Showing posts with label Wedding Rings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wedding Rings. Show all posts
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Besides creating unique wedding bands, we love creating unique proposal rings too. The way we create it is very much like the unique wedding band except that we get to know only the guys' side of the story. Ever wondered if you can put a poem in your ring or even an image that is very significant to you both? Or perhaps you want just a simple band with a special message inside or maybe outside, crafted tastefully? All these and more is possible.
Diamonds
It is very common to expect a solitaire diamond ring for a proposal ring thanks to the sustained marketing efforts of the diamond industry. It is one of our favourite gemstone to work with too. But did you know that the concept of using diamonds on proposal and wedding rings is less than 100 years old.
Scott Cunningham in his book Cunningham's Encyclopaedia of Crystal, Gem, and Metal Magic said, “Though the diamond is not a stone of love, it is worn to ensure fidelity and to reconcile quarrelling lovers. Today it is, of course, the most popular wedding stone, due in part to aggressive advertising, but other stones are perhaps more appropriate. This usage has no ancient history.”
Besides diamonds, we have worked with many other breath-taking precious and semi-precious gemstones. And it has been amazingly well accepted. Simply because of the reason behind the ring, including the design, the chosen gemstone and the message it carries.
Sapphire
Sapphire for instance, has been a traditional favorite among brides through the centuries, and not just because of its lovely blue hue. It is worn on rings to symbolize commitment, fidelity and romantic love.
One of our favorite proposal ring piece is set with a 1.5 carat Natural Baby Blue Sapphire and diamonds. A stunning piece not only for its' authenticity but also for the meaning it carries with it, a message of love from husband to wife. We apologize for not showing pictures of the real pieces as all of them are truly unique and as a respect for the couple's privacy.
Ruby
Ruby is a red colored transparent gem from the mineral Corundum. Interestingly, ruby and sapphire are different colored types of this very same mineral. Rubies have been historically renowned as the gem of kings and queens.
Emerald
Emeralds on the other hand are believed to have healing powers in the days long gone. These days however, this beautiful green precious stone is prized for its color and rarity.
Jade
Jade is said to symbolize love and eternity, and therefore a good choice for couples seeking to imbue their wedding rings with added meaning.
Choose to express your individuality and seek a greater departure from what is considered popular, semi-precious stones make exciting and unique choices. Amethyst, citrine, chalcedony, tourmaline, aquamarine, turquoise and kunzite are just some of semi-precious stones that come to mind.
Connect with us for more ideas on how to stamp the mark of your essence into the unique proposal ring that she will wear for a lifetime at askwendylor@wendylorartisans.com or +6012 267 8993.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
In Spring break of 1993, Rashid came over to Los Angeles to spend 9 days with me. I gave him a yellow gold Carreraycarrera ring from Spain. It had beautiful carved horse heads all around it. As Rashid is a Sagittarius and is also born in the Chinese Year of the Horse, the symbol of the Horse is especially meaningful to him. At this time we did not know that Muslim men could not wear gold. :(
When Rashid and I got engaged on February 6, 1994, we were both young, idealistic and had stars in our eyes. My engagement ring was a flashy solitaire in a diamond encrusted white gold setting paired with a plain wedding band to match. Rashid opted for a broad band of emerald cut diamonds also in a white gold setting. We had been erroneously told that Muslim men could wear WHITE gold. Again we did not do due diligence on this matter. :(
A year later I was expecting Rayhan and my fingers grew too chubby to wear both my rings so Rashid bought me a thick plain yellow gold wedding band to tide me over the pregnancy. By then he was also working long hours at the bank so for security reasons he too opted for a plain white gold wedding band.
When Rayhan was born in 1996, it took me almost a year to lose all the pregnancy weight so by our third anniversary; we decided to change our rings again. Rashid modified my original engagement solitaire into a classic Bunga Tanjung traditional ring design by adding a circle of Lazare cut diamonds around the solitaire. I opted to redesign his ring completely and changed it to a very manly large emerald cut sapphire framed by baguette diamonds all around. Both rings were still very flashy and eye-catching.
By 1997 we were both working for my Father in Construction and Development. As we literally learned everything from the ground up, flashy, expensive rings had NO place on the site so we both stopped using our wedding rings and wedding bands completely. :(
In 2004, we both hit a few rough patches in our lives and we thought perhaps we should change our rings yet again to something much simpler and more suitable for daily use. Boy o boy did the designer get our order wrong! We had asked for a simple design with a just a simple ring for him and 3 small diamonds signifying "I Love You" incorporated into my matching ring. What we got were 2 very heavy platinum rings with a very stylized curvy ribbon and filigree beading design with etched hearts carved on the sides. It practically screamed nouveau riche but as we had ordered it through our friend's jewelry company we both did not have the heart to tell him how much we felt the design was so over the top! After a few months of use, into the safe the rings went, never to be seen again. Back to being ringless again! :(
In the last 20 years, we have gone through many changes in our lives together. We have grown physically larger (oops), emotionally stronger (woohoo), mentally wiser (hopefully) and spiritually more enlightened (Amin). We have learnt not to take things or each other for granted and to appreciate everything that we receive be it good or bad from Allah SWT our Creator. After all everything is HIS Will and there are NO mistakes in life, only lessons to be learnt.
We finally decided to start wearing wedding bands again last year as we have survived many obstacles in our marriage and have emerged even stronger and more in love with each other than when we first met in 1992. Rashid and I are BFFs and I wanted someone who could "get" us to design our rings. As I don't believe in coincidences, I believe I was directed by our Creator to Wendy Lor the owner and designer of UniqueWeddingBands. After almost a year of conferring and designing, Wendy finally created what I believe will be the last wedding band set for us. Wendy delivered our rings to us last night and it was love at first sight. Along with the wedding rings came her story for the concept of the rings.
This is Wendy's personal note to us on the concept of the "Anchor of Love" for Raja Rashid Idris & Sarah Carol Shun. "A design concept based on the filigree theme, sitting on a ring of weight, hence the "Anchor of Love" was conceived. I have made the patterns very elaborate to make it look grand on the outside. This is to symbolize your social status. But what makes your rings very special is the weight. Yes! The weight of your rings. Your UniqueWeddingBands are deliberately made to feel heavy. The weight of the ring is like the anchor to a ship. It symbolizes strength. Your rings serve as a reminder that you can make a difference to those around you. A relationship is to be worked on and not to be walked out of. Because you are making it work, your advice on relationships carries weight. You are an anchor for each other and all those around you. God Bless for Eternity." ~ Wendy Lor
Both of us really like our new wedding bands and despite the additional weight both rings are really comfortable to wear. Rashid’s ring is made out of Suasa, which is totally acceptable for Muslim men to wear and mine is made out of white gold. The design has no embedded gemstones and its intricate design alone makes it feel like we are wearing a tiny piece of fine art from Wendy Lor. Thank you Wendy for making such beautiful rings for us. Thank you Chai Li for transcribing our very long-winded love story so faithfully for Wendy and keeping us in the loop over the last year on the progress of our rings. May our Creator bless you both always! Well this is our love story over the years and over many sets of wedding rings and wedding bands. May Allah SWT continue to bless our marriage with HIS mercy, love and grace. Amin. :)
"Our new Anchor of Love" rings:
Picture courtesy of Sarah Carol Shun.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
It's wonderful when we get enquiries from guys who want something special for their loved ones. The guys that we eventually meet after some initial introduction via email are absolutely sweet and charming.
It's very heart warming indeed when we hear the reasons why they would want a uniquely designed proposal ring for their chosen one.
Some really do fall in love at first sight. He knows for sure that she is the one he wants to grow old with, after spending much time knowing her. Some only find out that the one that's been in front of their eyes all the time has been THE one all this while. Some find the true one after traveling half the globe to find her on the other end. Some have known each other as kids, grew up as teenagers, and fell in love as young adults. The stories are aplenty.
You definitely have your own story to tell. No matter how many we have met, not one story of love is exactly the same. So to all the guys who are in love, and have chosen that special one to be THE one, share with us your stories and leave the rest to us. We will have that special essence captured in your proposal ring and she will only want to say YES immediately.
One of the major benefit besides having your unique story captured in the unique proposal ring, is the unique wedding band will be made to fit. This means SHE will wear both the unique wedding band and proposal ring as if they were made as one. And indeed they are, simply because our idea and conceptualization begins with the end in mind.
Connect with us at askwendylor@wendylorartisans.com or call +6012 267 8993 to get the ideas rolling.
Friday, November 11, 2011
This set of UWB is called "The Heart of Gold". I named it after the couple, whom to me has the greatest heart of gold, not just for each other, but for the people around them and all that are surrounding their lives. They have also showed me that it is absolutely OK to be just who we are. Acceptance is the key.
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| Seldom do we see a pair of male hands tying the wedding bands to the ribbon on the pillow. This pair of hands did a fantastic job at Goodwood Park Hotel, Singapore. |
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| Pair of "Hearts of Gold" sits comfortably on the pillow set |
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| Cupcakes, candies and everything sweet |
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| With tis I marry thee |
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| Nothing beats having your family and closest friends with you on your most special day |
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| "The Heart of Gold" on where it belongs |
Monday, October 17, 2011
I had the privilege of visiting Jakarta a few months back ~ yes, I know this is much backdated but still something worth sharing with everyone. This round was to make a set of UWB and set of jewelry for a heartwarming couple, Luke & Widya who will be tying the knot sometime next year.
Jakarta has a population of 9.58 million. It is the most populous city in Southeast Asia and the tenth-largest city in the world. So you can imagine the sea of people in one shopping complex especially when it is a public holiday or the weekends. I was over-whelmed just by staring at the heads from the top floor of one of the bigger complexes.
I say I never work a day & this still stands true. And this is simply because I love what I do & I make my work my play and vice versa. Therefore, whenever I travel, one of the things I do is to look for the best kinds of food, local ones especially, because I love good food :)....
Before I continue, I must stress that this is not a food blog. This next part about food is just an appetizer before I get to the jewelry creation section.
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| It's the special sauce that makes this 'rojak' (mix of fruits) so GOOD! Then, I found out it is because of the palm sugar (from the coconut tree) which gives the sauce its' unique fragrance. A must try if you are visiting Jakarta! |
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| My favorite fish in Jakarta ~ the Gurame. If you have never tried Gurame while in Jakarta, it also means you have never really been to Jakarta. |
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| Sambal belacan - ground chili with shrimp paste ~ a must-have condiment to go with Gurame and rice. Incidentally these 5 empty saucers of the sambal were finished by just one person! |
There you go, my top 3 must-eat item while in Jakarta. I have a fourth one, but unfortunately, did not take a picture of that. It's the juice alpokat ~ avocado smoothie blend with chocolate sauce. Super duper yummy.
Next up, back to the jewelry business. It warms my heart every time I meet couples who have known each for the longest time, goes through the roller coaster route, takes a few turns to learn about life and finally realizing that they were meant for each other. And this sums up my experience of meeting one of the most heart warming couples ever, Luke and Widya.
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| After hearing their stories, it's ring size measurement time. All our rings are created for comfort fit. |
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| Nothing beats the old-fashioned measuring tape when ensuring a personalized necklace is at the correct length |
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| Even an ear-ring is measured for accuracy & comfort |
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| A bracelet to complete a full set of jewelry for the lovely bride |
For display of the final pieces, we would need to wait for my future posts as it is still work-in-progress for now.
Last but not least, a big thanks to Luke and Widya for their blessings for allowing us to share their snapshots and UWB journey.
Monday, April 4, 2011
The catchphrase 'Diamonds are a girl's best friend' has become a popular part of the modern culture thanks to the sustained marketing effort of the diamond industry.
Women, and men, have come to expect that an engagement ring would have to be a diamond ring. Many also assume that should wedding bands be embellished with gems, the stones would have to be diamonds too.
Yet not many realize that the concept of having diamonds on engagement and wedding rings is new – in fact, less than 100 years old.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
In those times, wedding rings were fashioned from such materials as reed and weed, and worn on the left ring finger. These were meant to indicate the wearer's marital status. However, although the bond of marriage may have lasted, the rings themselves rarely did.
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| Ring made of reed and weed in ancient times rarely last |
Sunday, December 19, 2010
These days, there are many options available to those buying wedding jewelry. However, there is a factor that is often the least considered in the purchase of the wedding ring.
First of all, let's examine what is considered cool or warm metal. Simply put, gold, rose gold (a gold and copper alloy), bronze, brass and copper are considered warm metals because of their respective colors.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
When we first met, we were 2½ weeks away from their registration date. We had only 2½ weeks to work on their concept, design and the full works.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Firstly, my heartfelt gratitude to Mohd Rozairi and Lynn Najib for giving me their blessings to share my experience in creating their unique wedding bands with everyone.
Rozairi and Lynn is a very beautiful couple. Their story was related to me by my colleague who met them for the getting-to-know you session. It is so very important for couples to share as much as they can about their stories so that we are able to extract their essence and translate that into their unique wedding ring.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Do you agree that engagement rings generate more attention than a wedding ring? Remember those times when a girlfriend who has just gotten engaged becomes the centre of attention after she reveals the 'bling' for all to see. The bigger the rock, the more 'oohs' and 'aahs' are heard.THE Ring
A wedding ring on the other hand is necessary. This is THE ring that will proclaim your status as a spouse. An enduring symbol of the promise you made to your beloved. This is THE ring that is worn by both the wife and the husband. However it is often seen as a less involved purchase. Why is that?
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
When we delivered the completed rings to them, they were just ecstatic! We took many photographs of their happy faces. However for privacy purposes, the photo we are sharing with you is just a snapshot of their UWB on their fingers.
The first time they saw the designs, they wanted to make minor changes here and there. However after some discussions among themselves, they decided to go with the original. Seeing and feeling the real thing beats what one sees on drawing although we achieved close to 90% of actual versus visual. The 10% variance is because of the final finishing.
I am very happy that they are very happy. Look out for more from this lovely couple as we come closer to their wedding day.
All my heart,
Wendy Lor
Thursday, October 7, 2010
So often you hear of a guy springing a surprise by presenting a diamond ring to his gal. And more often than not, they shopped around for months to find that perfect one. Imagine if one could make THE diamond ring for his beloved half. Well, we know of a guy who did just that.
Our heartiest congratulations to Derwin for making one of this dreams come true. And that is to be hands on with the engagement ring to his fiance, Moon. Literally hands on! After Wendy completed the design and modeling, our master artisan refurbished it. Thereafter Derwin took over the final stage to polish and give the ring its rightful bling! Oh, can you imagine just how romantic one can get? He's been working on many pieces, all belonging to other people. Nothing beats the emotion when one can do his very own.
Here are some snapshots of Derwin at work with a custom design engagement ring by Wendy Lor for the love of his life.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
I had loads of fun doing their unique wedding ring. When I first met them, the first thing I thought was, "These two love birds really do enjoy each other's company". They were talking about themselves and each other in a very rhythmic manner, almost as if they were singing a duet. They were teasing one another in a very playful and straightforward manner without being "too direct" and yet getting the message across. They were very spontaneous when it came to what they love doing together. There were so much of laughter throughout the entire chit chat session. I just had so much fun because they were truly participating in the conversation about themselves with me.
When I went back to work on their wedding ring concept, it was nearly a breeze for me because of their 100% openness about themselves. This is one of the most important factors in allowing me to be able to capture their essence and translating that into a pair of unique wedding ring. More importantly, Steven, the bridegroom-to-be then, contributed a very important input into his ring which made it even more meaningful for them.
On the outside, their wedding ring may look just like another to some, with some artistic designs and gemstones on it, but the true essence of the ring is about them. They (and of course I do too) know what the gems represent, the hidden message inside the designs and how to read their secret love missive inside the ring.
My joy of creating wedding rings comes most when couples participate in the creation of their wedding rings. They may not know what they want, but so long they are able to share their stories as much as possible and be honest about how they feel, it is already a form of participation.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart again Steven and Sunny for the wonderful and joyful experience of working with you on your Unique Wedding Bands. You make my day!
All my heart,
Wendy Lor
Monday, September 20, 2010
You've got a bling on your finger and your engaged status is now declared. But wait a minute. That is not the end of the story. There is the other ring. The one that will accompany you throughout life. One for you and one for your significant other. A wedding ring is an emotional and highly involved purchase.
Life as a married couple is a journey made by two people pledging to spend the rest of your life together. So why not choose the very rings that cement the couple hood, together? You may be surprised that you spouse too wants to have a say in the kind of ring he wears.
So what would you both want to think about when you are making your wedding ring decision?
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
"We've shopped around for our wedding ring and still can't find what we like." "Most of the wedding rings we've seen look almost the same. We can't find anything we like."
Sound familiar? These are the most common comments I hear when I meet couples for the first time. And if you have tried asking, "do you make custom wedding bands?" chances are the response will be, "oh sure, give us your design and we can make it for you" or "custom rings are very expensive!"
Then you may ask, "so how expensive would it be?" Their answer would probably be, "oh, very, very expensive...and it takes a very long time...we have a lot of choices for you here, I am sure you will be able to find something you like".
Then you may ask, "so how expensive would it be?" Their answer would probably be, "oh, very, very expensive...and it takes a very long time...we have a lot of choices for you here, I am sure you will be able to find something you like".
But you can't really blame them. They are merely doing their job.
How it all started...
How it all started...
I am Wendy Lor. I have been a jewelry artisan for more than 20 years. My grandfather was a jeweler, as was my father. The funny thing is I did not want to be a jeweler when I was growing up. But while studying Visual Arts in Australia, a calling came and I was irresistibly drawn back to the stage that have been set since the day I was born. I have never looked back since.
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