Speaking of engagements…I get to design my own ring

by Aimee | Nov 28, 2017 | All

Speaking of engagements…I get to design my own ring

Now I was going to send this little blog out yesterday but who am I to try to steal the limelight from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 😉 Congratulations to them, another royal wedding! What I was pleased to see was just how much thought he had gone to, to design an engagement ring that had a lot of meaning to them both; sourcing a diamond from Botswana where they both had happy memories of.

So yesterday I was going to announce that several weeks ago I got engaged!

What most people were really surprised about was that I had no idea what I would choose for my engagement ring. I look at engagement rings all day! I have favourites I have made for other people, but I would always want something no one else has, obviously!

I thought I would share with you my design process of designing my own engagement ring

I decided to think of the design first, I love flowers and would love to add some travelling element to the design as we do love to travel.

I’ve always wanted a floral setting and lotus flowers have been a prevalent flower in so many of the countries we have visited with many sacred meanings.

This plant is known to be associated with rebirth. This is a consequence of it supposedly retracting into the water at the night, and emerging a fresh in the Sun the next day

The Egyptians, therefore, associated the lotus flower with the sun which also disappeared in the night, only to re-emerge in the morning. Therefore the lotus came to symbolize the Sun and the creation.

Hinduism: In this religion, the lotus flower meaning is associated with beauty, fertility, prosperity, spirituality, and eternity. Goddess Lakshmi, the patron of wealth and good fortune, sits on a fully bloomed pink lotus as Her divine seat and holds a lotus in Her right hand. It is also mentioned in the Mahabharata that Lakshmi emerged from a lotus which grew from the forehead of Lord Vishnu, and a garland of 108 lotus seeds is today used for the worship of Lakshmi.

The Cambodian lotus is symbolic of wisdom and spirituality, a symbol of purity, fidelity, creativity, and enlightenment.

In China, It symbolizes the holy seat of Buddha. Because the flower rises from the mud and blooms in exquisite beauty it symbolizes perfection and purity of both the heart and mind. It also represents long life and honor.

So off I went to start sketching some ideas for both the engagement and the wedding rings.

Now I have an initial idea of the rings I’m going to make I had to find the stone. Of course, I had to choose a stone that was pretty hard to find and I’m so pleased that I have.

My chosen gemstone

Two and a half years ago I fell in love with a particular sapphire at a trade show I visited and I have been looking for it since. A lovely peachy colour and quite unusual. I had been thinking of this stone ever since I saw it.

Its called a Padparadscha Sapphire from Sri Lanka. A orangey and pinky coloured gem stone which unbeknown to me is the Sinhalese word for lotus blossom!!!
How perfect is that, I really had no idea.
The sapphire is a very similar colour to the Lotus flower found on this island called Gem Island or “Ratna Dweepa”.

Here’s the sapphire I have found, it’s beautiful and I can’t wait to show everyone the final rings.

I hope this may inspire some of you on your unusual engagement ring designs and if you would like to discuss ideas with me please send me a message via email or Facebook.

You can always look at my previous engagement ring commissions here to.

A little Black Friday Fun

by Aimee | Nov 24, 2017 | All

I thought I would join in on the Black Friday fun!

Do you fancy being a jeweller for the day? Or even 2.. Maybe you know someone else who would love this.

What piece of jewellery would you love to make?

I’m offering a Black Friday 10% discount on my workshops and workshop gift vouchers until Cyber Monday when you enter BLACKFRIDAY into the checkout. ?????
https://www.aimeewinstone.com/north-bristol-jewellery-workshops/

*these could make great Christmas prezzies too!
Take a look at my website for more information or join my Facebook Group.

So you want to choose the perfect surprise engagement ring?

by Aimee | Nov 14, 2017 | All, Jewellery Information, Proposing

So you want to choose the perfect surprise engagement ring?

And you’re a little terrified! yep, is this you?

I totally get it, You’re about to buy possibly the most expensive gift you’ll ever get and you have no idea what she would really love and treasure. This is the engagement ring she has been dreaming about for years. Worried you’re going to choose a design that your partner doesn’t like?

I see so many of you that really want to put so much thought into the design, creating a ring that suits your partner’s personality and style. You really want her to love it!

Does your partner like to be original, maybe a little unconventional. Worried you’re going to have to settle for something that really isn’t to their taste? Well, I have found a solution!

Have a surprise proposal with the perfect gemstone and design the ring together

Honestly, I have been looking for these little rings for years and I’ve finally found them. Rings that you can hold a stone in temporarily, just long enough for you to propose. Then you can design the engagement ring together.

Choose the stone from me that you would like (and you think your partner would like too), it doesn’t have to be a diamond either, a striking colourful gemstone instead would look fantastic. It will be presented in a quality ring box for you to propose. You can both have the fun of working with me to design your perfect ring together! It will even come with a sheet helping you decide on a style and theme you would like your engagement ring to follow.

Maybe your proposal would spark some theme ideas or their favourite flower, these are just two examples. I’ve even designed engagement rings with a star theme, for a proposal under the stars. It’s a lot of fun during the design process and a fantastic way of having both your ideas incorporated into the final ring. It also makes a fantastic story to tell and a perfect heirloom to leave future generations.