Helzberg Diamonds is debuting the Will You? ring—a $50 “ring before the ring” that marks the proposal, but isn’t intended to be what commemorates the engagement.
The Will You? ring comes in a traditional box. But when the bride-to-be opens it, it says “The first of many things we’ll do together.” The ring includes an inscription, “This is a ring, not the ring.”
A small enclosed pamphlet says, “I love you more than I trust myself to pick something you’re going to wear on your hand. Every day. For eternity.” It further notes that, “You’re the one. But this ring isn’t. Let’s pick one out together.”
Couples who buy the Will You? ring and return to Helzberg will receive a $200 discount on rings priced from $999 to $1,998, and a $400 discount on rings priced at more than $1,999.
In a statement, the company says it was reacting to data from a new survey on consumers’ attitudes toward engagement rings. The data found that couples are increasingly picking out rings together but want the actual engagement to be a surprise.
Specifically, nearly three-quarters of men (73 percent) and two-thirds of women (63 percent) in relationships said that a marriage proposal should be a surprise. But more than half (55 percent) of men said it is important to have their partner be involved in the process of picking out an engagement ring.
However, isn’t there a danger that the groom-to-be will opt simply for the placeholder and not buy the real ring?
Beryl Raff, chairwoman and CEO of Helzberg Diamonds, told JCK in an email: “We expect most buyers of the Will You? ring will still want a traditional engagement ring, but if they ultimately decide that applying the corresponding discount toward an engagement ring isn’t for them, we support that decision. We know that every relationship is different, and we want to offer ring options for every type of couple.”
The retailer has also released YouTube videos promoting the concept:
Earlier this year, Helzberg announced it had appointed a new marketing director and ad agency.
(Images courtesy of Helzberg Diamonds)
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