Rings and things...

 My niece Aimee sent me a link to a ring for sale that she thought I would like eight years ago. It was a vintage, Art Deco style ring, 14-carat white gold, with an aquamarine center stone flanked by two small diamonds. It was love at first sight. Even though it was a bit of a splurge, I bought it for myself. Besides being my birthstone, I just love the way aquamarines look. The ring is a favorite, and I wear it almost every day. 

Both Aimee and my daughter admire and covet that ring. Even though the cousins are close, they joke that upon the event of my death, there will be a screaming, biting, hair-pulling fight over that ring. It has become a running joke. A while back, Aimee and I were in an antique store, and she spied a ring similar to mine in a case full of jewelry behind a glass wall. How she saw it, I will never know. The case was unlocked, and upon closer inspection, we noticed that the ring was remarkably like mine. The stone was a bit bigger, the filagree a bit more pronounced, but the same style. Aimee bought it, brought it home, and polished it up. We all rested easier, knowing there wouldn't be an ugly argument when I keel over. 

I had the bright idea that I'd like Rachel to have a similar ring, now, before I croak.  Aimee is proficient at finding such treasures, so I asked her to help me look online. I looked, too, and found so many pretty things, but nothing similar to ours. But Aimee did. She found a beauty and sent me a link. A six-carat aquamarine with a very similar setting to ours. I ordered it for Rachel's birthday, which is this month. When it arrived, it was prettier than I had hoped. The stone is brilliant, with lots of fire, and way bigger than mine. The band and filigree are lovely. I'll admit, I was a little envious. Aimee was here visiting, and I wanted her to be a part of the giving, so we gave Rachel the ring early. She squealed with delight. 

We took pictures, of course. 

Aimee polished all of them up and slid them on. Hers on the bottom, Rachel's in the middle, mine on top. I can't help but notice that mine is the smallest. This does not seem right! 

Here we are. Me, niece, daughter, with these rings that make us smile. And no hair pulling fights in sight.