Budget Engagement Ring Ideas

With the current economic state being less than lackluster, spending a ton on an engagement ring might not be so realistic right now. Don't let that stop your true love! I adore this budget moonstone and hand-hammered silver ring from Turtle Love Committee. It's a fabulously different "placer" engagement ring for until you can afford to get the diamond of your dreams. Or not!

'Monhegan' moonstone and sterling silver ring from Turtle Love Committee, $200

Our Wedding: My engagement ring

I love, love, love my ring. At our wedding and engagement session, we didn't get any shots of my ring, which really bummed me out. Thankfully, we did a "year after" style session with Stephanie Williams where we got a fabulous shot of my engagement ring. My mom was the first person to actually see my ring - she was at a home and garden show and a jewelry dealer happened to be there. She saw the ring, knew I would love it, and had them email her pictures of the ring that she forwarded on to me. I then conveniently left the pictures up on my computer when my boyfriend (haha it sounds so weird to call him that!) Brandon got home. We moved to Seattle a few weeks later, and after a week Brandon suggested we go to the Seattle Home and Garden show - he had arranged for me to be able to see and try on the ring! It fit perfectly, I was in love, and eight months later it was on my finger and I was engaged! My husband and I found my ring through Victoria Marie Jewelers, an estate and antique jewelry dealer in Auburn, Washington. They knew the diamond was cut in the 1890's and the setting was from the 1920's with lots of hand-done filagree, and that it was not die-cut - so there is no other ring exactly like mine. What they didn't know but I found out was that my ring was made by Sophia D, an art deco jewelry designer. Some of her pieces have sold through Sotheby's and Christie's auctions, and I'm dying to find out more information about her, so that's my next project!

Ring Eye Candy

I just loved the eye candy that was the latest issue of Martha Stewart Weddings. Particularly the all the diamond ring eye candy!
Cushion cut ring in micro pave, from Harry Winston.
Left to right: 1. Semi-mount with round diamonds, Peter Storm. 2. Square-cut diamond, Cartier. 3. Round Crisscut center surrounded by round diamonds, Christopher Designs. 4. Oval-cut solitaire, De Beers. 5. Emerald-cut diamond with pink-diamond pave band, Graff, 212-355-9292. 6. "Flora" wedding set from Reale Collection, Varna. 7. Purity Collection pure-platinum semi-mount, Memoire. 8. Round in Tiffany setting, Tiffany & Co., 800-843-3269. 9. Carmella Collection accented with round brilliants, Kirk Kara. 10. Four-prong High Jewelry Collection, Bulgari. 11. "Belle Epoque" band, Damiani. 12. Round brilliant-cut center stone surrounded by baguette and round pave-set diamonds, Tacori.
Left to right: 1. "Classic" band with emerald-cut diamonds, A. Jaffe. 2. White gold, Claude Thibaudeau, 877-397-9411. 3. Hand engraving and princess-cut stones, Coast Diamond. 4. Wheat band with princess-cut diamond, by Cathy Waterman, from twistonline.com. 5. "Classic Nouveau" Stardust Diamonds. 6. White gold with six-prong setting, Stuart Jewelry Designs, 212-966-4833. 7. Diamond flower cluster, Arezzo. 8. Band with round and marquise diamonds, Simon G. Jewelry, 800-627-2661. 9. Diamond with pear-shaped accents and graduated round diamond sides, OGILtd. 10. "Swan Collection" with diamond pave, Mauboussin. 11. Emerald-cut center diamond, Penny Preville. 12. Art Deco ring, Stephen Russell New York, 212-570-6900. 13. Handmade with cushion-cut diamond, London Jewelers, 516-627-7475. 14. "Repertoire Select Dream Diamond Solitaire" square brilliant-cut diamond, Hearts on Fire, 877-737-3328. 15. Band with baguette and round diamonds, Gottlieb & Sons. 16. Cushion cut, Harry Winston. 17. "Bellport," Michael Bondanza. 18. "Juliet's Court Open Fleur de Lis," Katharine James.

All photos from Martha Stewart Weddings.