By Guest Blogger BrilliantEarth.com

So you’ve found the right girl, secured an engagement ring, proposed to her, selected wedding rings, and helped plan every last detail of the wedding down to the DJ’s vegetarian dinner. The long-awaited event is just around the corner. If you’re thinking to yourself that now is the time to relax and get ready to enjoy the festivities, think again. There’s one small detail you may have overlooked: an extra gift of jewelry for the bride.

For the bride? After the long road you’ve traveled, the idea that your bride now needs an extra jewelry gift may sound a bit bizarre.  Buck up, weary wedding traveler. Yes, the whole wedding has been designed to please your woman, but that doesn’t mean that as the wedding approaches, a small gift of jewelry, given as a surprise, isn’t a good idea. In fact, such a gift could pay you enormous, enormous dividends.

It’s perfectly normal for the bride and groom to feel some jitters in anticipation of the wedding. A pre-wedding jewelry gift is the perfect way to calm her nerves—yours too. She’ll be enthralled by your thoughtfulness and you’ll receive the pleasure of thinking about what a thoughtful guy you are. The benefits don’t stop there.  Over the long-term, she’ll have one more piece of jewelry that she associates with magic of your wedding, not to mention your rock-solid romantic credentials. Last but not least, she may actually need some earrings or a pendant to wear on your wedding day and in the years to come.

Deciding to get your bride a piece of jewelry in advance of the wedding is really a no-brainer. The harder challenge is selecting a piece that she’ll like. Fortunately, when it comes to pre-wedding jewelry gifts, you need look no further than Brilliant Earth.  All of our jewelry is meticulously crafted, conflict-free, and sourced according to the highest ethical standards. And, we offer a range of earrings, pendants, and rings that make perfect gifts for your bride.

A good option is always to go with something classic—such as diamonds.  Girls like diamonds not just because of their radiance and beauty but because diamonds go with just about anything. For instance, she’s sure to love our Platinum Four-Prong Diamond Pendant, featuring a ½ carat round diamond mounted into a four-pronged setting. She’ll also go nuts for our 18K Gold Round Diamond Stud Earrings, made from a beautifully matched pair of Canadian round brilliant diamonds. A more budget-conscious option is our Silver Heart Pendant, a heart-shaped silver pendant studded with a single sparkling, conflict-free diamond.

Some brides are looking for earrings or pendants to match an engagement or wedding ring. If her ring has sapphires, you can help her achieve a stunning look by showering her with more blue sapphires. Take a look at our 18K White Gold Sapphire Stud Earrings or our 18K White Gold Sapphire Halo Diamond Pendant. A less expensive option is our Silver Wave Pendant, featuring a small blue sapphire attached to the crest of a wave.

If she already has “something blue”, try something green! We recommend either our Green Emerald Halo Diamond Pendant or our budget-friendly Green Sapphire Leaf Pendant, both featuring exquisite, ethically-sourced green gems.

When it comes to jewelry and girls, sometimes more truly is better. Sure, you could get her a diamond pendant, but why not get her one with a center diamond surrounded by—more diamonds? Our 18K White Gold Diamond Halo Necklace features a 1/3 carat diamond surrounded by pavé-set diamond accents.

OK, so she’s already gotten two rings out of this wedding, but isn’t three is the perfect number? For her right hand, or the one without the wedding and engagement rings, we recommend our 18K White Gold Flora Ring, an intricately detailed ring with diamond-accented leaves and buds. Or, add splendor to the rings on her left hand by stacking alongside them our 18K White Gold Pavé Diamond Eternity Ring, one of the most elegant rings in our collection.

If you’ve gotten this far into the wedding process, you know that it never hurts to ask for help from all those wedding people who know weddings inside out. Don’t forget that our own fashion experts are there to assist you in selecting the ideal piece of jewelry to give her in advance of the wedding. With our help, she’ll be going bonkers for you as the big day approaches. So be the groom who goes the extra mile. While we can’t promise that a jewelry gift at this point will endear you to her for every second of every day once the wedding is over, you’ll have one more tool in your arsenal—and in her jewelry box—to add a sparkle to your lives together.

disclosure: sponsored post

By Guest Blogger: BrilliantEarth.com

It’s just one of those things. Society has decreed that the act of marriage be solemnized by the exchange of wedding rings. Not that this tradition is beyond critique. In fact, in honor of Earth Day, the next time you attend a wedding ceremony (not yours), you might even consider voicing an objection—not to the marriage, but to the rings.

Standing up and clearing your throat, you’d have at least two good points to make. First off, why must it be jewelry? Couldn’t something a tad more guy-friendly—or at least gender-neutral—be the object of exchange? And second, has anyone out there, anyone at all, stopped to consider the environmental consequences of this ring exchange?

Your first point would be self-evident. For a lot of guys, it’s difficult to get hyped up about jewelry. Your second point would require some elaboration. Something along the following lines would suffice: Rings are made of precious metals and gemstones, and mining for those materials can be devastating for the environment. Gold mining is a particularly dirty process, releasing toxic chemicals like mercury and cyanide into the environment and generating about 20 tons of mine waste for every gold ring. On top of this, in many countries around the world, mining for precious gemstones and metals is fueling civil conflicts and leading to all sorts of human rights abuses, from worker exploitation to child labor.

Happy Earth Day from BrilliantEarth.com & The Man Registry

Should you manage to complete your rant without first being dragged out of the room, congratulations. But we think that both you, and the unfortunate groom, could avoid this unpleasant scenario by first checking out Brilliant Earth—the leading provider of ethical origin jewelry. We use only recycled gold and platinum in our wedding rings, thereby avoiding the need for dirty mining. In addition, our diamonds and gemstones are all conflict-free and originate from sources adhering to the highest labor and environmental standards. We are certain that our wide selection of eco-friendly jewelry will address the concerns of even the most environmentally-ardent wedding ring critics.

But what about that other objection to wedding rings: guy-friendliness? At Brilliant Earth, we are careful to be guy-friendly, as well as eco-friendly. We’ve helped many a marriage-bound lad to select a wedding band that suits his preferences and needs. We find that guys can get pumped about wedding bands, just as girls often get ecstatic about their wedding rings. In our experience, we’ve learned that the issue is not so much the band itself, but that jewelry tends to be described in terms that appeal mostly to ladies.

We’ve therefore decided to describe our major wedding band styles in language that guys may appreciate more. The daunting task of selecting wedding bands doesn’t have to be just about choosing the perfect beveled edge or matte finish. Instead, why not choose a ring that brings to mind an expensive, high performance, luxury automobile? A basic rule of advertising is to associate your product with things your customers like. So, we’ve shamelessly taken the liberty of associating each of our ring styles with “equivalents” in the world of sports, booze, and cars. Let us know if you have any objections.

BrilliantEarth.com makes it easy for you guys by breaking ring styles down into manly categories below:

Classic Bands
Standard Description: Unsurpassed quality and elegant design. For a classic look, try our Comfort Fit Wedding Ring, featuring a rounded inside edge for increased comfort. Another excellent option is our Beveled Edge Matte Wedding Ring with Grooves, featuring a soft matte finish balanced with two high-polished grooves and light-catching beveled edges.

Sports, booze, and automobiles: Guys appreciating our classic bands may also know how to appreciate the 1961 New York Yankees, featuring the famous home run race between Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle; a glass of scotch whiskey, single malt, no ice added; or a spin in a Ferrari 250, the legendary Ferrari convertible featured in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – using veggie-oil diesel, of course.

Nature-Themed Bands
Standard Description: Make your ring a constant reminder of your shared commitment to the environment. For instance, our Equinox Ring with Beveled Edges is an intriguing band featuring the smooth lines of a wave balanced with two high polished grooves and light-catching beveled edges. Or, take a look at our River Ring, a distinctive band that comes with a hammered, matte-finish center; two high polished grooves; and light-catching beveled edges.

Sports, booze, and automobiles: Fans of these rings may also be fans of Michael Phelps, winner of eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing; pinot noir, the light, silky red wine featuring flavors of berries and spices; and the Toyota Prius, the most successful hybrid vehicle on the road, averaging 50 miles per gallon.

Modern Bands
Standard Description: Progressive styles, perfect for the forward-thinking couple. For a modern look, try our Beveled Edge Matte Wedding Ring. A handsome band with contemporary detail, this distinctive ring features a soft matte finish balanced with two polished beveled edges. Or, try our Flat Matte Comfort Fit Wedding Ring, featuring a matte, brushed finish and a stylish, modern look.

Sports, booze, and automobiles: Guys drawn to our modern bands may also have a soft spot for the Chicago Bulls of 1995-1996, led to 72 wins by Michael Jordan, the man who modernized and defined the present era of NBA basketball; any alcoholic beverage with Red Bull, the high-powered energy drink; and the Chevrolet Volt, the promising electric vehicle on which GM is staking its future.

Antique-Style Bands
Standard Description: Vintage look, reminiscent of a romantic era. An outstanding antique-style option is our Wide Antique Scroll Ring, a handsome, antique-style ring featuring a high-polish center balanced by two rows of engraved scrolls on either side. Another good choice is our Milgrain Wedding Ring, which features fine milgrain detailing along the edges for a refined finish.

Sports, booze, and automobiles:  Fondness for our antique-style bands goes hand-in-hand with fondness for the Chicago Cubs of 1908, the last Cubs team to win the World Series; a pint of Guinness, the dark Irish beer with a tradition dating back to the 1700s; and the Mini Cooper, the popular small car with an old-fashioned, boxy, British design.

Glamorous Bands
Standard Description: For those who believe that glamour need not come at great human or environmental cost. A superb option is our Brushed Diamond Ring with Polished Edges. This stylish, modern band features a brushed center set with six evenly-spaced round diamonds.

Sports, booze, and automobiles:  Those opting for a glamorous band may also be enthusiastic about the New England Patriots, winners of three Super Bowls in the past decade and headed up by quarterback Tom Brady, married to supermodel Gisele Bundchen; vodka martinis, shaken not stirred, James-Bond style; and the Tesla Roadster, the all-electric luxury convertible able to accelerate from 0 to 60 in just 4 seconds, silently.

Whiteflash.com CEO Debi Wexler recently sat down with The Washington Post to talk Dreams of Africa, responsible diamond giving, the history of wedding rings and much much more….

re-published with permission by Whiteflash.com

A Unique Gift from Nature
Diamonds are both the most magical and versatile of Nature’s creations, and have fascinated mankind for over four thousand years. They reflect powerful values of love and commitment, and have contributed significantly to scientific and economic progress—from their use in industrial manufacturing and construction, to the development of intricate surgical instruments. Today, an estimated 10 million people globally are directly or indirectly supported by the diamond industry, many in developing economies such as Botswana and India. An estimated 5 million people globally have access to appropriate healthcare thanks to revenues from diamonds. Debswana, a mining company in Botswana, recently became the first mining company in the world to extend free anti-retroviral treatment to HIV positive employees, their life partners, their children, and former employees for life.

Diamond revenues enable every child in Botswana to receive free education up to age 13. In Namibia, the diamond mining industry is the largest employer after the government. In spite of the contribution diamonds continue to make to the wellbeing of millions, their high value makes them vulnerable to theft and abuse. This was highlighted in the 1990s when rebel organizations in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone expropriated diamonds and used the revenues to perpetrate civil war and carry out atrocities against innocent civilians. Having been made aware of the urgency to act by two non-governmental organizations, (Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada), the diamond industry acted swiftly to co-operate with NGOs, governments and the United Nations. It established the World Diamond Council, representing the entire industry from mining to retail. The World Diamond Council contributed significantly to the development of the UN mandated Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, which ensures that today more than 99 percent of diamonds are from conflict-free sources. Still, one diamond traded for conflict is one too many and that is why we continue to work, together with NGOs, governments and the UN, to eradicate this illegal trade entirely. There are now 74 governments that are members of the Kimberley Process.

The World Diamond Council encourages readers to challenge their jeweler to provide assurance that the diamonds in their jewelry have been purchased from reliable sources.

…10 million people globally are directly or indirectly supported by the diamond industry…

Dreams of Africa
One American jeweler determined to address Africa’s continued suffering has introduced a conflict-free diamond pendant. Debi Wexler, CEO of one of the largest online diamond retailers, Whiteflash.com, is dedicating all proceeds from her $4,400 conflict-free Diamonds of Africa diamond pendant to supporting children who have suffered under blood diamond conflicts and to creating awareness to combat illicit diamond trade. “Africa is earth’s most vivid mosaic of cultural and natural beauty. But for all her richness and life, this beautiful portrait is stained where unrest brings hunger and suffering to her children,” says Wexler, who holds these issues close to her heart.

“The Dreams of Africa pendant’s sparkling conflict-free diamonds symbolize innocence and its bold sapphires symbolize truth. The beautiful center stone represents Mother Africa and is Whiteflash’s branded diamond ‘A Cut Above’ ™. This is the most visually balanced diamond in the world ™. World Centers of Compassion for Children International, WCCCI, works to establish an initial learning center, headquartered in Italy, which will provide scholarships for children from Sierra Leone and other locations across Africa, and to instill values of peace and understanding during these children’s early education. Italy’s government donated the land where the center is located.

Green Love: Order any Whiteflash conflict-free diamond and be entered to win a Mini Dreams-of-Africa Pendant or a air of Dreams of Africa earrings.

Responsible Giving
Against the backdrop of a faltering economy, the diamond industry’s corporate social responsibility credentials are timelier than ever.

Diamond companies are talking about more than just carats and colors these days. As consumers demand more added value than ever, the industry is drawing attention to its commitment to improving the lives of the people who create diamonds and its broader philanthropic initiatives. In Botswana, approximately 25 percent of the labor force is linked to diamonds, according to the World Diamond Council. Many African countries do not have sufficient tax revenues to pay for public education. Botswana, with the help of diamond revenues, is one of the exceptions. In 2006, the Botswanan President said this: “Revenue from diamonds has enabled the government to fund virtually 100 percent of basic education, provide virtually free health care, build the infrastructure that
has supported our economic activity, and to fund 80 percent of the anti-retroviral drugs that have given hope to our fellow citizens living with HIV/AIDS.”

Wedding Ring History: Questions Answered
It all started in 1477 when Archduke Maximilian of Austria handed Mary of Burgundy a diamond set gold ring and asked her to marry him. Soon royalty and all who could afford to adopted the tradition of offering a diamond as a symbol of everlasting love and commitment. The tradition of putting the ring on the left-hand ring finger is thought to have been popularized by the Egyptians who believed this finger contains the blood vessels directly connected to the heart. For over five centuries, men have given women diamonds in an effort to take their relationship to a whole new level. Despite the economy, jewelers report the engagement and bridal markets are still proving to be laden with gold.

Raise your hand if you knew the tradition of wedding and diamond engagement rings started way back in 1477. And don't lie.

Jewelers on the Web
Luxury jewelry brands have moved online with caution. Now an increasing number are leveraging the internet for ecommerce. Many fine jewelers have long believed that jewelry needed to be touched and felt before it was bought. Whiteflash.com now one of America’s largest online diamond retailers, has simplified the buying process of an engagement ring online and has helped change that outlook somewhat.

Diamonds for the Holidays
While caution sums up the mood of the moment, imaginative diamond jewelry design at the highest levels this holiday shopping season shows no signs of slowing down. High jewelers are introducing elaborate new pieces this winter designed to inspire and impress. Despite much talk of doom of gloom this year, the show is still very much on in the world of high jewelry. Whiteflash.com has reported and increased demand for its classic and clean lined designs, especially for engagement rings.

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More great diamond & engagement ring content from Whiteflash.com

Expert Wedding Ring Advice at TheManRegistry.com

Have you been wondering how in the hell you’re going to size your fiance’s ring finger?

How much you should pay for engagement ring insurance?

What exactly is a conflict free diamond?

Wonder no more, guys. Whiteflash.com, the web’s top diamond e-boutique, has joined The Man Registry’s groom expert panel. The panel consists of top wedding industry experts that want to help simplify this whole wedding planning thing.

So sit back, crack a beer, and we’ll show you everything you want to know (and more) about engagement and wedding rings.

Cheers!

BrilliantEarth.com shares their top 10 tips on saving some money while shopping ethically for your engagement ring or wedding band.

Conflict free diamonds at BrilliantEarth.com

It’s tough times out there, but you don’t need to sacrifice your ethics in order to save on your engagement and wedding rings. Here are some tips from our jewelry specialists on how to save a bit of green when shopping green.

1. Opt for one special ring in place of both an engagement ring and wedding band. Look for rings with ornate patterns, unique details, conflict free diamond accents, or a more substantial width to serve as your all-in-one symbol of love and commitment.

2. Instead of giving an engagement ring with a larger center stone, give her multiple bands – each with its own meaning – that she can stack. One for the engagement, one for the wedding, another to symbolize your families coming together….The possibilities are endless!

3. Purchase your wedding bands before purchasing the engagement ring. This way you will both have a ring to wear as a symbol of your love for one another. You will have plenty of time together to design that perfect conflict free diamond ring down the road.

4. While platinum is a beautiful choice, you may want to consider the less expensive 18K while gold option, or even alternative precious metals, such as palladium. Palladium is a naturally white precious metal from the platinum family, but costs less than both platinum and gold. All of Brilliant Earth’s rings are also available in recycled palladium- contact us for more information.

5. Select classic, recycled metal wedding bands. They are simple, understated and elegant, and are reminiscent of many of our parents’ traditions. They are also a beautiful, classic accompaniment to any diamond engagement ring.

Brilliant Earth donates 5% of profits to the support of African communities

6. Select an ethical origin sapphire center gem for your engagement ring, which is more affordable than most diamond options. Precious sapphires have been revered all over the world for centuries. They are very durable, and are therefore an excellent choice for engagement and wedding rings. Deep-blue sapphires are most well-known, but they also come in many other colors, including pink, orange, green, yellow and purple.

7. Select recycled metal rings that gleam with light-catching details, such as milgrain and engraving. These brilliant features will make your ring sparkle without the additional cost of diamond accents.

8. Take advantage of upgrade policies! You’ll want to start your life together in a strong financial position, so be realistic about what you can truly afford. Down the road you will be able to upgrade to a larger conflict free diamond – which will be an especially romantic gesture of your growing love.

9. Recycle your gold and platinum jewelry that you no longer wear for a credit towards any Brilliant Earth purchase. By selecting jewelry made of recycled metals, you will help to decrease the global demand for newly mined metals. Contact a Brilliant Earth customer service representative if you are interested in sending us your jewelry for recycled metal credit.

10. Shop online! You won’t be paying the retail store overhead for bright lights and glass display cases. Brilliant Earth will even ship your rings to you with free fully insured next day shipping.