One Band to Rule them All
Walking into the jewelry store with my soon-to-be wife, I imagined that we were about to find the perfect engagement ring. I thought that this was going to be a chance to find a ring that would both match her personality and show her and the whole world how excited I was that she had agreed to marry me. We started to look through the display case and my attention was quickly drawn to the largest and most elaborate diamond settings that I could afford, and maybe a little bit more. I recall the salesman mentioning some ratio of how much I was supposed to spend based on my yearly salary.
My girlfriend seemed to be listening to the conversation but hadn't shown a lot of interest in any specific ring. I suggested that she try on a few of the larger diamonds. As she put each of them on her finger I was dazzled by the anticipation that soon the two of us would be married. Yet one by one I could see that she wasn't won over by any of the diamonds or the settings. We talked about how some of the diamonds were just too big for her very lovely and delicate fingers. She didn't want a ring that was too showy and she gradually guided me away from the rings with any precious stones.
In the end, we settled on a simple gold band that reflected her pure kindness and rejection of things ostentatious. When I asked her what we would do for a wedding ring if she had a band as an engagement ring, she responded in a very matter of fact fashion that on our wedding day she'd remove the engagement ring and when we put it back on it would be her wedding band. For over twenty years, whenever I saw that ring I would have a small flashback of that day, but I always thought that that she didn't want a big diamond because it wouldn't fit her hand right or because it would be too much of a show.
Only recently did I learn the more profound reason she didn't want to wear a diamond. My dear wife knew of the artificial marketing that has caused diamond to have the value that they carry in our world. She recently shared an article that exposed brutal practices to obtain these diamonds and how these gems are not as rare as we have been led to believe through careful distribution. These diamond producers have enjoyed such success that most people equate diamonds with love, beauty, commitment and a symbol of undying love.
But my wife could not overlook the darker side of diamonds and wisely guided me to a wiser choice. She has an innate moral sense that her comforts and fortunes should not come at the cost of others. I'm sure she would want me to be sure to not paint her as perfect, but her simple band speaks volumes.
My girlfriend seemed to be listening to the conversation but hadn't shown a lot of interest in any specific ring. I suggested that she try on a few of the larger diamonds. As she put each of them on her finger I was dazzled by the anticipation that soon the two of us would be married. Yet one by one I could see that she wasn't won over by any of the diamonds or the settings. We talked about how some of the diamonds were just too big for her very lovely and delicate fingers. She didn't want a ring that was too showy and she gradually guided me away from the rings with any precious stones.
In the end, we settled on a simple gold band that reflected her pure kindness and rejection of things ostentatious. When I asked her what we would do for a wedding ring if she had a band as an engagement ring, she responded in a very matter of fact fashion that on our wedding day she'd remove the engagement ring and when we put it back on it would be her wedding band. For over twenty years, whenever I saw that ring I would have a small flashback of that day, but I always thought that that she didn't want a big diamond because it wouldn't fit her hand right or because it would be too much of a show.
Only recently did I learn the more profound reason she didn't want to wear a diamond. My dear wife knew of the artificial marketing that has caused diamond to have the value that they carry in our world. She recently shared an article that exposed brutal practices to obtain these diamonds and how these gems are not as rare as we have been led to believe through careful distribution. These diamond producers have enjoyed such success that most people equate diamonds with love, beauty, commitment and a symbol of undying love.
But my wife could not overlook the darker side of diamonds and wisely guided me to a wiser choice. She has an innate moral sense that her comforts and fortunes should not come at the cost of others. I'm sure she would want me to be sure to not paint her as perfect, but her simple band speaks volumes.
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