My 24-Hour Adventure Wearing $44,000 Worth of Diamonds

You know the saying: Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.

To me, they have always been an elusive jewel that I never had the disposable income (or the funds in my savings account) to hug on tightly and tell my deepest and darkest secrets to as I dressed up for a luxurious event.

I’ve always been the queen of scouting out the $10.99 plastic jewelry from Forever21 or Anne Taylor Loft and hoping that nobody approaches me too closely or expects my necklace or strung together earrings to shine bright. I prided myself on wearing these mass produced jewels until they became lost, somewhere, in the trenches of an old purse or cracked into a million pieces on the tile floor of my bathroom.

But the other day, I found a gem in my inbox.

It was from a company called, William and Henri, which just from the name, made me think whatever they were trying to tell me (or sell me) was going to be luxurious, expensive, and something the Queen of England already has 16 pairs of.

I was wrong.

Before I could drag the email into my spam box, my eyes were already halfway through the first sentence, picking up on phrases like: rent diamonds for your next occasion, complete the look you’ve been dreaming about.

I could feel my wallet perk up.

I wondered, immediately, if this company was like a Rent the Runway for diamond jewelry, and if so, how could it possibly work? How could they trust someone, like me, who breaks everything she touches? Who loses coupons to Bed Bath and Beyond the second they arrive in my mailbox? Who has never even held a real diamond in her life?

Before I could ask anymore questions out loud, to myself, and my overwhelmed inbox, I made an appointment to meet the people behind this company IRL.

But not only did I want to meet them, I wanted to test this whole thing out.

I did my research before I headed over there. William and Henri is a NYC based company that specializes in fine diamond jewelry and will even make customized pieces for their clients. They also are the only company out there that lets you rent diamond pieces that you adore. Needless to say, I decided to strip myself of all my $10.99 jewelry before leaving my apartment for our mid-afternoon meeting.

I met with Michael and Guy, the owners behind the company that recently started a rental program, so people going to special occasions or even the main characters in the wedding (the bride, mother of the bride, etc.) could glam themselves up for the night with diamond jewelry and return it when the wedding was over.

“Why rent when you can buy fake?” I blurted out.

“We see this all the time. People will spend thousands of dollars on the most perfect dress and ruin the look with jewelry. Real diamonds pull the whole wedding look together and they are so important for pictures. The way they shine rubs off on the way they make you feel.”

I laughed because I knew these guys were thinking I was going to get all googly eyed and emotional over a tray of diamond necklaces and earrings.

They probably thought that when I put them on, I would be transported into some kind of Cinderella-like fairy-tale. But that’s not how I am. My life isn’t a fairy-tale. It’s more like a romantic horror story where girl almost gets the guy and then realizes the guy is an alien sent from mars and has to go back to his home town, but only after he’s exploded his guts anywhere.

A diamond company that rents their jewelry (and that jewelry is fully insured and what I like to call “Jen Proof”) wasn’t going to suddenly transform me into a Cinderella.

Or so I thought. I really thought.

Michael and Guy told me about how their business is one of a kind, a rent the runway for diamonds, where clients schedule an appointment to see the collection in their showroom, and anything they fall in love with is available for rent. But as they were telling me about how  every bride or mother of the bride – even bridesmaid should be able to afford the real-deal on a special occasion like a wedding, my mind drifted to their shiny glass cases, holding that elusive best friend.

“Want to try some of it on?” They asked. But by then, my nose was already pressed up against the glass.

“Diamonds are beautiful. They sparkle.” I blurted out, again.

That description may sound like it came out of a pre-schooler’s mouth (it came out of a 27-year-olds mouth) but it’s true. It’s just that simple.

You can wear the dress, have your hair done, and make up splashed on, but nothing makes you feel confident and beautiful like jewels.

I started to fall in love with their company. Like rent the runway, people could come to them when they needed the right diamond pieces to complete their wedding look, at a rental price. Then, if they fell in love with it, they could buy it from them or create something custom. It was a brilliant.

I left their hugging my purse, because inside were my new best friends:

-A  pair of 18k White Gold earrings (with 8 carats of diamonds) that retails at $24,000 and are available for rent for as little as $500

– An 18k White Gold bracelet (with 10.50 carats of white diamonds) that retails at $20,000 but can be rented for $450. 

Step 1: Fall in love at first sight

 

When you make an appointment with them to view the collection of rental pieces, it’s a good idea to go in with an open mind. You may have always dreamt that you’d wear short earrings or a certain style bracelet with your wedding or special occasion dress. But when you go in for your visit, Michael and Guy will show you pieces you’ll fall in love with – that you never knew you’d like.

It happened to me. I never wear earrings – or anything more than studs. I left there with a pair that reminded me of a waterfall. I fell in love with the way they complimented my face, my dress for the party, and my newfound diamond induced confidence.

When you find the pieces you’re looking for, you’ll receive a rental price.  If you’re terrified of breaking the pieces or losing them – your nerves will be calmed down knowing that the items are insured while in your possession.

If you want to see how the different items will look with your dress, you don’t have to lug your gown to the store. One of their store consultants will bring your favorite items to your next dress fitting.

They also run special bridal packages for the bride, mother of the bride, sister(s), etc. The more pieces the client takes, the cheaper each individual item becomes!

 

 

Step 2: Finally Feel Like Cinderella

I was never the kind of person who understood the power or passion behind diamonds. But when I got ready for a Sunday wedding, decked out in these beautiful jewels, my entire look instantly came together. I felt like Cinderella. Beyond that, I felt a certain kind of beautiful that I haven’t felt in a while.

While I was at the wedding, a handful of people stopped me, pulled me closer, and asked where I got my earrings and my bracelet. When I told them I was renting them, they admired the idea and were eager to give it a try themselves – since purchasing these pieces would run them a couple of thousand dollars  – and renting them, would only cost a few hundred.

For a special occasion or your very own wedding – how could you go wrong?

Step 3: Say Goodbye, For Now 

A couple of days after the wedding, It was time to say goodbye to my new best friends. I boxed them up and sent them back (since I’m in Florida post-wedding). The company sent me a packing slip and made it super easy to send back. The whole process was hassle free – yet quite emotional. I fell madly in love with my earrings and bracelets and decided to start saving money (or hack into my 401k) and eventually buy one or two of these real deal diamond pieces for myself – one day…eventually..maybe by year 2043.

Meet the company William and Henri here.

Chat with me more about my rental experience.

Read 3 Important Tips to Know When Picking the Perfect Wedding Jewelry.