This couple did all 5 love languages, every day, for 30 days (words, touch, gifts, acts of service, quality time). They got engaged along the way.
Their biggest takeaway? Life gets messy and you won't always get it perfect but the effort is what counts. Sometimes it's just a 2-second touch or compliment, and that's enough.
Video's below 👇 What's your love language?
Okay so July birthstone szn is here and I will not be normal about it. Rubies are basically the drama queens of the gem world and I mean that as the highest compliment.
A few things that make rubies kind of unhinged (affectionately):
They're corundum's more famous sibling. Ruby and sapphire are literally the same mineral. The only difference is chromium, which is what gives ruby that red. Take away the chromium and you just have a sapphire. Wild stuff.
The color scale runs deep. You've got everything from a soft pinkish red to a deep "pigeon's blood" red, which is the most prized shade and sounds way more metal than a gemstone name has any right to sound.
They rank a 9 on the Mohs scale. Only diamond is harder. So if you're July and you want a ring you can actually wear every day without babying it, ruby is built for that life.
Ancient cultures thought they could stop bleeding, cure inflammation, and protect you in battle. No notes, 10/10 origin lore, would recommend as a superhero backstory.
They used to be worth more than diamonds per carat. Some of the rarest rubies (looking at you, Burmese pigeon's blood) still command higher prices than diamonds of the same size.
So, July people: what's your ruby story? Wearing one, want one, inherited a "ruby" from a relative that's definitely just red glass? Drop it below 👇
Also if anyone's got a favorite ruby cut or setting, would love to see it. Emerald cut rubies especially live in my head rent free.
Posting on behalf of my new Fiancé, she said she didn’t expect me to get the exact ring she wanted but she loves it!
I’ve been waiting to finally post in here after seeing everyone’s beautiful engagement rings to share my own! My boyfriend proposed to me on June 18th and the actual ring finally came in! I’m in love! He did such a good job.
Been seeing a lot of "where should I buy a lab diamond?" posts lately, so here's an honest breakdown of the four names that come up most. None of them are bad. They just serve different priorities.
**Brilliant Earth**
Best for: people who want the most options and care about sourcing specifics
The selection is massive. Thousands of independently certified stones (IGI/GCAL). Nearly all of them have HD 360° video, which actually matters when you're evaluating sparkle online. They also have 40+ physical showrooms if you want to see something in person before committing. On the sustainability side, they go beyond the usual "lab diamonds are eco-friendly" claim, some stones are grown with 100% renewable energy, carbon capture technology, and shipped with carbon offsets. A subset also have blockchain-verified origin records.
One thing to note: blockchain verification is only available on select inventory, so if that's specifically important to you, filter for it when browsing.
**Blue Nile**
Best for: price shoppers who still want a recognized name
One of the original online jewelers. Their lab diamond catalog has grown but they only started carrying them in late 2022, so the selection is thinner than their natural diamond side. Certifications are included, and they have a solid custom ring builder. They run frequent sales. The downside: 360° video is only available on select stones, and there's no way to filter by sustainability metrics if that matters to you.
**Shane Co.**
Best for: people who want to see it in person without a high-end showroom feel
Family-owned, physical stores around the U.S., decent filtering online. All lab diamonds come with grading reports. The lab inventory is more limited than the other retailers here, and not every stone has 360° viewing tools, so you're relying more on in-store visits to evaluate quality.
**VRAI**
Best for: buyers who specifically want U.S.-made, zero-emission stones
VRAI is direct-to-consumer and only sells diamonds from Diamond Foundry, a single U.S.-based zero-emission lab. That's a genuine sustainability differentiator. They do have 360° video and virtual shopping tools. The catch: because they source from one place, the assortment is smaller, and some stones are self-graded rather than independently certified by IGI/GCAL. If third-party verification matters to you, check the individual listing carefully.
Happy to answer questions!
*(disclosure: this is posted by the Brilliant Earth team, but the competitor info is pulled from their own sites)*
Lab-grown diamonds have gotten so popular so fast that the market is now flooded with options and not all of them are equal. If you're shopping for one, here are the things worth actually scrutinizing, because a lot of buyers skip them and end up disappointed.
1. Is the diamond independently certified?
This one matters more than most people realize. Independent grading from labs like IGI or GCAL verifies the 4Cs (cut, color, clarity, carat) with no conflict of interest. Some retailers sell "self-graded" diamonds meaning the seller is also the one telling you how good the stone is. That's not ideal.
2. Can you actually see the diamond before you buy?
A static photo is almost meaningless for evaluating a diamond. Look for retailers that offer HD 360° video of the specific stone you're buying. Sparkle, brilliance, and visible inclusions don't show up well in a flat image, they show up in motion under light.
3. Do you know where it came from?
"Lab-grown" is a broad term. Some retailers offer blockchain-verified origin records for their stones, which gives you documented traceability rather than just a verbal assurance. It sounds like overkill, but if sourcing and ethics matter to you, verified documentation is the only thing that actually backs up those claims.
4. Are the sustainability claims real?
Lab diamonds use significantly less land and water than mined diamonds, that's generally true. But some retailers go further: diamonds grown with 100% renewable energy, carbon capture technology, repurposed/recycled metals for the settings, carbon-offset shipping. If this matters to you, it's worth asking what specifically a retailer does, not just whether they use the word "sustainable."
5. Can you see it in person if you want to?
A lot of lab diamond shopping happens online, and that's fine but it's nice to have the option of an actual showroom with a real gemologist if you're spending a significant amount. Some online-only retailers don't have this, which is something to factor in.
None of this is meant to be overwhelming. Lab diamonds are genuinely a great option for a lot of people. Just worth knowing what questions to ask so you feel confident in whatever you buy.
(Disclosure: this post is from the team at Brilliant Earth, happy to answer questions)
Color symbolism in gemstones is genuinely old (some of it traces back to ancient Egypt, Rome, and India) but it’s also constantly being reinterpreted. Here’s a quick tour of the stones people actually choose for meaning, and where those meanings come from.
Ruby (red): Associated with passion, protection, and vitality across nearly every culture that encountered it. Burmese warriors embedded rubies in their skin before battle. In Indian tradition, rubies represented the sun and were called “ratnaraj” (king of gemstones). Today: mostly shorthand for deep romantic love.
Sapphire (blue): Medieval European clergy wore sapphires because blue symbolized heaven and purity. Engagement ring associations largely predate diamonds. Prince Albert gave Queen Victoria a sapphire ring, and sapphires were standard for royal betrothals. Today: loyalty, wisdom, and a non-diamond engagement ring that reads formal.
Emerald (green): Sacred to Venus in Roman tradition; Cleopatra was famously obsessed with them. Associated with fertility, rebirth, and hope across multiple cultures. Today: the go-to for people who want color but formal weight.
Amethyst (purple): The Greeks and Romans believed it prevented intoxication (amethystos literally means “not drunk”). Bishops wore it; medieval soldiers carried it as a protection stone. Today: creativity and calm, and a very popular non-traditional engagement ring option.
Pearls (white): In many Asian cultures, associated with wisdom and wealth. In Western Europe, purity and mourning at different points in history. Victorians wore jet and pearls together for grief. Today: simultaneously vintage-chic and unexpected on a person who knows what they’re doing.
The honest answer to ‘do color meanings matter’: for a lot of buyers, they do. Not because of superstition but because choosing a color with personal resonance makes a piece feel intentional rather than arbitrary. A birthstone, a color tied to a memory, a stone in a partner’s favorite color. That’s the real modern version of gemstone symbolism.
Did the meaning or color symbolism of a stone factor into a jewelry purchase you’ve made? Or do you choose purely on aesthetics?
Fluorescence is one of those diamond characteristics that causes completely disproportionate amounts of anxiety online. Let’s clear it up.
What is it? About 25–35% of diamonds fluoresce. Meaning they glow (usually blue) when exposed to UV light. This is caused by trace elements, most commonly boron, that got trapped in the crystal structure when the diamond formed.
Does it affect how the diamond looks in normal light? Almost never. For the vast majority of diamonds, fluorescence is invisible in daylight or indoor lighting. The GIA has done large-scale studies on this and found that observers couldn’t reliably tell fluorescent from non-fluorescent diamonds under normal conditions.
There is one genuine concern: very strong fluorescence, in rare cases, can make a diamond look slightly hazy or “oily” in certain lighting. This is uncommon and mostly affects stones with very strong or extreme fluorescence grades.
The financial reality: diamonds with medium or strong fluorescence are often priced 5–15% lower than comparable non-fluorescent stones, because of buyer anxiety. This is a perceived flaw, not a real one in most cases and it can mean getting a better stone for the same budget.
The takeaway:
• Faint to medium fluorescence: essentially no visual impact. Often represents real value.
• Strong fluorescence: worth looking at in daylight before buying, but often totally fine.
• Very strong or extreme: inspect carefully, especially in lower-color diamonds (H and below) where you’re more likely to see the hazy effect.
If you’ve bought or evaluated a fluorescent diamond, what was your experience? Did the discount factor into your decision?
Spotted in the wild: someone over at r/WedditNYC is planning their civil ceremony in Manhattan... right in the middle of the championship parade. We had to ask.
If you were in their shoes, what would you do?
Option 1: Find a quieter spot and keep the vibe intimate (no confetti in your vows, at least)
Option 2: Lean all the way in...get married with the city celebrating around you
Honestly? Championship energy hits different. But so does saying "I do." These might be the only two occasions where either one is an acceptable reason to cry in public on a Thursday.
What would you choose?
https://www.reddit.com/r/WedditNYC/s/wmhXSD0tam
We spend a lot of time talking about engagement rings and fine jewelry, which makes sense. But there’s a whole universe of jewelry that doesn’t live in a velvet box.
Drop a photo of something you love that breaks the traditional mold: a cartilage piercing you’ve had for fifteen years, a statement cuff that takes up half your forearm, a chunky enamel ring you wear every day, a vintage brooch you converted into something else, a toe ring, an ear-cuff situation that took you three tries to get right. Anything.
Tell us: what’s the piece, why do you love it, and has anyone ever given you a hard time about wearing it?
Jewelry is personal. The best pieces are the ones that mean something to you, regardless of how much they cost or how formal they are. Show us what’s actually on your body.
Let's do a fun one. Drop a photo of the oldest piece of jewelry you own and tell us the story behind it. A grandmother's ring, an estate-sale mystery brooch, something you have zero provenance on but love anyway.
Bonus points if you know: the era or style (Victorian, Art Deco, Retro, Mid-Century), whether it's been resized or repaired, and any family lore attached to it (true or wildly exaggerated, we don't judge).
Old jewelry is a window into how things were made. Hand-cut stones, closed-back settings, cuts that don't even exist anymore (old mine and old European cuts have a soft, chunky sparkle that's totally different from a modern round). We love seeing it.
The modern birthstone list feels ancient and official but it was mostly invented by a jewelry trade association in 1912. That’s not a knock on it; it’s just not the ancient tradition most people assume it is.
Here’s the condensed history. The concept of stones tied to birth months likely traces back to the Breastplate of Aaron described in Exodus; twelve stones set in gold, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Early Christian writers eventually linked those twelve stones to the twelve apostles and the twelve signs of the zodiac. But the specific month-by-month list we use today? Much newer.
In 1912, the National Association of Jewelers (now Jewelers of America) standardized the first modern list to get everyone selling the same stones. It got updated in 1952 by the Jewelry Industry Council of America, and tweaked again in 2002 when tanzanite was added for December (which, let’s be honest, is great but partly a commercial move).
A few things the modern list changed from older traditions:
• August used to be sardonyx. Peridot was added in 1912. Spinel was added as a second August option in 2016.
• March used to be bloodstone (still a valid alternate). Aquamarine was added in 1912.
• June has THREE official options: pearl, alexandrite, and moonstone, which tells you how messy the standardization got.
• December has four options (turquoise, blue zircon, tanzanite, blue topaz) depending on which list you follow.
So your birthstone isn’t wrong but if you’ve ever looked at alternatives and liked a different stone better, you have historical cover to go rogue.
What’s your birth month, and do you actually wear your birthstone? Or did you pick something else?
Everyone’s had it happen: the ring looks stunning on your hand, you snap a photo, and it comes out a dull gray blob with a weird orange cast. The good news is it’s almost never the ring, it’s the light and the distance. Here’s how to fix it with just your phone.
• Use soft, indirect daylight. Stand near a window but out of direct sun. Harsh direct light blows out the sparkle; overcast-window light is a diamond’s best friend. Avoid yellow indoor bulbs, they wreck the color.
• Wipe the stone first. Skin oil and lotion are why your diamond looks foggy in photos. Ten seconds with a soft cloth makes a bigger difference than any filter.
• Back up and zoom, don’t shove the phone in. Phone macro lenses distort up close and won’t focus. Move back a bit and use 2x zoom. You get truer proportions and sharper focus.
• Tap to focus, then lower the exposure slightly. Tap the stone on your screen, then drag the little sun/brightness slider down a touch. Darker backgrounds make sparkle pop; overexposed shots look flat and washed out.
• Add a tiny bit of motion for sparkle. A short video or burst while you slightly rotate your hand captures the fire and scintillation a still photo flattens out.
The pro move: a small black or matte surface behind your hand (a phone case, a dark notebook) kills distracting reflections and makes the stone the star. No special gear required.
If you’ve ever wondered why your friend’s emerald ring looks a little beat up while a sapphire stays crisp for decades, the answer is one number almost nobody explains: hardness. Jewelers rank it on the Mohs scale, 1 (talc, crumbles if you look at it) to 10 (diamond, the hardest natural material there is).
Here’s where the popular daily-wear stones actually land:
• Diamond: 10. The undisputed champ. Basically only another diamond scratches it.
• Sapphire & Ruby (corundum): 9. Tough as it gets short of diamond, which is why colored sapphires are an underrated everyday choice.
• Topaz / Spinel: 8. Hard enough for daily wear with normal care.
• Emerald & Aquamarine (beryl): 7.5–8, BUT emeralds are full of inclusions that make them prone to chipping. Hardness isn’t the whole story.
• Quartz family (amethyst, citrine, morganite-adjacent): 7. The rough cutoff for comfortable daily wear without babying it.
• Opal & Pearl: 5.5–6.5 and lower. Beautiful, but soft and easily scratched. Better for earrings, pendants, or occasional wear than an everyday ring.
The thing the scale doesn’t tell you: Mohs measures scratch resistance, not toughness. A diamond is the hardest stone but can still chip if you whack it at the wrong angle, because hardness and shatter-resistance are different properties. So 'a 10' doesn’t mean 'indestructible', it means 'won’t get surface scratches.'
Rule of thumb: for a ring you’ll wear every single day without thinking about it, aim for a 7.5 or higher, and keep the softer pretties for pieces that don’t take a beating.
What stone is in your everyday ring and has it held up the way you expected?