Intimately Public
The Wedding Ring
I was sitting at a red light and glanced over at a couple in a heated discussion. I smiled to myself; I remember those days. The time when the honeymoon was over, the discretion was removed from our words, and the true us was revealed. Now, on the other side, I know she loves me for me, not just the suave, debonair man I pretended to be. Is now the time to show how much I love her for her?
In many ways, the upgrade of a wedding ring is a more significant symbol of love than the original engagement ring. Now you know each other. All the games of courtship are over. Real life, with all its good decisions and bad ones, is playing out. The trials of life and failed expectations have taken their toll. The amazing strength of love is displayed each day. The significance of “she loves me for who I really am,” dumbfounds you every time you think about it.
Anniversaries are an opportunity to express the amazing joy of life: that she loves you even with all the history. Anniversaries mark time. They give the occasion to declare: “Here and now I LOVE YOU.”
Upgrades and Redesigns are two of the main ways to give the gift of jewelry. Upgrades are usually “up-sizing” to a bigger or higher grade main diamond. Many times, the jewelry only needs a change in the head to accommodate the new diamond. A Redesign is using some of the original ring to create a new design. This process is done as a custom design.
If you decide to go with a Redesign, there are basically two ways of approaching it: the New Ring and the Remount. The New Ring approach is a fresh start from scratch. “What do you want your ring to be? If you could have your dream ring, what would it look like?” Start here, and create a new and vibrant expression of your love and commitment together. A Remount, on the other hand, is choosing a new ring design that will be able to reuse the gems from the original. This is a great choice when the gems in the original ring have strong sentimental value. With a Remount, the history and story of the original gemstones live on in a new and unique way.
Whichever path you decide, giving the gift of jewelry to someone you love enables them to remember you whenever the gift is worn. Jewelry is special because it is an intimate gift worn next to the skin. It is also a public gift because it will be seen by all. People interact with her because of the ring. A passing statement, “He must really love you.” pays big dividends. Not only is a wedding ring intimately public, but it is publicly intimate.
There is a time when the right gift is an upgrade of the wedding ring. Normally, this is done only once or twice in a marriage. The wedding ring is the most intimately public symbol of love. For better or worse, this diamond jewelry is the most tangible expression of love we have in our culture. With all the turmoil and uncertainty of today, is now the time for you to openly declare to the world your love for this woman?
