Most of us never think about who decides what sits in the jewelry case. Geraldine Pingul does, every day. At Robbins Brothers, she buys and develops every engagement ring and ladies’ band collection, forecasting trends months out with the goal of being first to market. Her assortments have to work for every guest who walks through the door, across every age, aesthetic, region, and budget, and she’s building them for couples who will one day point to a ring and say, that one, often long before they know that’s what they want.

It’s a job of instinct and analysis, glamour and spreadsheets, and she does it while raising a family. Her philosophy on both, it turns out, sounds a lot like her advice for building a jewelry box worth passing down: start with what’s timeless, then make room for what’s meaningful.

The job behind the jewelry case

What does a bridal jewelry buyer actually do day to day?

“No two days are alike in this job,” Geraldine says. Her work moves through every stage of a product’s life: forecasting trends from runways, award shows, and celebrity engagements; developing new designs; running market comparisons and quality control; presenting trend pieces to marketing; and creating visual direction for how stores show it all off. Every step, she says, is “guided by strategic business analysis and done in close partnership with our manufacturers.”

The forecasting is where she lights up. “How can I curate an assortment that speaks to the different needs of couples while still feeling special, unique, and elevated? I thrive on that challenge.”

Her best intel doesn’t come from a trend report. It comes from the stores. “Our stores have great relationships with our guests and have grown with many of them,” she says. Those conversations help her understand who couples are, how they’re changing, and what they might want next. “That face-to-face connection is invaluable.”

What’s having a moment right now

If you’ve been scrolling engagement announcements lately, you’ve noticed: center stones are getting bigger, fancy shapes are edging out the classic round, and yellow gold is firmly back. Geraldine confirms all of it is still going strong, with one standout update.

So what’s the newest shape on everyone’s wish list?

“Elongated shapes,” she says. Ovals, marquises, and radiants cut with longer proportions are gaining momentum in engagement rings. “The shapes are very flattering on the finger, sleek, yet still soft and feminine.”

The diamond band is evolving too. It’s no longer only a wedding band. Women are choosing larger diamonds to complement a solitaire, or wearing a band on the index finger, and fancy-shaped center stones have opened the door to coordinating fancy-shaped bands. “The options are definitely expanding,” she says, “and women are having fun showing their style and personal connection through their jewelry.”

Has social media sped up the trend cycle?

It has added more trends to the mix, she says, and she sees that as a good thing: “It’s fun to see them all and find new ways to commemorate love.” To keep up, she looks for the overall aesthetic or vibe rather than chasing individual pieces, and leans on a network of manufacturers who can move quickly.

And when a guest walks in with a screenshot of a celebrity ring?

Stores love it. “It lets us know exactly what they want,” she says. Most of the time, the ring (or something very close) is already in the case, and because customization is a regular part of the business, whether that’s finger size, stone size, or quality, “the guest can walk out the door knowing they will get exactly what they came in for.”

The essentials, according to a buyer

For a mom shopping for something meaningful, whether it’s a gift to herself or a piece she hopes to pass down, Geraldine keeps it simple.

What should she keep in mind?

“Two things: something classic and something personal.”

For classic, she points to diamond stud earrings and a tennis bracelet. “They are timeless, always in style, and coordinate with so many pieces in anyone’s wardrobe.”

For personal, choose something that holds meaning: a birthstone, an engraved pendant, a charm. “It will preserve your story and your feelings and carry them forward for generations to come.”

A hand rests on a tan leather chair back, wearing two diamond tennis bracelets in yellow gold and three diamond engagement rings, two ovals and a pear, each paired with a curved diamond or gold band.

Geraldine’s Essentials Edit

  • Diamond studs: the everyday classic that goes with everything
  • A tennis bracelet: timeless, stackable, always in style
  • A birthstone piece: a quiet nod to the people who matter most
  • An engraved pendant: your story, carried close
  • Charms: a collection that grows as your family does
  • An elongated diamond band: the modern update, worn alongside a solitaire or on its own

Making room for herself

Building assortments for every age, aesthetic, and budget is a demanding, first-to-market job. Doing it while raising kids took practice.

How does she hold both in a real week?

“It took some time, but I learned to create clear boundaries between work and family,” she says. “Both are equally important to me, and I don’t compromise on quality for either.” That has meant learning to say no sometimes “so I can say yes more often to the things that are truly important.”

She credits her husband and family for their support. “It’s true that it takes a village!” Planning ahead and communicating clearly keeps the handoffs smooth, and the example matters to her. “We all believe it’s important to show our kids and the younger generation in our family that it’s possible to thrive in many different aspects of life.”

When did mom guilt first catch up with her?

“I don’t think mom guilt ever really goes away,” she says. It hit hardest when she returned to work after her first child. “As a new mom, all I wanted to do was take care of my daughter and make sure I was meeting her every need. At the same time, I was afraid of falling behind in my career.”

Between being a mom, a wife, a sister, a daughter, and a friend, there wasn’t much left over. “It took me a while to include just myself in the equation at all,” she says. Even when she did plan time for herself, those plans “were usually the first to fall off the to-do list.”

What changed was her definition of me time. It didn’t need to be a spa day or a weekend away (though those are on her calendar now too). “A mindful morning, a yoga class after work, or a restorative nighttime routine can also give me the space and time I need more often and more consistently.”

What does the small version of self-care look like for her?

“Getting lost in the quiet stillness of the morning,” she says, or a yoga or breathwork class “focused only on my breath and the pose,” or a restorative routine at night. Small, repeatable, hers.

Why you’re allowed to want something beautiful

Geraldine spends her days surrounded by objects meant to mark life’s biggest moments. Her belief is that the small moments deserve marking too.

Why should moms let themselves treat themselves, without apology?

“Being beautiful, in all the different meanings that it can hold, and honoring ourselves shouldn’t be something we think of only as an occasional ‘treat,’” she says. “We should celebrate who we are all the time, not just in the big moments, but in the small ones as well.”

And she sees it as part of parenting, not a break from it. “I believe we are the best mothers when we feel the best about ourselves,” she says. “Our energy radiates and speaks volumes to everyone around us, especially our children.”

What does she hope her kids take from watching her?

“That possibilities are endless. Open your perspective, and your options will be abundant,” she says. “In business and in life, enjoy what you do, do it well, find your people, be grateful for all of it, and grow every day.”

Consider it the most classic piece she could pass down.

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