If you’re shopping for the lady in your life, then you probably have heard at some time or another that she has an interest in pearls. Yes, those by products of oyster irritation are plainly lovely and women who are fashion conscious will often envision themselves wearing a strand around their necks or adorning themselves with a pair of pearl drop earrings.

Exactly what is the mystique behind the pearl? Elegance, affluence and status to name a few points, but there is much more including the physical, emotional, and spiritual side of owning pearls. Please continue reading and we’ll explore what it is about women and pearl jewelry that every guy must know in order to find the perfect gift.

Pearls Are Physically Uplifting – Every woman wants to be told that she is pretty and it is her choice in clothing, make up, perfume, hairstyle, and jewelry that goes a long way in determining external beauty. Men sometimes have a difficult time understanding what attracts them to a mate, but it is these accoutrements that play a part in that appeal. She probably understands the attraction better than you and adorns herself accordingly.

Pearl drop earrings accentuate the neck and draw attention to her hair while a strand of pearls worn around her neck point to her neck, shoulder blades and, of course, her bust line. Pearl bracelets bring attention to the silky smoothness of her hands and, together, all three complement her natural beauty.

The Emotional Aspect Of Pearls – Emotionally, women are different from men as they are generally more sensitive and better at establishing and maintaining relationships. Women have a need to look a certain way in order to please herself and to please her partner. That doesn’t mean you aren’t satisfied with her and the way that she looks, but if wearing something beautiful makes her feel better about herself, then presenting a gift of pearls to her shows that you care about her deepest feelings.

Deeply Spiritual And Highly Meaningful – Because pearls are equated with something rare, even hard to get, they carry a special meaning for people who are spiritually minded. Muslims believe that paradise dwellers will be adorned with pearls, Hindus revere nine sacred pearls, and Christians are told to look for the pearl of great price. The holiest of all ceremonies, marriage, is where just about every bride is adorned in fine jewelry including pearls.

Pearls come in a variety of colors, shapes and quality levels and include Akoya, Freshwater and Tahitian. Setting pearls in gold or silver puts the accent on their attractiveness and is a gift idea that no woman would ever refuse.

Educate yourself about the different pearls and settings available to you, but please know this: with a gift of pearls you cannot go wrong!

Lately, my dog has this weird obsession with chewing anything that’s metal (necklaces, earrings, screws, etc). Last night, I heard her chewing on something and caught her munching on one of my diamond earrings. I made her drop it but she had already eaten one whole earring and the backing to the second earring. All I was able to recover was one loose diamond and one gold piece (with the prongs) that holds the diamond.
I’ve already called the vet and he told me to check her stools until I find it. She’s taken two poops since the incident and I’ve checked them both. All that I’ve found was the backing to one of the diamond stud earrings. Do you think that even though it’s been almost twenty-four hours since she ate my earring that it will show up in her stool tomorrow? Can the fluids in her stomach destroy the diamond? Do you think the earring got stuck in her intestines? I just don’t understand why she only pooped up one backing!
Has anyone ever been in this situation?! PLZ HELP!

While engagement rings offer a near infinity of choices available to the couple searching for a ring, the truth is that there are relatively few cuts that are highly popular for this use.

An engagement ring is often a simple stone or trio of stones, as it must be safely set, stable when under working conditions, and appropriate looking under many circumstances. The limitations of one stone in a secure setting- or a trio of stones mounted in the same way- and designed to be worn for any occasion, show that final selections most often favor clean, timeless cuts that can be safely mounted and give intense visual impact regardless of a modest setting.

The round cut stone has always been one of the most popular through the times. Many jewelers say that round cut is the best with very best fire and all facets of the stone are taken care of. Surrounding cuts in what are often called “Tiffany settings” or raised prong settings, are the characteristic idea of an appointment ring: a lone stone balanced just higher than the band of the loop with most experience of the sandstone to beam. A nice round stone would appear wonderful in a Tiffany setting. A small, muddy stone, however, has nowhere to hide.

Another well-loved cut is the emerald cut, which is a long rectangle popular for it’s lush green stones. Not as ostentatious as the round cut, the emerald cut can carry a very large stone, show it to its advantage, yet appear quite traditionally formal. A square cut stone, the Princess cut, is also able to securely give a stable, cube, look with fair fire. If mounted correctly these linear cuts can be very safe because of prongs on the corners and protecting the side.

Cushion cut diamonds have the shine and beauty of round cut diamonds but also the grace of linear cuts, making them very diverse.  Stones that are said to be cushion cut are stones with a rounded edge and are square or a rectangle with curved sides and the corners also rounded off.

Pear cut or tear drop diamonds are fine but the uneven form is harder to use in a stable setting. A solitary stone unless placed in a very carefully designed setting can look lopsided and out of balance — and many of the design choices that can make a pear cut diamond a delight do not mesh well with the hoped for eventual wedding ring. These lovely stones may be better reserved for earrings, necklaces, or rings that are intended to function on their own, not in tandem with a wedding band.  

The Marquise, an elongated eye-shaped cut roughly oval but sharply pointed at all ends, is utilized on many occasions  in multi-stone rings. Choosing a central Marquise flanked by triangular trillion cut stones produces a stunning, more elaborate design.

There are other stones, but these are the most beloved and standard stones of the industry, found in many beautiful combinations in many stunning settings. The foundations of most classical engagement ring design can be acquired with a sense of these few cuts.