Ethical Lab-Created Diamonds -- Heard of them?

Sponsored with love by Clean Origin


What’s the first thing you think about when you picture an engagement?

The ring. Of course there’s the future bride and groom, the tears and the happiness and the man on one knee but the center of every engagement is that ring — the ring that is a gift and commitment of a lifetime. That ring is everything.

Back in the day, it was tradition for the man proposing to spend three months of his salary on this gorgeous diamond and while I’m sure that happens all of the time still today, there are so many great alternatives where couples can actually save in the money department without skimping out on all of the beauty that that gorgeous engagement ring has to bring.

Have you ever heard of lab-grown diamonds?

Engagement Rings — The Overwhelmed Bride Wedding Blog

Clean Origin is a 3rd generation jeweler that creates just that — lab-grown diamonds. The only thing that makes a lab-created diamond different from a mined diamoned is its origin. A lab-created diamond is “grown” inside a lab using cutting-edge technology that replicates the natural diamond growing process and as a result, the diamond is chemically, physically and optically the same as those grown beneath the Earth’s surface.

And what does that mean for you?

A gorgeous ethical diamond without breaking the bank. Yep, you heard that right.

Clean Origin has a 100-day money back guarantee on all products and they’ve got no brick and mortar — it’s all online, just the way we all love to shop these days. They’ve got 24/7 phone and email support, sell diamonds alone or in a setting, offer wedding bands, wedding sets, earring studs and hoops and bracelets. With over 100 ring styles available, free shipping, free resizing and a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty, you just can’t go wrong here.

So even if you’ve already proposed or already said, “YES!”, don’t forget that you’ve got the wedding day (hint hint: wedding bands) and anniversaries (hint hint: jewelry) down the road!

The Benefits of Lab-Grown Diamonds:

Of course, that price tag is one of the big benefits as lab-create diamonds mean you can get a diamond that’s 20-30% larger for the exact same price (aka, they cost about 20-30% less than mined diamonds). The reason is because mined diamonds have a long supply chain so by cutting out the miners, lab created diamonds touch fewer hands, making them less expensive, not cheap! An ethical, inexpensive engagement ring? Yes please!

And in addition to that, they’re ethical diamonds.

The mined diamond industry has come under fire for exploiting miners and families through forced labor, funding violent rebel movements in countries throughout Africa and for having a negative effect on our environment whereas lab-created diamonds are environmentally friendly diamonds because they take considerably less energy.

So let me ask you this — Where are you going to shop for your next ethical engagement ring or anniversary jewelry,

Engagement Rings — The Overwhelmed Bride Wedding Blog

"Clean Origin has excellent customer service with excellent products at the best prices! I highly recommend them for any jewelry needs." - Parker, N.

A Texas At-Home Engagement Session

"Cooper kicked off the month of "engagement confusion" by throwing me multiple curve balls. Several times I was convinced we were getting engaged and he fooled me. One week before Thanksgiving Cooper asked me to reserve the following Tuesday for a nice dinner together. He told me to dress up so he could take me out for a nice meal. Of course, when Cooper picked me up I was prepared for a nice evening out, only to be met by the surprise of a bicycle ride across town, through Texas A&M's campus to Chipotle. Let's just say I was a little less than thrilled after a week of build up and excitement. After a couple of minutes of me trying to alter Cooper's bike riding plans, I finally gave in and hopped on a bike. We started to ride through Texas A&M's campus, where Cooper proceeded to stop at every. single. stop. Each time it was a different excuse: "I have low tires," "my seat is loose," and the list goes on... After multiple stops at different buildings and several bicycle "fix it" stations, he stopped at the final place: The Century Tree! I rode behind Cooper on my bicycle, where Cooper proceeded to tell me with a huge smile on his face, "you thought I was going to propose here didn't you?!"At this point I was so confused, and I said "no?!" We proceeded to go under the tree a second time and head to Chipotle. But this time I hear the bike's breaks screech, and Cooper fall off of his bike. It was so elaborate, I thought it was a joke. I told Cooper to get up so we could keep going. When he didn't get up, I got nervous and jumped off of my bike to go check on him. Just as I was bending down to talk to him, the lights in the tree came on and Cooper was on one knee. He sweetly asked me to marry him, and I said yes. Following the proposal Cooper had a home cooked meal waiting for us on the stairs of the Academic building. We ate, laughed, and dreamed of the days to come. Then he threw one last special surprise my way... my very best friends planned us a surprise engagement party at my home in College Station. We arrived home to find many of our dear friends, and all of our families waiting to celebrate with us. I could not have asked for a more perfect evening with my favorite person who I can't wait to spend forever with."

This natural, at home engagement session is giving us all of the cozy feels with southern elements mixed in with a modern flair.

Photography: Shelby Tsika Photography | Venue: Studio 12 | Styling: Shelby Tsika Photography | Mugs: Target | Linens: World Market | Tableware: World Market | Submitted via: Matchology

5 Bride-to-Be Gift Ideas

Sponsored with love by BabbleBoxx

From engagement party gift ideas to bridal shower gifts to wedding day gifts, bride-to-be gifts and everything in between, I sure have got a great round-up of bridal products to share with you. So keep on scrolling and I'll tell you all about it...


Mixbook Wedding Stationery

Mixbook Wedding Stationery sent a sample from their hundreds of gorgeous, one-of-a-kind wedding invitations and this greenery wedding invitation suite is my absolute favorite. I mean, talk about a stunning simple wedding invitation that will make any guest swoon as soon as they open it up. Mixbook offers pre-designed templates and the ability to design your own wedding invitations, save the dates and wedding cards!

Use Code: BABBLE50 for 50% OFF wedding stationery
(valid through 12/31/18)


Bali Lace N' Smooth Body Briefer

Whether you're looking for a gorgeous, lace bridal undergarment for your wedding day or something to bring with you on the honeymoon, this affordable lace bridal bodysuit is totally stunning (and totally comfy too!). The soft and breathable stretch provides firm control as it shapes and smooths your tummy, waist and derriere and the softly-lined underwire cups provide shapely support. Oh yeah, and did I mention how gorgeous it is?? See for yourself! Shop Bali Lace Shapewear by clicking the link below!


RingHero Ring Storage

The RingHero keeps your rings safe and protects them from sweat, damage and theft. Wearing your rings in an environment where they could come in contact with hard surfaces -- weight lifting, yoga, running, biking, golf, boxing, gardening, house work, doing the dishes, swimming, showering -- could bend your ring, loosening the settings and eventually causing your precious stones to fall out. So this super soft, wearable ring storage bracelet is the perfect accessory for when you're working out, swimming, traveling or for every day wear.

Since we will be enjoying a lot of beach time this summer, this is the perfect accessory for me!

Use CODE: BBRingHero for 10% off [calid through 6/30/18]

ZOYA Nail Polish

This Zoya spring nail polish color trio provieds the perfect colors for this spring and summer. Oh yeah, and great color choices for the bridal shower, bachelorette party and just every day wear showing off that new bling you've got! Zoya is a Big10 free breathable formula free of Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Dibutl, Toluene, Camphor, TPHP, Parabens, Xylene, Ethyl, Tosylamide, Lead. Zoya’s award winning color is the healthier choice of fashion and one of the best choices of pregnant and health conscious women worldwide. And I'm thinking that Abby color is my new Spring fave!

 [Nail Polish Colors  from left to right: Jordan (ZP886), Abby (ZP887), Leia (ZP835) ]

Charles + Colvard Moissanite Studs

These Forever One Round Near-Colorless Moissanite Three Prong Martini Solitaire Stud Earrings are perfection. They perfect bridal earrings for any look...and every day wear too! In fact, I'm wearing my Charles & Colvard moissanite studs right now! If I were a bride, I sure would love to accept these as a wedding day gift from my groom (hint hint).

These brilliant earrings are set in 14K white gold, boasting our Forever One GHI grade gemstones that have the diamond equivalent weight of 1.00ctw. Moissanite is one of the rarest minerals found in nature, and we've made it our mission to share its beauty and brilliance with the world. Our experts have recreated moissanite in a lab to deliver you an artfully crafted, socially responsible and eternally brilliant gemstone.

Use CODE: BRIDALBLISS15 for 15% off* purchases on www.charlesandcolvard.com [valid through June 30, 2018 ]