Why Visiting a Jewelry Store Helps Your Pick a Better Engagement Ring

We get it, it’s personal

When it comes to buying an engagement ring, it can be difficult to know where to start. As the jewelry industry modernizes and direct-to-consumer jewelry brands come to market, how does one know which route to go? Is there a difference between buying online vs. in-store? How do you know what store to go to? Will you get a better deal at a big store? Will the quality be worse online? What if something breaks down the road?

With buying rings—and especially rings that are meant to last you your whole life—like engagement rings, it’s hard to know the level of quality you’re getting in an online purchase. It’s difficult to say whose behind the scenes making the jewelry, their experience, and the level of quality guaranteed.

When it comes to larger box stores and chains, the markup is often much higher than smaller shops, with sales people more interested in selling you what’s in their case, than finding what’s best for you.

The confusion and lack of transparency in the process can lead to confusion and overwhelm. But quality and price aside, there’s a major factor that’s missing in both the online and big-store route. We find the real value is in what’s being removed: the experience.

Buying an engagement ring is different than buying a dress. It’s not just any ring, it’s the ring. This is the one purchase that will stay with you for 50 or 60 years. So the experience should be meaningful, and enjoyable, a moment to remember, marking a time in your life you’ll never forget.

It’s not the same as hitting “buy” on a pair of shoes, or a purchase to throw in your shopping cart before trying on. It involves more than taking a guess and hoping you like it. The process is more involved. Arriving at the decision takes trying on, eliminating, getting to the core of what you really want, vs. what you’re being told to want. Done right, it means the jewelry shop asking the right questions, and listening to your answers without an agenda. The skill is in the listening.

The difference is the experience, the human connection, the tangible and tactile. The experience is what brings the joy. Human connection. Real relationships. It’s what takes a stressful situation and turns it into something fun. You learn more about yourself and your partner in the process. The weights lifted off your back to “have it all figured out.”

HERE ARE THREE REASONS WHY VISITING A JEWELRY STORE MAKES CHOOSING AN ENGAGEMENT RING EASIER:

1. YOU’LL BE ASKED QUESTIONS
   There are two parts to asking questions. One, is knowing the right questions to guide you closer to the right ring for you. The other, is listening to how you respond. Unlike jewelry stores with hidden agendas, we only care about finding the perfect ring for you. Even if it means it costs you less—we would rather have a customer for life, and guide you to the right decision for you, right now.
   

2. YOU’LL LEAVE FEELING BETTER THAN YOU ENTERED
   You know when you leave a store, feeling better than when you came in? It can feel rare sometimes in our country of consumerism. We want you to feel like you just had an experience you didn’t even know existed. The truth is, most people don’t know engagement ring shopping could be enjoyable. Most don’t know how much they’ll find out about themselves in the process. That’s why we’re different.
   

3. IT AFFIRMS YOUR DECISION
   Sometimes you just need a sounding board. We’re all human. Guys may need affirmation that they can do this and not screw it up. Women could need affirmation about loving what she loves in a ring. We’re here to help and support you wherever you are in the process. The support comes through seeing it on your own hand and building relationships—one thing shopping with your fingers will never buy.
   

4. YOU CAN FEEL THE QUALITY
   With jewelry, it’s different. The feel of the band. The weight of the ring. The way it looks on your hand. The risk with buying online is you don’t know the true quality you’re getting, and you don’t know if you’ll like the way it looks once it’s on. A common misconception is that independent jewelry stores cost more than box stores or online brands. We make it our mission to provide you with the highest quality product, at the lowest price possible.
   

5. DREAM IT UP: MAKE IT CUSTOM
   As a jewelry design studio with a master goldsmith, laser welder and gemologist, we have the tools and capacity to do something most shops can’t. Being a master goldsmith means being able to create or repair anything. Owner Jeffrey TK still creates and repairs every piece of jewelry in the shop. If you have a custom design you want to create, there’s few people who can provide the quality for the price we can.

The bridal experience comes back to doing what’s best for you. Buying jewelry online leaves space for error. It’s hard to tell quality and if you really like it once on your hand. As our society modernizes, we think the often unspoken value is in the personal. The difference comes down to relationships, learning and talking to people who’ve been working in the industry for four decades. At this point, nothing surprises us. We can’t wait to meet you.