Diamond Girl

I recently heard this song on the way home from an engagement shoot in Oakland, while I was wearing one of my favorite necklaces:



(mine's the blue)

This was a gift from my friends Lauren and Derek, whose wedding I shot in 2004 (and which you can see in the galleries of my weddings site). It's gotta be my favorite tip ever! I'm not a big diamond girl, but I have totally taken a shine to these fake, glamorous diamond styles. Take a look at the jewelry maker's site here - Jennifer Kellogg. L&D have kind of a wood grain fondness, so they had her make their wedding rings like these:




Adorable!

I'm hoping I'll someday see one of these styles as an engagement ring - so cool and unique!












If you're looking for other diamond alternatives, let me know - I know of a few great resources. One of the best, of course, is buying antique jewelry - I have a beautiful ring that my great great aunt had made in the late 1800s. This is the same kind of theory as vintage fur or ivory. Then there are lab made diamonds - beautiful, perfect, and totally cruelty free. Green Karat has some great rings made from recycled gold and lab-created diamonds (in all kinds of colors!). Here's some of my favorites:











And, finally, another great option is to have something custom made by someone you trust and like - this way, you can ask about where the stones came from, as well as pick the one you like best out. I had mine made by a family friend here in Santa Rosa (a beautiful light blue Sapphire from a Montana mine, set in an un-delicate white gold and platinum - just what I wanted!), but I've heard great things about 14 Karats on College in Berkeley - and they have great work on their website.













Although I adore my wedding ring, all this looking is making me wish I could go ring shopping. Back to work!