Swedish people tend to wear very little ‘serious’ jewellery. When I came to Sweden it was common for engaged couples to each wear a single gold band. When they got married the woman (and sometimes the man) wore a second ring of the same simple style. Then I noticed that even though the men still wear single rings to denote engagement or marriage, women now more often receive a gold ring as an engagement one and then one with diamonds as a wedding ring.
Despite this, both the Swedish Princesses have chosen diamond engagement rings while their fiancé wore none. So traditions seem to be changing. I used to feel rather selfconscious with blingy jewellery in a country that is so minimal but now I either don’t care anymore or things have changed.
Anyway a ring I always wear is this one
My family died quite close together and I inherited many worn, old pieces of jewellery which I kept for many years. I got married with a single gold band and a year later my husband designed this ring for me for our church wedding. It is all the gold from my family jewellery and the stones are as follows:
- big one in centre is my mother’s engagement ring stone
- the three down the left side are: two from my maternal grandmother and one from my best friend
- the three down the right side are: two from my paternal grandmother and one from my previous engagement ring.
- One either side are half-eternity bands with eleven diamonds each, given to me on our 11th anniversary by my husband.
It means the world to me and I am always scared something will happen to it. It is, quite literally, irreplaceable. I wear it on my left ring finger
This next one is from my first engagement:
A full band of untreated black diamonds with outside rings of white diamonds. Black diamonds have become trendy these days but when I got this one they were used for industrial drill-bits and very cheap. Untreated black diamonds are fairly rare these days. This one goes on my left middle finger.
This one belonged to my maternal grandmother and is worn on my right ring finger
A pear-shaped champagne diamond with white diamond baguettes on either side. These photographs are from the insurance evaluations and since this was done I have replaced the white gold setting with a yellow gold one. Less maintenance and suits me better.
The one below I received from my husband for our tenth anniversary – just a plain .50ct solitaire which I wear on my right ring finger. Actually the real one was stolen and I replaced it with this one. The original had ‘just the beginning’ inscribed inside the band.
I don’t have own pictures of these but can take some if anyone is interested. They are beginning rings by Efva Attling – they can be worn as rings or pendants and are stunning. I bought the plain gold one myself and then received the diamond one as a gift. I usually wear one at a time as a pendant.
And finally my gold rosary (bad pic together with my Efva rings)
And my gold Claddagh
I wrote a post on Claddaghs here. I got mine from my Irish husband for my 40th birthday.
This jewellery I take with me wherever I go. It is in a little separate box in case I never need to make a quick getaway or have a fire (which I did last year). It travels with me everywhere even if it has to go in a safe at the other end.
So if you see me often and wonder why I wear this jewellery – now you know!
Edited to add – this broad gold band (12mm wide) was my mother’s wedding ring. My husband (now ex) wears my maternal grandmother’s wedding ring, which is now almost 100 years old.
