‘People want hope’: Bend jewelers say engagement ring sales up amid pandemic

BEND, Ore (KTVZ) -- The pandemic has brought some couples closer together, through quarantining and spending nights together alone.

It seems the change in lifestyle is leading to more couples deciding it's time to tie the knot.

At Saxon's Fine Jewelers in Bend, Natasha Henderson
says sales of engagement rings are up.

"We're seeing people more people and they're buying more engagement rings and more wedding bands right now," Henderson said Monday.

And with a non-traditional year, a lot of these marriages are also non-traditional.

"That kind of caution to the wind -- they found they had to cancel their wedding maybe one times, two times, five times, and so at this point they're making fun plans and they're making the most of it, and thy'rer eloping," Henderson said.

At Silverado Jewelry Gallery, Shayna Kendrick says they are seeing an uptick in engagements.

"We've had couples come in and get engaged right in the store, spontaneously, and we've popped a bottle of champagne," Kendrick said.

Kendrick said she believes the pandemic has changed typical trends and traditions.

"Times in the past, there's been seasons -- this is coupling season or engagement season -- and now, I just feel like it's
a lot more steady. A lot more people are making commitments," she explained.

Kendrick said it feels good to provide a positive experience in a troubling, uncertain time.

"People want hope for the future, and they're really focusing on that, like hope for the future with an engagement and buying rings," she said. "To really tell that person there's a future -- we're going to move forward. And
the best way to do that is with an engagement ring, or a commitment."