FINALLY a break from all that damn poultry. Seriously, I thought I was going to get that Chinese chicken disease.
It might not surprise you that I have Important Opinions about rings. Wedding and engagement rings should be tasteful bordering on discreet (there is nothing so vulgar as an enormous diamond solitaire. “Better no money than new money” as grandma always says) but if the threat of an open-handed smack while wearing a cocktail ring doesn’t leave the potential victim worrying about risk of concussion, then your ring isn’t big enough.
One of the great things about being a big girl is you can get away with Big Jewelry. In fact, you ought to be wearing it because little tiny delicate things, no matter how precious, just get lost and it ends up looking sad and sometimes –though I’m not sure why– trashy.
For big flashy cocktail rings I particularly like HSN.com, yes THAT HSN.com. Their stuff is fun, affordable, and they carry some really significant designers including My Dear Friend (okay we met once, but she loved my outfit and thus is obviously good in all things and every way) Kendra Scott.
For the Romantic

This ring looks just like burned velvet to me, and it’s lovely. You know how I feel about overly-romantic stuff and anything that smacks of Stevie Nicks, but this is just delightful. Romantic but not delicate with a bit of bold design to balance out the Renn-fest (ptui ptui)leanings.
For the Machine Age Sophisticate
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I love a bit of industrial design in jewelry, and this is done beautifully. I know it’s not completely gold, but it’s got some gold –actually yellow stainless steel, made in Italy– in it, so I’m counting it. Why? Because I’m the editor and I said so. Don’t make me turn this blog around.
For the Quirky Heiress

This is my favorite of the bunch. I love the delicate basket and the rope setting with that big hunk o’ lemon quartz. Kendra Scott Jewelry has been popular among the cognoscenti for quite a while, and she’s really a delightful woman –Style Spy and I had a nice chat with her this summer at the Lifeworks White Party. Her accessible line for HSN has all the charm of design of her more exclusive collection at more accessible prices.
For the Disco Warrior

Love this ring, and you just KNOW it would be even better on.
It’s sort of Viv Westwood goes tribal during the last days of Studio 54. I’m new to Arnold Scaasi’s jewelry, but of course the man is one of the last legendary couture-age designers (we are now post-couture, in case you were wondering) and while he was never as famous as Hubert Givenchy, he’s dressed his fair share of first ladies including Jackie Kennedy.
For The Full Mrs Roper,

BOOYAH. (that’s right, I said it) and don’t pretend you don’t love it either, because deep down in our souls WE ALL want to be Mrs. Roper. I would buy this thing in a heartbeat, and wear it with a great long patio dress AND my jeweled canary yellow turban AND my long dangly Balenciaga earrings AND I’d have the girl who does my lashes take me from Mostly Tranny to Full Blown Tranny Mess and I would be FIERCE.