Ring Quest

Happy new year everyone!

I'd like to share the story about my fiancé and I shopping for my engagement ring before returning to you to your regularly scheduled Snark.

I decided we should pick out the ring together, mainly so he wouldn't get ripped off. (He knows very little about jewelry and what it should cost. You'll see that in a moment). Call me cynical, but I think the jewelry industry makes most of its profits off guys who don't know any better.

First, we went to a big store with lots of employees. I wasn't interested in a large diamond, but I wanted a unique setting, and thought there would be a more extensive selection there. We told the saleslady we were looking for an engagement ring, and she immediately pulled out a large rock and said, "Here's a D colorless diamond. It's the highest grade and the only kind you want, because you want a PERFECT diamond for your engagement don't you? You don't want to have a cheaper diamond that looks yellow . . . we can custom make you a platinum setting . . . do you want a matching wedding band? . . . You should buy this big diamond . . . etc."

We told her we'd think about it. She gave us her business card and wrote the information and price of the diamond on the back. We left with the card, but I decided to throw it away when I noticed the price on the card was higher than what she quoted a couple minutes ago.

Next, the fiancé and I went to a much smaller shop several doors down. It was a family business, run by a charming old man with a foreign accent and his daughter. We told Mr. Jeweler we wanted a D colorless diamond and he said, "Sweetheart, unless you are an expert, you can't tell the difference between a D, E and F diamond with the naked eye. If you want a D, I'll get you one, but I recommend an F. You'll save a lot of money."

The fiancé and I exchanged glances. This shopkeeper actually turned down a bigger sale?

I said, "We'd like a platinum setting." Mr. Jeweler explained that a much less expensive white gold ring plated with rhodium would look just as good, and if I was interested in vintage settings or something intricate, I would have more choices in settings. However, if I really wanted a platinum ring, I could bring him a magazine photo of any ring and he could reproduce it in platinum.

He showed me a filigree ring that I thought was pretty, but wasn't "the one." There was flower-shaped ring that I had spotted when I first sat down at the counter, but it had a very large diamond and I thought it was out of our price range.

I kept staring at the flower ring, though. Eventually, I realized the "large diamond" was actually composed of multiple, smaller stones fitted together, and I asked to try the ring on.

It was beautiful, and it cost less than 1/4 of our max budget. When Mr. Jeweler told us the price, my fiancé asked, "How much extra are the diamonds?" (This is why he is not allowed to go shopping alone).

We were also shown a similar design, but with slightly larger diamonds. As I was trying both on, Mr. Jeweler said, "Get the smaller one. It's a good size for your finger. It's perfect for you."

Wow! This was the third time he turned down a chance to make more money.

He then told us a story (which I'm sure he tells every engaged couple). "Many years ago, when I married my wife, I had no money. I spent $20 on our rings. We have nicer rings now, but I still wear the original ring on a chain around my neck." He pulled a chain out from behind his shirt, which had a thin metal band on it.

"It's not about the size of the ring. It's about the size of your love. And I can tell you two kids are nice people and you'll have a long, happy marriage. Years from now, when you are rich, you can come in and make this poor fellow buy you a 3 carat ring in a platinum setting. Right now, this ring is perfect for you, and I wish you the best."

Sold!

He measured my left ring finger and said, "My god! This is the smallest ring I've ever sold." I have very thin fingers, so the ring had to be cut down to my size. I thought it would take a couple days or weeks, but he said, "Come back in half in hour. I have a workshop upstairs. We'll resize it, replate it in rhodium, clean and polish it for you."

Very soon afterwards, I had the ring of my dreams, and I felt very good about buying from that particular store. I'm sending all my friends there when they need to buy a ring.