This Ring Belongs In a Museum!

I'm funny about engagement rings. When Thomas and I were discussing getting engaged, and he asked me if I would like to pick out my ring, my answer was an emphatic, "NO!" In my mind (and I know there are gazillions out there who will disagree with me), the engagement ring is a gift. I hate choosing gifts for myself. I can't stand the thought of someone spending too much money on me, so, unless I am given a specific budget to stick to, I will invariably pick the cheapest thing I see, regardless of whether or not I actually like it. When we registered for gifts, we only chose items we could reasonably afford to give as wedding gifts ourselves. To this day, I have no idea how much my ring cost, and I intend to keep it that way.

Anyway, I had a second reason for not wishing to choose my own ring: the ring (again, only my opinion) is a reflection of how the giver sees the wearer. If I'm feeling a little down on myself, I can look at my left hand and be reminded that 1) I have a husband who loves me, and 2) he sees me as a classic, yet modern woman with a quiet strength and tons of sparkle. Someone who knows me very well sees that in me, so why can't I see that in myself?

Of course, I totally understand why some people would want to pick out their ring, and how that could really help out the person buying it. It's a big-ticket item, and one that is going to be worn, theoretically, everyday for the rest of your life. You kinda don't want to screw that one up, so when I went to have my finger measured, I did a little scouting so I could offer helpful hints, if needed. Oh, who am I kidding? I accidentally looked down while the jeweler was sizing me, saw My Ring (TM) and had to get the specs on it immediately. I ran back to Thomas' apartment and told him I'd found My Ring, and where he could go to get it. He took a look at the ring's details, walked over to his computer, pulled up a page he'd saved to favorites, and said, "This it?"

It was.

There, on the screen, was the exact ring I'd fallen in love with, except that this page was one where you could build your own custom ring. He'd built My Ring, already, with no help from me.

Some people just get it right.

Case in point: a fellow whose girl had a deep, unabiding love of the Indiana Jones films, had this amazingly detailed ring made for her. The band is a minature replica of Indy's whip, while the yellow diamond represents the golden idol from Raiders. It's ridiculously thoughtful, and gorgeous to boot, but what I love most about it is the subtlety. At first glance, it's just a yellow diamond set in a wide, carved band. It's not until you view it up close that you get the reference. I don't know who this guy is, but good going! (I hope she said yes!)

In case you're wondering, here are the schematics for it.

Photo Credit (All): Geekologie