Any guesses on what my band will look like?
We’ve poured over the website of the incredible jeweler who sourced the stone and created my beautiful engagement ring. And, having narrowed it down to three design options for the wedding band, my anticipation is growing. To the non-bride, all three probably look nearly identical. But of course, I am not a non-bride, and I have spent way too much time studying the nuances of all three and dreaming up what each would look like, paired with my engagement sparkler. Now, we await feedback from “the diamond guy” and leave it up to him to make the final, stunning choice.
To date, our favorite thing about Cartier is the champagne. Or, mine, at least.
Josh’s band, if you can believe it, is causing more trouble for us than mine. We decided months ago to go with Cartier; there was no question. The French design house offers some of the most exquisite jewelry on earth and in addition to the panache that the name carries with it, we eagerly fell in love with three different designs as potential for Josh’s fourth finger.
However! We have found that with French style comes a biting lack of customer service, and while our consultant at Cartier in Dallas is an absolute doll, her ability to move product and get us what we need has been minimally encouraging at best. We’ve been back three times, on each occasion facing some letdown or another. The rose gold style we liked, for example, had only one (yes, one!) band available in Josh’s size in the US. A couple in Chicago wanted it, so I was told over the phone, without ever seeing it on Josh’s finger, that I would have to pay for it in full that moment or lose it to someone else. Geez! As if planning a wedding isn’t stressful enough.
We relinquished that one, asking her if she could check outside the US for the ring. “Well, I can…” click, click, pause. Click. “Okay, it appears there’s one in Canada in his size, but I would have to call the merchandiser and go through customs to get it here…” she trails off.
Um. Okay. As the customer, I shouldn’t have even been privy to that line of thought. But as a former staffer at Tiffany & Co., I can tell you that what she needed to do was email the merchandiser stat and get her custom forms ready. Duh.
Several weeks later and still waiting to hear back on the one ring we liked that can *possibly* be found in his size, Josh and I begrudgingly headed next door to T&Co. It bears mentioning that I am no longer affiliated with this company in any way, nor do I receive discounts or special treatment on any merchandise or at any location. (Except maybe a hug from a former colleague when I pop into the Fifth Avenue store!)
Immediately, we were shown a slew of attractive platinum men’s bands, all of which were in stock in a wide variety of sizes. Please note: Josh has totally normal hands; the fact that it’s been nearly impossible to find him a proper ring at Cartier speaks to their limited supply, not any bizarre sizing issue on my betrothed’s end.
We are currently at a crossroads, waiting to hear back from Cartier and clutching onto the Tiffany consultant’s card should we need it. Customer service and drama aside, I honestly believe that in the end he will have to go with what looks and feels best on his finger. If you’ve met my fiance, you probably know this about him: it can take him a long time to make a decision, but once he knows what he wants, he commits to it … and keeps it forever.
Just like he did with me!
