Wedding ring - jewelry accidentally goes to church rummage sale

Dick Reisinger was just trying to hide his wife's best jewelry in a place where burglars wouldn't think to look.

Dick and Katie Reisinger still smiling after giving away precious jewelry

He chose a puzzle box on a bedroom shelf.

Katie Reisinger was just trying to help out a church rummage sale by donating some household items.

Among the things she bagged up was the very same puzzle box.

She had no idea she was giving away her wedding ring and other precious jewelry.

"Needless to say, I have been a basket case," she said.

"It's a disaster, Jim, to say the least," Dick told me. "Sometimes you write articles about what some dumb people do."

The Reisingers aren't dumb. They got tangled up in a comedy of errors that they don't find funny at all. They're hoping someone got the jigsaw puzzle home from the rummage sale, found the jewelry inside and will return it to them.

Their story starts in mid-August as they prepared for a weeklong trip to California for a granddaughter's wedding. Worried about the possibility of a burglary at their Brown Deer home while gone, Katie asked Dick to think of a good hiding place for the jewelry. She handed him a small leather container holding the wedding ring, two other diamond rings, a silver ring with a turquoise stone, a gold bracelet and a pair of earrings.

"I thought no one would ever go and look in a puzzle box," Dick said.

He had no idea how right he was about that.

A couple days after they returned home from the West Coast, a neighbor came over to remind them of the upcoming rummage sale on Aug. 27 and 28 at Brown Deer United Methodist Church, 5736 W. Brown Deer Road, to benefit the church's day-care center.

Katie pulled together a stack of books, some glassware and four puzzle boxes.

I should mention that Dick and Katie have been married nearly 60 years. They raised three sons. They have communicated as a couple a million times about things great and small. But not this time. Dick forgot to mention that he had put the jewelry in the box with 1,000 puzzle pieces. And Katie did not tell him what she was donating to the rummage sale.

I don't get the sense that they blame each other for what happened here. It wouldn't help anyway. They're in this together. The promise we make is for better or worse.

"We have never, ever lost anything like that. We normally sit down and discuss things," said Dick, a retired construction company superintendent.

A week went by after the rummage sale. Katie was sorting things on her dresser. She went outside to ask Dick where he had hidden her jewelry.

"He said in the puzzle boxes in the spare bedroom. As I'm walking in the house, I'm thinking, Oh no!" Katie said.

What she said was more like, "Oh my God in heaven," is the way Dick remembers it.

They contacted the rummage sale organizers to see if anyone knew who purchased the puzzles. The church tacked up a notice and mentioned the loss during a couple services. The Reisingers contacted Brown Deer police just in case anyone had found the jewelry, valued at about $6,000. The diamond rings are insured. The couple is unsure about the design of the lost puzzle.

Dick said he won't be swayed from hiding valuables for future trips, but he'll let Katie know the exact spot. And for Katie, the lesson here is to take a close look at anything you're giving away.

"We've been keeping our fingers crossed," she said, "and feeling just terrible."

Selecting Wedding Jewelry - Easy Guide

Here are some tips to make your bridal jewelers selection easy.

Know your budget

Bridal jewelry is perhaps the only jewelry segment that has the most variety. Whether you decide to go for imitation or real jewelry first assess your budget. Generally the first question that the jewelry asks is about the price range you are comfortable with.

Here is a quick tip if you choose imitation jewelry. Most of the imitation jewelry comes with a guarantee card for wearing off of the polish or loss of stones if any. Remember to take the duly filled guarantee card and keep it with care.
For real jewelry, concession on labour charges is offered almost round the year. Know if such schemes are available in your town.

Decide your wedding dress

Wedding Gown

It is rational to shop your bridal jewelry only after you have absolutely decided your wedding attire. Pearls go well with off-white gowns but if your wedding gown is ivory white then crystals should be your choice.
In the Asian countries like India and China, wedding dresses are predominated with golden work and hence gold ornaments blend well with them. If you choose to be a traditional bride then you will get numerous of options at the jewelry shop in your vicinity.

Choose a friend or a family member to accompany you

It would be wise to take with someone from your family or your friend to opine for you. At the same time don’t take too many people’s opinion or else you will land up in a mess. Accompany whose advice you trust. Each shop is bound to have different offerings, so visit various shops before making your final decision.

Suit your style

Certainly you don’t want to be standing stiff on your wedding day when everyone else is enjoying. To stay away from this situation avoid wearing jewelry more than you are comfortable with. If you are not comfortable with big jewelry pieces don’t buy them just because they happen to be in vogue.
In some cultures, for instance Pakistani and Indian culture; bridal jewelry is not limited to necklace, earrings and bracelets. Head band, armlet, bangles, waist band, anklets and toe rings make for bridal jewelry. Choose what you are comfortable in and enjoy your wedding day!

History of Engagement Ring - Do you ever wonder?

Engagement Ring History: Origins

The initial origins of engagement and wedding rings are the same. The earliest uses of symbolic rings are attributed to different peoples, including the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians. Betrothal rings were meant to symbolize a woman’s connection to the man who would become her husband, though the arrangement was more of a business proposition than a romantic union. Romans used iron rings to symbolize strength and permanence, and the Greeks are credited with the initial idea to wear the ring on the fourth finger of the left hand, where the “vena amoris” or vein of love was supposed to connect to the heart.

During the ninth century, Pope Nicolas I endorsed the idea of engagement rings by making a gold ring a betrothal requirement to demonstrate the groom’s wealth and ability to care for a wife. In 1215, Pope Innocent III made a similar declaration though the rings could consist of different metals, including silver and iron, and the rings were meant to be worn during a longer engagement period.

Gemstone Rings

Gemstone Ring

Established engagement ring history has theorized that the first rings may have been made from leather, plants, or other degradable material that served not only to symbolize a union between two people, but also their connection with the land that sustained them. As time passed, metal rings eventually became more elaborate, finally incorporating gemstones to add a measure of distinction and beauty. Symbolic patterns of birthstones were often used to illustrate the couple’s parents as well as the couple themselves. For centuries, however, diamonds were too rare and expensive to be widely available or affordable.

The First Diamond Engagement Ring

The first recorded diamond engagement ring was given to Mary of Burgundy by her betrothed, Archduke Maximillian of Austria, in 1477. Few details are known about the ring itself, but diamonds were considered at the time to have magical powers relative to love, purity, and fidelity – the same characteristics they symbolize today.

In the late 19th century, extensive diamond deposits were discovered in Africa, effectively making the gems more widely available and cheaper for the general public to purchase. Because of the sudden abundance of diamonds, designs became more elaborate and intricate, and more brides-to-be began to receive diamond engagement rings.

History of Men’s Rings

The story of men’s engagement ring history is far shorter. For centuries, only women received either engagement or wedding rings, but today the vast majority of men wear wedding bands, and an increasing number also receive engagement rings. This trend began during World War II, when many men were faced with years separated from their loved ones, and simple rings served as reminders about the people they’d left behind. It has taken still longer for diamonds to be incorporated into men’s rings, but many masculine diamond rings are available today.

Engagement Ring History in the United States

Non-diamond engagement rings have been popular throughout most of the United States’ history because of their lower expense and easier availability: this was especially critical during westward expansion and pioneer days when any ring was costly. During the 1920s, art deco designs were particularly popular because of their modern symmetry and flashy color contrasts, while smaller rings and more elaborate filigree designs were popular during the Great Depression because of their affordability. During World War II, at the same time many men began wearing wedding rings, platinum rings were prohibited (the metal being necessary for military uses), and many more gold and silver rings were designed.The Puritans who helped colonize the United States refused to wear most jewelry, including wedding and engagement rings, because such baubles were considered ostentatious and frivolous. Instead, a betrothed couple would exchange a thimble – a practical item a young woman could use as she sewed linens and clothing for her dowry. After the wedding, the thimble’s cup was often cut off (symbolizing that her dowry was complete), and the rim could be worn as a ring.

The Future of Engagement and Wedding Rings

Despite the varied nature of wedding and engagement ring history, today’s trends are clear: custom rings unique to the couple are more popular than ever, as are contemporary styles that illustrate the promise of a future that is brighter than ever. Even as diamond jewelry continues to evolve, its ties to historical tradition remain intact, and couples continue to honor that history by exchanging rings as they form their own traditions.