Double Wedding Ring Quilt Pattern at Wedding Rings

Welcome to Wedding Rings

Double Wedding Ring Quilt Pattern Article

Exceptional, everlasting and versatile � these are just three of the qualities of platinum, one of the rarest of earth's metals. With a brilliant white luster, platinum is elegant and timeless. Its stark, natural, white sheen provides a rich setting for diamonds and other jewels. However, platinum is elegant and luxurious by itself, imbued with an expression of integrity and purity. It is no wonder that platinum has risen in popularity as the metal of choice in luxury jewelry. Platinum does not tarnish or fade easily because it is usually 95% pure and is resistant to corrosion.

Platinum is rare. It is in fact thirty times rarer than gold. It can be found in very few places on earth. That is why platinum is more expensive and more luxurious than gold. The rarity of platinum makes it a coveted and precious metal. Platinum jewelry is an exceptional choice if you want to enjoy your individuality. The name platinum is derived from the Spanish word "platina" which means "little silver" and indeed it has a silvery luster. Yet, platinum is more valuable and more precious.

Platinum is perfect for jewelry. It is more durable than other jewelry metals and thus extremely longwearing. It is heavy and dense making it more resilient than other metals. Thus, platinum jewelries are meant to last more than a lifetime, making them superb heirloom pieces. It does not wear away easily. Although it may still scratch like other metals, its value is not diminished. Platinum is eternal. That is why it is a perfect metal for wedding rings. A symbol of endless, eternal love � unbroken and unceasing. Giving someone a platinum wedding ring can be seen as the highest gesture of eternal love. The heavy weight and substantial feel of a platinum ring is appreciated by men, while its elegant luster and preciousness is loved by women.

Platinum is also very pliable and malleable. This characteristic has endeared platinum to jewelers. They can fashion amazingly intricate platinum jewelry that could not be crafted out of other metals. It is also very durable and can hold diamonds and gemstones firmly. Combined with other precious metals such as white gold, the resulting piece of jewelry is stunningly beautiful. The amazing attributes of platinum does not manifest itself only in jewelry. Platinum is also used for industrial purposes such as in catalytic converters. It is also used in medicine through pacemakers that save the lives of people with heart diseases. Platinum is indeed an exceptional metal with a wide range of uses despite its rarity.

If you are considering buying platinum jewelry as a gift to yourself or to someone special to you, you should consult a respected jeweler to avoid being ripped off. Platinum jewelry is very expensive and would likely cost twice as much as its equivalent in gold. Yet, although it is very costly, it is considered as well worth the price because of its beauty, luxury and value. Special markings are used on platinum jewelry than with gold jewelry. For instance, 900 Platinum means that the piece is 90% platinum and 10% other metals. Platinum jewelry will last for many generations, which further increases its value and makes it a worthwhile investment. Indeed, platinum is an exceptional metal � rare and precious, beautiful and elegant, timeless and eternal.

About the author:
David Arnold Livingston enjoys wearing and giving fine jewelry including platinum. For a great resource, visit: http://www.apexplatinum.com/

Written by: David Arnold Livingston

More Info . . .

Double Wedding Ring Quilt Pattern Article

"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of
two chemical substances; if there is any reaction,
both are transformed."
-C.G. Jung

Rings have been exchanged as a symbol of the bond of marriage for so long, and in so many different cultures, that the origin of the practice is obscure. Certainly, the circle of a ring represents undying love and the continually renewed vows of the married couple. Circles have long been archetypes for not only timelessness, but also wholeness and homecoming. The circle also speaks to the constant round of the heavens, as well as the eternal return of the seasons, marked by cyclical ritual and celebration.

In addition, the circle in rock art, sacred stone arrays, and astrology represents both the Sun and the Moon, themselves astrological and alchemical symbols for the masculine and feminine aspects of the cosmos. This correspondence with the Sun and Moon is emphasized by the frequent practice of choosing gold for one betrothed and silver for the other, as gold and silver are the metals long associated with the Sun and Moon respectively.

Rings in general have a deeply rooted magical significance. Enchanted rings figure in many ancient folk tales. Incantations and spells for the protection of the wearer of rings are common motifs. Today, in traditional religious ceremonies, Christian and otherwise, the wedding rings are blessed by a minister or priest, thus continuing the symbolic practice of imbuing rings with protective powers.

The widespread tradition of embellishing the plain gold or silver wedding band with various designs and patterns has been known since at least 700 AD, in both Pan-Hellenic and Celtic cultures. The quite ancient symbol of the ouroboros, the serpent which consumes its own tail, was a theme used for wedding rings made of iron in Rome. The ouroboros itself is a symbol of the oneness of creation and destruction in renewal, and the life principle which timelessly feeds on its own inspiration. It also represents the hope for a lifelong marriage union that's continually renewed.

Celtic wedding rings are often gorgeously decorated with geometric knot work patterns that have a long history and central place in Celtic art. These patterns are strongly vegetative, suggesting tendrils and vines. In fact, in much of Celtic art, including the famous illuminated Bible, The Book of Kells, these Celtic Knots emerge from or transform into vegetative foliage. The beautiful symmetry of these woven patterns is often not square, rigid, or overly formal, but organic, flowing, and a stylized reflection of the curves and spirals found in nature. Indeed, the Celtic Knots that embellish wedding rings herald the ideas of spring, fertility, and the eternal reawakening of the life force - all of which bode well for a fruitful life partnership.

Wedding rings have most commonly been worn on the third finger of the left hand. Speculation has it that this is because the Romans believed that a vein ran directly from this finger to the heart. An alternate suggestion for this tradition is that each finger on the hand is associated with a planet in the ancient systems of astrology, and the ring finger of the left hand was associated with the Sun. In this way, the wearing of a wedding ring on that finger signifies the public proclamation of the union in the daylight, in other words, the conscious and clearly visible world of human community. This correspondence is perhaps even more strongly emphasized by the general tendency to craft wedding rings out of gold, which is symbolically the metal of the Sun throughout folk history and across cultures.

Wedding rings capture the full range of the ceremonial, symbolic, and communal aspects of marriage, and preserve these many levels of significance as a durable and constant reminder. Ancient yet contemporary, steeped in lore and mystery yet almost universally exchanged, wedding rings combine the art of the jeweler, the reverence of the betrothed, and the beauty of love and partnership in a single, resonant symbol.

About Peter: Peter Breslin is a musician, astrologer, Tarot reader, teacher and freelance writer for Artisanweddingrings.com and Celticjewelry.com living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has taught mathematics, music, writing, and literature in the course of a 20-year teaching career in Pennsylvania, New York, New Mexico, and California. Writings include a variety of pieces for publications online and otherwise. He is currently at work on a novel.

Written by: Peter Breslin