Wedding ring shopping: a key to matrimonial bliss

Mekita Rivas

Daily Nebraskan

For some, it's like a punch in the gut: ringing it up.

While romantic relationships differ, most tend to follow a basic trajectory. Once the attraction is established and the courtship proves successful, a wedding engagement is often the subsequent protocol.

The wedding planning process is no small project to undertake, especially for college-aged couples preoccupied with job hunting and trying to plan their post-graduation lives.

In addition to choosing the tastiest 10-tiered cake and picking the most inviting reception hall, finding the perfect ring to serve as the ultimate symbol of commitment is a huge part of the wedding planning process.

"You'll be wearing (the ring) for the rest of your life," said Jeff Wells, marketing manager of the Sartor Hamann jewelry store located at 12th and O streets.

Considering the figurative and literal weight wedding rings bear for the fingers they will adorn, it's essential to shop as though the ring isn't just a purchase, but an investment, Wells said.

"I'd encourage newly engaged couples to shop around, do their own research and look closely at the quality of the ring," he said. "When buying something like this, there are a lot of options out there."

Meagan Laflin, a senior nutrition and exercise science major, has been engaged for 10 months and agrees that couples have endless opportunities to find the right rings.

"We did a little looking online and then went to Kay Jewelers, A.T. Thomas Jewelers and Sartor Hamann," Laflin said. "I knew that I wanted (a ring with) a delicate band with diamonds on the band and a big ol' rock in the middle."

Laflin's desired ring specifics are not unorthodox. Women tend to have a clearer idea of their dream ring than their fiances, according to Mike Yesilcimen, store manager of Fred Witt Jewelers located at 12th and O streets across from Sartor Hamann.

"Women's imaginations are a lot bigger," he said. "Men have a vague idea of what they want – that's when our expertise comes into play, and we try to guide them toward the right path."

Fred Witt Jewelers works exclusively with custom-made jewelry, which means couples can come in with nothing more than a concept or a sketch and the jeweler will make the ring a reality.

"We can take anything from a piece of paper and turn it into a ring. There's nothing out there that we're unable to get."

Yesilcimen said it's best to work with a jeweler face-to-face and to avoid the Internet because it's such an unreliable source, especially when shopping for something as valuable as a wedding ring.

"Be careful," he said. "We've heard so many horror stories of people buying (their rings) on the Internet. If it sounds too good to be true, then it's not true just like anything else in life."

Luckily for Laflin, she opted out of purchasing online and found a ring that met all of her criteria at Sartor Hamann, which currently has an inventory reduction sale that engaged couples on a budget might want to take advantage of. The sale is in preparation for the grand opening of the Sartor Hamann engagement ring mega-store that will inhabit the existing downtown location.