The very best piece of vintage that I own: my wedding ring.
I share it with my mother-in-law. I’ve been wearing it myself for ten years, but it was originally hers. And although it’s mine now, it’s still hers too, and that makes it mean so much to me.
Ten years ago, Jordan, my husband, and I were visiting his parents for a few days in Massachusetts for a late Christmas. Completely unbeknownst to me, Jordan asked his mother if he could “borrow” a ring so that he could propose to me. Thrilled (I hope), his mother took out her jewelry case and told him to choose what he’d like.
He looked through her rings and decided on a late 1970s silver flower ring with a diamond center—her first wedding band. And she told him not to worry about this “borrowing” stuff; it was now his to give to me. Amazing woman, right?
A few days after staying with his parents, we drove to New York City. It was there, in Central Park, as the night sky was lit up by the gorgeous skyline and soft white snow fell onto us, that Jordan presented me with his mother’s ring and asked me to marry him.
Jordan and I were madly in love, but up to that point, we had discussed marriage only casually. So this was a huge surprise. I was shocked, and so happy. The ring fit perfectly onto my finger, and I couldn’t stop looking at it. I knew it was vintage. I knew it was special. It came from a place of Jordan knowing me so well, knowing that I would love this silver hippie ring with the prettiest little diamond in the center. It was the most perfect ring I could have wanted, and then he told me it had belonged to his mother. I was absolutely overwhelmed. Now, not only was it beautiful; it meant something. It linked me to his mother and provided me with a constant reminder of her.
I’ve asked my mother-in-law to tell me about her ring. This is what she says:
“Your dad and I fell in love in the 1970s in Malibu, and were very much into the arts scene. But we were also baby Christians, and wanted to get married in a church. So we were looking for rings that kind of matched, but also had a bit of artistic difference to them.
“We also had a very tight budget—$100 per ring—so we stopped looking at the handmade stuff from the boutiques of Malibu and decided to go to Topanga Canyon. At that time, the style was a solitaire diamond engagement ring with smaller diamonds on the wedding band, but we could only afford a single little diamond on the engagement ring.
“When Jordan told us that wonderful Christmas in Massachusetts that he wanted to get married, we were so amazed at the purity and passion of his love for you. It was everything we had hoped for, and we knew he would be the one that held the highest standard in love. So it was the best Christmas present in the world to know that you were going to join our family.”
I have to agree. That was the best Christmas present I could ever want. So thank you Mom, for adding to my life and being so generous in allowing me to share your very first wedding ring. It’s my very favorite possession—besides your son, of course.
This post was written by Tori.
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