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| Our Wedding Vows |
As I celebrate my tenth wedding anniversary, I (inwardly) reflect upon the new traditions we have created for our small family, and how abandoning traditions can apply to all aspects of your life. Have you ever heard the expression “it beats the alternative”? Well, does it? The very definition of an alternative suggests replacement, substitution … a change of course.
Are brides really looking for “alternatives” when choosing how they will celebrate their exchange of vows? More often than not, I see women using alternative bridal options, such as right hand stacking rings, and not for their intended use. Since rings are arguably the most popular jewelry item on the market, it does makes sense to offer an alternative, because everyone wants options, right?
Being exposed to many jewelry collectors, I am always surprised at how many women (and the men that gift an investment piece) are still very traditional, i.e., versions of alternative wedding rings being the inherited, passed down, cherished antique or the sentimental re-purposing. Even gold is considered an alternative choice to platinum.
Although there certainly will always be exceptions for an alternative collector, future generations may increase the demand for uber-creative and avant-garde rings. I believe this category of “alternative” will continue to exist in the mainstream as long as designers continue to push their own boundaries. Once a new category is created, everyone wants in.
I respect and admire alternative options. The mere existence of so many alternatives makes me ponder what I want my collection to represent to me, and to future collectors. The thought process of what I think is an alternative versus traditonal provides me with a clearer focus on my own style, which proves to be a good exercise overall.
What is an alternative style you accept, and how far do you take your alternatives? Is it the mixing of metals, re-purposing of an antique, use of rough stones, colored gemstones in place of diamonds, lighter alloys, oxidation and non-traditional materials … ? Or does the scintillating, near-colorless Old Miner diamond still make your heart skip a beat? (ahem, guilty)
Perhaps it's just this descriptive word I am uneasy of, like a warning forecast for the change ahead, or maybe it’s the fact that the alternative simply exists. After all, nothing stays forever. There are always alternatives.
How do you feel about the alternative? And what is your alternative?
