When selecting gold jewellery for purchase, many people wonder what kind of gold to select. Yellow gold jewellery tends to exude a classic look that is easily dressed up, and is favoured by many women for these reasons. White gold jewellery is generally seen as more modern and can be easily paired with a number of fashions to pull together an outfit. Once a consumer has decided to purchase yellow gold, they may then begin to wonder whether to select a 9ct, 14ct, 18ct, or 24ct piece of jewellery.

What Is 9ct Gold Jewellery?

Most jewellery buyers do not fully understand what it is actually made of. While 24ct gold jewellery is made of pure gold, 9ct gold jewellery is made of a mix of precious metals. Most 9ct gold jewellery, of medium colour, is commonly made of about 37.5% silver, 12.1% copper, and 44.4% zinc. However, many other mixes, some also including nickle, are used to make 9ct gold jewellery. Generally, the lighter the colour of the yellow gold, the more silver is in the jewellery, and the darker the yellow gold, the more copper has been used. While this may come as a surprise to many jewellery buyers, who previously thought that 9ct gold jewellery contained mostly gold, 9ct gold is still a very high quality metal. 9ct gold jewellery is carefully manufactured to be of a high quality, yet allows consumers to obtain such jewellery at a reduced, and more affordable, price.

Why Choose 9ct Gold Jewellery?

Many buyers of this jewellery choose it because of the price at which it is offered. 9 carat gold is much more inexpensive than 24 carat gold, which is preferable to a great number of people. 9 carat gold also looks almost identical to 24 carat gold. Unless a person is an experienced jeweller, he or she would never know that the gold their colleague or friend is wearing is 9 carat gold, instead of 24 carat gold. Purchasing it allows many consumers to purchase beautiful pieces jewellery that would normally be out of their budget if made of 24 carat gold.

Styles Of 9ct Gold Jewellery

Almost every style of jewellery is available in 9ct gold. From earrings, to diamond bracelets, to engagement rings; there are almost unlimited options for buyers of 9ct gold. Many different styles and stones are available and set in 9ct gold. The wonderful thing about 9ct is that many times when one chooses to purchase 9ct gold, they may choose to purchase a bigger stone than if they were to purchase 24ct gold, because of the reduced price of the gold in question. This may be preferable to many women who wish to upgrade the size of the diamonds or other stones in their rings or other jewellery. In addition, when properly cared for, 9ct gold jewellery is very durable and lasting. 9ct jewellery is a great, affordable option for many jewellery buyers, that should be carefully considered when purchasing an important piece of jewellery.

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Accessorising Wedding and Bridesmaid's Dresses

Ten Top Tips

You've chosen the wedding and bridesmaid dresses, the venue, the flowers and even the table settings. The band has been booked and the menu tasted. At some point your thoughts will inevitably turn to the finishing touches, and so to what accessories and jewellery will complement your wedding outfit.

The choice can be confusing. White gold or yellow gold? Diamond jewellery or a mix of pearls and diamonds? Can you wear gemstone jewellery for a little colour? Should you keep it simple or opt for a regal look? Our handy 10 Top Tips will help you choose.

(1) Do you prefer white gold or yellow gold?

Naturally the gold colour of your engagement ring and wedding ring will influence your decision here, but it is also worth bearing in mind the style of your dress. Generally, white gold or platinum gives a more contemporary edge, while yellow gold is seen as more traditional. Two tone gold offers the best of both worlds – why not try a pink and white gold pendant instead of the more usual yellow and white, for a slightly more romantic look?

(2) Do you have a preference for diamonds, pearls or gemstones?

Traditional brides may prefer white pearl jewellery, but it's a misconception that pearls are necessarily old fashioned. Indeed, a white gold pendant featuring a single pearl and accent diamonds can work well with a minimalist, contemporary look.

Diamond jewellery is a popular alternative, and can be the most glamorous option. It's also a plus point that the choice is vast – you're sure to find something you like, from a pretty floral diamond pendant to a rubover diamond tennis bracelet or diamond chandelier earrings. Diamonds do of course have the benefit of adding a touch of sparkle to your dress, and most styles are readily wearable in everyday life (for example, diamond stud earrings are one of the staples for every woman's jewellery box and look great at the office; while a fancy necklace can be worn on nights out).

For something a bit different, it might be worth considering some subtle gemstone jewellery. Even if you're going to wear white, you could add a single piece of gemstone jewellery, which will go well with other diamond pieces. Indeed there can be positive benefits of adding a touch of colour – a particular gemstone can be used to tie in your own outfit with that of your bridesmaids and wedding colour scheme in general; your birthstone could be worn to add some special hidden meaning to your accessories (or even your husband's birthstone for an extra romantic idea); or a sapphire or topaz item could take care of your "something blue" worries!

(3) What will your hairstyle be on your wedding day?

You will probably have an idea of how you will wear your hair very early on in the process, either when you choose your dress or even before. Although the actual hairstyle may not be settled on until you have a trial run at the hairdresser's a week or two before the wedding, all you really need is a general notion of whether you're more likely to wear it up or down.

If you're planning to wear your hair completely up, you have the most options open to you in terms of earrings – diamond studs, half hoop earrings or even full blown dangle chandelier earrings will all work (depending of course on your dress neckline etc).

Wearing the hair down doesn't necessarily prevent you from having long dangly earrings, especially if you're prone to brushing your hair behind your ear every now and then. However if your hair is long and will be in ringlets or tight curls, it might be easiest to avoid chandelier or other particularly moveable earrings, since they can get caught up in the hair (especially when dancing). Simple stud earrings or French clip half hoop diamond earrings would be a good alternative, with the focus instead on your necklace, pendant or bracelet.

In a way, a half-up and half-down hairdo falls somewhere in the middle of the considerations for a fully up or fully down style. You can show off your ears since it's unlikely that hair will be falling over them, save for a couple of loose curls. However as this type of style can be the most romantic and graceful, it can look great with minimal diamond stud earrings as well.

(4) What is the style of your wedding dress?

In very broad terms there are four styles of wedding dress (or indeed bridesmaid's dress), namely:

(a) classic elegant dresses  (e.g. a simple white satin a-line dress nipped in at the waist);

(b) princess style dresses (e.g. boned with netted underskirt);

(c) flowing and romantic dresses (e.g. empire line, perhaps with chiffon or lace); and

(d) figure hugging dresses (e.g. fully fitted with a fishtail).

Jewellery works best when it either subtly accents your dress or acts as a stunning feature against a simple background. It's best not to, for instance, overpower a traditional lace ornate dress with heavy diamond jewellery when an elegant pearl pendant would look more in keeping with the style of your dress.

Again as a very general guide, dresses falling within category (a) are the simplest to accessorise as they look great with almost any jewellery. For a full on princess effect (category b), chandelier earrings or a fancy diamond necklace are probably the order of the day, since you're likely to be a fan of sparkles! For dresses in category (c), these team best with pearls or more subtle pieces; and for (d) you can either keep the jewellery to a minimum by wearing smaller or non drop earrings and no necklace or go all out and wear a showstopping piece of jewellery or two.

(5) What neckline will your dress have?

Next to your hairstyle, this may well be the deciding factor for you in choosing your jewellery. Round necklines look beautiful with pearl necklaces or diamond tennis necklaces whereas v-necks emphasise a pendant more.

The easiest to accessorise is a sweetheart neckline, which goes well with almost anything. On the other side of the coin, you may be wearing a high necked dress – the very fact that this isn't seen much nowadays means that it will be stunning enough on its own, without any necklace needed (though a pair of earrings would look fantastic with it). Modern one shoulder dresses, or those with a halterneck, may not work as well with a line necklace, though again offer the perfect backdrop to a beautiful pair of earrings.

(6) Will your wedding dress have straps or sleeves?

The majority of formal dresses seem to be either strapless or with spaghetti straps, neither of which should pose any problem for your jewellery choices. If however you have a dress with long sleeves, you'll almost certainly have to forego any bracelet or bangle since this could catch on the fabric of the sleeve. Mid length sleeves (around elbow or three quarter length) are the opposite: since they draw the eye down the arm, a diamond bracelet or gold bangle will add the perfect finishing touch.

(7) What material will your wedding dress be made from?

There are two reasons why this might matter. Firstly, if you intend to wear jewellery over or very near to the material of your wedding dress, you should avoid items which might catch on the fabric. For instance, a diamond chandelier necklace or a particularly fancy pendant can have several dangling parts which move around as you do, whereas a single pearl pendant with little or no claw set diamonds will be smoother against any fabric. So if you have a lace or chiffon dress, it would be easiest to wear the pearl.

Secondly, the fabric of the dress goes a long way towards determining the overall look you're trying to achieve. So a wedding dress with a lot of lace or chiffon would suit more traditional jewellery, whereas a contemporary ruched satin dress would look great with funkier diamond or gemstone pieces.

(8) Will your dress be embellished?

If there's already a lot of embellishment on the dress, by way of beading or embroidery, you should take this into account too (you might want to avoid overdoing it, or you may be going for the full on princess effect – either way, accessorise accordingly).

(9) What other accessories will you have?

Probably more than you think! But the most important in terms of complementing the jewellery you'll have will be the veil (especially in terms of earrings), the handbag (if you have a bangle or bracelet near it) and any hair accessories (tiaras suit the princess look; flowers are more romantic and look fantastic with pearls).

(10) What is your price range?

Not every bride's budget will stretch to a full wedding jewellery suite with a diamond necklace, tennis bracelet and chandelier earrings. It can be tempting  just to wear the same jewellery as you wear to the office every other day.

Yet it's worth considering at least one new piece of special jewellery to enhance your wedding dress: not only will you feel like a princess on your big day, but you can wear it on your wedding anniversary the following year. Just remember that one stunning item can transform the whole look, with other pieces taken from your existing jewellery box (or that of a kind relative!).

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In today's economic climate precious metal is already at a price around $1,300 USD for each ounce. This translates into precious metal rings anywhere from $700 -- $2000 or even more. Looking for a steel with a natural whitened color such as platinum eagle? That's going to cost you much more. Precious metal prices are likely to continue to rise, and can double every couple of many years at their existing rate.

With this price increase, alternative steel jewelry is becoming a preferred item. There are several excellent metals to choose from which make great Tungsten Wedding Bands for example, Tungsten Carbide, Titanium, Cobalt, and even the old uphold Stainless Steel. These metals in many cases are more durable than precious metal, and depending on in which you purchase them they can be much more affordable compared to any precious metal jewellery on the market today.

The most interesting metal out of the over listen alternative steel bands is Tungsten Carbide. These bands range in cost from $50 (for an genuine Tungsten Carbide Band) to as much as $600. While Tungsten Carbide is really a truly great steel for the purpose of jewelry, presently there isn't a need for it in order to cost $600, or even $400. A great deal on one of these bands can be had with regard to anywhere from $50 to regarding $150. The reason for these cost discrepancies is that Tungsten Wedding  Rings is actually not a rare metal - even though it shows properties that absolutely no precious metal has. The price of a Tungsten Ring is basically in the manufacturing procedure, which is a complex procedure that can include as many as Thirty different steps through raw material in order to completion.

So what could it be about this material that means it is this appealing like a wedding ring you must end up being asking yourself? Well for one, it's very scratch resistant. On the actual Mohs Hardness Scale this registers at in regards to a 9. By contrast it's approximately 10 times harder compared to 18K gold. Platinum, metallic that is even more costly that gold signs up between a 2 along with a 4 on this exact same hardness scale. Actually, about the only factor that is harder compared to Tungsten is a diamond, the hardest material on the planet. This hardness creates a materials that is more the begining resistant than every other material that has actually been used in jewellery production. You can be certain that 10 years through now, if you choose to buy a Titanium Wedding Band for that big day, your ring will appear as great since the day that you purchased!

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