Just a few months after we got engaged, Mr. Mink and I decided to stop in do some very preliminary shopping for wedding bands. We knew we had plenty of time to order our bands, but we like our jeweler so much that we can’t help but go into say hello to her when we walk by.
Mr. Mink once said that he never imagined that he’d have someone to call “my jeweler” in his life. Diane became his jeweler when he started buying me pieces from my favorite jewelry designer a few years ago. I didn’t know her very well, but when we shopped for my engagement ring, I got to know her better. During that shopping trip, we looked at scores of rings, but I fell in love with one setting. When Mr. Mink proposed, I was so excited to see that he used that setting. I’m sure the little notes Diane had been making in her book when we shopped together had helped. I loved my ring.
I didn’t love what I learned when we did that preliminary browsing: that the shape of my ring would require a custom made band if I wanted the two rings to fit together without smoothly.
Oh pretty ring, why are you so difficult? / Photo by Miss Mink
Diane estimated that they’d need to keep my ring for a couple weeks to make the band. We decided that we’d get the process going right away. We could have waited until closer to the wedding, but we imagined being a bit busier then and thought it might be smart to get this purchase out of the way. I handed my ring over to Diane on the spot and she told me she’d call as soon as I could have it back.
For the first day, I wore my grandmother’s engagement ring, which my aunt gave me for my 21st birthday with a pearl in it. I only wear that ring on special occasions and worried about damaging the pearl, so I switched to wearing a chunky ring meant for the right hand after that. Mr. Mink thought that ring looked funny and felt strange when he held my hand, so I went with nothing for a day.
I thought it was interesting that my hand felt very strange without a ring after just a few months of wearing mine. It was almost a distraction. I decided that I would give in and get a “stunt double” ring.
Stunt doubles are an interesting topic in wedding land. Some say that having a back up ring is absolutely necessary when traveling abroad. Some thing they are frivolous. I guess I fall somewhere in between those two opinions. I didn’t see having a second ring as a necessity, but I thought it would be nice to have.
As we walked through a mall just a day later, I noticed that one of the department stores was having one of those sales where things are 50% off and then another 20% off sign is tacked on top of the displays. I decided to look at the costume jewelry to see if there was anything that could take the place of my engagement ring while it was with the jeweler. Most of the faux engagement rings were so big that they looked ridiculous on my hand, but I found one ring that was just a little bit smaller than my ring. I don’t remember the price off the top of my head, but it was a pittance compared to the original price.
You’ve already seen the ring…I was wearing it when I went to Charleston to pick up my wedding gown.
Diane wound up calling after three weeks, so I got a bit more use out of the stunt double than I expected. Perhaps I’ll use it again if we travel. It was nice to have my engagement ring on my finger again and it was exciting to try on my custom band before locking it away for the wedding.
Photo by Miss Mink
While we were with Diane, we decided that she should sell us something for Mr. Mink for the first time. Mr. Mink is fantastic at buying gifts for others, so it was funny to see how indecisive he was about picking out a ring for himself. I thought it was pretty cute that he kept asking me if I was happy with the rings as he tried them on. Here’s what we wound up with:
Photo by Miss Mink
So now I’m curious. Do you have a “stunt double” ring? In what situations would you seeing having a back up ring helpful?
I’ve never considered one. But if I ever do I’d like a lab-created sapphire, just to fulfill my sapphire crave.
I love your band and the way it looks with your e-ring. It’s so thin and delicate.
I did buy a fake one (it didn’t look anything like mine) to wear while my ring was being sized. It was one of those $7 CZ from JCPenny. But I lost it the second day I had it on. My FI was not impressed and still worries about me loosing the real deal.
love love love your set! it looks great!
I don’t have a stunt double but I wouldn’t be against it either 
I bought one for when we travel, since FI is reluctant to insure my actual ring (dumb, I know, but I’ve long given up the fight). I bought a stunt ‘set’ since it was cheaper. I actually love the wedding band that came with it!
Your band is lovely! The set looks wonderful. LOL you got it at a place called “finks’ and together you are the ‘minks’! 
@Coffee cup: Mmmm…sapphires! I love them, too!
@knvprincess143: Hee hee! I bet it’s like sunglasses…buy a cheap pair and you always lose them. Buy an expensive pair and they stay plastered to your head!
@totheislnds: Aw, thanks!
@soyjoy222: I have to admit that I almost called the post “The Minks Go to Finks” but I didn’t want it to seem like I was advertising!
I’m going to Colombia next month and I’ll be meeting with a lot of human rights activists and internally displaced people, so it doesn’t feel right to wear my ring. It’s not that flashy, but there’s no need to draw extra attention to myself. I’m just going to wear a sterling silver ring with a (fake) turquoise stone in it while I’m gone. I’ll feel much better knowing my real ring is safely at home!
I have a ring that is shaped just like yours expect the middle stone is a princess cut and not on a “stage.” I have been looking all over for a band that fits up next to it, and even the band that is made to go with the engagement ring leaves a gap. I love my engagement ring, but I do not love the idea of the two rings not fitting up together nor do I love the idea of having to buy a custom made ring because it is very pricey (and money is getting tight with a wedding right around the corner). My wedding is in a little over 2 months and I still haven’t decided what to do. After seeing how gorgeous your set is and how perfectly it sits together, I am jealous and am reconsidering coughing up alll the extra money.
I know lots of Bees love finding dress twins, but I got a kick out of seeing a picture of your ring and finding my ring twin! I’ve seen similar rings to “ours” but never the same one… used to make me feel a little special, but honestly after seeing yours I still feel special that someone else out there loves the ring as much as I do!
Thank you for including a picture of the e-ring with the custom band since I haven’t been able to see the final look as my band also needs to be custom made. The other funny thing was your FI’s ring looks very similar to the one we picked out as well… Small world sometimes
Oh my, your wedding set is beautiful!
@KYbride86: I think that makes total sense.
@lpdaisies: I think that’s why we went ahead with the custom band last spring. I’m glad we got it out of the way.
@BoosaBee: No way! Now I want to see a picture! Are you in Virginia? The jewelry store we use is part of a family of stores (maybe 5-6 stores total) and Mr. Mink’s grandmother worked for them decades ago. They don’t do much in the Charlottesville store and I know they sent my ring out…I’m just not sure if they sent it to their “mother” store or if it went up to NYC for work. Do you know more about the ring? I seem to remember Diane telling us a name, but I can’t remember the specifics now.
@Karenna: Aw, thanks!
Love your set it’s so pretty, I’ve always liked the double band for my engagement ring but with the square setting halo around a round diamond, my FI got me that but only with one band because during his research he found out about how hard it is to get a wedding to go with it. I love my ring, and your set it’s very pretty.
On the stunt double I’ve never though of that idea but it is great for traveling, sometimes I have to go to rough neighborhoods for work and to visit people and I get nervious about my ring. I think this is a good idea for those types of situation, also for a day at the beach or at the pool if you dont want to have your real ring in the water, and still want to have something on your finger. Btw I get the feeling weird after only a few months of having your ring, the same thing happens to me, I find it very strange!!
Aside from my grandmothers ring, Mr. Honey bought me a ruby to stand in for my bling when I travelled to Mexico last year
@Miss Mink:
I’m in Rhode Island and we found the ring at a local, family-owned store that also designs and makes their own jewelry. This was one of their designs that I fell in love with and they made it for my teeny 3.5 ring size… another reason the band needs to be custom made! The rings are fraternal twins at least.
Honestly, not sure how to post a picture to this reply but I’m sure I could PM you the pic if you’d like.
I love stunt double rings! I just got an aquamarine ring in white gold that I can wear to work (a temporary job that is very physical).
I’m also looking for a CZ in white gold that I can wear on vacation this Spring. Maybe I just love bling too much!!!
This is my first time hearing of stunt double rings!!! I travel 80% of the time and Mr. Falsetto does not feel comfortable with me wearing it when I travel! This the perfect solution!!! Thanks for sharing!
Yep! I got a cheapy ring from Kohl’s for my Mexico trip – I realized that I felt very naked without my e-ring and didn’t want to go a week without it! Most recently, though, I’ve worn a family heirloom piece as my stunt double while my custom band was being made due to my funky shaped halo e-ring, like you! Although, consider yourself lucky.. they had my e-ring for over 2 months. I was so very agitated about it.
The mister bought me a sapphire (my birthstone) and diamond band for Valentine’s Day a few years back. It’s much smaller and more flat than my engagment band. I’m going to have my wedding band and engagement ring fused, so I’ll wear the other one then.
I bought my rings on two separate days and in two different stores! So I have the engagement ring on the left hand and the band on the right hand “for now”… until our wedding day.
We are still looking for something that he wants to wear. And you think girls are picky? UGH!
Mrs. Mink, Charlottesville, Virginia Age and Occupation: 34, College Administrator Fiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Craft Beer Consultant Engagement Date: November 26, 2010 Wedding Date: June 2012 Venue: Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards About Me: I left a pre-war brownstone in Boston six years ago to live in a funky, Southern city where Thomas Jefferson, Dave Matthews, and urban chicken keepers enjoy equal social standing. I still love my Patriots and Red Sox, but have fallen in love with Virginia. I work in education and specialize in integrating technology into my work to improve the student experience. I’m a diehard blogger, animal lover, jamband follower, and DIYer. I paint to relax and have transferred by energy from home projects to wedding projects in recent months. When Mr. Mink and I started talking about marriage, we knew our wedding would be outdoors, that my golden retriever would be part of the day, and that the music would be fantastic. We’ve taken a few risks during our planning process and we’ve been enjoying the process immensely!
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