Having no expertise in jewelry, gems or any of their components, as the average man might, the endeavor to find the perfect antique engagement ring was a harrowing task. The antique market has an amorphous scale of value unlike that of its conventional counterpart. Fortunately, Dale had the expertise, patience and empathy that is essential in guiding a novice through such unfamiliar terrain.
During our early communication, Dale set my anxieties at ease with an almost preternatural understanding of my vibe. I described my fiancé's style and my aspiration to offer to her a ring that would be an extension of this most integral part of her being. Astonishingly little correspondence lead to Dale's assertion, 'I have one ring in mind that I think would be perfect'.
When we met, Dale presented many rings for my consideration (not just one ring and a hard sell). As I viewed her selection, she was perfectly kind and patient with my amateurish attempt to speak about jewelry - getting the gist of my ideas, although I had no vocabulary to communicate them. At the same time, I noticed a refreshing absence of pressure on my budget. Ultimately, Dale was right - she had in mind the perfect ring. She even came down on her asking price to fall comfortably within my budget.
My fiancé is madly in love with her ring (Maria). She feels so proud to wear it and is constantly telling me of the complements she receives. Sometimes I catch her just looking at the ring and smiling.
Finally, six months after the ring was sized, in the dead of winter, for whatever reason, the extremely delicate band cracked at the solder joint. Dale had the ring re-soldered at no cost to us.
As a side note, I have never written a review of any kind for a product or service, on yelp or otherwise, but was compelled to create an account for just this purpose. I apologize for the length, but believe it will be helpful to those starting out on this process. read more