Bridal Q&A: With This Ring, I Thee Wed!
For this special Palm Beach Brides issue, we sat down with Wellington jewelry professional Adam Yorke of Designer’s Touch Jewelry. A local favorite, Designer’s Touch offers the finest gold, platinum, silver and stainless-steel pieces with a wide variety to choose from. That’s why we turned to them for answers to some common questions couples should consider when choosing their symbols of eternal love, engagement and wedding rings.
Q: When choosing that perfect engagement ring, what do you suggest buyers consider about the 4 Cs (cut, color, clarity and carat)?A: The 4Cs are a great common baseline to start shopping for an engagement ring. Two of them are very easy, which is cut and carat. Cut refers to the shape (round, cushion, radiant, oval, etc.) of the diamond, and carat refers to the relative “size” or weight of the stone. The two more intricate questions are color and clarity. What we do to show customers the differences is explain the grading scale, and then show them different diamonds with different colors and clarities to identify what’s important to them in choosing the right diamond for the customer.
Q: What are your thoughts on custom-designing an engagement ring from scratch or choosing from among what is available in the showroom?
A: If you’re set on a certain, unique style of engagement ring, there’s definitely nothing wrong with custom-making a ring from scratch. However, it’s always worth taking a look at what’s already in the showcase to see if you might find something similar, or something you find that you like better than your original thought. Having an open mind is important when shopping for an engagement ring. Things don’t always look the same in person as they do online.
Q: What should couples keep in mind when considering the budget to spend on their diamond engagement ring?
A: We approach budget a little differently than some other jewelers. The most important thing about the engagement ring is the significance of what it means, not how big it is or how much money you can spend on it. Life is expensive, especially for those getting engaged at a younger age. The most important thing is to choose a ring that has a good look and doesn’t push you past your monetary comfort zone. It’s very common for large occasions (anniversaries, birthdays, etc.) to upgrade the engagement ring, which is why we always offer our customers full value toward a future upgrade at any time, no strings attached. This gives people more freedom, where if we’re set on a certain size or style and don’t have that affordability, we can always work our way up to it over time.
After the proposal, it’s time to set a date and get ready for the big day! This means that it’s back to the jewelry store for the wedding bands.
Q: How soon should couples begin to shop for the perfect wedding bands?
A: Generally speaking, you should give yourself 4 to 6 months in advance before the wedding date to pick out bands, just in case they need to be custom made or special ordered.
Q: Walk us through the process. Should the couple set up a consultation? What are some of the options to explore?
A: The couple should definitely come in together to figure out what they want to do for their rings. Every couple has their own vision for wedding bands, and it’s OK if that doesn’t match other people’s opinions or taste. Some couples will want an alternative metal (tungsten, cobalt, tantalum, titanium, etc.) band and the ladies’ band to have a little bit of design to contrast the engagement ring. Other couples want exact perfect matching white/yellow gold or platinum rings and keep things very traditional. Both options (and more) are correct. Your wedding bands represent your love, and however you choose to portray that is OK.
Q: What is a typical price range for wedding rings?
A: There’s a wide range of prices for wedding bands. I’ll cover some of the most popular. Alternative metals can be between $150 to $400. Simple white/yellow gold or platinum bands with no diamonds can be anywhere from $300 to $1,500 based on the weight of the ring. A thin diamond band can be between $800 to $2,000 depending on how big the diamonds are. From there, the sky is the limit, and you can really spend as much as you want to on bigger and more “showy” rings.
Q: How long will it typically take for a custom set of wedding bands to be made?
A: Depending on the store and the volume of work they have, custom can take between 4 to 8 weeks. We generally promise 4 to 6 weeks, but if the job is a bit simpler, then it could be sooner.
Q: What should couples consider when choosing which precious metal to use?
A: Personal preference plays a big part in choosing what metal to use. They all have pros and cons. One of the biggest debates is between white gold and platinum. Platinum is often seen as the “top end” of jewelry and the finest metal to use, but I always advise my customers away from platinum if they want a white ring. Platinum is very malleable, so it bends and scratches very easily. White gold, on the other hand, is much sturdier but has a tendency to be worn and look “off-white” on the bottom of the ring. White gold has to be polished and rhodium plated to look brand new again, and is usually done once every year-and-a-half to two years.
Q: What are some of the styles available, and should the bands match or complement each other? Can both men and women have diamonds in their rings?
A: The number of ring styles are truly limitless. Between different colors of metals and different designs, as well as perhaps combining components from two different rings, the options are endless. It all depends on what the individual couple is looking for on the ring. Traditionally, the bands are supposed to be perfect matches, but nowadays people do whatever they want that appeals to them. Some even wear the engagement ring on one hand and the wedding band on a separate hand, and that’s OK. I always say to customers that there’s no “jewelry police,” and whatever you choose to do for your rings is correct if you like it. There’s definitely a “social norm” when it comes to how men and women should have their rings, but in our opinion, both men and women can have diamonds on their rings and also choose to have no diamonds in their bands, too. Everything is acceptable and is totally reliant on personal taste.
Q: What are some of the latest trends in rings?
A: One of the bigger trends for engagement rings is the “under basket halo.” You take a single row of diamonds on the band and then, instead of a traditional halo that surrounds the diamond on top, there’s a row of diamonds that hugs the bottom of the stone, and sometimes also diamonds on the prongs. This all accents the beautiful center stone on top. For men, the trend for bands tends to be alternative metals. Many of these are gray/black rings that can be worn and worn hard. A lot of guys worry about hard wear on rings at work, so this is a great solution to keeping a wedding band on and not having to worry about how the ring holds up, as they are very durable.
Q: Should couples match the engagement ring and wedding bands?
A: Not every couple agrees on what looks good on their hands. It’s very common for a man to get one of the previously mentioned alternative metal bands, and a woman to get a thin diamond wedding band. It doesn’t match, but in its own way, it looks good and still represents their marriage and love for each other.
Q: Do you recommend engraving to subtly
personalize a couple’s bands?
A: We offer the service, but most opt not to have their bands engraved. Most of the time, the ladies’ bands are too thin to get a proper legible engraving, and most guys will tell me they’ll never notice or remember the engravings in their rings. Additionally, once a ring has to be sized, the engraving winds up getting polished out and re-engraved, which sometimes kills the sentimentality of the meaning of it, so many just avoid the process altogether.
Q: Should a couple consider purchasing insurance
for their rings?
A: Absolutely! At minimum, get the engagement ring insured. At our store, we cover if any of the small side stones get lost, because we know it can happen. There is not a jeweler on this Earth that will cover the loss or damage of a center diamond. That’s a huge investment that can be totally lost in a moment. Rings get worn, and loss can happen with a good hit on a counter or a night out on the town. Jewelry insurance is not incredibly expensive, and you’ll be happy you have it if something ever happens.
Q: What should a couple consider when choosing
the best jeweler for their wedding rings?
A: Make sure to do your research beforehand. Shop local and find someone you feel you can trust based on your conversation with them and their reviews. Rings require maintenance and care, and you want to make sure that the place you shop stands behind their product and cares about your business. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, as there’s much to learn about diamonds. You should feel like a diamond expert at the end of your shopping experience, and not leave with doubts. We make sure that all our customers know the exact product that they’re getting, including the quality of the stones and how they affect both the look and the pricing of their ring. We’ll always make sure that our customer walks away confident in what they purchased and the service we provided them.
We hope that this information was a helpful introduction to buying some of the most precious gifts that you will give one another. Designer’s Touch Jewelry is a family owned and operated jewelry store located at 2891 South State Road 7, Suite 120. Whether you are looking for custom jewelry or showroom-ready sets, this Wellington store has your perfect fit. They work one-on-one with clients to create truly one-of-a-kind pieces that offer beautiful style and lasting elegance. For more information, visit www.designerstouchjewelry.com.
