The Christmas season is here and guys, you need to get ready! You’re about to be pummeled with a great deal of ads for the “NEW” two-diamond ring. It’s called “forever us” … or “you and I” … or “now and forever” … they’re all the same. I know you are asking, what IS a two diamond ring? Is this finally the perfect Christmas gift for the lady in my life?

The setting is a basic two-stone bypass ring and more than $70 million in advertising funds will be spent on it to get you to buy it for Christmas. Easy enough to just go, get it and be done with your holiday shopping, right? 

But let’s talk straight. Sure, I will have the two-diamond ring in my store (as will every other jeweler if he or she is smart) but step away from the advertising and ask: Is that what she really wants?

I have been selling love for more than 40 years and there is one truth I can share. If she doesn’t feel that you liked it, if she doesn’t believe that you bought it because you knew she would love it, then it goes in a drawer. If she feels like you made a lazy, easy choice, it’s never worn. Then you get frustrated and refuse to buy any more jewelry and so begins a vicious cycle. This is a cycle that I, of course, want to break!

So lean closer and listen to me. Take her to a few stores now, before you buy. Let her look and try on jewelry … and dresses … and shoes … whatever she wants and truly makes her feel special. You can do this for one night or one weekend. Spend however long it takes for her to realize this is all about her. After that it’s time to shop. Pick up what she loved and bring that home in a box. THAT is how you find the perfect piece of jewelry for her.

I promise that it’s all in your thought process. When she opens her gift from you on Christmas Day and feels your heart racing just as fast as hers, when she sees the excitement in your eyes, she is going to love it no matter what it is, I promise (and I hope it’s from my store!).

Regardless of which store you trust for your shopping experience, I really want you to hit a homerun. To me, that’s a big part of the spirit of Christmas. Along with helping and doing for others, letting folks know that you care in a real way is important. It is why I love the jewelry business and have been doing this as long as I have.

Sure, a diamond may seem like a small part of someone’s life, but it carries memories for longer than a lifetime. So you need to shop smart this season.

I have folks bring jewelry in that has been in their family for a hundred years. And when those customers walk in, I can tell the piece brings history. There is love and emotion surrounding their heirlooms. I want to challenge you this Christmas to buy the piece of jewelry that will mean so much to her that it will become the next heirloom. And it might be a two diamond ring or it might not.

Another honest tip: Most jewelry stores carry the same goods, the latest trends. That is fine, but I want you to know that I am a little different (even left-handed) and carry so much more. I love jewelry and every piece I decide to carry I want to place in the home where it will become a legacy. And we all know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder so the mainstream legacy (for example, the two-stone diamond) may not be yours. Or it may be. But this is why you need to come see me: to know. I have the largest jewelry store in town and I care about helping you knock it out of the park this Christmas with your gift of love to her.

Alan Perry is the president of Perry’s Emporium and The Wedding Dress Shoppe, offering a range of services for couples, from engagement through their wedding day. Perry’s Emporium is one of the largest retail jewelry stores in Southeastern North Carolina and offers exclusive brands and one-of-a-kind estate jewelry. The Wedding Dress Shoppe is a full-service bridal salon featuring distinctive and stylish bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, and mother-of the-bride and flower girl attire. For more information, visit www.perrysemporium.com and www.theweddingdressshoppe.com.