A girl's best friend

Say it with me, people: Koog is in love.

I can't decide whether the fact that the object of my affection is a pair of amazing diamond earrings set in platinum--with a matching necklace and ring--is sad or extremely cool.

Let me gush for a moment: The diamonds are briolet cut, which means they're like droplets of sparkle. They ng from a slender almost oval-shaped earring of platinum and pave diamonds. The ring is a slender platinum band set with pave diamonds and a single briolet drop. The necklace is.... you get the idea. I don't really need all of them, honestly I just need the earrings, but I want the whole she-bang.

When you're wanting, want big.

It would be sad if I concentrated on the fact that I can't afford them. I mean, I can't. Not now, not any time in the next year, and possibly not ever. I'm not going to tell you how much they cost, because frankly I knew better than to ask. I was just revelling in the gorgeousness of wearing those jewels. Maybe in 2002 if all goes really really well and I stay healthy, but having the cash to do it is a long-shot, and I don't think that I want to pay interest charges on indulging a want. Would I even be able to find the same set two years hence? Better not to think about it.

The cool part is that not only had I never worn diamonds before, I had never tried them on. I just didn't like them. I liked these, though. I liked the lightness, and the combination of subtlety and "hey, look at me!"

As soon as I had the earrings on, I said to the saleswoman "I feel like I should be getting married." And that's honestly how I felt. I wore jeans, a long-sleeved t-shirt and a red print fleece pullover, and I felt like the most beautiful woman on the planet. Not because I was wearing beautiful jewelery, but because the jewelery was right for me.

I don't know that I'll ever own those earrings, but I will never, as long as I live, lose touch with that feeling.

before - after