MANILA, Philippines — True love has no timeline, and celebrity couple Aubrey Miles and Troy Montero proved this to be true after tying the knot last June 9 in a simple and intimate ceremony at the City Hall of Mandaluyong, attended by family and close friends.
While the happy couple, who has been together for 18 years, had to adjust their wedding plans due to the restrictions of the pandemic, one tradition that they held to was to exchange rings as a symbol of their unending love.
For their sparkling wedding bands, they chose a pair of timeless diamond solitaire one-carat diamond rings with four-prong brilliant cut. Inside, each ring is engraved with "Sweetness," their nickname for each other.
"When we were starting out, we wanted a name that has never been used before, unlike 'darling,' 'love' and 'baby,'" Troy explained.
"'Yung hindi mo pa nagamit sa ex mo," Aubrey joked. They settled on sweetness because it was unique. "That is what we used when he wrote his cards for me, sa flowers or mga Hallmark cards, which I really kept. Nakasanayan na namin. Atsaka even when we fight, tapos tatawagin kang sweetness, iba pa din ang dating," Aubrey said.
The two were recently launched as brand ambassadors for J's Diamond that specializes in wedding rings.
Kenneth Mau, J's Diamond President, shared why Aubrey and Troy are the ideal couple to represent their brand. "Their relationship stood the test of time, despite the challenges, they really chose to be with each other forever. That is true love, and that is what diamonds represent. We want them to inspire other couples as well, our customers who fall in love and start their forever with us."
Trends and timeless investments
Troy revealed that he broke tradition by choosing a diamond ring instead of a plain band which other grooms wear.
Mau shared that this is a growing trend among their couples, much different from the time the company started 10 years ago. "Our couples now are more adventurous with their designs, keeping in mind that this is something that they wear every day. They are not strictly identical designs anymore. They like to do mix and match, where they can choose a design that they want to wear with common elements from their partner's ring. The reasoning is that they can wear something they want and not just something that matches what their partner likes."
He added that white gold has become popular because the diamonds stand out better against white gold than yellow gold. The jewelry company has around 450 designs in 18k gold and they are also available to do custom work.
Aside from being symbols of forever, Mau said jewelry is also a good investment for the future. "As what happened with the COVID-19 situation, are the value of gold shot up. Personally, I learned that in every crisis, it is good to invest in gold and diamonds. No matter what happens, their value always increases, same as oil and the value of the dollar. They are a really good long-term investment that stands the test of time, just like true love."
And, just like true love, jewelry needs extra care. Rings should ideally be cleaned professionally every six months. Mau also advised removing the rings before washing hands or taking a bath and to avoid exposure to isopropyl alcohol and other strong chemicals.
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