Wednesday, May 13, 2015

...hello my precious...



New morganite ring in center

These gems have life in them: 
their colors speak, say what words fail of. 
~George Eliot

I can’t recall when morganite, the light pink stone that is a beryl just like emeralds and aquamarines, was first shown to me. I’m not really a pink girl unless it’s some sort of obnoxious accent but I have pink undertones in my skin and have always been drawn to the lightest of pinks in cosmetics. I have also had a heart-shaped rose quartz as a good luck stone since high school. And, I do have a small collection of opalescent pink glass including a Duncan Miller Glass Sylvan Swan Dish from 1947. Anyhow, this light pink has apparently always been waiting in the background and has finally crept into my life over the last few years.

Pink beryl is a rare light pink to rose-colored  gem-quality variety of beryl. It was actually renamed morganite in 1910 by famed gemologist George F. Kunz in honor of financier and gem enthusiast J. P. Morgan.  Morganite continues to be rare so it doesn’t have the popularity that other gems (coughs *diamonds*) hold.

At some point I read “In Praise Of Morganite Engagement Rings” and was immediately agreeing, “Yeah” with the author’s arguments. While the author of the article, like me, didn’t consider herself a pink kind of girl, she liked the symbolism of the stone. She writes, “The morganite also boasts a sweet symbolism behind it with some claiming that the gemstone helps inspire and maintain love, making it an extra-perfect choice for an engagement ring.” Basically, this was a woman with taste that was a little different from her peers and she wanted to be slightly different while liking how neutral the pink looked on the skin. What I liked about the article was that unlike some of my friends who went to great lengths to avoid “blood diamonds” by doing countless research but yet being unwilling to buy an antique diamond that could potentially have bad juju or was too small by today’s standards (I’m rolling my eyes to all of these arguments), she went the road less traveled. Why do we love diamonds? Advertising. Did I write a post about this? This rant seems so familiar. Ah, why yes I suppose I did rant about diamonds and my choice not to have an engagement ring. Anyhow, I am not a white diamond girl per se. I inherited my grandmother’s I had it reset with black diamonds, and my wedding band has some diamonds in it but it’s considered a fashion ring instead of a wedding ring. The sales associate even asked if I was going to get tired of the look. (Insert yet another eye roll).

So I bought a morganite ring that arrived today. It’s such an odd little mix of a 1.44ct pear shape morganite with champagne and white diamonds in 10k rose gold. It doesn’t sound like me at all but it goes perfectly with my other rings and I just can’t seem to take it off. Swoon. So there, another ring and another commitment ring to me.

11 comments:

  1. Oh how pretty! I tend to be a pink girl, but I'm picky about my pinks. This one is gorgeous! I love the setting -- very lacy. It actually has an antique feel to it.

    I have to admit, I do like diamonds ... but I prefer antique diamonds because the cuts are different than today's and aren't as boring. Plus, who can resist the settings? My engagement ring is not a traditional engagement ring. Rather, it's a sapphire and diamond cocktail ring set in white gold.

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    1. Exactly! Re: antique diamonds and their cuts being different. It also seems like the whole package (ring and setting) were important. Today I see an emphasis on the diamond with the "the bigger the better" attitude. I even have a friend who prefers colorful stones but was convinced by her now husband that she needed a 2ct diamond because that's what everyone in her area has. What?!? Isn't that the exact reason to go for something else???

      I should clarify that I had my grandmother's second diamond reset. Her original sits in my jewelry box and I'm considering having it framed in a shadow box so that I can at least look at it. It's so delicate. The "larger" diamond (1/2 ct) was in a plain yellow gold band.

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    2. I also want to give props to the pear shape, kite shape, etc. Not everyone has to love round and Princess cut diamonds! Plus pear-shaped stones remind me of little fangs :p

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  2. I don't have any expensive rings other than the ones I inherited. So actually, I have to engagement rings although I don't plan to get married (ever)... The ring is nice, but I don't like stone colours that soft. For me, its either "jewel coloured" - think ruby, emerald or black - or clear. But I prefer fake stones as I tend to lose rings...

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    1. I usually don't care for lighter soft stones either but this one I adore. My other hand has the deeper jewel tones of garnet, black diamonds, and some days a dark amethyst.

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  3. Those three rings together are absolute perfection, Goth Gardener! The pink and the black go really good together, don't they? I'm not much of a pink fan myself (as you know) but it does have a neutral look a person wouldn't tire of. I love the shape of it, too ... so unique!

    I finally got my wedding ring off in the shower the other day and unfortunately am going to have to leave it off before it needs to be cut off. But I LOVE your band with the black accents ... maybe I can find something similar. I wasn't going to bother but now that I see yours I just might start looking!

    The only other nice rings I have are my engagement ring from around 1850 with five mine cut diamonds, which I adore but stays in the safety deposit box since the time our house was broken into and my grandma's engagement ring stolen. Plus an old mourning ring with black enamel on the band that I love the look of but a green tourmaline which I'm not so crazy about. I'd always thought I'd replace that stone one day, but since I seldom get dressed up enough to wear them anymore, it seems like a waste of money. :)

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    1. Oh no! (about having your house broken into and about your grandmother's ring)... I've sometimes worried that wearing my grandmother's ring on a daily basis nearly everywhere should have me worry about getting mugged (knock on wood, I have never lost any jewelry except an earring or two getting knocked off). My fella says I probably look too angry in general (aka bitchy resting face) to be approached. I think I would just talk the muggers ear off :-/

      Thank you. My pointer and middle fingers are all the same size so I've been playing around with which fingers to wear each ring on. I think I'm sticking with this look.

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  4. Such beautiful rings, love the vintage look!
    I never wear rings because I'm a always picking away at things with tools, getting paint and glue everywhere, and because I wash my hands constantly. Actually, recently I'm not wearing jewellery at all, though I love seeing lots of it on others.

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    1. I take off my rings when I'm doing arts and craft projects or DIY of gardening. I would feel like a body part was missing without a necklace though :p

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  5. I love symbolism of stones and of course avoiding blood diamonds! I also love your purple and black tip nailpolish!

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