As Harlo spent the following week cutting, grinding, smoothing and forming the hybrid ring for his fastidious client, he was sure to keep in mind Mr. Ulrich's reaction upon being asked about his lover. A man with a hard stare and thin, tightly pressed lips, the gruff male had opened up like a blooming flower the moment he spoke of the man he was shopping for. Harlo recalled the way the man's expression had softened, how words seemed to flow from him like an excited stream. He wished to harness those deep emotions his client held within himself and use them as inspiration for the ring, transforming it into a physical expression of his affection. It was something Harlo always strove for whenever he worked, but this time felt particularly special. Not only was the client specific about his wishes, the one the ring was intended for was an artist himself with an eye for detail. Harlo could tell by the paintings Mr. Ulrich brought in that the artist was exceptionally talented and careful, classically trained with an affinity for the bright and atypical, not afraid to experiment and try something out of the box. He could understand now why his client refused to settle for just any ring.<br/><br/>The jeweler was practically trembling with excitement when he made the call to inform his client his order was complete. Not deterred when the ringing culminated with instructions to leave a voicemail, Harlo was quick and succinct in his message. “Afternoon! This message is for Mr. Eivind Ulrich. Your order with Harlo's Jewelers is complete. Please feel free to come down at your earliest convenience. Thank you and see you soon!”<br/><br/>When Eivind came back to examine Harlo's work, the same small blonde strolling in behind him, Harlo leaped up from his seat, a large smile decorating his aging face. “Ah, gentlemen! Great to see you again. Come, come.” He waved the pair forward, bending down below his counter to retrieve a deep cobalt blue velvet ring box. “I'm excited with how this turned out,” he continued, placing the box onto the counter with a flourish. “I think you'll enjoy this.”<br/><br/>Harlo donned a pair of gloves before removing<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.artfire.com%2Fuploads%2Fproduct%2F8%2F768%2F60768%2F560768%2F10560768%2Flarge%2Fmeteorite_ring_mokume_gane_dinosaur_bone_wedding_band_737dc521.jpg&amp;hash=74485c8b50f38bd9c5954ad5f338d54d" href="https://static.artfire.com/uploads/product/8/768/60768/560768/10560768/large/meteorite_ring_mokume_gane_dinosaur_bone_wedding_band_737dc521.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">the custom ring</a>from its cushion, wanting to ensure the jewelry remained shiny and unmarred. “The ring sleeve is a mokune-gane composite, as we discussed. No two rings ever come out the same when using such a technique. If you look closely, you'll see there are three bands in the middle of the ring. I used the moose antler as requested, a strip of white gold, and some Gibeon meteorite to add some striking texture to the piece. I can tell your partner enjoys experimenting with textures in his paintings and wanted to reflect that in his ring.”<br/><br/>Though Harlo was proud of the work he had done on Blue's ring, he wasn't quite finished with his presentation. He slipped the ring back into its box and slid it over to Eivind so he could get another look before reaching down once more, this time extracting a black ring box from beneath the counter. “I hope you'll forgive me, but I did find some inspiration while I was looking at your partner's work,” Harlo explained, setting the black box beside the blue one. “I normally do not make rings without express consent from my clients, however I had an I idea I couldn't seem to get out of my head. It ate at me and nagged at all hours of the night, not unlike my wife,” he added with a cheesy grin. Harlo opened the black box and presented<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.artfire.com%2Fuploads%2Fproduct%2F8%2F578%2F27578%2F527578%2F10527578%2Flarge%2Ffingerprint_engraved_ring_-_engraving_wedding_band_sterling_silver_black_rhodium_6mm_6873e476.jpg&amp;hash=0dbd7cd4cb48b6bf0c73bbdbc4dc4dd9" href="https://static.artfire.com/uploads/product/8/578/27578/527578/10527578/large/fingerprint_engraved_ring_-_engraving_wedding_band_sterling_silver_black_rhodium_6mm_6873e476.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">the ring</a>to Eivind, explaining himself. “I have only done a ring like this two or three times before. It's simple, low profile so as not to interrupt your woodworking. Sterling silver plated in black rhodium. Nice texture, not overly glitzy. But I didn't go out of my way to show you a simple band.” The jeweler's eyes sparkled as he tilted the ring onto its side, revealing a textured patterned hidden on the inside of the ring.<br/><br/>“See those grooves there? Blue's fingerprint. I had to use the smooth backing of the canvas down by where his signature is and try a few times before I found something usable, but I think it came out nicely. If it doesn't interest you, you're by no means required to purchase it, of course,” Harlo added quickly, knowing he was taking a big chance on Eivind and that his assumptions could have possibly been incorrect as far as the man's personal taste in jewelry went.<br/><br/>“So, Mr. Ulrich, what do you think?”