The onset of November means a few things around here. Firstly, that I’m plying anyone who comes within a 50 foot radius of my front door with leftover Halloween candy. Why do I always buy the extra bag? WHY? And why do I inevitably open it for the last two Trick or Treaters? If you have a hankering for plain M&M’s (lol, like anyone ever does) or Smartees, please meet me at the J. Parker this Friday. I’ll be the woman enthusiastically embracing the return of poncho + legging season.
Click here to shop (you won’t find this brand at a big box chain!)
The second thing, of course, is that ENGAGEMENT SEASON IS HERE! Upon graduation, you may have noticed that at certain times during the year your newsfeed gets inordinately more nuptial. You have not had too many glasses of pinot and it is not an illusion: your ex-boyfriends did in fact conspire to all get engaged between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day. But try not to have too many hard feelings about it, everyone’s ex-boyfriends did. And all our cousins, sorority sisters, co-workers, hairstylists, dog walkers, spin instructors, and Rent the Runway fashion consultants followed suit. Because engagement season is upon us, and the majority of all couples get engaged during this span of holiday merriment.
Click here to shop.
Now that you know it’s in the air, you’ll notice all the marketing dollars flying through the airwaves in subliminal attempts to snare unsuspecting NFL viewers. Those $$ bills are very likely coming from… jewelry chain stores.
I know Halloween is over but it’s still scary.
You know the type. They pop up like McDonald’s in malls, shopping strips and peaceful suburbs nearby. In fact, we can go ahead and refer to them as the McDonald’s of jewelers. They lure you in with sleek marketing and convenience. Their offerings look good in pictures, but quickly reveal their subpar components upon closer inspection. And you think you’re getting a “value” but you actually end up spending more than you thought you would – and that’s before you even consider that what you’re buying is basically junk.
Click here to shop (decidedly not junk.)
Jewelry chain stores count on undereducated shoppers who won’t second guess the stores’ made up grading criteria, “creative” descriptions, or mass of poor quality diamonds. They razzle and dazzle with big bridal names stamped on mass produced settings to distract shoppers from included and badly cut diamonds. They use confusing pricing incentives and misleading “discounts” to confound shoppers.
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I reviewed a litany of other sins that jewelry chain stores commit in this post but the shadiness and outright lies are the biggest reasons I have for dissuading you from them. Of course, service is huge factor too, and I encourage you to read the full story of one blogger and his experience with one of the big box jewelry chain stores, but I’ve included the most pertinent part in that post. Ugh.
Click here to shop. One FB commenter compared it to a honeycomb and I just love that.
If you’re like most people looking to get engaged, price is one of the biggest determining factors for where you get your engagement ring. Let me assure you that jewelry chain stores are not the place to get the best deal on a diamond. For that, you know I have my own two cents to put in.
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But in case you were wondering, I still posit that the easiest way to get a great deal on a diamond is by shopping independent. Jewelry chain stores have nothing going for them but availability. And if your biggest reason for shopping with them is because they’re the most conveniently located, I can’t recommend enough buying a diamond online – just read the full explanation first. You can’t beat the convenience or location of ring shopping from your own couch.
Click here to shop.
And lest you think I’m being too harsh on jewelry chain stores, I’ll just leave these here.
