Wanderlust + Co
LIBRA ZODIAC GOLD RING
14K Gold Plating & Cubic Zirconia Crystals
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What's with the occasion?
My boyfriend and I were looking for something that's like, a statement ring? Something like that? I'm pretty much a convivial person when it comes to celebration/appreciation (i.e.: birthdays, Christmas, and anniversaries) and I like to make up meaningful milestones, albeit I'm not a monthsary kind of a person. I kinda dislike those. They make me stressful about being creative during each milestone, kinda kills off my vibe, too. Anyway, that's not the main point here. We just wanted to make a statement between us. So after having a short discussion with him, we've decided to finally become an official couple after about 4 months and 4 days since our first date.
8th of August, if you're wondering about the date.
We've only decided bout this in less than a month time before the official date and apparently, it's very difficult to find a suitable ring. My hands are small but my fingers are stubby while short. Many rings don't suit me because they are too elaborative with the designs or the ring bands are too thick for my fingers. Not only that, many rings are just cringy to look at. They either look childish or too mature. Sometimes, the design just looked too... expensive, like they're made for bigger occasions such as engagement or wedding. Of course, we don't want anything like that since we've just started our little journey together.
About the ring
Wanderlust + Co says: "Unveil your inner universe with our celestial jewels. The Zodiac series is inspired by cosmic astrology and starry skies. Birth date September 23 - October 22 is for Libra, known as an urban diplomat, gracious Kelly and always willing to help. Gee, you're the perfect BFF! This piece features 14K gold plating and is studded with cubic zirconia crystals."
The website shows an adjustable piece but mine is non-adjustable, which I am unsure why, but they are essentially the same thing. 😁
About this brand:
"Wanderlust + Co is a jewelry label for dreamers and lovers. By inspired hearts for your daily adventures, each piece is designed to keep your jewel game strong. Celebrating what it means to be a girl in a digital world, we live to create pieces for our bold, forward-thinking global audience. With more than 400 stockists globally plus hundreds of styles live at any time."
About the founder:
Jenn Low started her business in Melbourne whilst she was still working but as time passes, she decided to move her base of operations to Kuala Lumpur. "Today, she runs an all-woman team in an office space in Bangsar. While she says it wasn’t a conscious decision, she is happy that Wanderlust + Co is helping push the notion of female empowerment." - Bervin Cheong, Star2
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Constellation
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| Top view |
Libra
"The zodiacal constellation Libra the Scales is a fixture of the evening sky during a Northern Hemisphere summer (Southern Hemisphere winter). It’s not the most flamboyant constellation of the Zodiac. But, in any year, you can find Libra fairly easily in a dark sky using two bright stars, Spica and Antares, as guides. Use these two bright stars to find two fainter stars in Libra, which, by the way, have two of the best star names in the sky." - Bruce McClure (2017), EarthSky
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| Center view |
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Position
"Libra is the 29th constellation in size, occupying an area of 538 square degrees. It lies in the third quadrant of the southern hemisphere (SQ3) and can be seen at latitudes between +65° and -90°. The neighbouring constellations are Centaurus, Hydra, Lupus, Ophiuchus, Scorpius, Serpens Caput and Virgo.
Libra belongs to the Zodiac family of constellations, along with Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius and Pisces.
Libra contains three stars with known planets and does not have any Messier objects. The brightest star in the constellation is Zubeneschamali, Beta Librae, with an apparent magnitude of 2.61. There is one meteor shower associated with the constellation, the May Librids." - Constellation Guide
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| Normal view |
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| Upside-down view |
Mythology
"The association with scales and balance began with the ancient Babylonians, with the scales representing the balance between the seasons as well as day and night. The ancient Greeks viewed Libra as the claws of Scorpius reaching out. To the Romans, Libra represented the scales of justice being held by the goddess Virgo or Astraea." -Kim Ann Zimmermann (2017), SPACE.com
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"Unlike the other ancient constellations, Libra is not entwined with Greek mythology. In fact ancient Greeks viewed the pattern of stars as part of the adjacent constellation of Scorpius, representing the claw of the scorpion. The origins of Libra being perceived as scales goes back even further than ancient Greece, to the ancient Babylonians some 2,000 years earlier. The Babylonians associated Libra with balance and this may not have been solely down to its shape. At that time the sun would have fallen in the constellation of Libra at the autumn equinox, a time of the year between the warm and cold seasons and when day and night are of equal length.
A few thousand years later the Romans also identified the constellation as scales but not for the same reasons as suggested above. Instead the scales of Libra were associated with their God of Justice, Astraea, personified as the nearby constellation of Virgo. Libra’s association with law and fairness stems from the Roman version of the constellation." - SolarSystemQuick
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History
Babylonia
"The Babylonians knew this area as the balance of heaven around 1000 years BC when the autumnal equinox did lie among the stars of Libra. As early as 2000 BCE, the Babylonians associated the constellation of Libra with the judgment of the living and the dead, and Libra's scales with weighing the souls of the dead."
Egypt
"The Scales of Balance and Final Judgment also dates back to ancient Egyptian afterlife rituals. In these rituals, Osiris weighs the heart of the deceased against the feather of Ma'at, goddess of truth and justice. If the two were in balance, the dead were allowed to enter the afterlife. Ma'at stood for cosmic order and celestial harmony and dictated correct and proper behavior in all social situations and relationships. All of these are associated with the astrological sign of Libra."
Greece
"In Greek mythology, the stars of Libra came to represent the Golden Chariot of Hades, the god of the Underworld. While Hades used the chariot to visit the Upperworld and seduce a beautiful nymph, he rarely wished the relationship to last. Of course, that was before he saw Persephone, the daughter of Demeter and Zeus, abducted her, and took her to Tartarus and made her his wife.
Distraught about the loss of her daughter, Demeter neglects her godly duties, and a vast drought spreads throughout the Upperworld. But Zeus finds a win-win solution when he convinces his brother, Hades, to give up Persephone for part of the year so that the Upperworld could again become green and lush.
Thus, Persephone was said to divide her time between the two worlds. Now every year at the autumn equinox she returns to Hades, and the world briefly becomes a cold and forbidding place. But when she emerges from the Underworld at spring equinox, the plants start to once again come to life." - Patricia Lantz C.Ht., LoveToKnow
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Relationship
"In the astrological zodiac, Libra rules the 7th house of relationships, partnerships, and marriage. The stars of the constellation Libra's scales are still named for the scorpion's claws. If you look deeply into the scorpion symbolism, the scorpion uses its claws to hold onto its mate and for making love, as well as for slaying its prey. "To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part" is the traditional marriage vow. Knowing the history of Libra's scales and claws reveals that Libra walks a razor's edge between self and other; love and hate; peace and war; life and death. Understanding this about the sign of Libra gives a much more profound take on what's often considered the "nicest" sign of the astrological zodiac." - LoveToKnow
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"Bottom line: Libra the Scales – a constellation of the Zodiac – can be found in the evening sky during Northern Hemisphere summer (Southern Hemisphere winter). It’s situated between two bright stars, Spica and Antares. Libra’s two brightest stars are Zubenelgenubi and Zubeneschamali, whose names rhyme with Obi-Wan Kenobi of the movie Star Wars." - Bruce McClure (2017), EarthSky
*All information above, within the quotation marks, is credited with source URL linked to the italic-formatted wordings. I will not paraphrase as it will take away the true meaning of the author's words. Hence, the author's/website's name and the website has been provided. This is legitimately me saying I don't own that knowledge but sharing with y'all for good intention.*
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Wearing & Verdict
It's very thin and it feels very weightless on my fingers. It's probably the lightest ring that I've ever have, which is amazing until I've accidentally washed my hands twice, forgetting about the ring on my finger. I mean, I usually don't wear accessories and since it's so lightweight, it's kinda inevitable to forget its existence.
We literally got this ring within 5 minutes after walking into this store and before that, we've visited at least 5 different brands from multiple shopping malls. Most of the brands are a pure disappointment. Mainly because we felt that the designs don't suit us. Perhaps they should hire more designers that have distinct styles.
I'll talk about the brands in a bit but let me go through the pros and cons first.
Pros of this ring:
- Affordable price tag as compared to all the brands I'll be mentioning
- Exceptional design that isn't cringy at all
- Minimalist yet outstanding; it fits every girl of any genre
- 100000/10 Best gift ever (Thanks, puppy 💖)
- Suitable to be worn in any occasion (except uhhh maybe, ya know, funerals 😅)
Cons of this ring:
- Only one sizing
- Because it didn't fit just right to my finger, the ring slips left and right occasionally
- Also because of that, the constellation part of the ring sometimes scratches the inner sides of my fingers. No blood but sometimes it does hurt.
- Not waterproof, will tarnish/discolor when left out in the air for too long
Anyway, let's get back to my verdict.
We decided to get this ring as it felt like it fits our current situation so we purchased it immediately. Well, technically, he purchased it. I haven't gotten him anything since it's tough to buy anything for guys as presents.
I really like this ring but I can't bear to wear it out everyday because I'll be thinking bout how I might misplace it. I have a long list of rings that I've lost and lucky me, those are just part of the ring sets that I've bought from Lovisa and H&M. You'd be surprised by how easily I would misplace the rings. This is especially whenever I needed to get my hands wet, so I have to put the ring aside or in my pocket. Quite often the rings will disappear from my pocket. Hence, I would put them at home all the time. If I'm wearing this ring out for dates, I will just let my boyfie to hold onto the ring while he waits for me outside the washroom door. He's more careful than me so I'm less worried bout that.
Moreover, I think I should also get a suitable, air-tight container for jewelries since these will tarnish if left exposed to open air for too long. Nothing fun about ruining the ring. I really do love it. Just kinda sucks that it's not waterproof. I suppose I wouldn't mind paying a little more for that kind of feature since we both love the designs.
Anyway, I mentioned that I'll talk about the brands that we've scouted around, so...
Anyway, I mentioned that I'll talk about the brands that we've scouted around, so...
The first brand that I'll like to talk about:
Pandora
(Midvalley, Gurney Paragon, 1Utama)
Designs feel pretty naive and remind me of my childhood, pricing is similar to Swarovski. Although, I actually like the Dazzling Daisy Ring, PANDORA Rose™ & Clear CZ but I also kinda wish that the flowers can be smaller..... The staffs didn't bother to help us so we left.
Second brand:
Swarovski
(Midvalley, Sunway Pyramid)
This brand is probably at the approachable price range for me except that the designs feel pretty mature and the bands are all thick. As much as I would like to purchase a ring from them, I just couldn't lie to myself that I really don't like their designs. I feel that statement rings are pretty much a great deal because they are meaningful and if I force myself to get a ring with a design that I wouldn't like, I will definitely feel terribly remorseful and then proceed to resent my own decision-making style. Only one staff had helped me (his name was Kuan Ming, too. lmao) and he didn't really do a great job so, we told him that we're off to find more options and he's fine about it.
JEOEL
(1Utama)
They are pretty much similar to Pandora but the designs remind me of the 2000's era. The salesgirls are pretty nice, slightly introverted but still cool. One of them showed me all of the rings they have by patiently bringing out all the ring display panels and show me what may be suitable for me and what may be similar my preference. However, I still don't find anything that I like :(
Fourth brand
ROSSETTE
(1Utama)
I like the salesgirl. She approached us and showed us everything that's available. She brought out anything we inquired without hesitation and explain to us the designs and helped us with our decision-making. I like the designs and the price tag because they really fit within my range of suitability and affordability but I have them in my pending list and went across to Wanderlust + Co and gotten something in there instead uwu. But hey, Rossette is our (me + bf) top second choice for sure. It's just that, we both really liked the constellation ring from Wanderlust + Co and didn't hesitate to get it.
Others:
Poh Kong, Wah Chan, Tomei, Goldheart
To be honest, we don't wanna get real gold. It's not a big enough deal and we can't afford gold anyway. These brands are also aiming at occasions like engagements and weddings. So.. nope.
Other:
*The stones in my ring are crystals, not diamonds.
I prefer precious stones like Opals and Tourmaline.
Both are my birthstones.
Those are pretty much the brands that I've came across. There are probably more, like Tiffany & Co, but they didn't show up during my search so I moved on. The most important thing is that we've found a ring for me! Woohoo! Sadly, we still haven't found one for him. Looking for a suitable ring is tougher than it is for me since most of the male rings look exactly like an engagement/wedding ring.
Again, we're not getting married, so: NO thanks!
I guess we'll try to find other things instead. Perhaps leather accessories for males or daily use items that remind him of me every time he uses it. 😂
Lazo Diamond, Love & Co
I don't actually like diamonds. So, no.*The stones in my ring are crystals, not diamonds.
I prefer precious stones like Opals and Tourmaline.
Both are my birthstones.
Other:
Aurora
In my opinion, they gave me a feeling like they have a high preference for gold coloured jewellery that resembles Pandora. Not really my thing, at least for this moment.
Again, we're not getting married, so: NO thanks!
I guess we'll try to find other things instead. Perhaps leather accessories for males or daily use items that remind him of me every time he uses it. 😂
Last but not least, I wanna thank you, poopy puppy for being so kind to me since the beginning. I still don't know what you see in me despite your constant reminding but I'll appreciate every single thing that you've done for me.
It all started from random conversations into ALL-CAPS TEXTING and slowly transitioning into where we are right now. I'm well-aware that not a perfect person and you've wholeheartedly accepted who I am, which is still hard for me to believe. It's hard to grasps that someone who isn't blood-tied with me can feel so strongly about taking care of me and my well-being.
At least for now, I believe that this isn't a mistake. We're not a mistake. You've told me that you'll do your best to make me happy with your feet on the ground and I'll promise you that I will try to do the same. I'm really glad that we've made it here.
Let's enjoy the evening this Wednesday and make more memories together in the future 🙆
Update; 10mins after publishing: He's the first to read this blog post and his reaction was so heartwarming. He told me that he got emotional by reading what was written above and that he couldn't stop reading them repeatedly😂 what a precious soul💕
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Wishlist
By the way, I had my eyes on this ring the moment I entered the store and even tho we've picked the constellation ring, I still can't get my mind off this!!!!!! 😁 It's called the Wishing Star Gold Ring and just like the one online, the one in-store is adjustable too! 😝
I also just realized that I'm wishing for a wishing star ring 😙 what a pleasant coincidence. Anyway, this is me hinting somebooty *hint hint* *hint hint hint* 😚
Oh! You've reached the end!
That's all for this blog post!
Do check out my other blog posts!
They may be helpful for you :)
Do check out my other blog posts!
They may be helpful for you :)
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