Field of Gold Ring by Lori Lewis Designs, $54
Draped in sparkling jewelry while pretending to be in charge – this is how Lori Lewis used to play dress-up at her grandmother’s Brooklyn apartment – by throwing on every piece in her grandmother’s jewelry box and sitting at her roll-top desk acting like she's the boss before she even knew what that meant.
It’s no wonder that more than two decades later, she is much in the same position, except this time, it’s no pretense, it’s for real.
It all started with a desire to be able to do work that she loved. She started a business designing items for the home to beautify the surroundings, inspire the spirit and soothe the soul – life accessories as she called it. She wanted to include jewelry but the focus of the business did not allow for that. Eventually, she felt compelled to act upon this yearning and went bead shopping to make jewelry prototypes. This was a turning point for she came to realize where her focus should be. Her company, Affirmative Accessories, was then turned from a business designing items for the home, into a full fledged jewelry design house.
Her first jewelry collection, Genesis, debuted in Spring 2004 to the rave reviews of family and friends. Her next collection launched AffirmativeAccessories.com in early 2005. All of her pieces are either one-of-a-kind or limited edition. If you like a style but want it changed to better suit you or if you know what you want but can’t find it anywhere, Lori Lewis Designs will work with you in bringing your jewelry vision to life.
Lori’s design philosophy is very playful and spontaneous with lots of color, movement, and sparkle. Her objectives are threefold. First is to create pieces everyone will enjoy wearing, feel beautiful in, and benefit from, through the healing power of gemstones and what those powers can help manifest in the wearer's life. Second is to be a progressive, generous company to employees and customers. Third is to give back through charitable works and donations.
She understands that to some, jewelry is a frivolous purchase. This is why she wanted to deepen the power and the meaning of jeweled adornments, taking them from decoration to something that has meaning in the wearer’s life and through her charity of the month program, in the lives of others. A portion of the proceeds of each item sold is donated to a charitable cause. Some of the organizations that have benefited from this program are the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the American Heart Association, and the Christopher Reeve Foundation.
We received the Field of Gold Ring from their Signature Ring Collection. It is made of Feldspar and 14kt gold fill wire. It retails for $54.
Feldspar is by far the most abundant group of minerals in the earth's crust, forming about 60% of terrestrial rocks. It is derived from the German Feld, field, and Spat, a rock that does not contain ore. The feldspar in the ring measures about ½“ by ¾“.
As abundant as this rock is, it’s more popularly used in glass and ceramics than in jewelry. That is why it’s so unique. Most people have no idea what it is. It is such a conversation starter. Whether I’m out running errands, at a party, or dining out, I always get asked what it is. Of course, after I respond that it’s feldspar, I get an even more perplexed look. I have found that the best response to the follow-up question of ‘What is that?’, is to simply say that it’s a type of rock. Then the routine goes from asking to inspecting the rock closely and then moving on to admiring the wire wrapping.
The brownish, yellowish tone of the rock goes so well with the gold fill wire. The wrapping itself is so exquisitely executed. It is done by hand which gives it an irregular, casual look that is so non-traditional and ultra stylish.
I love wearing this ring with a yellow tube top like this stripe tube dress by Soprano. It really stands out and just completes the entire outfit. I prefer to wear it as a top with either a pair of tapered bermuda shorts or a pair of ankle length jeans.
If you've never purchased a ring online and you’re afraid you’ll select the wrong size, not to worry. Lori Lewis Designs provides a ring sizer on their site. It’s a cutout that you print and wrap around your finger. The little arrow will tell you what your size is so you can’t go wrong.
Also, every purchase comes with a free gift. Depending on the amount of your purchase, you'll either get a jewelry care cloth, a pair of gemstone and sterling earrings plus free shipping, or a gemstone, sterling and leather necklace plus free shipping. Let's not forget that you're not the only one who will be receiving a gift. A portion of all sales are donated to a charitable institution so there's a gift for you and a gift for those in need. Makes you feel good about spending doesn't it?
Reviewer: Brown Eyes
