The Ring I Finally Feel Like Myself Wearing Again

On the emerald-green cocktail ring that slides on without a fight, stays facing the right way all day, and reads from across the table — without costing what you'd expect.

By Nancy Parker · Franklin, Tennessee

Posted October 2026 · 6 min read

I am 62 years old, and I had quietly stopped wearing rings altogether. My fingers had changed just enough that nothing sat right — the rings I loved either fought their way over my knuckle or spun and faced the wrong way all afternoon, the stone ending up in my palm by the time I poured a second cup of coffee.

It wore on me more than I let on. I had started to feel a little invisible in my own clothes.

Then a woman in my church group here in Franklin kept turning up looking comfortable and quietly put-together at the same time. I finally asked her. She laughed and told me to read the Monica Secrets letter first.

Monica Secrets is a small, family-run jewelry house — three generations, from a grandfather who cut diamonds to the family who runs it now. The ring is called the Exquisite Emerald Ring, and their letter walks through the handful of things they refused to compromise on. I am going to let their words carry it, because they say it better than I could.

1Slides on without a fight

We gave the Exquisite Emerald Ring a rounded, comfort-fit interior — no sharp inner edge, just a smooth curve that rolls over the knuckle instead of catching on it. The wide band means it sits level once it's on. It goes on as easily as it comes off, and it never leaves a mark behind.

2A metal you can name

We plate the Exquisite Emerald Ring in a warm yellow-gold finish over a tarnish-resistant base, then seal it so it holds its color through your regular day — through hand-washing, through cooking, through a walk in the rain. It is not solid gold, and we will not pretend otherwise. It is a well-made, honestly priced ring that keeps its color, and that is what matters.

3The stone stays facing up

The band is wide — wide enough that the ring barely turns on the finger at all. The large princess-cut green stone sits set low, its four prong corners holding it level so it faces up where it belongs. You could be gesturing through a whole dinner party and that stone stays right where you put it.

4Every angle catches the light

On each shoulder of the band, two rows of small round deep-green stones sit in a stepped gold channel, with a pair of clear stones tucked between them. From the front, it is one big jewel. From the side, there is still something to catch. We cut the shoulders with the same care as the center — because a ring is worn from every angle.

5The right size, with a guide that really helps

The Exquisite Emerald Ring comes in US sizes 5 through 10. Measure your finger in the afternoon — fingers are at their largest then, and the afternoon measurement is the one that matters. And measure at two points: the knuckle and the base of the finger can differ, sometimes by a full size. If you are between sizes, go up. The size chart is on the product page, and it takes two minutes to use right.

6Your hands don't have to stay bare

We hear from women every week who have spent a few years without a ring on their hand. Not because they stopped caring — because nothing fit right anymore, or something changed, and the ring drawer stayed shut. We made this piece because a ring should be easy and joyful to wear, and that should not stop at any age.

The Exquisite Emerald Ring, against the rings you've been buying

Why they're clearing it now

They priced the Exquisite Emerald Ring at $99.95 when it launched, and it sold at that price all season. But for the Monica Secrets sale, Monica Secrets wanted to give something back to the customers who have kept them going — so every ring is going out at well below half of what it was.

I ordered mine that evening. It arrived a few days later in a small gift box with a short handwritten note from the family inside. I have not taken it off since — except to put it back on again and be glad it came right off.

I do not usually write things like this. But I spent too many years with a bare right hand — not because I did not want to wear a ring, but because nothing I tried went on and came off without a small ordeal. This one changed that on the very first try. If that sounds like you, I hope you get yours before it clears.

— Nancy Parker · Franklin, TN

This is a personal account from a Monica Secrets customer. Nancy was not paid to write it. · Monica Secrets · Fine everyday jewelry · A small, family-run jewelry house · Free worldwide shipping · 90-day returns · Lifetime warranty.