Good news for independent jewelers: According to the TheKnot.com’s 2013 Engagement & Jewelry Study, grooms who buy from local jewelers tend to be more sophisticated—and higher-ticket—consumers. Recently married or engaged men who purchased an engagement ring at a local, independently owned fine jewelry store reported a median household income of $67,500. The average price of the ring they bought was $7,219—markedly higher than the $3,721 average ring price reported by grooms who shopped at national and regional jewelry chains (who had a median household income of $47,500). The takeaway? Big spenders prize the intimacy and expertise of little stores.

Melissa Rose Bernardo