The Story of My Ring.
August 22nd, 2008 @ 9:26 am by Miss Martini
I know every bride always says that they love their ring, but…. I really love my ring! Mr. Martini searched high and low for months in order to find the perfect stone and setting – and the entire time I had NO clue he was even looking! He was lucky enough to have found the setting pretty early with a jeweler that he really liked, but the stone itself was another issue.
To be honest I still have no idea about any of that cut and clarity stuff. Because of his search he became pretty knowledgeable in diamond lingo and once tried to explain all that he learned to me, but he lost me within a couple of minutes (damn my ADD). All I know is that it is a cushion cut stone with a platinum band that was hand made to fit around the smaller diamonds. The band is super thin and delicate, which was really the only thing I was hoping for because my hands are pretty small and I didn’t want anything too elaborate. I wanted something simple, yet pretty… so this ring really is the perfect ring for me!
I did learn a little something about diamonds though - apparently, about 80% of all diamonds out there in the market are round. Round diamonds are the most popular because it is the brightest cut. Mr. Martini found many, many gorgeous round diamonds. A cushion however, is not as in demand as a round (although it’s definitely starting to get more popular) so finding the perfect one was a challenge for him because they are usually cut smaller (a round stone of the same size looks considerably larger) and they don’t “shine” as much because of the way it is cut.
Mr. Martini admitted that he almost settled for a different cushion that he wasn’t particularly happy with, because he just could not find the one he had pictured in his mind. Finally one day, after meeting with endless diamond guys, he saw a “brilliant cushion cut” diamond that had just come in a few days before. As soon as he saw it he knew it was THE one, and ended up buying it right away. Although he bought the diamond and the setting from two different people, he brought the diamond back to his jeweler who was waiting with the setting; and he even remarked that although he wished that Mr. Martini bought a diamond from him, he had to admit that it was a really great find.
I love my ring because of the effort he put into finding one that he knew I would love. He is happy that he waited for the perfect one, instead of settling for something else. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Good things really are worth the wait, and I’m not just talking about a ring… 
Please share the shape of your stone and why you love it!
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52 Responses to “The Story of My Ring.”
Your ring is beautiful by the way. I have very tiny fingers as well, and one day while walking around the Tiffany store I fell in love with this pink princess cut diamond with the most beautiful setting ever. He wasn’t fond of the pink diamond, but he went through the trouble of having a setting made that was almost exactly like the one I fell in love with, but with the most brillant princess cut diamond I had ever seen. Needless to say…I am a very happy girl!
OMG how bowled over was I this morning when I saw that you have the exact same ring as me!!!!! I absolutely lLOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I saw the Tiffany Novo ring and knew that I wanted something similiar with a cushion cut diamond. Its delicate (i have small hands and didn’t want something overpowering), simple and clean, timeless, and versatile. I plan to chose an eternity band as my wedding band and the great thing is I canget future ones for anniversaries to wear on the other side to change the look.
You rock and Mr.Martini definitely has great taste!!!
I don’t have my ring yet, but this is the list he has to choose from: http://silvercpu.com/wedding/?cat=16
I really like round stones, they’re just so… symmetrical *shrugs*
That ring is really gorgeous! I love how it is small because I have small hands too. But I love my ring and it has a similar story as yours. When fiance and I started talking about marriage, I told him that I wanted a ruby ring (my birthstone). So, he searched high and low to find a ruby engagement ring, which in these days are rare because a diamond is supposed to be a girl’s best friend. Well, apparently, he spent 6 months (secretly) learning about rubies and the differences between that and a diamond. He ended up designing my ring and it’s just fantastic. The ruby is a princess cut with two smaller diamonds flanking it and then there are smaller diamonds in the band. When I finally met the jeweler to have it resized, she told me all the trials they went through to get me the perfect ruby! What can I say, I am truly lucky!
I have a cushion cut too! They’re so timeless; no one’s ever going to look at your ring and think it’s dated. Mine is set in a halo setting with an eternity band. I’ve been engaged for 14 months and I still stare at it at stoplights!
My ring is a princess cut, a square shape. I like that it catches the light and that it’s not too big on my finger. And I like that he got it without me knowing it and kept it in his pocket for a month waiting for the perfect time to propose.
@msgirard: thats aweeesome! i’m so glad you love your ring too! mr. martini is not the only one with good taste! =)
@Cindy: your ring sounds really beautiful! and the effort he put into everything….. makes it that much more meaningful!
I think your ring is stunning! I think it’s a great compromise between round and square! =) But perhaps the classic gal in me loves round stones…so when FI and I went looking for rings, I knew I wanted a round cut. But I must say that the similarity to the Tiffany Novo has me drooling! So glad Mr. M didn’t settle!
I’m drooling! Your ring is so gorgeous!
I have a brilliant cut for the center stone, and brilliant for the 4 sidestones too.
He went to 6 different jewelry stores before settling on the one — it was more a diamond importer than a “store” —
They started by choosing the center stone. He compared/contrasted about 50 different stones within a range, comparing visually, then narrowing it down to about 5, which they used to spec out — and choose the one.
He worked with a designer (and cad program), who created a 3-d version of his specs.
Then, they made a wax model. He made changes, they made another model. After the third wax model, he was satisfied, and they began to build a ring, which is beautiful.
I really love the thin, delicate band, and your stone is gorgeous! I have a round stone that I inherited from my mom. I always kind of preferred princess cut diamonds, but obviously my stone is loaded with sentimental value and I’m very attached to it. My fiance had a new antique-style setting created and the prongs are such that the round stone looks square at first glance. It’s pretty cool, and I have to admit, I was quickly won over by the sparkle factor of the brilliant cut.
hi! your ring is beautiful !!!!! I realized you’re getting married at the venetian, my sister got married there and so did most of her friends! It’s SUCH a great place with one of the most DELICIOUS cocktail hour food selection ever!!!!
*Drool* - such a gorgeous ring - I love it!
Your ring is amazing and made more so by your fiance’s effort and hard work! That story sounds very similar to my fiance’s story of getting my ring and actually, it’s funny because my ring is very similar to yours except it is the more common round cut.
I also have a cushion cut. But its slightly different b/c its a fancy light yellow (not to be confused with canary which is a vibrant darker yellow-mine is lighter, but still fancy color)… and i have fat hands but love the thin bands, so i have a interesting setting done by Parade Designs that incorporates the micro pave look. Check out my blog for a better look, but I love the cushion cut. I love your ring. its absolutely beautiful and so well done considering he did that on his own. BRAVO to him! CONGRATS!
That is a beautiful cushion cut ring! I knew someone with a canary diamond that was cushion cut, and it had me dreaming of non-round stones.
i have an emerald cut ring, with two long-baguette side stones. It, too, isn’t as brilliant as round-cut diamonds, because it has fewer facets than all other cuts. but it’s a really high-quality diamond (emerald-cuts have to be in order to look nice). the reason why i love it the most? because my grandfather bought it for my grandmother at Peacock Jewelers in Chicago in 1943, and she wore it proudly until her death in 2003. it’s set in platinum and looks as modern as anything else i’ve seen and suits my narrow fingers brilliantly.
This is beautiful and I love that he went to such lengths to be sure it was perfect for you. I adore cushion cuts too - they are beautiful!
My ring is unlike anything most people have seen. It’s a gorgeous three stone with round diamonds. Outside of the three stones - two delicate bands, fitted with tiny prong set diamonds, trace the outline of the ring and then criss cross into one band in the back. Everyone who sees it ohs and ahs over it and always say they’ve never seen anything like it. Here’s a link to the photo, but I don’t think it totally does it justice:
http://www.morgansjewelers.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=6699
I love it so, but that’s not the best part….
My mom, who was my best friend, passed away when I was a teenager. The center stone from my ring, came from her engagement ring. Everytime I look at it, I feel hugged by her and surrounded by the love of my fiance at the same time - it is the most amazing feeling.
oh, and it has a narrow band, too. I find them so feminine and delicate. (both rings in the set are very narrow)
Beautiful!!!! Cushion cuts are just so gorgeous!!! Mr. C got me an emerald cut, so I’m a bit partial to those, too!!!! Great job, Mr. Martini!
Oh hun - your ring is the perfect balance for a small hand. Way to go Mr Martini! A friend of ours just got engaged and because of her small hands ans his lack of patience in searching, she has a small ring, with a small that she doesn’t really like the look of! =(
My FI actually saw what is now my ring 2 years before proposing and thought it was the ring he would give to me someday. (2 YEARS before proposing!! Can we say well thought out decision?!) The best thing about it is that he knows me AND he think rationally. The ring I might have picked for myself would have had opals and been a crazier setting. Of course - He thought AHEAD and knew that opals do not take abuse well, and a crazy setting would fascinate me for a time, then bore me, and then i’d hate it because my tastes had changed. My ring is STRONG, Eco, and different without being outlandish. I love it SOOOO much!! I love him soo much for picking it for me and proving that he knows me, and he really is planning for the future.
@nowmrswhite: @roseskier1: holy crap, your stories about the history of your stones are getting me all teary-eyed. my mom’s engagement ring was stolen from her years ago when our house was robbed. she still gets sad when she thinks about her loss. I hope one day my ring will be passed down to my children!
Thanks Miss Martini! I’m so with you on passing down the ring. I love the tradition of handing down such a significant piece that represents so much love.
I, like amy77, have a fancy colored diamond. Its light yellow in color and I’ve showed it around here before. I really liked square stones, but its rarely a good idea to get a princess cut in a colored stone unless you are prepared to shell out a ton of cash. Instead we went with a square cut radiant (brilliant), which has the best features of round, but a square shape. We also went with a thin band. I think its 2 mm.
I won’t spam you all with pictures again, so if you want to see it you can find it on my blog or PM me and I’ll send you the flickr link. I’ve also written an article on purchasing colored diamonds. I can PM it for those who are interested.
GORGEOUS! Mine is a cushion as well — I love it!
gorgeous ring!! i love cushion cuts as well. mr. martini is such a thoughtful and romantic guy!!
you have my dream ring! can you post a picture of it from the side? I’m curious about how the center stone is set… I always wonder what kind of wedding band would sit well with that ring, so I can’t wait to see your’s!
I tried on a ring like that at a super fancy jeweler’s in Denver, with a 3 carat stone in a platinum setting, for $49,000. I could by my car 5x for that much!
@doctorgirl: i would love to see it! but what does PM mean? sorry i’m techie illiterate! =(
@violarulz: i dont have any pictures but sure i can take additional pictures this weekend and email you! as for the wedding ring, i am just going to match the band of the e-ring, exactly the same so i can stack it.
also, ring you tried on? crazzyyy! that thing must have been HUGE.
MM, I sent you a message!
I love my ring and want to share too! I have an antique setting, early 1900s, with a unique design of three petals with teeny diamonds inside of them on either side of the center stone. The center stone is an ideal cut diamond in a miracle box setting. Best of all, the stone is conflict-free from a mine in Canada. He says it took him and the jeweler almost a year to find the right stone to fit in the ring that was also conflict free.
He couldn’t have picked a more perfect ring!
These are lovely stories to read. I was hoping that someone else would have the same as mine, but looks like I’ll be the first to write that I have a pear-shaped diamond. It was FI’s mother’s (not her engagement ring diamond, another diamond) that he had set in platinum.
I guess FMIL’s mother always promised that FMIL could have FMIL’s grandmother’s engagment ring when the time came. (I am trying to keep the story clear, but there are lots of women involved!) Anyway, FMIL’s mother didn’t approve of FFIL at first, and refused to give FMIL the ring. Of course, now everything’s fine, but FMIL never wanted her kids’ fiances to think that she didn’t love them from the start. So when FI talked about wanting to propose, FMIL gave him the diamond. (This was after he and I had known each other maybe three months!)
He got the ring on a Wednesday, went out-of-town on business Thu-Fri, and proposed on Saturday. He was so excited to show me! It was a good six months earlier than I was expecting, but of course I said yes.
I love your ring. Mine looks exactly the same except mine is heart shaped instead. Mine was also handmade because my fingers are quite small, sz 4.5 to be exact. I love my heart shape diamond. I think it is so romantic.
I have to say that is one of the prettiest rings I have seen in a long time! A true classic. Best of luck with your planning.
Ooh it looks so much like mine! Cushion power! Narrow-band power! I looove it and your story is so sweet!
gorgeous!!!I just received my dream ring after waiting 5 years. It is very similiar to the tiffany novo, and I am absolutely in love with it
i LOVE your ring. cushions are my favorite!
i think i just found my dream engagement ring.
you have such a beautiful ring! and the thoughtfulness and care that your fiance put into choosing it is so wonderful!
months and months before my fiance proposed, he asked me to show him a few rings that i liked to give him some ideas. i showed him a bunch, but saved the best (and my favorite) for last: the Tiffany Etoile ring in 18k yellow gold (which suits my complexion much better than white metals!). When he later proposed with that exact ring, he said of all the ones he’d seen, it just seemed to fit my personality the best! i feel so loved every time i look at it
I have a princess cut diamond. . . I’ll admit I was completely surprised when he proposed. He apparently was paying attention when I made an offhand comment about liking that cut. I love it because he put so much thought into it. He bought a diamond, then chose the setting, but once he saw the two together, he decided to upgrade the main stone (can’t complain about that). But my favorite part is the band itself - it’s a euro band. That’s my favorite part because it’s just so “him”.
My engagement ring diamond is round, and on the smaller side, but I love it soooo much! It is my finace’s grandmother’s diamond from her engagement ring, and he picked out a beautiful, old fashioned setting for me, which is very dainty (I have pretty small hands too!) It is perfect for me, and I love that the diamond has been a part of his family for so long, but the setting is just for the two of us and our new life together.
hi! have the same ring as you except for the W:L ratio! i wanted the 1:1 ratio but got more like 1:1.26 ratio…at first i was like why is it oval? but it’s more rectangle and even though i wanted a 1:1, i loved it because he picked it out for me. i didn’t know whether i wanted a round or a cushion so he made the choice for me. my band is really thin as well - 1.5mm (i just measured) but the platinum gets banged up pretty easily, does this happen to others as well or am i just a tom boy? oh also, my ring isn’t flush or whatever so i don’t know what type of wedding band to get! what did you decide on? because the setting is low, any band set against it will be spaced out…i think the best option is a matching thin diamond band but by itself i’m afraid it’d be too thin.
Oh wow. That’s a really gorgeous ring! I first saw your ring when you did that post about cleaning your engagement ring & I absolutely fell in love with it! I thought it was so pretty & simple. I even love the cut! I didn’t know what type it was until I read this blog, but I fell for it immediately.
I do have two questions: Are those stones on the band pave diamonds? [Because my eyes suck & I can't really tell..haha]
Are you getting a matching wedding ring, too?
@lazybride: wow, i must be so dumb when it comes to rings! when you were talking about 1:1 i was like huh? (then eventually figured it out) and i dont know what a flush is (hanging head in shame) but i do know that i will most likely get the same band as my wedding ring. when you said that any band will be spaced out i got all nervous because i never thought about that, but now i see that the stone is set so low that could probably happen! i know the band is really thin but i like it - its delicate and simple. also, i want to stack the ring and ering so i wanted one that matched..
@Jehnel: is it bad that i have no idea what pave diamonds are? but i sent an email over to my fiance to ask him because i really have no idea. when i do find out i’ll let you know! for the second question, i am most likely going to get a matching wedding ring, even though its a really thin band because i do want something that matches since i will be wearing the rings together.
i don’t think the side stones (small ones) are pave. they are just individually set stones…at least mine are and they look the same as miss martini’s. miss martini - do you also have 8 stones on each side?
and yes - because it is set so low, it won’t sit flush (meaning together, i think), there will be a small gap but it’s fine because otherwise, you’d think the wedding band is a part of the e ring and you don’t want that either, right?
@lazybride: hi! just counted and i have 15 very small diamonds on each side. it doesn’t go all the way around, though.
whoa! 15?!?! i was told mine are .01 carats each and have 8 on each side…totalling 16. i’m confused that yours doesn’t go around all the way…i have 16 which goes around half way…that must mean yours are a lot smaller? it’s so hilarious that we are comparing a very similar ring. thanks for counting! AHHAHAAH
I had to re-visit this post b/c I looove your ring.
Miss Martini, New Jersey
Age and Occupation: 30, Telecom by day, Superhero by night
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Investments & Finance by day, Hip hop dancer by night
Engagement Date: May 24, 2008
Wedding Date: March, 2009
Blogging Since: August 18, 2008
Venue: The Venetian
About Me: Things that make me happy: Haribo Happy Cola gummies, TV shows on DVD, buying books although I never read them, 80’s rock ballads, ramen, and of course Mr. Martini! He is the calm, logical and number crunching finance guy. I can’t even multiply double digit numbers in my head and I am so indecisive that trying to choose between light green or slightly lighter green paper stresses me out (Wedding planning is going to be soooo much fun). We both find great joy in nabbing great seats at the movie theater for a blockbuster movie on opening weekend, and we are both absolutely crazy about snowboarding. And he loves to cook, I love to eat!
Miss Martini, that is a gorgeous ring!! I have to say that was exactly the ring I wanted. I love cushion cuts and I love thin bands. Yours is beautiful!!
When my fiance proposed, he did so with a slightly different ring (round cut), which I wouldn’t dream of changing at this point. He is allowing me to reset my band (uhhh, for the 2nd time) to a thinner one, very much like yours. Can I ask you what mm (thickness) the band of your ring is? I am currently at 3mm but would like to cut that in half to 1.5mm.