Picking out the engagement ring

Buying the ring ... Wow, what an adventure this turned out to be. I thought this would be the easiest part of the whole process. I could not have been more wrong.

Have you ever noticed when you're going to buy something, every advertisement is offering that product? schmuck günstig,I could not escape this. Every commercial was a different jeweler pumping up their engagement rings. Each commercial features a different jeweler boasting about how their diamonds came straight from King Solomon's mine and if you do not buy from them the world may cease to exist. To make matters more confusing, three separate jewelers started ripping each other in their commercials. My diamond education is off to a confusing start.

To get the ball rolling I snuck off to a couple of jewelry stores to see for myself. In full disclosure, I know as much about diamond rings as the Cookie Monster knows about salad bars. schmuck, I still do not know the differences between the different cuts, settings or clarities. There are many choices out there, but luckily Mindy has dropped a few hints along the way. These not-so-subtle hints lead me to think she wants a size five, three-stone, princess-cut diamonds set in white gold. So to off the jewelry store I go ...

Jewelry store number one set the tone. I tell the sales associate what I'm looking for and he asks that I have a seat while he gets a few rings for my inspection. The gentleman was incredibly knowledgeable, but never grasped the fact I do not speak the language of jewelry.

He said, "This ring has GIA certified edged 27 7/8 carat diamonds set in white laser cut gold."

I heard, "Wa wa wa wa wawa laser,  schmuck online shop,it costs as much as a used boat."

So I took a business card and headed to the parking lot. I knew one thing now ... this is not going to be cheap. I jumped in the truck and headed for the parking lot exit only to stop to wait for opening in traffic. As I'm waiting to turn wham! I get nailed in the back by another car.

My initial thought was I've got to call Mindy to come get me ... At the jewelry store ... Where I did not buy anything! Lucky for me, I left the ball in the tow hitch receiver, so the car did not get me too bad. After leaving sing the damage, I'm on my way with nothing to show for my first trip to a jewelry store except a small piece of Pontiac dangling from my tow hitch.

The second jewelry store yielded more of the same experience. When I say more, I mean more ... of everything. The place was huge and stocked full of shiny expensive things. The lighting was so bright one could probably tan. This store had about four times the selection as the first, charms anhänger, Which added to my confusion.

I took a seat and saleswoman brings over a selection. The ring-examination begins ...

She said, "This diamond is GIA certified and EGS for exceptional clarity."

I heard, "Diamond people say this is shiny. And they know shiny because they look at a lot of diamonds. "

I did not show much interest so she shows me another ring that looks almost exactly like the first.

She said, "This ring is same setting as the first, only the diamonds have a lower AGS grading."

I heard, "Regular people think this diamond is shiny, and instead of an arm and a leg, it only costs an arm."

I thanked the lady for her time, took a business card and headed for the door. I'm days into the ring buying process. I know less now than when I started and am not even close to making a selection.

Lucky for me, I had an ace up my sleeve. When I told my friends about writing this column, one of the suggestions I got was how to buy a ring. Three of my friends have bought their wives rings from the same jeweler downtown. All of their rings were good quality and my friends all said they received the best quality for their money. Best of all, each one said shopping with this jeweler was incredibly easy!

My friends could not have been more right. I give the jeweler a call and tell him what I'm looking for. He gives me a website to visit and recommends six rings he thought I would like. I examine his recommendations and simply call him back once I have three rings I want to see in person.

The next day I stop by the jeweler's office and the rings are ready for my examination. The jeweler gives me one of those magnifying eye piece things and shows me the diamonds in the rings and explains what to look for. One of the rings really jumped out at me. The setting reminds me of a necklace I bought a while back Mindy. She loves that necklace. I hope she loves this ring ...

I leave the jeweler and do not remember one thing about driving home. A huge step is complete and I feel relieved this task is done. I lay down to sleep, but rest does not come. One more daunting task stands between the proposal and me. It's now time to talk to Mindy's dad ...