Class ring: A good investment

CEBU, Philippines - College graduation marks a once-in-a-lifetime educational milestone that graduates would want to reminisce for the rest of their lives, thus apart from the photos taken during the ceremonies, there are also other items that would serve as lifetime souvenirs for that momentous day, one of which is the class ring.

Good Investment

Suarez Bros. Metal Arts Inc. vice president for finance and administration Rose Suarez Leaño said that until this day, aside from being a precious gift, the class ring also remains a good investment.

Leaño said college rings are made of gold which is assessed at a very high value, a reason why investing in it is always a profitable choice.

The cost of gold is continually going up and it never falls down to a low amount, she added.

“Aside from it’s a good investment, it’s you,” she told The Freeman. “It’s your pride and it speaks of yourself. Ito ang na-attain mo. Kapag lalabas ka at nakikita yung singsing mo, malalaman agad kung sino ka.”

She added that parents are the ones who usually want to buy these rings as a gift for their children.

“You know usually ang may gusto magsuot nito yung mga average people. Most of our customers ay hindi naman talaga mayayaman,” Leaño said.

The month of March is the peak selling season for college rings and during off-season metal arts stores also serve other individuals and companies in making service award rings, loyalty rings, pendants and bracelets.

Companies always like to invest on giving their loyal employees service award rings or bracelets than money, she shared.

In March alone, she said, Suarez Bros. can sell 7,000 to 8,000 pieces of class rings nationwide and some of these are ordered months before the graduation day. The making of a class ring can be done within 30 to 45 working days.

Leaño still believed the demand for class rings, although lower than before, is still upbeat noting that it is not just a jewelry but it allows the owner to think back and reflect on his worth remembering college days.

Economic factors

The tradition of class rings dates back to the 1800s but today, because of the fast paced evolution of technology, people especially the young ones would generally prefer trendy gadgets--iPod, iPad, smartphones and others--as gifts for their academic success or in any other occasions.

Suarez Bros. Metal Arts Inc. vice president for marketing Alex Suarez said class rings have been existing for many years already and were actually considered the novelty before. Demand for finely crafted college rings is higher before than now, saying it is also because of economic factors.

Moreover, people nowadays are more interested on having the latest and “in” electronic devices as these are the novelty of today, he said.

“Uso-uso kasi yan eh,” he said. “Our challenge now is to adjust and improve the concept. We have to come up with a new novelty ring which we call it trendy--na magugustohan ng tao.”

For it to become more attractive and interesting to people, Suarez said the ring’s design should be innovated to look more updated and relevant to the choice of the customers.

Furthermore, he also revealed the demand for finely crafted college rings is higher before than now, saying it is also because of economic factors.

More of a want than a need

Shaira Nicole C. Antipala, a 22-year-old college graduate at a univesity in Cebu, said she has not bought a class ring for her. “Para man gud nako, class ring is more of a want than a need,” the Communication graduate stressed. “It’s more of a luxury than a necessity.”

Although she expressed that custom created ring can be an awesome souvenir for a graduate like her in remembering one’s college life and the obstacles braved just to reach the academic finish line, she believed that “it’s not that important.”

“Maka-graduate ra ka nga way class ring pero walay essence imong pag-graduate kung way diploma,” she further said. “Mopalit siguro ko kung gikan sa akong kaugalingong bulsa, but it’s not something I will beg from my parents.” (You can graduate even without a class ring, it’s the diploma that is more important. Maybe one day I’ll buy one for me, but it should be from my own pocket.)

She was more keen in spending for her thesis oral defense.

But for college graduate Chrischelle Lopez, 20, who bought a silver class ring worth P1,560 described this as “cute, fashionable and affordable.”

“It’s a personal choice lang--for personal satisfaction of some sort,” she said. “It’s just something to remind us of our college years.” (FREEMAN)