For the Luck family (who were 4-1 with boys winning!), it was a total surprise too! After their last sonogram, they delivered a sealed envelope to Kayci, who created a cake that was flavored to reveal the gender of the baby (think strawberry or blueberry). The party was on SuperBowl Sunday, so Kayci integrated a fun football flair to the party, which took place at Thirsty’s in Hays.

It was a fun event, and so exciting to hear the reaction of the room when the slice of cake was lifted! Let’s just say that the score is getting slightly more even, and we’re now looking at 4-2! After cutting the cake, the Luck family opened several gifts, including one from Bella Luna Boutique in Hays – a super-cute tutu and “heels”!

I am so glad I had the opportunity to witness this event! Congratulations to the Luck Family!

Thanks for being fabulous!

Arm yourself with knowledge before shopping

It’s important to understand different aspects of engagement rings before beginning the shopping experience. Things like knowing different alloys of metals like 18kt gold, 14kt gold, 10kt gold, and platinum metals can really help you understand the pricing behind different metals. The difference can have a huge affect on how long your ring will last and hold up. It’s even important to know that not all 18kt white gold is the same. Some are alloyed with palladium and some with nickel. The reason this is important is because some people have an allergy to nickel that would make the ring virtually impossible to wear.

Buy From Someone You Trust

Because an engagement ring is such a big purchase and it is truly something that people know very little about, it is important to find someone you can trust! When shopping it’s important to do the numbers game in your head. Think of where the store is…i.e. are they paying a huge amount in rent each month. Secondly, how many employees they have to pay. Lastly, how expensive all of their lighting, showcases, carpeting, big screens, etc… These are all things they need to pay for with your purchases. These stores have to make very good margin on jewelry to pay the overhead and rely on their advertising and location to give them legitimacy for these very high margins. They will also try to entice in buyers with different kinds of warranties that are often designed to put all of the responsibility on the customer and hide simple easy ways of taking care of a ring. Many times you can find a better buy from a broker or small office typesetting and work with a professional sales team that has taken up a career in jewelry and rely on their reputation and referrals for customers.

Remember the Purpose

Many times buyers shy away from designer lines because they believe they are too expensive. Sometimes it’s important to entertain their styles because of their beauty and their ability to hold value over their life. For example, imagine you had a silver spoon from 1935 with no markings on it except a stamp that said 925 for is sterling makeup, and you had a spoon that said Tiffany and Co. Which spoon do you think has sustained value over time? One is for melting and one is for putting in a glass case. It’s always important to remember the purpose of an engagement ring: Beauty and practicality.

Don’t Get Stuck on the 4c’s

Most people who look into buying a diamond will learn the 4c’s of diamond grading. They are Color, Clarity, Cut, and Carat Weight. The reason these 4c’s are important is because they help the industry to appraise the diamonds. However, if you want to know the honest truth it is this… Most human beings who know nothing about diamonds and are not trained to grade diamonds would not be able to tell the difference between an H color and a D color diamond if they were not directly beside each other. They would have no idea between an internally flawless diamond and a Si1 clarity diamond unless the diamonds were put under magnification of 10 times or more. Also even someone who makes their living off of diamonds many times cannot tell the difference between a 0.90ct diamond and a 1.00 ct diamond without a scale handy. However, all of these differences can mean hundreds to THOUSANDS of dollars difference in the price of the diamond. That is because intrinsically the diamonds are worth more but to a typical person carry no difference in look what so ever. Refer to #2! But also realize that the intrinsic value is real! It truly means the diamond is worth more money but may not be the perfect diamond for your taste or situation.

Unique is the Key

Most girls just want something that is unique to them. It’s up to the guy to decide what he wants to and can spend. The key is to decide this amount and then find someone who you think can help you find something cool and unique for you. This can be done in a number of ways, but the easiest way to do this is to refer to #2 again. If you find someone you trust who knows what they are doing, they can be a valuable asset in helping you find what you are looking for!