| Planning your Wedding |
Date: 1/8/2010 |
| Let’s face it, weddings are expensive! No matter how well you think you have budgeted, those last minute costs creep up. Planning begins with the venue, the band, the dress, the suits, the photographer and the flowers. Quite often wedding rings are not thought about until a few weeks before the wedding when the funds have dwindled. Your rings are usually an integral part of the wedding ceremony, and they are an everlasting symbol of your union. It is important that they are strong and will withstand the rigours of daily life. We urge you to budget for your wedding rings as a priority; trust us to design and make you rings that will truly reflect the quality of your relationship. |
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| Rubies |
Date: 1/7/2010 |
A recent London exhibition of British jewellers featured a “Madame Guillotine” display. Marie Antoinette’s disembodied head lay in a basket at the base of a bloody guillotine, her blonde rococo wig thrown aside by the force of the blow. Standing out redder than her shorn neck was one-half of a 55.61ct pair of Burmese ruby earrings - a giant tear-shaped cabochon surrounded by diamonds - dangling against her pale, lifeless skin. Ruby is July’s birthstone; you needn’t face the guillotine or have such extravagant taste as described above to wear rubies. For something far less radical please contact us.
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| Jewellery Care |
Date: 1/6/2010 |
A 4-day exhibition of British jewellers was held in London a few months ago. In an installation titled “Lost”, three displays – featuring a footprint in the sand, a footprint in the snow and a tyre track in the mud, each beside a different 18ct gold pendant – spelled out what so many of us know on an emotional level: jewellery is often defined by how it went missing. We encourage you to treat your jewellery with the care it deserves and will help you with any queries you have.
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| Facebook |
Date: 3/5/2010 |
It's more a case of "Did You Notice ...?" On our homepage we now have a link to our Facebook page - Brian Barrett Designer Jewellery. Among other things, Brian has posted some photos taken while he was in the process of making various items. It's a very complex, interesting process and you might like to take a look.
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| Diamonds |
Date: 2/4/2010 |
The diamond is April’s birthstone and it is considered the king of gems as the optical properties of gem diamonds are exceptional. Their valuation requires expertise and experience, and takes into account the colour, clarity, cut and weight (carat). These “4 C’s” make up the value of a diamond. The colour scale is graded from a “colourless” D down; the clarity grades refer to the amount and size of natural imperfections found in all diamonds; the term “cut” refers to the quality of the cutting, rather than to the overall shape of the diamond, and is the single most important aspect of any diamond. The proportion, finish and symmetry of the external facets of a diamond are what creates its fire and brilliance. We like to spend time educating our customers about diamonds in order for them to make an informed choice, and we welcome the opportunity to do so.
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