Jewelers offer tips for buying the perfect ring
Valentine's Day is meant to show your significant other how much you care. Some people show that through a lifelong commitment.
The Hallmark holiday for romance is the second-most popular holiday — right behind Christmas — to pop the question, according to a Wedding Wire article.
“Valentine's Day falls into that engagement-type season,” said Steve Goslaw of Robert Stephens Custom Jewelers, 141 N. Main St.
Shopping for the perfect ring is a large part of that tradition, but it can be difficult to find the perfect balance between classic and one-of-a-kind.
“Something unique that's been coming recently (are) a lot more of the fancy shapes, which went away for years,” Goslaw said. “Marquees, cushions, ovals, emerald cuts are back again. They're very popular too.”
Goslaw said many people come to buy engagement rings with most of the desired look already in mind, but he still receives questions on what is more popular or what most people seem to gravitate toward.
“We do a lot of our own custom work here, so we get a lot of people (who) we (customize) for,” Goslaw said. “We have a ring builder on our website.”
With the ring builder, customers can change width, heaviness, cut, metal and more while seeing the price as they work. And it's also available for men's bands.
“It's amazing how far the man's band has come over the past few years,” Goslaw said. “Once they see how it can be built to their specifications, they play on the computer with it and call. Then, it takes two to three weeks to make it. It gets them a lot more involved in the process. Once they realize they can design their own ring, even the people who come across as not interested in anything fancy really like the options.”
Spencer Mathew, assistant manager at Mathew Jewelers in Zelienople, said he's seen a trend in Internet images, such as those from Pinterest, finding their way into the engagement ring process.
Mathew said he advises men who might be a little lost or overwhelmed by the shopping process not to “get hung up 100 percent on Pinterest pictures.”
He said that, sometimes, the pictures people pin are just representative of one aspect of the ring someone likes, such as the band or the cut, while the whole ring itself might not be ideal.
Investigate their loved one's personal style, Mathew said. Men should pay attention to the jewelry their girlfriends wear, so the engagement rings complement their style. Some women love modern jewelry, while others gravitate toward vintage pieces.
Another question both jewelers reported having heard a lot is about which styles will stand the test of time, rather than just be a fashion statement for a year or two. In other words, shoppers look for a ring that will reflect the durability of marriage.
Durability also comes into play when discussing which stones to put into the ring. Colored stones are becoming more popular — particularly for their cost as well as to add a unique look to a ring.
“I've had a few people go the route with a colored stone,” Goslaw said. “Also, rough cut (diamonds) — how they come out of the ground — mounted in and with a halo of diamonds around it.”
Similar to the timeless interest in diamonds, white gold and platinum are still predominant sellers for engagement rings, Goslaw said, but “we have seen a huge increase in yellow gold in the past couple years.”
Goslaw said Robert Stephens used to sell 90 percent white gold, but interest in yellow gold is now up to about 30 percent.
“Rose gold has become more popular too,” he said, “even as an accent color.”Although yellow gold is making a comeback at his store as well, Mathew said, white gold is still the preferred choice, with rose gold hanging still requested as well.Platinum, which is longer-lasting than some metals, is also a popular choice, but it costs considerably more than gold or silver. Couples should weigh the cost versus benefit of splurging on a more expensive metal, or speak with a jeweler about a suitable substitute.Jewelry stores are in the business of developing relationships with their customers, and couples have the opportunity to discuss their desires — as well as their budgets — with jewelers.A recent survey from the wedding resource The Knot, in which 12,000 brides and 1,200 bridegrooms in the United States were asked about their rings, found that people spend an average of $5,978 on engagement rings.Goslaw said most people who come in shopping for an engagement ring are “pretty well-set on a budget most of the time.”But price doesn't need to be an issue, he added.“They'll deviate a little, but not a lot,” he said. “I do what I can to help on an individual basis. If they need more time, (there's) a longer term layaway to pay it off. I have a couple who have been paying for over a year, and they make monthly payments.”Goslaw said some people start putting down money before they even pick out the ring or stones as a sort of “banking” system. They get statements each month with how much money has been put into their fund, and they can access it and put it toward a ring at any time.“Sometimes it takes six months, sometimes it takes several years,” Goslaw said of the flexible payment system.For people who like to focus on size and sparkle, how the diamond is framed can affect how big it looks and even how much it shines. Gems framed with a bezel, a type of rim wrapping, can give the illusion of a larger stone.Mathew said jewelers work to “accommodate any budget,” and he added that buying the engagement ring at a different time than the wedding bands can also help customers' wallets take less of a hit.Mathew said by not buying the rings in a set, engaged couples have “time to recoup some money” before spending on the wedding bands.Both jewelers said each engagement ring has a matching band that also can be customized or purchased at a later time to help people achieve the rings of their dreams without hurting them financially.
