Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

I love gemstones; more specifically, I love gemstones as they relate to rings. And I must have a couple dozen unusual rings to prove the point.

When I was young and foolish I made a list of rings I wanted to acquire as time and money passed my way. There was the standard diamond ring, the ruby, the emerald, the cultured pearl, the jade, and the star sapphire. I didn’t do research to compile this list; it came from the heart.

And, as time and money made my acquaintance, I acquired all of them. Not necessarily huge examples of my desire, but satisfactory acquisitions nevertheless.

What I learned along the way was that they weren’t enough. Gradually I became hooked on other precious and semi-precious stones. I studied their variety, their worth, and their difficulty to acquire. Eventually I created a new list, one that included amethyst, tanzanite, tourmaline, citrine, topaz, alexandrite, and colored diamonds.

It took a while, but now I’ve acquired all the items on my new list except colored diamonds. And I’m torn about whether to proceed or not. White diamonds are the norm; their little known sisters are pink, blue, yellow, orange, and brown. You’ve probably already guessed the bad news: colored diamonds are scorned. The good news is that they offer the wearer a ring with character, individuality, and color.

Someday I’ll probably purchase a colored diamond. But I’m not in a hurry. I want to enjoy knowing there is still one thing on my current gemstone list. By keeping it there, I have no desire to create a third list. Which is a good thing.