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Cutting the Extras for Engagement Rings

March 5, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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So you’ve picked out the perfect ring for the woman you plan on marrying. You’ve stayed on budget by considering the differences in stones, bands and karat sizes and you’re happy with your choices. But now there’s a whole other world of jewelry costs, and you’re wondering if they’re inevitable or if you can get by on budget. Here’s a primer on what extras should be considered mandatory and which you can skip when it comes to picking out an engagement ring.

First, if you’re buying an antique ring or a ring at an estate sale, you’re probably getting a great deal—but it never hurts to check how good of a deal. When buying a piece of used jewelry, it’s smart to get it appraised before you buy. That ensures that you’re getting what you’re willing to pay for and not a clever knock-off or piece of costume jewelry that’s been masquerading as the real thing for years. Additionally, sometimes the person doing the selling (especially at estate sales) isn’t an expert in jewelry and may have merely estimated a price.

Jewelry insurance and extended warranties or service plans are a cost that you can consider cutting if your budget is swelling. Do cost calculations on premiums for both and figure out how long it would take you to buy a new ring with the cost of the program—that may help you decide that it isn’t worth it. Avoid in-store credit plans if possible and you’ll also avoid any finance charges they rack up.

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Filed Under: Celebrity Influence, Fashion Tagged With: , ,

Celebrities and Their Wedding Rings

February 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The world is chock full of celebrities who know both how to live well and how to spend unbelievable amounts of money to support their lifestyle. In many cases, everything they own has got to be far better than what the average person has. Needless to say, designers realize that since quality is of paramount importance and price is not an obstacle, the prices for items that celebrities love are often astronomical. In some cases, a person could claim to have a high income, merely from making enough money in a year to buy something such as a celebrity’s engagement ring. After all, diamond engagement rings are well known status symbols to almost everyone. The main difference is in a celebrity’s ability to afford the very best.
Take Reese Witherspoon, for instance. When her beau proposed to her, he presented her with a massive diamond ring that originally cost $250,000 and was custom made. While such an investment would seem ludicrous to most people, for this couple, such a purchase may have actually seemed to be in good, restrained taste. Not to say that the rich are necessarily gaudy by nature, but anyone who can spend six figures on a ring that will most likely herald a marriage of fewer than 10 years (the common length for Hollywood relationships) is living in a different world than most of us.
After all, when Mike Comrie proposed to Hilary Duff, he did not spend a “measly” six figures on his lady. When he dropped to one knee on a balcony in Hawaii, he opened a box containing a one million dollar ring bedecked with a 14 carat diamond. While most people can barely imagine having a million dollars in the first place, the wealthiest can buy such extravagant diamond engagement rings and think very little of it. One does wonder what he will do for their anniversaries, in order to top something like that.

Filed Under: Celebrity Influence, General Tagged With: , ,

Toronto is as Hip as Ever, if You Know Where to Look

February 4, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Many iconic locations have emerged, then shut down or decreased in volume and cutting edge pull, as the decades have worn away at once hip locations. It’s true of the Haight Ashbury area in San Francisco, and it’s true of Toronto’s garment district. They’re both less major attractions and centers of innovation than they once were, but that in no way means that they’ve lost all of their clout. That’s particularly true of Toronto, whose textile industry has been largely shifted to the overseas region due to pricing pressures. But at the same time that the actual fabric manufacture has been removed, a strong sense of fashion and design has remained in its place.

Toronto’s intersection of Spadina Avenue and Queen Street may no longer conjure visions of much more than nostalgia where textiles are concerned. However, the Textile Museum ensures that no one ever forgets that there is a rich 2,000 year history connected to this district and the fashions, which have poured forth over the centuries. The museum’s existence – coupled with those strong creative roots – might explain why there’s such an overwhelming sense of DIY fashion that’s easily seen on the sidewalks each day. And the hidden truth comes forth as well… some high quality textiles are still made locally.

One visit and you’ll know that Toronto deserves to be on the list of undiscovered mini fashion capitals. A quick spin through the Dark Horse Espresso Bar will show you who has been working on what new items, before you head to Get Spun Studio to work on maintaining your form. After all, no fashion is complete without well-shaped bodies to model the designs, right? Afterwards, take it all in or chat up the local fashionistas at Wide Open, which is an ironically narrow pub. Visit Canada 411 to keep abreast of the latest hipster gathering spots.

Filed Under: Celebrity Influence, General Tagged With: , ,