As much as I love my husband letting him pick my engagement ring, the one i will be wearing for the rest of my life was totally out of the question. I love him to death but when it comes to jewellery his taste is in his butt (sorry honey). So began the quest for the perfect ring and if you’re anything like me looking at sparkly rings is a must every time you walk by a jewellery store but what are you really looking at?
Etiquette dictates that the man chooses the ring and spends around 3 months pay on it (I can see you all doing the math in your head) but times have changed and these days anything goes. Most of the ladies I know picked their own ring or had a major say in what they wanted by leaving catalogues in frequently visited areas of the house such as the toilet, the beer stash, shed and my all time favourite the fridge! They have to eat right!?
So before you set foot in a jewellery store here’s a few things to think about-
Work out how much money you and your partner are going to spend and stick to it. After accompanying a friend of mine to a particular jewellery store all they seemed to do was try and get her to spend more money than she had by showing her rings that were out of her price range. After almost an hour of getting nowhere and us getting more and more frustrated with the silly pushy woman who was obviously trying to use us to boost her monthly sales target, we left but not before my friend gave the sales assistant her details. Big mistake, there is nothing worse than getting phone calls from over friendly sales assistants who would sell you their own granny if they could! So don’t let anyone bully you into spending more than you planned and don’t give out your details unless you are going to buy from them!! Also don’t be afraid to barter, there is nothing wrong with asking for a discount if it means you can save some cash for the engagement party or wedding.
Do your research and find out what styles you like and take into consideration what type of jewellery you normally wear. For example if you wear white gold and silver then go for white gold or if you’re splashing out get platinum. Personally i like to match. J Or if diamonds are not your thing, look at gems, you get some amazing coloured gems and they are much cheaper than the good old diamond. But if u have your heart set on a big sparkly diamond then make sure you look at the 4 C’s of diamonds. Cut, colour, clarity and caret......and no we’re not talking about the vegetable...sorry had to throw in the dad joke....DO YOUR RESEARCH on these, this is what the internet is for! This will help you have a more educated conversation so you don’t get pushed into buying something from the above mentioned pushy sales lady and trust me they are everywhere...
If you’re being a modern bride and doing the shopping yourself, take a friend. If they are anything like mine they will give you an honest opinion. You can take your soon to be fiancée but this may be risky, if normal shopping trips with him are painful and end up in fights in the car park because he said he liked every single dress you tried on, even the ones that made you look fat then leave him at home. Remember you will be wearing this ring till the day you die...well fingers crossed.
Last but not least, use a qualified jeweller. This may sound like a no brainer but we have all heard the stories of people getting sucked in by the cheaper than usual prices and ending up with a piece of crap that no one would be seen dead wearing. Shopping for an engagement ring can be a traumatic experience but with the right research and using the brain you were born with you can turn it into a great experience for all involved!
Remember research is the key! Happy shopping kiddies
K & C
XXX
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