The ring chosen on a winter evening

Last night, as I was putting away the cash register, I was thinking about that customer from last year. You know, those encounters that leave a lasting impression on you without you really knowing why.

It was a rainy Tuesday in March. I was alone in the shop, checking the stock, when this young woman entered, followed closely by her boyfriend. Both soaking wet, they were laughing and shaking their umbrellas.

“Excuse us for the puddles!” she said, smiling.

They approached the central counter, curious but without any apparent urgency. She began to look at our gold creations, he absentmindedly leafed through a catalog.

After a while, she asks me: "Say, are these wedding rings only for weddings or can we wear them like that?"

Unusual question. I explain that there are no rules, that gold is worn according to each person's desire. His eyes light up.

“Perfect! Because I love rings, but I find that we're always waiting for an excuse to buy them.”

His friend nods. "She's right. Why deprive yourself?"

She begins trying on different styles. A chiseled ring that she finds too busy, another set with small stones that catches on her sweaters. Then she comes across a simple 18-karat yellow gold band, completely smooth, almost minimalist.

The effect is immediate. Her movements become more assured, she stretches her hand in all directions to see the effect.

"Oh look!" she said to her companion.

He approaches, examines carefully. "It suits you very well. It's just you, this simplicity."

She asks me the price. When I tell her, she exchanges a look with him. They whisper for a few seconds.

"Shall we think for five minutes?"

I leave them alone. From the reserve, I hear their muffled voices, a few laughs. When I come back, it's decided.

“Come on, let’s go! We don’t need to wait for Christmas to treat ourselves.”

As I wrap the ring, she explains their philosophy to me: "We always save for others, for gifts, vacations, the apartment. This one is just for me, for us. It feels good."

Eight months later, she returns with a friend. She is still wearing her ring, which has taken on that beautiful golden hue that daily contact with skin gives.

"I'm going to tell him how I got my ring!" she whispered to me aside.

Her friend listens to the story with a smile. "You were right, she's beautiful. And it's your story, the two of you."

Indeed. This ring tells of their complicity, their spontaneity, that moment of freedom they allowed themselves on a rainy Tuesday.

This is what I love about this job: supporting those decisions that come from the gut, not the head. Those purchases that break the routine, that say "I too have the right to treat myself."

18-karat gold is solid and long-lasting. Like those moments of happiness we indulge in for no good reason.

At our Azor jewelry store, we see all sorts of profiles. Stressed brides and grooms, dads looking for the perfect gift, grandmothers looking to pass on their gifts. But my favorites are those who walk through the door by chance and leave with a smile.

Because in the end, the most beautiful jewelry is the one you choose with your heart, not your calendar.