7 Money Savings Tips Engagement Ring

Want to scare a man?  Mention shopping for an engagement ring or shopping in general. Obviously, this is in jest however there is an element of truth as I have yet to see anything else elicit more anxiety than a few grams of gold and a diamond.    We work with a lot of  men purchasing engagement rings; they all have the same symptoms; excitement, anxiety and joy.    Our goal is to ensure that every customer leaves here happy in love with their purchase no matter if its a birthday gift, engagement ring or anniversary gift for their wife.   In each instance we strive to educate our customers on the finer points of purchasing jewelry.

Some of the tips we give customers:

1.  This is an exciting time!  Enjoy it!  We suggest;  do a little reconnaissance; do your research and set a budget for your purchase.   We recommend setting a high and low amount to use as your guideline.  This way when you’re looking at engagement ring, you have a base line to keep in mind.  And speaking of rings….

2.  Engagement rings come in so many different shapes and sizes that its important to have an idea of what you would like to purchase.    Do you want something that is classic, contemporary or antique inspired.    Our suggestion, look through magazines, online and other women’s rings.   If you can bring photos with you or email your sales rep; we love have the photos ahead of time as this helps us select items we believe will most closely match our client’s needs.     The bottom line, having an idea of the style of ring will help you simplify your search.  And then we come to the center stone…..

3.  What kind of diamond or gemstone would you like to place in your ring?  Do you want a round brilliant cut diamond, a cushion cut, a princess cut diamond or do you want a semi-precious gemstone?  A diamond is the standard for an engagement ring but its not the absolute.    The tradition of a diamond engagement ring actually has its roots in the late 18th century with Maximilian presenting his bride Mary of Burgundy with a diamond ring as a wedding gift.  This essentially started the tradition of a diamond engagement ring.   And be certain you have done the research on the 4C’s of diamonds.  However, if a diamond isn’t in the budget then consider a gemstone.

4.  So, if you go the gemstone route, then which one?  We suggest doing something meaningful to both of you; for example, her birth stone or yours or the month in which you met or had your first date.     Remember, an engagement ring is one of the single most important pieces of jewelry you’ll ever purchase; be certain that you are 100% satisfied so we recommend asking questions.

5.  Remember to ask questions – don’t be shy.  As the old adage goes; if something seems to good to be true then it probably is.  So, while your asking questions take notes and even do some comparison shopping.   We routinely recommend to our customers to shop around and make sure that they are 100% satisfied with their engagement ring/fine jewelry purchase.

6. And what about choices of metals?  One has a wide variety of choices of metals for engagement rings; platinum and 18K white gold has long been the standard for engagement rings.  This can also add to the cost of the ring as platinum is more expensive that 18K white gold.   Other metals to consider, 14K gold or palladium.    There are pluses and minuses to each metal be certain that you understand each.

7. Commitment rings vs. an engagement ring; a commitment ring is similiar to a promise ring.  Just as engagement rings can take a variety of shapes, styles and sizes so can promise rings.   In short, you could select just about anything for a commitment ring.  The only item could be an eternity ring, a claddagh ring or even a completely lovely black diamond fashion ring.

Please let us know your thoughts or if you have suggested topics.   We want to be your information source as well as your jewelry store.  We look forward to your comments.

Alexa Rose Fine Jewelry

9917 E Bell Rd #140

Scottsdale AZ 85260

480.656.0652

888.302.5392

www.alexarosejewelry.com

Men’s Engagement Rings

We all know that diamonds are a girl’s best friend but,  what about the guys?  We’ve looked at customs of other countries when it comes to engagements and marriage.    In some countries, men and women wear wedding bands from the date of engagement and in other countries not only does the bride to be receive a ring the groom to be does as well.  Engagement gifts for men vary widely from wrist watches, cars to an actual engagement ring.

We, here in the US, tend to think of a diamond engagement ring as something solely to be given to the bride to be and that’s great but, again what about the guys?  Most men prefer not to wear jewelry for a whole host of reasons from finding it a bit effeminate, to their profession and/or they just find it uncomfortable.  I can relate to the latter as at times wearing a ring, a bracelet or necklace even gets on my nerves and I love it.   So, its no surprise that men would prefer not to wear jewelry.

So, what does one do?  Well, I would say let your man choose his perfect wedding band.  Men’s wedding bands can be custom made just like your diamond engagement ring.   And Dora Bands has a whole host of men’s diamond wedding bands or men’s gold, men’s titanium or men’s platinum wedding bands.  With Alexa Rose you have almost an endless supply of ideas from which to draw.

We’ll help you select an existing style from our showroom or we’ll help you create your groom’s wedding band.    As a side note, if you have a family diamond we’ll re-set it for you in either a new diamond engagement ring, new diamond pendant or your own custom design.  The hardest part will be finding the perfect ring or piece of jewelry.  So, do not be afraid to ask us about options or being a bit creative.  We’re glad to help.

When you think about it, one has almost as many options for a men’s wedding band as one does for a diamond engagement ring.  Call us today at 480.656.0652 or email us (Sales@alexarosejewelry.com).  We look forward to working with you.

Your Bridal Jewelry……

You’ve been working for months on selecting the perfect venue, the flowers, the caterer, the music and yes even the perfect set of wedding bands and your wedding day is suddenly upon you.   Do you feel ready?  Or are you suddenly remembering some of those little things that had slipped your mind?  Well, you’ll be happy to know that if you’re like most of us; you’ll suddenly remember a flood of items right before the wedding!  Unfortunately, they usually pertain to either your jewelry or shoes or both.  

 Hopefully, what I am about to type here will be of assistance or at least make you feel better.   I was reading an article recently that described which items are most often purchased at the last minute – would you like to guess what topped the list?  It was (drum-roll, please) the little black clutch, followed by earrings and necklacesfor a special occasion.  I found this fascinating,  as most of us, plan our outfits to the office, the gym and even weekend wandering down to the T, including the jewelryso, why do we so often forget it for special occasions?  Well, we all know the answer, it’s so very simple; we’re consumed with all of the other details that our thought process becomes this will get done during this outing or that outing but somehow it always manages to get pushed to the 11th hour.  At least, it does for me?  I can not tell you how many times, I have rushed out to find the perfect little bag or the perfect earrings or pendant. 

While, I have not been married, I have several friends who have been brides and each one of them shared with me that they felt their jewelryfor their ceremony was rushed and more of an impulse buy rather than something thought out and even tried ahead of time.    After speaking to my friends, I asked the question, what if you could have tried on your bridal jewelry ahead of the ceremony; would it have made a difference? 

A resounding, YES was my answer!  So, with the input of quite a few of my friends; we’ve added this service to assist our brides.  In short, this is how it works,  you come in to our boutique and look through the wide variety of styles we have available.  You select up to 7 different pieces, let us know the date of your next fitting, its location and we’ll meet you there so you can see which items will look best with your gown.  Once you’ve made your selection; we’ll make arrangements for payment or need to rethink your look, we can do that as well.  Best of all, you have flexibility in styling, selection and as we’re wholesale to the public, we can assure you’re getting the best possible price.  So, regardless of your desired look, we can help you ensure your perfect day has the perfect bridal jewelry as well. 

Check out some of the different options available.  If you don’t find what your searching for on our website, give us a call at 480.656.0652.  I’m certain we can help you create the perfect look for your wedding day.