Rock Salt and Tin Foil

Whenever Mr. Pain au Chocolat catches me admiring my engagement ring, he teases, "It's only rock salt and tin foil." The joke is on him because my lovely has a new sparkly friend...


... my custom cross-over wedding band!

5 Gold Rings -- gold, really?

Once I had settled on a ring design and placed the custom order, all we had to do was wait. It only took a few weeks to get the call. The proof was ready. However, there was a mix-up with the order. Oh no! My stomach flip-flopped before Mr. P could finish his sentence. Mr. P grabbed me by the shoulders before I could start worrying and explained it was good news. Instead of creating a wax mold, the company skipped right to casting it in white gold. So you're telling me I don't have to imagine what this green wax mold will look like when it's actually a ring? That is good news.

 

Round and round we go

Unable to track down a two-band crossover ring, our jeweler decided a custom band was in order. My eyes must have bugged out when he broke the news because he was soon reassuring us it would actually be slightly cheaper than the other bands I'd liked. How is that possible?

To make our trip worthwhile, Joel pulled out a ring that simulated the crossover design that would be the basis of the custom band. Cover the two parallel bands and you've got it.

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Boy Band

So what about Mr. P's ring? After all, he is getting married too.


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Much to my surprise, there are a lot of options out there for men's bands. Gone are the days of a simple domed band in gold or white gold, satin or polished finish. The nuances in options is a little staggering. A friend summed it up well, "Men don't wear jewelry, so it makes sense they're going to be picky about it." Giving them lots of options ensures they get a ring they're happy to wear.

I was surprised by the number of men's bands in the cases at the store. Unlike me, Mr. P wasn't fazed my the magnitude of rings and was able to point out a few he liked. He hadn't done much pre-shopping but had a sense of what he wanted to try on. No diamonds, nothing trendy and nothing expensive.

Joel the Jeweler

Put on your coat! It's about to get chilly in here from all this ice!

We had a date yesterday - with Joel the Jeweler! Mr. P bought my engagement ring from Joel (a friend of a friend) last year. According to my timetable, it's time to start shopping for wedding bands. I left the ring file at home; I've got it all stored in my bride brain.

Walking hand-in-hand to the store, I was a touch giddy. Which faded into nervous-giddy as soon as we walked over to the first jewelry case. Peering into the cases, all of the rings seemed pretty similar: simple bands with a row of diamonds that either went halfway or all the way around the ring (eternity). None of them were really singing to me.

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Joel asked which I'd like to see. (My brain: "None of them" is not an appropriate answer, Miss P.) Long pause, then unconvinced pointing. We tried a few "plain" delicate bands that matched the band on my e-ring. Nothing. It's too early to settle so I held out for something different, more artsy.

Moving on... Thicker plain bands, pave, channel set, and detailed scrollwork designs also failed to impress.

Sneaky boy

Let's try some wedding math!

Major DIY bathroom renovation (going on month 2)


+
45 days til Christmas
-
no income for 3 months
=
engagement ring (?!?)
Ehm, I'm not known for my math skills. To me, it doesn't add up. Still doesn't. But it did to Brian in the fall of 2009...