Ringing in at TIFFANY’S

Naomi Carniol stops in at the Bloor St. jeweller to observe a weekend ritual. It’s more entertaining than a movie matinee, she says, watching staff help couples avoid the Pandora’s box of stress when choosing engagement rings

alk into Tiffany &

Co.’ s Bloor St. store

on a Saturday afternoon and rain or shine, winter or summer, the same scene repeats itself. A steady stream of young women walks through the revolving door. They move to the aisle on the right, barely looking at the booth displaying watches.

Their eyes hover briefly on the diamond pendants and earrings in one of the centre displays. Then they come to a stop. They’ve reached their destination. The engagement rings.

That’s the reason they visited the store — though it’s unlikely they’ll tell their friends or boyfriends that. On a Saturday afternoon, Tiffany’s engagement rings booth is more entertaining than a matinee movie.

Typically, at least a dozen people, often women, huddle in front of the long display area. A few brave souls stare openly at the rings. Others take quick peeks.

Because despite the calming décor — cream walls, mahogany wood and well-placed ferns, some women are a bit nervous to be here. Diamonds can do that to you. Andrea Hopson, vice-president of Tiffany & Co. Canada, understands there is some anxiety around engagement rings.

“ We well appreciate that people do have a level of fear and intimidation because it’s a significant purchase and a significant time in their lives,” she says. The fine jewellery specialists behind the counter try to make people feel comfortable. “ We really don’t want people to fear the experience because it really should be so very exciting and so very positive,” Hopson says. Some women may be a bit anxious simply because they’ve never stepped inside the store before and they aren’t sure what kind of reception they’ll get.

Tiffany staff treat customers with respect whether they intend to buy or just look around, Hopson says. And that’s regardless of how large someone’s budget is. “ It’s a very key part of who we are,” she says. “ We want everyone who enters our doors or picks up the phone and calls us to be warmly and graciously welcomed, to be assisted and listened to.” Some women may be a bit afraid of the price of these rings.

Tiffany recently advertised a round 10-carat diamond engagement ring for $ 1,131,000. But engagement rings start out more modestly. A classic 18point or .18- carat solitaire diamond ring in the Tiffany setting starts at $ 1,350.

“ The beauty with Tiffany diamonds is because they’re cut to maximize brilliance even at 18 points it’s quite a remarkable stone and has great impact,”

WHopson says.

While rings can go up into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, most people buy rings that are under a carat. “ They’re around three quarters of a carat,” she says.

“ A one- carat diamond engagement ring will be priced from approximately $ 12,600 to $ 46,700,” the company’s website states.

Tiffany is fielding more requests for larger diamonds. “ But we’re equally as thrilled to help a young couple with a beautiful 18 points solitaire,” Hopson says.

It’s not just women who may look nervous in front of the rows of engagement rings. Some men also look a bit shell shocked.

That’s understandable. Many men have never worn jewellery, except the odd wristwatch. Choosing a ring may be unlike anything they’ve done before.

“ I think they’re somewhat intimidated and that’s our job to make them feel comfortable,” Hopson says. On a recent Saturday, a few men lingered in front of the display cases. One man, who appeared to be in his late 20s, held two rings between his fingers.

“ If she’s talked about tapered baguettes, she’s probably looked at rings,” a staff member quietly told the man. The man looked up, a bit shocked. The staff member smiled at him. He smiled back and then glanced down at the rings again.

Learning about the intricacies of diamonds — cut, colour, clarity and carat weight — can help people feel more at ease.

“ The sooner they get to pull things out . . . and start chatting about it, talking about their plans, their expectations, the sooner those walls are broken down and they can develop a comfort with us,” Hopson says.

For some, stress might also be linked to the number of people around. “ We know certainly the crowds on Saturday in and of themselves can be intimidating,” Hopson says.

Private consultations can be arranged in advance. “ It’s nice for people to have a name and person they can ask for,” Hopson says.

While some men may fear the crowds, others may worry about the prices. A customer might have an idea about a ring before he walks into the store. And that ring may be too costly.

Tiffany’s staff will work with the customer to come as close as possible to the imagined ring.

“So someone can say, ‘ You know what? I really want to maximize the size but because of my budget, I want the largest size I can for this price,’ so the colour and clarity would be selected accordingly,” Hopson says, adding that Tiffany’s standards for colour and clarity are quite high.“ We want the woman looking down at her hand for years and years to come ( and) to be completely dazzled and delighted,” Hopson says.

For some men, if they’re slightly nervous, it may have nothing to do with the dollars or the diamonds. It may be tied to what the ring represents — a new step in life. Tiffany staff recognize that. “ You can’t be a part of Tiffany’s without understanding the emotional impact of everything that we do.”

Because the ring is such a significant purchase, it’s not surprising staff develop a bond with their clients. In some cases, staff have helped design proposal evenings. “ We’ve even had our staff invited to weddings and, in one case, sit at the head table.”

While men and women often come to the store separately or with a good friend, some come in with their partners.

“ It’s certainly an even more exciting process when the couple does work on this together. We see their excitement grow as they learn more and more about our diamonds,” says Hopson. On a Saturday afternoon, one couple, at the very least, will walk through the revolving door with the specific goal of looking at engagement rings.

Every once in a while the couple will ask to see a specific ring. As the ring is placed before them, a quiet murmur is heard from the crowd. Men and women nudge their friends oh- so- subtly to take a peek at the ring on the woman’s finger and the sparkle in her eye.