The day we had been waiting for had arrived. Andrew and Anna’s 10th wedding anniversary celebration was held at a local events hall that was bedecked with white lilies and orchids for the occasion. Family and friends were in attendance, including Hugo who designed and executed the ring Andrew would be presenting to Anna as his gift on their anniversary. The mood was jovial and the guests were obviously enjoying themselves.

When the master of ceremonies announced that the couple would be exchanging gifts, all eyes naturally turned to the couple as they walked towards the center of the banquet hall. Being the girl, Anna presented her gift – a golf set which the children helped to bring in. Andrew was visibly pleased with his present as he beamed from ear to ear when he saw what was inside the huge box.

In contrast, when he presented his gift to Anna, Andrew commented that small as his present was in contrast to Anna’s huge package, it represented the strength of his love for his wife. Naturally, the guests all clapped their hands in approval of his comment. Anna unraveled the ribbon and opened the lid of the box and from a distance; we saw the brilliance of the jewels contained in the small, velvet-wrapped box. As Andrew slipped the ring on her finger, the crowd was applauding and cheering. Anna was speechless but her face showed all the emotions she was feeling. She loved the ring and my heart overflowed with happiness as I had helped my nephew, Andrew in choosing that ring.

Then Andrew narrated how I had helped him choose the perfect ring to present to his wife on this very special day. He described the site I asked him to visit which provided him the most basic information about diamonds. He described how the website served as his diamond education guide all throughout the process of choosing the diamond that would be in the center of the three-stone ring. He told the guests in attendance about how I patiently explained the 4c’s to him; the different cuts and colors, the clarity grades, the carat and the carat weight. He explained how the education made him realize the real value of a diamond and how it helped him to appreciate all the more the pure beauty of this most precious jewel.

And he went on to describe how my friend, Hugo had very generously allowed him to go through the latter’s diamond inventory to search for the perfect one-carat diamond for Anna’s ring. He also described how painstakingly Hugo had guided him in making that all-important choice. Finally, he narrated how Hugo had crafted the ring together with his team of masterful artisans. He told us about the extreme patience Hugo showed as the latter presented to him for approval each of the thirty-or-so melee diamonds that would eventually adorn the sides of the ring. Then he proceeded to thank both me and Hugo for our help. Anna approached us and hugged us tightly, murmuring her thanks through her tears of joy. All in all, the celebration was a huge success, and the three-diamond ring with a one-carat center diamond that Andrew gave Anna that night was the highlight of the affair.