RSS FeedHe Didn’t Go To Jared
Pity the man on a trip to purchase an engagement ring for his soon-to-be-bride. He’ll almost certainly be overwhelmed by the three (or four if you count carat) C’s. Each woman is of course different and we’re not presuming to tell you would-be suitors where to purchase. We only wish someone else had pointed the following out to us when we first went ring shopping.
If you’re willing to put aside the C’s you might find that you save thousands of dollars AND get a ring that is like no other. We’re not going to go over each of the C’s; you can read or hear about those from any jewelry store/website. Our suggestion is that unless the color is so bad that the diamond is glowing yellow (would that make it more valuable?), or the clarity is so poor that black spots are visible to the naked eye, no (man or) woman will care. If your budget offers the choice between a C’s perfect 1 carat diamond or a less perfectly 2 carat diamond, GO FOR THE BIGGER DIAMOND. No one will ever brag about having the better ring on paper, everyone compares the look of the diamond on the finger.
Jared, Zales, Kay, even DC’s beloved Boone & Sons — all no doubt fine jewelry stores. But you can also get fantastic; perhaps even one-of-a-kind pieces at antique stores, estate sales, and PQ’s very own Weschler’s. Several times a year Weschler’s has a jewelry auction and their next one is April 17. If you’re willing to forgo the hand-holding you’ll get at a retail store, this auction house can be both a money-saver and the key to a certain-someone’s heart. Assuming you find the right piece and get lucky on your bid, that is. We’ve bought jewelry from Weschler’s before; the independent appraisals after the sale have always come back higher than the amount we paid. The pieces are often Deco, sometimes unique, but always worth a look. Some of the pieces we think look interesting in the upcoming auction are as follows:
Like yellow gold? You might consider this 14 diamond cluster that’s expected to fetch $500 (1 carat total). Or maybe this yellow gold & platinum (1.30 carat) sapphire centered ring, expected to go for $800, it features more than 30 full cut diamonds. If you’re budget allows a few thousand we love the look of this deco platinum diamond ring, total weight of all diamonds is over 2 carats. Have you heart set on a marquis cut diamond? $4,000 might get you this white gold diamond ring, which (including all diamonds) totals more than 3 carats. And that’s just a small selection of the rings; you can of course get earrings, bracelets, watches, etc. If you’re in the market for unique jewelry, Weschler’s (and similar outlets) can provide an alternative to the mall stores.
We can’t state enough that we’re not here to discredit the big retailers. Gentlemen you know your partners and their preferences. Sometimes a ring that’s more of a place-holder is the answer; something that can be returned later for the ring they really want. But here at PQ Living we’re romantics. We want the ring we pick out to be the ring our partner wears for life. So after realizing the Jared’s of the world were not right for our situation, we went to Weschler’s.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
Great post on reputable dealers! I lost my engagement ring, but since I’m already married there are other priorities, and Jared, etc. are overpriced.
as a native Washingtonian, Weschler’s has a special place in this writer’s heart. they’re our hometown Sotheby’s and they’re in our downtown neighborhood. love noodling around their pre-auction viewings…saw a Victrola that almost had my name on it. almost.
I could care less where my ring is from. I would appreciate a ring more if it was thrifted (salvationarmy.com or goodwill.com) or if it was a hand me down.
Anon 12:53; how exactly can an auction house be overpriced? That’s like saying eBay is overpriced.
You can make an offer on an item, but you’ll never pay more than your maximum bid.
I went with I. Gorman, over in Farragut. (http://www.igorman.com/). Service was excellent — they offered lots of advice when I admitted how clueless I was, and made no attempt to sell me up to more expensive stuff. Their specialty is modern and/or understated designs.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
While this post seemed oddly like an ad, I’ll just throw in my two cents and say that I’ve had very good experience with Bensons on 13th and F NW. They’re helpful, friendly, and try to price their items competitively–one item I bought was even the same price it’d have been on bluenile.com.