Wedding and Engagement Rings

The History of the Claddagh Ring

The name "Claddagh" refers to a small fishing village in Galway County (now part of Galway City) in the west of Ireland which has in itself much history attached to it.

Legend has it that the symbol was originated by Richard Joyce, a Galway seafarer who was kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery in North Africa. Here he learnt the art of goldsmithing. When he was released he returned to his beloved Galway and became a master goldsmith where he created the Claddagh ring. For centuries this jewellery was used as a wedding ring by the fisher folk of Claddagh village, which nestled outside the walls of Galway City in the west of Ireland.

Claddagh rings are nowadays worn as friendship, engagement or wedding rings, depending on how they are worn. For friendship, the ring is worn anywhere on the right hand. As an engagement the ring it is worn on the third finger of your left hand with the heart pointing outwards. As a wedding ring it is worn on the third finger of your left hand with the heart pointing inwards towards your heart.

You can search for a Claddagh ring on ebay Smart Jewellery

It is not known exactly when and where the Hope Diamond was discovered, but it was prior to 1668 and most likely in the Golconda area of India. The 45.52 carat steel blue Hope Diamond was found as a rough crystal weighing 112 carats. It first came to light when Jean Baptiste Tavernier, the noted French traveller of the 17th century, was approached in India by a slave who had a very secretive manner about him.

It turned out that he had in his possession an intriguing steel blue stone which at first look seemed to be a large sapphire, but the well-experienced Tavernier soon realized it was a diamond - the largest deep blue diamond in the world.

Tavernier purchased the stone and smuggled it to Paris, where he later sold it to King Louis XIV. It was cut there into a triangular-pear-shaped stone weighing 67.50 carats, and was then known as the French Blue or the Tavernier Blue.

The legends of bad luck following the possessors of the Hope Diamond are many. From the start Louis XIV, who because of his harsh rule, was killed by his own men and had ill-fortune follow him, perhaps deservedly, all his life.

Louis XIV gave the diamond to his mistress, Madame de Montespan, but she soon lost her place as the royal favourite.

Nicolas Fouquet Louis X!V's finance minister, borrowed the diamond in order to impress the Court at a festival to honour the King. However, it was not long before the King had Nicolas arrested for embezzlement and he spent the remaining 15 years of his life in prison at the Fortress of Pignerol where he died.

In 1749 Louis XV had the diamond, now known as the French Blue, set into a piece of ceremonial jewellery for the Order of the Golden Fleece, which also featured a large white diamond and a red spinel, and was only worn by the king.

During the reign of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette the French Revolution erupted, and sometime between September 11th and September 17th, 1792, the royal treasury was looted and the Crown Jewels, including the French Blue, disappeared. Marie Antoinette and the Princesse de Lamballe both lost their lives on the guillotine.

The diamond then disappeared, and for many years it was not heard of at all, but in 1830, a large steel blue diamond of a different shape, and weighing only 44.50 carats appeared on the market in England was purchased by Henry Thomas Hope, an English banker. In 1851 the diamond was shown at a London exhibition and was insured for a million dollars.

It was later inherited by a descendant, Lord Francis Pelham Clinton Hope. His wife, formerly a prominent American actress, ran away with another man. She died in Boston, Mass., in 1913, practically penniless and forgotten. Lord Hope eventually went bankrupt and again, the diamond vanished, only to be discovered by the estate trustees after it had been sold as a piece of costume jewellery.

The next owner was Abdul Hamid II, Sultan of Turkey, Caliph of Israel, Prince of the Faithful, Master of the World (plus a few more lowly titles). His subjects called him Abdul the Damned and did not take lightly to his despotic rule. He paid $450,000 (which rightfully belonged to his people) to a syndicate of diamond dealers. Then he gave the diamond to Subaya, one of the four wives and 233 concubines who shared his harem. She started palace intrigue against the Sultan, who found out and had her executed. He had the jewel smuggled to Paris to be sold but meanwhile, he was dethroned and received not a penny of the proceeds which were seized by his successors in government.

Mrs. Evelyn Walsh McLean bought the stone in January, 1911 and frequently wore it at her famous Washington parties.

In 1949, two years after her death, Harry Winston purchased the McLean collection which contained not only the Hope Diamond, but the Star of the East Diamond as well. He later gave it to the nation, and it is now on display in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C.

The world contains many gems of great repute. But by all standards of comparison, for fame or infamy, no other jewel so captured the imagination as did the Hope Diamond and it's predecessor the French Blue. Truly it is the Queen of the Court of Jewels. Source: Lapidary Journal, August 1961

I will be posting stories of other famous diamonds on
www.squidoo.com/famous-diamonds

Month
January - Garnet means Constancy
February - Amethyst means Sincerity
March - Aquamarine or Bloodstone mean Courage
April - Diamond means Lasting Love or Innocence
May - Emerald means Success or Love
June - Pearl or Moonstone means Purity, Good Health
July - Ruby means Passion or Contentment
August - Peridot or Agate mean Happiness and Love
September - Sapphire means Wisdom and Clear thought
October - Opal means Hope
November - Topaz means Fidelity
December - Turquoise means Harmony
or Lapis Lazuli means prosperity.

The tradition of giving a ring dates back to Roman times - a ring symbolising a never-ending commitment. Also it was the Romans who first started the tradition of putting the ring on the third finger of the left hand as that finger is supposedly connected directly to the heart by the vein of love (vena amoris).

Once put on you were expected to take it off only in exceptional circumstances. I would suggest however that you do take your ring off when washing-up, gardening or performing other DIY tasks. Gold is a soft metal and easily worn away and Diamonds are very hard and can scratch other objects. Besides, when you have made a major investment in your wedding rings it would be a shame to let them lose their lustre by becoming encrusted with grease and dirt.

Puritans at the time of the Civil War thought that any jewellery was a sign of vanity so tried to have wedding rings banned. They did not succeed, but people at that time decided it was prudent to wear just a plain gold band rather than anything ornate and that tradition has endured.

How to Select the Perfect Pearls for Your Bride Gift.

There is nothing more beautiful to complement a wedding dress than a string of perfect pearls.

Buying fine jewellery is not difficult when you know the basics. Pearls come in a variety of shapes, colours and overtones, so what pearl type should you choose? What colour? What grade?
Here is a brief guide:

Akoya Pearls are known for their brilliant lustre, elegance and infinite versatility. They are perfect for a traditional wedding.

Cultured Freshwater Pearls - The latest best-kept secret. Cultured Freshwater Pearls look very similar to South Sea pearls in size and lustre and are the affordable alternative to the Akoya. They have uniformly round shapes, exceptional lustre, and an array of natural colours such as peach, lavender and white.

Tahitian Pearls -- If you're looking for something truly exceptional, look no further. Available in a tantalizing array of bold colours such as peacock, pistachio green and silver Tahitian Pearls are perfect for an exotic wedding.

White or Golden South Sea Pearls - These will captivate the woman you're about to marry! Available in an array of colours from the palest moonlight to molten gold, these pearls display a satiny lustre that begs to be touched! Celebrated by collectors everywhere for their amazing size.

How to Select the Perfect Grade.

"A" quality is the lowest quality that is commercially available. They will be off-shape and only moderately matched. The surface will have wrinkles, small cracks, white or brownish spots, dimples and other nasty blemishes that can affect the long-term quality of the pearl.

AA: This quality has less than 15% surface inclusions, and will have fair to good lustre. You should see a hazy reflection of yourself when looking at the surface. The shape will be round or with freshwater pearls, near-round and they should be well matched.

AA+: The lustre will be slightly sharper than the AA pearl. You should be able to see your reflection in the pearl and some background detail. Surface inclusions will be down to 10%. These pearls will be perfectly round in shape and well-matched.

AAA: The 'gem-quality' pearl has less than 5% inclusions over its surface, and can be completely free of inclusions. Lustre can vary slightly from pearl to pearl, but it will be sharper than AA+ quality. The nacre will be at its thickest, and should present a glowing surface that is slightly translucent. The shapes and matching of a strand of rounds should be excellent with little or no variation.

*HANADAMA: These pearls radiate light with a strong silvery-rose overtone, and display Orient, rainbow iridescences that shimmer on the pearl's surface. They are the absolute best Akoya pearls that you can buy.

Now that you received a little crash course in pearl selection, you are ready to surprise your bride with some amazing jewellery she'll treasure for a lifetime!

http://www.purepearls.com