Those of you who read my blogs regularly or who know me personally may have been aware that a couple of years ago, I published a book about how to buy the perfect engagement ring.
The Engagement Ring – How to Choose the Perfect Engagement Ring and Get It Right First Time has been a bestseller on Amazon and has helped many a nervous groom-in-waiting to find the perfect ring to grace the wedding finger of the love of his life.
I wrote it because the truth is that as guys, we’re completely out of our depth when it comes to picking such an important piece of jewellery. It’s probably the third or fourth largest single purchase we’ll make after property and a car, and for many of us, it’s a decision we’re completely unqualified to make on our own.
Yet, every day, scores of earnest young men will wander in to a jewellery shop or a workshop like mine, brandishing a piece of costume jewellery they pinched from their intended’s jewellery box while she wasn’t looking and ask for a ring to be made in the same size.
Unfortunately – and here’s where the truth is hard to hear – the chances are we’ll get it completely wrong. Partly, it’s because we’re blokes and gender stereotyping suggests we’re predisposed to failing to understand women; partly it’s because our internal filter processes out conversations about make-up, clothes, jewellery and handbags.
The simple fact is, ask a man what his partner’s bra size is, and he’ll be all over it like a cheap overcoat. Ask him what his partner’s ring size is and he’ll stand there looking bewildered and drooling on his shoes. And if we can’t master that simple piece of information, what hope is there for us to understand what it is that this lovely woman, who may well have been dreaming about this day since she was a little girl, thinks her engagement ring should look like.
So, I wrote the book to help all the men out there who will gamely take on an otherwise impossible job.
It’s been so successful, that a second edition is now being published, with new content – including some bizarre and funny stories from my time as a jeweller in London’s remarkable Hatton Garden.
You’ll meet a Premiership footballer, the woman who found her engagement ring in the stationery drawer at her home and became convinced it had been bought for someone else and the girlfriend who threw a strop when she thought the engagement ring she was getting meant she wouldn’t be getting the pair of expensive shoes she wanted.
And, of course, there’s brilliant advice and guidance in there, too.
From my own client experiences, I've come to the conclusion that around a fifth of all women hate their engagement ring. Yes, that's one in five women actually hate their engagement ring.
Most don't and won't say anything. That’s why this book is an invaluable research resource if you want to get your fiancée-to-be exactly what she wants at a price you’ll love.
To purchase a copy of the latest edition of the book, please visit my store where you can order the paperback or download the audio version. And if you opt for the paperback, why not bring it in with you when you come to talk to me about the ring you want to buy – and I’ll sign it. I won’t even charge you for the autograph!
If you'd like an appointment, then please do call for a free consultation in our central London Hatton Garden office and we would be glad to try and help you. Our details are on the main page of the Lewis Malka London website.
Lewis Malka is a recognised expert in making diamond rings as well as being a famous jeweller to the stars. All his blogs are his own opinions. He is a member of the London Diamond Bourse (LDB) You can follow him daily on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If you would like any bespoke jewellery made, then please visit his website.
