Category Archives: Engagement Rings

#PictureHints…Use As A Guideline!

With today’s technology and the ease of taking and sending pictures, women can easily drop “hints” to their significant other about what kind of ring they would like to wear. This is great because it accomplishes two things: it somewhat maintains the surprise of the engagement, and he will be more informed when he goes to actually buy the ring.

But therein lies the rub: some men come in with a picture of a ring and expect to get the exact same ring as is in the picture.

If you type into Google “engagement rings,” you will get approximately 43 million hits, and under the images tab a never ending stream of engagement ring photos. So in all likelihood the image that you have on your phone is of a ring that we do not have. Also know that the she is not expecting the exact ring in the picture(s) she sends to you.

Keep an open mind and remember that you are purchasing the ring and have the decision of what to buy her. Yes you want to get her something that she will like, and the picture(s) she sends you should be used as a guideline, but if you are expecting to see the exact ring in the picture in our showcase (or any jeweller’s showcase) you may be in for a surprise. A couple points you should remember when shopping for an engagement ring and she has dropped some picture hints on you:

Most women are more about the idea of marriage rather than the actual ring itself. Be creative! She loves you and the symbol of the ring and chances are whatever ring you buy her she will love.
If the ring is branded (Scott Kay, MaeVona, Hearts On Fire, Forevermark, etc.) go to their website and find out where you can buy the brand. They will often have a dealer locator.
If the ring is not branded and you are determined to get the same ring as is in the picture she sent you, the option of having it custom made is always there, but will require time.
Give yourself time. Look at all the options available to you and figure out what YOU want to get your significant other.

Buying an engagement ring is something you do once in your life so have fun! Enjoy the experience, and don’t worry that she may not like the ring – she will like it by the way - she LOVES you!

Turn A Dream Into Reality

For the last few years we have been flying in a custom designer from Toronto and we are happy to announce we will be doing this again this month!

Rachel Tucker, from Platinum Unlimited, will be here on April 18,19, & 20 (Thursday to Saturday). Appointments are 1 hour long, and very limited; in fact we already have started booking people. We are only accepting 20 appointments over the three days.

If you are looking to have a ring custom designed, a current ring changed or upgraded, or just want to make some beautiful jewellery, please contact Marissa at our downtown location (204.774.5544) or email her at marissa@independentjewellers.com. Appointments are on a first come first served basis.

Blizzards, Rings, and Weddings

Spring is almost here! Of course we get a blizzard right after some beautiful, snow-melting weather, but hey, that’s to be expected in Winnipeg.

This time of year can be stressful for engaged couples as they go into spring/summer getting ready for their wedding. Dresses, flowers, colours, cakes, foods, who to invite (who not to invite), in-laws, all compound the amount of stress put on the lovely couple as the day approaches. Wedding bands are such a small part of all that has to be done, but they are also one of the few things that will survive for years (life?) after the BIG DAY.

With so many options for wedding bands today, it can be hard to figure out what exactly you want, especially when you are presented with what must appear like a million different options. Here are some helpful ideas to think about when it comes to purchasing your wedding bands:

Budget. Everyone has a budget. Wedding bands can be as inexpensive as a couple hundred dollars, or as high as $10,000+. Figure out your budget and this will narrow down your options.
Material. There are many different materials that wedding bands are made of today. The less expensive ones ($200-$500) are made of Cobalt, Tungsten Carbide, Titanium, Ceramic, Black Cobalt, or Sterling Silver. The more expensive ones ($500+) are made of gold (white/yellow/rose in 10K/14K/18K), platinum, or palladium. Each material has there pros and cons, so figure out what you want your ring made of and that will narrow your options down more.
Diamonds or no diamonds? This is a question you need to ask yourself (male or female). If yes to diamonds, your options will certainly change, and will likely eliminate most alternative metals. Adding diamonds well also add to the bottom line, so take this into account when setting your budget.
Custom. Often times women will want their wedding ring to sit nice and flush with their engagement ring. Depending on their engagement ring, sometimes the only way to accomplish this is by custom making the wedding ring to match there engagement ring. Usually this is quite simple, but certainly can get more complex if the couple decide they want something more intricate. Be sure to allow enough time to get your custom ring made!

Just remember, that whatever it is you do when it comes to wedding bands, just allow enough time. Custom wedding rings, of the more complex variety, can take up to 4 weeks to get done, and special orders can take that long as well. To be safe, consider shopping for your wedding rings 2 months before your wedding. This will give you enough time to find what you want and then get the ring in before the wedding.