Blackburn + Sweetzer Has Moved

I love my wedding ring. It’s Deco vintage from the 1930s. The husband did a good job in his selection. It’s delicate and very pretty, not ostentatious. I also love that it has a history—some other woman wore this those years back, and I enjoy ruminating about who she was and what she was like, giving her a narrative. I can’t imagine having another ring (aside from the Tlingit wedding band I wear with it, carved by my incredibly talented cousin Rick Beasley). I’ve been wearing it for eight years now (engagement plus marriage), and I continue to do this thing—not look at bigger, pricier, blingyer rings, but look out for affordable engagement ring alternatives, suitable for those on a budget or those who just aren’t into the whole big-fat-diamond thing.

Two came to my attention recently, completely different from one another, but both fitting my criteria: first, there’s the sweet-as-can-be single diamond ring with twisted 18K gold band by Wouters & Hendrix, $375 at LaGarconne.com (shown left); and then there’s the herkimer diamond solitaire silver ring by Erica Weiner, which is in fact a “six-sided, double-terminated quartz crystal,” $100 at BonaDrag.com (shown right). Apparently, in the civil war, some jewelers tried to pass these off as diamonds; this is a bit of a cheeky alternative, with its raw-cut stone placed in such a traditional solitaire setting, for a bride who doesn’t buy into the diamond engagement ring racket. Yes, it is a total racket, but, again, I love my ring, which has been participating in the whole thing for around 80 years… Also, you could totally by either of these rings for yourself and wear just cause they’re pretty!