I love rings! And I know I'm not alone because we have quite a group of women who love to collect rings too. For me it all started in my teens. I still remember my first ring purchase. I was about 15 and some artists had set up kiosks in our little mall. I fell in love with a simple silver ring with a leaf and an amethyst. Purple was my favorite color for many years. You may have noticed that the exterior of Manya Vee Selects is purple, and we also have a "purple room" inside. Our logo is purple too! Anyway, I had some babysitting money burning a hole in my pocket, and I purchased this lovely little ring from a now-unknown artist. I still have that little ring!
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| Manya's first ring |
Historically and socially, rings have conveyed status. A wedding ring indicates to all and sundry that you are married, and therefore unapproachable. Maybe you were given a promise ring, too, symbolizing the promise of a continued relationship. With children comes the option of a mother's ring. We have class rings for school, and membership rings for certain organizations. Historically, kings and queens have special rings denoting their power, and it's something they wore more often than their crowns. Heck, even the pope has a ring! So it's perhaps not a surprise that we imbue the humble ring with more meaning than we do our other jewelry.
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| Queen Elizabeth I's ring with the diamond "E" |
Over the years, as we've developed relationships with our ring collectors, we've come up with three things to consider when choosing a new ring for yourself.
1. Consider the meaning. Are you looking for a new ring because you want to mark a milestone in your life, or some sort of life change? This has happened several times lately. Last month, Camille had been divorced a year, and was at a point of acceptance in her life. She wanted a ring that was bold, that would remind her that she's the one running her life now. When she looked at it, she wanted it to remind her how strong she is now. She chose a lovely sterling ring with a garnet because garnet energy is all about personal power.
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| Gascoigne ring, sterling, 14k bezel, garnet |
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| Gascoigne, sterling, pearl, amethyst |
On the other side of the spectrum, Pat fell in love with a funky and large pearl ring on a pair of sterling "shells" that simply tickled her funny bone. Pat said she finds a lot of meaning in her rings, and she has quite a large collection. For her, a ring must be bold and make a statement. Sometimes they mark a milestone. Other times, they are simply a great deal of fun!
2. Consider your personal style. For both Camille and Pat, big, bold rings that cannot go unnoticed are important factors for them. For Elise, however, a smaller, more delicate style suits her personal style better. She still looks for something very unusual, though. Her current favorite was modeled on a similar ring in the gallery, but she wanted hers to be done in silver rather than gold, and to have a blue sapphire in it. She's a high-powered executive who needs to sport a professional look in her daily life. She's also very busy, but has a desire to express her personal style in spite of the restrictions. So her ring may be small, but it is definitely unusual, with a lovely vine feel to it, and a sparkly blue stone to add some dazzle to her number-crunching days. And when she's feeling bold, she teams it up with a simple silver band right next to it for a double punch.
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| Gascoigne, Sterling, 24k, sapphire |
I'm an avid ring collector too. I have certain rings that commemorate various moments in my life. But I also love rings to coordinate with my wardrobe. And I do like them to make a statement, too. I like a ring to have an element of art to it, to be unusual, yet comfortable. But I don't always feel like tackling the world full force. For those days, I have some smaller rings that work just great.
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| Bellamy, sterling flower ring |
3. Consider your budget. A ring doesn't have to destroy your bank account. We have lovely, hand-made silver rings starting at $22 here at Manya Vee Selects. And we just got a really fun new collection from Lori Bellamy that range from $52 to $95.
Sarah Gascoigne boasts some one-of-a-kind, yet simple rings between $70 and $140. In fact, the above-mentioned-Elise's ring is just such a one. You can see more of Sarah's rings and buy one online!
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| Bill Booze, faceted peridot sterling silver band, 14k prongs |
On the other hand, oftentimes when we are marking a momentous occasion in our lives, we want to put the proper monetary value on such a ring too. We recently got two new collections that fit that bill, as well as great choices from Sarah Gascoigne and long-time gallery artist Michelle Logan. One new collection is from Bill Booze, who not only is a talented metalsmith, but also an amazing stone-cutter and faceter of colored gemstones. These are in the $500 - $600 range. The faceting he's done with these amazing stones is truly mesmerizing. They are spectacular!
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| Blue Chalcedony ring in sterling by James Magetteri |
James Magetteri is another new jeweler for us. James is an expert at casting metals, and his bold, unconventional rings are not for the faint of heart. Some have stones, and others are all sterling. But all make a statement!
Michelle Logan's signature dahlia facets are also very bold, with her metalwork simple enough to let the stone be the center of attention. All her stones are quite large, and she takes great pains to find conflict-free gemstones, and to use only recycled silver and gold in her work.
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| Logan Prehnite ring with 14k bezel and sterling band |
There are many ways to enjoy a ring, and you can let it be something that is very important to you. Or, you can let it be something that makes you smile and feel good! Either way, take some time looking around until you find one that fits your meaning, your personal style, and your budget.
