Shopping for an engagement ring is a pretty big deal, one of the top three largest purchases you’ll make besides buying a house and car, according to Ed Werner, Sales Expert to athletes and the stars at William Levine Fine Jewels in Chicago, Illinois. Whether your husband-to-be is going at it alone or you’re shopping together, here are some tips to consider.
ESSENCE.com: What are a few basic tips when shopping for an engagement ring?
Ed Werner: I usually advise people to go where they’re comfortable. Ask around for recommendations from friends because diamonds and jewelry are such a blind market for most people, you really have to feel comfortable and trust where you’re going. What to look for is the 4 ‘C’s — the color, the clarity, the carat weight and then the cutting of the diamond.
ESSENCE.com: What should budget conscious shoppers consider?
Werner: Not everyone is a pro-athlete and they are on a budget. There are trade-offs, whether it’s going with size over clarity or some people want the best quality and are willing to sacrifice. I steer people in a happy medium, what you buy today and what you can afford, you want to still be proud of 10-15 years from now when you’re looking down at your diamond. It’s not always about picking what your comfortable with now, but what you’ll grow into.
ESSENCE.com: What are some of the most common mistakes people make when shopping for an engagement ring?
Werner: They get caught up in the emotions of buying an engagement ring and really don’t look around. As I mentioned before, jewelry is such a blind market and there are a few bad apples in our industry that spoil it for the rest of us. If the person doesn’t know what they’re looking for they may get talked into something they’re not going to want later on down the line. You have to do your research. I would never suggest buying a diamond on the internet but its a great place to get educated and know what your looking for. I always suggest going into the bigger, better name stores and doing some homework there. They’ve been around for a long time and they’re not out to just sell you anything but will really give you an education on what your looking at.
ESSENCE.com: What are the differences between shopping online versus in-store?
Werner: There are different characteristics in a diamond that you can’t see on a computer. A diamond can be represented as a certain grade, and when you receive it, it may not be the grade you expect it to be. It’s like school, you can get a certain grade, a high grade and a low grade but there are different things that make up that grade. The same with diamonds, you can get the best color and clarity diamonds and line up ten that are the same exact grade and they’re not going to all sparkle the same, and when buying on the internet your not going to see that. I always suggest buying jewelry in a brick and mortar store.
ESSENCE.com: How can the socially conscious shopper ensure their ring is conflict free?
Werner: People that buy from us get a stamp that it’s conflict free or blood free. Any of the better department stores will guarantee it. There is a channel that they follow through to their supplier who gets it gauranteed from their supplier. It is tracing back from where it comes and each person that touches the diamond will guarantee it along the way. There are some companies that provide a stamp on the diamond with a serial number.
ESSENCE.com: When is the best time to shop for an engagement ring and what should be considered?
Werner: Allow time to shop for a ring, other than buying a house or car it may be in the top three largest purchases your going to make. Don’t let a jeweler rush or pressure you into doing anything. As far as time of year, around Christmas time and around Valentines day are the two busiest times for people to look, and it can be hard for a jeweler to allow the time necessary. So if you are looking, try to avoid the holiday madness you’ll find that a jeweler will devote more time to you.
ESSENCE.com: What should a shopper consider when selecting the perfect design?
Werner: I usually suggest something you wont get tired of. If you want something different, know what your getting involved in, or pick a right hand ring that looks different. Most times when we do make something that someone wants to be different, in 3-5 years they come back wanting to re-do it. We found that classic sells for a reason, it’s timeless.
ESSENCE.com: What does an engagement ring signify?
Werner: Taking our relationship from dating to walking down the aisle. It symbolizes the love of taking that next step.
For more information visit William Levine Fine Jewels.
How We Heal In A Divided World
Sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
In the wake of the 2024 election season, Essence sat down with W.K. Kellogg Foundation President and CEO La June Montgomery Tabron to discuss her forthcoming book How We Heal, which makes a powerful case for hope through racial healing. Below, Tabron talks about why she wrote the book, the promise of racial healing, and why we need it now more than ever.
We just came out of an extremely polarizing election season. Americans are deeply divided—a poll conducted by Johns Hopkins University in late October found that nearly half of Americans think members of the opposing party are “evil.” Your forthcoming book, How We Heal, discusses how we got here and how we can find common ground through the practice of racial healing. Let’s start with the basics: what is racial healing?
TABRON: Racial healing is a practice with roots in Indigenous communities that harness our shared, deeply human need for connection. It starts with truth-telling and solidarity-building and asks us to confront uncomfortable realities about our histories, society, and unconscious beliefs.
One of racial healing’s most potent tools is the racial healing circle, a powerful technique I’ve seen used successfully across various communities and identities throughout the United States and the world. In racial healing circles, facilitators help participants share their experiences in an environment free of blame or shame. These dialogues are, by definition, not easy—but where other conversations tend to break down, healing work helps us “stay in the room” by giving us the tools to work through difficult emotions when they pop up.
When we do that, something remarkable happens. People begin to see their shared humanity. Relationships emerge. With these relationships in place, communities can begin to address the racism that has rooted itself in the many systems, structures, and institutions that give shape and meaning to our lives.
How We Heal weaves your personal story with the Kellogg Foundation’s journey to center racial equity and racial healing in its philanthropic work. Why did you choose to include your personal story in the book?
TABRON: My story is an American story. I’m a child of the Great Migration, which my mother and father joined to escape the Jim Crow South in search of a better life. I was born in Detroit, a workshop for democracy, during a grand but ultimately flawed experiment with racial integration. I’ve faced the obstacles and indignities familiar to anyone who has lived as a person of color in the United States.
I also grew up surrounded by love, education, and opportunities to pursue my passions and dreams. I thrived because of that nurturing environment. Every child deserves that chance.
My story and the stories of so many others like me make it clear: race, a part of our identities we cannot choose or change, should not determine our opportunities or outcomes. Our stories are powerful and telling them can be the first step toward change.
We’ve seen the backlash against racial equity efforts at the federal government level, in universities, and in the workplace. Is racial healing possible in this environment?
We know some loud voices are trying to advance a story about businesses retreating from DEI efforts, but that is a false narrative. For example, there have been intense efforts by some corporate shareholders to push forward anti-DEI proposals in boardrooms, with 15 of these made in 2023 and 30 made in 2024. It may even seem that support for these proposals is growing because those same shareholders are putting anti-DEI proposals forward in an increasing number of C-suites. In truth, support for anti-DEI activism is falling, and of the proposals brought to a vote in 2023 and so far in 2024, none have received majority support.
From our work through our Expanding Equity initiative, we see that workplace DEI continues to be in demand by employees and a priority for leaders. Many are taking the opportunity to reassess and reprioritize the highest-impact efforts.
Racial healing is needed when so many Americans struggle to communicate with one another and find common ground. We may disagree on the solutions to some problems we face, but many of us are tired of the division that seems to define our country and paralyze our institutions.
If we want to build a better future for our children—and I still believe most of us share that goal—we must find a way to work together. Fortunately, the tools of racial healing work across any divide, including partisan, class, demographic, and generational.
Racial healing provides a framework to connect with people across our differences. It allows us to recognize our shared values and fate, even if we haven’t always shared a similar American experience. Anyone and everyone can take the first—or the next—step on this journey, and I hope this book empowers more people to do so.