As a 20-something year old, I can’t wait to get married. I wasn’t that young girl who cut clips from wedding magazines to build a dream board and role-played with my stuffed teddy bear as we walked down the aisle but I definitely started to give weddings a lot more thought once I hit 20.
The whole wedding process begins with the engagement ring – it marks the foundation of a new life together as a couple (yeah, that totally sounded cheesy but it’s true!). And with every foundation, you need a solid one to build upon and that is why choosing the right engagement ring is crucial.
In Hollywood movies we see the guy popping the case to see a beautiful, big, sparkly diamond shining and the girl is automatically head over heels for it. But this is reality, and the twenty-first century, women these days want a say in how the ring is going to look – you’re going to have it wear it forever so it might as well be to your taste. “People shop for an engagement ring together now, where it used to be 90% men coming in and making the purchase, now it’s a 60/40 split,” shares Aret Oymakas owner of Livia Diamonds in Toronto. As a third generation jeweler, Aret knows a thing or two about engagement rings and diamonds.
Babe Box took a recent trip to Livia Diamonds to get the 411 on the process of choosing the perfect engagement ring.
When a couple comes in to Livia Diamonds for a ring, Aret works with them to design a exceptionally personal piece. He has a few rings on display, to give you ideas, but every single one of his rings are custom made. I saw a few amazing rings and noticed that I have pretty basic taste – I was more drawn to a simple band with the princess cut diamonds – when I saw the other custom made pieces. One couple wanted to reflect their Hindu background in their ring by incorporating two elephants into her band. Another ring had something new and something borrowed as it combined two diamonds from the bride’s grandmother. The fanciest ring, however, was inspired by Cinderella’s coach— bling, bling everywhere.
Once the couple has an idea of what they want, Aret moves forward with a 3D printed mold: “We start with a 3D printed mold that you can try on. Then we create the ring out of the chosen metal and then we add the stones of your choosing.” Once the prototype is made and the couple has given it approval, the real one is constructed. This whole process takes around three weeks (given that customers don’t constantly change their mind, but hey, this process is here so that you can make little alterations here and there so it’s all good).
I’m sure you’re reading this and thinking that these customized engagement rings are going to cost you more than a brand new car, but think again. As an honest jeweler, Aret sources his diamonds and lays down the options from stone, setting, metal and style that can take your ring from $20,000 to $6,000.
Livia Diamonds goes above and beyond for their customers because with every ring purchase you also receive a replica of your ring, which is perfect for travelling without your valuables but you still want to show everyone that you’re married. On top of that, Aret gives back to his community by donating a percentage from every sale to Sick Kids Hospital.
With free consultations and the promise of no sales pressure, going to Livia Diamonds for your engagement ring (or any other kind of specialty ring) will be a piece of cake.
Photos by Nix Frances Photography
