The search for the PERFECT bands!This is a very long and extremely detailed account of our search for the perfect wedding bands, so that I can read back after many years later and still recall the irony and difficulties in this hunt. So... unless you don't mind being swarmed by very minute details, i suggest you don't read on!!
P.S: Most pictures of the rings are not that of the actual one, cos I cant find them online… They are just very similar in terms of design to the actual one. Only the Cartier pics are accurate! :)
4 Dec (Saturday)The hunt began on 4 Dec, Saturday. It was supposed to be a search for bridal gown. But we went to Adelphi (instead of Delphi Orchard) by mistake and end up with no bridal gowns to look at. So we decided to change our plan and search for the wedding bands first!!
We went to Raffles City Shopping Centre to check out the jewellery shops there. There was the Diamond Atelier (which is part of Lee Hwa) and looked through their entire collection, which was not a lot compared to the next shop we went to. We very quickly decided that none caught our eyes and moved on to the next shop, which is Love & Co. They are a shop that specialises in engagement rings and wedding bands, so we had one whole shop of collection to look at and we stayed there for almost one whole hour i think! They had lots of fanciful designs. While they have matching bands, the salesperson also said that it is ok for us to buy bands of different designs. So we started our independent search and after trying this, look at the hands, wear that, look into the mirror, we at last settled for a pair of rings - the eternity ring which has diamonds all around for me, and for him a ring with some design using straight lines at right angles to sort of create the look of 3 parallel channels around the ring. To us, it was just a preliminary search - this was the most 'acceptable' pair we could find in this shop. To the salesperson, it was a check of our finger size, a quotation, and a quick check with their factory to see if the factory is able to make the rings for us in time for our ROM. The factory said they could, and immediately we were asked to place an order. Although I was quite happy with my ring, I just don't feel comfortable buying it without shopping more. It's after all not just any piece of jewellery! Hence I firmly told the salesperson I am not able to decide now, and will have to come back again. The salesperson tried to tell us that we already v happy with the design no need to consider further.. plus we do not have much time to consider since factory need certain time to manufacture.. but eventually she had no choice but to tell us that we have to make the decision by that day or the latest the day after so that they could rush the rings out for us.
Love & Co Eternity Ring look-alike
After that, we went over to Raffles Hotel's Tiffany & Co to check out their wedding bands. We walked in, saw the small range of collection (relatively to the earlier shop), all with very simple designs (mostly plain), and walked out of the shop in less than 5 min. I recalled I was rather disappointed with their plain collection, and 'crossed out' Tiffany & Co from the list of potential-shop-to-get-our-wedding-bands.
The search was then put on hold for that day since we were both tired from all the spot lights and dazzle. I asked if there was any other shops we would want to look at before we decide on the Love & Co pair, since we needed a decision by the next day, and I also recalled him mentioning sometime ago to want to look at Cartier's collection. I wanted to be sure that we have looked at all we wanted to see and not regret in the future. He replied 'No shop in particular'. -_-"
Over dinner, we discussed further on wedding bands. He wondered why people still buy from Tiffany & Co even though it offers such a simple collection. I recalled my answer was something along the line that this 'simple' design is a classic design that never runs out with time.. so it is likely that it was a design that TIff & Co came up with since they started out many years ago and passed down over the years. And with the brand name engraved on it, it became a trademark item that everyone identifies with Tiff & Co.
The more we discussed, the more I realised what I wanted for my wedding band. No wonder smtg was bothering me at Love & Co even though I had chosen a ring which I liked. It did not look like a wedding band to me; it was too fanciful; it looked like just a piece of fashion accessory with no meaning! To me, a wedding band is of high significance - it should be obvious to others that it is a wedding band, and it should be something that is "long-lasting" - not just its durability but design wise too! That's when I realised I did not want a fanciful design for my band. Which totally contradicts my earlier thinking that we should go for the fanciful ones so that it is not so common and will be unique to us. How woman's mind changes!
So with that, we decided to let go the Love & Co rings.
7 Dec (Tuesday) Sometime ago after he mentioned about Cartier, I had already checked out the Cartier's collection online. The collection is mostly plain too, but the name 'Cartier' sounds so right for a wedding band. I know it is gonna be expensive… but see see no harm right?
So we went to ION's Cartier. We looked through their entire collection, the range is just the same as what I saw online. Tried on the plain one with just the word "Cartier" engraved on it. Found it too thin, and looked on. Was about to give up when the helpful salesgirl showed us the Trinity 3-gold ring. It is the first time we saw such designs and was rather interested. She then explained that the 3 gold symbolises the different stages of a relationship: white for friendship, rose for love, and yellow for fidelity. That represents us very well! Plus we can both wear the same design! We were so happy with it that we asked her to get the rings of our sizes from other branches/warehouse so that we can come back to try again before buying.
Cartier Trinity 3-Gold
9 Dec (Thursday)Went back to ION's Cartier to try out the ring of our sizes. Somehow the ring doesn't appear so pleasing to the eye that day. Plus it kept rubbing against the middle and last finger until they hurt. Was quite displeased with it. Salesgirl recommended that we go back to try another day, perhaps after a long day at work it is not the right time to shop for this.
12 Dec (Sunday)I still had my reservations about the Trinity ring. So he suggested to take a look at other shops. We walked to Orchard Hotel in search for Ling Jewellery, but it was closed. Walked to Ngee Ann City to look at Piaget, spent 2 minutes there and we walked out. Passed by Tiffany & Co, and he suggested to go take a look at them again since we are now looking for classic designs. I couldn't rmb their collection, so it was quite refreshing to revisit the collection and we found a pair of Milgrain 4mm ring which we liked! It wasn't a love at first sight, but the more I looked at it, the more I like it. So we tried a pair of our size, and asked to reserve it while we consider whether we liked it more than the Cartier's Trinity.
Tiffany & Co 4mm Milgrain look-alike (should have the cursive words "Tiffany & Co" engraved on the outer surface too)
Went into Taka's Cartier to look at the Trinity ring, and to me, Tiffany & Co win hands down. But we decided to just wait and think a bit more before we buy the Tiff & Co rings.
Went home to do some online research on Ling Jewellery's wedding band. It is a shop that make customised wedding bands, i.e. you can design your own rings, and they can do it within 2 wks. We found some photos of the readily available designs plus a photo showing a client's customised ring, We concluded that we don't need an elaborate customised design and the chunky italian style is not for us. Hence Ling Jewellery was 'crossed out' too. A quick scan through Bvlgari's collection is sufficient for us to cross it out too.
It is down to a fight between Tiffany & Co's Milgrain rings, or Cartier's Trinity 3-gold rings. I am for the Tiffany & Co's, he is netural. In our online search for other brand's ring, we found other rings with similar 3-gold design!! Looks like Cartier's Trinity 3-gold design is not unique at all! This fact rendered Tiffany & Co with more points. woohoo!
14 Dec (Tuesday)
From Cartier's website, there is actually another ring that caught my eye. It is the one with 'matt-shiny-matt-shiny' surface finishing. However I did not see it in the shop and I can't be sure if it is just an illusion. If it IS available, there is a chance that it might win over the Tiffany & Co Milgrains!
The 'matt-shiny-matt-shiny' design
So in a last attempt, we went back to ION's Cartier to check out this 'matt-shiny-matt-shiny' ring and also to tell the salesgirl to release our Trinity 3-gold ring order. It turned out that there is no such ring. There is only the fully shiny surface finishing one with the cursive 'Cartier' engraved on it and with either zero, one or two diamonds. This is actually one of the first few rings which I tried on in our first Cartier's visit. But this time round, instead of dismissing it immediately, i fell in love with it! It seems like just the one I want!! And he is also very happy with the matching pair without diamond!
It's just like finding 'THE ONE', I just know that this is the perfect ring which I have been looking for. But as again, to ensure I have no regrets, I asked to go back to Tiffany & Co again to try on the reserved pair. It took just less than a minute of trying before I told the Tiffany & Co salesperson that I am sorry but I prefer a design of another brand.
And with that, we got the pair of wedding bands which we both love. Matching. Classic. Elegant. The perfect symbol of our love. :)
I am totally ecstatic!
