One Ring To Rule Them All

A gentleman of my acquaintance recently asked for my assistance in finding just the right "friendship ring" for a lady of very particular tastes, a delightful research project. The two have known each other for some time and marriage is not an immediate prospect, so although no girl in her right mind is likely to turn down a massive rock from Graff (see the 50-carat example below), it seems both excessive (at size 5, she is slender of finger) and extravagant.

The lady in question enjoys simple design, but a plain band says "married," so a little sparkle is order. Tiffany's has several worthy choices, such as this graduated half-circle of tiny diamonds set in platinum from their "Jazz" range:


Or this, from their Frank Gehry line:


But she also adores vintage jewelry, so her beau would be well-advised to pay a visit to Madison Avenue's Fred Leighton or venture downtown to Doyle and Doyle, which many highly recommend. Their website showcases idiosyncratic and well-priced options such as this:


Or this, which is subdued but elegant:


She'll want to wear it all the time, so this Camélia style from Chanel, though beautiful, would be impractical.

Whatever he chooses, she's bound to adore it - because, of course, it's about him, not the ring. As a baseball fan, she might even go for a Cracker Jack ring like this one - it's shiny, simple and vintage.