The Bulletin News

It’s almost December, and with South Africa’s summer holidays that means most people are heading to the beach! Whether that’s Cape Town, Umhlanga, or Mozambique. So have you been spending the last few months wondering how you’re going to pop the question and hit your lovers feet from under them?

Are you in need of some tips for proposing on the beach? There are a lot of ways to propose on the beach! We have put together a list of some of the most romantic ideas for a beach proposal.

1. Write it in the sand or with shells

This is extremely corny and so overdone. However, as simple as it is, it’s so timeless! Simply compose a proposal message in the sand. Bonus points if you draw a huge heart around your proposal or decorate it will flowers and shells.

2. Beach Picnic

Plan a beach day with your love, but tell him/her to leave the details up to you. Pack a romantic picnic lunch with all of their favourite snacks and hit the beach.

3. Sand Sculpture

If you are talented with sand castles or sculptures, steal away while she is otherwise busy and construct a sand sculpture with your intent carved out. Or you could always pay an artist to build it for you. Then go for a spontaneous walk on the beach and innocently stumble upon the sculpture!

4. Get all your friends on-board

If you’re planning a holiday trip with some of your friends ask them to get on board with the whole proposal. Given: you have to consider if your partner will enjoy having everyone there for your special moment or not. Write “Will You Marry Me?” out on surf boards and then ask her to take a stroll with you on the beach – just the two of you. Then as you go down on one knee all the friends come walking onto the beach with the question written on the surf boards.

5. Romantic Sunset Dinner

You can either choose to organise this one by yourself or consider that a lot of resorts or restaurants offer dinner packages on the beach, complete with candles and even music! Book a sunset dinner and when the mood is right, pop the question!

6. Underwater Proposal

Under the sea, under the sea! This one is for all the crazy kids out there! If you and your partner are scuba divers or share a fond memory whilst diving, this one’s for you! Schedule a dive and have the instructor bring along a sign that says “Will You Marry Me” down in the diving site. We don’t recommend bring the ring along on this one, however!

7. Beach Photoshoot Set-Up

Set up a beach photoshoot, in which you will ask your lover to marry them. You can tell them you won a free photoshoot. It’s quite simple, because it’s basically just a photoshoot, but you arrange with the photographer beforehand the right time to pop the question in between the shoot. Your partner is sure to be surprised – and even happier that you’ve captured your intimate moment.

8. Beach Helicopter Proposal

If you want to go ALL OUT for your partner, you should pick this over-the-top proposal. If you’re anywhere ocean-side, there’s sure to be some sort of tourist helicopter attraction. Set up a slot and surprise your partner with a scenic helicopter ride. Plan ahead of time with the pilot as to where they fly over, etc. Tell them your plan and write your message in the sand, big enough so that you’ll be able to see it from the helicopter ride.

This Post was first published on https://ralphjacobs.co.za/8-perfect-beach-proposal-ideas/

Explore the season of joy this Christmas with Ralph Jacobs

Most of us living in South Africa won’t be experiencing a white Christmas, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the beauty that is a white…gold engagement ring. This blog is going to focus on the beauty and richness that is white gold jewellery and how it’s overlooked these days. Everyone is obsessing over rose gold engagement rings, but whatever happened to a classic white gold band? Continue reading to find out what exactly white gold is made of, which skin tone works best with white gold jewellery, and to see some of the most gorgeous white gold engagement rings.

Whether you choose a stunning Moissanite or a sparkling Diamond, you will not go wrong with White Gold.

Can you believe that white gold is one of the most picked types of jewellery for engagement rings? White gold is a pocket-friendly alternative to platinum jewellery. It is made from an alloy of pure gold and other metals that have a silvery-white hue, such as palladium or silver. White gold is generally more durable than silver and less expensive than platinum. One thing to keep in mind is that wedding jewelry is seldom made from pure gold (24 karat gold) since pure gold is too soft to hold up well to everyday wear and tear.

One consideration when choosing your preferred wedding jewelry is skin tone. The experts at Ralph Jacobs suggest that individuals with cooler skin tones look best in white gold and silver, whereas those with warmer skin tones may prefer yellow or rose gold.

Keep scrolling for some gorgeous white gold engagement rings by Ralph Jacobs. These beauties are sure to make you swoon and reconsider that rose gold engagement ring.

This Post was first published on https://ralphjacobs.co.za/white-christmas-at-ralph-jacobs/

5 of your questions about Rose Gold answered because, there are so many reasons women (and men) love Rose Gold. One reason is that, Rose Gold looks great on all skin tones. It’s unique, yet fashionable and women for many years already loves Rose Gold. It is safe to say that Rose Gold won’t go out of style soon.

Another reason why Rose Gold is loved by so many women, is that it matches with just about anything, from Diamonds and fancy colored diamonds, to colored gemstones. Rose Gold is an Extremely complementing metal and will look great with whatever you choose to pair it with!

If you are a guy doing research to get the perfect Engagement Ring for your soon to be fiancé, maybe this blog will help you make a wise decision. If you are just curious, this blog should be good for general knowledge.

1.) What is Rose Gold Exactly

Many people are wondering, what Rose gold actually is. A short answer for this question would be- Rose Gold is an alloy of primarily, gold and copper. (Typically 75% Gold and 25% Copper) The soft blush color, makes it stand out from the other metals.
The Rose Gold color is created by mixing the gold and copper together. The color of Rose Gold may differ, based on the amount of copper that is added to the mixture. More copper – more pink , less copper – less pink.

2.) Rose Gold Durability compared to other metals.

Rose gold is not as strong as platinum, but Rose Gold is considered a durable metal. The copper in the Rose Gold, makes Rose Gold suitable for everyday wear and tear. On the other hand, as Rose Gold contain 25% copper, it’s not considered a hypoallergenic metal (like platinum).

3.) Does Rose Gold Tarnish?

Probably one of the best things of Rose Gold, is that it does not tarnish… at ALL! instead of tarnish, it gains patina.
Now you might be wondering, what in the world is patina – It’s pretty much, a coat that develops on the band of the ring, that gives it a slightly darker, more vintage-like look. This patina takes years an years to develop, so you will not see this happening in 1 years time. Once this do happen, and you don’t like it, you can take it to a jeweler and get it cleaned and re-polished again.

4.) Is Rose Gold Expensive?

Rose Gold is less expensive than platinum, and can fit into anyone’s budget. Though it may vary in range, it is not the most expensive metal.

5.) Does Wanting Rose Gold Limit My Choice?

Rose Gold is not as common as other metals, but it does not limit your choice. You can have any design manufactured with Ralph Jacobs in Rose Gold. Ralph Jacobs also offers, all their retail design items in Rose Gold.

There is even the option to go for a Rose Gold Engagement Ring set with Moissanites – The possibilities are endless.

This Post was first published on https://ralphjacobs.co.za/5-of-your-questions-about-rose-gold-answerd/

The three metal categories you need to know about. Being in the jewelry industry is not as easy as you would think. Especially in the Engagement Ring section. When someone buys an Engagement Ring, they have specific needs in regards to the specific ring. It could become difficult because sometimes it doesn’t matter how you try to advice your client that the ring would be for example, too thin and would break easily if not taken off properly or handled properly for that matter.

As jewelers, we try to advice client’s about proper caring for their Engagement ring while still giving to hem what they want. But at the end of the day, all the information we try to give gets forgotten once they have the ring, who could blame them, it an exciting time to get engaged and planning a wedding.

Is this blog we are going to give a few terms and their meanings you need to know about Engagement Rings.

1.) PRECIOUS METALS

Metals most often used in jewelry is – Gold, Platinum and Silver. These are called precious metals, and they are appealing, whether they are used alone, with a gemstone or with other metals. (Palladium – which shares the same properties of Platinum, is also considered by many as a precious metal. )

The physical properties of these precious metals make them ideal for jewelry/ Engagement Rings.

These Precious Metals‘ allure, rarity, workability, and durability make them excellent for use in jewelry. Precious metals are expensive because they’re rare and difficult to extract from the earth.

2.) BASE METALS

These metals are considered base metals – copper, zinc, tin, nickel, lead, and iron.
These Base Metals are commonly used in Engagement Rings with Precious metals.
They get heated up and mixed together for example to get Rose gold, The precious metal, Gold and the base metal, Copper gets mixed to get the Pinkish colour we all adore.
Base Metals is sometimes used to make the jewelry stronger or give the item a certain colour.

3.) METAL ALLOYS

An Alloy is a mixture of two or more metals.
There are a few reasons why we use alloyed metals, such as to get a specific colour Metal such as Rose Gold, or to make a metal stronger. This is just two reasons of so many.

9k Yellow Gold	37.5% Gold (Au), 42.50% Silver (Ag), 20% Copper (Cu)
18k Yellow Gold	75% Gold (Au), 15% Copper (Cu), 10% Silver (Ag)
9k White Gold	37.5%Gold (Au), 62.5% Silver (Ag)
18k White Gold	75% Gold (Au), 25% Palladium/Platinum
9k Rose Gold	37.5% Gold (Au), 20% Silver (Ag), 42.5% Copper (Cu)
18k Rose Gold	75% Gold (Au), 9.2% Silver (Ag), 22.2% Copper (Cu)
PLATINUM	92% PLAT, 8% Tungsten

4.) ALTERNATIVE METALS IN THE JEWELRY INDUSTRY

Many modern jewelry designs are made of alternative metals such as
tungsten, titanium, niobium, and stainless steel.
Tungsten for one is very popular these days for making rings. The metal is blended with carbon and a bonding metal, usually cobalt, to form tungsten carbide. Because Tungsten is extremely hard, Tungsten Carbide takes and retains a high polish. It’s dark grey and highly resistant to scratching. Tungsten Carbide is about 75% as dense as Gold and Platinum and 50% denser than Silver. While Tungsten has good heft, it is not easy to work with.

Pure Titanium or a Titanium alloy is sometimes used. This metal is lightweight but very strong. It has a silver greyish colour, also often polished or brushed. Although it has only half the heft of silver, it’s still a good metal. Titanium resist scratching about as well as 14k Gold. Pure Titanium is hypoallergenic meaning it will not cause skin reactions or skin discolorations, it’s mostly used in body piercings.

When titanium is mixed with small amount of aluminum and vanadium, it increases titanium’s durability and scratch resistance.

Niobium is easy to work with but Niobium can not be soldered, it’s joined with tiny rivets and screws. Niobium’s workability is compared to silver’s.
Niobium is easy to colour, basically, anything that can be made with Gold, Silver or Platinum can be made with Niobium. Niobium is also hypoallergenic and is often used in body piercings.

Although Niobium is almost as dense as silver, it does not have the heft of Gold or Platinum, but it feels more substantial than titanium. Niobium is much harder than scratch than any other Precious metal and much harder to dent than Silver and Platinum, not only this but, Niobium is also extremely resistant to corrosion.

Niobium, Tungsten and titanium can be heated or anodized to produce brilliant colours.
Anodizing : an electrochemical process that results in a protective or decorative coating on metal.
Anodizing niobium colours include navy blue, light Blue, Yellow, Rose, Bronze, Pink, Magenta, Midnight Blue, and various greens. These colours is so vivid that many people think it’s enamel.

Stainless steel is an alloy. It is composition varies with it’s purpose, but to be called stainless steel it must be at least 10.5% chromium. The presence of chromium creates an invincible surface fil that resist oxidation. Most Stainless steel alloys are strong and ductile, and all are corrosion resistant.
Stainless Steel alloy used to make jewelry is composed of iron, chromium and Nickel. It’s more Scratch resistant than ant of the three precious metals, but exceed only silver in it’s resistance to denting. Stainless steel takes a high polish.

This Post was first published on https://ralphjacobs.co.za/4-metal-facts/

Engagement Ring Trends

This was a catastrophe of a year for most people, but that doesn’t mean you can’t end it on a happy note! We present to you a countdown of 10, 9, 8…of the most lavish, popular engagement ring trends to choose from for the end of 2020. Continue reading for eight of the biggest sought after engagement ring trends in 2020.

1. Black Diamonds

Seriously popular, a chic black diamond set in yellow gold is a stunning design and with an Art Deco style is popular with engagement ring trends, you would have an engagement ring that would be the talk of the town.

2. Pink Moissanites & Rose Gold

This engagement ring trend is a truly unique combination and one that not many other ladies will have on their finger. Many of the best jewellery designers now use computer software to create 3D replicas of the piece before any work commences, allowing the client to study every aspect.

3. Fancy Cuts

You can expect to see Asscher and Marquise cuts and larger stones are the order of the day, possibly due to the value they hold in this uncertain time of COVID-19, and the Emerald cut is perfect for the Art Deco look. If you’re truly about showing off and making your stone visible to all to see, you must opt for a fancy cut engagement ring.

4. Classic Styles

Some of the most classic and minimalistic rings have become increasingly popular because of their clean lines and versatile style. They’re a perfect match for anyone seeking a timeless piece that they’ll never get tired of wearing.

5. The Center Stone Showcase

It’s crucial to put all emphasis on that stunner of a sparkling center stone, which is why halo designs are perfect this year to showcase that center stone.

6. Mixed Metals Mania

For a customized look that is easy to pull off, think about stacking multiple bands of different metal color, stone shape and design. Once you decide on the engagement ring and wedding band, you can stack additional bands for special occasions.

7. Coloured Moissanite Engagement Ring

This is a trend that has been growing more popular throughout the year. Probably because everyone felt so dull and emotional this year, to bring a little colour into their lives they’ve opted for colour gemstones and moissanites more.

8. Dimensional Contours

Fluid, floating, dimensional contours can both showcase the metals while also drawing attention to the center of the diamond.

This Post was first published on https://ralphjacobs.co.za/ring-trends-8-end-of-year-engagement-ring-trends/