You know what to look for in diamond engagement rings… but do you know what to look for in jewelry stores?
The online world has made it possible for fiance-to-bes to search, find, purchase, and ship that perfect ring right to their doorsteps, without ever having to set foot in a jewelry store. While this is arguably a risky way to buy such an important item, it does raise the bar for jewelry stores, since not only are they now competing against each other, they’re also competing against the Internet. High-quality service is a must.
Selection and Knowledge. No single store could possibly showcase as many rings as the Internet, so it’s more important than ever for jewelry stores to focus on their strengths when it comes to showcasing what is under the glass… and that means knowledge. No Wikipedia article under the sun can match an experienced, flesh-and-blood jeweler when it comes to a firsthand understanding of the power and potency of a diamond ring.
Services. Need your ring cleaned? Polished? Buffed? Resized? Chances are, you’ll need one or more of these services in the lifetime of your ring. Now think about it: are you truly comfortable mailing your ring to whichever online store you bought it from in order to have these things done? Or would you be far more at ease hand-delivering your ring to the very person from whom you bought it from, so that they can do the work?
Understanding. Have you ever seen a ring style you loved, but didn’t learn the name of the style? So all your Google searches for “that kind of ring with square stones set inside the ring part on either side of the main stone”? (That’s a channel setting, for the record.) Speaking face-to-face with a jeweler can help eliminate this confusion, without resorting to scanning a PDF of your rough sketch and pleading in the jewelry forums.
Without a doubt, the Internet has made a great many things a lot easier to do. But shopping for that perfect diamond engagement ring isn’t one of them. Some things still need that personal touch, and jewelry stores will always be there to provide the perfect service for that special time in your life. More like this article.
