Can I tell you a secret? For a long time, I was a bit vague about just how engagement ring shopping went down in my relationship. I told those who asked that we looked at rings together, and then… (crickets – I let them fill in the blanks themselves :)). The truth? John and I looked at rings together, and then we chose the exact setting and diamond that he later purchased. You can read a bit more about our story below, as well as the ring journeys of a few of the other Southern Weddings ladies, but I want to encourage you that whether you chose your engagement ring yourself or if you had nothing to do with it, your ring is both special and romantic!
Speaking of special and romantic… today we’re also sharing a few of our favorite engagement rings and wedding bands from Simon G. Jewelry, a family company whose exquisite pieces are destined to be beloved for a lifetime, no matter who picked them out.
Clockwise from top left: MR2679 | LP2361 | MR1577 | MR1577 | LP2361 | MR2827-A | MR2679 | GR204
From humble beginnings, when Simon himself designed all of the jewelry soon after arriving in America, to today, when designers from around the world collaborate to make these special pieces, Simon G.’s rings offer inspired individuality and a ceaseless passion for detail. They go above and beyond to make sure their jewelry surpasses your expectations, by adopting practices such as four-prong settings, using only conflict-free diamonds, and alloying their platinum with iridium to prevent it from developing a gunmetal color over time.
First row: LP1846-D | MR2088 | TR128
Second row: MR1676-D | MR2088 | MR2567-A
Third row: DR351 | DR352 | MR2088
Curious to hear about the engagement ring stories of the Southern Weddings ladies? Here you go:
Emily: Though I am an extreme lover of weddings, I will freely admit I’m not a connoisseur of engagement rings. There was never one particular style or shape I loved or hated, so I knew I wanted to try on a few different options before settling on the final pick. John and I went on a “looking” trip a few months before we got engaged, and ended up selecting the exact setting and diamond he later purchased. Though part of me wishes my ring was something he picked out all by himself, most of me is so glad to have had a say in something I’ll wear for the rest of my life, and that my ring is something I absolutely, completely, and totally adore.
Marissa: I have always wanted an estate engagement ring full of history and timeless style. But without one in his family, Brandon’s sweet mama offered up the diamond in her engagement ring to start our very own tradition to be passed on for generations to come. So, gratefully, off to Brandon’s family jeweler we went! They were able to make me a completely custom ring influenced by a design I had loved for years. Though there is a lot of allure around one’s boyfriend choosing the ring, I am NOT one for surprises, so it was in both of our best interests that I was brought into such a permanent decision :)
Amber: I always knew my engagement ring would be timeless and traditional. We tried on rings maybe once or twice, but I honestly was very excited about the surprise element in what Brandon would select of his own choosing. My direction to Brandon was that it would be a princess cut in white gold. The rest was up to him! Of course, I was delighted by the style he selected. Years later, the setting on the ring had become worn, and we risked losing the main diamond. Our jeweler recommended we start with a new setting from scratch. This time around, I led in deciding the replacement. I originally had intended to stay close to the original ring’s design, but instead fell in love with a much more sparkly option — very different than my direction before! Knowing that we included the original diamond in the new ring eased any sadness I had about replacing the original.
Kristin: At some point before getting engaged, I dragged one of my best friends to the jewelry store to browse around and try a few things on for ‘fun’. While everything I tried on was gorgeous (umm, all the sparkly diamonds), I was drawn to classic and timeless solitaire settings. We never went and looked at rings together and I provided KPW with no direction, short of having a pretty clear personal style. Fast-forward a few months and KPW picked out my ring all by himself, although he did reach out to my best friend for final, final confirmation. There was a last-minute discussion on the shape of the diamond. She recommended round, but KPW was adamant that I wanted square, and proceeded to pick out a nearly perfect princess cut diamond. I smile every morning when I put on my rings because KPW was so confident and proud of his selection.
First row: MR1676-D | MR2701 | GR204
Second row: MR2827-A | MR2701 | TR128
Third row: MR2567-A | MR2701 | MR2567-A
Ready to start shopping (or daydreaming :))? Head to the Simon G. website to browse their beautiful styles and find a jeweler near you.
This post is brought to you by Simon G. Jewelry–thank you for your support of the brands who make Southern Weddings possible!
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