Jewelers say tradition, commitment play roles in Valentine's gifts
The closer to Valentine's Day, the busier jewelry stores become, according to several longtime Butler County jewelers.
“It usually starts on the week of, so it's good Valentine's Day is on a Friday,” said Don Paul, owner of Don Paul Jewelers, 148 N. Main St. “It's better than when it is in the middle of the week.”
“It's not like Christmas, where people put things on layaway a month prior,” he added.
And the customer is usually a man buying something for a woman, said Bob Emigh, co-owner with Steve Goslaw, of Robert Stephens Custom Jewelers, 141 N. Main St.
“They tend to spend late,” said Emigh of his male customers. “They tend to come in a month or so before Christmas or Mother's Day, but for Valentine's Day it's done in the last week, sometimes at the last minute.”
“It usually picks up once the calendar turns to February,” said Don Chilcott, owner of Golden Dreams Jewelers, 1615 N. Main St. Extension in Center Township. “They think about the holiday and the tradition, and the guys in particular start coming in.”
Making a romantic gesture with a gemstone may be more expensive than other options, but it will make a lasting impression, the jewelers said, especially if an engagement is on the agenda this Friday.
“I would say a lot of it is in the $100-to-$500 range,” said Paul. “That can vary if someone wants an engagement ring. That can be a lot more money because there are people who get engaged on Valentine's Day.”
“I'd make it between a few hundred to a few thousand,” for a typical Valentine's Day present, said Tim Moses, co-owner of Moses Jewelry stores in Butler and Seven Fields, with his father, Merrill Moses, and his brother, Larry Moses.“It depends on what your wherewithal is,” said Moses. “Valentine's Day is a good jewelry-buying occasion.”“I would say my average sale for Valentine's Day is in the $195 to $1,200 bracket,” said Chilcott. “Unless it's going to be an engagement ring. It's a very good season for engagement rings.”“People don't spend as much, generally, on Valentine's Day as on Christmas or engagements,” said Emigh. “I would say about $500.”“However, the people who do get engaged on Valentine's Day, the price of an engagement ring runs about $4,000,” Emigh said. “It shows commitment. As a rule, you are supposed to spend enough that it hurts a bit, and it shows commitment.”For those not willing to take on the commitment, or the pain, this holiday, there are other jewelry options, said Paul.“Anything heart-shaped. The bulk of what we sell at Valentine's Day is either earrings or necklaces. A lot of people go for the heart-shaped items because of th holiday,” said Paul.“The hot item this year is chocolate diamonds. It's a brown diamond set in white gold or sterling silver. We have both,” Paul said.“We're selling mostly rings, pendants and earrings,” said Moses. “Many times they have a heart- shaped theme but not necessarily. Some women don't care for hearts though.”Moses said, “Diamonds, as the proverbial saying goes, are still a girl's best friend.”There are some other BFFs in the running, he said.
“Sapphire is a leading gemstone, Blue topaz, ruby and pearls are others,” said Moses.“Now they are combining pearls with silver, silver and diamond, silver and sapphire, all of which are inexpensive and very popular,” he said.“Some women are buying jewelry for men,” said Chilcott. “They get gold rings for their boyfriends. Or they come in looking for sterling silver. Younger customers are finding sterling silver to be a good gift item.”“In the trade, rubies are always good for Valentine's Day because of the red color which signifies love,” Chilcott said. “Gaining in popularity are the pink shades: pink sapphire and pink tourmaline and, at times, shades of pink diamond.”“The most popular thing for Valentine's Day are pendants and earrings,” said Emigh. “Generally, it's diamond pendants and diamond earrings.”“We are selling less colored stones and more diamonds, because diamonds seem perfect for every occasion and they match everything,” said Emigh.“Some people think, 'I don't want a purple stone because I don't wear purple,'” said Emigh. “Diamonds seem to go with everything.”Regardless of what gemstone is chosen, Chilcott said every potential buyer owes it to himself to be at least a little knowledgeable about jewels.“Everyone should get some type of education on the innate quality of the diamonds, the quality of the gems, the quality of the composition of the metal, the different karats of gold, platinum and sterling silver,” he said.“The biggest, most common mistake is buying strictly on price,” said Moses. “The lowest price is not always the best decision.”“Certainly price is important, don't get me wrong,” said Moses. “It's important as you shop around to train your eyes as to what you like. You might like something that is not as expensive.”Paul said attention to jewelry shouldn't end with the sale. Jewelry needs regular maintenance and inspections, he said.“Most of the time it is wear. The prongs on a ring wear down, and the stone gets loose and they fall out,” Paul said.He advised gem owners to check their rings once every six months.“You can monitor whether the prong is wearing out, you can monitor whether the prong is wearing out or the gem is loose,” said Paul.But there's more than just a gemstone's value or setting tied up in jewelry bought at Valentine's Day, Chilcott said.“This is a unique business and a unique product because it means love. Love has to be part of Valentine's Day. Other holidays, not so much. I enjoy this business because I am selling love, not just jewelry,” said Chilcott.“As long as people are falling in love, we are in good shape,” said Emigh.
