Wedding Ideas

If you purchase a trio wedding ring set, then you will be better able to stick to your wedding ring budget. This is especially true if you choose a trio of diamond cluster rings, which will save you even more money. Whatever your budget is for a set of three real diamond rings (an engagement ring plus two wedding bands), you are likely to find something in your price range that fits your style. Certainly a higher budget offers more choices in just about any situation, but a jeweler like My Trio Rings offers something for everyone at any price.

$600 Wedding Ring Budget

Spending only $600 on three coordinating diamond rings is a true bargain. If this is your budget target, then one option is a set of diamond cluster rings that features a total weight of 1/2 carats of diamonds set in 10 K white gold. This particular set features a simple, modern look with a straight line of diamonds nestled within a band of white gold. For only $550.99 (and free shipping!), such a trio wedding ring set could be on its way to you.

$800 Wedding Ring Budget

For $775.99, you can come in under your $800 budget for three diamond cluster rings if you choose another set with clean, modern lines. This particular set of inexpensive, high quality wedding rings contains a total weight of 1 carat of diamonds clustered together in 14 K yellow gold. These diamonds, rather than appearing nestled within the gold band, reach almost to the edge of the band, giving a striking appearance, especially in the engagement ring, which also features a large 9-diamond square cluster as its centerpiece.

$1000 Wedding Ring Budget

If you are seeking a trio wedding ring set for under $1000, then you are hoping to spend on average less than $333 per ring. This is still a significant savings over purchasing typical diamond solitaire rings separately from a brick-and-mortar jeweler. Within this price range, you have many choices from a jeweler such as My Trio Rings. Indeed, one such choice is a romantic three-piece set that includes 1/2 carat of diamonds set in 14 K white gold. This romantic look dazzles with diagonal bands of diamonds with swirling accent lines. Such rings could coordinate well with more old-fashioned gowns as well as with more modern, asymmetrical wedding gowns that feature a diagonal swoosh in the bodice.

While shopping for wedding ring sets online is a relatively new convenience, the wedding rings themselves belong to a tradition that dates back thousands of years.

The wedding ring was first used in ancient Egypt, where grasses and reeds were woven into circles symbolic of eternity and completeness. The Egyptians were also the first to place the ring on the fourth finger of the left hand, believing that the vein from that finger led directly to the heart (the Romans called this the vena amoris, or “vein of love”). Over the course of time, temporary grass rings were replaced by rings made of leather, bone, and eventually soft metals.

Romans chose to use iron in their wedding bands, believing the strength of the metal to symbolize the strength of their love. Gold gained popularity in later centuries, and by the Middle Ages, the diamond was routinely used in wedding rings, along with other gemstones. The use of silver in rings had a brief revival in the Renaissance, and rings were inscribed with sentimental phrases and poems.

Wedding rings were almost entirely reserved for women until the mid-twentieth century, when the many separations caused by World War II (and increased marketing from jewelry companies) spurred men to begin wearing rings to serve as sentimental reminders of home. Before 1930, only 15% of marriages used wedding ring sets for both partners, while a mere fifteen years later, 80% of married men sported a band.

One of the first wedding ring sets may have been the sixteenth-century European gimmels. These rings combined to make a trio ring set that would have been separated prior to marriage – one ring for the prospective bride, one for the groom, and the third for a witness – and then rejoined into one ring to place on the bride’s hand on her wedding day. Tiffany and Co. introduced the solitaire diamond ring in 1886, but recent innovations in ring manufacturing, including the development of diamond cluster rings and trio ring sets have made it affordable for anyone to join in the historic tradition of exchanging rings to symbolize true love.

Photo Credit: Lisa H

It’s every girl’s dream to one day receive that beautiful diamond ring. But when you think of a diamond, you think, expensive, expensive, and expensive. Diamonds are beautiful stones that do not need to be as unattainable as many people may think. Affordable diamond rings sound cheap and ugly but they don’t have to be. My Trio Rings offers ravishing diamond rings at amazing prices and layaway plans as well!

My Trio Rings doesn’t mark up the rings like most of the jeweler’s out there in the market. We believe in diamonds for everyone. Why should only a select few enjoy the beauty of diamonds in gold? Beauty can be enjoyed by everyone. Using only conflict-free diamonds, the rings are made with you in mind. In the way that you want to purchase quality rings, My Trio Rings works hard to get you breath-taking rings that are no less than what we would give to our loved ones as well. We want you to buy rings that bring you happiness. All people should be able to appreciate beautiful diamond rings. For you ladies out there, check out the rocks on the many diamond rings available!

The history of the wedding ring is not fully understood. Many sources cite ancient Rome as the original birthplace of the wedding ring, but others cite ancient Egypt as the home of the wedding tradition centuries before. And these ancient Egyptian rings were pretty different from today’s gold and diamond wedding bands. Brides wore rings woven from plants that grew alongside the Nile River. These makeshift rings, a far cry from a diamond cluster ring of today, usually did not survive very long with daily wear. Later, women were given more long-lasting metal rings. At the time, iron was the preferred substance to make these rings, but iron rings had the problem of growing rusty.

As the tradition of wedding rings passed from the Egyptians to the Greeks to the Romans, and all over Europe, the use of more precious metals and jewels became increasingly common. In fact, in Ireland, it was considered bad luck to use any metal besides gold for a wedding ring. Diamonds became popular due to their strength and durability. Interestingly, the use of more expensive materials to create wedding rings transformed the ring into a symbol of an economic contract between families more than a sacred contract between two people.

Although there is no mention of wedding rings in the Bible, some wedding ring traditions do originate from the Catholic Church. Indeed, in the 13th century, Pope Innocent III standardized marriage practices. One change he instituted was an expected waiting period between an engagement and a wedding. He also mandated that a different ring should be used to formalize each contract. That is why women generally have both an engagement ring and a wedding ring today.

For centuries, it was women alone who wore wedding rings. That changed in the twentieth century. World War II brought about the change for many countries. The tradition of wearing a wedding band expanded to men so that they would have a happy reminder of their lives back home with them when they went off to fight. Wedding ring traditions continue to grow and change around the world. In some cultures, gold and diamond wedding bands are traditionally worn on the toe rather than on the finger. In other cultures, it is traditional to give an additional diamond cluster ring for a major wedding anniversary.

Whatever your religious or cultural tradition, you can find a diamond cluster ring set that best reflects your own relationship, while continuing a tradition that has become an important symbol of the marriage vows.

Photo Credit: TMAB2003

Summer is almost here, and you’ve been thinking that you are ready to propose to your girlfriend. Pick out an inexpensive trio ring set that includes a beautiful real diamond engagement ring, and surprise your girlfriend with a proposal at your closest beach. Here are a few creative proposal ideas to get you started.

1. Find a large stick to write “Marry me!” in the wet sand close to the water. Be certain that your girlfriend reads your message before the waves wash it away. Slip the engagement ring from the trio ring set onto her finger when she says yes.

2. Take your girlfriend on a special picnic at the beach. Tie the engagement ring to the handle of her fork while packing the picnic, or hide the ring box in the picnic basket until the perfect moment to unpack it.

3. If you’ve got a bigger proposal budget, hire an advertising airplane to fly a banner over the beach that says “Will you marry me?” while you are splashing in the waves or soaking in the sun with your girlfriend.

4. Take a walk on the beach at sunrise or sunset with the engagement ring from the trio ring set in your pocket. Get down on one knee in the sand when the moment is right.

5. Get tickets for a short whale-watching trip or a dinner cruise if neither of you is prone to seasickness. When you are out on the water, find a private moment to pull your girlfriend aside and ask her to share your life.

6. Build a sand castle with your girlfriend. When she is not looking, put the ring box in her bucket, on her shovel, on top of the castle, or some other place where she will see it right away.

For more proposal inspiration, you may wish to read 5 Creative Proposal Ideas for Easter, Creative Proposal Traditions from Around the World, Creative Proposal Ideas from Books and Movies, or 10 Romantic Ways to Propose this Christmas.

You want to spend every moment with her. You can’t stop thinking about her. You know that she is the one person you want to share the rest of your life with. You want to start your life together on firm financial footing. Planning a wedding on a budget starts before you even pick out her wedding ring set. Here are some budget wedding tips to get you started before you pop the question.

1. Pick a ring you can afford.

The popular myth is that you need to spend at least two month’s salary on an engagement ring. But why go into debt if you can get a beautiful diamond ring for less? Pick a budget that you can afford and stick to it. The more money you save on a ring, the more money you will have to put towards the wedding, the honeymoon, or even the down payment on a house.

2. Shop for jewelry online.

Online jewelry stores often offer better selection and better prices than a brick-and-mortar store can afford to do. They have the advantage of not using pushy salespeople who may be working on commission. Online jewelers also allow you easy comparison shopping from the comfort of your living room as you search for the best deals.

3. Select a diamond cluster ring set.

You can save money by purchasing a diamond cluster ring, which clusters smaller diamonds together for a higher aesthetic impact at a much lower cost. You can also stay on budget by purchasing a bargain wedding ring set that includes either a wedding ring and an engagement ring or an engagement ring and two wedding bands instead of spending more money and time to choose each ring separately.

4. Put your ring on layaway.

Don’t purchase the wedding ring set with your credit card and get hit by high finance charges that will hurt your wallet and affect your credit rating for years to come. Some jewelers such as My Trio Rings offers customized layaway plans (http://www.mytriorings.com/layaway-plan.html) to help you spread out the cost of an engagement ring or a wedding ring set over time before you propose.

Photo Credit: Sinksanctity

As bloody political tensions flare in Africa’s Côte d'Ivoire between rival presidential candidates, international Kimberley Process watchdogs are tightening their control of the diamond industry to be certain than conflict diamonds are not smuggled into the hands of unsuspecting consumers.

Almost a decade ago, the Kimberley Process was started by the United Nations to prevent the sale of diamonds that fund war and conflict in Africa and around the world. These diamonds are commonly known as blood diamonds or conflict diamonds. Since the establishment of the Kimberley Process, the sale of conflict diamonds has decreased from about fifteen percent of all diamond sales worldwide to less than one percent of all diamond sales worldwide. Currently, the only two countries under close scrutiny by the international Kimberley Process members for trying to sell conflict diamonds are Côte d'Ivoire and Zimbabwe.

New strategies to avoid the sale of conflict diamonds are making the news. Techniques to provide consumers with conflict-free diamonds they can be confident in include a method of tracing the geographical origin of diamonds through the identification of chemical “fingerprints.” This mapping process makes it more difficult for countries like Cote d’Ivoire to obtain fake certification to put conflict diamonds into affordable wedding rings.

Smart consumers should seek real, conflict-free diamonds as they search for affordable wedding rings. One of the best ways to do this is to choose a reliable jeweler. My Trio Rings purchases all of their certified conflict-free diamonds directly from the DeBeers mines, so you can be confident your rings are good for your wallet as well as good for society.

Photo Credit: Stevedepolo

The Desirability of Diamonds

Most couples today choose to purchase real diamonds when they shop for affordable engagement ring sets. Diamonds are beautiful and durable stones that last a lifetime, which is one of the reasons why they are a popular choice for wedding rings. Diamonds can be expensive, but smart couples have several easy methods to invest in responsibly-mined diamonds at an affordable price. One of the main things that couples need to look for as they shop is conflict-free diamonds.

The Dark Side of Diamonds

More than half of the world’s diamonds are mined in Africa. In the 1990’s, the problem of conflict diamonds, or blood diamonds, became widely publicized. Rebel groups in nations such as Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire took over the diamond industry in their countries and used the profits to purchase weapons and fund civil wars against their governments. Some of these conflict diamonds were indirectly smuggled into the hands of unsuspecting jewelry buyers.

The Global Response

In response to the problematic growth of conflict diamonds, several organizations and companies banded together to create a strict global diamond certification process known as the Kimberley Process in order to help ensure that diamond customers worldwide were not purchasing conflict diamonds. As a result, diamond buyers today can be confident that they are buying conflict-free diamonds as they shop at just about any reputable jewelry store.

What You Can Do

As you search for affordable engagement ring sets, be certain to consider the source of the diamonds before you buy. Although most jewelry stores in the United States sell certified conflict-free diamonds from legitimate sources, it is better to be safe than sorry. DeBeers, the jewelry company that many U.S. jewelers use as their source for diamonds, was instrumental in starting conflict-free diamond certification through the Kimberley Process. They believe that 99.8 percent of diamonds on the world market today are conflict-free as a result. If savvy consumers continue to demand responsibly-mined diamonds for their wedding jewelry, perhaps we can eliminate the sale of conflict diamonds altogether.

My Trio Rings proudly sources all its diamonds from the DeBeers mines so you can be certain that your wedding rings have conflict-free diamonds.

Photo Credit: Swamibu

In today’s shaky economy, it is tempting to sacrifice quality in order to save money, even when it comes to weddings. Many couples searching for gold and diamond wedding bands consider purchasing fake diamond jewelry, since it is significantly cheaper than even discount wedding ring sets made from real diamonds. But despite these savings, it does not make sense to start a life together with jewelry that will not last a lifetime. And that is not the only reason why the smart couple chooses real diamonds. Here are four reasons why:

1. Diamonds are stronger than cubic zirconia.

A cubic zirconia ring is much more likely than a real diamond ring to be damaged by everyday mishaps such as bumping into a wall while carrying a moving box or having your ring gnawed on by a teething baby. Since clumsy moments are unavoidable for many of us, having jewelry than can weather such blows brings peace of mind.

2. Diamonds shine from every angle.

Cubic zirconia rings can look dull when looked at from different angles. They also can have coloration or a shine that looks different from the brilliance of a real diamond. This difference makes it obvious to knowledgeable observers that the stone is not real. Cubic zirconia rings are also more likely to get cloudy or discolored than gold and diamond wedding bands that are properly cared for.

3. Diamonds are considered to symbolize a lifetime commitment.

Some people think it is bad luck to get married without a genuine diamond ring to seal the deal. It may be a superstition, but it makes sense that people are leery of representing their lifelong bond with jewelry that may not last as long as their relationship. If the wedding rings won’t last, will the marriage?

4. Diamonds are a good investment.

Unlike costume jewelry, high quality real diamonds have historically gained value over time. And although you are unlikely to sell your wedding ring to profit from this gained value, it is nice to know that the keepsake you may pass on to your grandchildren will have more than just sentimental value. And with a little polishing, that family heirloom will look as good as new.

Fortunately, there are easy ways to save money on gold and diamond wedding bands, such as buying a diamond cluster ring rather than a diamond solitaire, or purchasing discount wedding ring sets online. Real diamond rings can fit into any budget with careful planning and comparison shopping.

There are some who when looking for a wedding ring set for their upcoming wedding decide that they want simply the most affordable wedding ring they can find. There’s nothing wrong with that, and especially with the troubled economy of the past few years, this is extremely justifiable. Even though a wedding is a presumably once in a lifetime event, it is becoming more acceptable today to try to find cheaper alternatives to traditional rings that cost over $12,500. However, it is generally agreed upon that an engagement ring should have real diamonds, and not fake stones such as cubic zirconium. Even though there are a few who believe a Cubic Zirconia diamond is good enough and indistinguishable from a real diamond, there are many differences and ways to tell them apart quickly and easily.

Diamonds have been a staple of wedding rings for over a century now, and a diamond ring is almost synonymous with a wedding or engagement. A diamond is the hardest and toughest stone in the world, and nothing can break it. The only way to scratch a diamond is with another sharp diamond. However, many who are looking for cheaper alternatives tend to look at cubic zirconium diamonds as a cheaper alternative. While the price difference is huge, Diamonique and other fake diamonds have been known to cloud up or scruff up, and many consider fake diamonds to be bad luck for a wedding. More so, most jewelers and others familiar with diamonds can immediately tell the difference because a fake diamond will have a tell-tale rainbow like sparkle from it, while a real diamond has a trademark white shine, also known as its brilliance.

While most jewelers and people who are familiar with real diamonds can almost immediately tell if a diamond on a piece of jewelry is real or fake, there are many objective methods to tell if a stone is genuine. Many jewelry stores will perform a free heat test to your diamonds. During this test, they will heat it up for a few seconds and see if it holds the heat. A real diamond disperses heat quickly and won’t heat up during such a test. There are also tools available with the use of a diamond tester and a hardness test.  Also, a cubic zirconia and most other fake diamonds typically weigh 40-70% more per carat than a real diamond, a difference that is immediately obvious when you weigh the stone in question and compare it to what a real diamond of that carat size should weigh.

Since the above methods may be difficult for most people to check the diamonds in their rings personally, there are some easier ways to check if a stone is real. For example, a simple fog test can help you figure out if a stone is real. This can be done by fogging the diamond with your mouth. If it’s a real diamond, the fog won’t stay very long and will evaporate almost immediately. Another way to test a diamond is by placing it under a UV light or a black light, since a real diamond will reflect medium to dark blue fluorescence. Finally, fake diamonds tend to seem dull when looked at from the side, while a real diamond will have equal shine and brilliance from every angle.

There are many other ways to test a stone, but the best and most certain way to test if a diamond is real or not is to ask the retailer to give you a certificate of authenticity for the diamonds used in the item. Most prominent jewelers will provide a detailed certificate from a diamond lab such as GIA, the Gemological Institute of America, or EGL, the European Gemological Laboratory. Both are independent and unbiased and will give you a proof without a doubt whether the diamonds in question are authentic.

MyTrioRings guarantees its diamonds are authentic, and is happy to provide a diamond certificate of authenticity upon request, for a standard fee. Simply call or email us to request a diamond certificate for a new purchase or a trio rings purchase you have already made. A Trio Wedding Ring Set is the perfect way for you to save money on gold wedding rings yet have the satisfaction of owning real diamonds. Check out our large selection of Diamond trio ring Sets, as well as our Yellow and White gold trio ring sets. When the Ladies Engagement ring, Ladies Wedding band, and Men's Wedding band are together in a matching set - this is called a Trio Wedding Ring Set.

Since no ring is complete without the right box, we are pleased to introduce a classy velvet ring box with every order at no additional cost to you! We know that there are just so many things to be thinking about when preparing for the big day, so we want to make sure that we can take care of all your wedding jewelry needs.  Hopefully the wedding ring box is just one less thing you have to worry about. At this point we are only offering the one type of black velvet ring box. Would you like us to carry other types? Let us know below!

Thanks for checking out our new MyTrioRings.com blog! In the last few weeks, we have reached out to many of you to get feedback on what you wish to see at MyTrioRings.  A special thank you goes out to everyone who let us know what you liked and what you didnt like.  We have listened to your feedback and have started to make the changes that youve asked for.

We found out that many of you would love to see a blog on MyTrioRings.  Check back every few days and you will see:

- Wedding tips and suggestions

- Wedding ring news and information

-  and lots more...

If theres something more you would like to see, just let us know!