At the same time, your family may be completely enamored with your partner, and their positive feelings toward her can be powerful enough to influence your behavior going forward. In particular, their reaction can further strengthen your affection for her and perhaps even help you to see her as someone who’s truly marriage material.

On the other hand (so to speak), when your family’s not mirroring back the admiration that you feel towards your partner, you can end up second-guessing yourself. And rather than popping the question, you may feel that you should put a stop to your relationship instead.

In a word, when it comes to your family’s opinion about your girlfriend, their thoughts and beliefs about her do matter — to an extent. After all, you’re the one in the relationship with her and not your family. However, if there’s a disconnect between how you feel about your partner versus their sentiments, it’s important to have a real conversation with them about why this is the case.

Specifically, you need to ask them exactly what’s causing their discontentment and/or disapproval of her. Do they find her controlling, possessive, or just plain rude? Or is it that she seems cold and closed-off when you’re all together? Once you openly and honestly discuss what’s at the root of their displeasure with her, you and your family can make an informed decision together about how to proceed from that point. For instance, perhaps you’ll try to be more cognizant of the behaviors that your family finds unsettling, while at the same time, your family will make a concerted effort on their part to break down the wall and initiate conversations with your girlfriend to try to get to know her better.

But in the end, it’s important to remember that the decision to be with your partner has to come from you and you alone. And while you should definitely take into account your family’s opinion of your partner, both the good and the bad, it’s you who gets to ultimately decide whether it’s worth being with this person. Besides, there’s always the possibility that your family adores your partner, but it’s you who’s not convinced that she’s the one for you. It’s for this very reason that although you should respect and take into account your family’s point of view, it’s your opinion of your significant other that’s the most significant of all.

The post Does Your Family’s Opinion of Your Partner Matter? appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Learn Your Alphabet

Mastering the 4Cs of diamond jewelry is like bench pressing the bar. This is base level, bare minimum stuff. Required knowledge to play the game. If you want to buy a diamond, you’ve got to know what Carat, Clarity, Color, and Cut each mean, and why you should care. Once you’re feeling good on this, you can move up.

Lab Grades Are Helpful – To a Point

Having an independent expert watching your back can be a big help. In this case, checking out what an independent lab has to say about a particular gem’s 4Cs and more. The piece of paper outlining the labs view of the diamond in question is like a helpful buddy leading you through the process. But you know who knows what you like better than anyone? You. Diamond and other gem beauty is subjective. Find something that speaks to you, and stick with it. This is for you and your SO, no one else.

Shop at the Right Place

I know the smooth-talking guy in tight vest at the strip mall jewelry store is promising you the deal of a lifetime but trust me, you don’t want to go there. Mr. too-much-cologne has no oversight, questionable experience, and no reason to form a lasting relationship with you. He’s in it for the quick buck. You want to shop at well-known brands and stores that have been around for years, and will to be around for decades more. This purchase will likely just the be first in series of interactions with your jeweler, you want someone you can trust. But that doesn’t mean you can’t practice your shopping skills on those no-namers.

A big way to test these sales people is to ask the questions. If your sales person is pushing a diamond on you instead of educating you on the differences in the stones you are picking out, it is probably time to find a new store. Commission focused sales reps have such a high quota to meet that they want to spend as little time working with you as possible before making that sale for their best return. Find a store that does not have this sales model and pay it a visit instead.

Practice

You don’t want to buy a diamond at the first store you walk into, for the same reason you wouldn’t buy a car at the first lot you visited. You need to see whats around town, you need to get into the rhythm of the buying process and practice your selection skills. Make sure to hit up several stores and find one that suits your budget, personality, and desires. Once you’ve found a store that treats you the way you want to be treated, and that has the diamond you’re looking for, the buying process becomes a whole lot easier.

For pro-level tips on diamond buying, you can check out these great reddit and Vice pieces. You don’t have to be an expert to buy a diamond, but a little education never hurt anyone. Come correct into the buying experience, and you’ll leave with a remarkable stone that maximizes your budget and will delight your sweetie’s heart.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Shane Co. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post How to Buy a Diamond appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.