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A Girl's Best Friend, How To Buy A Wedding Ring

Posted by Metropolitan | Comments (2)

Category : boot cut, buying a wedding ring, carat, clarity, colour, diamond ring, diamonds, wedding ring

A lot of people have been getting engaged or married lately, and as unfortunate as it may sound many of these guys have been ripping off their woman when it comes to selecting a wedding ring. Your girl has been dreaming about her big day ever since she was a child, so don’t let inadequate research on your part spoil her dream of a beautiful ring. Here is a short guide on how to choose a wedding ring for your lucky lady, because when you think about it, this is the one gift that she will wear for eternity. You only get one chance, so get it right!

Because of their value we are going to assume that you will be choosing a diamond ring for your girl. Diamonds were first discovered by the inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent 6000years ago and were used by the locals as both a religious icon, and as an engraving tool because of their hardened strength. Because of their immense value the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) developed in the 1940s a system for grading the gemstone that is now an international standard. This system is known as the 4c’s: Carat, Colour, Clarity, Cut.

Carat

Just like other precious gems, diamonds are weighed in metric carats (one carat is equal to 0.2g, approximately equal to one paperclip). So why do we have such unusual nomenclature? The name takes its origin from the carob seed. Carob seeds are always of similar weight and size, early jewellers used these seeds as a counterbalance in their scales. It will be much easier to understand the concept of a carat if you compare it to a Dollar which is divided in to 100 equal portions by 100 pennies, one carat is also equally divided by 100 points. For example a 0.50 carat stone is equal to 50 points. Because of their extreme value where even fractions of a carat can change the cost of a ring significantly the industrial standard is to measure the gemstone to the hundred thousandth of a carat. And remember this fact, no matter how much you hear in the movies....carat weight alone is not the single determinant of how valuable the ring is.

Colour

As paradoxical as it may sound at first, diamonds are measured by what you can’t see. This means that the less colour that is visible the greater the value of the gemstone. An expensive stone is determined by how closely it can approach being colourless, unless it is a “fancy-colour” gemstone meaning it is pink or blue. The majority of stones that you will encounter while shopping for your girl will be close to colourless with slight hints of a yellowish tinge of colour. The GIA scale commences at D (colourless) and with each incremental amount of colour tainting the stone proceeds up to Z (near-colourless). You as a layperson will not be able to detect some of the slight differences in colour, however, they will make for a large difference in price.

Clarity

The most complicated of the four C’s, clarity refers to the absence of small inclusions and blemishes. Due to the fact that a diamond is formed deep within the ground, small birthmarks such as blemishes are often included within the structure of the stone. The gemstone is graded from Flawless (FL) to obvious inclusions (I₃). Here is a basic rundown of the scale.

Flawless (FL) No inclusions or blemishes detectable by a skilled grader when using 10x magnification.

Internally Flawless (IF) No inclusions, but some blemishes are visible to the grader using 10x magnification.

Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS₁ and VVS₂) Inclusions are difficult for a grader to detect with 10x magnification.

Very Slightly Included (VVS₁ and VS₂) Inclusions are clearly visible under 10x magnification, but are minor.

Slightly included (SI₁ and SI₂) Inclusions are noticeable to a grader using 10x magnification.

Included (I₁, I₂, and I₃) Inclusions are obvious under 10x magnification and may affect transparency and brilliance of the stone.

Cut

The allure of a diamond depends a lot on the cut, and the traditional round brilliant diamond will have 58 facets to bring out that sparkle that women so desire. The cut of a diamond posses three attributes: the brilliance (total light reflected from the stone), fire (dispersion of light) and finally the scintillation (flashes of light when the diamond is moved. The sparkle of light that you see emitted from the ring when she shows it off to her friends).

In a well cut diamond the light will enter the upper facet (called a table) and travel inside the stone reflecting off the various facets, and ultimately be reflected out of the stone and into the viewer’s eye. In a poorly cut stone (too shallow or too deep) some of the light will escape or “leak” out of the stone through the sides or bottom and not reflect into the viewer’s eye.

The standard cut that you will find at your local jewellery store is called “standard round brilliant” and all other cuts are known as fancy shapes such as, marquise, pear, oval and emerald.

So that covered the basics about stone selection, but a good idea when purchasing a wedding ring is to ask the salesperson to show you the GIA certificate. This is essentially the blueprint for the diamond, and it will give you details about the diamonds dimensions, cut, quality, and weight. A certificate is very different from an appraisal because it tells you about the quality of the diamond without putting a monetary value on the stone. By seeing the certificate you will have a better understanding of the quality of the stone in the ring, and you can use this information to shop around.

So now you know the basics about the 4C's of wedding ring purchases. If there is enough demand in the comment section below future articles will discuss the various diamond cuts that are availble on the market today.

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Ass Like Adonis, How To Buy Jeans

Posted by Metropolitan | Comments (4)

Category : boot cut, buying jeans, denim, Diesel Jeans, men's jeans, raw, relaxed fit, skinny jeans, straight leg

The word “jeans” originates from the French phrase bleu de Gênes which translates to “blue of Genoa” because the material hails from the town of Genoa. The fabric used to manufacture jeans was also historically produced in the French town of Nimes and that is why jeans are sometimes also called “denim”. As an interesting side note, dungarees (known as overalls in North America) which are also made of denim were originally worn by sailors hailing from the Indian town of Dhunga, hence the nomenclature. As you can clearly see the iconic blue jeans has enjoyed a truly universal international appeal as a fashion staple, but then why do so many men get it all wrong? In this article we are going to a take a closer look at jeans, and teach you how to select the perfect pair.

Shopping For Jeans

Writing a style guide about shopping for jeans is no easy feat because they come in a plethora of cuts and a multitude of colours which come in and out of fashion depending on the prevailing trends. The three classics colours that are here to stay are:

Original Blue/Raw

The original jeans were only available in these colour and hailed from the town of Chieri in Renaissance Italy. These pants were sold to sailors whose port of call was Genoa. The Genoese Navy of the time also issued pants of this type to their sailors because of their unique property of being extremely durable when either wet or dry. Members of the navy would wear these rugged pants while swabbing the decks of ships. It is estimated that presently 20 million tons of indigo dye annually (almost exclusively cultivated in modern day India's Bengal region) are used to colour jeans blue. In modern times the Original Blue Jean is the most adaptable of the three classics as it can be paired with almost any type of clothing.

Faded Blue

Slightly more casual than the Original Blue Jean this colour is sometimes paired with blazers to take the formality up a notch. But it is recommended to stick to Original Blue for the more formal affairs.

Dirty/Rust
Faded till the blue turns to a more rust like colour similar to leaves in fall, these jeans are the most casual of the three classics, and often used by fashion designers to create more unique styles.

A factor that you must consider when purchasing your jeans is whether or not comfort is extremely important to you, or can you sacrifice a little comfort for more style? This is because you cannot have both. If for example the jeans are for lounging around the house you may opt for more comfort, however, if the trousers are for use at a workplace that requires semi-formal attire, you should opt in favour of style. So what consitutes style when it comes to jeans? The fashion industry is cyclical meaning a certain trend will be popular for a few years, until it is replaced by the opposing trend for another few years, only to be then replaced yet again by the original trend. "Flare" refers to the width of the bottom-most portion of the leg on the pants. The bottom will taper out slightly resembling a bell (hence the origin of the term "bell-bottom") in styles known as "boot cut", "skinny jeans" and "straight cut" styles there is a lack of this tapering.

Regardless of whether you choose to wear flared or non flared jeans you must ensure that you select a pair that will give you a proper fit. Key areas such as legs, crotch, and waist should not be excessively tight and restrictive. The rear of the pants should nicely package your backside. When making your purchase keep in mind that after the first few washes the jeans will shrink slightly even if it says "pre-shrunk". on the label. The best way to test fit is to bring with you to the store everything that you plan to carry with you when wearing your new jeans. Is the potential candidate able to accommodate your wallet? Car keys? Cell phone? These are some of the questions that you should be asking yourself. Also bring with you the belt that you wear most often because often times the loop holes in designer jeans can be too large or too small to ensure a good fit, so it is important to test this out beforehand. And finally, when shopping make sure to wear the shoes that you plan to wear with your new jeans and check out the pants in the mirror to see if you like how the pants fall over top of the shoes.

There are a large variety of cuts for jeans, but here are a few of the most popular:

Bootcut

A more rebellious old school style with a tighter fitting thigh and slightly flared bottom to allow for the wearing of boots.

Straight Cut

Always in style, these can be worn for semi-formal and casual occasions alike.

Slim/Skinny/Drain Pipe

Similar to the straight cut, but exceptionally narrow to provide a very trendy silhouette of the leg. Often the denim in these jeans is mixed with Lycra to give it a more stretchable property which helps the jeans mould to the contours of the wearer's leg.

Relaxed Fit

They are the widest of all the cuts, and in all parts of the world except North America they are exclusively worn by elderly men. President Obama was on one occasion ridiculed for donning a pair of these as the media dubbed it his "mom jeans". It is best to steer clear of this cut unless you are over the age of sixty and require the extra leg room.

Low Rise

Usually combined with another style such as "Low Rise Boot Cut" or "Low Rise Straight Cut" this term simply denotes that the hips are positioned lower on the trousers.

In terms of durability of the fabric opt for jeans that have rivets in strategic locations to reinforce the garment. Invented by the German-American, Levis Strauss these are metal pieces applied to points of strain to prevent tearing of the trousers.

Caring For Your Jeans

There are only a handful of simple instructons that need to be followed in order to ensure that your jeans will be maintained in that crisp and fashionable state even after multiple wears. The very first time that you wash your jeans make sure to wash them inside out and alone as there might be some dye transfer to other garments, and in order to minimize this transfer for the first washing you can add a cup of vinegar to help with dye retention. For all subsequent washes the jeans should be washed inside out with like colours. Never dry your jeans in the dryer as this will ruin the structure of the garment, rather the best way to dry is by hanging the jeans outside on a clothes line or over your bathtub.

Things To Avoid

There are a few things that if avoided like the plague will ensure that your style sense will not be penalized by a visit from the fashion police. Factory manufactured distressing and holes like in the picture below are unsightly, rather let normal wear and tear create a more natural look.