Many people these days look for their styles in the past, and there has been a huge resurgence of interest in vintage clothing recently. It should come as no surprise then that jewelry styles from the past are also making a comeback. One particularly pretty style of ring setting is becoming popular again now, and this is the ballerina setting. A ballerina style ring is a cluster ring featuring a large central gemstone, with a ‘skirt’ of smaller gems encircling it, rather like the wispy skirts of a ballet dancer. Emerald cluster rings look fantastic in this arrangement, but there are no hard and fast rules about which gems work best, and you will be able to find all sorts of alternative options, and here you can even design your own.

Emerald Ballerina Cluster Ring Details

The emerald ring displayed above showcases what is possible with one of these types of ring. It has the following specifications:

• Center stone is an oval cut emerald, assigned the highest natural AAA quality, of carat-weight 0.7 ct, and with dimensions 7.0 x 5.0 mm
• Matching accent emeralds encirling the central gemstone
• 12 Accent stones with a combined weight of 0.35 ct
• Yellow gold band with a width of 2.5mm at the widest point

Design Your Own Ring

If you are not an ‘emerald person’ and some people aren’t, there are tons of options which mean you can modify the gemstones to make this beautiful ballerina ring a creation all of your own.

To become your own jewelry designer, simply click on the ‘Choose Your Own’ sections in the right-hand column of the Ballerina Ring page to pick your own metals and gemstones from a generous list.

You will keep the wonderful format including a large oval cut central stone (of your own choosing), with its surrounding baby gemstones. You can even pick two different gems for the accents to produce a wonderfully colorful design. Or if you love diamonds – most girls do – just switch all the emeralds to diamonds and the price will update automatically.

Rings Galore Tip – so you love this modern twist on a vintage ring, but you want something more affordable? Simply change the metal used for the band. You can reduce the price by choosing sterling silver instead of white gold or platinum. Or how about picking some unusual but cheaper gemstones. Tanzanites are still lovely, but also exotic enough that you’ll get those jealous looks when you show off your self-designed masterpiece!

Here is a trio of different ring designs that I came up with myself. Just click the image to go and take a look at their details and prices, or to change them and make your own special versions. The three versions I made are (left to right):

1. Oval Diamond 14K White Gold Ring with Ruby
2. Oval Pink Sapphire Sterling Silver Ring with Pink Tourmaline & Tanzanite
3. Oval Sapphire 14K Rose Gold Ring with Tanzanite & Amethyst

Click images to buy or Create Your Own Design

How Much Does The Ring Cost?

The simple answer to this question is – to an extent – whatever you want it to cost. But before you get excited, I’m not saying you can choose to get one for free! But once you start modifying the design yourself, and choosing different precious metals and different gemstones, the price tag will change to reflect your modifications. So you can play about with the design until you create an awesome ballerina star ring of your own, but which also suits your budget.

Whatever lavish creation you come up with, your bespoke design will be made in America by the jewelry artisans at Gemvara. All pieces are handmade and of the highest quality, and if you are unhappy with yours, you can take advantage of the 30-day returns policy and get your money back. But somehow, I think once you’ve got your Ballerina Ring on your finger, chances are, you’ll never let anybody else get their hands on it!

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Engagement rings should be symbolic, meaningful, and unique. A filigree ring will cover all of these points at the same time. First, the delicate design will bring mind the luxury of fine lace. It can express innocence or sophistication, traditional or modern, on the hand of the lady who wears it. Filigree has a way of matching the personality of the wearer, regardless of her age or lifestyle.

You can find a filigree engagement ring in the metal of your choice at most good jewelers. Silver and gold are two of the most popular metals. In addition to the metal, also consider the stone or stones. You can have one diamond, or a number of diamonds embedded in the filigree design. As some brides-to-be today prefer other gemstones, this is also an option. The gemstone she likes the most can be the highlight of her engagement ring.

Rings can also be custom designed. If you are looking for a ring that is completely unique, you can have one designed for you. As your relationship is one of a kind, opting for a custom-made ring is an excellent way to show this. As special as your future bride is to you, it will show her there is no one else like her in the entire world.

However, there are so many rings to choose from you might decide it is not necessary to have one made. From Victorian styles to Art Deco, lacy to solid bands, browsing the many styles currently available will be a joy in itself. From simple to elegant, there is the perfect ring for the lady in your life. You are assured of the highest quality when you select a lovely filigree design. It is made to last as long as your love.

The engagement ring is a symbol of love, commitment, and promise. It is the one gift on which you and your loved one base the beginning of your lives together. Choosing the right ring is only the start of a future filled with beauty and happiness. It will surely be the one ring she will always wear, and always treasure.

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Click here for a huge range of filigree engagement ring ideas

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When looking to design a ring for her, begin with the metal. There are many precious metals to choose from, although most choose gold. In addition to gold, tungsten, platinum, and titanium are becoming popular options. Instead of ordinary gold, your ring could be fashioned in two tones, with a blend of metals. For truly unique rings, consider rose or sage gold for the setting for her ring and the band of his.

Diamonds are common, although expensive. Why settle for a diamond when there are precious stones of every color available in a wide variety of cuts. Sapphires in hues of pinks, blues, and greens are wonderful in engagement rings and can be accented with traditional diamonds. These stones can be purchased in much larger sizes for the same price as a single diamond. Figural rings are those that are set in a shape that has meaning for the couple, such as an animal, butterfly, or heart. They can have a very unique meaning to you and make a signature ring that you will be proud to wear forever.

Some people choose unusual engagement rings such as the Celtic patterned bands, both set with stones or without, or a beautiful ornate oriental inspired design. Still others find a one of a kind piece at an antique jewelry shop or use family heirloom jewelry to create a unique symbol of their love. Grandma’s wedding ring could be refurbished or reset to produce a beautiful engagement ring.

There are many jewelers who will create custom rings to fit your personalities. They can show you hundreds of loose stones and ideas for settings to get you started thinking. While choosing the elements for her ring, consider his as well. He will need a wedding ring and most couples desire having one that is similar in style to hers in some way. Finally yet importantly, consider engraving the rings in some way for added meaning. The rings you choose should last your lifetimes together and be something that you will cherish as an enduring symbol of your love.

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Click here for more unique and unusual engagement ring ideas

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Click here for more emerald cluster ring ideas

Emerald cluster rings feature the same precious metal band (your choice of silver, yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, or platinum), but instead of displaying just one large stone, they are adorned with a collection of several smaller stones. Purchasing smaller stones does not mean you are sacrificing quality. In fact, a ring with the same carat weight in smaller stones as one larger stone will still typically cost you less than the larger one because smaller stones in good condition are easier to find. So, you are still getting a high quality piece of jewelry, but within a more affordable price range. They will still offer all the sparkling radiance you desire. With each individual stone reflecting its own light, you might be pleasantly surprised by the twinkling luster they create.

Not only is this a more wallet-friendly option initially, but it is also less susceptible to scratches and nicks than a single stone of a larger size, causing you less maintenance and repair costs in the long run. With emeralds in particular, maintenance can be rather costly because they are considerably more fragile than other stones like diamonds and rubies. Smaller stones will not get knocked around as much larger ones might potentially be and if one falls out it will be fairly cheap to replace.

Cluster rings also open up a completely new opportunity for customization and individuality that you do not really get with solitaire settings. They can come in all kinds of styles, shapes, and patterns so you are sure to find one that is truly unique and expressive of your personal style. From simple and elegant, to funky and original, to over-the-top glamorous, these rings are available in every style imaginable and to suit any budget. Plus, they do not have to be limited to only one type of stone. You can get clusters displaying multiple stones making them match virtually any outfit and incorporating all of your favorites. Learn more about and buy Emerald Jewelry.

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The Quality of Diamonds

Diamonds are graded around the world using the so-called four Cs: the carat, the clarity, the color and the cut. An internationally accepted system, called GIA, is used to estimate the quality of diamonds. To make sure you get the best quality and the best look, it is good to know a little about how diamonds are classified.

The Carat

The carat, or “ct”, means simply the diamond’s weight. The largest diamonds are naturally always the most expensive but they are also more difficult to find than smaller ones. One carat is the same as 200 mg, and the weight of the smallest diamonds is given as points: a hundred points means one carat. When buying diamond rings for your toes, a good way to get value for money is to buy a ring with diamonds that fall just below the one-carat limit. This makes the rings cheaper, but generally most people who are not experts are not able to say if the diamond is just under or just over one carat.

The Cut

A good cut gives the diamond its sparkle: a well-cut diamond reflects light and interacts with the light, creating the famous dazzling effect. A shallow cut can create a diamond that looks dull, and a cut that is too deep makes the surfaces of the diamond look uneven and make some parts seem darker than others are. The cut has to do with the diamond’s proportions, how deep and how wide it is, and how the various facets are in proportion to each other.

The Clarity

The clarity of a gemstone means how flawless it is. The best quality diamonds are either flawless (Fl in the GIA scale) or Internally Flawless (IF) – that means that there can be some flaws on the stone’s surface.

Browse & Buy Diamond Toe Rings

The Color

The last C for grading a diamond is the color. While 100% pure diamonds are colorless there is a surprising variety of different colors on the diamond market. Pink and blue are the most valuable and the rarest colors, and yellow and brownish diamonds are much more common.

Diamonds look especially good in gold toe rings, although for a slightly more affordable option you can try silver or white gold. Personal preferences matter the most when purchasing diamond toe rings.

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This style of cut has been around for a very long time and was devised by a man named Joseph Asscher while he was looking to make a cut similar to the emerald style. This particular cut is a big hit with women all over the world. Those fond of the emerald cut stones generally choose Asscher’s cut because of its similarity. Nearly all fine jewelers proudly sell asscher cut rings, and offer loose stones that can be put into practically any style of ring chosen by a customer. This cut of diamond is commonly found in engagement rings, but can be placed in other rings as well as other types of jewelry.

Several jewelers have discovered the demand for asscher cut engagement rings, and now offer many blank styles so that either the customer’s personal diamond or a loose beautiful asscher cut diamond can be placed in them. Many of the rings are done in 14k white gold, but are available in platinum as well. Other jewelers have the asscher cut diamond already set in 18k rings and blank settings in a variety of styles that are so beautiful they will dazzle any woman lucky enough to get them. This cut has been around for a long time, and many of the original rings are still around from the early Nineteenth century. They are rare and highly coveted.

Browse & Buy Asscher Engagement Rings

The styles the asscher cut diamonds were placed in many years ago are now available through many fine jewelers. These rings are very popular for their vintage look and feel; many artisans are even creating new styles that represent the eras gone by. Vintage jewelry styles are being incorporated in many fine jewelry pieces now that nearly everyone has a taste for the treasures of years gone by; perhaps a style of antique ring they remember their grandmothers wearing.

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If you’d like to get something somewhat different as your engagement ring, then there are lots of concepts for unusual engagement rings to choose from. The time honored engagement ring is really a diamond set in gold, either white or yellow. To find a more unusual ring you could pick a distinctive setting in, for instance, platinum, sterling silver or maybe titanium. Or you could pick out varied gems. The range of natural precious gem stones is restricted to diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds, yet should you be willing to go out to semi-precious gemstones, you could find treasures in any shade you can think of.

An awesome gift for just about any woman is a wonderful pair of earrings. However when purchasing jewelry as a gift you should observe the style of jewelry which the designated target generally would wear. Certain women give preference to jewelry made of white precious metal for instance white gold, platinum or silver, and for those a variety of sterling silver earrings would be best. Upon having decided on sterling silver earrings, after that the next matter to see is if they have a preference for a simpler model of earring such as studs or smaller hoop earrings or if they want their jewelry to get noticed more by putting on drop earrings featuring sparkling gemstones such as crystal earrings. Using a little bit of research in advance you are more inclined to choose the set of earrings they will adore.

A classic style of ring that may be worn for an extraordinary engagement ring or simply for a dress ring will be filigree rings. The term “filigree” can be used to describe a style of precious metal ring in which the metal is pierced or in which the ring is in fact made from precious metal wire worked into elaborate patterns to resemble lace. Sterling silver filigree rings and other jewelry pieces were fashionable during the 19th as well as the early 20th century and is also enjoying a resurgence of interest today. A semi precious gemstone, such as a beautiful purple amethyst set into an elaborate filigree silver ring creates a spectacular stylish jewelry piece while not being a small fortune.

Picking out jewelry as a gift, be it a plain pair of sterling silver earrings for any special birthday or an antique precious metal eternity ring for your anniversary can be awkward if you do not know the specific form of jewelry you are looking for. Nevertheless you can be assured that the individual you present the item to will know that you love and appreciate them since you spent the time to choose something special just for them.

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The regular gold wedding ring, while of tremendous emotional value and significance, can appear slightly dull. When choosing rings for your marriage ceremony why don’t you obtain something more unusual. Irish Claddagh wedding rings are one type of ring that’s much less usually seen as a wedding ring. The traditional pattern of two hands, (intended to be one male and one female) holding a heart between them and with a crown above, is synonymous with enduring love which has been put to use for hundreds of years. If you like an entirely different effect, this might be achieved with a Russian wedding ring, which often brings together various colored gold rings twined together. An extra route to acquire something totally individual for your wedding ceremony can be to have custom made wedding rings made to your own personal tastes.

Emeralds certainly are a breathtaking deeply green gem stone and one of no more than four genuinely precious gems in the entire world. Such magnificent jewels have been used in earrings, necklaces and other jewelry for millennia. Cleopatra is thought to have treasured the gem and possessed her very own emerald mines in Egypt. The foremost well-known areas for mining emeralds in more modern days are Colombia, Russia and Brazil. These days people still like emeralds for their depth of color and valuable nature. Emerald earrings and pendants are still much wished-for right now, despite the fact that excellent specimens of the natural gem may be highly priced – but thankfully we also now have man made varieties that can be purchased.

The eternity ring is a form of ring which has been popular for many years. The timeless structure of an eternity ring is usually a precious metal ring with flush set gemstones either all the way around (full eternity) or half the way around the actual ring. The particular connotation is of everlasting love. In the past eternity rings were given from a husband to his wife around the delivery of their first child. In modern times eternity rings tend to be put to use as wedding rings or maybe as wedding anniversary gifts. A white gold or platinum eternity ring set with real gemstones can make a wonderful wedding ring with a white gold, solitaire diamond engagement ring.

Purchasing jewelry items for yourself is far less difficult than looking for them for someone else, since it is such a personal purchase and preferences in designs of jewelry can be so varied. To get the perfect acquisition, including engagement or wedding bands, it will always be easier to find the rings with your partner in order that you are both happy with the decision.

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Antique rings are generally accepted by jewelers to be rings which are over 50 years old. The number usually varies among different people, some insisting that the ring should be over 100 years old, whereas others just say that it needs to have some age in it. Another common name that is bandied about is “vintage rings”. This can mean almost anything; and the same goes for “estate rings”. It definitely pays to do a little research before you launch into buying antique rings, and if need be, go to a large and reputable jeweler so you can get advice, especially if you are new to antique rings. Something that is generally best avoided is the so-called antique style rings. These are modern rings, rather than truly old ones, and they are simply designed to emulate the real antique ones. Of course, this might be exactly what you are after, but make sure you know the difference first!

There are five major groups to consider, if you are shopping for antique engagement rings.

1. Victorian Antique Rings – these date from the reign of Queen Victoria and cover the era from 1837 to 1901. They include a diverse selection of styles, often in yellow or rose gold, and from the minimalist of designs to some very intricate ones. During the age of empire, Victorian rings and other jewelry were encrusted with diamonds from South African mines. Seed pearls and other colored stones were common features of this era. The mid-Victorian period saw the production of very sombre jewelry styles, after the death of Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband. The rings were set with jet and onyx. Later in the period, everyday jewelry became more widespread, with sterling silver rings, and diamonds making a comeback.

If you are hoping to buy a Victorian antique ring, be careful to ensure you get all the relevant information, and preferably some kind of guarantee from an expert to validate that it is really from that period.

2. Art Nouveau Rings – designs of rings from this period overlapped somewhat with the late Victorian era, covering 1890 to 1915. New technology enabled far more elaborate detailing, and these antique rings are characterized by curving lines, artistic shapes generally of birds or insects and flowers, and the introduction of filigree patterns.

Again, check to make sure you can date these art nouveau rings accurately and be on the look out for cheap, lower quality copies.

3. Edwardian Antique Rings – Platinum became popular during this period, and the ability to work metals more intricately led filigree to become far more popular, and far more detailed. The Edwardian jewelry was made between 1905 and the 1920s. The antique rings from these times are curvy and intricate, often with diamonds or brilliant sapphires, and along with platinum, white gold jewelry was also developing.

4. Art Deco Rings – the 1920s also saw the dawn of the Art Deco movement. Geometric shapes and streamlined designs replaced the romantic swirls and curves and natural forms of the Art Nouveau and Edwardian styles. Sharp lines and contrasting, clean colors were the order of the day, with regimented filigree patterns in white gold or platinum, combined with sapphires and rubies and pave diamonds.

These Art Deco rings are by far the most popular these days for couples looking for antique engagement rings. If you want a genuine one, find a reputable jeweler rather than opting for Ebay! If you love the look and are happy with a modern emulated Art Deco engagement ring, then Amazon is a good place to start.

5. Retro Jewelry – this type of jewelry appeared in the 1940s and 1950s, during and after the war, when precious metals, especially platinum, and stones were harder to find. Yellow gold made a comeback at this point, and other precious and semi-precious gems appeared in these vintage rings. This began the age of bulky, highly colored jewelry, often worn by movie stars, and repeated by their loyal fans – a bit like today!

If you know where to look, and you take your time, you will almost certainly find many antique rings for sale, which are both incredibly beautiful and easily affordable. And as the old designs, especially the Art Deco ones, continue to gain wider appeal today, even if you cannot find a genuine ring from the period, you will be able to find a lovely modern version that you’ll probably love just as much.

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Cushion cut diamonds are normally rectangular but can also be square, the slightly domed shape of this cut is supposed to make the stone resemble a cushion, hence the name. Even though they are becoming more popular it is still not common to see an engagement ring with this cut of diamond in regular jewelry stores. You may have to search around to find one or try some online stores.

One jeweler that does stock cushion cut engagement rings is the famous DeBeers. They have a fabulous simple shank, cushion cut diamond solitaire ring in their bridal collection. The statement on their website “price on application” is probably enough to strike fear into the heart of any but the most determined, and wealthy, fiancé. Two other possible sources Horowitz & Atlass who apparently have renamed the cushion cut as the regent cut (described as “12-sided hearts and arrows fancy shape with the curved pillow-like outline normally associated with a cushion cut”), and TMW Diamonds of New York are too grand to even have an online store.

In all, probably the only chance we mere mortals with regular budgets have of owning a cushion cut engagement ring is if an extremely popular celebrity decides to have one in the near future. Then all the more affordable jewelry stores will be falling over themselves to produce copies for the general public. Other than that the only option of owning one of these rare rings is to find a vintage or antique one.

This 300 year old diamond cut is so little known nowadays that even people selling a cushion cut antique ring may not recognize the cut for what it is. So if you are searching for one on eBay for instance, it will be worthwhile to try looking at all the antique diamond solitaires, or if this is too many, try searching for oval cut which may be confused with cushion cut. In other online stores empirediamond.com has some stunning oval cut diamond engagement rings that would more or less pass for cushion cut at a pinch and wouldn’t require refinancing your home to buy one.

The most important thing when you are looking to buy an engagement ring is not whether it is cushion cut, oval cut, emerald or marquise cut; it is that the purchasing of this ring is a symbol of your love for each other and your intention to marry and be together for always.

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