If you can't afford a Neil Lane or Harry Winston Engagement ring, do not despair...you are with the majority:
Whoo whoo...Neil Lane engagement rings are high couture. With an impending partnership with luxury jeweler DeBeers, a jewelry collection displayed at Saks Fifth Avenue, NY, and a famous store in Beverly Hills, Neil Lane is unstoppable.
Neil Lane's roots in jewelry design began in Paris in the 70s. He spent two years in Paris studying painting at L'Ecole des Beaux Arts. In his spare time, Lane hunted for vintage jewelry in Parisian flea markets, thus, igniting his passion for precious gems. When he returned to the US, it didn't take long before his unique pieces were being shown off by stars such as Barbara Streisand, Renee Zellweger, Brook Shields (interlocking diamond-and-platinum rings), Reese Witherspoon (four carat Ascher ring), and Madonna (an Edwardian style five carat ring). In fact Madonna called him "one of the most innovative jewelry designers in the world."
Not only does he design for others but he also owns a large collection of famous pieces from stars such as Ginger Rogers, May West, Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth, Greta Garbo, and Marilyn Monroe.
Interestingly enough, Neil's long-standing location in Beverly Hills is kind of a dive. He sells millions of dollars of glamorous jewels to celebs from a no frills setting. According to Neil Lane, this is purposeful, in that he prefers to connect with his clients versus being overshadowed by a ritzy locale.
As you might imagine, Neil Lane jewelry does not come cheap. At his Saks Fifth Avenue Location, prices range from $8,500 for a set of platinum and five-carat diamond hoops to $200,000 for a 25-carat diamond ring.
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Nothing spells out class quite like Harry Winston Engagement Rings. I've never stepped foot inside a Harry Winston Store but truth be told, I might be a little intimidated.
Winston may be most famous for once owning the Hope diamond which he donated to the Smithsonian Museum in DC. I've seen the diamond firsthand and it is awe-inspiring!
Harry Winston established his company in 1932. He apparently had a love affair with diamonds....feeling immense joy when acquiring a new bauble and deep depression when selling one of his pride and joys. Harry's son Ronald Winston is currently chairman of the company.
Unlike other jewelers, Harry Winston is hands on from start to finish with their pieces. The whole process of cutting, polishing, designing and creating the finished jewel is conducted in the Harry Winston 5th Avenue building in NYC. Their jewelry and engagement rings are like no others when it comes to quality, craftsmanship, and prestige.
Image has always been of the utmost importance to Harry Winston. Harry Winston has draped some of the world's biggest celebrities in diamonds. Who could forget Bennifer's enormous pink diamond engagement ring. Ben Affleck loved Harry Winston jewelry enough to also present Jennifer Garner with a 4.5 carat Harry Winston ring. Paris Hilton briefly sported a canary yellow Harry Winston diamond, when engaged to a man with her same namesake. You may have heard of the Taylor-Burton diamond, a 70 carat pear shaped rock? Hands down, the celebs love Harry Winston. Perhaps this is because Harry Winston covers celebrities in diamonds for some of the largest, most glamorous red carpet events like the Tonys, the Emmys, and the Academy Awards. And their prices are high enough to keep most of the riff-raff out of their stores and from the majority of commoners from wearing their designs.
From what I've heard, entry level pricing for 1 carat Harry Winston engagement rings begin at around $15,000. And forget about buying a little token item. Most everything in the store sells for over $10,000. If you are dead-set on a Harry Winston ring and are a "want champagne on a beer budget" kind of individual, consider getting a local jeweler to make a replica ring.
Don't be disappointed but you won't find a Harry Winston store located at your local mall. There are only a handful locations in Switzerland, Japan, France, Hawaii, Nevada, California, Florida, and New York.
The author just celebrated her one year anniversary and sports a beautiful ascher cut ring. She and her husband put together the website: http://www.ultimate-engagement-ring-guide.com to help you find the perfect ring.
Source: www.articlecity.com
