Most women usually have some inkling of an idea as to what kind of engagement ring they want. I had been in love with the Asscher cut diamond for as long as I could remember. It’s a ring that is modern, simple, beautiful, classic and surely withstands the test of time. Art deco is one of my favorite styles, and the Asscher cut diamond is the epitome of this style. I couldn’t express enough how dead set I was on this ring, but of course, my husband had a totally different idea in mind. I showed him some photos of actress Kate Bosworth’s beautiful Asscher cut engagement ring, and he was basically unimpressed. We had completely opposite tastes. He loved the more blinged out rings. His motto was, the more diamonds and shine, the better.
Despite our differences in taste, we decided to go ring shopping together anyway. I was pretty adamant about my ring, but I reluctantly kept an open mind and just focused on trying to enjoy the experience since I knew this was a pretty special moment. After all, trying on diamonds should always be fun.
We decided to go to the Jewelry District in Los Angeles, which is basically the go to area in downtown that many people visit to find a beautiful ring at a reasonable price. We saw two jewelers who where recommended by some friends. The first place we went to was not a very good experience for me. They were a little busy and the jeweler wasn’t really giving us his undivided attention. It was a complete turn off for me, so we went on to the next. The second jeweler tried to convince me pretty early on that their halo flower ring was the perfect fit for me. He was actually a pretty good salesman, but I knew that ring, along with all of the other rings I had seen that day, were not what I was looking for. We continued the search at a couple of other jewelry stores with no real luck. I was beginning to feel like the ring we both could like together didn't really exist.
I was in the middle of looking at one of the many round cut halo solitaires I tried on at a jewelry store in Orange County when I suddenly saw a three stone oval cut ring that caught my eye. A jeweler took it out and started to clean it. It was weird to me that it would have caught my attention because I never would have thought I’d like a three stone halo ring, but there it was. There was something about it that was special and unique to me. It looked very antique even though it was brand new. I tried it on and instantly new it was mine. My husband was surprised since it was completely different from what I thought I wanted. It was in no way like the Asscher cut, but it was very beautiful in its own right. It was also very bling, which is what my husband liked. It was the perfect marriage of our two tastes.
If there is any advise I could give on finding that perfect engagement ring, it’s to have a good idea of what you want, but also have an open mind because you never know what else might strike your eye. I actually tried on the Asscher cut diamond plenty of times during the process, and while beautiful in all reality, it seemed to look too simple and plain for me when I saw it in person. I wanted the solitaire to be a little bigger, but it was beyond our budget to make the diamond larger.
Another piece of advise I could give is to not settle. Even though I didn’t end up with the ring I wanted in my head, for me, I still ended up with a ring that was meant for me. I knew my husband and I didn’t have the same taste, but I also knew I wasn’t going to settle on something that was just going to appease him and not me and vice versa. Who cares if it takes you a while to find it, just make sure you love it.
I actually found my wedding band after my wedding took place. It’s a long story, but basically it wasn't going to be ready in time. So, I found a pretty antique looking band on Etsy that we used in the mean time and I wear both of them now along with my engagement ring. I found it on Etsy from this jewelry designer that was just a joy to work with. It was a custom baguette-lined band that curved to the shape of my three stone oval ring. It was very reasonably priced in comparison to some of the others I had found. There are so many options out there nowadays with online stores and small businesses that you don't have to break the bank to get what you want. you can visit my jewelry designer here. Happy hunting!
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