TheDiamondExchange

tags: engagement, engagement ring, proposal story, Ultimate Proposal Contest

Learn how to keep the ring safe prior to popping the question.

The stress of picking out the perfect engagement ring, purchasing it (gulp), and then mustering up the courage to propose can make a guy a nervous wreck. Just ask my husband who couldn’t handle hanging onto the ring any longer and popped the question by the bathroom door in my apartment to get rid of it. The results of an internal Jewelers Mutual survey revealed that more than 66% of participants had possession of the engagement ring for less than one week. Even though I didn’t experience the brutal anticipation of proposing myself, I can empathize (and can even understand why being near a bathroom might not be a bad idea).

It makes perfect sense why the proposal brings pressure. According to another recent survey conducted by Jewelers Mutual and featured in USA Today, 35% of people spend between $2,500 and 7,499 on an engagement ring—often coming next in line after the house and car in terms of most valuable household assets.

Proposals gone bad

We all heard the horror stories of proposals going horribly wrong. The guy who arranged for a hot air balloon ride and watched the ring plummet to the ground just has he was about to propose…. The guy who thought it would be romantic to ask for her hand while boating, only to have the ring sink to the bottom of the lake before she could say yes…. The guy who proposed at a clam bake on the beach who wound up digging, and digging, and digging for the diamond ring that would never be found.

If you’re thinking about proposing soon, here are 10 tips to help you get from the store to the proposal with your ring intact.

DO insure the ring before it leaves the store, like 50% of our survey participants had smartly done. Even if something does happen to it, you’ll be covered and it won’t mean money down the drain. Apply for jewelry insurance and you’ll have 10 days from the application date to send your appraisal documentation to us. Once your information has been accepted, a policy will be issued effective the date you applied online.
DO keep the ring in the box and store it someplace safe in your home, like a fireproof lock box.
DO stay grounded. If you do happen to drop the ring, you can more easily recover it on dry land than from the air or water.
DO let your jeweler hold onto the ring until you’re ready to propose.
DO use the hotel’s front desk safe, never the in-room safe which can more easily get broken into.
DON’T put the ring in checked luggage, which can become lost or stolen, including all contents within it. Instead, place the ring in your carryon bag.
DON’T propose on the beach – rings can too easily get lost in the sand.
DON’T propose anywhere you have unstable footing – boat, amusement park ride, parachuting, etc.
DON’T propose in overly crowded areas where the ring could get bumped out of your hand or snatched from a passerby.
DON’T put the ring in food. It could get lost, or worse yet, choked on. Nothing says “I love you” like a trip to the ER.

The Jewelers Mutual claims department has heard it all – some of the previously mentioned stories are from our very own policyholders. And you’ll be glad to know that Jewelers Mutual replaced the rings, even though the originals never made it to the fiancés’ fingers. The key is making jewelry insurance part of your engagement ring purchase plan. For more information about getting a free, no-obligation quote or applying for insurance online, visit www.InsureYourJewelry.com.

Need inspiration? If you missed the recent post on our Facebook page, watch Matt’s proposal to Ginny (featured on CBS News earlier this week) below. It’s a true work of creative genius! (And a great example of what could be entered into JIC’s Ultimate Proposal Contest.

Congratulations and good luck!

Share your proposal story with us by commenting to this blog post, and don’t forget to enter your story in the Ultimate Proposal Contest TODAY! Contest entry deadline is May 23^rd. You could win a Caribbean honeymoon and gorgeous platinum jewelry!

Source: JewelersMutual.

Beware of the cute duckling scam. If it looks too good to be true, it likely is.

As summer comes to its peak, so is rummage sale season. It’s the time of year when my addiction to bargain hunting kicks into high gear as I set my sights on the best deals. You can also find me looking for ways to sell unwanted items to make room for my newfound treasures. One category that is popular to sell is jewelry because it can bring in larger amounts of cash. That being said, here comes my word of caution… While selling your outdated and unwanted jewelry can be profitable, it also comes with risks that sellers, and buyers alike, need to be aware of.

The savvy seller should first weigh the desire of a larger profit versus a safer sale. Selling your jewelry over the Internet in a personal transaction is the way to make the largest amount of money. However, it pays to play it safe. When using sites such as Craigslist or eBay, I recommend following these helpful tips:

Never sell an item overseas and avoid an out-of-state transaction if possible.
Always try to sell locally and meet the person if possible.
NEVER INVITE THE BUYER TO YOUR HOME OR PROVIDE PERSONAL INFORMATION IN YOUR AD. Try to meet the buyer at a public place. You never know if the buyer is trying to scope out your home or personal possessions. Burglars often scour the Internet for vulnerable people who are selling high-end items.
Never accept funds that are wired, or in the form of a cashier’s check, money order or have gone through Western Union or an escrow service. Often times these funds will appear to clear initially, and then weeks later your bank may call to tell you the funds never came through.
Only accept cash. You may use a service such as PayPal™ which is generally safe if you follow certain guidelines listed on their web site, such as never divulging your user name and password.
Never give out any financial information.
If the person is corresponding through email, watch for spelling errors, typos and also emails that just do not make sense. This is an indicator that either a computer program is responding to you or the sender of the email is in a different country, both red flags that it may be a scam.
Watch for emails where the subject line reads exactly the same as the title of your ad. For example, your ad says, “1ct. Diamond For Sale in Maple Town”. The email subject line has this exact line. This again is an indicator that computer software is likely generating the email and it is a scam.

The safest way to sell your jewelry is to a local jeweler that you trust. Expect that you will not get top dollar or the appraised value for the item, but you won’t need to worry about a thief preying on you, or compromising your identity. What you may likely receive is the scrap value of the item. For metals, the scrap value is determined by taking the gram weight of the ring and multiplying it by the daily metal price.

When buying jewelry in a personal transaction, make sure that a current appraisal accompanies it. Consider calling the jeweler to confirm it is a genuine appraisal of the item. Question deals that seem too good to be true and follow your gut instinct.

I hope these tips help you the next time you participate in the secondary market. Happy sales!

Source of information: Jewelersmutual