Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
This is a topic that rarely gets addressed, but is an important one because (hopefully) this is the ring that you'll be wearing for the rest of your life. So what do you do if you can't stand the sight of your engagement ring—this symbol of love and devotion?
We chatted with jewelry expert and founder of jewelry concierge service AStarr, Amber Starr Berger. Berger is no stranger to the jewelry world. She practically grew up in the industry with her family's manufacturing business and then went on to work for Michael C. Fina, Gucci, Cartier, Henri Bendel, and HauteLook.com. Her company specializes in creating bespoke jewelry, discreet appraisals, resales, repairs, and basically take care of any jewelry or watch need that you may have.
Racked: How do you deal when your engagement ring isn't quite what you'd hoped it would be?
Amber Starr Berger: First you have to figure out what it is about the ring that doesn't feel quite right. Is it the shape of the center stone? Is the setting too high or too low? Is the ring too delicate or chunky on your finger? Is the stone smaller then you had expected?
Racked: But is it offensive to say something?
Berger: It's important to admit your feelings to your fiancé—delicately, as it's a touchy subject. Trust me, he wants you to love your ring and you need to as you'll be staring down at it every day.
Racked: Okay, so once the conversation has happened, what's next?
Berger: Take the ring back to your jeweler [Ed Note: Or you can contact AStarr] and discuss possible options for changes that can be made to the ring within your budget. The most popular solution is changing the setting which can be done easily and quickly without breaking the bank.
Check out what Berger's company, AStarr, did with this plain setting, above left. Same stone, three different ways! It's a triple threat.
· AStarr [Official Site]
· All Weddings Week posts [Racked]