I couldn't commit to anything immediately, especially since my husband's grandma's ring is perfectly fine. However about a month or so after first seeing her designs, Laurie Fleming hosted an early Black Friday sale ("Black and Gold sale") near the beginning of November. I still had a lot of trouble picking something specifically, but eventually we decided on the Aika Ring in white gold to serve as a wedding band which I thought would complement my husband's grandma's engagement ring but also be really elegant and dainty solo if I wanted something more low profile.
My husband actually submitted the order and surprised me by also purchasing me an Asrai Garden Ring!
I loved the concept of the Asrai Garden Ring immediately and mentioned it to my husband when I first saw Laurie's instagram account. The website explains it best [link here], but essentially you pick the flower components of the ring and Laurie creates a custom piece based on your choices in an ikebana-style arrangement, all meant to be one-of-a-kind.
For my ring, my husband chose: EOS circlet band (for better durability), Peonies, Diamond Dew Drops (x2) and Hidden Fairies (x2). We hadn't yet seen any example photos of the Asrai Garden Ring in white gold at the time of the sale, but in order to match with the engagement ring and wedding band, it only made sense to get the garden ring in white gold as well.
Laurie received a great deal of orders during her sale, and the Asrai Garden Ring is completely custom, so it took a little bit before the rings arrived. Unfortunately I didn't have them for my Japan trip, but they did arrive just a few days after via FEDEX in early December.
I really love how the each ring looks on their own, but the reason these rings made it into my 2019 "favorite purchases" aside from their obvious sentimental value is that I love all the different ways I can wear the rings!
Aika Ring pointed up and down
Engagement ring with Aika stacked below and Aika stacked on top
Asrai Garden Ring with hidden fairy below and on top
Asrai Garden Ring with Aika stacked on top and Aika below
On a daily basis, I typically wear my engagement ring with the Aika stacked on top and a different ring on my right hand. For certain special occasions or paired with certain outfits, I'll choose my favorite pairing which is the Asrai Garden Ring with the Aika below.
Overall, I'm really happy with both of these rings and Laurie Fleming Jewellery in general! While I was still undecided, I had emailed her and she responded very quickly despite how busy she was. Her answers were thorough and patient, and I really appreciated that level of customer service. She also posts tons of examples of the Asrai Garden Ring in her IG stories, so if you're curious to see some other designs, you should definitely check it out!
Those are absolutley gorgeous rings! I definitely want to get an Asrai Garden Ring someday!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I really love how each ring is unique. It's such a great idea.
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