Maria and her husband, Rod, married in my hometown of Houston, although they met in Germany, both having been in the military at the time. Maria knew she wanted a pear-shape diamond, and Rod wanted a happy Maria. They both have a keen eye for what looks good in a diamond...so they actually rejected the diamonds they were initially shown by their Houston jeweler. They flat-out weren't pretty enough. But, once they were shown the right diamond, they both knew it was "the one."
That diamond beautifully served in a simple solitaire for quite a few years.
But in the interim, Maria and I met in Bozeman at Alara. She was a gem maven, having purchased numerous gemstones (including some unusual ones most jewelers haven't heard of!), but they were all loose. Maria knew exactly how she wanted the gems set, and she honored me with that initial batch of setting jobs. But that was just the beginning.
Maria realized one day that some of the lovely designs in our showcases might be very flattering for that beautiful pear-shape engagement diamond. It was so much fun for me to once again collaborate with one of our designer partners (on this occasion, Danhov) to come up with a design that was a unique expression of Maria's taste, and a special showcase for her beautiful diamond. A switch from yellow gold to platinum was the "cherry on top."
Here's a little montage of the day Rod put the new ring on Maria's finger (eyes closed in the first shot) ...a spectacular diamond now set in an equally spectacular mounting!
As the years have gone by, Maria and Rod are Alara regulars--part of our extended family. An event without them would not be the same. They are huge cheerleaders for Alara, and we continue to love helping them choose gifts for friends and relatives (many of which have been lovingly carried by Maria as far as Puerto Rico and Germany), and for each other.
Nearly every woman has a "little box of goodies" that are ripe for reconfiguring: the broken, the not-my-thing-anymores, the unloved, the what-was-my-aunt-thinking pieces. But Maria has far bigger fish to fry than that. A few months back, she brought in a box with nothing by turquoise. Beautiful shades, all different shapes...And then came the delightful challenge..."I want a ring, Babs. A beautiful ring of gold and turquoise."
I asked Maria to pick out all the turquoise that possessed the color that she loved most. And from those, I picked the one that I thought would make the prettiest, loveliest ring for our dear Miss Maria.
As of earlier this week, Maria came in for her new turquoise and gold bauble. Please note that she was sporting a gold and turquoise one-of-a-kind necklace, gold and turquoise earrings, and even a blouse that has turquoise stones affixed!
We think Maria is an absolute inspiration. She knows what she likes, she knows how to unlock the beauty of her treasures...and most importantly, she knows how to put it all together. Cheers, Maria! [We've already started on that matching bracelet you requested!]
Leave a comment