It’s been a pretty hectic month and I apologize for being so absent! Trying to launch a camera handbag business, planning a wedding, finding a new home (and now learning about renovation) has certainly made life a little… different, for lack of a better word.

But one thing that has been following me around on occasion is my stand-in engagement ring. What’s that again?  There’s probably a better term for it but that’s what I’ve been calling it for now :)

This is the one I decided on from LulisPlace on Etsy:

I love how it’s a different type of knot in a simple but classic type of way. It was the only one I couldn’t stop thinking about after searching through countless product pages!

Lulu, the shop owner, was also really patient and prompt in answering my questions about international ring sizes, nickel allergies and having it shipped to Singapore. It even came with a polishing cloth. A month of bashing it about and it’s still perfect. I highly recommend her and her shop! :)

Here’s the full story of how it came about:

Basically when my then-boyfriend proposed to me, I had to work on a full-day shoot early the next morning. It was obviously my first time getting an engagement ring and I had no idea what to do with it – if I should wear it in the shower, if I should wear it at home, and most importantly, if it could stand up to the test of my ever clumsy hands.

I tried to google tips quickly on the way to the shoot but there were way too many opinions on it.

I wore it for a while the next day before deciding to keep it in my pocket to keep it safe from makeup and hairspray. (This was only after I got some on it I think). Sure enough – either due to the ring not being properly set or my super oaf-like behavior – one of the small diamonds along the side fell out in two weeks. The ringmakers fixed it for free and checked all the prongs again, although that definitely made me feel like the ring needed some bit of protection from rough work.

I know my fiance would have wanted me to keep the ring on most of the time – so here came the idea of a stand-in engagement ring that I would use when doing serious crafting, makeup and hair or when traveling to keep the actual diamond ring safe. He was awesome and understanding enough to let me get one!

We didn’t want to spend too much and I preferred something handmade so I searched for gold filled engagement bands on Etsy. I didn’t want a plain ring as that would look too much like a wedding band, so naturally a knotted band would seem to make more sense. There were a ton of options but most of them were of the pretzel knot design – these were pretty but becoming a little bit too common to the point that people were giving it out as bridesmaid gifts and I wanted something a little more unique.

Anyhoo, here’s a small selection of other rings I came across for those of you who are interested in getting a ring for a similar purpose, or perhaps just for fun!

{14k gold knot ring by ScarlettJewelry}

{infinity ring in pink gold by bkandjlo}

{infinity knot ring by treasureimports}

{ring selections by IMSMI}

Have fun and more posts coming up soon! :)