I've never been a very flashy person, jewelry-wise or otherwise, so my favorite bling isn't all that bling-y. Diamonds don't do anything for me, and in fact I always insisted that I didn't want an engagement ring. Little by little, though, I came to realize that this tradition was important to Andy, and we managed to find an amazing compromise.
My ring (left foreground) is handmade from recycled gold; the stone is eco-friendly Moissanite. (Andy's ring, in the background of the photo on the left, is special in it's own right: It's vintage, passed down from my great grandfather.) It didn't come with a proposal, but rather as the result of a conversation: Our decision to get married was mutual, full of its own kind of quiet romance. Andy gave me the ring two days before our wedding, while sitting in a park where we'd gone to have some alone time before everything kicked into high gear.
Even more understated is my wedding ring -- a simple hammered band of gold, as thin as I could find. I'm absolutely in love with this ring. I love that it doesn't get in the way of anything: teaching, writing, art-making. That it never snags or bothers, and that it isn't in the least bit showy. It's just the ring I wanted, times a thousand.
Our rings, like our story, may not be the most traditional, but they're completely reflective of us.
