Interviewer: Deema, Interviewee: Buke

  1. Gold and silver ring, worn on interviewee’s left hand ring finger. I think its function is to symbolize that my interviewee is married or in a committed romantic partnership. 
  2. The interviewee’s ring reminds me of marriage and love. I did not speculate about cost because 1) it’s general knowledge that wedding rings are usually expensive, and 2) the cost of another person’s belongings isn’t something I care about, rather I care more about the story of how she received the artifact.
  3. Buke’s ring is from Tiffany & Co. in San Francisco, but she originally saw the design elsewhere while living in Turkey. She received this ring a year later, from her husband, as a replacement for the original ring bought in Turkey. Culturally and traditionally in Turkey, the woman receives a diamond ring when the man proposes. It’s also an optional and sweet practice for the future mother-in-law to gift the bride-to-be a second ring with tiny diamonds on the band. This gesture shows that the mother-in-law is welcoming her future daughter-in-law into her family, and it is also a symbol of being financially well of (therefore, it’s not necessary that a woman wears/receives this second ring). The last ring is the wedding band, and most Turkish women will choose to only wear the wedding band for everyday use, leaving the other two rings for special occasions where wearing three rings may look more suitable. Buke is only wearing her wedding band today.