ENGAGEMENT RINGS @ ANPA

Besides the sample galleries we also display a selection of unique engagement rings in our online boutique and don't forget to have a look at the mokume gane rings which make wonderful engagement rings or wedding bands.

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Both wedding bands and engagement rings are not just items of jewellery; in fact, they are the symbols of many emotions such as love & commitment.

Engagement rings & wedding rings deserve the outmost attention to detail and quality by the jewellers who create them. ANPA Jewellery provides a highly personalized bespoke jewellery service teamed with the ability to translate your personal requirements into reality.

The vast majority of engagement rings & wedding bands are mass produced jewellery that in our view do not represent the symbolism involved. The engagement ring designs we create are entirely handmade especially for you, using traditional jewellery-making techniques combined with a distinct sense for style and design.

ANPA understands that having an engagement ring or wedding ring made is an important decision and therefore we make time to design your jewels.

Simply give us a call, set up an appointment and we will design with your ideas or create an idea for you.

CONSIDERATIONS

Engagement rings as well as wedding bands are worn 24/7 and ideally should last a live time, before choosing a design one should consider the following:

Do you work a lot with your hands or enjoy sports such as mountain climbing, canoeing or surfing?
• The "rougher" your lifestyle the tougher the ring needs to be which will influence your choice of metal. Silver is inexpensive, beautiful but soft. White gold and yellow gold are much harder (whereas there are also differences between 9ct, 14ct or 18ct) and a more suitable choice. The white sheen of white gold is achieved by rhodium plating which might wear quite quickly, depending on how the ring is handled. The superior white metal to use is platinum but also comes with an exceptional price tag.

• Gems do wear and tear unless you choose a diamond of adequate quality which most likely will outlive you hence is the gemstone of choice when it comes to engagement rings. Diamonds score a 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness and are the toughest gems around but there are other options that follow suit with a hardness of 9 such as sapphire or ruby and allow for a more colourful design, even topaz with a hardness of 8 is an option. Obviously the type of setting will influence how exposed or protected the stone is. A gemstone such as tanzanite with a low score of 6 to 6.4 is definitely NOT an option, whatever design or setting you choose - sorry!

  One ring or two or more?

• If you are sure that it will be one ring and one ring only, a wide range of designs await you. Otherwise it is important to plan a second ring when designing number one. Unless you are blessed with long fingers the width of the band as well as height etc. will have to be adjusted to allow for a second ring to fit.

  What body type are you?

• Allergies are a big topic in all spheres of live. Within the last ten years the jewellery industry has worked hard to eliminate any metals from precious metal alloys that can cause allergies and we have not picked up any problems. Palladium is considered completely non allergic. Still, if you are prone to allergic reactions you might want to get medical advice before choosing any precious metal.

• Should your hands sweat easily it makes sense to communicate this as certain designs will create problems for you.

THE RING - AN ANCIENT SYMBOL
The purpose of engagement rings and wedding bands is to convey deep emotions of eternal love, eternal happiness, eternal commitment, and eternal togetherness. In fact, these rings signify eternity - between the giver and the recipient. A ring, of course, is a complete circle with no break and no end or beginning, which means that it just goes on and on - it is eternal.

And, since folklore has it that the fourth finger of the left hand has a vein leading directly to the heart, it is only natural that both engagement rings and wedding rings would be worn on this particular finger, which was once reputed to be a direct route to the heart.