Posts Tagged ‘buying an engagement ring’
Premium Vendor Showcase: Pine Forest Jewelry
What was your inspiration for creating a jewelry store?
Creating a business that deals in expressions of love, beauty, inspiration, sentiment, emotion, creativity, and provides real value beyond the intangibles.
“When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.”
John Ruskin
English critic, essayist, & reformer (1819 – 1900)
Tell a little bit about the history of your store:
Pineforest Jewelry, Inc. is a Texas corporation that has serviced the East Houston community since May 1, 1986. The directors are “Diamond Jim” Mills, the President and CEO, along with his wife, Linda Mills, the Secretary/Treasurer and store manager. Pineforest Jewelry is a full service jewelry store with retail, custom design, repair, manufacturing, wholesale, distribution, and internet divisions. The entire operation is housed in the 7200 square foot building owned by Mills Diversified, Ltd. It is located in a central business area on the east side of Houston at 1141 Uvalde Road, Houston, TX 77015, two blocks north of I-10 East.
The retail division provides gold, silver, and platinum jewelry, moissanite jewelry, diamond jewelry, pearls, jewelry for children and teens, loose diamonds, precious stones, mother’s rings, ArtCarved class rings & Gold Lance class rings, gifts, collectibles, jewelry boxes, many brands of watches ranging from Pulsar to Rolex, and clocks. An extensive inventory is further enhanced by a unique catalog operation. “Diamond Jim” is an associate gemologist accredited by the Gemological Institute of America. He is one of a select group of jewelers in Houston authorized by State Farm Insurance to provide insurance replacement and appraisal services.
Pineforest Jewelry provides a complete state-of-the-art shop in order to provide you with the best possible service. Gary Mills, and his wife, Aline Budenstein, manage the repair, manufacturing, and wholesale operations. Gary Mills is an associate gemologist accredited by the Gemological Institute of America. He has extensive knowledge of all aspects of repair and manufacturing, as well as knowledge of the tools, equipment, and supplies used by the jewelry trade. Through the shop, not only is jewelry and watch repair provided, but also true custom designs by wax or metal fabrication, computer aided design (CAD), and custom mixing of gold alloys for color matching of castings and repairs. The shop utilizes laser fusion technology for the very finest in repair. The shop is one of the finest in Texas, and its custom work is among the best in the nation. Also offered are hard-to-find specialty services such as baby shoe bronzing, hand engraving, precious stone 
& diamond re-cutting, computer generated laser photo engraving, antique rose and green gold jewelry repair, complete rebuilding of worn gold Rolex watch bracelets, pearl and bead restringing, and many other services. You are invited to take advantage of the gratis ultrasonic jewelry cleaning while you wait.
What makes your store unique to guys getting ready to propose?
1) Provide education in the form of vital diamond buying information; available as an in-store presentation on screen from our website as well as personal tutoring from Diamond Jim
2) Provide a printed booklet, “Your Guide to Buying Diamonds”
3) Provide a 128-page book entitled, “Twenty Ways To Pop The Question” so that she will never, ever forget that day… nor will she ever forget how you carefully created a very special moment in her life
4) Provide diamonds with GIA certification
5) Provide diamonds selected by Diamond Jim that exceed all the competition in value relative to cut, color, clarity, and carat weight
What type of bridal jewelry do you offer?
A complete variety encompassing everything from trio sets to custom masterpieces, with price ranges from a few hundred dollars to $30,000.
What are five tips that you can give to guys searching for rings?
1) NEVER give her a vacuum cleaner, appliance, or cash instead of a ring… even if she says it is OK. (If you risk talking yourself into this trap, you are operating under the advice of a fool.)
2) NEVER give her jewelry from a pawn shop or a flea market… or for that matter, from ANY store that sells underwear. (This is guaranteed to show poor taste and provide proof positive of just how cheap you and the jewelry are.)
3) NEVER give her one piece of jewelry thinking it will cover TWO occasions, such as birthday and anniversary, or Valentine’s Day and birthday. (This is a death knell to any relationship, and possibly for you, literally.)
4) Weed out the incompetents and jerks, and deal with the professionals
5) NEVER make your decision based on anything other than what she wants as far as diamond shape, metal color, and style. (Ask her sister, mother, friends… but NEVER buy what YOU think she will like. NEVER!!!)
For more information about Pine Forest Jewelry, visit their profile.
“How in-the-know should I go with the Proposal?”
When you get on bended knee, it’s optimum to have discussed the idea of marriage beforehand. It’s imperative you’re both on the same page regarding your long term vision for your lives as individuals and as a couple. Key life goals/preferences are also important to discuss, like where you want to live, what religion you want to raise your children with, your financial backgrounds and having kids, for instance.
If you’ve never had any practical discussions before The Moment, your hopeful bride-to-be may be taken off guard. She just might hesitate to say yes, if not even giving an “I’ll think about” disaster of a response. It’s best to get your ducks in a row and communicate with your significant other before popping the question. You can keep things more general and ambiguous, like you’re just throwing raw thoughts and dreams into the air, or you can get specific if that’s you and yours’ style. There is no right or wrong way to discuss your future lives together, it’s simply important to try and check expectations, find common ground, and resolve any future issues or disputes before they become huge problems. It will be helpful for both of you, establishing shared vision and easing mutual concerns or unknowns. You know her better than I do, so go with your gut and just try to space your questions and discussions far apart from The Proposal itself.
But Shouldn’t It Be A Surprise?
Don’t get me wrong. Just because I appear to approach marriage and The Proposal it requires from simply a pragmatic standpoint doesn’t mean I’m saying throw romance out the window. It’s ok if your girlfriend is expecting the “season” or “period” of the The Proposal, but not the day itself. Think outside the box and don’t give away too much. Find a way to surprise her and you’ll be proud of the story she’ll no doubt tell everyone in the coming weeks, months, and years.
What About Choosing The Ring?
I don’t know many brides that would want their lover to propose to them empty-handed. But I also know that many want to be an active part of which ring they will be wearing for the rest of their lives. So how do you keep The Proposal a surprise while pleasing your partner’s discriminating tastes and preferences? Plan ahead, keep it clean, and try to get specific, but not too specific. It’s ok to visit a few jewelry stores and casually discuss what’s appealing and what’s not with your girlfriend. You want to know her ring size, you want to know which shapes she prefers, where her expectations lie, and what makes her smile. Just don’t let this gathering process drag on too long and try to space your research far enough apart from your purchase and subsequently your Proposal. Remember, plan early, execute smoothly, and surprise your future wife with an engagement to remember.
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