The main difference between an opal engagement ring and opal ring is that as the names imply, the wedding rings are exchanged during the actual wedding ceremony, while the engagement rings are exchanged only when the couple is engaged. An engagement ring is usually given as part of the proposal in the early stages of engagement, or not. In contrast, a wedding ring tradition is traditionally a simple metal band or a diamond-encrusted perpetual band that you take after exchanging your vows at the wedding ceremony and live on ever since. Many jewelers sell engagement rings and wedding rings as sets so that they match each other and look stylish when worn together. However, this is absolutely not necessary and you and your partner may prefer to buy wedding bands at your own leisure if you want to keep some of them. Once you are married, tradition dictates that your engagement band will go back to the third finger of your left hand. When you do this, your wedding ring should be closest to your heart (where your wife put it on your wedding day) and your engagement ring is placed next to the wedding ring. In Western countries, engagement rings are worn by most women and rings can be characterized by diamonds or other gems. Neolism "management rings" are sometimes used for an engagement ring worn by men. In some cultures, men and women wear matching rings and engagement rings can also be used as wedding rings.
1. JEWELRY CARE GUIDE
Opal Jewelry Care means being careful,your jewelry has value to you, it is valuable enough for you
to want to take care of it. Jewelry Care means being careful you do not lose it as well as being careful
how you store and clean it.from the most expensive fine jewelry to inexpensive costume jewelry, you
buy it because it is beautiful. The gleam of the metal and the shine or luster and fire of the gems
appeal to your aesthetic sense of beauty, based on what you can afford. The better the jewelry, the
longer you want to wear it, perhaps even for the rest of your life, and the longer you want it to have
that new glow, although some metals and finishes attain a warm patina with wear. What you don't
want, however, is scratched or gouged settings and dull gems. Accidents can happen, but all too often
the jewelry is damaged by carelessness or not taking the few moments necessary to tend to the
jewelry.
In most cases, being careful is the only care jewelry needs. Some types of jewelry, nevertheless,
need special care because the gems may be soft, absorbent, or fragile.Keep in mind that the harder
the gem and the higher it is on the Mohs scale of hardness, the more durable it generally is. At time, a
hard gem with high or distinct cleavage is apt to be fragile and may break or cleave if it is struck at the
right angle. Hardness therefore is not synonymous with toughness.
Metals have similar characteristics. The purer the silver and gold, the more easily it can be damaged.
Also, you must consider the combination of metal in settings with gem or gems. What may be
perfectly good to clean a metal, such as sterling silver, may not be the best for the gems. You have to
consider the jewelry as a whole, not as simply metal or gems.These points are tied in with the third
point: the care you take with your jewelry to protect it from loss, both when you are wearing it and
when you put it away for safekeeping. All the care in cleaning and storing will not matter if you lose
the jewelry. The care you should take in this sense involves the precautions you would take to make
sure you do not lose something you like and enjoy.First of all, think about what you do when wearing
jewelry. Rings are a good example of how common sense can prevent loss.you should have a good
and safe place for it. Second, that place should keep the jewelry safe not only from loss but also from
damage.The worst place you can put it is in a jewelry box already filled with other jewelry all jumbled
together, where it can become scratched or more seriously hurt. The best place you can put jewelry is
in individual leather or cloth cases or bags that will protect each piece from being damaged by other
pieces of jewelry.Cleaning is also important in retaining and restoring the beauty and luster of jewelry
with and without gems. Even gold can discolor from soaps and perspiration. Silver can be especially
prone to tarnish,-Detergents Bath. Mix a mild detergent and warm water in a small bowl or cup.
Immerse the jewelry, brushing the pieces with an eyebrow brush. Rinse the jewelry under warm
running water, being sure to put the jewelry into a tea strainer or cheesecloth for safety's sake.Cold
water soak. In a cup or bowl, combine half cold water and half household ammonia. Put the jewelry in
and soak for 30 minutes. Do not leave it overnight or for a long period of time. After 30 minutes,
remove the jewelry and gently clean the front and back of the setting, if necessary, with an eyebrow
brush before swishing the jewelry in the solution again and draining it dry on tissue.To clean copper,
use any commercial cleaner that specifies it safe for copper. Do not use ammonia, which can erode
copper.One theory goes that you can prevent gold from leaving black mark on the skin by spraying
the gold with hair spray. All you actually doing is adding a substance that can add to the tarnish.
Keeping gold clean is the best way to avoid skin discoloration. In any case do not use hair spray on
any gold with gems.Silver-filled. Clean silver-filled jewelry in the same way as sterling. The older the
jewelry, however, the more permanent the patina will be. Such a patina cannot be removed.including
precious metals, are sometimes combined with other metals and with enamel. Be very careful in
cleaning the metal that you don't clean off the inlay or enamel. The same caution holds true for
vermeil, which is sterling silver with karat gold electroplate. If you must rub, rub very gently with soft
2. cloth.Some gems need special care. That care includes both cleaning and storing gems. Be
particularly careful with: