Men choose for many reasons not to wear their wedding rings.  One of the outstanding reasons is that rings such as white gold, platinum, and titanium just do not stack up to the toughness test that men endure on their wedding bands everyday.

Here at Gilletts Jewellers we see all kinds of damage to wedding bands and other jewellery items from hard wear and tear that men inflict during work and play.  So what options are there for hard wearing and working men that want to wear a band that will last the distance.

Enter CRypton Rings!  And that’s no typo!  It has two capital letters because these rings are so tough!  Made from Cobalt Chrome, one of the hardest substances known to man.  And being strong does not mean being brittle.  Forged in the labs of some really amazing jewellers, these rings are now available in store for the hard wearing man that likes to take hammers and other tools to their marital jewellery.

To test the theory that these are the strongest rings on the planet.  We devised a series of tests that would put the rings through rigorous tasks.

In this blog entry we will be doing the HAMMER TEST.

Hammer Testing

White Gold;
Not good for taking a hammer to.  Leaves obvious damage marks to the ring.

Platinum;
A beautiful metal to wear and feel but not good for tradesmen.  The hammer test clearly marked the platinum surface.

Titanium;
This was a surprise.  Titanium is know for its light weight yet tough properties.  As tough as it is however it will still mark easily under the hammer.

CRypton;
The hammer did not stand a chance.  At first I thought it was marking under the hammer but after whipping the ring with a polishing cloth the marks came straight off.  I concluded that the marks being left on the ring was actually white gold that had transferred from the hammer to the ring from the previous tests.  I also endured the ring for a longer period and used the chisel end of the hammer with greater enthusiasm.

Scratch Testing

White Gold;
The tweezers used are made from hardened steel and is easily harder then the white gold ring.  This is evident in the ease at which the ring is scratched.

Platinum;
Unlike white gold, platinum has a different property to it and scratches in a different manner but also scratches just as easily

Titanium;
This was the big surprise for me.  I truely thought it would not scratch but as soon as I applied the tweezers the metal was easily marked.

CRypton;
The CRypton rings could not be marked with the hardened steel tweezers.  They simply rejected the tweezers and it was like trying to scratch your iphone screen with your finger.  Its wearing properties are really showing great promise.

So there you have it.  The Crypton ring is so far out in front and showing that it really is the master of tough rings.  Stay tuned for further testing with the Gym test in the next blog.

Pandora have announced that some Pandora charms have been retired/discontinued.

You can see the discontinued charms below.

For the discontinued charms that we still have in stock, they will continue to be available for sale at Gilletts.com.au, at the normal prices, until sold out. Once sold out, the discontinued charms will no longer be available.

To see which discontinued charms we still have in stock visit the Pandora Bracelet Builder at Gilletts.com.au and click on the “Discontinued” link to see all of the Discontinued Pandora charms. Discontinued charms that we still have in stock will show the current stock levels in green.

Pandora 2011 Discontinued Beads

Where to find the Disctoninued 2011 Pandora beads

To view the prices and purchase any remaining discontinued charms (until sold out), visit the Pandora Bracelet Builder at Gilletts.com.au and click on the “Discontinued” link to see all of the Discontinued Pandora charms.

Please note most of the charms listed above have just been discontinued by Pandora this year (2011), though to provide a complete list, some Pandora charms discontinued in previous years have been included.

Did you know that Gillett’s Jewellers Facebook fans are always the first to know about new announcements?

That’s one great reason to make sure you stay tuned on Facebook, but there’s an even better reason…

In the next 2 months, Gillett’s Jewellers will be running special offers and special promotions that will only be announced through Facebook.

So if you want to find out about the special offers and promotions, become a Gillett’s Jewellers Facebook fan by visiting www.Facebook.com/GillettsJewellers and clicking ‘Like’.

Then stay tuned through Facebook for the upcoming special promotions and announcements!

Gift Vouchers are now available at Gilletts.com.au and Gillett’s Jewellers store.

So whether you’re looking for a last minute gift, a Christmas gift or you’re just not quite sure which Pandora charm to choose for your friend, that’s where the Gillett’s Jewellers Gift Vouchers come to the rescue.

Gift Vouchers are available for $25, $100, $250, $500 and $1000.

You simply choose the Gift Voucher value, enter the gift recipients name, choose a Gift Voucher theme and that’s it. The Gift Voucher gets emailed to you within minutes, or we’ll e-mail the Gift Voucher directly to the recipient for you.

Gift Giving doesn’t get much easier than that!

Gift Vouchers can be redeemed at both Gilletts.com.au and at Gillett’s Jewellers Brisbane store and you’ll find the Gift Vouchers in the Gift Ideas section of the Gilletts.com.au website.

So whether it’s a birthday gift, Christmas gift, anniversary gift or a ‘just because’ gift that you’re after, Gillett’s Jewellers Gift Vouchers are the answer!

Have you been wanting to give your little princess a charm bracelet of her own?

Now you can, with the Little Angels baby charm bracelet collection.

Designed especially for babies, toddlers and young children, the Little Angels brand of baby charms offer charms that every mum and grandma will love.

Blue and pink alphabet letters are available, together with an adorable selection of charms including teddy bear, angel, dog, cat, car and train charms.

The Little Angels charm bracelet itself is sold separately from the charms. The bracelet length is adjustable. You simply adjust the length yourself once you receive the bracelet.

Simply choose the Little Angels charm bracelet, choose the letters of your little one’s name, and add a feature charm or two.

Choose a Little Angels charm bracelet today!

Traditionally couples often selected matching wedding rings – where both the men’s and ladies wedding rings designs matched almost exactly.

That trend however has become less popular today, with studies showing that only about 30% of couples now choose to have matching wedding rings.

Why don’t couples choose matching wedding rings?

There’s several reasons why having matching wedding rings isn’t always desirable or practical for couples. They include:

Fitted ladies wedding rings:
Many ladies’ wedding rings need to be custom made to fit their engagement ring. Often a curved or fitted ladies wedding ring is designed so that the wedding ring will sit neatly next to the engagement ring.

Couples often have different design tastes and preferences:
What may appeal to one partner, may not appeal to the other.  Enforcing a ‘matching’ ring design would require compromises being made in the personal design preferences of one or both partners.

Design suitability:
Designs that suit ladies don’t always suit men, and vice versa. This can apply to the overall design, the components, the theme of the ring, the metals used and the proportions of the design.

For example, a gorgeous channel set princess cut diamond wedding ring may be the dream of the bride, though, may not suit the masculine fingers of her carpenter groom.

Special lifestyle requirements:
The rings that couples wear should be suited to their work and lifestyle. For example, people who work with their hands, like tradesman and nurses, will have different practical requirements of their rings compared to other couples.

Matching themes rather than matching designs

The concept of ‘matching’ has also changed, with matching now generally being used to refer to matching the ‘theme’ of the rings, rather than the exact design.

Choosing a matching ‘theme’ is often a better option for couples, as it allows couples to choose a design that suits their personal taste and lifestyle requirements, yet still symbolises their united love.

Common themes include using the same metal in both wedding rings, such as both having 18ct white gold, or 18ct yellow gold bands. Other common themes include having a design component theme, such as celtic themed bands or both incorporating a diamond(s).

Gillett’s Jewellers have made the wedding ring dreams of thousands of couples come true. You’ll benefit from Gillett’s Jewellers 30+ years of wedding ring experience. Unlike most jewellery stores, Gillett’s are manufacturing jewellers, who specialise in custom making ladies wedding rings. Gillett’s also offer a vast collection of men’s wedding rings – far more men’s wedding rings than you see anywhere else. The Gillett’s Jewellers wedding rings are available online at their web site Gilletts.com.au and in their wedding ring showroom.