diamond Archives | Wedding ETC

In Wedding Gowns

$15-million wedding dress unveiled

December 26, 2019 No Comments

Following in his tradition of ultimate grandeur, Egyptian designer Hany el-Behairy closed his 2019 fashion year with an expensive bang by showcasing his breathtaking, one-of-a-kind wedding dress valued at a mega R212,317,515,00 ($15-million).

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Congratulations my dear friend @hanyelbehairycouture for your 100th Fashion Show, it was a pleasure to be part of celebrating your sucess ? Thank you @dinaragheb for the amazing makeup you are a real artist Thank you @alsagheersalons for the hair @saranadiamond for the precious dimaonds ? Thank you @abdelwahabshaheen for capturing the perfect shots

A post shared by Mai Omar (@maiomar_) on Dec 24, 2019 at 2:15pm PST

El-Behairy enlisted the help of Egyptian actress Mai Omar, who you might recognise from movies like ‘Speed does’ and’ Last rooster in Egypt’, to elegantly adorn his latest masterpiece to the world, in the city of Cairo.

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HANYELBEHAIRY?th Fashion show @maiomar_ @hanyelbehairycouture

A post shared by Bezraa ??‍♂️ (@mohamedadell.1) on Dec 23, 2019 at 6:03pm PST

The world record-setting, high-low styled dress is decorated with a plethora of diamonds and small precious stones. It has a long train at the back, with a matching star-decorated diamond encrusted veil to complete the look.

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Right before hitting the stage at @hanyelbehairycouture 100th fashion show. Getting glammed up by the best team ever @dinaragheb @alsagheersalons ??

A post shared by Mai Omar (@maiomar_) on Dec 25, 2019 at 10:06am PST

The garment joins a prestigious list of other famous and costly wedding gowns such as Victoria Swarovski’s custom-made R14, 100,500,00 gown and Kim Kardashian West’s R7,000,000 dress.

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الفنانة الجميلة مى عمر @maiomar_ نجمة عرض ديفيلية هانى البحيرى ٢٠٢٠

A post shared by hanyelbehairy (@hanyelbehairycouture) on Dec 25, 2019 at 9:59am PST

This is not el-Behairy first attempt at creating the most expensive wedding dress. During his 2017 annual fashion show, Egyptian actress Yousra El-Lozy walked the runway in a diamond-embellished dress that was worth a then world record-setting R56,616,910.00 ($4 million).

We eagerly await his next creation, and can’t begin to imagine what it will cost.

Feature image: Twitter/@hanyalbehairy

In Accessories

Put an ethically sourced, sustainable ring on it

December 22, 2019 No Comments

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but also precious commodities and rare beauties forged from the earth. Rare jewels are often backed by an underbelly of exploration and greed. The burden of ensuring products are ethically sourced should never fall on the consumer, but on the producer instead. In saying this, it is our duty to challenge the transparency of companies.

Ethically sourced wedding rings have an array of underlining principles such as fair trade wages, lab-grown diamonds, recycled materials and conflict-free diamonds/jewels. You don’t necessarily need to be an environmental advocate or human rights lawyer to protest the crimes against the diamond industry. Below you will find a list of producers creating ethically sourced jewellery for the socially conscious bride-to-be.

Taylor & Hart

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A post shared by Storytellers at heart ? (@taylorandhart) on Jun 18, 2019 at 8:06am PDT

Taylor & Hart was founded by friends, Nikolay and Shane. They believe the love between partners are intangible and sacred, therefore your wedding bands should be made from the most exceptional materials on earth. The company creates beautiful handcrafted rings made from lab-grown diamonds, recycled gold and ethically sourced materials. Nikolay and Shane go beyond the Kimberly Process to ensure their diamonds are conflict-free.

Monique Pean

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A post shared by M O N I Q U E P É A N (@moniquepean) on Jan 22, 2019 at 4:01pm PST

This brand boasts unique shapes and structures specifically designed for the bold bride. The classic shape of engagement rings is challenged through Monique Pean’s artistic take on wedding bands. Although the designer has an artistic, non-conventional mindset, the materials and craftsmanship are put in the forefront. The brand truly understands creating pieces of uniqueness, which they reflect in their use of materials. Rare materials such as fossilised walrus ivory and dinosaur bone are utilised and are sustainably sourced and crafted through fair trade initiatives.

John Hardy

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A post shared by John Hardy (@johnhardyjewelry) on May 30, 2019 at 2:02pm PDT

Established in 1975, the island-inspired jewellery brand is directed by Hollie Bonneville Barden and has a well-rounded grasp of serving both the community and environment. John Hardy thrives on the community of Bali and the idea togetherness. The brand empowers the community of the island by providing apprenticeships and life long job security. In doing so, they preserve traditional artisan craftsmanship and culture, with many of the pieces inspired by the island and drawing the traditional aesthetics of the Balinese culture. The company not only preserves the community but the environment as well by committing to sourcing stones, diamonds and metals that are conflict-free and ethically produced in every step of the way.

Barino Neal

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A post shared by Bario Neal (@barioneal) on Aug 16, 2019 at 12:33pm PDT

The brand was launched in 2008 by Anna Bario and Page Neal. The owners visualised a jewellery company whereby no bounds of conformity were attached to their pieces. They believe you are free to marry whomever and however you choose. The jewellery is handcrafted and carefully designed using reclaimed precious metals, fair-mined gold and ethically sourced stones.

Ashley Heather

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A post shared by ashleyheather?ethical jewelry (@ashleyheatherjewellery) on Oct 3, 2019 at 7:01am PDT

Ashley Heather is a Cape Town-based brand led by designer and maker, Ashley. It’s a remarkable, innovative brand that collects discarded electronic products and recycles them into jewellery. The aesthetics of the handcrafted pieces transcend trends and the contemporary designs are simplistic and minimal. The brand believes in creating pieces that can be passed down from generation to generation in the hopes of persevering quality craftsmanship.

Dear Rae

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A post shared by Dear Rae (@dearrae) on Dec 17, 2019 at 10:30pm PST

Dear Rae is the brain child of fine arts graduate Karin Rae Matthees. The brand uses local materials and manufactures to create unique pieces. Dear Rae design aesthetic can be described as classically minimal pieces that you can wear for the rest of your life. Karin’s brand adheres to the Kimberly process as well, and sources local manufactures for production, ensuring each step of the manufacturing process is completely transparent.

By Mia Smith

Feature image: Unsplash

In Advice

Which engagement ring style is right for you?

October 9, 2019 No Comments

As the first step in your wedding journey, your engagement is of paramount importance. Before you can plan anything, you have to secure an engagement ring. As jewellery that will (hopefully) be on your partner’s ring finger forever, the engagement ring needs to speak to them as a person.

That said, there are so many ring options to choose from. Princess cut, oval, cushion-cut, carats – it all becomes a blur. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with all the jargon being thrown at you.

Take a breath, and check out our quick guide to engagement ring styles.

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A post shared by kasia jewelry (@kasiajewelry) on Oct 7, 2019 at 5:27pm PDT

The four C’s:

The four C’s of diamond grading are universally used to describe the quality of diamonds. They refer to:

Cut – the shape of the diamond

Colour – the shade of the diamond

Carat – the weight of the diamond.

Clarity – the quality of the diamonds, specifically the internal appearance of the diamond and surface defects.

Cut:

The cut of your engagement ring refers to the shape of the diamond. There are seven main diamond cuts:

Round: This cut is a more classic, timeless style. It is best suited for someone who wants a traditional finish.

Princess: This cut is square in shape with four bevelled sides that creates an upside-down pyramid shape connecting to the band. It is glamorous and modern, yet utterly romantic.

Emerald: This cut details an elongated rectangular cut and step-cut faceting. It is sophisticated and eye-catching, for the glamorous bride.

Oval: The oval cut ring perfectly accentuates long, slender fingers, and is both trendy yet classic.

Cushion: Also referred to as a pillow-cut, the cushion cut ring features four square-rectangular sides with curved corners and multiple facets. It is feminine and trendy.

Pear: This teardrop-shaped diamond cut is quite unique. It beautifully elongates the fingers and is often the ring for the more adventurous bride.

Marquise: This cut is a more pronounced oval shape, featuring two pointed ends that create a boat hull-esque shape. This cut is for the daring, less traditional bride.

Metals:

The metal chosen often depends on the jewellery your partners often wears and their skin tone. Cooler skin tones are encouraged to wear metals such as platinum, silver, and white gold. Warmer toned skin tones are most suited for yellow-gold and rose-gold metals. But again, there are no rules!

Image: Unsplash