just a little sparkle

OBSESSING over super thin diamond bands.  They add just a hint of sparkle and look almost impossibly thin.  I found this beauty, measuring only 1.1mm wide, on etsy and it allows little room for buyer's remorse with it's reasonable price tag! (Please note: this ring is made of 14K white gold and natural diamonds with G/H color but the diamonds are I1 clarity, meaning the diamonds do have visible inclusions.  But I figure when they are such small diamonds, it doesn't matter. If you want to opt for a higher clarity rating, Pompeii does offer a slightly more expensive option!)

an unlikely duo

Today my friend showed me her new turquoise and diamond band she just purchased and I commented how I have been seeing this unique combination of stones recently.  They certainly are not two stones you would think of first to combine in one ring, but work together beautifully, playing off one another's differences while highlighting the beauty of both.  It also seems that this emerging trend has a strong foundation from the Victorian era.  Here are some of my favorite antique examples of this unlikely combination. I love this Victorian navette ring with it's varying sizes of turquoise and border of diamonds.

This early 1900s bypass ring is simple yet striking with the pairing of a turquoise and a diamond.

This 1890s band would look lovely stacked with other diamond bands or as a standout wedding band!

nouveau swirls

After pinning a few Art Nouveau rings on Pinterest, one thing was clear, I love the twists and turns and swirls of many of this era's jewelry.  Here are a few amazing examples of this classic Art Nouveau style.  (Above image from here.)

Wow... what a stunner!  The swirls of this ring, spanning beyond knuckle to knuckle, highlight the beauty of the half carat octagonal emerald.

The dainty swirls on this ring frame the rose cut diamond and pearl, complimenting their differences but oh-so right combination.

happily ever after

When I was shopping around for ideas for an engagement ring (at my boyfriend's request), I initially wanted an antique aquamarine ring.  But my boyfriend (now husband) pushed me towards a diamond engagement ring because that is what he preferred to get me (and, in the end, I am glad he did... which much to his dismay now, sparked my love affair with diamonds!).  But I am still dying over some aqua engagement rings I have seen.  This one in particular I am especially fond of, with it's light blue color and cushion cut.  Did you/ would you consider getting a non-diamond engagement ring?

P.S. I am particularly fond of my engagement/wedding ring board on Pinterest!  If you too are shopping around for rings or just love to look at some serious gorgeous jewelry, check it out!

antique tourmaline

To continue on with the discussion of my love of tourmaline, here are a few exquisite antique tourmaline rings to take your breath away.  This pink tourmaline (above) mounted in a beautiful 10K gold setting is a beautiful example of the rich color of tourmaline.

This green tourmaline filigree ring is a showstopper!  The extremely elongated cut of the stone beautifully highlights its rich green color. 

There is nothing more perfect in my mind than the rich, deep blue of this antique blue tourmaline ring.

victorian ring reproduction

Complete!  Here is the reproduction of this Victorian snake ring I fell in love with.  The ring turned out very well and I am happy with it, but I have to admit that there is still something missing from the feeling of the original piece.  This ring feels much more modern to me and I guess I just have to come to terms with the fact that there is no substitute for an antique.  But since the antique ring I fell in love with was long gone, this is the closest I could get to the original, since I know darn well I would have never have found it's likeness in another antique ring.  I am enjoying wearing it though and I am happy knowing I own a little bit of the original's essence.