New Jersey Bride chatted with Scott Udell, vice president of London Jewelers, about the ring shopping experience, engagement and wedding ring trends, and more.
Here’s one piece of advice he offered: “When shopping for a ring, you definitely want to go with a brand or company who you feel connected to or you trust and you can see that you can build rapport with,” he says. “Don’t just think about this single ring purchase. It’s really the beginning of your jewelry life cycle.”
London Jewelers has a store location in the Mall at Short Hills featuring a Two by London collection.
“Whatever your needs are in the engagement ring, wedding band and day-of jewelry category, we will take great care of you,” Scott says.
When it comes to engagement ring and wedding band shopping, should couples do online research or just browse in the store?
I think it’s a combination of both. In the world that we live in today, the basis of ideas starts from social media. You see one of your friends get engaged or what’s trending on a celebrity or what relevant brands are producing, and that definitely just gets the head thinking. But I think such a valuable part of that is being able to go into a store, try different things on, see what you actually like on the finger and what you’d feel comfortable wearing for many years to come. So, although trends play a part in things, you definitely want it to be something that you feel is timeless.
What about uniquely shaped diamonds and colorful stones? Those seem trendy now. What should people know about selecting a more nontraditional option?
Think about the color palettes that you wear most. Think about what your sense of fashion is. Is this something that you’re going to want to put on and take pride in wearing every day? It’s a significant purchase and joyous occasion, and you want it to be something that you’re not going to get tired of and that you’re going to get excited to put it back on every morning and dress around it.
What should brides consider when deciding on a wedding band that complements their engagement ring?
I feel like I used to see a lot more of the matching metals. I think now women are mixing and matching colored golds and even gold with platinum. We’ve even been making a lot more yellow gold rings again lately. So, I think it’s not so out of the ordinary anymore to even see people [putting together] different stone shapes from their engagement ring to their eternity band.
That leads me to custom rings. It sounds like ring customization is popular now.
Yes. Everybody wants their own twist to [their ring]. Most of the time, the customization is very minimal, even if it’s putting an engraving, like a little message on the inside of the ring or a date, or a different colored stone set on the inside of the ring that has a meaning to it between the couple.
London Jewelers has a diamond trade-up program. What does that entail?
We guarantee 100% trade-in value of diamond engagement rings or diamond studs purchased at London Jewelers toward a new piece. Your next selection must meet the minimum requirement of at least double the trade-in value. For 98 years, we have stood behind our policy of assuring your continued satisfaction. Upgrading your diamond is the perfect way to celebrate an anniversary or mark a major milestone.
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