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My wife is a jeweler - so buying any jewelry for her is a challenge.

When it came time to pick out her ring, luck had it that a good (F) friend of mine back home in Tennessee was who also close to engagement. I asked her (and her boyfriend) to come visit us in Houston for a weekend, and the girls 'just happened to go ring shopping' while the BF and I went elsewhere to do 'guy things'.

My friend came back with very exacting specs for me (ring size, shape, cut of the stone, etc...), and I was able to surprise my wife-to-be by picking the exact ring she wanted (without over-spending on things she didn't really want).

One last thing (this is not an advertisement for my wife's store or services), you might find that you can get a custom-built ring from a local jeweler, rather than shopping one of the major jewelry stores - and you might be able to do it for a fraction of the cost. Your bride will love that she has a one-of-a-kind ring, rather than one you picked off the assembly-line showroom.