Jess's Aquamarine Ring & Pendant
When Jess inherited her mum's Engagement ring she had a new vision for her special family heirlooms. Inspired by her the star-set Diamonds in her Grandmother's eternity ring, Jess decided to use the Diamonds from her mother's ring to create a necklace and ring that celebrate and commemorate the two most influential women in Jess' life.
1.) Tell us about your ring and necklace and how these are linked to your family.
There are 3 diamonds in my necklace and ring which are from my mum's engagement ring. They are set in a star setting which links to my Nan's eternity ring that was passed down to my mum and now to me. It carries on the legacy of the 2 most influential women in my life.
My ring has an aquamarine in the centre, which is my birthstone, with a star set diamond on either side. This represents my mum and grandmother looking after me, guiding me, and protecting me.
The meaning of True North is the internal compass that guides you successfully through life. It is your orienting point, your fixed point in a spinning world that helps you stay on track as a leader. This was a role in my life that my mum always played as my best friend, confidant and voice of reason.
No matter where I lived throughout my life I spoke to my mum almost daily, so I saw this necklace (using her diamond) as paying homage to who she was to me. It also allows me to hold onto her, keep her close and think "what would mum say? What would she encourage me to do?"
2.) Why did you decide to go bespoke with RUUSK?
I initially came across RUUSK a couple of years ago through a friend and immediately connected to Tania's style and love of star set diamonds.
When my mum passed away at the end of 2018, I inherited her jewellery (including my Nan's eternity ring). While the pieces were beautiful, they were completely different from my personal style and not something I could see myself wearing. I immediately knew Tania was the person to transform them into something new and beautiful.
3.) What do you love most about your special pieces?
That I can wear them every day, never take them off and constantly have both my mum and grandmother with me. My brother put it quite well when I initially showed him the end result. He said, "it's the next generation of family heirlooms and something truly special and unique to you."
4.) What’s a favourite memory you have of your Mum?
Early on it was her teaching me to cook! My mum had this philosophy of letting you do things as soon as you asked (within reason). Otherwise by the time you were deemed "the right age," you'd have no interest. This resulted in me cooking family dinners from a ridiculously young age because my mum thought if I could read, I could follow a recipe and it would improve my comprehension skills!
As an adult, it was solving my life's problems over a strong cup of tea. I never went for advice if I wasn't prepared for an honest opinion and the chance I'd hear something I wouldn't necessarily like. But on reflection, more often than not it was exactly what I needed to hear.
5.) What’s a favourite memory you have of your Grandmother?
It's not a memory so much, but her overall caring nature. My grandparents sold their house in the UK and moved to Australia when my brother was born to allow my mum to return to work. It was a huge sacrifice for people who had never been to Australia before and it showed me the power of love and family from an extremely early age.
