When we ask the Engagement 101 community what their dream engagement ring brand is, the name Tacori comes us a lot. First and foremost because the ring designs are so feminine and exciting to wear. There’s more, a special connection. We sat down with Paul Tacorian, one of the Tacori men. His passion for life, his wife and jewelry are certainly a major part of Tacori’s magical appeal.
When did you realize you were going to join the family business and become a jeweler?
Towards the end of my college career, I knew that there was no other place I’d rather be than working alongside my family. For five decades, my family has been working to create an outstanding product and I felt “Why work for someone else, when I can help create something great with my family?”
Are there any pieces worn by your mother or men and women in your life that became iconic to you?
My sister, who is also involved in the family business, has a one of a kind piece that is truly stunning and has always been a special piece. It was what inspired the SimplyTacori collection and has become a very sought after collection.
What can you tell us about your proposal?
Shortly after my wife and I started dating, I began keeping a journal and writing down short stories of our dates. About a year after we started dating we were traveling by train to Paso Robles, wine country, and I surprised her by taking out the journal and we started reading the stories and reminiscing of the days when we first met. After taking a trip down memory lane, I told her I wanted to write a new one about the trip we were on so she could read it back to me… At the end of that story, I asked her to marry me. She was totally surprised — and said yes.
Did you design her engagement ring?
I had picked out a Tacori band and told her that I wanted her to be part of the process of designing her engagement ring. We created something special together, something that was distinctively her and she will have it forever.
You decided this season to create some engagement rings in yellow gold. We love them. What can you tell us about this new collection?
Tacori Gold is back and you have to see it to believe it. The Tacori Design Team picked some of our best designs to evaluate which showed best in yellow gold, and then created the “Tacori Gold Standard” – which is unlike any other yellow gold. Our unique proprietary Tacori Gold alloy creates a yellow gold that shines and sparkles in a distinctive way. We wanted to continue to bring something new to our customers and give them really special pieces. We are inspired by our customers, the trends that we see in fashion, design and architecture, as well as our California heritage. California is the Golden State, and our landscape is filled with an overall golden hue. Living and working in California, the natural golden beauty of our surroundings certainly imbues our Design Team’s sensibilities. Specifically, once this direction was reached, our Tacori Design Team was drawn to the uniqueness of being able to create a specific Tacori Gold hue, and how that could translate into our bridal line. So they evaluated our design archives and hand-selected the pieces that could best showcase the warm hues of our Tacori Gold.
Any good tips when it comes to picking the engagement ring?
It’s important to have her be part of the process. There are the 4C’s in diamonds, cut, clarity, color, carat, but the most important C is the Fifth C. The Fifth C is Communication and I always recommend that our guys communicate with their girl and find out exactly what she wants. I know that the element of surprise is so important, but keep the surprise for the proposal and make sure you are getting her something that she loves. She is going to be wearing this ring on her finger for the rest of her life and you want to make sure that it fits her individual style. It’s not all about the diamond, it’s really about the design and the style of the ring. Don’t get me wrong, you want to get her a diamond that is beautiful, but the design is a representation of who she is and her personal style.
