After years of searching, you found the perfect girl and decided she is the one. Your future bride has narrowed her dream engagement ring down to one word: vintage. Queue the confusion and overwhelm. Just when you thought the search was over, another search begins. Unlike the quest for the girl, we’re here to help guide you along the path for the ring. Follow along with our five suggested tips and tricks.
Tip One: Pick a style. Knowing your partner’s taste and vision will help limit your search and narrow down the shopping destinations. Has she shared any photos of her favorites? Does she have a Pinterest board you can reference? Much like choosing a brand new engagement ring, the options can seem endless. If you have somewhat of an idea of what she likes, this will help narrow down the choices and keep you focused.
Tip Two: Know the limitations of your stones. Diamonds, rubies, and sapphires are sturdy and high on the MOHS scale. But opals and pearls? Probably not going to work for an engagement ring. Purchasing a vintage ring means you are purchasing a ring that has already told a story. In order to add a new chapter, we recommend avoiding soft stones unless you don’t mind replacing it.
Tip Three: Factor in restoration to the cost. Unless you know for certain that the ring was fully restored before it made it onto the shelves, we recommend setting aside some money in the budget for repair costs such as prong retipping, sizing, or even a new shank on the ring.
Tip Four: Ensure you’re working with a reputable dealer. You’ll want to confirm the pieces you are eyeing have been vetted for any issues. Is there a recent appraisal? How do you know the stone is authentic? Research, research, and research. If you are in the Columbus, Ohio area we recommend the Grandview Mercantile for their beautiful selection and business integrity.
Tip Five: Reach out to us with any questions. We have a text box on the bottom of our website; please do not hesitate to ask us any questions! We are delighted to help!
