The engagement ring was from Lee Hwa Destinee, which we found out later was grossly overpriced. Anyway, I was looking for 916 yellow gold ring, but the then-fiance was more about the white gold. And so the search began.
We were very disappointed with the lightweight rings at very exorbitant prices in the usual commercial brands (Goldheart, Soo Kee, Lee Hwa etc. Exceptions are those who deal in 916 gold, such as Poh Heng and Tianpo, who give their rings good weight). I did see unique designs but priced at over $2,000... which I was not ready to pay. Of course, the dream ring was Cartier, but at more than $3,000 apiece, it was all too easy to give it up.
The final compromise between us was to go for a private jeweller reputed for good service. Fairy's Inc is of course one of the options on google, so we popped in to take a look. We were not disappointed; Sandra is very detailed when she explains designs. Fairy's Inc tends to differentiate itself with some very unique concepts and strays far away from run-of-the-mill stuffs. Although I did not get my yellow gold in the end (Fairy's only does white/champagne/rose gold), the white gold ring we chose was a 'structured' (vs contoured round edges) with scattered stones on glossy surface.
The final product for him was good, but was not so good for me. My fingers are pathetically puny, at a size 3, so the structured look turned out too thick = bad. It was also very uncomfortable, getting into the way of everyday life. Since I am not dainty in any sense of the word, few days after the wedding, it is already scratched beyond redemption. It is now looking so worn and tattered - the only reason I love wearing it is none other than the warm fuzzy feeling I get at the bottom of my stomach.
The lesson I also learnt is that once you step out of the spotlight infested stores, a ring is just a ring, somehow the glare of the diamonds no longer tug at your heartstrings anymore. It is purely an accessory of which the meaning should be much heavier than the asthetics.
Fairy's service was excellent, but the price was high. But speaking of price.... I am just very glad that I never bought Cartier. In comparison, the 916 yellow gold ring that my mom bought for me is looking very old-fashioned but adoringly nice. I would really have preferred the real-gold-withstands-the-fiercest-fire meaning to a wedding band.
