Oklahoma snow: As the snow thaws, Valentine's Day jewelry sales heat up

Ice is more than the frozen stuff coating streets and windshields lately. It's also the sparkly diamonds jewelry retailers have stocked and ready for Valentine's Day shoppers this weekend.
Valentine's Day sales are typically last-minute, and with the holiday on Monday this year, jewelry stores say they expect to be busiest today, Saturday and Monday. Many stores will be closed Sunday.
Snow kept Naifeh Fine Jewelry closed three days in the past two weeks, and many customers were snowed in as well. So owner Valerie Naifeh said potential shoppers have been getting e-mailed photos of jewelry to help them pick the perfect piece in the virtual world.
“We don't let the weather get in our way too much,” Naifeh said.
Many customers have been interested in special, one-of-a-kind pieces — a good indicator that the economy has improved because they are more costly, she said.
According to the National Retail Federation, the average person will spend $116.21 this year on Valentine's Day merchandise, an increase of 12.8 percent compared to 2010. American consumers are expected to shell out $3.5 billion on jewelry this year, up from $3 billion last year.
More than 17 percent of people will buy jewelry for their loved one, the federation found.
Coleman Clark, president of B.C. Clark Jewelers, said Valentine's Day shopping hadn't picked up yet, but the weather was likely deterring early shoppers.
Items from David Yurman, Ippolita, John Hardy and Pandora will probably be top sellers, he said. B.C. Clark also carries flower vases in its gift department, which make a nice addition to a bouquet of flowers, he said.
Clark said diamond stud earrings and diamond pendants are a good choice for any Valentine.
“Nothing states your love like diamonds,” he said.
Charm bracelets have been the big seller at the new Pandora store inside Penn Square Mall, according to store manager Tania Smith. The popular bracelets have been around for a decade, but many Oklahomans are just discovering them because of the new location, which opened Nov. 23.
Bracelets start at $65 for sterling silver, and charms range from $30 to $850 depending on the style; some are just for Valentine's Day.
“There's something in the collection for pretty much every budget,” Smith said.
At Lewis Jewelers in Moore, owner Glenn Lewis noticed more men have been shopping for engagement rings this year.
“A lot of guys are stepping up to the plate and buying engagement rings,” he said. “I think there will be a lot of surprised girls out there this week.”