I love accessories - heck, I design and buy accessories for a living - so it's no surprise that I love jewelry. While I appreciate fun fashion pieces that add an extra something to an outfit, the ones I wear daily hold a very special meaning. Keep reading for the details on each of my most-treasured items.
Graduation Ring
Instead of a class ring for high school graduation, my parents wanted to get me a ring that I could wear for the rest of my life and not look so dated. I chose a two-toned ring that is very classically Tiffany & Co., and have worn it on my index finger every single day for the last 13 years.
Engagement Ring
No explanation needed as to why this is a special piece of jewelry (read about how Greg proposed here!) but I did recently have my diamond reset. I was cursed with thin fingers and large knuckles so my wedding rings never quite fit right - they would spin endlessly on my finger which was very annoying. Soon after we got engaged, I ordered some plastic ring snuggies online and they worked well in terms of keeping my ring in place. When we got married and I added a wedding band, I simply used a wider ring guard to hold them together so they wouldn't knock against each other.
During pregnancy and post-partum, my already-larger knuckle grew even bigger and I could not get my wedding band on and off anymore. I resorted to only wearing my engagement ring since it is thinner and I could still get it over my knuckle. After 4 years of wearing a piece of plastic (that would get dingy and stretched out) on my most prized possession, I was over it and wanted a more permanent solution.
For our 3-year wedding anniversary last October, we went to a local jeweler to discuss my options. Sizing beads were the best bet but would require re-sizing my rings a quarter size larger and adding the beads to the inside of the band. Rather than shelling out to pay for re-sizing and adding the beads to both my engagement ring and wedding band (which could still bang against each other with my oddly-shaped finger), I opted to completely reset my engagement ring and continue wearing it solo.
I almost exclusively wear yellow gold jewelry (with the exception of my graduation ring mentioned above, but even that is mixed metal) and decided if I was going to commit to just one ring, I wanted it to be simple, classic & timeless. Pave bands were very on-trend when Greg and I were dating and almost felt like it was the only way to go, so he got exactly what I asked for - a radiant cut diamond on a white gold pave band. But as I've come into my own in the last few years, really discovering myself in my 30s, the yellow gold solitaire felt more me. I could not be happier with the outcome, which was custom designed at the same jeweler that did my mom's engagement ring.
For the record, I kept my original wedding band as-is and save it for special occasions to wear as a right-hand ring since my knuckle isn't as large on that hand - go figure!
Engraved Bar Necklace
A few months after working for Ron Jon Surf Shop, I went to my first tradeshow in Miami for swim week and our team was invited to the Billabong after-party. They had hired an amazing Etsy artisan to make complimentary custom necklaces at the event. I chose a yellow gold bar necklace with a single wave engraved on it. The wave has several meanings for me, which have only expanded as time goes on.
Firstly, I'm an Aquarius. Secondly, I grew up on an island, love the beach and work for a surf shop. As the years have gone by, the wave symbolizes even more. When I was pregnant with Jack, Greg and I would walk on the beach by our bungalow every day and talk about life, our future and our son. The beach is my happy place - walking along the shore in the crashing waves is nothing short of therapeutic.
The wave has recently taken on a deeper meaning as well. If you've seen series finale of The Good Place, you'll know what I'm talking about. If you haven't - watch this clip. I'm not a religious person, but am spiritual, and the way Chidi describes death and the mysterious after-life in the most poetic way really resonated with me.
Initial Necklace
Greg gifted me this initial necklace on the morning of our wedding day. The "B" is for my new last name - Buckman. I love the simplicity, and recently had it shortened to sit perfectly in between my collar bone so it layers beautifully with my bar necklace.
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