Ruta

Q: You created The Ah Ring for single women. Can you give our readers a little more background about your product? (what does Ah stand for/what does wearing one signify)

The Ah Ring is the first and only diamond ring designed for single women to buy for themselves. The A, stands for Available and the h, for happy! The Ah Ring is all about being available and happy while you are single, and enjoying that stage for however long it lasts. It's about having fun, feeling good and empowering yourself to feel positive about being single.

You wear the diamond Ah Ring (in 14 karat gold which has eleven full cut diamonds) on either pinkie. You can even stack two on top of each other -- it's a fun, fashionable look at a very affordable price. Less than the price of some costume jewelry these days.

Q: How did you come up with this fabulous idea?
I was actually an unemployed advertising copywriter, with a fashion background. I was looking for a new way to make a living, since my doctor told me that sitting at a computer was not good for me. I did some research into the single market and found out there are 55 million single women in the United States alone. I looked around and saw that married women had their rings, and engaged women had their rings, but there was NOTHING on the market for single women to buy and call their own.

Q: How has your product line extended since you first launched?
I have four products now, each one with a special meaning. The Ah Ring of course is for single women. My Snowflake Necklace represents individuality, since there are no two snowflakes alike in nature, and no two people alike either. It's about honoring your uniqueness. The Tranquility Cross is about serenity and tranquility, and represents the deep blue ocean and the blue sky with its sapphires. And the Loves Me Earrings are all about the childhood game of plucking flower petals, loves me, loves me not, loves me...they are adorable daisies.

Q: We understand you were featured in O Magazine as one of Oprah's favorite items. How did that placement change your life/business?
Well, we all know that Oprah is the holy grail! She makes it happen BIG, and I became an "instant entrepreneur" because of Oprah. I am dying to thank her in person, that is my dream. The Ah Ring was featured with a gorgeous full page photo in the March, 2001 issue with her words saying "instead of waiting for Mr. Right to give you a ring, it would be phenomenal if you could decide that you're worth getting one for yourself." The phone rang off the hook, and I still have people telling me they saved that page.. (thanks to James Worrell for the fantastic photo!)

I did $1 million dollars worth of sales in the first year, by myself, in my tiny apartment, in a business that I had no background in. It was a start-up with tales of trials and tribulations that you would not believe. My friend, Beatrice Marot, who's a psychic that reads for me, even enters into the picture! It's a story that should be a movie.

Q: This all happened during the last major economic slump. What words of wisdom could you give to individuals out there who may be struggling professionally and/or financially at this time?
Yes, the dot com bust of 2000 happened and I was on the couch praying everyday for some sort of sign, or hint of a way to start over. Someone once told me "mine the mother lode" in other words, do what you do best. Do what you are passionate about. I tell people when I speak, to go back and remember what you loved when you were a kid....was it dressing up dolls, toy trains, music...try and access that and see how you can work it into something for today. Concentrate of why you are frustrated with things, and how to solve those things that make you crazy. It's soooo much easier today to start something, with the internet, the great leveler. I never had a brick and mortar store. Plus, today there is much, much more information on how to do start- ups, and how to make a business run than when I started.

Q: It's quite difficult, not just financially, for single successful women to gift themselves with jewelry. What words of wisdom would you give to help women overcome this stigma?
I did find out that many, many women had no really nice jewelry, even though they were successful in their fields and bought themselves a car and a condo! I am not talking about big, estate jewels, but just nice, good looking jewelry that isn't junk. I think that you can buy a few pieces like The Ah Ring and wear them day to night, casual to dressy and enjoy them for a long time.You'll always know and feel the difference between rhinestones and real diamonds. What are you waiting for? People do notice, even if YOU think they don't....a gorgeous ring, cool earrings, you can enjoy them for years.

Q: How would you describe your typical customer? Do you ever find male customers gifting the ring to their daughters, female friends etc?
My customers range from college girls to grandmothers, from Park Avenue to trailer parks! Seriously, I sent an Ah Ring to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee once. I even took an order on the phone from the battlefield in Iraq from a soldier for his girlfriend. I have women who buy it for their 40th birthday, or to celebrate they got a divorce and are on their own, or all the girls in the sorority get it, or to celebrate some other milestone, like running a marathon, or losing 10 pounds. And once I sold three rings to three generations --- grandma, mom and her daughter. It crosses all ages, all races and all socio- economic levels.

Q: In terms of quality, The Ah Ring is on par with the diamond bands sold by exclusive, high end jewelry shops yet at a fraction of the cost. Can this really be true?
Yes, I have no middle man, and no store, so I can keep the price down. Even with the price of gold skyrocketing, my items are very, very reasonable. If you need that certain turquoise box that is so famous, go there and you'll pay well over $1000 more for the box.

Q: You have received hundreds (thousands?) of letters from individuals all around the world. Care to share one of those inspiration stories?
I have a folder full of fabulous letters and emails from clients who tell me how much The Ah Ring means to them. How it makes them feel good about being single and how it resonated with them. One husband wrote me that for him, it was Ah, alive and happy as his wife had beat cancer. I love my letters.

Q: Why do you think the Ah Ring is the perfect gift this holiday season?
Since The Ah Ring was created for joyful, confident single women, it's the ultimate fashion accessory to remind yourself that you are OK, and that you can actually be happy and single, for however long that period lasts...weeks, months or longer. The holidays are sometimes stressful with everyone asking questions like "who are you dating, etc." and this is the perfect way to show off that you are worth getting diamonds for yourself and didn't have to wait for a man to get them for you!

Please visit www.divinediamonds.com to see all the jewelry.