Jack & Mere

Q: When did you first meet and how?

A: Jack and I first met in a medieval epic poetry senior seminar at UC Santa Cruz in 2006. I thought he was hot but aloof and very serious. He says he thought I was smart and cute. Towards the end of the quarter our professor cancelled class at the last minute but neither of us knew it and we showed up anyway. We ended up talking for over 2 hours on this little hill by our classroom (he proposed to me on that hill!). We kept running into each other all over campus that week and he finally asked me out. Our first date was an awkward disaster involving ice cream. Our second ended with us having to write out our term papers together at three in the morning because we had stayed up all night talking. I was really into him but we were both going to grad school (at opposite ends of the state) right after graduation. We made it work though and we're still together 2 cats, 3 moves, and 12 years later!

Q: What about the design made you choose this ring to be the one?

A: When we first started talking about engagement rings (about a year before we actually got engaged), I wanted a vintage Art Deco bombe ring. I realized that would mean my wedding band would have to be curved to fit around the engagement ring. I know a lot of people like that style but it drives me crazy! I wanted to be able to wear my wedding band without the engagement ring and have it still look like a normal ring. It's actually really hard to find a bridal set that will sit flush next to each other without a bend!

I knew that a vintage ring would mean a smaller stone but I wanted one that wouldn't get lost on my big fingers. The more I researched moissanite, the more I fell in love with the stone. I love sparkle but I didn't want us to spend a lot of money on a ring. I also didn't want to contribute to unethical, dangerous diamond mining practices so I really appreciate that my stone is sustainable and man-made.

I love how simple my ring is (at least I think it's simple!). The halo is unique and lacy; it reminds me of Queen Anne's Lace (one of my favorite wild flowers). To me, it feels modern and vintage at the same time. It's really the perfect mix of my favorite styles. I get nothing but compliments on it!

Q: What event inspired this purchase?

A: 2017 was a big year for us - we had a major move scheduled right after our wedding and just a month to plan both! I'd been looking at rings for awhile so I thought I had a good idea of what I wanted. We went to a showroom to look at various styles of rings and while I was initially attracted to solitaires, I kept going back to halos. Once I knew what style I wanted, we were able to pick the exact F&B ring that would work for us.

Q: How was your overall experience with Fire & Brilliance? How did you first hear about us?

A: I first heard about F&B on Etsy. I started following your Instagram account and I loved all of the designs and educational posts (I knew NOTHING about moissanites until I started following you!). We used to live in the Bay Area so it was nice to be able to shop locally! We didn't think we'd be able to do that for such a major purchase. We opted for a plain wedding band instead of a matching pave band and getting a quote for a custom piece was easy and straightforward, as was adding the band to the engagement ring order.

I did have to send my ring back for resizing and while it was a little stressful to send my ring off in the mail, everyone I spoke with was friendly and helpful! The turnaround time was nice and short, too!

Shopping with F&B was such a good experience and my ring is so fantastic that I tell everyone who will listen about F&B's gorgeous rings and moissanites. I can't wait to get an anniversary band from you guys!!

Q: What would be your number 1 tip on how to go about choosing a ring design?

A: Go to a showroom and try on every style they have! Try on stuff you don't think you'll like. If you want to wear multiple rings at a time, try on a few sets (I don't wear a lot a jewelry so wearing two rings one finger took a lot of getting used to). You might leave the showroom with a completely different idea of what you want.

Don't be afraid to firmly (but kindly) stick to your guns if you are adamant about not having a diamond center stone. Everyone from sales people to your 5th grade teacher that follows you on Facebook will have a million opinions about what you should do for your engagement and wedding; it can get really frustrating. Just take a deep breath and think about what will make you and your spouse happiest in 5/10/20 years when you choose a ring. When we went to look at rings, we were upfront with the sales people and while they initially tried very hard to sell us a diamond, they eventually backed off.

When Jack proposed, my F&B ring wasn't ready so he bought a placeholder ring. It's a cute little dinosaur that I still wear. I love that I have two engagement rings. If you want to propose and don't have the ring yet, don't be afraid to get something fun as a placeholder! When we told my mom we were engaged, she asked if my ring was old (she knows I like vintage rings) and I told her it was very old. We laughed for a good 20 minutes when she finally saw my little dino ring :D 

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