The month of April feels to have gone by slow and fast at the same time. On the one hand, April 1—Easter, even—feels like an eternity ago. On the other hand, it feels hard to believe we’re staring down the barrel of a new month at the end of this week. I guess that’s what happens when you don’t have much of significance to mark a given month—it drags on by with little distraction but feels quick as a flash in retrospect, because nothing really happened.

I do, however, anticipate the arrival of May—my month. I lay claim to it as the month of my birthday, but also now Mother’s Day, so it’s twice as nice (and let’s be honest, any reason to have your loved ones celebrate and dote on you is sufficiently appropriate anticipatory material).

And so it’s this time of year that I predictably turn to emerald. Not only because it’s a relevant topic of interest, being May’s birthstone, but it’s also a celebration of my gemstone—a reminder of how regal and wonderful it is.

I found precisely what I was looking for in a ring by Pamela Love, a designer who’s always got a thing or two on my wish list. In this case, it’s a ring that does right by emerald, putting it well on display for marveled viewing. But the setting of the ring, a subtle beauty with an octagonal frame, feels triumphant. It’s the kind of style you notice, bolder still because it is so sleek.

I’m not the only one craving these chunky gold designs at the moment, so it ought to be well received, and what a memorable birthday gift this would make. As it’s one-of-a-kind—the Asscher-cut emerald is a gift from the designer’s own mother—it can belong to only one May birthday reveler. Might that be me? Well it depends on who is reading this, I suppose.

For those more suited to sapphires (hey, back off my emerald!), there is a ring designed in a similar spirit, the center stone also a gift from Love’s mother and reset, available on the designer’s website.

Top: One-of-a-kind ring in 18k yellow gold with 3 ct. Asscher-cut emerald, $6,200

Brittany Siminitz

JCK Contributing Editor