Step One: The Big Purchase

For most people, summer comes with a slew of traditions. Weekends on the Cape, ice cream, flip flops, cookouts with family and the classic summer staple- the wedding. I'll be attending two this summer, a slow year!

There are plenty of wedding resources available right here in Milton, and Milton Patch will be highlighting them all summer long. But before a couple even begins to think about bridesmaids, boutonnieres or buttercream frosting, one minor question needs to be asked. And with that question comes one of the largest and most important purchases to be made relative to a wedding. 

According to Meryl Manin, co-owner of Grono & Christie Jewelers in East Milton, shoppers are traditionally looking at price, quality, size and shape when shopping for an engagement ring. For some people price will be the most important factor in selecting their ring, while others will be primarily concerned with acquiring a particular size diamond.

With over 30 years experience helping grooms-to-be select these iconic pieces of jewelry, Manin has watched styles and shopping trends change and evolve into what they are today. "[We're seeing] fancier, more ostentatious mountings.  When we first came here it was basically a four or six-prong mounting."

While I was discussing styles and trends with Manin, she pulled out a ring with a large, square-cut center stone and elaborate mounting to show me. "Ten years ago, we would never sell this right off the bat to a new bride, but I am today, and a lot. And that's different. This would've been something a woman 15 years into marriage would have put on," Manin explained in reference to the elaborate ring. "Now people really want a big look."

Trends in wedding bands have followed suit and become more elaborate in recent years. Designers are even creating coordinated sets of engagement rings and wedding bands, which fit together perfectly.  As women have become increasing involved in shopping for engagement rings, these coordinated sets have become increasingly popular. "A woman always looks to the future," said Manin, "so, a woman thinks about which wedding band would look good with the mounting"

One thing that has remained constant over the years is the popularity of the classic round-shaped diamond. "[The round shape] is easy to change later," commented Manin, "it goes with a lot. It also shows the vibrancy [of the diamond] very well." In recent years, square, princess and cushion cut diamonds have also become popular.

Manin pointed out that service and personalized experience is a key intangible element that shopping at an independent jeweler can provide. "An independent jeweler may also have the best price because a store like ours wants you as a customer forever, not just for one purchase. We want to sell you that present when you have a baby, we want to keep you, we want to share your joys. When you go into a store and they know your first name and they know what you like, they become your friend in business. And that's what we are."

Just before I left their shop, Bruce Manin simplified the process of buying an engagement ring beautifully, "You buy a diamond with your eyes and you buy a diamond with your heart. It has to speak to you."

While all of the above factors are important things to consider when purchasing an engagement ring, the selection will essentially be a highly personal and subjective process. Working with a versatile and knowledgeable jeweler can certainly help to achieve the perfect ring for any style.

Grono & Christie Jewelers has been helping customers navigate the ever-changing process of shopping for an engagement ring for nearly 65 years. Bruce Manin's father began doing jewelry repairs for Grono & Christie Jewelers in the 1950's and later became a partner. Current owners, Bruce and Meryl Manin, have been in the business for the past 31 and 36 years respectively.

They carry popular designers including Mark Schneider and Martin Flyer. They can also produce custom designed pieces on premises as well as re-work existing pieces. The diamonds sold on site are selected and imported from Antwerp, Belgium.