The search for the perfect ring is much more involved than some casual shopping around.

Having never bought a diamond ring before leaves most would-be proposers uninformed and unprepared for the ring hunt.

“If it’s the first store they go to, they usually spend an hour or two,” said Doug Welton, sales representative for Sierra West Jewelers.

That hour or two can quickly turn into three or more if you spend time comparing prices for the best deal.

“We encourage our customers to shop around,” said Richard Wilson, owner of Wilson’s Diamonds. “It just makes sense.”

If you can’t avoid the long hours, you can at least avoid a bad deal. Sierra West Jewelers has a program for first-time buyers to educate them on their future purchases. Representatives will take the time to teach them how to find the diamond and band they are looking for.

“My brother is a jewelry salesman too,” Welton said. “All they told him was to move the diamond up and down in the light and make some sappy comment to stir up the girl’s emotions.”

A couple hours of tutoring can give you the knowledge you need to save time and money in your search for the perfect ring. Every diamond is categorized and priced according to what jewelers call the four Cs: cut, color, clarity and carat.

Some women expect the ring to cost much less than rings actually do. Alma McGinn, a senior from Maryland estimated her husband-to-be might spend as little as $400 on her ring. Three other women gave estimates of less than $1000.

Luckily, the men seem to be prepared for something between $1000 and $2000. Custom jewelers and diamond wholesalers normally can’t offer much better prices because larger stores are willing to match prices with competitors.

Bert Van Uitert, a freshman majoring in computer science, doesn’t know how he’ll pay for it, but he has a plan.

“I see it happening like this,” Van Uitert said. “I’ll surprise her with the proposal and the ring. Then I’ll watch as she is initially excited, but slowly starts to frown as she looks at the ring on her finger. Then I’ll go back and buy a more expensive one she likes more.”

Though the plan looks good on paper, most girls would rather help pick out the ring than be surprised.

“I want to go with him,” said Valerie Snyder, a senior from Coleville, Utah. “No surprises.”

Wilson agreed that couples usually do come in together the first time.

Welton suggested a way for a man to surprise his bride-to-be. He said the diamond could be purchased and put in an inexpensive solitaire setting for the proposal. When the surprise is over, trade the solitaire band for one she likes and have the diamond set in that.

Surprise or not, you’d be pretty safe by just following the trends.

Rian Robison, store manager at Goldsmith Co., said the most popular diamond cuts are the round and princess cuts.

“Nobody buys anything else these days,” he said. He also said most diamonds are around .5 carat in size.

Welton said more than 90 percent of their business is in white metals, either white gold or platinum. The average cost of most rings is between $1500 and $2000.

“But whether you spend $500 or $2000 on a ring, it still has the same meaning,” Wilson said.



Copyright Brigham Young University 17 Feb 2005