Win a pair of pearl earrings by entering your name in our monthly drawing.
 Email us the answers to the four true/false questions below:
1) Diamonds were reserved for royalty and the wealthy until1870 when diamond mines were discovered in South Africa.
2) Platinum was declared astrategic metal and its usage restricted to militarypurposes during World War II.
3) Beryl is a form of mineral found in Aquamarine.
4) Sailors considered aquamarine a lucky stone and carried it to keep themsafe at sea.
Congratulations!
February
Drawing Winner
Silvia Berndtson
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You've found the person of your dreams - its time you found the wedding ring of your dreams.
We are here to create an engagement or wedding ring that is as magical as the love it represents.
You can reachDavid by phone at
(949) 347-9700
or by email at
david@davidweissdesigns.com
| | March 2010
| Greetings! 
Oneof the first recorded accounts of an engagement ring was in 1477 whenArchduke Maximilian of Austria presented Mary of Burgundy with adiamond ring. Maximilian wed Mary within 24 hours, thus beginning atradition that has spanned centuries. Although diamonds were reservedfor royalty and the wealthy for the next 400 years, it wasn't until1870, with the discovery of the diamond mines in South Africa, thatthese gems became more accessible and affordable to the public.
Since that first engagement, the betrothal ring has a rich history of change. The tradition of placing both the engagement ring and wedding band onthe fourth finger of the left hand stems from a Greek belief that acertain vein in that finger, the vena amoris, runs directly to theheart.
- Posy rings, which were inscribed with love poems andmessages, were popular betrothal rings from the Middle Ages untilVictorian times.
- Hearts were favorite motifs for engagement and wedding rings during the17th and 18th centuries. These rings often used rubies (signifyinglove) and diamonds (signifying eternity).
 Colored stones were the gem of choice for engagement rings in the 18th and 19th centuries.
- The Tiffany, or solitaire, setting was introduced in the late 19th century.
- The "princess ring," sporting three to five large diamonds in a rowacross the top, was fashionable in the United States in the early 20thcentury. The three-stone style is extremely popular today.
- Inthe early part of the 20th century, platinum was the metal of choicefor engagement rings because of its strength and durability in holdinga diamond. However, platinum was declared a strategic metal duringWorld War II, and its usage was restricted to military purposes. Thisled to the rise of both yellow and white gold in bridal jewelry. Duringthe past 10 years, platinum has made a dramatic comeback.
Theengagement ring that symbolizes the eternal love of two people who havepledged to join together in marriage actually dates back to the 15thcentury. As a custom jewelry designer, David Weiss Designs will work with you one-on-one to help you realize the perfect custom engagement or wedding ring to cherish throughout time.
| | March Birthstone: Aquamarine
Aquamarine exists in many shades of blue, from pale versions to the colorof the sky, and some stones are tinged with green -- it owes its color the thepresence of iron. Deeper colored aquamarines have the highest value. Aquamarine, is a form of beryl, the same mineral family that emerald belongsto.
Much of the world's supply ofaquamarine comes from Brazil, with one particularly vivid blue type calledSanta Maria because it originates from the country's Santa Maria de Itabiramine. Aquamarines are also found in Africa, the Middle East, Mexico and eventhe United States.
The name aquamarine was derived by the Romans, "aqua" meaning water and "mare" meaning sea, because it looked like sea water. They were considered sacred to Neptune, god of the sea. Its first documented use was by the Greeks between 480-300 BC. Aquamarine has long beenconsidered a lucky stone, especially by sailors, who carried it to keep themsafe at sea. It is said to bring peace and calming to its owner, relieving stressand enhancing intuition.
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