Five for Friday: Things for yer Rings

When Nick and I got engaged, you could not have pried that ring off of my finger. I slept in it. I showered in it. I went to the gym with it. I washed dishes with it. And it's no coincidence that I had to have the setting tightened twice in that first summer in Pensacola. At some point, I was informed that exposing the gold to all of the detergents, exposing the setting to all of that junk, was just going to mean a whole lot of cleaning and setting repair over the years. So I began to take it off for all of the "dirty work." And once I started my lab rotations and was living in nitrile gloves, I started leaving my ring at home more and more frequently. Now it's sort of a running joke ... more often than not, my ring ends up at home in its little dish instead of on my finger. Creatures of habit, we are.

One morning in 2002, I had set my ring on the sink while I was washing my hands. You see where this is going, right? A slight brush of the ring sent it straight down the drain. I shouted something that was, at best, PG-13, shoved the shampoo and bathroom cleaner bottles out from under the sink, and opened up that P trap so fast you'd think I got my certificate for plumbing from one of those Sally Struthers "train at home for a better career" correspondence schools. The ring was safe, but my sanity may have taken a bruising. I started setting the ring in whatever little container was on hand.

And then, in 2003, I was in Scotland and happened across a teeny little artist's shop near the bridge to Skye. And I saw it. This little dish that, in retrospect, was probably intended as an ashtray ... but it was so lovely. Hand painted with intricate swirls in all of my favorite shades of blue and green. It was love. And I knew exactly where I would put it - next to the same sink that tried to eat my ring. Since then, I have accumulated several little ring holders, only one of which was ever really intended to hold jewelry, and I use them all. I love them. My favorite engagement gift is some sort of ring dish; even though I knew I could rescue my ring from the drain, that panicky feeling sucks and I hope none of you ladies out there ever have to experience it!

Etsy is a great place to find little things like this. I noticed a while back that a seller was advertising plain white dishes stamped with cutesy phrases like "I Do" or "Love Rules." Blech. They were hugely popular, which just goes to show that cheese SELLS, baby. But ... I don't know ... it's just so OBVIOUS. So I offer some alternatives (buying guide below).


1. Loveable Love Birds Heart Bowl from DarriellesClayArt. $21. Okay, I'll admit that this one is pretty obvious, too. But the subtle heart shape and those beautiful blue birdies ... squee! And there's something about a crisp clean shape like that makes it easy to put anywhere.

2. Lacy Porcelain Wedding Ring Plate from Ceramics by Sumiko. $18. A local seller for you San Diegans. It's girly, yes, but subtle. And the best part is, you can send her a piece of patterned lace (your wedding dress, your veil, your grandmother's dress, your childhood curtains, etc) and she will custom make a plate for you that features that design. I'm not in love with the pattern in this picture, but I LOVE that you can customize. How cool is that?!

3. Poppy Flower Bowl by Prince Designs UK. $26. How awesome is this color? For people like me who adore bright punches of color, this is the ring holder for you!!

4. Nest No. 2 by Fort. $18. Love this shape and the way it can be both crazy modern and yet reminiscent of the most basic elements of nature, an egg or its nest. The seller also uses a very thin, strong paper fiber clay and a semigloss finish to give it a special luminance. LOVE.

5. Dipping Dish - Leaves in Chartreuse by Hope Johnson Ceramics. $18. Originally designed as a dish for sauces, I love the idea of it for jewelry. And I love chartreuse. And leaves. Pretty much the whole package here.

Keep your rings safe, ladies! Give them a good home!