The Gatwards wedding series – choosing the right engagement ring

As the team recently attending a family wedding, we thought it was the perfect time to talk about wedding jewellery.

In our wedding blog series we will be looking at things to consider when choosing jewellery for a big day – be you guest, groom or bride.

This first blog in the series looks at engagement rings. Your engagement ring is the most important – and perhaps the most expensive piece of jewellery you will ever possess. Tradition suggests that the ring should cost between 1 - 3 months salary and even in today’s difficult financial conditions, it is worth going the extra mile. Diamonds really are forever and unlike all the other wedding expenses which are gone in a flash, your diamond engagement ring will be with you for the rest of your life.. Your engagement should be a happy occasion, and the perfect ring can be found to suit a variety of budgets and tastes.

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend

While they may come in a variety of settings, a diamond remains the central stone of choice for almost every bride to be, which means when choosing an engagement ring you must familiarise yourself with the “Four Cs”: Cut, colour, clarity and carat weight.

Cut
This is often the most overlooked of the four Cs, but is one of the most important. Cut in this sense refers to how well a diamond has been cut, rather than to its shape. A diamond is cut to strict mathematical proportions to maximise its sparkle or ‘fire’ and a badly cut stone will lack the brilliance of a well cut stone. Only by physically handling a diamond with an expert in store can you be sure that a diamond has been well cut.



Colour
The perfect diamond has no colour at all, but most show subtle hints of yellow or brown.  Diamonds are graded from “D” (colourless) right down to “Z”. but the whiter the stone, the higher the price. For a diamond which looks white, try to choose colour “H“ or above.

Clarity
Most diamonds will contain small inclusions, sometimes referred to as ‘nature’s fingerprints’. Flawless or Internally Flawless diamonds are very rare and command very high prices.
The table below shows how clarity is graded.

 
The size and nature of inclusions are varied and depending where they are, may affect the passage of light through the stone. Very small inclusions (SI, S2 and above) are only visible with a 10x jeweller’s loupe and normally only with a trained eye. Clarities lower than this normally have inclusions visible with the naked eye. Gatwards hand-pick their diamonds to ensure that any inclusions are sited where they are least visible.

Carat
Diamonds are measured in carats, a unit of weight, not to be confused with carat, the measurement of gold purity. A diamond carat is divided into 100 points, so a half-carat diamond is equal to 0.50 points.

Remember that bigger doesn’t always mean better – a smaller diamond with a higher colour and clarity will always be more valuable pro rata than a larger one with a lower colour and clarity.

The perfect ring

So now you know how to find the perfect diamond, how do you find the perfect ring?

Where do you start? One stone or several? What shape? White or yellow metal? Will it sit with another ring? What sort of setting is best?

At Gatwards, our trained and friendly staff can help guide you through the maze to find your perfect ring. One that will reflect your taste and lifestyle, one that is “you”.  Sometimes it is only a trained eye that can spot a tiny detail that makes all the difference as to how a ring looks on your finger.

If a ring is a surprise, Gatwards will always exchange it after the proposal within 1 month of purchase if it is not to the lady’s taste.

Don’t forget that if you buy your engagement ring from Gatwards, you are entitled to a 20% discount off your wedding rings.

Frédérique Constant Watches now in stock

We are pleased to announce that Frédérique Constant Watches have now arrived at Gatwards.

Frédérique Constant is a young, passionate watchmakers from the heart of the watchmaking world, Geneva. Renowned for their value, as well as their artistry, Frédérique Constant offers high quality, Swiss engineered pieces at accessible prices.

Both the Heart Beat and the Slim Line collections are available at Gatwards. The Heart Beat collection in particular represents the brands commitment to innovation. Frédérique Constant’s Heart Beat watches were the first watches to show the inner-workings of a mechanical watch. While many brands have adopted this feature since, Frédérique Constant led the way, and continues to be at the forefront of the latest design innovations.

While the Heart Beat collection focuses on how a watch works and looks, the Slim Line collection is a much more sensory experience, with watches in this collection categorised by elegance of shape, harmony of curves and a classical design feel with a contemporary twist.

With their passion for watchmaking and the desire to bring quality swiss manufacturing to all watch enthusiasts, Frédérique Constant watches are an elegant and worthy addition to the Gatwards family.

Congratulations Dr and Mrs Paul McCrossin

Followers of the Gatwards blog will know the team attended a family wedding this weekend, which saw Charlotte Pheazey, daughter of Lisa Pheazey (née Gatward) marry Dr Paul McCrossin.

The couple were married at St Mary’s Church, Hitchin, in glorious sunshine and the reception held at Brocket Hall.

Wearing the “Dulcina” engagement ring from Gatwards and the matching wedding ring the bride looked absolutely beautiful in a stunning dress by Jenny Packham.

The Gatwards team were delighted to be a part of what was a truly beautiful day and would like to extend their official congratulations to the happy couple. We wish them all the love and happiness they wish for themselves. 

Alyssa Smith jewellery arrives at Gatwards

We are excited to announce that Alyssa Smith jewellery is now available in store and online.

Alyssa Smith is a young and talented designer whose fun, flirty and finely crafted jewellery have already attracted a celebrity following.

Suzi Perry, Caroline Flack, Theo Paphitis, Gail Porter and Dawn Porter are just some of the famous personalities that have been spotted wearing pieces from Alyssa Smith’s Tweetie collection, which is now available at Gatwards.

The Twitter-inspired collection is cute cool and contemporary and, like all Alyssa Smith jewellery, is exquisitely hand crafted to the highest of standards.

Her unique ability to create luxurious pieces that are also distinctive, fashionable and, above all, immensely wearable is what sets Alyssa Smith’s designs apart. And what’s more - she’s a fellow Hitchiner! We are pleased to support such a fabulous local talent and are delighted that Alyssa Smith’s creations are now available at Gatwards.

See the full collection here

Birthstone of the month: Sapphire

"A maiden born when autumn leaves

Are rustling in September's breeze,

A Sapphire on her brow should bind;

To bring her joy and peace of mind."

Regal, beautiful and powerful, few stones are as sought after or as sacred as the sapphire. They come in many colours, blue remains the most sought after hue. Even the colours of a blue sapphire can vary from a very dark inky almost black to a stunning clear cornflour blue. It is the cornflour blue sapphires which now demand the highest prices. 

Sapphires have been favoured by notable figures throughout history. Helen of Troy was said to have owed her famous allure to a star sapphire ring. Ivan the Terrible Catherine the Great were also said to be fans. Because of its potency, sapphires were used as a cure-all in ancient times, although it was believed to be most effective against conditions of the eye and mental illness.

In popular culture, perhaps the most famous sapphire is the one Prince Charles chose for Princess Diana’s engagement ring, which now graces the finger of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.  

Sapphires are second only to Diamonds on the Moh’s scale of hardness. This makes them a great stone to wear in gem-set jewellery. No longer the preserve of matronly ladies, sapphire earrings with white shirt and jeans make a get accessory for coffee with friend but can also work while out to dinner in the evening making a sapphire set piece of jewellery an ideal gift for any lady.