Most folks just call me Uncle Eggbert, but if we’re getting formal about things, my real name is Eduardo Manuel Varela. I’ve answered to a lot of names over the years: Ed, Manny, even “Gold Finger” for a short time back in the ’90s, but “Uncle Eggbert” stuck. It started as a silly nickname my brother’s kids gave me one Easter after I showed up with a pocket full of golden foil-wrapped eggs and a cigar hanging out the side of my mouth. The name just never went away.
I never had kids of my own, but I’ve always played the cool uncle role to perfection. Birthday surprises, questionable bedtime stories and yes: unsolicited life advice about diamonds and gold. Some uncles give socks. I give 24 karat nuggets of wisdom. And maybe a chain or two.
My father came to the U.S. from Cuba in the 1960s with nothing but a box of cigars, a pinky ring and a jawline that could slice prosciutto. He worked in jewelry repair for decades and passed on two things to me: a love for craftsmanship and a tolerance for things that smell like roasted earth. That’s why you’ll almost always find me with a cigar in one hand and a loupe in the other.
This site, Yellow Gold Ring Tree House Mountain, is a passion project. It’s where I talk about color in diamonds the way my father talked about baseball. With obsession, pride and probably too many metaphors. I write what I know, and what I know is this: a yellow gold ring without the right diamond color is like a fine cigar without a cut. Technically still usable, but not the experience it could be.
If you’ve got questions about yellow gold rings, cigar pairings or you just want to say hello, this is the place to do it. I may be busy polishing a ring or arguing with a nephew about the superiority of VS1 over VS2, but I’ll get back to you.
Please don’t use this form to pitch crypto, life insurance or new religions. Everything else? I’m all ears.