Gimme a ring... you know, gold, platinum, whatever...

The posting title is a quote from one of the first emails I sent my boyfriend, who (drumroll), as of last Wednesday, is also now my fiance! He always quotes me that line and says, "What balls... you wanted me then!" And then I always say, "I was kidding, I was kidding! I just wanted to test your humor!" ... but I knew then that we'd be in each other's lives for a long time, but not necessarily in what capacity!

Because he doesn't want to "impose his aesthetic" on me (this is one of the things he says that makes me go "awww!"), the sexy task of finding a ring falls on yours truly.

So many engagement rings are nightmarishly generic, that in order to find one that's a little more stylish and unique is some task, and for me, requires gems other than diamonds or without gems at all... I am even considering this ring made from a beautiful 1950's lucite button (these picture don't really do it justice, though!)

Vintage glass button ring by Circ at Etsy.com

Considering my interests and our relative youth, I find this button ring to be both very personal and a playful bucking of tradition, while still adhering to the "metal band with clear, light-catching object" engagement ring formula.


I also love this next ring, which is mermaid-y and vaguely steampunk at the same time, with its organic coiled wires and nestled seed pearls. It near-perfectly encapsulates what I'd like my ring to be -- a tough-to-pin-down mix of offbeat, modern and still classic. Do I want to look down at this when I'm 60? I believe this ring would be as equally lovely on a twenty-something as on a sixty-something (or seventy-something, or eighty-something).

Pearl Ring Samantha by JoJoBell at Etsy.com

This one is delightfully celestial; amorphous and simple and small enough to not catch on sweaters, but large enough to be special. This ring is in silver, which isn't my color (although this one is a nice, warmer silver). In rose-gold, it would be a winner.

Bubble Bauble ring by Jenerijewelry at Etsy.com

One thing I noticed about wedding bands and engagement rings is that so many of them had tight, inorganic structures that reminded me of caging or cuffs or otherwise non-reciprocity... I love the ring below, because it reminds me of seaweed, and fish swimming in and out of it. Living together and mutually (I'm no biologist, though). I love that the white topaz is off-center, as well. This one is quite special, indeed!

Ring available at www.starsandinfinitedarkness.com
UPDATE!!: This is the ring I ended up with!

I first saw this ring at MoMA, and it must be a popular gift, because the gold version is tough to find! Small, simple, whimsical and a timeless, feminine motif. This one is also a lovely metaphor, not just because of the whole "not forgetting" maxim, but also because, unlike a "cuff", a string keeps you "tied" to someone through your own volition. The knot looks loose, and easily undone by a light pull on one string, but your vigilance and care keeps the bow intact.

Ring available at www.delight.com

And, as promised, it's time for Quirk #2: As a child, it was fact (to me) that I had a Ingalls-Wilder-esque past life in the 1800's.