Sherlock: His Lover Called A [Sherlaide II]

Ring Shopping

Later That Day

They mapped out London's most reputable Jeweller stores and then Sherlock had Mary decide which one to visit first. Once she had chosen a shop, they headed over to start the day. And while engagement ring shopping with Sherlock had not been on the Watsons' agenda, they were more than happy to help him out. John was confident that at least one ring would be the one.  He knew that Sherlock had probably done hours of research beforehand, so hopefully it would not be difficult to find whatever specific styles and then narrow down from there.

They quickly found that that was not the case. It quickly turned into a more challenging task than any of them had expected. Most of the rings that they viewed, Sherlock would quickly nix for various reasons. It could be the wrong metal or style, too plain, too showy, and even too hankering. And while his eye was keen to the nitty-gritty details because he wanted to pick the perfect ring, his attitude and words did put off several of the Jewellers who took him for being stuffy and inflexible.

John could tell that Sherlock was feeling pressure to select a suitable ring before Adelaide's return. And that, combined with the expected anxiety and nervousness of proposing to the woman he wanted to marry, was slowly pecking away at Sherlock's signature cool and detached façade.

By early afternoon Mary had to insist that they head back to Baker Street for lunch. She hooked both men around their arms and pulled them out of their eighth Jeweller Shop, "Come along. Some lunch would do as all good and we need a break from looking at all those blinding diamonds."

"Thanks." John whispered in her ear as they piled into the car.

"No problem." She whispered back and got in the driver's seat. Sherlock strapped Rosie in and then they were off.

Missus Hudson had made up a quick lunch for them all and had put on a kettle of tea for the group. They walked into 221B and the landlady piped up, "Any success yet, dearies?"

John gave her a look and Sherlock answered, "No. None of the rings presented to us were suitable."

"Are you looking for a specific style of ring, then?"

"Yes. Art-Deco. However it seems that hardly any Jeweller in London crafts them because it is a vintage style." Sherlock grabbed his sandwich and bag of sugar cookies and then slumped into his chair. John sighed and exchanged looks with Mary before walking over and sitting in his chair.

"Sherlock, we've still got plenty of shops to look through and I'm sure at least a few are going to have Art-Deco  engagement rings. Don't worry, mate. You'll find it." Sherlock nodded but did not relax very much.

Rosie was left with Missus Hudson when they headed back out to continue the search. This time Sherlock showed examples of the ring styles to both Mary and John so that they had a clearer idea of what he was seeking. They hopped in the car and hurried off.

The boutique that came next had a small offering of Art-Deco, which did manage to ease Sherlock's anxiety. But after careful scrutiny of the bejewelled bands, Mary and John were at least a bit surprised that Sherlock didn't choose one. As they left John had to ask, "Seriously? What was wrong with those ones? They all would have suited Adelaide!"

"John, he does know Adelaide better than you. They were lovely rings but obviously they didn't feel right. Correct, Sherlock?"

The brunette nodded, "Quite so, Mary."

John took a breath and reminded himself that there was still hope for Sherlock to find the right ring. He's just being Sherlock and taking every tiny detail into account. He'll pick the best one eventually.

The drive to the next shop was silent and Sherlock mostly stared out of the back window. In his mind he contemplated the growing possibility that he would have to have a ring custom made. I wouldn't have it as soon as would be ideal. But at least I know it would be perfect.  

They got out and slowly entered the tenth ring store. Luckily it wasn't overly busy so the glass cases were easily accessible. The lady on duty was busy with another customer but smiled, "I'll be with you shortly."

Sherlock nodded and slowly moved along the selection of rings. Mary and John took the other row of cases and screened them for anything that looked Art-Deco.

The detective walked until the lady, whose name tag read Patrice, came over, "Good Day, Sir. Can I help you?"

Finally he caved, "Yes. I'm looking for an engagement ring in the Art-Deco style. I've had little success finding them."

She smiled and nodded, "Well, you may be in luck. I have some in the case over there and I think I have a few styles in the back." She gestured and he followed her to the case. True enough they were Art-Deco rings.

Sherlock scrutinized them and Patrice popped into the back. He picked two rings to have her show him and then glanced up as she walked back with another one.

He had to do a double take when he saw it. She set it down on her side of the case, "Are there any you'd like to see closer?"

To be fair he had her bring out the two he had chosen previously. Once he'd looked them over he focused on the rings she had gotten from the back. It was a matched silver alloy bridal set- an engagement ring and wedding band- and Sherlock was captivated.

The bands themselves were rather simple- no twisting or intricate filigrain. The centrepiece diamond was round cut and set within a hexagon halo, studded with micro-pave diamonds. The wedding band had a sharp curve to accommodate the unique shape of engagement ring, and was also inlaid with micro-pave diamonds. Sherlock motioned for Mary and when she got a closer look she nodded approvingly, giving two discreet thumbs up.

"This one."

Thank you for reading!! Love y'all!! 😘

Here's a pic of the rings: