Perhaps for a woman, well-versed in shopping for jewelry, this would not present a problem. However, I am male, and therefore lack the genes for shopping and in fact have a specific gene for sole purpose of the detection and avoidance of stores selling cosmetics, women's clothing, and jewelry. Hmmmm. The plan I fastened on was a cunning one, so cunning I thought, that it just might work.

I went slowly, the first weekend I drove to the largest, most impersonal jewelry store I could find, slipped in with a knot of other shoppers, and scoped the place out, hoping that I would not be spotted and targeted by a salesperson before I could finish my reconnaisance. A lone male, standing near the bridal sets, trying to appear cool, must look on the radar of an experienced jewelry salesperson much like a young rabbit with a broken leg would look to a hungry wolf, lunch.

Luckily I escaped, unscathed and mostly unnoticed. I was encouraged by this first step- I felt that surely the ordeal was nearly over- I had won! Sadly, this initial feeling faded quickly as soon as I realized that I really had no better idea of what ring I was going to buy, than I had to start out with. Should I go extravagant? Take out a loan or buy on credit, the largest, most glittery piece of aged carbon crystal I could carry out of the store? How about artistic? I could design the perfect ring setting, find a master craftsperson and present this piece to my bride to be amid cheers and rave reviews from art critics everywhere. Or a middle of the road approach, seek out the odd jewelry stores that hovered on the edge of being art studios and purchase a unique, beautiful, and very expensive ring.

I considered all of these options and more while I knocked around from jewelry store to jewelry store over the next few weekends. I steadily eliminated each option. Buying on credit would certainly not send the right message to my bride to be. Being creative would be a gamble- it was possible that my own design could end up costing a bundle and potentially not being exactly what she wanted anyway. Finally, buying a one-of-a-kind piece seemed like a good option- except for one minor fact; I really didn't have much of an idea of what she actually liked as far as a wedding ring went- it wasn't a common topic of conversation. What to do then?

To find out what I did about choosing a ring, proceed to read the