K & Co Family Jewelers: Getting Her to Say “Yes”

As we go into the middle of the summer months we are heading into the heart of the bridal season. Couples are getting engaged and getting married.

As these couples embark on this journey it usually begins with a ring. At least as far as I am concerned it does, but I may be a bit biased since I own a jewelry store that specializes in engagement ring sales. Although you may find my findings a bit skewed, I will try to make a case for shopping your local “brick and mortar” jeweler over a mall jeweler, the internet, and/or a warehouse store.

Twenty years ago there was little choice for a groom when it came to buying an engagement ring for his or her significant other. This journey toward matrimony usually started by taking a trip to the local jeweler, getting a quick education on diamonds, and then being coaxed into a ring that was somewhat of your choosing or the best one they had. In recent years this has changed drastically with the introduction of online jewelers, Amazon, and warehouse stores that feature diamond jewelry displayed next to a stack of discount toilet paper. So where do you go? How much do you spend? Who can you trust?

With the average price of an engagement ring in the US selling for $5,200 the decision where to spend that kind of money has become more strategic.

You can go online and save time and effort, but can you really trust the website www.CheapRingsFast.com  and even if you do find the perfect ring will this be a part of the proposal story you really want to share with your fiancé?

You can go to a warehouse store, but will the sales member with the key to jewelry case really know more than just the price and info written on the card next to the ring (which you can read yourself)? Will they service the ring if you need it polished, stone tightened, finger size changed?

So what about your local jeweler? Will their pricing be competitive? Is it going to be a hassle? Will a stuffy jewelry sales person intimidate you and make you feel uncomfortable?

At K & Co Family Jewelers we would hope you’d pick the latter, but at the same time we want to completely shatter any misconceived images of stuffy jewelry store sales staff that will make you feel uncomfortable and sell you something that is overpriced. Recent industry surveys show that 86% of jewelry consumers prefer to make their purchase in a store where they can receive proper service and information regarding their purchase. A place they can touch and feel their next purchase. In recent years Jennifer Love Hewitt revealed to an audience on Ellen that she had chosen three potential ring styles at her jeweler of choice and that they had been set aside for her suiter to choose from. Having a go-to jeweler provides for opportunities to drop hints for special occasions and for one of the most special events in people’s lives, marriage.

So where do you start?

At K & Co we stock hundreds of styles to choose from. What’s more, most of our rings are simply samples that are then custom fabricated to fit all your needs such as; stone selection, finger size, and other custom aesthetic details. We suggest starting with getting to know her taste. Most brides-to-be have selected the ring of their dreams before you even met her.

She probably has a few iterations of “THE RING” pinned on pinterest or she’s repeatedly liked a similar ring post on facebook. That’s where your detective work begins. Take the time to ask friends to help you do a little digging before you come in and then we’ll help you do the rest.

The next thing you want to do is look at your budget. This is a big purchase, but you don’t always have to break the bank. For this exact reason we offer things such as a “Diamond Exchange Policy” that allows you to upgrade your diamond down the road and receive 100% of what you paid toward an upgrade. (some exclusions apply see store for more info) We also offer zero percent interest financing that can help reduce how much comes out of your pocket now.

You have now reached the point where you know what she wants and how much you want to spend, the next step is to come into our showroom and letting us show you styles that fit her liking and start on the path to picking the perfect stone for her ring. This is where the online market and warehouse store cannot compare.

Did you know that two stones graded by the same laboratory with the exact same grade can physically appear differently in person?

The stone on the left is a GIA graded stone with a clarity grade of SI2, color grade of G. Would you believe the stone on the right is too? So what’s the difference?

The difference lies in where the imperfections are located within the stone. Both stones are magnified 30X to 50X. This definitely is more magnification then most of her girlfriends will probably have on hand when she shows them the ring. The difference makes for a significant price gap between the two. The stone on the left has the majority of its imperfections located in the upper portion of the stone where it can be easily viewed from the top.

The stone on the right has most of its imperfections located within the pavilion of the stone, the lower portion which is not as easily seen once set in a ring.

Due to these differences the stone on the right could fetch 15% to 30% more due to its physical appearance being more desirable. Unfortunately this is something that usually cannot be seen online.

Many online retailers use stock photos of a diamond and place extreme value on the grading certificate without informing buyers of the true methods for grading stones. Any experienced jeweler will tell you that they cannot provide an exact value of a stone without physically seeing it in person, so when you think you may be able to compare apples to apples it’s really not that cut and dry.

In recent years a top CEO of one of the largest online jewelry retailers in the world (Blue Nile) jumped ship and joined an online company that sends customers into brick and mortar retailers to view their loose stone and finished products, recognizing the importance of the client needing to experience the stone in person to make the best choice.

You’ve now made your stone selection and paired it with that perfect ring from one of our many designers and now it’s our turn to impress you by putting it all together in the finished piece.

This is our favorite part; it’s the time that we get to see the reaction on your face when you realize this is really it! At this time we share the details of your soon to be fiance’s ring with you. We also review the importance of having the ring checked regularly and remind you that services such as cleaning and polishing are available at any time at no added cost.

We then review details such as how to insure your ring and how to utilize the appraisal certificate we provide with your ring to ensure the ring is insured for the proper value. We might ask you repeatedly if you’re happy with the finished product and we may even prod you a bit for details on how you plan to pop the question.

It’s all part of the personalized service you’ll receive when shopping K & Co Family Jewelers, where our tag line is “Find your happy ever after!”

Summer Savings Promotion

Come visit us this month when we kick off our “Hot Summer Savings” promotion.

We will have savings of up to 50% off starting July 9^th and running through next month August 13^th. Engagement rings are 20% to 50% off including our entire inventory of fine jewelry, diamond fashion, gemstone jewelry, watches, and more.

Visit us today online at www.kandcofamilyjewelers.com or on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest. Or, best of all, come in to see our selection and start your journey.

We’re located at 741 2^nd Street in Downtown Brentwood, right across the street from City Hall and down the street from Liberty High School.

Sources: Jewelers Circular Keystone Magazine & The Plunge.com