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Rachel Chalchinsky’s ‘Survivor Tribute’ Ring
The ring, our Piece of the Week, was designed by eight-year breast cancer survivor Rachel Chalchinsky of Color Source Gems.
One in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
Due in part to better screening and early detection efforts, increased awareness, and continually improving treatment options, breast cancer deaths have declined 44 percent since 1989.
With October designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, our Piece of the Week was chosen to honor Rachel Chalchinsky’s battle with breast cancer.
Chalchinsky, senior vice president of Color Source Gems, is an eight-year breast cancer survivor who wears the “Survivor Tribute” ring she created as a symbol of her strength.
Due in part to better screening and early detection efforts, increased awareness, and continually improving treatment options, breast cancer deaths have declined 44 percent since 1989.
With October designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, our Piece of the Week was chosen to honor Rachel Chalchinsky’s battle with breast cancer.
Chalchinsky, senior vice president of Color Source Gems, is an eight-year breast cancer survivor who wears the “Survivor Tribute” ring she created as a symbol of her strength.
Her story started in August 2018 when she went for her annual breast diagnostic tests—a mammogram and an ultrasound—prescribed because she has dense breast tissue, very common among women.
“As the sonographer was performing the test, I saw a big black spot on the screen. I was stunned to see it,” Chalchinsky said.
The radiologist scheduled her for a biopsy a few days later, but, as it is for many in her position, waiting to find out if a mass is cancerous or benign was difficult.
“We want and need to know. Fear and worry are what begins to overtake you,” she said.
Chalchinsky was diagnosed with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer.
For treatment, she had a lumpectomy, 12 sessions of chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone therapy.
The thought of losing her curly red hair was particularly traumatic, Chalchinsky said.
“My red locks were so identifiable, I felt as though a part of me was lost,” she said.
She credits her medical and care team at White Plains Hospital in New York, including doctors, nurses, technicians, parking valets, and volunteers, for getting her through the treatments.
After eight years, Chalchinsky continues to see her doctor every three months for monitoring.
“Make no mistake, it is a physical and mental battle. I am a warrior,” she said.
Her advice for women diagnosed with breast cancer is that they must make themselves the priority.
As a reward to herself for enduring the treatment, Chalchinsky wanted to make a piece of jewelry that would commemorate her survivorship and strength through her battle with breast cancer.
The result is her Survivor Tribute ring, our Piece of the Week, which came to life five years ago and is filled with symbols of her journey.
The heated pink sapphire at the center was chosen because it is the same size as Chalchinsky’s 11 mm tumor. The pink color nods to breast cancer awareness, while the heating nods to Chalchinsky’s radiation treatments.
At the center of the ring is a heated pink sapphire chosen because it is the same size as Chalchinsky’s tumor.
She sourced a pink stone because it is the color for breast cancer awareness and wanted a heated sapphire to represent how she was heated by the radiation.
As the co-founder of the family-owned colored gemstone company, she searched through Color Source Gems’ inventory for most of the stones used in the piece. For the center stone, she expanded her search to trade shows and the inventories of industry colleagues.
She worked with her friend, master jeweler Victor Bukukyan, to design and craft the ring.
Encircling the center stone are three halos—one of diamonds, then padparadscha sapphires, and finally, orange sapphires.
The orange sapphires represent Chalchinsky’s acceptance of the loss of her curly red hair, while the diamonds are for her new gray and white hair.
Ribbons in 18-karat rose gold, with and without diamonds, accent the ring shoulders, because a pink ribbon is the symbol for breast cancer.
Each year, Color Source Gems donates to White Plains Hospital for women who are underserved, enabling them to receive tests like mammograms.
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