(Artwork above by Sara Shakeel) By now we all know that frequent hand washing is imperative in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. (My personal favorite method is to sing the chorus to Dolly Parton's "Jolene", which is a much more fun way to pass 20 seconds than "Happy Birthday".) The health of our neighbors, our families, and our nation is more important than anything, so keep up the washing like our lives depend on it. But you may have been wondering, "Is all this hand washing and hand sanitizer good for my rings?" Ahh, I'm so glad you asked. Although isopropyl alcohol (the main ingredient ..read more

Everyone loves natural aquamarine gemstones, but the reality is they simply aren't a great choice for an engagement ring. Aquamarine lacks the necessary durability to hold up to everyday wear. Plus, their low sparkle factor means they require very frequent cleaning. (We're talking like near-daily cleaning, or else your stone will look cloudy, milky, and dull, as every little speck of dust and water spot will show.) For a ring meant to be worn daily, aquamarines are just too much maintenance and upkeep. But who doesn't love the color of aquamarines? (I mean, I freaking love the color of aquas ..read more

In my quest to offer a truly environmentally-friendly and ethical alternative to mined diamonds, I’m so excited to start offering lab-grown diamonds! Not familiar? These diamonds are grown in laboratories that recreate the same environment that causes diamonds to form in the earth. Sounds simple, but it’s taken decades of trial and error to grow diamonds that have the exact same molecular composition and optical properties of a mined diamond. Even highly trained gemologists are unable to tell the difference! But as Vogue magazine points out, "it also couldn’t be more different, because there a ..read more

"I had been looking for different and unique rings for a long time definitely wanted a different color center stone. Once I saw your grey moissanite ring I knew I wanted nothing else! I sent Tyler the picture and told him, 'Don’t propose with any other ring unless it’s that one!'" Tyler isn't a man of secrets, so after ordering the ring he told Kayla right away, but said the official proposal would be a secret. "But as soon as the ring arrived, he opened the box and freaked out because it was perfect. I couldn’t take his excitement so I looked at it too. And let me tell you, as soon as I opene ..read more

Amanda and Zach were recently engaged in Muir Woods just north of San Francisco on their anniversary. Zach had the spot picked out for over a year in advance, and Amanda had no clue it was coming. Amanda had been eyeing the Sofia, but she thought there was no way he'd pick it out for her. A regular walk turned into Zach down on one knee.  "The woods are just our kind of place. Neither of us are huge beach people. You would think we are since we live in southern California but no -- we love the mountains! He knew I also secretly thought about eloping in the woods so these photos kind of filled ..read more

These photos from clients, Neto & Marissa, were just too good not to share. Their engagement session down in Mexico is insanely beautiful and unique. As if an agave farm wasn't stunning enough, keep reading to see Neto's epic proposal atop Machu Picchu! Their super talented photographer, Edgar Vega, captured their engagement shoot down in Mexico. "We are both from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico and have been dating for over 6 years -- 4 of those years have been long distance. Neto has been in Germany, then Miami, and I have been in College Station and Barcelona."  "Neto asked me for ideas o ..read more

How do I pick a ring online without trying them on in-person?!  Buying an engagement ring or wedding band online sight-unseen can be daunting. The more research you do beforehand, the more confident you’ll feel about purchasing a online. Below are some simple ways to gather additional info and insight before making the big purchase:  Stop into your local jewelry store: Even if you’re not in love with the ring offerings at stores in your area, scoping out local stores is still helpful for narrowing down your preferences. Stepping into a brick & mortar allows you to try on various center sto ..read more

I’m so excited to announce that I launched my own line of moissanite, called Iconic Moissanite! The Iconic line features super rare grey moissanites cut specifically for my Vintage Inspired Collection. (Yep, even in fancy shapes!) Iconic Moissanite will have its own website in the near future, but for now, here’s what you need to know:  As you may know, I quickly depleted my stock of discontinued grey moissanite that I was lucky enough to buy from the vaults of Charles & Colvard years ago. (You can read more about the little C&C stock I do have left in this blog post.) If you’re not fa ..read more

I've been using Chatham's lab-created (also referred to as "cultured" or "lab-grown") gemstones for many years and am absolutely smitten with their sapphires. Recently, I started offering their lab-grown diamonds too! (You can read more about lab-grown diamonds in this blog post I wrote.) Not only are Chatham's gemstones gorgeous and budget-friendly, but they are the true ethical and conflict-free alternative to a mined gemstone.  The Chatham company was started in a garage in California by Carrol Chatham over 85 years ago. Carrol was the first in the world to ever grow an emerald crystal in a ..read more

I’m excited to announce that I am now offering the Hearts & Arrows cut moissanite from Charles & Colvard! Stock has been fairly limited so far, but I've been trying to hoard as many as I can. Like all the other Forever One cuts, they're available in the colorless D-E-F,  as well as the near-colorless G-H-I. Since sizes are sometimes on backorder, I'd recommend shooting me an email before you order an H&A just to make sure a specific size/color is available.  Because we all want options in life, you now have your pick of the Hearts & Arrows or Round Brilliant from Charles & ..read more