As fiances-to-be prepare to buy engagement rings, there are a
few things to keep in mind
June is here, kicking off a month-long marital marathon segueing into a busy summer season of weddings. And while plenty of South Valley couples say their “I-do’s,” many more will begin their nuptial journeys by getting engaged.
Rule No. 1 of getting engaged is, of course, having the perfect ring. But the task of finding and purchasing that perfect ring may not be as simple as some potential fiances may think.
“I picked the ring out myself,” said Letty Montes, a Gilroy resident who married her husband, Ismael, in August. “I knew that if he’d gone to buy it by himself, I wouldn’t have liked it. Besides, I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted a Belgian Crown, round-cut diamond that’s only available at a certain jeweler’s.”
Ismael said he was glad to have Letty pick her own ring because he wanted to make sure it was a ring she was proud to show off.
“I didn’t want to do any guessing. I didn’t want to have to bring her mom and say, ‘Do you think she would like this? What about this? Or this? Or this?'” he said. “This way, I know she likes the ring and that she’ll be proud to wear it for the rest of our lives.”
The latest trend in buying an engagement ring is shopping together as a couple, according to leading wedding Web site www.theknot.com.
“Mostly couples come in together to look for rings,” said Javier Garcia, manager of Garcia’s Jewelry in Hollister. “Sometimes a man will come in by himself, but not very often.”
But there is still hope for traditionalists determined to make the ring and popping the question a surprise. The www.theknot.com site recommends asking a significant other’s best friend, sibling or mother for help, then swearing that person to secrecy. Paying close attention to the jewelry a woman wears for a few weeks will also help give a ring-buyer a better idea what the woman’s style is and what kind of ring she might like. For example, watch how much yellow gold versus silver or platinum she wears, or whether she likes unusual jewelry designs or classic designs.
“I didn’t really want anyone to go with me or help me,” said Stephen Hoshida, a Gilroy native who recently asked his girlfriend of almost five years, Emily Sweeney, to marry him. “We’d talked about getting married and wedding rings, and I’d take mental notes. She showed me a ring in a magazine, and I knew her style, so I was pretty confident I could find a ring she would love. Plus, I did a lot of research about the cut and the color and all that kind of stuff, so I had a pretty good idea of what I could get in my price range.”
Paying attention to Emily’s style, the things she likes and keeping her personality in mind while he shopped helped him make his decision, Stephen said. His diligence paid off.
“He did very well – I love my ring,” Emily said. “I showed him one in a magazine that I really liked, and my ring actually looks nothing like that one, but I like the one he bought me even more than the one in the magazine.”
When Dusty Furtado started thinking about popping the question to his girlfriend of more than seven years, Lauren Sullivan from Gilroy, he casually steered her toward engagement rings while they were shopping one day.
“I trusted her friends and her mom, but it ultimately came down to what (Lauren) wanted, so I wanted to make sure I got exactly what she liked,” he said.
As they shopped, Lauren found three rings she liked and Dusty took note. He went back later to discuss the qualities of the three rings Lauren had picked and ended up buying the ring the jeweler advised was the best of the three.
Five months later, when he finally popped the question, Lauren told him it was a good thing he didn’t ask her family or friends about rings.
“Nobody knew what I wanted, so if he’d asked them for help, he wouldn’t have gotten any,” Lauren said, laughing.
Kelly Savio is the Lifestyles reporter for South Valley Newspapers. Reach her at (408) 842-2205 or ks****@**********rs.com.
