Ashland weekly tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1919-1924, 1920-12-15
IN THE JEWELRY
STORE BEFORE AND
AFTER WEDDING BELLS
by Harold ID. jacobs.


NEW YORK, Dec. l3---1'herc is no
business that furnishes a better op-
portunity to study human psychology
than that of selling ieweliy. accordir g
to William Barthman, who for many
| than 4 quarter OF century has had
shop in Maiden Lane, the diamond
center of America,
zone can invariably forecast the
married life of a couple by their atti-
tude when they COME in to buy the
engagement ring" he said today.
at is easy to tell which will domi-
pa'e after the welding ceremony i!Grn
ne,f aotious Gr~ins Inc purchase Ii
she makes the selection and fixes the
price. you may depend upon Il that
she will make most of the decisions
after they are married ?nd vice versa.
II is also possible to tell whether she
will be thrifty or a spendthrirt.
Barthman cited an instance of Il
young couple who came in to buy a
diamond solitaire. THE youth very.
delicapely let his sweetheart under
stand that he did not feel able to
pay more than $500 or $500. But
every ring she decided upon was yal-'
ued at $1,000 to $500. They fin
ally compromised on one costing
about 5000, about twice what he
had intended to pay.
"And il had been that young man
| would have been tempted to call it
off right there" the grey-haired jew
eler declared.
Barthman was asked how the NV
erage young man determines the size
of the engagement ring.
well, few OF them bring their
fiances right in to try it on" he re-
Piled Some obtain from us a card
board arrangement to fix the size
Other knot string about her lin.
ger or try one OF the rings she al
ready has on one of their fingers. But
the great majority just guess at it
and usually guess wrong. Most
Of those who guess select ring too
large, probably assuming that they
will be on the safe side when it comes
to readjusting it. Put 1t is Just rs
easy to make a ring larger as it is to
make 1t smaller"
What does the average young man
buy his sweetheart, in the way oil
jewelry. and what does the average
married man buy his wife?
Barthman said that gold or silver
are the most popular gift /
Turing the courtship period, with gold
and pearl opera glasses run
ming q close second. after marriage, /
he woman usually demands pearl
necklace or a diamond and platinum
bracelet, and gets it.
Gifts for children are generally la
he form Of ring, bracelet or pin,
When women make gifts for men
hey generally select scarf pin or u
;old fountain pen.
ITS interesting to watch the deyel
,pment of young couples courtship
md marriage" Barthman said. "a
oung man will come in and buy some
mall present, such az n brooch. cost
ng SIS or $50. A few months later
e will make a little more expensive /
lift. Then. as birthdays and Christ I
masses arrive. he increases the value
4 his gifts until finally the engage
nent ring Is bought Next is the {
fedding rings After this there is a
cessation of three or four years. They
re spending all their money fur .
fishing a home and making start. 4
{ he is successful IN business, this ]
eriod will be followed by one Of far I
lore expensive presents. Il
Barthman said the expected slump ]
a iewelry sales, looked for long ago.
ad not yet become apparent. i