damage these materials.

Bring it to Us

Have a professional jeweler steam clean your ring. It only takes a few minutes. The ring will perfect as the day it first went on your finger, especially if your ring has etchings of any kind, for those crevasses will need special attention that a home solution may either not clean adequately, or scratch the surface and mar the ring entirely.

Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers can help you to take proper care of your ring so it can become an heirloom to be passed down through generations of your family. Ring care is important.