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Rebecca Mir Grady is a storyteller. Except that, instead of words, she speaks in molten metals, precious gems, shapes, lines, and textures.
A Story of Travels: Nature-Inspired Wedding Rings
Her rustic, minimalist style is drawn from the textures and forms from nature around her. She designs several collections each year.
Her newest, Collection IX, is inspired by her home in New Mexico.
“My wife and I relocated to Santa Fe from Chicago right around the New Year,” Rebecca recalls. “I love it here, and we’ve enjoyed exploring all the new landscapes.”
The Atalaya rings are inspired by a mountain in Santa Fe that is really easy to get to — their go-to afternoon hiking spot in the city.
The Georgia ring is inspired by the colors in Georgia O’Keefe’s paintings; and the Katherine takes its name from an alpine lake in the Santa Fe National Forest.
Previous works also draw from her experiences and travels. One of Rebecca's most popular styles is the Grand Pré ring, made with faceted opals and diamonds. Grand Pré translates to Great Meadow and is an area of Nova Scotia she and her now-wife, Sonia, traveled through on a visit to Sonia’s family home.
Another favorite of Rebecca's are her Teton studs, inspired by the western landscapes they explored during a combined honeymoon and artist residency in Wyoming and Montana. They feature faceted opals, sapphires, or diamonds with a smaller melted gold ball attached as a nod to the silhouette of the Grand Tetons when seen from a distance.
A Story of Your Future Spouse: Wedding Rings as Reflections
It's not only nature that inspires Rebecca. Sometimes, the ideas for custom pieces come directly from the people who will wear them.
This set of lapis and tigers eye wedding rings reflects the eye colors of a couple. Each partner wears the stone that matches the other's eyes. Your rings can be a physical reminder of a tangible visible aspect of your partner.
Other times, a client brings the gemstones to Rebecca and they collaborate to create a custom piece together. This set of rings was made with opals the client brought back from a trip to Ethiopia.
Not surprisingly, Rebecca's own engagement and wedding bands, along with her wife's, are among her favorite creations. Instead of proposing with an actual ring, Rebecca proposed with a series of sketches — so that her future wife would be able to have input on the exact design that would wrap around her finger forever.
She's into coordinating pieces that don't exactly match each other and she tells me that's because people don't match each other. You may have a lot in common with your partner, but you're not identical, so why should your rings be?
A Story of You: The Genderless Wedding Jewelry Collection You Never Knew You Always Wanted
One thing you'll notice as you browse her collection is that there isn't a men's or women's section — and that's on purpose. A question she hears a lot is, “What do you have for men's bands?”
And the answer is: Everything. Her entire collection is gender-neutral, so you have total freedom to pick anything that strikes your fancy. Rebecca doesn't care about gender stereotypes, so every piece she makes is for anyone it resonates with.
So how did she end up with a collection that, unlike most jewelry lines, doesn't have gender labels?
“I like to wear men's and women's clothing,” Rebecca says, “so I try to make jewelry that anyone could wear.”
She wants her pieces to be approachable for men, women, and non-binary folks — and she particularly loves to see men wearing some of her necklace styles.
A Story of Your Life: Wedding Rings That Work with You All Day, Every Day
Have you been searching for a wedding ring that can very literally work with you? Look no further. Rebecca designs many of her pieces so they won't get in the way of what you need to get done.
With minimalist styles that don't stick up too high, you can wear your wedding rings all the time without worrying about getting caught on things, snagging your favorite clothing, or losing gemstones while you're out adventuring.
Are You Ready To Tell Your Wedding Ring Story?
Head to RebeccaMirGrady.com to get started.
CINDY SAVAGE
Cindy Savage is the lead wedding planner and owner of Aisle Less Traveled, based in St. Louis. She helps independent, feminist, and LGBTQ+ people plan meaningful weddings while keeping their budgets and their sanity intact. She firmly believes that everyone who has found love deserves a great wedding, no matter what size their budget is — and to make that a reality, she invented Choose Your Own Wedding, an internet-based wedding planning subscription to offer comprehensive planning support at an affordable price.
When she's not planning weddings, she can usually be found living her best introvert life: reading books, crafting, talking to her internet friends, drinking wine, wearing stretchy pants, and exercising complete control over the remote!
Photo by Amanda Summerlin Photography