Tag Archives: wedding rings tips

08 Feb

New Engagement Rings Website

Naledi Bridal Collection at Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers in Milwaukee

With Valentine’s Day, the second most popular day for proposals, coming up. We redesigned our Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers engagement rings website to be more intuitive.

We created an easy-to-use web page to help you understand how to select the perfect diamond engagement ring.

Start at the diamond education page, “All About Diamonds”, where briefly highlight several questions you should ask yourself before shopping. Then dive into the 4 C’s of diamond quality. The actual diamond is the bulk of your cost; therefore, it’s very important to fully understand what you are looking for when selecting a diamond.

engagement rings - schwanke-kasten jewelers

Once you have an idea of what kind of diamond you want, we recommend checking out our “Engagement Ring Mounting Ideas” page to see the different ways your beautiful diamond can be mounted into a ring setting.  While the rings showcased here represent some of our more popular styles, we encourage you to stop in at our Whitefish Bay location to see our complete engagement collection.  With an on-site GIA certified gemologist and a goldsmith we can easily make your dream ring a reality.

Have the ring? Here are some ideas on where to propose in Milwaukee.

04 Aug

Diamond Vocab – Words and Phrases to Know

Diamond Vocab - Schwanke-Kasten Solitaire Engagement Ring

Picking out a diamond can be nerve-racking. Therefore, at Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, our aim is to deliver the most comfortable engagement ring shopping experience as possible. In fact, we devised a quick “cheat-sheet” on diamond vocab that you should be aware of!

Diamond Vocab

“GIA” – Gemological Institute of America. In fact, this organization is one of the most well-regarded diamond grading laboratories and is responsible for developing the most widely used grading system.

“Four C’s” – Four qualities that determine the value of a diamond. They are Cut, Clarity, Color and Carat

  • “Cut” – The physical shape of the diamond as well as the effect of light that each shape plays on the appearance of the stone
    • “Brilliance” – The combination of brightness, fire and scintillation
      • “Brightness” – The amount of white light returned back through the crown of the diamond. Both internal and external returned light
      • “Fire” – Dispersed light that appears in the color spectrum
      • “Scintillation” – Intense sparkles from light when the diamond moves. Generally, appears as black or white
    • “Round Cut” – Most popular and greatest flexibility within the four C’s
    • “Fancy Shape” – Any diamond shape other than round
      • “Emerald Cut” – Square or rectangular shape with cut corners. However, on the crown and pavilion there are three concentric rows cut (think stair steps)
      • “Radiant Cut” – Resembles the cut of an emerald cut but with the brilliance of a round cut.
      • “Cushion Cut” – Also referred to as a “pillow cut” are square or rectangular cut diamonds with rounded edges
      • “Princess Cut” – Resembles a square or rectangle
      • “Pear Cut” – Resembles a tear drop
      • “Oval Cut” – An elongated round cut
      • “Marquise Cut” – Similar to an oval cut but with definitive points at each end
      • “Trilliant Cut” – Resembles a triangular cut
      • “Heart Shape” – Resembles a heart
    • “Clarity” –
      • “Inclusions” – Impure characteristics found within the diamond
      • “Blemishes” – External flaws on the surface of a diamond
    • “Carat” – Refers to the weight or size of the diamond. All other factors equal, the more carets the more expensive
      • “Point” – Refers to 1/100 of a carat
    • “Color” – Generally refers to the degree of absence of color.

Diamond Vocab – Parts of a diamond

  • “Crown” – The top half of a diamond
  • “Culet” – Protects the tip of the pavilion from being damaged
  • “Girdle” – The outer edge of a diamond
  • “Facet” – Any smooth flat surface of a diamond. Round brilliants almost always have 58 facets
  • “Table” – The largest facet and top part of the diamond
  • Pavilion – Lower half of a diamond
Diamond Ring – Diamond Vocab
  • “Mounting” – Is the full ring setting minus the “head” or center stone
  • “Semi-Mount” – A ring setting with the side stones pre-set. The main (center) stone is selected by the customer
  • “Shank” or “Band” – Refers to the metal of the ring that wraps around the finger
  • “Center Stone” – The main stone
    • “Prongs” – Hold the center stone in place
  • “Side Stones” – Diamonds that surround the main stone
    • “Halo” – Side stones that surround the main stone on all sides
  • “Shoulder” – Side stone diamonds that recede down from the center stone to the shank

Moreover, stop by Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers today to work with our highly trained sales employees and GIA certified gemologist to find the diamond as beautiful as your true love!

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!