Choosing Your Wedding Jewelry

The perfect jewelry ensemble can enhance your appearance, as well as add cohesiveness to your bridal party. Bear in mind that jewelry is but one element of your total look and should never be distracting or overpowering. There are many options to consider as you choose your necklace, earrings, and other jeweled accessories.

Your heritage

Ethnic or religious jewelry is completely appropriate for a wedding that reflects your cultural heritage. Depending on your background, you may want to wear a Star of David, a cross in simple gold or tiny diamonds, a Celtic cross, or an antique silver "Bismillah."

What could be lovelier than wearing a family heirloom to continue a family tradition? Heirlooms can also satisfy your desire for something old or something borrowed. Vintage, antique wedding jewelry is the perfect accessory to set off a vintage wedding gown or headpiece. If you have a cameo or old locket, look no further. If you don’t, you can buy inexpensive, vintage-look jewelry on eBay** and other Websites.

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**Never purchased through eBay? There is always a wide variety of discounted wedding-related items offered through auction or "Buy it Now" pricing. Plus, the sophisticated seller feedback system and protection programs assure quality purchases. See for yourself:
eBay Feedback Forum, eBay Buyer Protection Programs
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Shape and size of stones

Precious, semi-precious, and artificial stones come in shapes and sizes that range from small, round crystals to large, pear-shape cut diamonds. The first question is what look are you striving for; the second, what is the best way to create that look? Here are some tips from jewelry experts:

• Large, faceted crystals or diamonds, set in gold or silver, create a formal look.
• Small crystals or diamonds reflect light for a more casual or "princess" look.
• Oval, pear, and marquis cuts make a stone look larger.
• Round pearls are known for a classic or updated effect.

Colored stones or jewelry

No matter what your preference or wedding theme, there will be a stone to perfectly match or complement your color scheme.

• Precious stones — diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires —add sparkle and color to an elegant wedding.
• If your budget calls for less expensive jewelry, semi-precious stones come in an array of colors. Turquoise, aquamarine, topaz, moonstone, peridot (a green semiprecious variety of olivine), opal, agate, amethyst, azurite, bloodstone, coral, garnet, jade, and many others are all colorful, semi-precious options for wedding jewelry. For more about choosing semi-precious stones, see these primers on semi-precious and colored gemstone jewelry:
  • Questions to Ask About Semi-Precious Gemstone Jewelry
  • How to Buy a Gemstone, from the Gemological Institute of America
  • Gemstone Information, from the American Gem Trade Association
• Pearls come in other colors besides pure white, including cream, ivory, pastel pink, apricot, golden, various shades of lavender, coffee and gray. If the wide variety of pearls available confuses you, read about all aspects of pearl appearance and quality at Pearl-Guide.com.
• Cubic zirconia adds the sparkle of diamonds at a fraction of the cost. The quality of cubic zirconia is much better than it was in the past, and the variety of colors greatly expanded. Through the Internet you can find cubic zirconia in almost any color imaginable: topaz, sapphire, canary yellow, pink, orange, various shades of green, black, tanzanite, champagne, garnet, to mention only a few.
• Swarovski crystals are another high-quality alternative to diamonds. Clear or pastel Swarovski crystal jewelry is popular for weddings, but you can find these beautiful crystals in a more than 80 colors. Swarovski also makes several colors of crystal pearls. Because crystals and pearls are readily available through jewelry wholesale suppliers, they are ideal for use in custom-designed wedding jewelry.

Mixing stones is another way to customize your wedding jewelry. Combining pearls with other jewels — silver or gold, for example — is gaining in popularity. To give your pearls unexpected pizzazz, entwine a strand with a gold or silver chain; add a garnet, cameo or broach; group with charms; or add a clip-on earring as a pennant. For an effect that truly reflects your unique style, there is nothing quite like having custom wedding jewelry made to your specifications.

Jewelry settings

Stones, crystals, or pearls can be set in gold, silver, white gold, or platinum. One of the best features of wedding jewelry is that it can be worn again and again, if you choose it with that in mind. Your wedding jewelry can even become an heirloom piece for your daughter (or daughter-in-law) and generations to come. If your budget doesn't allow expensive fine jewelry, silver is a nice alternative to white gold or platinum.

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