I never tire of telling people the story of when I first “met” my husband. Even though we started dating at the end of the summer of my first year in the Milwaukee Symphony (2001), we discovered that we had been at the same small music camp in Massachusetts in the early 1980s when I was just a camper of age 12 and my future husband was employed as a piano teacher. Imagine the odds of two people ending up in the same Midwest city with the same camp photo…then imagine them finding themselves in love and married (stepchildren and all!) Obviously, Fate works in mysterious ways. Perhaps, then, it may come as no surprise that I wanted an usual engagement ring to reflect our love, and that I passed aside a traditional “rock” for the floral vine ring with teeny diamonds that I still wear and love today.
Recently, I had the opportunity to be involved in the design of an engagement ring for another unusual pairing. The couple couldn’t be more in love, yet this is not a first marriage for either of them. They both have children from previous marriages, and like many of us, obstacles to overcome. I loved that the spirit of romance and surprise was in the air when the groom-to-be approached me about designing a ring for his fiancée. However, I also applauded his decision to include his fiancée in the design process once we had started to narrow down the designs for the ring.
The result is a ring that is lovely and deeply personal to them both. Because the wedding is still a ways off, I’m posting just the engagement ring which I designed and had manufactured for them. The inspiration was feminine, fluid lines (she is beautiful, elegant, graceful and artistic) and her love for the ocean of her homeland. For that reason, we chose a pale watery-blue aquamarine for the central focus of the ring.
After I had worked up several design variations, the couple identified this one as their favorite:
However, they wanted me to tweak the design so that it would accommodate a wedding band as well. To do that, I removed the two diamond accents to create a more streamlined ring profile. Here is the final engagement ring in 18K yellow gold with a step-cut aquamarine:
I won’t divulge details of the wedding band until the wedding has happened, but I will say that it adds sparkle and even more elegance to this ring.
And I can tell you that when my client’s fiancée received this ring along with the proposal, she said…
YES!
I agree, definitely designing your own engagement ring is one of the most personally and intimate things you can do as a couple. I have quite a few clients who come in together and they both want a part in the design of the engagement ring that is going to represent the love and bond that they share.
As a jeweller I believe that it is a huge honour when someone chooses you to work with them in designing and crafting their engagement ring, I mostly find it hard to explain because it is so intimate and personal to the people I am working with.
Great drawing there too! your colour blending is fantastic!
Sam Kritsotakis
Eskae Jeweller – Your Private Jeweller
http//:www.EskaeJeweller.com.au
Hi Sam,
Thanks for writing me on my blog and for your kind words! I enjoyed seeing your website and knowing that you also have a special place for Art Deco jewelry (one of my favorite periods in jewelry making) on your site. I hope you’ll visit me back here often, and if you ever have the need for professional renderings that you’ll keep me in mind.
All best wishes,
Joana