Friday, March 27, 2009

Ringing in the Sheaves

In Chicago I made a few trips to Barneys. I’m not an impulse buyer; I like to think and ponder and consider some more before spending my money and often take greater satisfaction in *not* making a purchase.

I’m also not a jewelry person; I wear my engagement ring and my wedding ring (never on the same hand!) and occasionally dip into my earring collection. (This austerity has been cultivated over the last 20 years; I loved statement earrings all through my twenties.)

All this preface is to demonstrate how surprised I was to keep returning to Barneys’ jewelry counter. All the usual suspects were there—Me & Ro, Ten Thousand Things, Antonio Palladino—casually perched on burlap as if to suggest that their prices were also casual. Sometimes I imagine that I’ll lift up a piece and be pleasantly surprised at the sales tag, as when I found a (mispriced) enormous chunk of fresh parmesan at Whole Foods.

No happy surprises during my latest visits, but I *was* drawn to a Cathy Waterman diamond “leaf” ring. I’ve been thinking about updating my wedding band of almost 18 years, and would possibly like something with diamonds, but I don’t like the bulk that usually accompanies a diamond band.

The Waterman, however, was delicate, yet sturdy, and very feminine. I thought it could be really pretty to wear most days.

So I thought about it all the way home and thought about it a little today and sometime this evening realized that I had missed the NYT’s Thursday Styles section while I was away and called it up online and scrolled through a few stories, and

THERE IT WAS!

My leaf (actually a sheaf of wheat) ring was at the top of a stack of rings on a heavily be-ringed hand in a photo for the NYT. It's to the far left in the image above.

And you know how I don’t like to follow the crowd . . . so the super-delicate, pretty Cathy Waterman ring is now banished from my thoughts. I’m perfectly happy with my original wedding ring. And my original husband, for that matter.

3 comments:

WendyB said...

Oh, rub it in. I was in despair that none of my rings were in this photo! My Siobhan rings would have felt right at home.

Thumbelina Fashionista said...

I've always loved Cathy Waterman, but her stuff is such an investment.

Belle de Ville said...

Miss C., would you consider a non signed copy of the Cathy Waterman ring at below Barney's retail? Send me a photo and I'll see what it would take to make one.