ENGAGED! River Valley Issue 16

FEATURE ARTICLE

Top 10 BridalJewelry Questions

At Camelot we get a ton of questions specifically related to bridal jewelry, engagements and weddings as a whole. We have compiled a list of our top 10 weddingrelated questions with answers to help you from the planning stages, to after your big day.

Does the wedding band or engagement ring go on my finger first?

Where are good places to propose?

When thinking of the places to propose, we have found that the best locations are those that mean something special to the couple. Maybe it’s where you had your first date, or a favorite park, or the local mural she always mentions she loves when you drive past Camelot Jewelers. Incorporating local landmarks and businesses can be a fun way to utilize the community to make your proposal truly memorable. As a local business, I can tell you we love helping out with proposals – whether we are snapping pictures of the groom down on one knee in front of our mural, delivering the most precious piece of jewelry a future groom can present to the love of his life, and everything in between.

The wedding band goes on the finger first, followed by the engagement ring. My dad, Rodney Williams, would always say the easiest way to remember is that the band goes closest to your heart. Sometimes a bride will choose to get two matching wedding bands, where one band is worn on each side of the engagement ring. Another option is the bride choosing a mix match, wearing stacking or geometric bands that can be worn on each side of the engagement ring or stacked in different ways, depending on the bride’s preference.

Should I get my rings soldered together before or after the wedding? In short this is completely up to the bride, however, our bride’s typically do one of two things:

The bride will drop off both her wedding and engagement rings to us, while she goes to get her nails done. We then clean, inspect, and solder the entire set together. When she returns to pick up her rings, we have her try the soldered set on to make sure it fits just right. The rings are then ready to be given to the best man for safekeeping until he presents them to the groom either before or during the ceremony. In this scenario, the bride will not wear the engagement ring or wedding band again until her groom puts the joined rings on her finger during the wedding ceremony.

The second option is for the bride to bring in her engagement ring before the wedding to have it cleaned, polished, and dipped if it is white gold, so it looks beautiful for wedding day pictures. The bride wears her engagement ring as she walks down the aisle, the groom slides her wedding band on her finger during the ceremony, and then after the wedding but before pictures, the bride will switch the rings, so the wedding band is first and closest to her heart, and the engagement ring is beside it to the outside of her finger. After the wedding, the rings can be dropped off at Camelot to be soldered together and picked up either later the same day or when the newlyweds return from their honeymoon. Many of our brides and grooms will also purchase from us one of our many designs of Qalo Rings which are made out of silicone, to wear on their honeymoon. This keeps their new rings safe and in pristine condition, and also helps to avoid loss or damage while they are away.

When should I not wear my engagement ring? Jewelry should never be worn in swimming pools. The chlorine can damage the metal in the jewelry by making it brittle and more prone to cracking and loss of prongs. We recommend our Qalo Rings for activities, such as swimming, where the chemicals can damage your rings, and for recreational activities like boating, mudding, sports, etc. where jewelry can get excessively dirty or lost. However, if you do forget to take off jewelry during these activities, be sure you stop in Camelot Jewelers, so we can clean, inspect, and make everything look brand new.

How much should I spend on an engagement ring? This is one of my favorite questions. You may have heard that you should spend a certain percentage of your salary, three months’ pay, or something along those lines. I, however, am not an advocate of any of these suggestions. I think when considering your budget, it’s also important to consider the preferences of your future bride. Does she value large bands, does she love to wear jewelry, does she appreciate quality and size of the diamond, and does she want to keep the same ring forever? If so, you may consider investing in a more expensive ring. We offer free in-store layaway and 2 years same as cash financing to help with bigger purchases. If your bride prefers more petite styles, doesn’t wear jewelry too often, or wants to upgrade her wedding set down the line, a smaller budget makes sense.

Why a diamond? What if I want another center stone? Diamonds are not only beautiful, but they are also very hard, which makes them a great stone for everyday wear. On the Mohs scale of hardness, a diamond is a 10 – the hardest possible material.

When should we pick out our wedding bands? We recommend picking out your wedding rings as soon as possible to cross one big item off your to-do list. If we have to custom make a ring, it can typically take up to 4 weeks. If a ring has to be ordered, that can sometimes take 2-3 weeks to come in, or if it is back ordered, waiting on parts, etc., it can potentially take longer. Because of this, we suggest giving yourself plenty of time to get exactly what you want. We also offer free in-store layaway, so you can make payments at your convenience and we will keep your jewelry in a safe place leading up to the wedding.

Warranty vs. Appraisal – what’s the difference? Warranty is what is included with your ring purchase. At Camelot we do not charge extra for a warranty, it comes free with your ring purchase and includes a guarantee on side diamonds, free sizing for life, free rhodium plating on white gold, free appraisal by our GIA GG, a discount on future bands and free soldering of the engagement ring and wedding band together.

An appraisal is a form with detailed information on your jewelry that is given to your insurance company for coverage under your insurance policy. At Camelot, we provide the appraisal for you to provide to your insurance company. If your ring is lost or damaged, or you lose or damage your center diamond, we also provide insurance replacement forms for your insurance company.

What if I don’t know what kind of ring my partner wants or what size he/she wears? Checking to see if your future fiancé has a Pinterest page with pinned rings, consulting with her family and friends, or looking at other jewelry she already owns are great ways to find out what style of ring the soon-to-be bride likes without having to actually ask her. Sometimes her friends or family members will know her ring size. Sometimes she will have a promise ring that she wears on her ring finger that can brought in for us to check the size. If these are not options, however, we stock our rings in a “stock” finger size that fits most fingers for the proposal. After the proposal, the future bride can then in bring her engagement ring to Camelot and we will happily size her ring and return it to her, usually in the same day.

My family member is giving me an old ring, but it’s not my fiancé’s style. What should I do? Reusing and repurposing family heirlooms is one of our favorite things to do! We have many options when it comes to using family pieces. First, you can trade in the entire piece on a new ring. Another option is that we can use the stones out of the family piece and remount them into a brand new ring mounting or a custom made new mounting that fits her style. It is common nowadays for the Bride and Groom to exchange gifts on their wedding day, so we have also used the gold from the family heirloom and turned it into a pendant that the bride can either wear on her big day or that can be gifted to her by the groom. Never throw out jewelry that has sentimental value. We can turn it into something you will love to wear.

Natalie Williams Lewis MPSA, GIA GG Owner Camelot Jewelers