I’ve never been a ring person, although I’ve always really loved medieval gauntlets and also arm warmers and fashion statement gloves. I can’t say I’m against all hand accessories. The truth is, as a guitar player, I hardly ever even get a chance to enjoy a fresh manicure or coat of nail polish, let alone wear rings. My best friend and roommate, however, is a ring fiend. She must have about four or five different hands to display them on her dresser. It is a diverse and impressive collection - something for every occasion.   Le Vian Red Carpet® 14k Strawberry Gold® Ring She has so many different kinds of rings housing beautiful polished stones, such as amethyst, citrine and tourmaline, but also some of the classics from the matriarchs of the family - a silver ring housing an exquisitely cut sapphire, our shared birthstone, is the crown jewel of this collection. It was a gift from one of her grandmother's, given to her as a baby, and saved until she was old enough to appreciate it and wear it, first to family functions, then to school dances, and eventually to prom and graduation. Me, on the other hand? I’m more of an earrings person. I love the simplicity of a well-made stud, and the way that it catches the light. We all have different types of jewelry that we’re attracted to, and it makes sense as a reflection of who we are personality wise and stylistically.   I found that my family, in contrast, never really passed rings along. We seemed to be more of a necklace family. My brothers have always worn corded necklaces that host Celtic crosses, and my mother and grandmother love necklaces. One commonality is that I too received a birthstone piece, just in a different format; a small but bright sapphire dangling from a precious, thin silver chain. I hardly have an occasion formal enough to wear it. I’m also still kind of a young punk at heart, and I wear a lot of absolutely gaudy statement pieces. I have a necklace that features nothing except a huge silver pair of lips, for example, and I like it that way for daily outfits and ensembles. But there’s a difference, I think, between wearable pieces like that and real jewelry - it’s something that can hardly be explained, but it’s deep in the craftsmanship, the style, and the formality of it.