You have decided to get married. You look toward your wedding day as one of the most important and memorable of your lives together as a couple. In the future, you will share with your children the story of how you met and the details surrounding your special day. They, in turn, will tell the story to their children as it gets passed down through generations. Your engagement ring will be the first piece of a jewelry tradition that is uniquely yours. The jewelry that you buy for one another will be a “collected tradition” that also gets passed down from generation to generation, so you will want your choices to be good ones that will be worthy of the heirloom status that you will give it.

The first step in building your jewelry tradition is the purchase of an engagement ring. You will want to do your homework and find a reputable jeweler whom you can trust. It will, hopefully, be a relationship that lasts many years. More and more brides-to-be are actively involved in the selection of their engagement ring. It is, after all, a piece of jewelry that she will wear every day of her life. More homework is involved as the couple educate themselves about diamonds and review their options. The Internet is a fabulous place to find out about diamonds and other jewelry, but beware! The couple should be 100% sure that the information they get on the web is supplied by honorable individuals. The bottom line of finding out about jewelry and making your choices should lie with your jeweler, with whom you can have an in-person conversation, ask questions and get clear answers.

You probably have heard about the Diamond’s Four C’s (color, clarity, cut, carat weight). Elizabeth Florence, executive director of the Jewelry Information Center (JIC), a nonprofit trade association based in New York City, urges potential diamond buyers to add a fifth C to their list of requirements, "confidence" in one's jeweler. "Shopping at a jeweler who is a member of a professional trade association, such as Jewelers of America (JA) assures couples that their jeweler maintains high ethical standards and is provided with ongoing education."

In anticipation of your wedding day, the bride will purchase a wedding gown and the accessories that make it and her look best. "The traditional jewelry piece for generations has been cultured pearl. Available in a variety of styles and prices," notes Florence. "From delicate freshwater to pearls from the South Seas stunning in size and luster, pearls never go out of style and can be worn by the bride for years and years to come." Once again, the jeweler you choose, can be very helpful in showing you any number of styles, shapes and sizes, both traditional and avant garde.

Jewelry can also play a role with the attendant gifts that the couple purchases and, again, there are choices in almost every price range. Gifts of jewelry to say “thank you,” will, no doubt, be one that is kept and treasured as a reminder of a special day and a special relationship. Many jewelry choices of wedding-related jewelry are designed in such a way as a date can be engraved on the piece, making it that much more of a keepsake.

The memories of a couple’s wedding day will be shared by the couple for years to come. The fine jewelry that is bought for the occasion will be a continuing delightful reminder and become the starter pieces for a couple’s own heirlooms.