Men, you know you’ve done it. It was the evening of her birthday, Valentine’s Day, your anniversary, Leif Erikson Day, what have
Your brain searched frantically for an idea…flowers made her sneeze and the last time you gave her a funny card and a teddy bear you slept on the couch for a week. What else is there? Jewelry always works, right? Well, I must admit, yes, but only if you don’t fall into the common pitfalls of the uninformed jewelry buyer.
If you really did wait until the last minute, you have already made the first mistake, and guys are not the only ones guilty of this. A rushed buyer is far more likely to leave the store spending far too much on a less than quality piece of jewelry. The cure for this is simple; plan ahead so you have time to shop around. It will save you headaches in the long run and besides, girls love it when you put some thought into her gift.
“What can I help you find today?” These very words from even the friendliest salesperson can send a customer into a panic because instead of hearing an offer to help, they hear “what can I scam you into buying?” Let’s call this Mistake Number Two. When a salesperson is asking you what they can help you find, they want to know the occasion for which you are considering a jewelry purchase, but they also need to know what she likes, what your budget is, and what her lifestyle is like. Many folks don’t take this highly important factor into consideration when buying a gift for someone. For example; your wife works in a factory where she works with her hands. You’d like to buy her a ring for her birthday and you think that a birthstone would be ideal. Her birthday is in May; the emerald. Have you caught the error yet? Emeralds are beautiful stones but they are also considered somewhat brittle gems. If your wife worked in an office where she didn’t hit her hands as much, there would be little cause for concern. But for someone who works with their hands quite a bit, an emerald may cause trouble because it is more likely to crack or chip, in which case she will soon find herself without a ring. Your salesperson needs to know how ‘hard’ a person wears their jewelry so that they can help you match the right purchase to the right wearer.
Let’s say that you didn’t heed this warning, you bought the emerald ring and the emerald cracked. Now what? Did you look into the warrantee before you bought it? Common Mistake Number Three. A broken piece of jewelry is disappointing, but it happens all the time; the trick is taking care of it. Each jeweler has their own warrantee policy. Some jewelers require you to purchase a separate warrantee; with others you are given a limited warrantee. Some require you to have your jewelry inspected by a salesperson every so often, and even then only certain defects are covered. Buying from a reputable jeweler will not always save you. It is up to you to find out how your purchase will be protected when you leave the store and make sure you get the warrantee in writing.
You’ve done all of your homework and you’ve found just the right gift. You’ve put all of this effort into this great purchase and you feel good about it. Do you know how to care for it so it stays looking great? Common Mistake Number Five; now what? Do you know that an opal should be oiled regularly? Do you know that pearls should not be immersed in jewelry cleaner? Often times, warrantees can be voided if the proper care instructions are not followed. Be sure to ask your jeweler how to care for your new purchase so that it can be enjoyed for years to come.
Buying a piece of jewelry can be a bit intimidating, but if you avoid these common pitfalls, nothing can be more fulfilling than buying the right gift, for the right person, at the right price.
