The 5 Biggest Mistakes Men Make When Buying Jewelry For Their Ladies
Giving a woman jewelry doesn't have to be a puzzle!
You may have mastered most of the basic survival skills, like changing your own oil, reheating leftover pizza, and catching the “big game” on your smartphone, but when it comes to the notion of buying jewelry, you realize that you're way out of your depth.
Still, as crazy as it sounds, guys have been successfully buying engagement rings and other pieces of jewelry for their women throughout the ages. You can do it too, as long as you avoid the mistakes most often made by your jewelry buying brothers.
Here are the 5 biggest mistakes to avoid when buying jewelry for the special woman in your life:
1. Jewelry is "just" a gift.
Yeah, right. And the Mona Lisa is just an oil painting. The truth is, no other gift on this planet comes with more hidden or implied meanings and expectations than jewelry. A nice piece of jewelry given too soon is a great way to kill a relationship. A cheap piece of jewelry given in a well-established relationship can mean you don't care.
The trick, then, is to give her just the right gift at the right time. But how do you pick that perfect gift?
2. She’ll like it just because I bought it.
She’s a woman and it’s jewelry, so how hard can it be, right? Never assume that! Just because you’re in a relationship with a woman who actually likes you that this somehow makes you an authority on picking out jewelry she will like and wear. Jewelry is a very personal item and must be selected with careful consideration of a woman’s needs, wants, and tastes.
One of the best ways to make a more informed buying decision is to observe the amount and type of jewelry she is already wearing. Does she wear bracelets, watches, necklaces, or earrings? Does she favor silver or gold or a little of both? Depending on your comfort level, you can also ask a female friend or family member what they think might be appropriate for the occasion.
3. Giving jewelry is like giving flowers.
As far as thoughtful, spontaneous gifts go, nothing beats a bouquet of flowers. You can spring them on a lady almost anywhere at any time and they’ll usually be cheerfully received. Sadly, apart from the price tags, many guys don’t get it that unlike daisies, diamonds demand an occasion.
Luckily, several no-brainer occasions already exist, like Valentine’s Day, a wedding anniversary, a special birthday, or Christmas. Depending on the depth of your relationship you’ll score points for recognizing less obvious occasions, like the anniversary of the day you first met or some other significant milestone. And let’s not forget the biggest jewelry-giving occasion of them all, when a guy pops the question and those three magic words.
"Timing is everything" becomes more important than ever.
4. Size matters.
It sounds counterintuitive to a guy, but when it comes to selecting jewelry to impress a woman, bigger is not always better. Ask any woman and she’ll tell you that when it comes to jewelry, she’ll take quality over quantity any day. Fortunately for guys, crash courses in jewelry 101 are abundant on the internet and are highly recommended before venturing into any jewelry store.
Make sure you understand what size and cut gemstone would be best for your gal before going and just buying the biggest one you can.
5. All jewelry stores are alike.
When you bought that special set of wrenches, did you just go to Tools-R-Us and call it a day? Of course not. Chances are you did some comparison shopping to find a friendly reliable dealer who offered the best price and selection. If you went to all that trouble for tools, why be a tool when picking out her special gift?
Although the sparkle of their display windows may say otherwise, all jewelry stores are not the same. That means doing some homework to find the best place to make your purchase. For starters, go back online and compare the sites of stores in your area. Once you’ve got a short list, pay each store a visit until you find the one that suits you best.
Under no circumstances should you take your significant other with you on your first visit to the jewelry store, especially if you intend to make a major purchase.
Remember, this is your opportunity to get comfortable with the staff and find out which items are in your price range. Then, if you decide to bring her back with you, she’ll be impressed as the person behind the counter greets you like a dignitary; and you’ll be relieved to be directed only to those cases that contain the turned over price tags of items you know you can afford.
So there you have it guys. By steering clear of these 5 major mistakes you should end up with a gift that fits both the occasion and the comfort level of your relationship.
Joshua Fletcher is a freelance writer for MarriageMax.com. Marriage Fitness is an innovative step-by-step relationship-changing system that teaches you how to fix your marriage problems. This is like a marriage retreat from home. It is a more effective alternative to marriage counseling. If you ever ask yourself, "How can I save my marriage?" this is your answer.