From the earring to the ring to the watch to the necklace, jewelry has never been more popular here in the United States. After all, jewelry is incredibly versatile, as people of both genders wear it. While a single earring is more commonly found in men, both men and women wear earrings, for example (even if it is just one single earring instead of an earring or more for each ear). In addition to this, both genders wear watches and some men will even wear necklaces and bracelets of certain varieties (likely to be less elaborate than those that are worn by women, but necklaces and bracelets nonetheless).

In addition to this, jewelry can be worn for just about any occasion – and comes in at all kinds of different price points. Casual jewelry is commonplace for many people in the United States, as it can create a polished element to just about any outfit, making wearing jewelry (typically relatively simple jewelry) ideal for any given professional place of work. In addition to this, however, jewelry is often worn for special occasions, such as weddings and other such formal events. For special occasions, the jewelry worn is likely to be of a higher quality – and inherently more expensive because of it.

For instance, wearing jewelry like nice earrings (or earring, in some cases, such as for men) and necklaces is commonplace for the bride and the groom alike. Brides, in fact, are likely to wear earrings, with nearly 70% of all brides in the United States choosing to do so. Up to 38% of all brides also wear some time of adornment in their hair, which might be as simple as a headband or as elaborate as a piece of hair jewelry specifically picked out to complement the veil in question. And more than 35% of all brides will wear bracelets on their wedding days.

For weddings, high quality jewelry is likely and real diamonds are commonly found on the jewelry worn by brides. From diamond earrings to a diamond ring (like the engagement ring), diamonds can be added to just about any type of jewelry. Of course, not all diamonds are created equal and for this reason it is hugely important to understand the varying levels of diamond quality when picking out a piece of jewelry that has diamonds incorporated in it or even throughout it.

Typically, there are four factors looked at when the quality of a diamond is assessed. First, the cut of the diamond is taken into consideration, then the color of it. The carat of the diamond – how most people know to assess a piece of diamond jewelry – must also be considered, as must the clarity of the diamond. And while higher quality diamonds will certainly be more expensive than diamonds of a lower quality, it is often well worth the cost for an important piece of jewelry like an engagement ring or a wedding band.

In fact, engagement rings are hugely important, so much so that more than one fourth of all women here in the United States (around 28% of them, to be a little bit more exact) would actually go so far as to reject a proposal simply because they did not find the ring aesthetically pleasing or suited to their style. For this reason, discussing a future proposal with your partner is hugely important, as you can then discuss types of rings that she likes as well as how she would like to be proposed to. And while she doesn’t necessarily have to know what exact type of ring you’d be getting her, you can certainly get a better idea of what should be avoided when it comes to picking out a ring.

Of course, wedding jewelry is not the only important jewelry out there. In addition to wearing an earring, many men will wear watches as well, a functional and stylish accessory that can fit into just about any style. For women, this means that giving a watch as a gift is often a great way to show your love and appreciation for your male partner here in the United States.