THE RINGS
The Engagement Ring
When we first started shopping for rings together, I wanted something fancy, with extra diamonds or engraving, something that would make it stand out. I could tell it made Jer a little nervous to learn that I had expensive taste. He was especially nervous on our second trip to Robbins Bros., as I looked through all the fancy rings... until I started pairing them with wedding bands. I realized that a complicated engagement ring limited my wedding set choices, and decided that just a solitaire would be best.
Little did I know that before that second trip, Jer had already bought a 1/3 carat diamond solitaire set in palladium, and he just wanted to see how he did. He was more afraid that I wouldn't like the ring than that I'd say no! I'll post a picture when I can get one onto my computer, but he did good. It's perfect.
My Wedding Band
Since my engagement ring is palladium, we're looking at getting both of our wedding bands in palladium as well. Jer did his research and discovered that the metal is related to platinum and looks identical, but is much lighter. It's a rare but not commonly used metal that gets a beautiful luster as it ages, and it's reasonably priced. I'm absolutely thrilled with his choice.
I wanted something to dress up my solitaire a bit, so I gravitated immediately toward the wraps, and found one that I loved. It's delicate enough not to overpower my itty bitty hand, and can be ordered in palladium. I also like this one because it doesn't cover the second band, so it looks like I have a fancy engagement ring and a very simple wedding band.
His Wedding Band
Jer definitely does not have small hands, so he needs a very wide ring. We wanted something that would coordinate with mine, so he opted for a ring with a few small diamonds. It's, ahem, a little more than we were planning on spending, but we'll be wearing these rings for the rest of our lives, and it's important that they're what we really want, so we're willing to spend the extra money.
We've been really happy with Robbins Bros. throughout the ring shopping process. Our rings are guaranteed for life, and we get a free cleaning and inspection every six months. As long as we stick to that schedule, they'll make any necessary repairs for free, and replace a lost diamond with one of equal or greater quality. Sure, we could find rings more cheaply on eBay or through some mall jeweler, but I feel that the added cost really is worth it for the added value. Plus, they're extremely gracious and helpful every time we come in. I highly recommend them.
Making Them a Set
I really like the idea of using our birthstones in our rings. We're planning on replacing the outer two diamonds on each ring with the other's birthstones, so his ring will have alexandrites for me, and my ring will have rubies for him. We get to keep the diamonds that come with the ring even if we replace them, so I'll have them turned into some kind of jewelry at some later point.
Both rings will be engraved with "...and they lived happily ever after." We're keeping Disney mostly out of the wedding, but I couldn't resist.
