Judging a Book...

...by its cover.

I'm pretty sure most of us have judged someone based on what they see versus who they really are deep down inside.

We are going to do a way back play back event when I was about 19 years old.

I was still in the very early years of university, had summer jobs, didn't party at all but I did have a social life going out with friends for dinner and stuff like that. Just wasn't into the clubbing scene.

This was also the era that (for some reason) I fell in love with diamond rings. Not the wedding type of diamond ring per-say but more of those plain bands with small diamonds engraved in the centre. To me it was a clean look, very elegant and nothing too crazy. It was shiny yet had a smooth finish.

Now I was a fortunate kid (still am) that my folks decided to get me one for my 20th birthday. I thought it was a bit crazy, but they really saw how much I was drooling over various pictures of it...to the point that they said ok fine, your birthday gift because you worked hard. But doesn't mean you stop working hard!

Alright. Now question is where do we go to get it? There are millions of jewelry places to go to but it wasn't just about finding the right price; it was also finding the proper cut and handiwork of the ring.

We checked out People's. A family friend had told my mom that People's Jewelry is equivalent to McDonald's. I guess because of the workmanship. We had a good laugh about that. Didn't stop us from going to see the place, but in the end, we didn't really find one that made us all happy.

Next we checked out Birk's. I had heard of them before but didn't know too much about them, except that they were a bit on the pricey side.

So of course my folks and I wander to the area where they had the bands with diamonds etched in them. A saleslady came by and asked if we needed any help. We said we were looking for a diamond band ring. She then asked who was it for, and they pointed at me.

It was at this point the saleslady asked if I was getting married. I said no, I'm just looking for a band with diamonds etched in them as a birthday gift. She kind of looked at me wide-eyed, as if to say "Girl, you are waaaaaaaaaaaay too young to be in this store buying a ring for yourself." Of course she tried to ask what kind of cut, how many diamonds, whether I wanted gold, platinum or white gold, that sort of thing.

I aimed for a white gold finish. So of course this lady is slowly migrating away from the diamond bands to another section: the "on sale" section. I could tell they weren't as high quality as the typical wedding bands because they were placed in a completely different section of the store. I looked but didn't see anything I liked.

Then of course, the next one was the last assault: My dear, here is the section where we carry our SILVER jewelry. It will be going on sale next week *winks*.

How the hell did I go from white gold and diamonds to silver 925?!

I can see why she would do that migration from gold to silver: because I looked like a young kid who was getting spoiled, and so to save my folks from overspending, she guided us to the silver section.

It's a funny story when we talk about it. Of course when it actually happened, I felt a bit of insult because it was similar to being treated at a luxury car dealership when you're trying to buy an expensive car that you can afford, but the salesperson doesn't believe you and shows you the cheapest car they have on the lot.

Of course I wasn't going to pick the most expensive band out of the store. My folks and I agreed on a range and if we couldn't find one in the range, then we wouldn't get it.

After that experience at Birks, we walked out with nothing. And of course as we walked away, the saleslady reminded us of that "silver sale" that was happening next week and to come back. Thanks I guess?

Eventually we ended up at Mappins. I hadn't heard of the store before but after going there, it was a pleasant experience. The saleslady asked what we were looking for and she showed us the entire collection. Never once did she judge us (or me) for wondering why a young person would walk into a jewelry store to get a diamond band ring. She was very accommodating as it took us forever to choose something and I believe we did take a couple of trips to the store before we finally decided on one.

From the time we entered Mappins to the time we received the product was a very pleasant experience. The saleslady made sure we were happy with the purchase, and to triple check the ring when it arrived to make sure there were no scratches or blemishes on the product. I tried the ring on and it was beautiful. She complimented that it suited me quite well, even at that age.

It's been over 10 years and I still wear it pretty much everyday. It needs a cleaning soon but for now, it's held up very well. Couldn't be happier. Still shines bright like a diamond and compliments my wardrobes.

As for Birks, I really do enjoy looking at their diamond rings. They are beautiful. I just hope one day they would take me seriously when it comes to purchasing one. I am 10 years older now. Hopefully. Fingers crossed.