A few months back, my husband and I were catching up on the series Damages. It was an episode in which the character played by William Hurt was asked to provide a description of his deceased wife who, by the way, looked stunning in her designer dress lying prostrate in a kitchen that I too would die for. He proceeds to describe in detail her outfit including the gorgeous ruby and diamond ring she wore on her right hand. My husband looked at me, "If that were you" he said, "I'd be forced to confess that the only thing I knew for sure, was that you were wearing a ring". Funny, for a woman who humanizes inanimate objects and names her cars, I am surprisingly unsentimental when it comes to my own jewelry. I'm always switching my rings around according to my outfit or mood or the amount of water I've retained that day. If my husband where asked to identify my lifeless form from the jewelry I was wearing, he would surely panic and end up the prime suspect. What kind of happily married woman doesn't wear her wedding ring? In fact, when it comes to wedding rings I know two types of women, those who would never remove their rings for fear the earth would open up and suck them into its fire filled core, and those who simply can't get their rings off their middle aged fingers. Fortunately, my lack of sentimentality doesn't bother my husband. After all, he lost his wedding band on a rugby pitch very early in our marriage, and for years he wore a watch engraved with the names and wedding date of another couple (a story for another time). I must admit I do get tired of turning my house upside down when I can't remember where I've hidden my diamond. On those days, I swear with my naked left hand on my Warman's Jewelry book that I will never take off my wedding rings again. But who am I kidding? Of all the jewelry I collect, I actually wear my vintage rings, like these vintage sterling silver and rhinestones.
In the 1930's and 40's Providence Rhode Island was the costume jewelry capital of the world and many of these rhinestone rings were made by Uncas Manufacturing. The rings are set in sterling (clearly marked) with either foiled or closed back rhinestones. The amazing thing about these rings is their brilliance and color; they are usually old mine or cushion cut (by hand) and are far more natural in color to a diamond than a CZ. Designed to capture light, these rings are stunningly beautiful in sunlight or by candle. I often wear these rings stacked on the same finger. The older I get the larger my rings become both in actual size and girth. I was once told by a jeweler that women of a certain age purchase large rings sacrificing quality because they can't see the inclusions in the stones. Well I won't argue that point anymore, but I did purchase these enormous rings when I was in my twenties.
These rings are made of glass and set in sterling and I must admit I can no longer see without magnification the chips in the corners. It's difficult to find a vintage ring, especially costume, in mint condition. Women tend to wear their rings and an imperfection here and there should be expected. Oddly enough, I'm not completely without sentiment. When I'm tired of banging my rings against the inside of my washing machine every time I turn over a load, or knocking my dog in the face when I reach down to pet him, I'll put on the first ring ever given to me by my husband, this sapphire and diamond which now fits my pinkie perfectly.
If you suspect the stone in a ring might be loose, have a jeweler take a look. Most jewelers will clean and examine your ring at no expense.
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