Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Don't go breaking my opals

Remember our rings?  You know, those little beauties I was set on getting done before we left Chicago?  Well, Daniel FINALLY got a hold of Mark, our jeweler, and we went to see him on Friday.

This meeting was just about the epitome of good news/bad news.  On the positive side of things, it was really helpful to finally be able to talk to someone who knew what he was doing and knew whether the things we wanted were possible.  However, he also pretty much destroyed all hope for most of the designs we showed him.

Apparently, people do not use opals in wedding bands because they like to break and fall out of their settings.  Not something that could last a lifetime = not going to happen.  Same goes for a lot of other designs with inlaid stones that we showed him.  Making the designs we were looking at is very difficult and thus expensive if you're not buying your ring from China, and it would definitely be to our advantage in the long run to buy from Mark as he is practically family.

The only designs we showed him that he did not reject were these:


We're not crazy about this particular wave design, but one like it is something we both like.  This would be nice because we could definitely have complimentary rings with this design.  If we wanted, Mark said we could make the waves a color with this stuff that looks like stone but isn't that we could put inside the waves, but that feels kind of cheap to me.  Nonetheless, it's an option.


Daniel really likes these Mokume rings, and while I think they look really cool, I just don't think this is for me.  Not feeling it.

We talked about some other options.  Mark suggested a titanium ring for Daniel.  They are exceptionally strong, and they have a different look, but they're not really good for designs which is something both of us are attracted to.  It's doable on a small scale.  Daniel's engagement ring was titanium ("was" because he lost it.  This is my punishment for breaking it off, I guess), and it had a little design on it (see below).  But ultimately, he's thinking he wants more options than titanium will allow.

I think you can guess which one is Daniel's.  And that this is a personal photo.

For me, well, I don't think I've mentioned this on here yet, but when I started thinking about wedding rings, I immediately wanted to reproduce my mom's ring (I'd say my parents' rings, but my dad lost his a loooooong time ago.  Anyone else sensing a trend here?).  I don't have a picture of it (yet), but it's yellow gold and has two dolphins' heads intertwining, and where their tales should be, their bodies meet to form the band.  I've loved it for as long as I can remember.  The main reason I didn't decide on this a long time ago is that it's not really Daniel's thing, so we definitely would not have matching rings, but also, it's significance to me is a lot more about my life than our life together.  I've had a deep and unwavering love of the ocean my entire life, and my parents definitely helped instill that in me.  They are both scuba divers, and they actually got married underwater, so to me this ring symbolizes the love of the ocean that brought them together.  While it's something that's important to me and that I share with them, it's not something that symbolizes my love for Daniel, and I really want a ring that feels right for us.  I'm still very much considering using my mom's design, but I'm not sure that it feels right.

So basically, we're back to square oneish.  At least we have a better idea of what we can do.  I've told Daniel that it is his job to look for designs in metals because he's better at it than I am, so we'll see what he comes up with.

Have you had trouble finding the right ring?  What's most important to you?  How do you decide on the ring that you will wear for the rest of your life?

4 comments:

  1. Ohhhhhhh boy. I don't want to even think of rings right now! First of all, we can't afford anything nice. Second of all, we have different tastes- hubby wants something with diamonds (DIAMONDS on a man's wedding ring!) and I don't! Lastly, I want something environmentally conscious which is really hard to find. So uhhhhh we are at square one too.

    I love browsing Etsy for rings, even just for ideas. Have you given it a look?

    P.S. I loooooooove your engagement ring!

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  2. Thanks! I love it too. I trained Daniel for over a year before he picked it out, and he did a good job.

    Actually, Etsy was the first place I found I ring that I really liked. It's been sold now, but I'm still fond of it even though it was opal and thus would not work out.

    Haha, you would have the only guy in the world who wants diamonds. Oh irony, will you never cease?

    Environmentally conscious is definitely going to be tricky. Having your ring made custom would help because then you know the maker has decent working conditions, and (s)he could probably order you environmentally-friendly materials. But of course, that's more expensive. Good luck!

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  3. Oh, actually, I bet offbeatbride.com has environmentally friendly options.

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  4. we went to robbins bros..and tried on just about every ring! the lady kept asking me what i liked/disliked with each one...finally found THE one...whew! but its crazy how some just don't look good on your fingers! just take your time...and you will find the right one!

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