- Joined
- Sep 23, 2011
- Messages
- 5,397
I figured Valentine’s season would be the perfect reason to push myself to finally make this post.
As many of you know, I had been through many trials in 2014, and seriously lost “myself” through heartbreak again and again. There is a very sad story that started the beginning stages of designing this ring, by a rather well-known vendor whom I no longer am on good terms with. If you know the story, or recognize the style, please refrain from commenting here out of respect for me. I won’t go into details because it’s a long story, and a sad story, and today I’m celebrating happiness and the most important love: the love for myself.
Anyway, this ring started out as just an old European cut (OEC) diamond sitting in a man’s ring, inherited by a grandson who could care less for it. I “adopted” it in early 2013 and set it free from its ugly cage, selling the ring for its weight in gold. It’s 2.26 carats, and just a hair shy of 9mm. It’s warm colored—about an NOP range or so from my non-professional but experienced opinion. It’s very shallow, obviously, to be reaching such a diameter at such a weight. Because of this, there is some leakage around the perimeter of the table. It’s got a few chips that don’t bother me at all.
I went from sketching little drawings of altering minute details, to cutting them out and “trying them on” for size. Changed ideas of single to double halo, and the placement of the hearts. When I made up my mind, I paid David and Amy a visit (David Klass Jewelry). I showed them the sketches, and they went into creating the CADs right away. We went through a few versions of CADs and David went hunting for fancy pink melee to match the exact color of my hearts that I brought in (even though now the different color of the metals, rose gold and white, now makes them look different).
The finished ring is exactly what I dreamed of. Since the diamond is set higher, and a lot of light is entering through the gallery, the leakage is rarely visible. I’m so happy to have this OEC end up on my finger, a place where I can view it and admire it, instead of on my neck where only others can see it from a distance. The pink diamonds break apart the stark-white diamonds and the warmer colored OEC so that it doesn’t appear too warm and contrasted.
I couldn’t think of a name for her for quite a while. And as many of you veteran PSers know, I name all of my things. I create lives for them, from their personalities (which is a huge reason why I’m into antiques instead of cookie-cutter all-the-same modern rounds). I have a rather cartoon-like head
.
The name Valentina means brave and strong. And feminine. It was my grand-aunt’s name. She was always a very independent woman who never married. She loved me very much, but she passed before I could see her again after I left the country I was born in as a baby. She called me often.
It’s a romantic name. And the hearts and the pink in the setting, and the antique center stone… they’re all very romantic. And it means strength and braveness—something I had to actively choose to be in my life after all the pain I endured. I worried so long about losing The One in my life, and thinking I would never find The One again, when all along The One had been right in front of me: it’s me. I’m my The One, not another man.
So this ring, Valentina, represents so much to me. It represents the ending of two relationships, and the strength and love I needed to find for myself to heal. It represents the love my grand aunt had for me across the oceans, and her independence that inspires me to be my own person. It represents rebirth, as the stone had had lives before me. And I’m so happy to share her and this story with you.
As many of you know, I had been through many trials in 2014, and seriously lost “myself” through heartbreak again and again. There is a very sad story that started the beginning stages of designing this ring, by a rather well-known vendor whom I no longer am on good terms with. If you know the story, or recognize the style, please refrain from commenting here out of respect for me. I won’t go into details because it’s a long story, and a sad story, and today I’m celebrating happiness and the most important love: the love for myself.
Anyway, this ring started out as just an old European cut (OEC) diamond sitting in a man’s ring, inherited by a grandson who could care less for it. I “adopted” it in early 2013 and set it free from its ugly cage, selling the ring for its weight in gold. It’s 2.26 carats, and just a hair shy of 9mm. It’s warm colored—about an NOP range or so from my non-professional but experienced opinion. It’s very shallow, obviously, to be reaching such a diameter at such a weight. Because of this, there is some leakage around the perimeter of the table. It’s got a few chips that don’t bother me at all.
I went from sketching little drawings of altering minute details, to cutting them out and “trying them on” for size. Changed ideas of single to double halo, and the placement of the hearts. When I made up my mind, I paid David and Amy a visit (David Klass Jewelry). I showed them the sketches, and they went into creating the CADs right away. We went through a few versions of CADs and David went hunting for fancy pink melee to match the exact color of my hearts that I brought in (even though now the different color of the metals, rose gold and white, now makes them look different).
The finished ring is exactly what I dreamed of. Since the diamond is set higher, and a lot of light is entering through the gallery, the leakage is rarely visible. I’m so happy to have this OEC end up on my finger, a place where I can view it and admire it, instead of on my neck where only others can see it from a distance. The pink diamonds break apart the stark-white diamonds and the warmer colored OEC so that it doesn’t appear too warm and contrasted.
I couldn’t think of a name for her for quite a while. And as many of you veteran PSers know, I name all of my things. I create lives for them, from their personalities (which is a huge reason why I’m into antiques instead of cookie-cutter all-the-same modern rounds). I have a rather cartoon-like head
. The name Valentina means brave and strong. And feminine. It was my grand-aunt’s name. She was always a very independent woman who never married. She loved me very much, but she passed before I could see her again after I left the country I was born in as a baby. She called me often.
It’s a romantic name. And the hearts and the pink in the setting, and the antique center stone… they’re all very romantic. And it means strength and braveness—something I had to actively choose to be in my life after all the pain I endured. I worried so long about losing The One in my life, and thinking I would never find The One again, when all along The One had been right in front of me: it’s me. I’m my The One, not another man.
So this ring, Valentina, represents so much to me. It represents the ending of two relationships, and the strength and love I needed to find for myself to heal. It represents the love my grand aunt had for me across the oceans, and her independence that inspires me to be my own person. It represents rebirth, as the stone had had lives before me. And I’m so happy to share her and this story with you.
Congrats on your Valentina!
ring and story. Gorgeous, and I love the unique design. Very pretty. 
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