Heather Mangan

Christmas is the season of giving and, as always, jewelry is at the top of many girls’ wish lists.

Men around the country are flocking to jewelry stores to find the gift that accurately conveys their feelings for their girlfriend or wife.

There are many things men should keep in mind when shopping for jewelry. I followed one SDSU student to Johnson Jewelers and Wink’s Fine Jewelry, both in Brookings, to find out what to look for and what to avoid when jewelry shopping.

Chris, a sophomore, is looking for the perfect gift for his girlfriend Jennifer. Chris and Jennifer have been together for three years and Chris wants to buy her a necklace for Christmas. This is Chris’s first jewelry purchase for Jennifer and he is unsure of what to look for with his budget of between $200 and $250.

Chris begins at Wink’s where he talks to owner Jerry Miller. Miller tells Chris he should definitely go with diamonds.

“It doesn’t make any difference [what type of jewelry you get her],” Miller says. “I recommend diamonds. You can’t go wrong with diamonds.”

The diamond quality depends on how much you want to spend, Miller says. The better the quality, the more expensive the diamond. The quality is measured by the 5 c’s: cut, clarity, color, carat, and confidence.

The most important thing to look for in a diamond is cut. Miller says a poorly cut diamond doesn’t sparkle well and looks ugly.

The next thing to look for is color, Miller says. A clearer diamond has better quality and is more expensive compared to one with a yellow tint. He says diamonds are now starting to come in a variety of colors.

Clarity measures the deflection of light from a diamond. Miller says light hits the diamond a certain way and at a certain speed, which determines its sparkle. A diamond with a good sparkle has good clarity.

Carat is the weight of the diamond, which increases with price. Many jewelers measure diamond by points, with 100 points per diamond.

No matter how much money you pay, every diamond will have flaws, he says.

“There is no such thing as a perfect diamond,” Miller says.

Miller shows Chris the single diamond pendant necklaces. Miller says young girls like to wear these necklaces all the time. He says they could wear it with sweaters or tuck it underneath a sweatshirt.

Miller then shows Chris the vertical three diamond necklaces. To females, these diamonds represent the past, present, and future of the relationship, he says. The diamonds are smaller and have fewer carats then the single pendant necklaces. Miller says these necklaces are increasing in popularity, especially in the younger generation.

Both necklaces can be purchased in white or yellow gold. Miller says it depends on the woman’s preferences, but younger people prefer white gold.

“I used to have just yellow, but now I have to have both,” he says.

He told Chris to shop around and get a feel for what is out there, before making a final decision.

Miller says he tells his customers to be confident in their dealer and to know whom they are buying from.

“Just be confident in where you are buying it,” he says. “I don’t care if you buy from me.”

Chris takes Miller’s advice and goes to Johnson Jewelers, where he talks to Karen Rzepecki. She shows him some Deering Diamond jewelry, which is sterling silver with a smaller diamond. She says this jewelry fits into the price range of most college students, which is $100 to $200.

However, Chris is more interested in the diamond necklaces. She shows him the single diamond pendants and then the vertical three diamond necklaces. Rzepecki says the popular item right now is the vertical three-diamond necklace with bars on either side of the stones. She says you can get five or six smaller diamonds in the same pattern, but most opt for three.

Like Miller at Wink’s, Rzepecki says that although it’s a preference thing, younger people prefer to buy white gold to yellow.

Rzepecki says many young men base their jewelry choice on their relationship. She says some guys are not ready for diamonds and prefer to buy her a necklace with a cross or her birthstone or other pieces of jewelry like a bracelet or earrings.

“It depends on how serious you are with the girl,” she says.

At the end of the day, Chris has it narrowed down to a few necklaces at each store. He is going to take sometime and think it over.

Who knows, if all goes well, Chris’s next jewelry purchase may be a diamond for Jennifer’s finger.

laces. To women, the three diamonds represent the past, present, and future of the relationship, he says. The diamonds are smaller and have fewer carats then the single pendant necklaces. Miller says these necklaces are increasing in popularity, especially among the younger generation.

Both necklaces can be purchased in white or yellow gold. Miller says it depends on the woman’s preferences, but younger people prefer white gold.

“I used to have just yellow, but now I have to have both,” he says.

He told Chris to shop around and get a feel for what is out there, before making a final decision.

Miller says he tells his customers to be confident in their dealer and to know whom they are buying from.

“Just be confident in where you are buying it,” he says. “I don’t care if you buy from me.”

Chris takes Miller’s advice and goes to Johnson Jewelers, where he talks to Karen Rzepecki. She shows him some Deering Diamond jewelry, which is sterling silver with a smaller diamond. She says this jewelry fits into the price range of most college students, which is $100 to $200.

Rzepecki says many young men base their jewelry choice on their relationship. She says some guys are not ready for diamonds and prefer to buy her a necklace with a cross or her birthstone or other pieces of jewelry like a bracelet or earrings.

“It depends on how serious you are with the girl,” she says.

Who knows – if all goes well, Chris’s next jewelry purchase may be a diamond for Jennifer’s finger.

#1.885539:3022263501.jpg:shoppingcover_.jpg:A ring from the collection at Johnson Jewelers in Brookings.:Jerry Smith