Editor-in-Chief
Milan, Italy · GIA Graduate Gemologist
Elena spent eleven years on the buying floor of a Milanese fine jewelry house before turning to writing. She has handled estate pieces from the 1890s and lab-grown stones cut last month, and she holds that both deserve the same scrutiny. She writes about engagement rings, diamonds and the economics of the bridal market.
Engagement
Where the two-month-salary rule came from, why it is useless, and how to allocate a real budget across cut, carat, colour, clarity and setting so the money goes where you can see it.
Elena Marchetti · Updated September 16, 2026
Engagement
A practical proposal plan: deciding together vs surprise, finding ring size without asking, placeholder rings, insurance and travel, and what to do the week after.
Elena Marchetti · Updated September 17, 2026
Engagement
What GIA colour, clarity and carat grades measure, which grades look identical, the price jumps at key weights, and how to split a fixed ring budget.
Elena Marchetti · Updated September 16, 2026
Engagement
Fifteen engagement ring styles compared on wearability, setting security, price and how each one ages — with real street prices and the trade-offs nobody mentions in the showroom.
Elena Marchetti · Updated September 14, 2026
Engagement
Victorian to mid-century estate rings compared: old mine, old European and transitional cuts, restoration costs, and how to buy estate safely in 2026.
Elena Marchetti · Updated September 15, 2026
Engagement
How to choose wedding bands that sit together, wear well and cost the right amount — profiles, metals, sizing on wide bands, engraving and real 2026 prices.
Elena Marchetti · Updated September 16, 2026
The Aurora Letter
New buying guides, price movements we think matter, and the occasional piece of gemstone science worth knowing. No daily blasts, no affiliate spam.
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