Diamond News & Blog

Never one to shy away from the darker side of life, Kelly Osbourne strutted her stuff at the 19th Annual Screen Actors’ Guild Awards in Los Angeles over the weekend.  To compliment her elegant but slightly gothic-inspired black beaded gown, she sported a massive black cocktail ring and topped it off with funky nail art. 

Despite rumours that Kelly and boyfriend Matthew Mosshart have recently become engaged, her engagement finger remained empty.

While we were overjoyed to see our Hugh pick up his first Golden Globe for his role in Les Miserables at the 2013 Golden Globe Awards, let’s face it, the actual ceremony is secondary to what takes place on the way into the event – on the red carpet. 

Who wore what?  Who nailed it, and who let down the team?  More importantly, who got their jewellery just right?  You be the judge.

We’re all the same; an engagement is announced and, as if already reaching for the tossed bouquet, we all grab at that hand and pull it close to admire ‘the precious’.  If it’s your hand being yanked, you’ll want your skin and nails to be looking their best.  Smooth, hydrated skin and manicured nails will not only make you feel great, but it will leave admirers feeling the full effects of ring envy.

For something even more special, why not highlight your engagement ring with an accent nail?  Sure, a classic French manicure will do fine, but it can be a bit boring.  Adding an accent nail with some bling, art or shine, like these women have, can really complement your diamond ring.  Go on, treat yourself, and enjoy being the envy of all your friends.

What do you think? Is an accent nail for you? Or did you do it? Share with us on Facebook!

Wanting to make this February 14^th a memorable one for you and your partner?  What better day to propose to your special lady (or fella!) than the day of love itself, Valentine’s Day?  If you think though that she might be onto you, here are a few ideas to really surprise her.

A count down from the heart

Shower her with love and gifts, and she won’t know what’s coming!  For the 14 days leading up to Valentine’s Day you could give her a gift each day.  Think flowers and chocolate of course, but don’t forget to throw in heartfelt things like a memento from your first date, write a song or poem, or create a playlist of her favourite music.  Then on the big day, cook her a special dinner and pop the question.

Our Instagram friend Lauren shared these wonderful photos of her engagement and wedding rings she and her fiancé bought from Diamonds International.

Lauren and her love custom designed a one and a half carat diamond ring and wedding band.

Lauren said, "So happy with it (her ring), I was looking for a heart shaped version of this, but decided on this one. Now I just need a band with diamonds all the way around!"

Ever heard of the saying “as hard as nails”?  Well, perhaps the saying should have been “as hard as diamonds”, because diamond is a crystal of pure carbon and is the hardest material found in nature.  As we go about our lives decorated in these gorgeous crystals, consider for a moment if you will how diamonds are formed and where they are found.

First discovered in India and brought to Europe in 327BC by Alexander the Great, the noble diamond was immediately recognised as a prized gem and used to signify wealth and status.  But, how did they come to be?  Well, diamond is thought to form 150-200km below the Earth's surface, where high temperature (1050-1200°C) and pressure (45-55 kilobars) allow it to crystallise. 

What does it mean to have a three stone diamond engagement ring, also known as a Trilogy Engagement Ring?  Is it just an affluent status symbol or is there a deeper meaning behind this timeless setting?  As popularity for this setting grows couples find themselves pondering this very question.

This classic style features three shining diamonds studded in a row, with the middle diamond often being slightly bigger and displayed more prominently.  The most commonly held belief is that the three stone engagement ring symbolises the love of the couple in the past, present and the future.  It immortalises the beautiful moment of commitment, the shared history that led to it, and the future that the two of you will have together.

Popular culture influences us in so many ways. Sometimes it comes in the form of parents assigning their new born baby the name of a character from a hit tv show, or it could be as simple as buying a brand of eyewear shown on a star's new music video. Well, same goes for popular culture's influence on weddings, with US-based wedding photographers staging a shoot aimed at inspiring die-hard fans of the movie Hungers Games.

The bride is looking stunning in her pristine white wedding dress as she walks down the garden path towards the groom who looks ever so smart in his pin stripe suit complete with ... hunting rifle?

What you're visualising right now is not your traditional wedding, rather a zombie apocalypse-inspired one. I mean, what could be more romantic that being on the run with the love of your life as you're chased down by flesh-ripping zombie hordes?

Out with the old and in with the new.  Just as with clothing and the seasons, popular wedding trends do come and go.  You’ve got the latest  engagement ring, now as you plan your big day you want to know what’s hot this year in wedding trends.

Watch out fellas!  If you’re racking your brain for original wedding proposal ideas, you’ve got some tough competition.  This young guy from Sydney made up a pretend band, wrote, produced and filmed his proposal song, and played it at his family’s Christmas function, all because his Texan girlfriend loved boy bands growing up.

I wonder what the lucky girl’s engagement ring was like…

Our Facebook friend Juanita shared this beautiful photo of her Diamonds International engagement and wedding rings.

The photo was taken on their honeymoon in the Whitsundays in April 2010.

See the full image here on our Diamonds International Facebook.

Check out Crystal Harris' engagement ring from Hugh Hefner! That is some serious bling.

Crystal Harris married Hugh Hefner of Playboy fame on New Year’s Eve at the Playboy mansion in Beverly Hills under an arch of fresh flowers.

Loving Kelly Clarkson's handcrafted engagement ring from her beau Brandon Blackstock.

Kelly says her love Brandon designed it with the jewellery designer Johnathon Arndt and that "they did an amazing job!"

The engagement ring features a canary yellow diamond with flawless clarity and radiant cut.

Wow! Check out Kat Von D's custom-made black diamond engagement ring!

Katherine von Drachenberg, best known as Kat Von D is a Mexican-American tattoo artist, model and television personality.

After proposing to Kat Von D on Twitter on December 15, the deejay gave his love a custom-made black diamond engagement ring on December 23 2012.