A redesigned ring
I am excited to share a recent project of mine. But, before I do that, I'll start at the beginning.
On Valentine's Day, nine years ago, Ryan gave me a very special gift – a ring that had belonged to his mother. This was only five months after her death. The gift was such a big deal because not only was this ring one of the few possessions Ryan had of his mom's, but also because I was only his girlfriend at the time. He must have had a good feeling about me! I definitely felt honored and remember tearing up when I received it.
Shortly thereafter I had brought the ring into a jeweler to be resized. Due to the ring's design, they were only able to size it down slightly and not to the size I actually needed. I was able to wear it on my middle finger or pointer finger and I did this from time to time; however, I generally don't like wearing rings on these fingers, so eventually the ring ended up in my jewelry box.
Recently, on a night when I couldn't sleep, the idea of taking the diamonds from this ring and using them for a custom piece of jewelry came to mind (the strange things I think about when I can't sleep!). I instantly was intrigued by the idea and began to do some research. I found some ideas for rings and necklaces online. I ended up putting together an idea that included the four diamonds from Ryan's mom's ring and a single diamond from a ring my mom had given to me as a gift for my eighth grade graduation. The last step was reaching out to a jeweler in Waterloo that offers jewelry redesigns and customization to make it happen.
Rather than explaining the transformation, you can see it in the photos below. I'm super excited to have a new, shiny ring that has a meaningful past. When I look at it, I am reminded of Ryan's mom and the impact she had on her four children. I also think of my mom and the influence she's had on my own life. And, lastly, my hope is that this ring may someday be on the finger of a future daughter of ours. Until then, I will cherish and enjoy this special ring of mine!
