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Buying a ring requires a personal touch

When it comes to engagement rings, the styles and customs surrounding the sacred symbol are as fluid as the weddings themselves. As the nature of weddings and their tradition evolve, so too have the habits around buying engagement rings.

When it comes to engagement rings, the styles and customs surrounding the sacred symbol are as fluid as the weddings themselves.

As the nature of weddings and their tradition evolve, so too have the habits around buying engagement rings.

While the assumption is it is the man who comes to pick out the ring to present to his fiancée, this isn’t always the case.

In fact, the woman often accompanies her man to the store, just to make sure the purchase fits just right.

As Garo Yanikyan, owner of Okotoks’ Wild Rose Jewellery & Gifts Ltd, pointed out, his clientele now consists primarily of couples. At least 70 per cent of ring shoppers who come to his store are now couples, he estimated.

The man will often let his wife do the selecting, Yanikyan added. This avoids the potential for problems if the man’s style choices are questionable.

“Maybe she’s not going to like it (otherwise),” he said.

Jim Virtue of Marlo Jewellers in Okotoks still sees some men who try to go it alone, though it really depends on the couple.

“It really varies,” Virtue said.

It isn’t just the customer demographic that has changed; the style of the rings themselves has also evolved over time.

After moving to Okotoks from Prince George, Virtue noted customers here desire more of a simple style of stone.

That doesn’t mean they don’t want to express their individuality, however. The bands are now the place where a man can put his own personal stamp on the proposal.

“Nobody wants plain anymore. Now they want some designs on it or some fancy things on it,” Yanikyan detailed.

Much like the fashion world, a certain style of ring can go from an obsolete eyesore to en vogue within a radically short period of time.

Recently, the ring with a cluster style setting has burst back on the scene.

All it took to revive the style was a recent royal engagement. The late Princess Diana’s ring, now displayed brilliantly on Kate Middleton’s finger seems to have single-handedly revived the trend.

“It was out of style the last 10 years, nobody wanted to wear any,” Yanikyan said. “Every 20 to 25 years, the old style starts to come back because (there’s) nothing left to come out anymore.”

With the ring business constantly evolving, the jewelry industry has had to account for a more recent trend – the move to online shopping.

Both Virtue and Yanikyan acknowledge the shift but contend buying a ring in person is always the best option.

“Why are you buying jewelry without seeing it?” Yanikyan asked, rhetorically.

Wild Rose Jewellery offers customized rings right from the store. The ability to cater a ring to an individual is one that will not be found in an online world, Yanikyan contended.

“What they are selling, I can guarantee you that 80 per cent (of it) is not what they expected,” he said, with respect to clarity and the quality of the product.

“You’re always taking a risk if you buy something online. You don’t really know the quality,” Virtue added, noting his store also offers customized work through a third-party.

Although neither jeweler offers a refund in case the proposal doesn’t go ahead as planned, they do exchange previously sold merchandise for store credit. After all, eventually you are going to need a ring for that special someone.

As for the notion an engagement ring must set one back two months wages, Virtue was quick to point out Marlo’s offers a variety of choices for any budget.

“If you don’t have the means to buy something like that, you’re going to need something a little smaller,” he said.

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