I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore…

[monarch64]

Beautiful ring and beautiful story. I’m glad you’re taking care of yourself and honoring your life’s journey.

Thank you, @Mazlou. I am also glad to be on a good path.

 

[Autumn in New England]

I'm glad I provided an interesting narrative! I will shamelessly lap up any and all positive critiques of my writing. The status thing made me shudder a time or two years and years ago with regard to diamonds...which is another (unlisted) reason I wanted an emerald. I must also say here that there was a certain ick in the back of my mind when I considered why both my ex-husbands ignored my request for an emerald and instead purchased diamonds. I knew it was because they saw the ring as a way to convey status to others, not an expression of love. At least that was MY lived experience--I know it's not that way for everyone and certainly don't wanna catch hell for implying that I think it is. How's that for following suit with a disclaimer?! As for stones being ethically sourced...I did not take that into consideration with this ring. I don't know that it was sourced honorably but I also don't know that it wasn't, and that it didn't have a positive impact somewhere along the line. I'll accept the karma in any case.

Google "green burial" as well. I think someone (maybe me?) did a thread on it in Hangout in the not too distant past.

lol I know, we're all so afraid of offending! But luckily there is such little drama here in that regard (another reason why I love PS peeps). I added that small disclaimer just to preempt anyone who might have felt like my comments were a bit naïve or flaky ("gems are magical... weeee!"). Obviously, we're all aware there can be a negative socio-economic impact associated with buying certain stones. But you purchased your emerald the RIGHT way, from a very reputable and well-established vendor who operates at the source. It's the stones that are smuggled out of the country and sold on the black market that fund illicit operations. So please feel NOTHING but joy about your beautiful new bauble!!

I don't doubt your suspicions about your exes! But you know another reason they may not have gone down the emerald engagement ring route? It can be intimidating to buy CS. Diamond buying is so much more organized and consistent (FCDs aside)! It's way easier to compare stones. Not so with CS. Sometimes we just need to gift ourselves exactly what we want! Wear this stunner in good health and happiness, my friend!!

 

[icy_jade]

Congrats on your glowy emerald ring! So lovely that you and your daughter picked the same stone.

 

[Mrsz1ppy]

Love your story. Love your stone. You are a great writer.

 

[Cerulean]

Absolutely beautiful backstory, it makes the ring that much more special. The color of the emerald and setting are just perfect!

 

[bright&shiny]

It’s a beautiful stone and ring! Congratulations and wear it in good health. Hearing the story, understanding the meaning, and seeing be beautiful finished project is so refreshing. I describe these pieces as heart projects to my DH. It adds to the feeling of connection here on PS. Thank you for sharing your story and pics!

 

[Catmom]

Gorgeous, glowy emerald...yum!

 

[canuk-gal]

@canuk-gal it's finally become reality!!! Thank you for chiming in, I'm glad you like it! I consider you an authority around here and the epitome of taste and style. You *almost* make me want to become a Canuk. You should've seen the stoned server's face earlier tonight when I ordered the "champignons a la Bear" at a favorite pizza joint. He said "I've never heard anyone pronounce it properly." I think I'd fit right in.

What a lovely, warm, and humbling message to wake up to! I feel the same way about you! Thank you for your kindness and your presence here!!! And your pizza story was charming!!! LOL

 

[springerspaniel]

My all-time favorite stone is emerald and you nailed this one, @monarch64! Such a beautiful ring and stone. Finally, you get to have exactly what you wanted--I'm really happy you could do that.

 

[monarch64]

My all-time favorite stone is emerald and you nailed this one, @monarch64! Such a beautiful ring and stone. Finally, you get to have exactly what you wanted--I'm really happy you could do that.

Ohhhh thank you!!! That means a lot. I’m so glad I found the company I purchased from and was able to select exactly the right stone for me. I didn’t wear the ring today but I tried it on and was just absolutely giddy like an excited little kid!

 

[LilAlex]

Beautiful ring and story! May it bring you much joy!

 

[yssie]

Y’all nailed it all right.

I’m not colourblind (thanks for the congrats ) so I wholeheartedly agree, the 3.9 won hands and feet down!!

Green for the fantasies and oceans you and your dad shared, gold for his favourite butterfly’s wings

 

[monarch64]

Y’all nailed it all right.

I’m not colourblind (thanks for the congrats ) so I wholeheartedly agree, the 3.9 won hands and feet down!!

Green for the fantasies and oceans you and your dad shared, gold for his favourite butterfly’s wings

Yssieeeeeee! You have me crying, girl. You should see his monument/gravestone. It has a butterfly, palm tree, and hummingbird carved into it, among other meaningful things. It’s attached to a bench so any who visit have a place to sit and visit a while.

I haven’t gone to see him yet. I’m having a lot of trouble with it. I am probably buying things to avoid dealing with my feelings about the loss. At any rate, I just wish we could go back in time to those beautiful days on the beach before things became terrifying and terrible.

I digress. This ring is about happy things, and I am happy having it, wearing it, and passing it along when I’m gone. (Que Anna Kendrick Cup Song)

 

[Nick_G]

What a beautiful stone, and a beautiful tribute to your late father. What a lovely back-story. That colour really pops with lushness!

Green also symbolises new growth, fresh starts, and renewal, as well as being a calming colour for the senses. In fact, it's the wavelength of light our eyes are most sensitive to, which is why we see more shades of green than any other colour.

Just gorgeous.

 

[monarch64]

What a beautiful stone, and a beautiful tribute to your late father. What a lovely back-story. That colour really pops with lushness!

Green also symbolises new growth, fresh starts, and renewal, as well as being a calming colour for the senses. In fact, it's the wavelength of light our eyes are most sensitive to, which is why we see more shades of green than any other colour.

Just gorgeous.

Thank you, Nick! And thank you for the insight on the color green—I didn’t know all those things. Makes perfect sense.

 

[lilmosun]

There is nothing more wonderful than a beautiful piece of jewelry with a personal/emotional backstory behind it's creation. These are the pieces destined to become family heirlooms. I think the wait to get your emerald was meant to be and also led to this meaningful dream piece creation. It's beautiful.

 

[barbx]

Oh boy, this is gonna be a doozy, so buckle up your ruby slippers and get ready for story time.

For about a thousand years I’ve been saying to myself and to others that I want a big old emerald cut emerald ring. I told both my ex-husbands this information. They preferred diamonds for engagement rings and I swallowed my disappointment and was happy with what I got. But let’s back up for a minute and I’ll tell you the tale of Why I Wanted an Emerald to Begin With. (I’ll try to make it shorter than Don McLean’s American Pie, promise.)

1. When I was a kid the movie Wizard of Oz came on tv once a year, kind of like the Miss America pageant. It was a special event, and my parents were always excited to watch it with me because I was fascinated by it, as anyone would be. The Emerald City certainly had my attention as the most alluring destination in any book I’d ever read or movie I’d ever seen.

2. In my teenage years, we started vacationing twice a year on the “emerald coast” of Florida—the northwest part/panhandle, where the beaches are sugary white sand and the water is clear and on sunny days it glows green near the shore. These were times I really got a chance to spend time with my dad (who passed last year) one on one. My brother and mom weren’t beach people but my dad and I were and we’d sit at the beach and walk it several times a day and just talk.

3. I’m a May baby. So is my daughter/only offspring.

4. Everything green. I’m a gardener, love the color green having grown up in the vivid, verdant Midwest especially in the spring.

When my dad passed, my trading green grew a bit. I decided it was now or never to build the emerald ring of my dreams that I can wear and enjoy now, and pass on to my daughter when I’m one with the earth in my green burial mushroom suit (it’s called manifesting, look it up). I’d been following JR Columbian on Instagram since 2020, and reached out to them to start the process. I knew I wanted yellow gold, an elongated step cut, and I wanted to bezel the stone for a little extra protection.

I didn’t have to pick up the phone once (yay, I’m a xennial introvert who is appalled by actual phone conversations unless I’ve had a glass of wine); we worked everything out easily over IG messaging. From start to finish the project took maybe 3-4 weeks. I was incredibly happy with the way things were handled and now that the ring is in my possession I’m incredibly happy with IT! Natalie was great about suggesting stones and sending me videos and hand shots every time. I ended up choosing between 3 that I found on their website and picked my stone from those. I actually let my daughter make the ultimate decision by telling her absolutely nothing and showing her the pic of all 3 together to ask her which was her favorite. She liked the same one I did, and the deal was sealed.

When I chose my stone I was prioritizing things in no particular order but it had to meet these criteria:
1. Color reminiscent of emerald coast shoreline
2. Glow
3. Size—3-4 Ct
4. Elongated step cut
5. No visible black inclusions

I chose the 3.92 (you’ll see comparisons in pics) because ultimately it GLOWED. It practically GLEW. It gave new meaning to the phrase “glow-up.” It was so glowing it might as well have been 8 months pregnant.

We absolutely nailed it, in my eyes. I am beyond happy with the ring, and…happy. For many years I felt unheard and ignored when it came to my likes and what would make me happy. At long last, I’m going my own way and taking care of me, and rewarding myself for making it through some extremely difficult things without running screaming into the void like many sane people would do. Sticking around and showing up is not easy. My dad was always proud of me for being adventurous and taking risks but he also got after me more than a time or two for phoning it in when he saw me not living up to what he knew I could do and be. He was my courage, my heart, my intellectual inspiration, and always my home. This ring is a tribute to him, a fulfillment of a dream I’ve had, a reminder that I can achieve anything I want to in life, and just the prettiest damn thing I’ve ever seen which is obviously most important unless you’re colorblind and then I guess you’re f-ed.

Here is a whole entire slide show for those of you who are not colorblind (congrats!):

Wowza! the difference in brilliance between the stones us incredible! Congrats on finding your dream emerald!

 

[Leigh10]

I so thoroughly enjoyed this backstory (and your dry wit), that I didn't want it to end. But WHAT a fantastic ending!! This is a perfect example of how jewels are more than just eye candy (or status symbols... the thought of which makes me shudder). They do become deeply enrooted in our being. Gemstones and jewelry can truly be a manifestation of our history, memories, loves, longings, and imagination. They're magical! (Disclaimer: We just always want to be sure they're ethically sourced.)

That being said, your emerald is positively delicious!! Dorothy and the gang would be proud! I also feel like your dad would be so pleased that he helped realize his beloved daughter's emerald city dreams.

I love that you chose a simple, but impactful bushed gold mounting to let the stone do the talking. And it's deafening!

Big congrats to you... I hope you enjoy the ring for a lifetime! Now I'm off to google "burial mushroom suit."

@monarch64 ... what @Autumn in New England said!!! I derived so much joy and good feelings from your story. Thank you for putting it out in the universe. I wish you every happiness and the warmth of loving memories everyday wearing your amazing emerald ring. It is spectacular... and so is her owner.

 

[itskcc]

Hooooooo-wheeeeee! That stone is lit from within. Beautiful ring and story!

 

[boerumbiddy]

I don't even like green much, but this ring could convert me! Congratulations on completing such a satisfying project and of course on taking control of your life. Wear it in good health, and for a long time.

 

[Kim N]

Your story is so heartwarming--what a wonderful tribute to your father. The stone truly does glow and looks absolutely spectacular on you.

 

[autumngems]

Oh boy, this is gonna be a doozy, so buckle up your ruby slippers and get ready for story time.

For about a thousand years I’ve been saying to myself and to others that I want a big old emerald cut emerald ring. I told both my ex-husbands this information. They preferred diamonds for engagement rings and I swallowed my disappointment and was happy with what I got. But let’s back up for a minute and I’ll tell you the tale of Why I Wanted an Emerald to Begin With. (I’ll try to make it shorter than Don McLean’s American Pie, promise.)

1. When I was a kid the movie Wizard of Oz came on tv once a year, kind of like the Miss America pageant. It was a special event, and my parents were always excited to watch it with me because I was fascinated by it, as anyone would be. The Emerald City certainly had my attention as the most alluring destination in any book I’d ever read or movie I’d ever seen.

2. In my teenage years, we started vacationing twice a year on the “emerald coast” of Florida—the northwest part/panhandle, where the beaches are sugary white sand and the water is clear and on sunny days it glows green near the shore. These were times I really got a chance to spend time with my dad (who passed last year) one on one. My brother and mom weren’t beach people but my dad and I were and we’d sit at the beach and walk it several times a day and just talk.

3. I’m a May baby. So is my daughter/only offspring.

4. Everything green. I’m a gardener, love the color green having grown up in the vivid, verdant Midwest especially in the spring.

When my dad passed, my trading green grew a bit. I decided it was now or never to build the emerald ring of my dreams that I can wear and enjoy now, and pass on to my daughter when I’m one with the earth in my green burial mushroom suit (it’s called manifesting, look it up). I’d been following JR Columbian on Instagram since 2020, and reached out to them to start the process. I knew I wanted yellow gold, an elongated step cut, and I wanted to bezel the stone for a little extra protection.

I didn’t have to pick up the phone once (yay, I’m a xennial introvert who is appalled by actual phone conversations unless I’ve had a glass of wine); we worked everything out easily over IG messaging. From start to finish the project took maybe 3-4 weeks. I was incredibly happy with the way things were handled and now that the ring is in my possession I’m incredibly happy with IT! Natalie was great about suggesting stones and sending me videos and hand shots every time. I ended up choosing between 3 that I found on their website and picked my stone from those. I actually let my daughter make the ultimate decision by telling her absolutely nothing and showing her the pic of all 3 together to ask her which was her favorite. She liked the same one I did, and the deal was sealed.

When I chose my stone I was prioritizing things in no particular order but it had to meet these criteria:
1. Color reminiscent of emerald coast shoreline
2. Glow
3. Size—3-4 Ct
4. Elongated step cut
5. No visible black inclusions

I chose the 3.92 (you’ll see comparisons in pics) because ultimately it GLOWED. It practically GLEW. It gave new meaning to the phrase “glow-up.” It was so glowing it might as well have been 8 months pregnant.

We absolutely nailed it, in my eyes. I am beyond happy with the ring, and…happy. For many years I felt unheard and ignored when it came to my likes and what would make me happy. At long last, I’m going my own way and taking care of me, and rewarding myself for making it through some extremely difficult things without running screaming into the void like many sane people would do. Sticking around and showing up is not easy. My dad was always proud of me for being adventurous and taking risks but he also got after me more than a time or two for phoning it in when he saw me not living up to what he knew I could do and be. He was my courage, my heart, my intellectual inspiration, and always my home. This ring is a tribute to him, a fulfillment of a dream I’ve had, a reminder that I can achieve anything I want to in life, and just the prettiest damn thing I’ve ever seen which is obviously most important unless you’re colorblind and then I guess you’re f-ed.

Here is a whole entire slide show for those of you who are not colorblind (congrats!):

I am much like you, I always loved the color, a loose emerald was my first loose stone I purchased and that is how I got to where I am now (oodles of loose gems) I also live close to one of the most beautiful beaches (Emerald Isle, NC)

 

[Bonfire]

I’m speechless…almost. As spectacular as this ring is, your story and love glow even more. Enjoy everything it represents, so beautiful!

 

[monarch64]

I am much like you, I always loved the color, a loose emerald was my first loose stone I purchased and that is how I got to where I am now (oodles of loose gems) I also live close to one of the most beautiful beaches (Emerald Isle, NC)

Wow, thank you for adding your story and photos! I never realized the Atlantic could look like this. I’ve been to the Carolinas (Hilton Head, Myrtle area, Cocoa Beach FL) and they just aren’t my cup of tea due to the less clear water and brown-ish beaches. Guess I’m gonna have to come visit you sometime! Emerald Isle looks so similar to where I grew up vacationing!

 

[monarch64]

I’m speechless…almost. As spectacular as this ring is, your story and love glow even more. Enjoy everything it represents, so beautiful!

Thank you so much! It’s been a pleasure to share it here. I’ve worn it a few times in every day life and no one has said a word. Being able to come here and geek out about it with likeminded people is so great.

 

[Autumn in New England]

Thank you so much! It’s been a pleasure to share it here. I’ve worn it a few times in every day life and no one has said a word. Being able to come here and geek out about it with likeminded people is so great.

I feel like a lot of folks think these pieces are costume or just don't understand the finer aspects of gem quality and value. If most PSers spotted that ring on you in the market or at the office, we'd grab your hand and gawk.

 

[monarch64]

I feel like a lot of folks think these pieces are costume or just don't understand the finer aspects of gem quality and value. If most PSers spotted that ring on you in the market or at the office, we'd grab your hand and gawk.

Hahaha I’m SO glad no one else gets it, honestly. I was just whining. I work as a buyer in an industry where you’re respected more for your survival prowess than your fine possessions or tastes. My cohort wouldn’t bat an eye at spending on things like climbing gear or whatever their outdoor pleasure sport of choice in the same amount I spent on my ring but they’d fall right over if they knew anything about my ring regardless of the story behind it.

 

[elle_71125]

Monarch what a glorious new ring. I love how your brought us on this journey with you. From your love of the emerald city (come on, that city was goals) to your time at the beach with your Dad. I‘d love to ignore that your ex husbands didn’t want to hear you regarding your love for emeralds…but it should be noted that I think they were both fools for not seeing the real you…and that’s likely one of the multitude of reasons they’re both exes now.

The emerald itself is spectacular. You can really see the glow compared to the other two emeralds you were looking at. And having seen a couple emeralds in person, those babies glow like nothing else! So while your ring looks amazing in these photos, I can only imagine how much better in looks in person. It’s a total knock out! I, for one, would be perfectly happy seeing a billion more pics of this ring…but I’ll settle for 92.

PS. You sent me on a search for this mushroom suit. I’d never heard of it before and I think that’s super cool. I’m actually kind of obsessed with mushrooms…so my DH tells me. Lol.

 

[autumngems]

Wow, thank you for adding your story and photos! I never realized the Atlantic could look like this. I’ve been to the Carolinas (Hilton Head, Myrtle area, Cocoa Beach FL) and they just aren’t my cup of tea due to the less clear water and brown-ish beaches. Guess I’m gonna have to come visit you sometime! Emerald Isle looks so similar to where I grew up vacationing!

It's a smallish town compared to Myrtle Beach and Florida towns but we do love it here. We even have wild ponies about 30 minutes down the road in Beaufort NC.

 

[AnnaEsme]

I am much like you, I always loved the color, a loose emerald was my first loose stone I purchased and that is how I got to where I am now (oodles of loose gems) I also live close to one of the most beautiful beaches (Emerald Isle, NC)

Ah, the Crystal Coast. My parents live in Atlantic Beach, NC. Beautiful beaches and friendly people.