First let's me start by stating that veneers are real wood. Period. Yes, there are fabricated imitations(melamine, laminate etc.) but, they are not called veneers and many are very noticeable even with an untrained eye.

Contrary to popular belief, veneered jewelry boxes, jewelry armoires, furniture and other items are not a so called "cheap" way to create a beautiful item but, more a chance for everyone to own a piece of beautiful woodwork without breaking the bank. Most people do not truly understand what veneers are and right away dismiss anything with a veneer as cheap and fake. What a shame. Nodding in agreement? Read on....

Wood veneer is nature's ultimate expression of it's beauty and diversity and with the most beautiful of woods, veneers are created. Rarely will you find a solid exotic wood item over a few inches tall and usually it will be a bowl that can highlight the wood favorably inside and out. A solid piece of a Fiddleback Maple wood for example, in a size needed to create any item would be way out of most people's price range but, most importantly, it would be a waste of the wood. Veneers ensure that the rare and unique wood that nature has given us are used in a way that maximizes their unsurpassed beauty. No other natural product can give us such an added value in it's uses.

This is no more true than with a jewelry box. The inside is lined and only the beauty of wood is seen on the exterior. This is not to say that what's beneath is not important. On the contrary, most jewelry boxes furniture start with a solid hardwood base to give the veneer a strong structure to be add to. Now add a beautiful Burl wood or exotic veneer and it can take the simplest of jewelry boxes and make it a stunning eye stopping masterpiece that takes your breathe away. I've seen quite a few that can do this and still do.

Did you know that Veneering is an ancient art, dating all the way back to the ancient Indian tribes who used veneers on their furniture. It is used to give furniture or most noticeably jewelry boxes an exotic wood grain appearance and when it is applied properly, it also gives a item the appearance that is a solid piece of that wood, not a veneer over top another wood. This is where true craftsmanship shows through. There are many pieces of furniture, jewelry boxes and even flooring that highlight this talented work.

Plywood is a veneer. Egyptians are considered the inventors of plywood which consists of extremely thin sheets of wood veneer less than 3 mm thick that are glued together.

The exotic appearance of grain in a veneer comes from slicing down through a tree's growth rings and can be emphasized or diminished just by the angle at which the wood is sliced. Veneer is most commonly made of cherry, oak, maple and birch but, also some rare and exotic woods such as Rosewood and Bubinga. Bird's Eye, Bubinga and Fiddleback are very popular veneers for jewelry boxes along with Burl wood of any sort. To learn more on specific woods used for veneers and wooden jewelry boxes, read our article on "Jewelry Boxes --Wood Basics and Beyond".

I hope that in sharing this bit of knowledge of Wood Veneers that you will look a bit differently at the next beautiful piece of furniture or jewelry box you see and not think..."Oh it's just veneers" but, now view it through an un jaded eye and see it for the beauty that it is. Nothing more, nothing less.....Just beautiful.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marie_Malahi

What more touching or momentous part of the wedding ceremony is there than the exchanging of the wedding rings? It is symbolic of the splendor of your love for one another. More, the rings represent the undying and unqualified love the couple is vowing to each other. Furthermore, the wedding bands are the one item from your wedding that you will keep with you for the rest of your life - even longer than those crystal keepsake mementos from your wedding which will last you for years!

As a result, buying the wedding rings is an essential part of your wedding preparation. And it is more difficult than choosing the crystal wedding cake jewelry and the shadowbox you will display it in. Fortunately, it can be an enjoyable experience as well - as long as the couple is prepared with the basic understanding of the elements that go into modern wedding jewelry.

Metals

Fourteen karat gold is the standard choice for wedding rings. This is because 14 karat gold offers what most consider the best combination of purity and strength. You can get a more pure gold alloy such as 24 karat gold, which is pure gold. The problem, however, is that the more pure the gold, the softer the metal will be making it less durable.

Other fashionable metal choices include platinum, titanium, and silver. Silver is a very soft metal that can be damaged by everyday life and will tarnish over time. As a result, silver is one of the least popular choices for wedding rings.

Titanium, on the other hand has the advantage of weighing approximately one third of what gold weighs while also being exceedingly tough and as a result is rapidly becoming all the rage for use in wedding rings.

Platinum is a tremendously durable metal that provides an almost white luster that can set off the sparkle of the diamond in a wedding band beautifully.

Diamonds

Diamonds are measured in terms of color, size, cut, and clarity. For the most part a these aspects come down to a matter of your own personal values and what your pocketbook will allow. However, without a little definition of each item it can be difficult to know what you are buying.

Clarity

We would all prefer our wedding bands to have the diamond with the greatest clarity we can afford. But how do you know how clear a diamond really is without a degree in gemology or without having to rely on the salesman's word? There is, fortunately, a grading system for the internal clarity of the diamonds: FL or IF identifies an internally flawless diamond. Likewise, a grade of I-1, I-2, or I- 3 indicates a flawed diamond with 1 being the clearest and 3 indicated the most imperfect. In between these you might find other grading systems for diamonds that are nearly, but not quite perfect such as the SI-1 label which denotes a diamond that is slightly imperfect.

Karat Weight

The karat weight, or size, of the diamond is indeed a personal choice, but consider these few issues:

First, consider cost. The size of a diamond you select for your wedding set is going to be directly impacted by the clarity of the diamond you choose, the clearer the stone is, the more expensive it will be.

Second, but potentially equally important, think about the size of the hand wearing the stone. Is it relatively large? Is it small? The more petite the hand, the larger the diamond in wedding band will appear.

Finally, consider the how active the individual is that will wear the ring. As a general rule a more active person requires a smaller diamond or a larger setting to protect the diamond. To choose otherwise is to risk them knocking it on doors, counters, or more in their day to day life.

Cut

The cut of the diamond refers to how the diamond appears when seen from the top. The round diamond continues to be the most fashionable cut for wedding ring sets. This is largely because diamond cutters have done the greatest amount of research with this cut into exactly how to achieve the greatest degree of light refraction from the diamond. Another option that is quickly gaining in popularity for wedding rings is the princess cut diamond. This cut is roughly square and can look stunning in the right setting.

Other choices include, the marquise, emerald, radiant, and pear cut diamonds, any of which can be striking when matched with the right setting and the shape of the wearer's hand.

Color

The issue of color in your choice of diamonds for your wedding band can be a mystifying one - though it need not be. Simply put the scale ranges from "D" which is a perfectly colorless diamond, to "Z". Most diamonds that are found in reputable dealers of wedding rings range from "F" to "J" on the scale. Determining which one is right for you is really a matter of your budget and values.

Of course, always ask for an official certification of the diamond and look for the karat stamp in the gold. That way you can be sure that you are truly buying the wedding bands that you are paying for.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeanette_Shinn

Quoting the famous line by Groucho Marx - Behind every successful man is a woman, behind her is his wife”, let us begin by complimenting women for what they are and what they can turn any person into. Right from the stage of birth and infancy, it has been women who have helped each of us come into this beautiful planet, and learn a plethora of actions, thoughts and words.

But sometimes, words fail us when we want to appreciate the commendable capabilities of every woman in this world. Whether it is a sweet homemaker or a 9-6 executive, there is something about each of them which makes them so special, so exquisite. And when you feel words fail you, the best way to express your gratefulness or your appreciation for them is by gifting them something that each of them just love wearing – jewellery.

Every woman is a young girl at heart, who loves to decorate herself with finery of all sorts. She is beautiful, and she knows how to enhance her beauty. And if you really want to impress her or make her feel special, your best bet lies in a pendant. Through Pendants, you can express what you feel for her in the best possible way. You can choose pendants that represent her or a pendant that best expresses your emotions for her.

The best part about gifting pendants to a woman is that you can gift such jewellery to anyone in your life. A pendant can make a very cherished and memorable gift for your Mom. You can gift a pretty little pendant to your best friend – that tells her what a special place she has in your life. Pendants make for ideal gifts when you are going out on a date. And if you have forgotten your marriage anniversary – may God and beautiful pendants save you!

Paul Shane cherishes a hobby of studying and collecting jewellery, to dig out the making and story behind them, especially the rare or exquisite ones, also the Pendants being used for manufacturing the jewellery. He also loves studying consumer behaviour related to jewellery selecting and buying. At present he is associated with a leading group called E-Beads Limited.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Shane

Diamond jewelry makes a great gift for many occasions. Best known is of course the diamond engagement ring, but there are many other occasions for which diamond jewelry is a great choice.

Christmas and Valentine's Day are two of the top choices for giving diamond jewelry. There's a strong association with each for romance, and many people have high expectations for the gifts they are given at those times.

The challenge is picking just the right piece.

Many people love diamonds set in white gold. For the clearest, whitest diamonds this is the best choice, as it does not add color to the diamond. It allows the beauty to shine through, undiminished.

As you shop, consider what is in her jewelry wardrobe already, as well as the kinds of clothing she likes to wear. Some women prefer a very plain, elegant style, while others want their jewelry to make a statement with its styling.

Fortunately, this is not too hard to figure out. Just look at what she wears. If her earrings, rings and pendants are most often solitary stones or very simple designs, with plain gold around it, simple is probably best. If there tends to be a larger number of gemstones involved or the gold is highly detailed, you will probably want to look more at the style of the piece you buy.

There are many advantages to shopping early. This gives you the most time to think about what you would like to give as a gift, rather than picking from what is left over. While a narrowed selection is more comfortable for some people, there is something about knowing that you have chosen a perfect gift that is worth the extra effort.

Quality matters quite a bit. I've seen people buy what they are told are "milk diamonds", when in fact what they have is a very cloudy, flawed diamond. No sparkle or beauty at all. When possible, you should get at least a basic idea as to the quality of diamonds you are purchasing. For single stones this can be specific, with a fully rated stone, while multiple stones may be best described with a range.

You won't always be able to get this information because not all diamonds are rated. But you can pay attention to whether a company ranks the diamonds as A, AA, AAA or AAAA, knowing that the more "A"s the ring has, the better they consider the stones to be, and that the differences can be quite significant.

The quality of other materials matters as well. As a rule, if a diamond is set in 10K gold, it is probably lower quality. Higher karat gold tends to get better quality diamonds. Not always, but often enough for a decent rule of thumb. Similarly, platinum settings generally have better diamonds in them.

If there is one thing to be said about shopping online for diamonds, it is that the selection is really hard to beat. You have far more options shopping online than you ever would at your local jewelry store. There's also no worries about crowds, parking or store hours. You shop when you want.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephanie_Foster