Enter the “Sons Of Anarchy” jewelry giveaway at bottom of this page!!!

Two years ago the unimaginable happened. After a trip to the restroom, I emerged unaware that I had just lost the centerpiece of my bridal set – my solitaire. As I frantically searched the questionable floors of the public restroom, I cursed and threatened my luck. Of course, as I was cursing and threatening, I was also acutely aware that this was probably the universe’s way of giving me what I deserved.

For years I had felt regretful about the choices I made when my then-fiance and I purchased our wedding bands. I wished that I had chosen a different stone cut. I wished I had gone with white gold instead of the traditional yellow gold. I wished that I had chosen a less “suburban” setting, instead choosing something a little off the beaten path. Well, my wishes were granted in the form of a big gaping hole in the middle of my ring.

Strike One, Two and Three!

I thought I could replace it right away since we had the “lifetime guarantee” on our wedding bands. Nope! The lifetime guarantee only applied to the life span of the jewelry company where we had made our purchase. Unfortunately  they died a quick and uneventful retail death shortly after our marriage.

An insurance claim was out of the question. While my solitaire diamond was precious to me, its value was far less than our deductible. Strike two!

Strike three came in the form of the following: TV died and needed to be replaced sooner than the ring. Husband blew out the engine of our Durango and a  new engine had to be built. House payment, food costs and automobile loans needed to be paid in order to sustain a decent standard of living.

The point? Two years later I am still sans solitaire because there have been more important places to spend our money than shelling out a couple thousand dollars buying a replacement diamond.

Then the other day I had an epiphany. I realized that buying “real” wasn’t necessarily the only way to replace my wedding ring. A friend of mine, who is getting married in the spring, was browsing on her tablet the other day when she was over at my house. She showed me a selection of stainless steel men’s wedding bands that she was considering for her soon-to-be husband.

“These rings are a third of the cost of the rings that the jewelry chains are selling,” she gushed. “And, they look great!”

I questioned her about the legitimacy of wearing a ring that wasn’t a desirable material like gold or sterling silver. She told me that her fiance would prefer stainless steel to the other metals because he works with his hands all day and stainless steel is less likely to tarnish or get destroyed.

Hmmm, I thought. Maybe this could work for me?

Stainless Steel Trend Alert

Stainless steel is a hot new  trend in wedding bands. Why? Let me share with you a few thoughts.

• Stainless steel jewelry resembles silver, but is harder. This means that it will not tarnish and is less likely to scratch or dent.
• Jewelry made from stainless steel is also hypoallergenic. Silver, and other precious metals, often contain a type of metal called nickel. Nickel can cause allergic reactions in some people.
• Stainless steel is affordable. You can get a look that is similar to a white gold wedding band for a fraction of the cost.  Add some sparkly cubic zirconium stones to your setting for a glamorous look that costs less.

Rebel Steel

It didn’t take long to sell me on the idea of a stainless steel replacement for my wedding band, especially when I  found this website called Rebel 316. This online retailer sells an unbelievable amount of stainless steel jewelry,  including wedding bands. And the fact that the word rebel is part of the company name makes it all the better.

I am in love, no pun intended, with this stainless steel engagement band. If I pair it up with one of their simple wedding bands the set would look spectacular. What do you think?

Check out these tennis bracelets! I think they are fabulous and I actually need one to replace the tennis bracelet my husband gave me that slipped off my wrist years ago, too. Yes, I am an irresponsible jewelry wearer. I confess!

Who knew that there were so many beautiful pieces of jewelry that exist outside of the mall jewelry chains?  Who knew that you could find elegance beyond gold, platinum and silver? So, if you are a bride-to-be consider rebelling against the usual suspects for wedding jewelry and give stainless steel a chance to shine!

Do you own stainless steel jewelry? Tell us about your most fabulous piece!

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