Beauty Is In the Eye of the Beholder

Boy, do you have to have tough skin in this business! I’ve learned there is a shoe for every foot and not everyone has the same taste. It can be very difficult selecting merchandise for sale in the store. My father and I have differing tastes, and we sometimes disagree (often). This is how my own jewelry line was born, actually. I would pick out or design something, and he would criticize it or tell me it would never sell. I would take this as a challenge and pay for it with my own money. Upon selling the piece, I would promptly rub it in his face that I have better taste than him. He doesn’t seem to be a fan of this, but it keeps me motivated. The other side of the coin is when a customer doesn’t like something that I put together. I can’t take it personally, but it does sting a bit. I had a nice couple looking for an engagement ring before Christmas. I brought four new rings over for them to look at and for her to try on. I already knew which one she would like but wanted to give her some other options. Just like I thought she selected the classic three-stone diamond ring in white gold. The other three rings were halo-style engagement rings with a larger center stone. I stepped away for a moment so they could discuss it in private. I heard the husband tell her he liked the three stone and he said the other three were gaudy! Ouch! I had set those three rings up personally selecting the settings and the perfect center stone. I laughed to myself as I rang up the sale for the three-stone ring. She started to tear up when she realized she had found her ring, and then I started to tear up, and it was a very sweet moment. Like I said, you can’t take it personally!  

Sometimes miscommunications happen. This is always an unfortunate occurrence. I try very hard to communicate clearly and efficiently. My father is the more loquacious one out of the two of us. Sometimes, I just need a yes or no answer, and he offers up an entire soliloquy! The devil is in the details in this business though. I deal in very tiny, very expensive items. One millimeter, one gram, or one inch can make the difference in price in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars. People will ask me how much a diamond ring costs.This is the equivalence of asking how much is a blue car? I need to know exactly what we’re talking about. There are so many factors at play, and I strive for accuracy. For instance, it’s against store policy to quote repairs over the telephone. We need to see the item in person to give an accurate quote. I understand people want to shop around. That makes you a good consumer! Bring it in; I will write up an estimate for you, and you can decide after getting other quotes. This doesn’t offend me. I know we price things as low as we can and treat our customers fairly. My advice is always to make sure you are comparing apples to apples though. There is a lot of confusing terminology used in fine jewelry. Please do not be embarrassed to ask for clarification if you are feeling a bit lost. As people who live in the jewelry industry every day sometimes we forget that ordinary people may not know the meaning of some of the technical terms we use.  

Cubic zirconia, lab-created diamonds, and natural diamonds are where most people get a bit flummoxed. Some retailers will further confuse their patrons by using the terminology “simulated diamonds.”  I have found that when people say “simulated diamonds,” they mean cubic zirconia. A lot of my silver is set with cubic zirconia and looks very nice. CZ’s do not have any of the characteristics of natural or lab diamonds, though and will scratch over time. Labs are superior because they do possess the hardness and clarity and color of natural diamonds for a fraction of the price of natural diamonds. I encourage you to come to the store for an education and demonstration of the options we have in the store. Often, I can find something for any budget.  

One of the first questions I ask when people are inquiring about a new piece of jewelry is what is the budget? This is not a dirty word, but it may as well be. I need to know what you are hoping to spend, for a couple of different reasons. The first is so that I can guide you to the proper section in the store. I don’t want to show you something you can’t afford. If I have to reach out to a supplier, the first question they will ask me is what is the customer looking to spend.Secondly, sometimes I need to manage expectations. I had someone call me wanting a diamond tennis bracelet for $600. This item does not exist. The gold alone for the bracelet costs more than that, without diamonds! I have silver options with cubic zirconia for around $300-$400. Knowing the budget beforehand helps eliminate the wild goose chase. People do not enjoy having their time wasted, and communicating clearly up front about expectations helps a great deal to avoid this from happening.   

I want to say thank you to everyone for their great feedback on my articles! I enjoy hearing you like them! Many have mentioned that I am a lot nicer than my dad. It has become a bit of a friendly rivalry between me and Dad regarding who is the better writer. This article began 25 years ago as a newsletter. He would enlist my brother and sister to help stamp and lick envelopes monthly. It’s an honor to take it over and continue the legacy. Happy New Year to everyone. I look forward to seeing you soon. Stay sparkly!