The second anniversary is traditionally celebrated with the exchange of gifts made of cotton, or China. Or recently, gifts made IN China-like those fake nugget rings that are so aesthetically repulsive that they make me physically ill. Wearing a fake nugget ring is advertising that whoever stole your money, also took your sense of good taste.
Don’t buy one. Don’t wear one. DON”T give one as a gift.
Traditionally, the first anniversary is celebrated with an exchange of gifts made of Paper.
Paper? Seriously? Unless that paper bears the ink of the US Treasury, your man doesn’t want it. Skip the paper and give him a watch. It will remind him of you every time he checks his wrist, making it way harder for him to forget subsequent anniversaries. Not impossible, but harder.
Alaska Jewelry offers custom jewelry design services to discerning buyers who want something that is all their own. Whether it’s a simple modification to an existing style we carry, or turning your napkin sketches into a one-of-a-kind jewelry design, we have the expertise and equipment to make it happen.
Recently, a customer called me wanting a wedding ring set that “embodied Alaska”. She’d seen and liked our gold in quartz jewelry and our gold nugget jewelry, but hadn’t found a style that was the perfect fit. Based on the styles she said she liked and the amount they wanted to spend, I put together a series of composite images in photoshop and exchanged emails with her until we’d settled on a custom Alaskan wedding ring set design:
Once we’d finalized her design, the custom wedding band for her Fiancè was easy- he wanted a band to match her wedding band-just bigger:
They approved the design and price, so we got started carving the waxes. First, we cut blank waxes in the approximate size for each ring:
Then, one of our Über-talented jewelers carved each of the waxes until they matched the design and size we needed.
Finished ring waxes:
Once finished, each wax was attached to a wax “tree”, so that when the mold was poured around it and the wax was melted out, the molten gold would have channels to flow through.
Out went the wax, and in went the molten gold.
After cooling, the mold was removed (it’s water soluble) and we had our (rough) gold wedding ring set. Custom designed and built rings-freshly removed from the ring mold:
Then we cut the individual rings off the “gold tree” and threw away the excess gold.
Oh, you’re still reading! We didn’t really throw away the excess gold. We added it to our giant molten gold dipping tank, used to create life-sized sculptures of people who write bad checks. Next, the rings were given a rough polish:
Next, we set the smaller diamonds and soldered in the natural Alaskan gold nuggets and 6-prong head for the engagement ring diamond.
Ready for inlay:
Finally, the natural gold quartz was inlaid, the center diamond was set, and the finished rings were polished and ready to go!
Ta-Dah!
Our customers were so thrilled with their rings that they decided to get married!
They will probably have legions of above-average children who will invent soy-based cures for all forms of maladies and usher the world into a period of peace and prosperity-the likes of which has never been seen before.
I’m not saying we’re directly responsible for all of that, but… Yeah, I guess I am.
Custom jewelry design from Alaska Jewelry
For a limited time, get $50 towards your purchase of any Valentines Day gift from Alaska Jewelry.
Just select your item (John Hardy and Tacori items excluded) and when you get to the payments page, enter “valentine” in the coupon code box and click APPLY.
If you’re not sure what to get her, I have a recommendation. You’re welcome.
John Hardy hasn’t visited yet for the promised halibut fishing trip, but he has continued to turn out fantastic jewelry styles for 2010. The new Dot Deco Jewelry collection is my favorite, followed closely by the Batu Bedeg line and the addition of some beautiful new pieces in the ever-popular Kali Lava line.
Shop Online for John Hardy Rings
Shop Online for John Hadry Earrings
Shop Online for John Hardy Bracelets
Shop Online for John Hardy Pendants
Shop Online for Men’s John Hardy Jewelry
As always, you can find the latest John Hardy jewelry styles at Alaska Jewelry, where the prices are always low, the shipping is always free, and the service is almost friendly.
I say almost friendly because you have forgotten all my birthdays…
