Advice for men on choosing an engagement ring - Part One

Green amethyst

The rules of engagement are for the average Joe, not that clearly defined.  Everyone knows that an  engagement ring signifies your undying love, life-long commitment and devotion to the woman of your dreams. Is it as easy as popping down to your local jewellery store and picking out a ring, or do you involve her and let her pick it out herself?  The latter is probably the best option if you want her to absolutely love it.  Women who are in relationships often spend many hours pre-shopping for engagement rings online.  Statistics have proven that online engagement ring and loose gemstone searches are predominantly single women between 35-50.

Most men are still hopeless romantics when it comes to love.  Armed with a little more than secondhand advice from their best mates at the pub and a budget, they venture out on a Saturday morning to find her the perfect engagement ring.  Without paying attention to the kind of woman she is, these men can ultimately end up buying a ring that is completely not what their significant other had in mind.  Of course she will never let you know that as you slip it onto her finger.  She will accept your token of undying love with a smile and some tears, show her friends and wear it on the fourth finger of her left hand (the vena amoris/love vein is believed to run from the fourth finger to her heart) everyday - but all the time wishing it was something different.

Pay attention to her likes and dislikes.

1. Does she wear jewellery? 

Rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets

2. What kind of jewellery does she wear?  

Vintage, contemporary, understated, bold or classic

3. What kind of metal does she prefer? 

White, yellow or rose gold.  Silver. Platinum.

4. Is she big on colour?

Red, blue, green, pink, orange, purple...

5. Is she dropping hints?

Notice if she remarks on her friends' ring and make a mental note of what it looks like if she likes it

6. Does she like diamonds?

Some woman prefer coloured gemstones to diamonds

7. Would she wear a family heirloom?

Would she really want to wear your grandmother's engagement ring?

Pay attention to her hands.

If she has long elegant fingers then she can wear big bold rings and thick or multiple bands.  If she has short fingers, then go for a small delicate setting and a thin band.  Gemstone cuts and shapes can have an impact on the ring's overall look.  Marquise and oval cut gemstones can elongate fingers while emerald and other square cuts can make fingers look shorter.  Not every bride likes the standard round princess cut, so make sure you look at all the options.

Amethyst and diamond ring

Know her style.

A classical woman has a timeless beauty like  Coco Chanel.  She is always polished and manicured and she wears suits, fitted skirts, loves fine fabrics like silk and tweeds and is rarely seen without scarves and sunglasses.  

A delicate woman is petite and small with fine features - think Kate Moss.  She is sensitive and dainty like a porcelain doll. She wears light fabrics and will opt for pants instead of jeans.

A trendy woman always has her nose in fashion and beauty magazines, loves shopping and her style changes as often as the seasons.  She will wear the coolest fashion label and mix n match like a pro.

A bold woman is outgoing and adventurous.  She has a relaxed personality and is often found mingling with the guys.  She opts for comfort over high fashion and lives in her jeans and tshirts.

Marquise cut tanzanite

Taking the above into account, her lifestyle is probably the single most important factor when shopping for an engagement ring.  If she is sporty and adventurous, fussy settings with pointed prongs will probably not be the best choice.  For the record, Tanzanite, although the "it" gemstone at the moment does not make an ideal stone for an engagement ring.  It is soft, scratches easily, becomes dull and therefore is not recommended for everyday wear.

In part 2 we will discuss:

1. How much to spend on the engagement ring
2. Ring sizing
3. Certification
4. The 4C's
5. How to buy from a reputable online shop and save big

Helen Squirrell for Touchstone Gems cc

www.touchstonegems.co.za

Gemstone Photography

One of the most critical aspects of selling gemstones online is photography.  Images presented online must be exact replicas of the original to avoid misleading the consumer who could potentially be your next big sale.

Mastering the art of gemstone photography is very time consuming and frustrating.   There are hundreds of blogs and websites offering advice and even with the best equipment and photographic skills, very few people can actually do it well.

At Touchstone Gems we are no exception and have opted for the less is more approach, which for now seems to be yielding decent results.  We have to date spent three months photographing and cataloging over 600 loose gemstones, with another 400 to go before we can launch our online store.

Here are a few examples:

Amethyst 10x5 Marquise 0.8carats

Citrine 10x10 Trillion 2.56 carats

Tanzanite 8.0 Round 1.92carats

The above were all photographed using a Nikon D90 with a 105mm  F2.8 macro lens. Your comments would be great as Touchstone Gems 'charts' into some unknown photography and e-commerce territories.

To view more gemstone photography or to submit your work, go to http://www.directorygemstones.org which is a free photo sharing website that promotes the exchange of knowledge and images between other like-minded people in the industry.

Written by Helen Squirrell for Touchstone Gems cc
www.touchstonegems.co.za

Taking on the marketing giant - De Beers

We are changing the perception of one of the most effective marketing strategies in the world - the marketing of diamonds by De Beers as a symbol of love and commitment in the “A diamond is forever” campaign.


It seems that due to the nature of the product being one of high value in financial, sentimental, and emotional senses there will be a reluctance for the South African consumer to adopt a traditional e-commerce approach. 


The market for online shoppers is likely to initially be significantly smaller that of the current business turnover. However, we believe that there is definitely a market to be reached by appealing to people who are gathering information on gemstones as a whole, or pre-shopping online before or after a marriage proposal. 


The opportunity for us is to display a large range of coloured gemstones in the shop together with a current and informative content driven website that offers more options than would be possible elsewhere on the web or by visiting a retail store. 


Touchstone in time, will be the vehicle for delivering this information to customers in a fast and pleasurable online experience. The ultimate ‘shopper’ will probably still purchase at a retail store initially, however, when their attention is online, if we offer a compelling online experience we can produce a result in strong brand loyalty,  increased traffic, word of mouth and ultimately sales.


Written by Helen Squirrell for Touchstone Gems cc
www.touchstonegems.co.za