Tag Archives: unique wedding rings

02 Aug

Marquise Diamonds

marquise diamonds - victoria beckham engagement ring

One of the most unique and definitive engagement ring diamond cuts are marquise diamonds. Jewelers and fans also refer to marquise cuts as football cuts, cat-eye cuts and boat cuts because of the highly elongated elliptical shape. This 58 faceted diamond cut is actually a vintage style and looks great on long, slender fingers. Furthermore, this romantic cut breathes an aristocratic air and carries a royal pedigree.

According to the legend, marquise diamonds date back to the 18th century where “King Louis XV commissioned a jewelry to design a diamond cut that resembled the lips of Jean Antoinette Poisson, his mistress”. Furthermore, these diamonds also signify a rank just below duke, where individuals would actually wear these diamonds to signify said rank.

Additionally, gemologist originally design marquise cuts for diamonds, however jewelers now use these cuts with emeralds, rubies and sapphires.

Custom Marquise Diamond Engagement Ring by Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers
Custom Marquise Diamond Engagement Ring by Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers

Marquise Diamonds – TIPS

  • Marquise cuts are a fairly extreme cut when it comes to diamond cuts, so they are susceptible to chipping, so you may want to look for a mounting with protective prongs along the ends of the diamond.
  • A higher cut grade is important for the marquise diamond. Typically, elongated shapes tend to form a bow tie effect in the middle of the stone. Additionally, the symmetry of marquise cuts are very important.
  • One noticeable benefit is that marquise cuts tend to make the center stone look larger.

Do you like marquise diamonds? You know who else does too? Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice, Ashley Simpson and THE Catherine Zeta Jones.

Ashlee Simpson Marquise Diamond Engagement Ring
Ashlee Simpson Marquise Diamond Engagement Ring

At Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, we can create the perfect marquise diamond (or other precious gemstone) engagement ring. Additionally, stop by our Whitefish Bay or Milwaukee location to talk with our in-house gemologist.

16 Oct

Non-Diamond Engagement Rings

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The Beauty of Non-Diamond Engagement Rings

Is your soulmate one to skip to her own beat? Than you may want to consider non-diamond engagement rings. With brilliant marketing campaigns, such as “diamonds are forever”, and their stunning beauty, diamonds have been typically perceived as the norm for engagement rings. However, this hasn’t always been the case. In fact, prior to the 1930’s, other gemstones were often the centerpiece for engagement rings. At Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, we’ll take a look at several non-diamond alternatives and why someone may opt to choose a precious gemstone for their engagement ring.

So why consider a non-diamond engagement ring? For one, you may have a family heirloom gemstone you can custom fit it as an engagement ring. This shows true love spanning generations and makes for a unique and deeply personal connection with the ring. You may opt to choose a ring based your bride-to-be’s birthstone.

Our SK Sapphire Diamond Engagement Ring

This beautiful example of displaying a birthstone (Sapphire is September’s birthstone) as the centerpiece of an engagement ring.

Non-Diamond Engagement Ring - Sapphire Three Stone Ring in Platinum

Furthermore, precious gemstones typically have various metaphysical properties. One common example, which is a Roberto Coin motif, is the ruby (specifically touching the skin of the bearer). The ruby, worn close to the skin, is said to “promoted long life, health and happiness and even today it is believed to possess these magic powers including the extraordinary ability to give peace” (Roberto Coin). Or, you may simply just want to be unique and use a non-diamond gemstone. Either way, there are plenty of alternatives.

Make sure to stop by Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers to see how we can help you find, build and guide you to the perfect engagement ring!

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Stop by Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers today to see our beautiful collection of both diamond & non-diamond engagement rings.

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.