Vol. I · May 2026
put a ring on it
An editorial on the small, circular things we keep
Archive · Page 26
No. 252

What should I say as I hold out the ring during the proposal?

Most of the proposal speeches I hear about in my studio happen weeks after the ring is finished, and the client has almost always overthought the words....

No. 253

What if the ring is too tight and won't go on her finger during the proposal moment?

Last March a client named Daniel came in two days after proposing because the ring was too tight. He'd guessed her ring size as a 6.5. She wears a 7.75. The...

No. 254

Is it acceptable to propose with a ring pop as a joke first?

It's a ring pop. The answer is yes, obviously, it's acceptable - but the real question is who you're proposing to and whether they'll find it funny or...

No. 255

What does it mean if a diamond is "eye-clean"?

David walked in last spring with a diamond he'd bought online - a 1.01 carat round, H/VS2, GIA report in hand. The stone was tight on paper. Under a...

No. 256

How do I explain a budget constraint when ring shopping with my partner?

Last March, a couple I'll call Lauren and James sat at my bench for thirty minutes before either one mentioned a number. Lauren kept pointing at a 2.8 carat...

No. 257

How do I find out if a ring has been treated in any way?

A 2.03 carat oval sapphire, deep cornflower blue, with a milky haze that sat just below the table. Lee, a client from last spring, had bought it as an...

No. 258

How can I make a ring with a colored gemstone pop against her skin tone?

Skin tone is a starting point, not a rulebook. Over 20 years at the bench I've seen clients obsess over whether they're "warm" or "cool" while ignoring the...

No. 259

What do I say if someone asks how much the ring cost?

You owe no one the number. That’s the whole answer, and I’ll stand behind it at a dinner party, in a family group chat, or at the office when someone grabs...

No. 260

How do you discreetly try on rings when shopping together?

The short answer: you probably don't. Not really. Not in a way that feels natural for both of you. A few months back, a woman named Kate came into my studio...

No. 261

What do I do if the ring gets stuck on her finger?

Take a breath. I've seen a hundred stuck rings and only one that ended in an emergency room trip - and that was a titanium band on a hand that swelled after...

A letter, every other Sunday.

One essay, one object, one quiet recommendation — delivered slowly, the way these things ought to be.