Ring a ding ding

I collected my proper engagement ring the other day, and it is as lovely as I'd remembered. It is a half carat princess solitaire, set diagonally in 18k white gold and its dimensions are simply perfect. The stone is large enough that I can watch the light bounce around its pavillion facets, yet not so large that it becomes burdensome. It is a half bezel setting, so the corners are protected. The stone sits fairly high above the band, to allow for light to enter at all sides, but there are two graceful arcs linking the stone to the band, unifying and softening the otherwise very geometric design.

Something that reinforced why we went to an enagement ring specialist, instead of a regular jeweller, was the fantastic service. I gushed a bit about it in my proposal recap, but they were wonderful again on Friday... the girl who helped us initially, Hannah, was there again, and rushed to the door to greet me, paid me some lovely compliments, and was just generally warm and friendly. They also sent me on my merry way with a cute bag of gifts - chocolates, CD, candle, vouchers for photography, and more sparkling wine... I think it's the little things that make the difference.

We wanted to have the ring independently valued, as the Australian Diamond Company issues its own certificates, so we wanted a little extra peace of mind. At first the idea of having my diamond appraised seemed a bit impersonal, but we decided on this ring based on its purported characteristics, and wanted to make sure that was what we got. As much as you can research diamond qualities and ask for exactly what you want, you cannot be sure you actually received them without microscopes and expert eyes, and thus I journeyed off around the corner to the Australian Gem Testing Lab, where I had an appointment booked. Once again I had the pleasure of spending time with some genuinely warm and knowledgable people, and Toby, their resident Labrador. I'm normally more of a cat person, but this golden boy was just adorable, and so well trained! Stephan, head expert at AGTL, kept me entertained with wit and wisdom while I waited. He also gave me a lovely surprise in the end - as I am a slight pessimist, I worried inwardly that we would have purchased a stone not worth its reported value - it turns out that it is actually valued at more than the ADC ever intended to charge! So I can rest easy in the knowledge that if ever anything awful should happen to my precious gem, it will be replaced, without compromise.

This must make us seem completely financially motivated, but it couldn't be further from the truth, in this instance, at least. My mantra recently has become 'quality over quantity', and sometimes the completely indulgent 'form over function'... most of the decisions that Stu and I have made together are based on how something makes us feel, rather than how much it costs. Certainly one has to set boundaries, but you will be forever replacing things later if you settle for second best immediately. And it doesn't hurt to feel spoilt every once in a while!