proposals

So there was no proposal on bended knee. There was no sparkly diamond brought out of a velvet box.

Instead things happened like they normally do. We were hiking a trail in Shenandoah covering the miles and every topic under the sun on a nice day in June. We've been discussing the possibility of marriage for a long time and finally decided it was time to really get serious and set a date. So we talked and talked and talked. And then came home and planned and planned. I planned more wedding than vacation.

Aaron did not want to get me an engagement ring without my input because he was worried that I would not like it. After looking what is in my most jewelry stores, he may have been right. Neither of us really like diamonds for various reasons, so what color and what kind of stone?

There are lots of crazy things that happens to stones to enhance their color. Clear topazes are irradiated in nuclear reactors to make them brilliant blue and other sparkly brilliant colors. They also have to be held for 2 years before they are safe to wear. It's actually difficult to find stones that are not treated in any way; most of them are at the very least heated to even out the color.

I talked to a jeweler in town and got some information and was told to do my homework. I needed a stone with a high degree of hardness on the Moh's hardness scale, a stone that was considered very durable, and I needed to look up how they were typically treated if I was concerned with that. I did my homework and came up with spinels, tourmalines, and sapphires. I discussed my findings with Tod, compared stone sizes and cuts with what was in the store, and Tod ordered some for me to look at.

Before we left for vacation an array of stones arrived and I picked the top two - both ovals (a chromium green tourmaline and a medium blue sapphire) and chose a platinum setting with criss crossed prongs.

When we got back from vacation, Tod happened to be on vacation, so I had to wait for him to return. Really frustrating to know everything is in the safe, but not put together! However everything is in and put together and I finally have a sparkly stone on my finger. :) Pictures do not really capture how pretty and sparkly it is.

Do I need it?
No.
Do I love it?
Yes.