Since its inception, mens titanium wedding bands are becoming popular in the world of commitments and weddings. In the past, mens wedding bands have been made out of gold or silver, but off late, white gold, platinum and to a greater extent titanium is becoming a popular medium for devising such bands. There are many good reasons for the materialization of titanium as an acceptable alternative to create all types of mens jewelry items.
Also called the "space age metal", Titanium is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant silver colored metal. Though titanium is not classified as a precious metal, it has a brilliant sheen like precious metals and lends a desirable degree of shine to jewelry crafted out of it.
Titanium is among the hardest known substances on earth. The hardness of a substance i.e. its resistance to getting scratched is measured on the vicker scale and on this scale, titanium is three times as hard as steel and much harder than gold, silver or platinum. Hence, titanium wedding bands are very sturdy and do not get easily dented, scratched or damaged. This attribute is particularly preferable for men's bands since they undergo a more rigorous treatment as compared to women's jewelry.
But because of this same property of titanium, mens titanium bands have to be crafted out of solid block of the metal. As such, resizing is not an option and you should be accurate about the size you buy. It might only be possible to make it a little bigger in size by chipping off the interior of the band.
Since titanium is corrosion resistant, it does not react with your sweat, or moisture in the air or most other chemicals (including seawater, aqua-regia and chlorine) to get corroded and lose its sheen.
In spite of its hardness, the metal is incredibly light. Its weight is 1/3rd as compared to gold and a masculine and bold mens titanium band rests lightly on the finger.
Titanium is hypoallergenic which means that it dies not trigger any allergic reaction or discoloration to the skin like certain other jewelry materials.
Titanium costs much less and a titanium band is much less expensive even though it has a shine and finish like that of a precious metal.
It is easy to inlay a mens titanium band with other metals like gold or silver in simple stripes or elaborate patterns if you desire a more colorful wedding band.
Titanium offers a eye catching range of colours which can be mixed and matched to suit your taste.
Titanium bands can be adorned with a wide variety of precious gemstones including diamonds. This is done by tension setting the stone into the wedding band. The strength of titanium is used to accomplish the tension setting of stone.
It goes without saying that beautiful wedding bands are crafted out of traditional metals like gold or silver with cubic zirconia stones. Even so, you definitely ought to take a look at the wide range of mens titanium available today ahead of choosing one for yourself.
Showing posts with label cubic zirconia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cubic zirconia. Show all posts
Friday, June 3, 2011
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Diamond Jewelry and Cubic Zirconia Jewelry in a Snapshot
Its been the norm that people believed if their diamond could scratch glass, then it was real. While this may be a damaging truth to genuine gems, many fake diamond jewelry do as well. Over the years, the craftsmanship of a diamond simulant (notably cubic zirconia (CZ) selections) has been constructed to fool a variety of interested parties, including jewelers who use the naked eye as their guide towards authenticity. Today, there is a multitude of techniques that help individuals purchase genuine diamonds and not fall victim to extremely convincing fakes.
An important part of detecting a real diamond is to recognize the characteristics that make cubic zirconia both similar and different from genuine diamonds. For starters, CZ possesses a hardness of 8.3 on the Mohs scale compared to the diamond's hardness of 10. While CZ can come in colored or colorless versions like real diamonds, they are optically flawless, whereas a diamond always contains some sort of flaw or defect in their composition.
While trained gemologists are seasoned in the ways of detecting a simulated diamond, the untrained eye may also catch on to glaring inconsistencies. For example, the color of a CZ may display a gray tone when exposed to prolonged amounts of sunlight. In many cases, individuals prefer to run specific tests on their diamond to make sure it is real. They wish to verify authenticity by checking qualities, such as the weight, thermal conductivity, light dispersion, visual optics, refractive index, and level of fluorescence.
An array of diamond tests exists with some better suited for unmounted diamonds than ones placed in a setting. Below is a run-through of some of the most commonly used methods of diamond detection:
Some individuals have been able to detect cubic zirconia by marking their stone with a grease pencil or felt-tipped pen. Since natural diamonds attract grease and a cubic zirconia jewelry does not, a simulant will repel grease. The transparency of a stone is also helpful. If you are able to turn over your gem and read through it after placing it over newsprint, chances are you do not possess a real diamond. It is important to know that this test is not 100% reliable, as some real diamonds are cut shallow and will fail this test.
The facet edges of a stone also establish authenticity. A cubic zirconia often showcases chipping or slightly rounded edges. When the edges of a stone are not sharp, you may suspect that your gem is not a real diamond.
With the "fog test," one may create fog on their gem in the same manner they would a mirror. If the stone stays fogged for 2 to 4 seconds, you may have a CZ on your hands because a real diamond instantly disperses heat before you can indicate fog. The disadvantage with this test is that accumulated dirt and oil on a stone will affect reliability.
Some people use the "U.V. test" to weed out diamond impostors and prove the worth of their gem. A high percentage of diamonds produce the color blue when placed under a black light (ultra violet light). This is often a good test since 99% of all diamond simulants do not. Seeing a medium to strong blue color is a good indication that you possess a diamond. On the downside, it also proves the worth of your gem. Diamonds with blue fluorescence are sometimes 20% less in value than those that do not. Therefore, not seeing blue fluorescence doesn't necessarily mean the stone is a cubic zirconia, but instead, may indicate a diamond with higher value.
Carat or gram scales come in handy to authenticate a diamond by analyzing its weight. Cubic zirconia weighs about 1.7 times more than diamonds under the same dimension and shape conditions.
With the "loop test," visual characteristics of a diamond are analyzed through a magnifying lens to establish its true identity. One should look for the cuts of the diamond (facets), check the girdle (frosty and faceted means diamond, waxy and glossy means it is a fake), spot small cracks and pinpoints (characteristics of a diamond), and locate setting stamps. Stamps that show "10K, 14K, 18K, 585, 750, 900, 950, PT, Plat" increase the chances of possessing a real diamond because CZ is not often set in real gold or platinum.
Overall, it is important to know that not all the tests and techniques used to differentiate a cubic zirconia from a real diamond are 100% reliable and conclusive. Often times, a diamond that passes an assortment of tests with flying colors can be trusted as a natural diamond.
An important part of detecting a real diamond is to recognize the characteristics that make cubic zirconia both similar and different from genuine diamonds. For starters, CZ possesses a hardness of 8.3 on the Mohs scale compared to the diamond's hardness of 10. While CZ can come in colored or colorless versions like real diamonds, they are optically flawless, whereas a diamond always contains some sort of flaw or defect in their composition.
While trained gemologists are seasoned in the ways of detecting a simulated diamond, the untrained eye may also catch on to glaring inconsistencies. For example, the color of a CZ may display a gray tone when exposed to prolonged amounts of sunlight. In many cases, individuals prefer to run specific tests on their diamond to make sure it is real. They wish to verify authenticity by checking qualities, such as the weight, thermal conductivity, light dispersion, visual optics, refractive index, and level of fluorescence.
An array of diamond tests exists with some better suited for unmounted diamonds than ones placed in a setting. Below is a run-through of some of the most commonly used methods of diamond detection:
Some individuals have been able to detect cubic zirconia by marking their stone with a grease pencil or felt-tipped pen. Since natural diamonds attract grease and a cubic zirconia jewelry does not, a simulant will repel grease. The transparency of a stone is also helpful. If you are able to turn over your gem and read through it after placing it over newsprint, chances are you do not possess a real diamond. It is important to know that this test is not 100% reliable, as some real diamonds are cut shallow and will fail this test.
The facet edges of a stone also establish authenticity. A cubic zirconia often showcases chipping or slightly rounded edges. When the edges of a stone are not sharp, you may suspect that your gem is not a real diamond.
With the "fog test," one may create fog on their gem in the same manner they would a mirror. If the stone stays fogged for 2 to 4 seconds, you may have a CZ on your hands because a real diamond instantly disperses heat before you can indicate fog. The disadvantage with this test is that accumulated dirt and oil on a stone will affect reliability.
Some people use the "U.V. test" to weed out diamond impostors and prove the worth of their gem. A high percentage of diamonds produce the color blue when placed under a black light (ultra violet light). This is often a good test since 99% of all diamond simulants do not. Seeing a medium to strong blue color is a good indication that you possess a diamond. On the downside, it also proves the worth of your gem. Diamonds with blue fluorescence are sometimes 20% less in value than those that do not. Therefore, not seeing blue fluorescence doesn't necessarily mean the stone is a cubic zirconia, but instead, may indicate a diamond with higher value.
Carat or gram scales come in handy to authenticate a diamond by analyzing its weight. Cubic zirconia weighs about 1.7 times more than diamonds under the same dimension and shape conditions.
With the "loop test," visual characteristics of a diamond are analyzed through a magnifying lens to establish its true identity. One should look for the cuts of the diamond (facets), check the girdle (frosty and faceted means diamond, waxy and glossy means it is a fake), spot small cracks and pinpoints (characteristics of a diamond), and locate setting stamps. Stamps that show "10K, 14K, 18K, 585, 750, 900, 950, PT, Plat" increase the chances of possessing a real diamond because CZ is not often set in real gold or platinum.
Overall, it is important to know that not all the tests and techniques used to differentiate a cubic zirconia from a real diamond are 100% reliable and conclusive. Often times, a diamond that passes an assortment of tests with flying colors can be trusted as a natural diamond.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Mens Cubic Zirconia Rings and Other Cubic Zirconia Jewelry
If you want the benefits and the great looks of a diamond ring, necklace, or any other type of jewelry piece, but do not want or can’t pay the high price for a diamond then you should consider Cubic Zirconia also known as CZ stones. You may ask what is cubic zirconia? A cubic zirconia stone is basically the substitute for a diamond. Known for it’s great resilience and hardness, a rate of 8.5 on the Mohs scale for hardness, it does a great job keeping up with the resilience and fire that a diamond gives off as well.
Discovered in the 1930s by German scientists, cubic zirconia doesn’t naturally grow in nature. As a matter of fact it hasn’t been discovered in any other site anywhere around the world except at that particular place and that one time by the two German mineralogists von Stackelberg and Chudoba. Later on in the early 1970s Russian scientists discovered how to create cubic zirconia stones in their laboratories and by 1977 cubic zirconia began to be marketed under the name of Djevalite.
Soon in the 1980s cubic zirconia started to become popular among consumers and more jewelry designer companies and crystal and gem companies started to produce and market these stones in greater quantities. Cubic zirconia gets it’s name from the fact that it is the cubic form of zirconium oxide mixed in with yttrium oxide which acts as a stabilizer, to produce some of the most resilient and fiery looking stones almost exceeding the resilience and and fire of a diamond.
In fact, cubic zirconia looks so much like a diamond that it takes a specialized gemologist to look closely at the stone to make sure it is not a diamond. As mentioned earlier cubic zirconia is used today in a wide array of jewelry, but it is more popular among rings. Cubic zirconia rings have become the standard for men and ladies if you are looking for some bling on a budget.
The most popular rings designed with cubic zirconia stones are ladie’s engagement rings and men’s wedding bands. As you know when a lady receives an engagement ring they want for the stone in the ring setting to sparkle and glimmer brightly. Cubic zirconia engagement rings will give off just that and more because the cubic zirconia is hight quality but at a fraction of the cost of a diamond engagement ring.
Men look great wearing mens cubic zirconia rings as well and can be used as wedding bands, mens engagement rings, promise rings and of course fashion rings. Another benefit of CZ jewelry is that the stones can come in just about any color of the rainbow which in turn introduces many styles and many options for both men and women to choose from.
So consider a cubic zirconia ring for your next buy, especially if your budget doesn’t permit you to purchase a diamond ring. You might be surprised at how close these stones look to diamonds and the best part about it is that no one else has to know the secret of your bling but you. Please watch the two videos below to get an idea of how beautiful cubic zirconia rings are for both men and ladies.
Discovered in the 1930s by German scientists, cubic zirconia doesn’t naturally grow in nature. As a matter of fact it hasn’t been discovered in any other site anywhere around the world except at that particular place and that one time by the two German mineralogists von Stackelberg and Chudoba. Later on in the early 1970s Russian scientists discovered how to create cubic zirconia stones in their laboratories and by 1977 cubic zirconia began to be marketed under the name of Djevalite.
Soon in the 1980s cubic zirconia started to become popular among consumers and more jewelry designer companies and crystal and gem companies started to produce and market these stones in greater quantities. Cubic zirconia gets it’s name from the fact that it is the cubic form of zirconium oxide mixed in with yttrium oxide which acts as a stabilizer, to produce some of the most resilient and fiery looking stones almost exceeding the resilience and and fire of a diamond.
In fact, cubic zirconia looks so much like a diamond that it takes a specialized gemologist to look closely at the stone to make sure it is not a diamond. As mentioned earlier cubic zirconia is used today in a wide array of jewelry, but it is more popular among rings. Cubic zirconia rings have become the standard for men and ladies if you are looking for some bling on a budget.
The most popular rings designed with cubic zirconia stones are ladie’s engagement rings and men’s wedding bands. As you know when a lady receives an engagement ring they want for the stone in the ring setting to sparkle and glimmer brightly. Cubic zirconia engagement rings will give off just that and more because the cubic zirconia is hight quality but at a fraction of the cost of a diamond engagement ring.
Men look great wearing mens cubic zirconia rings as well and can be used as wedding bands, mens engagement rings, promise rings and of course fashion rings. Another benefit of CZ jewelry is that the stones can come in just about any color of the rainbow which in turn introduces many styles and many options for both men and women to choose from.
So consider a cubic zirconia ring for your next buy, especially if your budget doesn’t permit you to purchase a diamond ring. You might be surprised at how close these stones look to diamonds and the best part about it is that no one else has to know the secret of your bling but you. Please watch the two videos below to get an idea of how beautiful cubic zirconia rings are for both men and ladies.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Guide in Buying Men's Titanium Rings
Men's titanium rings effect depends on how men carry himself. The important thing these days is that men's rings don't look like they were before - simple and boring. Nowadays, mens titanium steel jewelry rings provide a great look for men who want to exude masculinity and personality.
Mens titanium rings, although less delicate than the ladies' versions, can be polished, etched, braided, twisted, knotted, embellished with gemstones, cubic zirconia, diamonds, tanzanite, or have cables passed between spaces or grooves in the band. There are many styles that incorporate gold, white gold and platinum to create a two-tone effect or give subtle accents to the ring.
Special Men's Titanium Rings
Men's titanium rings are easier to find than rings in gold or silver because many designers and jewelers create their pieces from titanium knowing that the men who choose this metal are already untraditional. They also come in different textures, colors and ring designs.
Although pure titanium is called "white" there are many black rings and brushed, etched or frosted titanium can come in blues, greens and burgundy colors. There are some varieties of mens rings that are especially unusual with wood inlays.
Titanium rings for men have gained popularity because they are so versatile: casual examples are good for everyday while a custom ring will give a distinctive personal touch. Men can also opt to purchase titanium wedding bands for their special day to express the solidarity of their love to their women and loyalty.
Mens titanium ring settings have evolved a lot since they first appeared on the market and now include brand name designers and jewelers who understand the difference between men's jewelry and women's jewelry. And although titanium can be for the ladies as well, it lends itself best to masculine styles and the extra durability men require in their jewelry.
Mens titanium rings, although less delicate than the ladies' versions, can be polished, etched, braided, twisted, knotted, embellished with gemstones, cubic zirconia, diamonds, tanzanite, or have cables passed between spaces or grooves in the band. There are many styles that incorporate gold, white gold and platinum to create a two-tone effect or give subtle accents to the ring.
Special Men's Titanium Rings
Men's titanium rings are easier to find than rings in gold or silver because many designers and jewelers create their pieces from titanium knowing that the men who choose this metal are already untraditional. They also come in different textures, colors and ring designs.
Although pure titanium is called "white" there are many black rings and brushed, etched or frosted titanium can come in blues, greens and burgundy colors. There are some varieties of mens rings that are especially unusual with wood inlays.
Titanium rings for men have gained popularity because they are so versatile: casual examples are good for everyday while a custom ring will give a distinctive personal touch. Men can also opt to purchase titanium wedding bands for their special day to express the solidarity of their love to their women and loyalty.
Mens titanium ring settings have evolved a lot since they first appeared on the market and now include brand name designers and jewelers who understand the difference between men's jewelry and women's jewelry. And although titanium can be for the ladies as well, it lends itself best to masculine styles and the extra durability men require in their jewelry.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
