Beautiful Rings For Whatever Finger

I read the most extraordinary article this morning. In years of reading women's magazines, I don't think I've ever read a piece about women who have fake engagement rings, and are perfectly happy with it. It was absolutely delightful to read and made a lot of sense: real jewels are incredibly pricey. You might lose it - what then? And then in the comments, a real shocker from a woman whose friend had a massive rock (real), went into Forever 21 and was asked by an assistant if she'd bought it there! Oh how she must have laughed.

I guess I'd always assumed that if I ever got engaged, I would go down the same route as everyone else and get my first real piece of bling. But why? Especially when I once proposed to Sian with an Orient Express napkin ring.

Accessorize St Marcasite leaf ring, £14 Accessorize's leaf rings are wonderful. I've always owned at least one (before losing it at a party)

My preferred type of jewellery is costume - the bigger, more colourful and glamorous, the better - and a real equivalent of that would cost a bajillion. Plus, I'm prone to losing things. I cannot find a beautiful, totally '70s ring made for my mum by her dad in Singapore - fake stone, gold setting, given to me by mum a couple of years ago. My lovely pearl earrings, a confirmation present from my parents two years ago, have long gone thanks to a) pinging off my ear, into the bath and sliding down into the plug hole (seriously) and b) being pinged off my ear by the elastic of my fancy-dress bandit mask, and falling into the grate of the pub flooring. Oh, and there was that one time where my gold signet ring fell off in Camden and had to be replaced, as well as ordered in a much smaller size. It's all terribly embarrassing

So, not so good with the losing jewellery. But aside from that, and the cost - and if you've got the money and want to, you go for it! - I loved the sentiment that the real jewel is the marriage. It made me go all gooey and lovestruck. The thing that I admire most about my married friends isn't the rock on their fingers, it's that bit where you're watching them get married, and at the reception afterwards, and the love is just palpable. The only rock you care about then, is the one they're marrying.

So, with that in mind, here are some lovely cocktail, statement and costume jewellery rings that I might just wear on every single one of my fingers, all at once.To save time on inserting pretty much every one from the V&A shop, just go straight there.

Vintage peacock glass cocktail ring, Etsy, £12

God I love glass. I love the mix between the gold of the peacock, and the glass of the ring. So pretty.

Art Deco 9ct gold, silver and paste ring, £65, eBay

Who says vintage has to cost a bajillion quid? The extra paste on the sides of the ring are incredibly sweet, like buttons for a ring. This is 1920s - 1930s.

Etsy, Sapphire ring (I know, real, therefore a cheat, but it is so pretty and only £50!)

This ring is placed on a book and is therefore 5,000x more desirable.

1980s vintage ring cluster, £11, ASOS Marketplace

I could quite happily wear that red one on its own. I am such a sucker for red gemstones and gold. #Smaug

QVC Diamonique open cluster ring, £31

I'm not a massive fan of huge diamonds or huge diamond clusters, as whether they're real or fake, they all look fake. This emerald-ish ring is just the right side of preposterous.

Accessorize Swallow ring, £4

Etsy Swarovski emerald cocktail ring, £25

I love this! It's like an umbrella for your hand!

Want something real for not much? Stack up these babies below - two emerald and diamond rings, and an amethyst and paste ring - they're on auction at Fellowes on June 26th.

Estimated £80-£120, Fellowes auction

PS - this piece about a hate cake is hysterical as well.