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By Clara S. Silva

Not quite sure how to go about buying an engagement ring? Well, the first step is identifying a trustworthy jeweler.

Purchasing fine jewelry is unlike making any other purchase, including big-ticket items such major appliances or cars. Fine jewelry and precious stones, such as diamonds and gems, have a unique language involving style and quality, even during their marketing and sale.

It’s almost impossible for an untrained eye to fully appreciate a given stone’s quality.

Moreover, most of us only buy fine jewelry a few times in our lives, yet it is these moments that hold the most emotional significance. It is therefore important that you find a trustworthy jeweler as a first step. Such a significant purchase should not be left to chance.

Keep the following in mind when picking a jeweler.

The relationship matters

When looking for the right engagement ring, the best place to start is the relationship. Of course we’re talking about your relationship with your jeweler, seeing as you’ve got your personal relationship covered.

1. Is the jeweler a good listener?

Good jewelers will:

· Show you a variety of different rings but assist you in whittling down your options.

· Listen to you. They don’t focus on one thing, such as price, or push their own agenda.

· Focus on the bride – her desires, her needs, and her style.

2. Does the jeweler have the right credentials and a good reputation?

Go for a jeweler you can develop a long-term relationship with. Do some research on the jeweler’s reputation and find out how long the store has been in business. A well-established jeweler, such as Leo Hamel, will not only have good references, but will also be around long enough to provide ring maintenance services, even 10 years later when you need a special anniversary gift.

3. Does the jeweler offer a wide variety services?

Well-established and reputed jewelers typically offer a wide variety of services to help you in selecting your ring and to help you with any needs that may come up down the road. Look for the following:

· Jewelers that offer design custom pieces.

· A bench jeweler – they resize and repair jewelry.

· An in-house gemologist with sufficient training in the properties of precious and semi-precious stones. They can help you find the perfect stone based on your budget and style.

4. Does the store offer a wide selection?

It is important that the jeweler offers plenty of styles of rings from which to select, and some guidance as well. A good jeweler will make sure you don’t walk away feeling overwhelmed.

5. How knowledgeable is the jeweler?

When you’re dealing with a well-established jeweler, all the staff members in the store should be able to answer your questions easily and confidently, or direct you to someone in the store who can. This is most likely to happen if you pick a jeweler that specializes in fine jewelry and loose diamonds. All your questions matter, so don’t be afraid to walk away from a salesman that refuses to answer some of your questions.

Author Bio: Clara S. Silva is a jewelry maker and connoisseur. She enjoys studying, designing and buying platinum and diamond jewelry. Silva has a blog on which she shares great designs and reviews of elegant jewelry from renowned stores such as Leo Hamel.

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