Precious Jewelry Leaves
Everlasting Memories of Your Special Day
Part I

The wedding day is one of the most memorable of a couple's life together. Tales of their meeting, their engagement, the planning of their wedding and the actual day are told to their children and passed down through generations. The bride's jewelry, starting with her engagement ring, is as much a tradition to weddings as the ensuing oral history. Jewelry made from precious metals and precious gemstones, sprung from the earth as gifts from nature, are heirlooms, tangible reminders of the love behind the vows.

Long before the march down the aisle, fine jewelry enters the picture in the shape of the diamond engagement ring. Recently, more and more women are becoming actively involved in the process of selecting an engagement ring and they're able to offer their soon-to-be fiancés well-thought out opinions. One web site, www.adiamondisforever.com, addresses both the knowledge and aesthetic sensibility involved in choosing an engagement ring. Not only does the site have a comprehensive guide to the 4C's-cut, color, clarity, and carat weight-it also contains an interactive "Design Your Own Engagement Ring" program, which allows couples to create their ideal engagement ring.

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." wedding should last for years. With fine jewelry, even after the dress is put away and the guests have all gone home, there will be a precious reminder of the brilliance of the special day. A special piece of fine jewelry worn on one's wedding day can emerge from the photo albums and videos to be worn and cherished for generations to come.