Today, I had the chance to speak about jewelry with my favorite reality star of all time- Jen Schefft.

Schefft first came into the spotlight as the woman to whom Andrew Firestone proposed at the end of The Bachelor 3. Months later, the two broke off their engagement, and Schefft returned to television, choosing from 25 men on The Bachelorette.

She found love with none of them, and was brave enough to be the first bachelorette to leave the show unattached (which is one of the reasons she’s my favorite- she didn’t let the show or the public pressure her be with someone she didn’t love, as I suspect many of these contestants do).

Her experiences on the show and in life prompted Schefft to write Better Single Than Sorry, a book about singleness- its perks and pitfalls- and why settling in a relationship is never a good idea.

 
(Better Single Than Sorry comes out January 23rd).

Of course, in love and engagements, jewelry pops up from time to time; here is a snippet of Jen’s thoughts on the subject…

LF: Tell me about the ring Andrew gave you when he proposed to you on The Bachelor?
JS: It was beautiful. It was from Harry Winston…2.8 cts. t.w. oval diamond set in platinum and baguettes on the side. It’s gorgeous.
LF: So you still have the ring?
JS: I have it in my possession.
LF: How do you feel about keeping jewelry from an Ex?
JS: I think it just comes down to you have to discuss it with that person…if a boyfriend gives you a gift; I think that’s yours to keep. If you’re really upset and broken up about a break up, [pieces of jewelry from him] are things you should maybe set aside…to give yourself time to heal.

Schefft is cool and confident, and she was sweet enough to indulge my non-jewelry related questions about The Bachelor. To read more of our conversation, check out InBrief in the spring issue of Luxury.

JCK