Look Book

42 www.thejewelrybook.com I'll remember the night for all my living days. Not the date, not the weather, not even the book I was trying to read to kill time as I sat in the cell-phone lot at Logan air- port, waiting for Sherry's plane to arrive. Sherry, the woman I loved, had a short fl ight—barely an hour—to reach me, but the interminable delays were long enough to threaten the plan I had concocted for how I would propose to her that night. We had just bought a house together, but that didn't change the fact that we were still living in separate cities and negotiat- ing the challenges of merging two fami- lies. That we would ultimately get married was a given in the way that is almost unspoken when two mature adults fi nd themselves so madly in love, so inexorably connected. When and how it would all manifest, however, might best be described as a work in progress. As I sat in that dark cell-phone lot, my insides were churning with anticipation and nervousness. I was not anxious about her saying no, just desperate to do every- thing right. I wanted the moment to be beyond memorable for her. I wanted it to be magical. Although Sherry and I had spent almost all of our adult lives working in the jewelry business, we, too, deserved to ex- perience the exhilaration that comes with such an important occasion: presenting an engagement ring to the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Sherry was supposed to arrive early enough for me to bring her home, start a fi re, light some candles, prepare a snack, and open a bottle of champagne. I would then retrieve the ring, discreetly concealed within reach, get down on one knee, and make the proposal. As I waited for the text that would tell me she had landed, I worried that it would be too late by the time we got home, that she would have no interest in staying up. Just as I was about to give up on the plan, my phone lit up with a text—she had landed. There was no need to suppress my excitement when I fi nally picked her up—I never felt less than pure delight on those occasions—but only I knew what was about to unfold, and I whispered a little prayer of thanks that the delays had not derailed my plan. Other than being a tad too anxious about serving refreshments, she never expected what was about to unfold until I got down on one knee and opened the box, reveal- ing her engagement ring. Her reaction was visceral and moving in a way that I could only have dreamed. There was nothing jaded about the ritual, and it was not lessened one iota by the fact that we were both in the business. It was pure, unadulterated joy. For jewelers, these moments happen every single day because of what we do. It's our business, but it's also our privilege, and we should never forget that. I know I won't. B Y PETER SMITH She Said Yes Even those of us in the 'business' still get swept up in the power of a proposal. For jewelers, these moments happen every single day be- cause of what we do. It's our business, but it's also our privilege and we should never forget that. m e m o i re . c o m s i g n a t u re @ m e m o i re . c o m ON RETAIL

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