Bario-Neal opens a showroom in NYC!!! (Sponsored by, erm, Bario-Neal)

Hello, internet. Hello, world! Helloooooo, New York City....

We are Bario-Neal Jewelry and we are excited to announce the opening of our New York City showroom in lower manhattan. 

Bario-Neal is committed to environmental responsibility, ethical sourcing, and marriage equality. Our work is handmade in Philly with recycled metals and responsibly-sourced gemstones. We are also happy to work with your heirloom stones or recycle your precious metals in our bands. 

The new location offers our custom design services and showcases Bario-Neal’s collections. It’s important for us to be able to work with our customers on a personal level as they search for the right wedding band, engagement ring, or special pair of earrings. With our new space, we look forward to being able to better serve (& get to know) our New York-based customers.

The showroom is only by appointment, but we are having an opening party! Stop by and check it out November 7th from 5-8pm, at 195 Chrystie St., #900A.

Editor's Note: Anna and Page sent me a whole bunch of images to choose from for this post. Rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets (yes, they make all those things, too!).

But it's the RINGS RINGS RINGS RINGS RINGS RINGS RINGS that blow me away every time -- both Bario-Neal's custom work (custom designs begin at $500, see three examples pictured at top) and the engagement rings + bands from their current collection (rings pictured are priced between $255-4400).

Dear ESB: Want to keep running with the men's ring theme?

My fiancé is the WORST shopper ever, and I need help getting him to shop smart for a ring. He claims he doesn't care about things, but then is very picky when it comes to actually purchasing/wearing anything. He's the kind of guy that is perfectly content with a limited wardrobe, has to be convinced that yes he does actually need a dress coat, even if he'll only wear it twice a year, but will spend 3 months shoe shopping to replace the shoes he wears almost every day even though the ones he's currently wearing are so worn down they almost have holes in the sole.

He is convinced he will never get used to wearing a ring, that it's too bulky on his finger and he doesn't like jewelry. In the same discussion, he says he will wear his wedding band. He says he's not picky, but doesn't want to spend "a lot" of money on it. He works in food service management, so he uses his hands a lot, but he's not chopping things all day long. He gravitates towards rings in the 6mm size with more of a matte finish.

My dilemma is I know it's possible to get used to a ring, he doesn't yet believe that. I think the best plan of action is to get him a cheap ring now, let him get used to it and let it get beat up a bit and then I'll gift him a ring with nicer materials as his forever ring in a year or so when he's more comfortable wearing one. However, the cheaper rings all seem to be heavier and more bulky, which sorta throws a wrench in the idea that he'll get used to the ring. He also has slender fingers (size 7.5) so we haven't been to a store where he can try on rings and get a true idea of what they'll feel like.

He really liked this ring at Bario Neal in Palladium, but he thinks it's too expensive for "just a ring." 

I think he'll also like this Bittersweets ring from Catbird in a white gold. 

He'd like it Hammered, but I think down the road he'd be happy if it was just a traditional finish. If I was the one making the decision, I'd just get him one of these.

Any ideas of a good "temporary" ring I could get? Or a way to make him see the light and get something that's more likely to last and be comfortable now?

Thank you!

*****

This guy makes me REALLY TIRED.

Tell him it's his fucking WEDDING RING and he'll be wearing it EVERY DAY for THIRTY YEARS. For the palladium band or the thin band in white gold, that comes to approx 5 cents per day.

If he needs a training ring, tie a fucking twisty tie around his finger and make him wear it until the wedding.



Fuck's sake.

Iggy Pop by Pierre et Gilles via Room 26 via Vejde Gustafsson via Susannah

pls help me find a wedding band and stuff

I have a wonderful loving fiance who loves me enough to go shopping on his own and pick out a ring that he knew I would love... did I mention on his own?  However, had I been involved in the choosing process I would have gone a little more Conroy and Wilcox.

I have attached a photo of the ring. (Pardon the artist hands)

That said, I have been scouring the interwebz  looking for an awesome band to make my set more me. I have found some interesting gold bands as well as some other interesting rings including this Mociun ring which I have been leaning towards... but it is a little pricier than I would like.

The question I have for you is do you know of any awesome bands or designers I could wear with this super classic yellow gold solitaire to make the set more unique?

ALSO, My mother and sister and I are coming in to the city to go dress shopping on the 10th of March, I have plenty of appointments including Lovely, but do you have any good suggestions for boutiques that I may have missed?

*****

Let me let you in on a little secret from the other side: after you're married, you don't have to wear your engagement ring every day.

I get so many emails from you guys stressing out about finding a band to match the engagement ring you didn't even always get to pick out yourself. DON'T SWEAT IT SO HARD.



Anyhoo.

Here are a few less-pricey-than-the-Mociun rings I'm feeling for you.

(Conroy & Wilcox at Metier)

(Bario-Neal)

(Satomi Kawakita)

As for wedding boutiques, would you please please please PRETTY PLEASE go check out Stone Fox Bride?

We need a report from the front.

Photo: Stone Fox Bride + Fox Fodder Farm by Josie Miner, styling by Jaclyn Hodes

Rose Gold + Rubies = TACKY?? (The Follow Up!)

Hi ESB --

I just wanted to mention we decided to go with Bario-Neal to re-set the ruby from my dude's mom's ring. It worked out great; I went with the rose gold I wanted and am happy with the results.

I guess the moral of the story is go with the small, ethically run businesses whose aesthetic you like rather than the tacky jewelry store that happens to be within walking distance from your apartment.

Here are some pictures -- I don't have a good "before" shot but the after is definitely waaaaay better!

***** 

OMG YOU ACTUALLY TOOK MY ADVICE

OMGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

aaaaaand here's the e-ring

I asked Sarah to write up a little post for us, since so many of you email me asking how to rock your vintage + non-traditional engagement rings with wedding bands.

My engagement ring isn't a traditional engagement ring and I was never really worried about having a matchy-matchy engagement ring/wedding band (the many jewelers I spoke with on my long search also confirmed my instincts- this is an age old tradition that would have no impact our marriage/future happiness whatsoever. phew.)

So when searching for a wedding ring i considered all options: simple bands, stackables, cocktails rings, other engagement rings, no ring at all...really, every ring I came across in my long search was fair game. But THE ring had to fit this bill: something I hadn't seen, something I could wear on the opposite hand of my engagement ring without looking like I was channeling Elizabeth Taylor (I love me some sparkle, but my engagement ring is already a blingfest), something fairly versatile, something that knocked my knickers off.

I loved the idea of a ring that I could stack other bands around (hello future anniversary presents!) but would still stand out as my wedding band. Most importantly, I wanted something that feels like me, the way my engagement ring does. And when I saw this ring I felt like Mocium had crawled inside my brain and designed this ring specifically for me. It took me less than 10 seconds to know it was the one.

The perfect response to this query, no?

Dear ESB,

I was relieved to see that aren't bored by ring questions, because they've been running through my head a lot lately. I'm planning to get a wedding ring to complement my lovely engagement ring. FH has been encouraging me to get something more flashy than the engagement ring, rather than a traditional gold band. That is exactly what I want to do, or at least what part of me wants to do. I'll admit it: I sometimes get quietly envious of girls with glittery, flashy diamond clusters on their rings. But I LOVE my engagement ring and how delicate it is, and don't want to overpower it.

I've never been much of a jewelry wearer and don't feel too confident in my judgment of what works well together and what doesn't. I've fallen for this ring (though it's well beyond my $1K price limit) but you can't really stack these, right? Either of these seem more stackable, but I still worry that the effect of the engagement ring would be lost.

Maybe just a thin, textured band is really the only appropriate way to complement it? Or should I choose whatever other ring that calls to me, and wear it on a different finger? (Is it silly for me to want to keep them both on the same finger, together forever?)

Alright, I guess that's enough links and questions for one email. Any ideas from you and your readers would be so, so welcome. 

*****

CHOOSE THE RING THAT CALLS TO YOU.

(fwiw, I stack two rings that absolutely do not go together, and I love em on the same hand.)

p.s. Check out Sarah's engagement story + more photos of her custom Marc Johns (hellloo) over here.

A topic that never bores me...........

Oct 6

Hey ESB,

Wondering if you have any recs for a jeweler or vintage shop for modern wedding bands in LA? We love the look of Bario-Neal, Catbird, etc. but the FH wants to try stuff on. 

We'll check out OK but the rings they have online are out of our price range. (Trying to stick around $500 each for simple but chic gold bands.) And of course the wedding is in November. 

*****

Oct 19

Hi ESB,

I emailed you the other week about jewelers in LA and then saw you asking Paige Appel about it on Twitter.

We went to Roseark (totally forgot about this place) where I ended up with this beauty and the fiance felt comfortable enough after trying on cigar bands to order this from Bario-Neal after all.

Many many thanks! 

(Photos: Labradorite Stack Ring from Roseark, Milla Hammered Band from Bario-Neal)

*****

Look Paige! You didn't even have to answer me!

In related news, I HAVE GOT TO GET MY ASS TO ROSEARK.

Seeking: The Unicorn of Engagement Rings

ESB,

Do you know of any great vintage jewelry shops? I’ve found Erstwhile, but any other recommendations would be most appreciated. I’m looking for an Art Deco, preferably rose cut ring.

Thanks!

*****

Funny you should ask... I've finally landed a vintage jewelry sponsor, and I could not be more stoked.

Badass + Modern + Antique = THE TRIFECTA

I emailed my guy at EraGem to ask which of his Art Deco rings are rose cut and he told me "the use of rose cut diamonds predates the art deco period. Art deco jewelry used predominately old european cut diamonds."

Such as:

Here's a (SOLD) example of a late 1800s rose cut ring from Erie Basin:

This would not have been an engagement ring.

Mike says, "Engagement rings weren't always a part of getting married. They seem to start about 1880s late victorian with old miner cut diamonds..."

Here's a (SOLD) example of a Victorian mine cut ring from Erie Basin:

And here's an Art Deco ring with a big ol' mine cut diamond from EraGem (also SOLD):

Mike says "I haven't actually seen an engagement ring with a rose cut center stone..."

The ring you're looking for may not exist.

Pictured at top: Vintage Estate Diamond Cluster Cocktail Ring

Dear ESB: I have wedding band issues.

I am getting married in August and have yet to decide on bands. I have a fantastic antique engagement ring that is similar to the one in this photo. I really, really love it - the stone is an heirloom from my fiance's great aunt, and the setting is circa 1915. The "filigree" or whatever its called is a little more geometric than the ring pictured, but I am not tech-savvy enough to attach a photo of my own ring, so, you know, this will have to do. 

Anyway, the problem is that I don't know what kind of wedding band to get.  I have tried on curved bands but they don't work because a) i hate them, and b) they make the ring look lopsided and take away from the cool shape of it. So, I'm at a loss. I really want a band, but they all look so weird with the ring. Is it ok not to have one? Can i get something simple and wear the engagement ring on my right hand? help! 

I also would ideally like my band and my future husband's band to be somewhat similar. Any suggestions there?

Sincerely,
Bandless?

*****

It is okay not to have a wedding band. It's okay to do WHATEVER YOU WANT.

But I love your simple-band-on-the-left-hand, fantastic-antique-on-the-right idea.

Re simple, matching bands: Catbird, Bario-Neal, Bittersweets New York (pictured above), Sarah Perlis and OK all have simple, beautiful bands that you can order in varying widths and weights and colors and finishes.

I happen to like a wide wedding band on a guy, in the same color + finish as his wife's more narrow band. In case you were asking me to get that specific.

Do our wedding bands have to MATCH?

Hi hi ESB,

I have a question that's not veil or drama related.

I love my engagement ring. It's a white gold solitaire with a marquee cut diamond, and I love it. Now that we're getting closer to the wedding, the subject of wedding bands has caused some unease. My FH wants a plain yellow gold band, and isn't budging from that. I don't want my taste to make him wear a ring for the rest of his life that he doesn't at least like.

Do we have to match? Will people still know we're married to each other if we don't?* Is there a nice way to coordinate without my engagement ring and wedding band clashing? Or does it not matter at all and we should just tell our photographer to skip the three-rings-on-a-clever-background picture?

Thanks thanks!
______________________________

*there's an episode of House where he figured out an older couple weren't married to each other because their wedding rings didn't match.

*****

I'm a big fan of matching wedding bands. I think it's cool to see his-and-hers* rings on a pair of people that, you know, go together.

But do you HAVE TO match?
No.

Will people still know you're married to each other?  
I DON'T KNOW. Maybe you should wear name tags so it's perfectly clear to everyone at all times. "HELLO, I'm X's Wife."

If you coordinate the style of band, for example, if he gets a man-sized round band in yellow gold and you get a ladylike round band in white, I think they'll go together well enough.

(Classic Milla Round Band by Bario-Neal)
______________________________

*Or hers-and-hers. Or his-and-his. Obviously.

the f*ck-Tiffany engagement ring

I don't know how I overlooked Bario-Neal* in my round-up. Their lovely Knottedrush Ring, which, for the record, I prefer as a wedding band, has been making the rounds on the blogs for more than a year (and has been much imitated by other designers).

But they've also got some pretty slammin engagement rings. This rough diamond Avens Ring is my favorite. Does it not have a terrific fuck-Tiffany thing going on?**

And I'm referring to the design. It doesn't hurt that the rings are handcrafted with reclaimed precious metals; ethically-sourced stones; and low-impact, environmentally conscious practices. Plus 1% of all Bario-Neal profits is donated to the Association for Responsible Mining.

This concludes ring month (er, two weeks) on ESB. But I did put a little directory of my favorites over on the right for handy reference.

*Have I lost my mind, or was Bario-Neal formerly known as Rust Belt?

**After I just told practical, schmactical I thought this ring was too "indie take on the Tiffany ring." I dunno. I'm fussy.