Although I'm still in my first marriage (36 years and counting!), my rings have not fared as well. Their tragic history:
1. Right after we got engaged we bought a modest e-ring and matching band, paying with cash on hand rather than the usual two months' salary etc. I wore them happily for a few years, taking them off at bedtime and leaving them on the nightstand until the next morning. But one night, they accidentally bounced off the nightstand and rolled under the bed. I was too tired to get up and search for them, deciding I'd do it in the morning. Next morning, before hunting for the rings or telling my husband what had happened, I strolled down to our favorite coffee shop for our starter caffeine. When I came back, my husband was beaming. For the first time ever, he had vacuumed under the bed, emptied the vacuum cleaner bag into the trash, and taken the trash out to the dumpster. And the garbage service had already come and emptied the dumpster. So... good-bye
to ring set number one. I reported it to our insurance company, but it wasn't covered.
2. Deciding that I really only wanted to wear one ring instead of two, I found a beautiful ring with a 2-carat oval diamond in the Saks Estate Jewelry department -- a definite upgrade from the first. I wore it happily and proudly for years. Then one hot and muggy day, while working in the attic den of our rented 19th century house in the UK, I slipped off the ring -- and promptly knocked it off my desk where it bounced and then rolled right into a knothole in a floorboard!
We pried up the floorboard and tried to find the ring in the century-old mess of insulation. No luck. Apparently quality e-rings were not in the cards for me. We bought a simple, plain, inexpensive gold band and I wore that for more than a decade.
3. This year, we agreed it was time to take the plunge and finally get a proper ring. I still wanted just one ring and as I was determined to make this ring the last, I wanted it custom-made. Large stone engagement rings are not as common here and many women wear just one ring instead of two. After spending a few months looking around, I discovered a lovely local jeweler who showed me a design I immediately loved. And here it is!
Details: 18k rosé gold -- the ring has quite a substantial amount of gold, it's not thin. Center stone: F, vvs1, .51 carats. 26 "baby" diamonds also F, tcw: .52 carats, all very bright and eye clean. I had suggested a G color diamond for the center stone as I thought the gold would take away some of the whiteness, but instead I love the F color -- the gold seems to add richness to it rather than detracting from its appearance. Anyway, I'm very happy with my ring and this one is here to stay!
1. Right after we got engaged we bought a modest e-ring and matching band, paying with cash on hand rather than the usual two months' salary etc. I wore them happily for a few years, taking them off at bedtime and leaving them on the nightstand until the next morning. But one night, they accidentally bounced off the nightstand and rolled under the bed. I was too tired to get up and search for them, deciding I'd do it in the morning. Next morning, before hunting for the rings or telling my husband what had happened, I strolled down to our favorite coffee shop for our starter caffeine. When I came back, my husband was beaming. For the first time ever, he had vacuumed under the bed, emptied the vacuum cleaner bag into the trash, and taken the trash out to the dumpster. And the garbage service had already come and emptied the dumpster. So... good-bye
to ring set number one. I reported it to our insurance company, but it wasn't covered.2. Deciding that I really only wanted to wear one ring instead of two, I found a beautiful ring with a 2-carat oval diamond in the Saks Estate Jewelry department -- a definite upgrade from the first. I wore it happily and proudly for years. Then one hot and muggy day, while working in the attic den of our rented 19th century house in the UK, I slipped off the ring -- and promptly knocked it off my desk where it bounced and then rolled right into a knothole in a floorboard!
We pried up the floorboard and tried to find the ring in the century-old mess of insulation. No luck. Apparently quality e-rings were not in the cards for me. We bought a simple, plain, inexpensive gold band and I wore that for more than a decade.3. This year, we agreed it was time to take the plunge and finally get a proper ring. I still wanted just one ring and as I was determined to make this ring the last, I wanted it custom-made. Large stone engagement rings are not as common here and many women wear just one ring instead of two. After spending a few months looking around, I discovered a lovely local jeweler who showed me a design I immediately loved. And here it is!
Details: 18k rosé gold -- the ring has quite a substantial amount of gold, it's not thin. Center stone: F, vvs1, .51 carats. 26 "baby" diamonds also F, tcw: .52 carats, all very bright and eye clean. I had suggested a G color diamond for the center stone as I thought the gold would take away some of the whiteness, but instead I love the F color -- the gold seems to add richness to it rather than detracting from its appearance. Anyway, I'm very happy with my ring and this one is here to stay!
Last edited:
