JOURNAL
Phoebe's Crescent Moon & Stars Necklace
We're absolutely thrilled to bring you the gorgeous story of Phoebe, newly graduated from her midwifery degree & her partner, Jackson. Surprising Phoebe with an Emerald Crescent Moon to celebrate her graduation and their 5th anniversary, Jackson spent much time and thought into the meaning and design of Phoebe's special piece. Congratulations Phoebe & Jackson, we hope you treasure this beautiful heirloom for your lifetime to come! Jackson, how would you describe Phoebe? And Phoebe, how would you describe Jackson? Jackson: I describe Phoebe as a beautiful soul with a peaceful and calm personality who I love dearly. Phoebe: I would describe Jackson as a caring, fun loving human who is obsessed with all things to do with his car and camping. However, he is more than this. He is the most beautiful and thoughtful man who takes care of me! The love I have for him is indescribable. Phoebe's Crescent Moon & Stars Necklace, personalised with a Centre Emerald Jackson, how does this necklace celebrate Phoebe? And was there a particular reason you chose specific design details? This necklace celebrated our 5th anniversary as well as Phoebe graduating from a Bachelor of Midwifery. I chose this design as I was initially caught by the crescent moon itself. I know Phoebe trusts in the universe and she truly believes everything happens for a reason within this world. Therefore, the moon was very symbolic of this. Phoebe has always had a love for the colour green, probably because she immerses herself within the natural beauty of mother nature. So the emerald was perfect. I wanted the diamonds either side to add to the piece without taking away the beauty. When I gave it to her I said I was the emerald, one stone was her best friend, granny, and the other her much loved dog Timmy. I explained we would be with her wherever she went as long as she wore the necklace. Phoebe, how did you feel when Jackson surprised you with your Emerald Crescent Moon Necklace? I initially saw the label RUUSK and nearly passed out! He knew I loved the brand and everything it stood for. So the fact he remembered and surprised me with something from RUUSK took me by surprise. When I opened the box, I burst into tears when I saw the emerald. I knew immediately he had customised the design and this meant the world to me. He took time in curating a very special piece. It meant more than anything for him to recognise our anniversary and my graduation as he was by my side the three years through the trials and successes of what it brought! Phoebe, after finishing your full-time midwifery degree (congratulations!), what has been the greatest takeaway from this life chapter? And what are you both particularly looking forward to in your next life adventure? The greatest takeaway from Graduation was that I did it! It also taught me the power, strength and resilience women hold and that that is invaluable. We have been together for nearly 5 years (7 years since starting to date) and we can’t wait for what the future holds. I (Phoebe), particularly can’t wait for that even more special ring on my left hand that I hope to curate with you guys again! I (Jackson), also hope for this too but more importantly a future of happiness together and whatever that may hold. Did you know? You can personalise many of our pieces to best represent you and your love story. Shop and customise your special pieces here or contact us to talk about creating your unique, handmade heirloom.
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RUUSK COUPLES: AMY & DANICA
We adored working with Amy to create Danica’s beautiful personalised engagement ring earlier this year. So it is our absolute honour to share their beautiful proposal story with you. Having organised and styled an elopement shoot at Rebel Rebel in Perth with her best pal & photographer, Sha’e, Amy convinced Danica to join the shoot under the pretence that Sha’e needed them as models. Only to surprise Danica with a very special question who responded with “obviously I love you, yes” Congratulations lovers! We wish you so much love in the newly engaged bubble and are so excited for your next life chapter together. How did you & Danica meet? We met on a dating app called ‘Her’ and started out very casually. I was living in Karratha at the time and had plans to relocate so I was just looking for friendship; I had ended a long marriage with my husband and only recently come out as gay. From the first moment we talked, we kind of knew it wasn’t going to be a casual thing. And after 3 months of facetiming, calling and texting daily we finally met in person. I guess as the saying goes, the rest was history. It was magic, the feelings were mutual and we very much fell in love quite quickly. Where was your first date? Our first date, well after we met in person, was a cute little picnic at South Perth foreshore. It was the middle of Covid and everything was in lockdown. Danica had made a full picnic spread (she’s a little masterchef, honestly) and we had champagne and just a beautiful night getting to know each other. Tell us about the proposal! Well this was all Amy. Funnily enough we always said we would never get married as it wasn't a big deal to either of us. Amy has been married and Danica has been engaged so we were honestly not fussed on having a big wedding or even getting married. I guess time and people change everything as we started talking about it more and more and then I asked Danica one day if she would like to get married. Danica said “of course, I want everything with you” So I was going to patiently wait for Danica to pop the question, however I'm very impatient haha. I'm a florist so I contacted my best pal (a photographer - Sha’e) and organised a styled shoot at this amazing new little wedding chapel that just opened up in Perth, Rebel Rebel. I devised a plan to lure Danica into this shoot pretending we were getting fake married under the guise that Sha’e was going to start shooting elopements and wanted us as models. Danica, being the most unobservant human being ever, went along with it. I contacted Rebel Rebel and they were an absolute dream to deal with. They organised everything and kept this little secret after many date changes, again due to Covid! I was ridiculously nervous all morning leading up to and Danica thought it was because I always get nervous doing flowers for weddings & events. She had NO IDEA I was about to propose. In true Danica style, after I asked her to be my Wifey for Lifey she responded with “obviously I love you, yes” How did Danica feel when she first saw her ring? It was perfect. Danica isn’t big on massive diamonds or blingy jewellery so I opted for a minimal aesthetic and a salt and pepper diamond as we had spoken a lot about them. Danica had shown me a few rings she liked so I contacted Ruusk to get a custom ring made to suit Danica’s style. Danica loves it so much, it is perfect for her and we couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. The team at Ruusk were so helpful, warm and it was the absolute easiest process to get this ring made. I couldn’t recommend this beautiful team more. Danica's Personalised 0.3ct Large Diamond Signet featuring a Salt and Pepper Diamond in Matt White Gold What excites you most about your next chapter of life together? We are super excited to get our dream home, go on numerous holidays and expand our little family. We have so many things we want to create together and couldn’t imagine life without each other. Danica is truly a dream, I am the luckiest! Did you know? You can personalise many of our pieces to best represent you and your love story. Shop and customise your special pieces here or contact us to talk about creating your unique, handmade heirloom.
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AUGUST BIRTHSTONE: PERIDOT
RUUSK Birthstone for August; Peridot. Believed to bring peace to relationships by bringing positive energy and balancing out emotions.
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RUUSK COUPLES: RACHAEL & SAM
Initially meeting through mutual friends and having fate conspire to bring them together again, Rachael & Sam said I do in the beautiful grounds of Somerley House. Ending the evening with dancing and belting out their favourite tunes with loved family & friends, we're absolutely thrilled to share a snippet of their special day and love story with you today. How did you two meet? We met back in 2012 at a friend's holiday house up in Nelson Bay on New Years Eve through mutual friends. We saw each other again a few months later in 2013 at a pub in Sydney with some friends and ended up chatting all night long. Exchanged numbers and started dating soon after - the rest is history! What is your favourite thing about each other? My favourite thing about Sam is his ability to always make me laugh - too often I will find myself cackling like a witch because of how funny he is. He is also the most genuinely kind-hearted person. Rachael is so compassionate and supportive! I also think she is just incredibly beautiful inside and out. What was really important to you both on your special day? To have fun and to celebrate with our most treasured friends and family. What was, or were some of, your favourite moments from your wedding? After the ceremony and after all of our formalised photos were taken, we had this brief moment where it was just Sam and I together. It was very calm and this really misty but light rain was falling, and we stopped and looked out over the landscape in front of us. It was absolutely stunning and just such a lovely, reflective moment we were able to share. We also thought that the dancing and festivities towards the end of the night with all of our family and friends was such an incredible moment! Can't go wrong with belting out your favourite tunes with all of your loved ones in a cloud of love and laughter. What do you love most about your rings and how did you find your experience with RUUSK? They are just so unique, yet timeless. Such a rich gold, with exceptional craftsmanship. Even after the wear and tear of time, we know these rings will last and harbour years of memories. Such incredible heirlooms. Sam's 5mm Rounded Band with Rachael's Moons Thin Organic Rachael's 0.5ct Salt and Pepper Solitaire What are you two both really looking forward to in your next chapter of married life together? Marriage is only the beginning. Looking forward to not only growing old together, but continually growing as partners as we navigate everything life throws at us. Feel so fortunate to have found each other in this life and can't wait to see how our relationship evolves. Photographer: Kerstin Auer, Lillikad Photography / @Lillikadphotography Location: Somerley House, Sutton Forest / @somerleys.suttonforest Flowers: IvyLane Collective / @Ivylanecollective Wedding dress designer: L'eto Bridal / @letobridal Hair: Holly Gould / @hairbyhollygould Celebrant: Jacqu Majer / @Jacqua.celebrant Stationery: Anomy Design, Keith Mclean-Anderson / @anomydesign + in collaboration with ivylane collective / @ivylanecollective Did you know? You can personalise many of our pieces to best represent you and your love story. Shop and customise your special pieces here or contact us to talk about creating your unique, handmade heirloom.
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MEG'S TRUE NORTH NECKLACE
In honour of her Gran, an incredible wordsmith remembered for her handwriting and large collection of daily diaries, Meg's very special piece celebrated family memories and the treasure of record-keeping. Engraving her Gran's diary entry on her day of birth, Meg's necklace beautifully honours the women who came before. Tell us about your very special piece? I chose to customise the true north necklace with a very special engraving to remember my Gran. Gran kept a daily diary for around 60 years and was known for her incredible hand writing. Gran’s diary entry written the day I was born, tells the story of my Mum’s very quick labour and the excitement of my siblings to hear I was a baby girl. Gran wrote: “A dear little dolly only 5lbs 13ozs”. I thought this was so sweet and special to be able to read about the day I was born, so I wanted to create a piece I could wear everyday incorporating her words. How did you feel when you saw your necklace for the first time? I was so happy to see my vision come to life! The necklace is so delicate and pretty and I was so impressed to see the engraving.What is a favourite memory you have of your GrandmotherMy favourite memory of my Gran would be spending time in the kitchen together baking. Gran had her very own handwritten recipe book, which we still use to this day. Meg's very special Clear Diamond True North Necklace Did you know? You can customise many of our pieces with engraving. Shop and customise your necklaces here or contact us to talk about creating your unique, handmade heirloom.
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JULY BIRTHSTONE: RUBY
RUUSK Birthstone for July; Ruby. We love this stone for its glorious colour, historical significance, and exceptional durability.
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5 Years of RUUSK
Today marks 5 years of RUUSK, and what a wonderful, challenging and rewarding journey it has been.Like most things in life, my path into jewellery wasn't entirely linear; it involved a lot of trial and error, a lot of learning, exploring and questioning what it is that I want to bring into the world. After years of experimenting with both jewellery and life, here and across the seas, I finally had a clear idea of what I wanted to do - create meaningful heirloom pieces with purpose and intention.In these 5 years, I've gone from carving rings in my corridor to growing a beautiful and extremely talented team of jewellers, setters, engravers, casters and, of course, our amazing studio team, Stef, Lucy and Kristy. We've moved studios, I've grown a human, and we've helped plant 1,523 trees through our Tree by Tree Initiative. We've created for countless beautiful souls and through these intimate heirlooms been invited into so many stories of love, friendship and grief. Even as we continue to grow, the privilege in being involved in your most precious moments and celebrations is never lost on me. It is such an honour and the greatest joy.With that sentiment, I wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for your love and support. If we've had the pleasure of creating for you, thank you for entrusting us with the creation of your heirlooms. For those who like and comment on our Instagram and Facebook posts, thank you for cheering us on. For those who talk about us to your family and friends, thank you for spreading the love.Without all of you, the journey wouldn't be nearly as sweet.As we enter our 6th year, I'm excited for us to continue to 'grow' not necessarily in size, but in heart and soul. This year we're going to focus on creating an ever richer experience for our special clients, finding ways that we can keep on giving back to this beautiful world that we are a part of and, of course, to continue to bring magic to life as best I know how.From the bottom of my heart, thank you.Bring on the next chapter!x Tania
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Nicki from Nicki Pilates
Nicki is one of the gorgeous souls in our RUUSK community who exudes warmth and positivity with every word she writes. Owning and starting a pilates studio, Nicki Pilates in Albion Park, she has created a welcoming, safe and very happy space. So it was with great pleasure when Nicki asked us to create a Mini Stellar, Shimmer Thin Organic, Hand Carved Cuff & Small Signet over the last year as she set up her new studio. And we are so excited to share Nicki's special pieces and new creative venture with you all. Name:Nicki Location:Illawarra NSW Profession/ Business / Passion / Creative Outlet:Pilates Instructor Nicki's Pilates Studio Star sign:Cancer & very much a Cancerian Quote/words to live by:Find beauty in everything Favourite places to visit:Kirra, QLD (my go to home away from home) Nicki's Hand Carved Cuff Describe your typical day:Getting woken up by some hungry monsters (my children), pilates classes in the AM, lunch and a walk or nap, pilates classes in the PM. I am fortunate enough to have my husband home during the day to be daddy daycare whilst I assist others in their feel good movement. How would you best describe your approach to health and fitness?I have found being intuitive to my bodies responses. Tired/rest, hungry/eat, anxious/breath. It’s so important to give ourselves a good balance and not to deprive ourselves of anything. Nicki's Mini Stellar Solitaire & Shimmer Thin Organic In establishing Nicki Pilates, what has been your greatest takeaway or realisation? And what have you been most grateful for in this process?Being a mum to four children, I'm quite often asked how I find the time to run a pilates studio and instruct classes? If you are passionate about something, it's not a question about finding the time. It just happens. I am most grateful for the community of people I have met in this process. It’s been a very humbling experience and I am so grateful for everyone in my life. Advice you would give to your younger self:Nicki, you will experience everything in life. The highs and lows are what will make you grow into the amazing woman you will become. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Be kind, gentle and try not to resist life’s lessons, they happen for a reason. If you are in Albion Park and looking for a Pilates Class, please pop into Nicki's studio and tell her we say hi! You can find all the details about her studio here Did you know? You can customise any of our pieces with your choice of stone, stone setting & stone placement! Contact us to discuss all the beautiful details of your unique, handmade heirloom.
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RUUSK COUPLES: JAIMEE & JACOB
It has been an absolute joy and honour to have created many special pieces for this beautiful couple over the years. And, as we've witnessed from afar many celebrations and milestones, we were overjoyed when they asked us to create their wedding bands. Plus, unbeknownst to Jaimee, her Mum, Michelle, was also planning to surprise her daughter with a beautiful wedding gift to celebrate this new chapter of life! It is with so much pleasure that we share their beautiful wedding story as they exchanged vows on the grounds of Bawley Vale Estate. Congratulations lovers, we're so happy for you! Describe each other in three words Jaimee: Jacob is a gentleman, extremely genuine and loving.Jacob: Beautiful, caring & she looks after me. Where was your first date? On a Ferris wheel at Cronulla Fair, (very romantic 😂) Jacob's Classic Signet with hand engraving and flush-set sapphire in the band. What did you love most about your wedding day? We both loved that when we looked around, we saw a room full of our most precious loved ones, family & friends. All there, celebrating our love with us. That was pretty amazing. How did you both feel when you saw your wedding rings for the first time? And how did you find your experience with RUUSK? We were absolutely blown away, we couldn’t be happier with our wedding rings, Tania did such an amazing job at helping us bring our visions to life, especially with my (Jaimee’s) ring to sit perfectly with my Engagement Ring that she had already designed with Jacob. Jacob’s first words when seeing his ring were ’that is the most gangsta thing I’ve ever seen!’ Our experience was incredible, Tania makes the whole process so easy and seamless, communication is always very responsive & she feels more like a friend each time we chat. Truly a beautiful person inside & out & we are forever grateful to have such beautiful pieces to stay with us forever.Jaimee's Hand Carved Cuff in Rose Gold, made for her to wear on her wedding day. Jaimee's Mum Michelle gifted her a Tiny True North Necklace on her special day. Featuring a star-set Diamond and laser engraving. Designed to be layered with Jaimee's Square pendant Necklace. What are you both looking forward to in your next chapter of married life together? Definitely for our little bundle of joy to enter the world, we are expecting our first baby at the start of October this year, we are incredibly excited! Photographer: Kristie Carrick / @kristiecarrickphoto Location: Bawley Vale Estate / @bawleyvaleestate Wedding dress designer: Harriette Gordon / @harriettegordon Hair & Make up (bridesmaids & Mother-of the bride): Louise Richmond Hair / @louiserichmond_hair + Hayely Mciver / @hayelymcivermakeup Jaimee's Make up: Jaimee Crofts / @makeupbyjaimeemay Flowers: Aisle of Eden / @aisleofeden Celebrant: Jacqueline Dee / @jacquelinedeecelebrant Stationary: Bridge & Co / @bridge.co1 Did you know? You can personalise many of our pieces to best represent you and your love story. Shop and customise your special pieces here or contact us to talk about creating your unique, handmade heirloom.
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JUNE BIRTHSTONE: ALEXANDRITE
RUUSK Birthstone for June; Alexandrite. Those who wear Alexandrite receive many benefits including good fortune, love and good luck.
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RUUSK COUPLES: CHELSEA & GABRIEL
In the beautiful grounds at Ripponlea Estate, Gabriel and Chelsea exchanged vows, laughing and dancing the whole day through. Recreating the feel of Sicily in the 1950's through their decor, their day brought traditional Italian wedding rituals of bygone eras to the modern day. We're sending a very big congratulations to these lovely high school sweethearts! How did you meet? In year 10 we had the option to do dancing classes with the brother/sister schools in the area. We must have danced together but both don’t remember! It was only at the following social gatherings that we became friends and then eventually in the middle of year 12 – a couple. What is one of your favourite memories of each other when you were in the early stages of dating?We were so young and enjoyed all the moments of finishing school and becoming young adults together. Going to music festivals and gigs with our friends is something that we found we enjoyed so much and we made so many magical memories. We hope it is something we will always do together. What was really important to you both on your special day?We were so excited to have all our family and friends together again but also wanted to ensure we had plenty of time of ‘just us’ on the day. We have memories of both beautiful intimate moments and shared time with our loved ones. It was also important to us to bring the Italian wedding traditions of bygone eras back to the forefront. Having a live band, Italian card & sugar almond bonbonierre, the ribbon dance and the decor and styling all helped to achieve this - we truly felt transported to Sicily in the 1950s - pure magic! What was, or were some of, your favourite moments from your wedding? There was magic all through the day. Some of our favourite moments included our beautiful priest’s homily, laughing and celebrating after the ceremony, traipsing through the beautiful grounds at Ripponlea Estate with our close family and bridal party, entering our beautiful reception to the swoon of the band, all of the amazing speeches and dancing the night away! What do you love most about your wedding rings and how did you find your experience with RUUSK?We adore our beautiful RUUSK rings. We both love the traditional gold jewellery we saw adorned on our parents and grandparents growing up and wanted to start our own collection. Our journey began with designing Chelsea’s engagement ring. We wanted something that looked like it could have been made in ancient Rome with a touch of the celestial and a polished, modern finish. Tania curated the most beautiful sun-inspired ring, and it was no question we wanted to add to our collection with wedding bands of a complimentary theme. The team at RUUSK are ever patient and caring and we have had the best experience working with them. We are so happy with our precious heirlooms and cannot wait to continue to grow our collection as our family grows. What are you two both really looking forward to in your next chapter of married life together?We are currently enjoying settling in our first home together and hope to see more of the world in the next year or two. Long term we hope to start a family and grow our careers. We hope to manifest a life abundant in love, family and magical memories. Eternity Moon & Stars Ring & Star-Set 6.5mm Round Ring Did you know? You can customise many of our pieces with your choice and number of stones. Shop and customise your necklaces here or contact us to talk about creating your unique, handmade heirloom. Photographer: (Lei Lei Clavey/LeiLeiClaveyPhotography)Location: (Xavier College Chapel & Ripponlea Estate / Showtime Event Group)Wedding dress designer: (Cappellazzo Couture/Cappellazzocouture)Hair & Make up: (Ellas Bridal Hair, Lauren Della Makeup/Ellasbridalhair & Laurendellmakeup)Flowers: (Tremella Botanicals/tremellabotanicals)Stationary: (Edith Rose (invitations only) other stationary was DIY /edithrose_studio)
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MAY BIRTHSTONE: EMERALD
RUUSK Birthstone for May; Emerald. An emeralds soothing energy provides emotional healing and brings freshness and vitality to the spirit.
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