ADVICE TO MEN SHOPPING
FOR AN ENGAGEMENT RING

Style… her happiness
Style is woman’s domain.
Diamond and its quality is man’s domain.
Man should always defer to woman on style.
Your goal in selecting a diamond engagement ring is her happiness.
The Engagement ring and her happiness portend your future.

Many designs in our style book look quite similar. The photographs and descriptions are intended to help you understand the subtle differences among our designs. In spite of our extensive print advertising, publishing our style book, and information on our website, our best advise for any man shopping for a diamond engagement ring is to give your fiancée an in-store shopping opportunity to provide you with significant clues as to her preferences in style.

From our nearly one hundred years as jewelers, we have come to believe when buying a diamond engagement ring, that style is woman’s domain, while diamond size, quality, and price are man’s domain. Following is a typical sequence of events showing how the very best diamond engagement rings are acquired.

Man calls, or stops into the store, or visits Cross’ website for initial information, to obtain a copy of our style book and a copy of Cross’ technical diamond buying guide.

Man reads the information we provide; 21/2 - 3 hours.

Man visits our store for a preliminary presentation on diamond quality and to gain a sense of style options and price ranges.

Man invites his fiancée to our store for a style try-on. His mission during the try-on is to listen and observe. Usually within thirty minutes to an hour her style preferences become clear. In a try-on she has not come to choose the ring but rather to provide solid clues as to her preferences. The focus of the try-on is the giving of style clues and confirmation of finger size (critical to many designs). Often at the conclusion of a try-on we provide the couple with sketches and notes of her favorite designs.

Man returns a few days or weeks later according to his timetable to let us know his decision and the specifics of cut, color, clarity which establish the final price.

A Gentle Process

While we are passionate about the designs we create and the quality of the diamonds we select, our philosophy is to present all information simply, clearly, and as objectively as possible. We do not try to sell. We never ask for a sale. We presume after we have presented all options and when you are done with your research, if you wish to do business with us, that you will tell us which design is most appropriate and when you are ready to buy. We understand how you feel about acquiring something of this importance because when we too are customers we prefer to buy rather than to be sold.