Week of April 7th: All About Engagement Rings! #1

To the men who are considering popping the question:  we are here to help!

There can be a great deal of pressure and unknowns when thinking about proposing. How do I ask? Will she say yes? (We hope you have a good sense of that one first.) Where do I start with getting a ring? How do I know her size...or style?

Take a deep breath - this week we are going to walk you through many of these questions this week!

Where do I start?

What we have noticed that for most men (unless he is wanting it to be a complete surprise) is that they've already talked to their girlfriend about hopes for the future, like wanting to get married.

If this is the case, then you already have a good start! If you've talked about getting married, then that may leave an opening for more questions:  style, size, and more.
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We've had many couples come in for an initial appointment to look at rings together. This can be extremely helpful for the men, and we take care not to "spoil" any surprises! Our staff seeks to help you consider a few different things:

• Metal type (Does she prefer a white, yellow, or rose tone? Does she have any metal allergies?)
• Style (Does she like modern, antique, floral, etc.? Does she like a simple, classic look, or diamonds on the band/halo stones?)
• Type of center/accent stones (Does she prefer the traditional diamond center? Does she want accent stones of a different type?)
• Finger size (This is a huge help later on)
• Center stone quality (If diamond:  Cut/Color/Clarity/Carat - what would she like? If a colored gemstone:  what color and shape?)

What we try to avoid bringing up in front of your lovely lady are these three things:

• Pricing (We know you want to honor her - she does too. We want to stick to your budget!)
• Timeline (Nearly everyone - on both sides - wants there to be an element of surprise)
• The "How" (We don't want to spoil any surprises on how you will propose - and do not fear if you haven't figured that out yet - many haven't at this point!)

Now, if you want her to be involved in these things, that is up to you and we are happy to oblige. Just let us know!

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If you decide not to bring her in for an appointment - which is okay!

​Do not worry, we are not at all saying that a joint appointment is necessary!

If you are wanting to get answers on style, there are a couple options without asking her directly. You can try:

• Checking her Pinterest account, if she has one - many women have a "bridal," "engagements," or "wedding" categories.
• Finding a TRUSTED friend or family member of hers to talk to about ideas. (We cannot emphasize "trust" enough - never go around asking a friend or family member unless you know they won't break confidence with you!)
• Bringing along a close friend of yours who also knows her well to look at styles with you.

Need to figure out ring size? This one can be little trickier. If you're not wanting to involve her in the design of the ring but she knows that something is in progress, you can always let her know to stop by our store to get her finger sized. We won't say anything to her about the project.

If you are wanting to keep it more of a secret, then it can help to bring in one of her current rings for us to size. This isn't a perfect option, but it at least will give us an idea. Make sure you know what finger she wears the rings on, and if they fit well (meaning they do not slide on and off easily, but take a little wiggle to get off).

If you are okay to involve one of her friends or family members, you may be able to have her "try on" one of their rings for fun (without you present), or when they are shopping, and then get the size of that ring. As long as they can be subtle!

In the end, if you cannot figure out an approximate ring size, we are happy to put together the perfect ring, and figure out the size & size it at no charge after the fact. 
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Through the whole ring designing & buying process, we want to help you AVOID stress - let us worry about getting the work done well & on time! We are excited for you and want to help you ENJOY the process and not WORRY through it all.
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**These are suggestions and none are necessary; neither are they all appropriate for all couples. Please only take the above as opinions based on experience but are not facts or hard opinions.**