The origins of the Celts dates back to prehistoric times when they emerged as a group of loosely knit tribes with a common culture and language.

Celtic settlements stretched from Turkey and the Balkans right across Western Europe. But it was the rise of the Roman Empire that would expose the lack of cohesion between the various Celtic tribes and would lead to them being overrun, expelled from their territories and being pushed back to the western fringes of the continent.

Although the ancient Celts flourished across Europe, it is in Ireland where their traditions have been most preserved.

One aspect of this culture that still survives today is the artwork and this is most commonly seen in jewellery such as celtic wedding rings.

Their artwork was believed to be very symbolic often being based on nature using images of birds and animals and fish. The Celts believed firmly in the interconnectedness of all life and produced the familiar Celtic Knots, which are interlaced patterns with no beginning and no end.

Although perhaps the true significance of these patterns has been lost over the millennia, Celtic designs remain increasingly popular in our modern world.

The Claddagh is a traditional symbol of love and friendship and is thought to have originated from Claddagh in Galway as far back as the 16th century since when has been worn by many as a wedding ring and as a symbol of love.

The design of the Claddagh consists of a heart as a symbol of love, a crown as a symbol of fidelity or loyalty and the hands depicted friendship. Tradition states that if you are spoken to you should wear the Claddagh on your left hand facing inward but if you are unattached it should be worn facing outward on the right hand.

Celtic crosses, which predate Christianity, can symbolize the four quarters of the earth and or the four elements – earth wind and fire. They are equal armed crosses which are enclosed or backed by a circle. Following the introduction of Christianity, it became more common to see Celtic Crosses on top of a matching pedestal, which gave it a more elongated look. Celtic crosses are often worn as jewellery such as rings or on chains around the neck.

Geometric designs have always feature prominently in Celtic artwork with spirals, chevrons, scrolls and knot work. Many of these patterns can be seen decorating stone carvings or ancient manuscripts and religious books.

The Celtic spirals are very symbolic with the single spiral generally thought to signify growth expansion and cosmic energy.

The dual centred spiral found often on stone carvings signifies duality and nature and is associated with motifs from other cultures such as the Ying Yang symbol.

Celtic knot work designs remain popular today and can vary from single elegant knot patterns to complex intricate interlaced patterns.

Although the symbolism of celtic designs may have been lost, many of the designs remain popular today and will often be seen used in the design of jewellery and in particular Celtic Wedding rings.

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Pearls never go out of style – they are always a classy and traditional wardrobe accessory that will never disappoint you.  But this year they are a “front and center” fashion statement!  Just ask celebrities like Sandra Bullok, Jennifer Anistan, or Courtney Cox.

So with more people in the market for pearls now is a good time for some “pearl talk.”

The pearl has always been a rather prim and proper piece of jewelry – classic and seeped in tradition.  Well things they are a changing!  The pearl is has had a very glamorous make over!

Yes, the classic strand still exists as it always will.  But we warned we are seeing some vary daring looks from the pearl this season.  Extra long lengths, tasseled multi strands, pearls with semi precious stone accents, pearls on gold or silver chains.  The pearl has been transformed into a fun and fashionable accessory.

So if you’re going to be in the market for pearls this year here is what the Celebrities say you should know.

• The glow or radiance of a pearl is the most important quality.  Avoid pearls that are chalky or dull as they will be weak and may crack or peal.

• The surface of the pearl should be blemish free – no bumps or cracks.  Inspect under a bright light.  Baroque pearls are the exception to this rule – their charm is in their irregularities.

• Pearls are measured in millimeters.  The larger the pearl the higher the cost.  A 6 mm pearl is going to be much less than a 12 mm pearl

• The least expensive pearls are the freshwaters which mainly come from China.  They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.  Average size is around 7 mm

• The best way to care for your pearls is simply to wear them.  The natural skin oils keep them moisturized.  Do not put them on until you are done with your cosmetics.  This includes hair, facial, and perfume.  The residues from these products will ruin your pearls.  Do not wear your pearls in the water – chlorinated and salt water will damage them.  Polish with a soft cloth and never use jewelry cleaning products on your pearls.

Quality pearls are not cheap but they will last a lifetime.  Freshwater pearls are becoming very affordable.  Not all of us will be in the market for “Real Pearls” and lucky us there are plenty of options.  Swarovski makes a crystal pearl that is of the finest quality and quite difficult to tell from a true pearl for a fraction of the cost and they are available in a variety of colors.

There is an endless supply of imitation pearl or costume jewelry pearls on the market.  These are offered in a wide variety of styles and colors.  Great fun at affordable prices.  Do you think Jennifer Garner wears the real thing for bumming around?

So you ask what’s “In Style” this season?  Well I’m glad you asked!

• Pearl rings get the green flag – from low settings to monster large solitaire pearls, they are all the rave.  A pearl ring can go from romantic and simple to sleek and stunning.

• The Bib Necklace makes a very dramatic statement.  A broad necklace that tapers towards the back just like a baby’s bib [thus the name].  They range from extremely wide to as narrow as a ½”.  This style works great with a simple black dress or strapless neckline.

• The multi-strand necklace is ever so preppy.  They range from 12” to 18” and pearls are usually small to medium.  The object of these necklaces is for every pearl to be in perfect placement.  Very versatile and fashionable.

• The opera length necklace simply never disappears from the fashion scene.  They measure 36” or longer and they can be worn as a long single lean line, doubled up, tied in a knot, wherever the moment takes you.  These long strands are terrific for dressing up a pair of jeans or semi casual look.

• The tassel necklace from the footloose and fancy free1920s has made a come back, and rightly so!  Today tassels are often made from tiny seed pearls or irregular baroques.  They range in length fro short at 16” to navel length at 36”. The tassel necklace swings and sways with your movement making it a must have for those night of dancing.

• This season for first time, we are seeing pearls mixed with colored gems such as amethyst, peridot, or topaz.  They compliment each other nicely – pearls with their soft and subtle shades mixed with semi precious gems with their vibrant and bold color.  Picture it – what a fashion statement!

• Pearls mixed with silver is also new this season.  Long silver chain dangle earrings accented with pearls, or freshwater droplets set on silver.

• This season the pearl is all about the color.  Pearls are available in many hues but this season the “hot spot” is “lavender” and the lavender family ranging from pale iris to plum.

If you already own a beautiful classic pearl necklace its very easy to transform it into something from this season.  Try adding a group of charms or pendants, fastening a vintage brooch or clip[ on earring at the bottom.  You could mix various lengths or sizes of pearls together or entwine a silver or gold chain.  How about mixing your real pearls with your fake pearls?  The options are as endless as your imagination.

Remember when you freshen your wardrobe for the spring, freshen your costume jewelry too and Make Your Fashion Statement!

Do any of you remember Marilyn Monroe sexily purring “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend?” Do you have any idea what that did the engagement ring market. Guys are still paying for that statement. Sure back in the 50s women knew it wouldn’t be sensible to wear such a large engagement ring but that didn’t mean a gal couldn’t yearn for it. Today a women wouldn’t feel in the least bit guilty about wearing such a diamond, in fact there are many a women that judge how well they are loved by the size of the rock they are wearing because they “know” what Marilyn knew, that “diamonds are in fact a girls best friend.”

When we see the engagement rings worn by stars like Madonna or Catherine Zeta-Jones we take notice and their choices influence the trends that follow. Celebrities are the leaders in setting fashion and jewelry trends. Madonna with her Edwardian engagement ring and Catherine Zeta-Jones’s antique styled 10 carat diamond ring has revived the desire to own a beautiful antique engagement ring. In fact it’s one of the hottest engagement ring styles in 20 years. The size of the diamonds in current styles has also grown from the average one carat to over three carats. That’s a pretty big rock that’s going to set you back a bit. But girls know they deserve it!

If you aren’t sure whether bigger is better than have a look at the jewels at this years Oscars which are said to total over $50 million dollars in value. Wonder how many vaults it took to keep those locked up for the night? With bling being the in thing one has to stop and wonder how the heck normal average working guys plan to pay for these rings. When their fiancés are asked the standard answer is “doesn’t matter I’m worth it. That’s great if your guy is earning a 6 figure salary but wait what if he’s not. What if he’s joe average living from pay day to pay day. What should he do move into the bush and give up his home, perhaps take up walking and sell his car?

Wait guys maybe you can get away with a really good quality cubic zirconia. No guarantees but it might be worth a try. Most of the high end ones can only be identified by a quality jeweler. Then again maybe she won’t care as long as it’s big and impressive. Ok girls lets be real here. Dreaming and lusting for that big 5 carat rock is just fine. No problem with dreaming, but when it comes time for your man to buy that ring remember that the ring is not what you are marrying so perhaps it’s time to consider the quality and quantity of the husband to be rather than the ring. Big diamond or little diamond it doesn’t matter as long as the two of you are blissfully happy. Let the celebrities wear their big diamonds and let them sparkle and shine in the lime light. It doesn’t matter because you got your man! That’s what counts!

What better way to show the world that you are in love than by the act of giving and receiving a diamond engagement ring? With many actresses and other famous women sporting bigger and sparklier diamond rings, celebrity engagements have become a delight for the jewelry lover. The size of the diamond is not necessarily the key as to what makes some of these rings so famous and recognizable, rather it seems to be a combination of the engagement ring itself and the famous lady it is associated with.

The history of diamond engagement rings

Maximillan I of Austria gave the first diamond engagement ring on record to Mary of Burgundy in 1477. He had the ring commissioned to unite their two houses and make their marriage a unifying symbol to the country.

The smallest diamond engagement ring ever made was given to Princess Mary who was married by proxy to the Dauphin of France in the year 1518. Princess Mary was two years old at the time.

Throughout history diamond engagement rings have become larger, more elaborate, and have included a wide variety of other jewels and metals. Diamond engagement rings settings can be made of silver, platinum, white or yellow gold or a mixture of these elements.

Famous ladies and their engagement rings

Celebrities and other famous people influence the look and style of many aspects in fashion and also set trends. Diamond engagement rings are no exception to this rule. The following is a partial list of the famous ladies and their equally famous engagement rings:

Royalty:

Queen Elizabeth II received an engagement ring from Prince Phillip that was made from diamonds from his mother’s tiara.Grace Kelly was given a 12 carat emerald-cut diamond engagement ring from Prince Rainier.Lady Diana was engaged with a ring made of an 18 carat blue oval sapphire that was circled by fourteen diamonds.

Actresses:

Elizabeth Taylor was engaged to her third husband, Michael Todd, with an emerald cut diamond that weighed almost 30 carats. However, she is more known for her other pieces of jewelry, one more striking than the other: the 39 carat Krupp diamond, the 69.42 carat pear-shaped Taylor-Burton diamond and the 17th century heart-shaped Taj Mahal diamond.Priscilla was engaged to Elvis with a 3.5 carat diamond engagement ring that was circled by another 21 smaller diamonds and diamond chips.Sharon Stone was given a three diamond, 3 1/2 carat emerald-cut diamond engagement ring by Phil Bronstien.Catherine Zeta-Jones’ promise to Michael Douglas was finalized with a 10 carat antique marquise diamond estimated at amost $2 million.Joan Collins got a heart-shaped diamond ring in a nineteenth-century setting from husband Percy Gibson.

Pop stars:

Madonna received from Guy Ritchie an antique Edwardian three-stone diamond ring with a decorative platinum band. The Neil Lane ring was supposed to represent their family: mother, father and son Rocco.In the case of Toni Braxton, drummer Keri Lewis designed a stunning 4.5 three-stone diamond ring with an oval-shaped center stone and 2 heart-shaped diamonds on the sides.Paris Hilton, even though not a pop star but a diva anyway, received 2 diamond engagement rings from billionaire Paris Latsis, a $5 million 24 carat canary diamond ring and a $2.1 million 15 carat white diamond ring.Britney Spears has two engagement rings also: one that she bought for herself before the wedding, a $40,000 4 carat cushion-cut diamond ring with a platinum pave setting, and one that she received 9 month after the marriage from husband Kevin Federline.Christina Aguilera became engaged to Jordan Bratman after he presented a $54,000 20-carat diamond engagement ring designed by jeweler Stephen Webster.Whitney Houston sports a stunning 4 carat oval-shaped center stone with trillions on the sides which she received from Bobby Brown.

Replica diamond engagement rings

Of course there is the very famous pink diamond ring that Ben Affleck gave to Jennifer Lopez. This 6 carat radiant shaped pink diamond quickly caught the attention of the public and has become a highly sought after replica. It is completed with a platinum band as well as three baguette white diamonds on each side. The pink diamond engagement ring is reported to have been purchased for $1.2 million in 2002. The ring, while easily identified is also very feminine and modern looking.

Replicas of the famous pink diamond ring are now available  for a moderate price. The cost of the replicas depends on the quality of the stones and the materials used in reproducing the pink diamond engagement ring.

Some replicas are styled as more antique diamond engagement rings. These rings have an everlasting quality and symbolize tradition and heritage. The recent engagement of Camilla Parker Bowles in February of 2005 featured such an antique engagement ring. The platinum ring has an emerald-cut center diamond with three diamond baguettes on each side. This ring originally belonged to the Queen Mother and is believed to be valued at over $1 million.

Since few people can afford the original item, there will always be a market for replicas of these one of a kind diamond engagement rings. The quality of the replicas varies, as does the price. It is important to note that the styles of diamond engagement rings that are popular with celebrities will soon become the styles that are sought after by the not quite so rich and famous.