Companies compete for class ring market

A multiplicity of class rings has left various students confused -- or just surprised.

Two companies, ArtCarved and Ringware, are licensed by the Tufts Licensing Department to sell different styles of Tufts class rings.

ArtCarved is a national ring company and Ringware makes the official class ring of the Tufts Alumni Association.

The Alumni Association promotes the Ringware ring as the official ring of Tufts alumni through mailings to students' homes. Ringware appears regularly at the Campus Center. ArtCarved sells rings through the Tufts Bookstore at the Mayer Campus Center.

Timothy D. Brooks, Director of Tufts Alumni Relations, says that the multiple ring environment may be good for students and his advice to students is "to shop and compare."

While no hard statistics were available, Ringware maintains that it is doing significantly better than Milestone Traditions, the company that previously sold rings at Tufts through the Alumni Association. Kevin Ferro of Ringware says that sales have roughly gone up 2 to 1.

ArtCarved, which bought Milestone Traditions, has been aggressive in its marketing this year and its convenient location helps sales. Bookstore manager Ron Gill says that to the best of his knowledge, Ringware's entrance into the market has not decreased ArtCarved sales.

Ferro said that Ringware is responding to ArtCarved efforts with six on-campus visits this year, as well as plans to e-mail the entire senior graduating class and mail out brochures.

ArtCarved gets considerable business because of location and timing -- prior marketing efforts just faced an unfortunate timing situation, according to Brooks.

According to Ferro, ArtCarved is misleading students by saying that it is the only official ring for sale. Ringware is advertising on Tuftslife and in student publications to remedy that.

The Tufts bookstore receives commission from the sales of ArtCarved rings. According to Assistant Manager Frank Moore, that money simply counts towards the sales of the bookstore.

The Alumni Association also receives a commission on the sale of the sponsored rings, on average $10 per ring according to Brooks. This money goes into the Alumni fund for sponsoring events such as the "From Backpack to Briefcase" program.

The Alumni Association is looking into reinstating a ring ceremony to promote class rings sales. The ceremony has been canceled in recent years because of low attendance.

"We are looking into incorporating a ring recognition ceremony into the President's lawn party at the end of the year and also discussing this issue with the Senior Leadership Core," says Brooks.

Brooks is very happy with Ringware and says that sales of the Alumni Association ring have increased since the switch to Ringware from Milestone Traditions in the fall of 2002.

"The goal of the Alumni Association is to do everything we can to connect the alumni family and the students -- the commission is not our prime motivator," according to Brooks.

Ringware is also looking into hiring student representatives to help spread the word about class rings.

Senior Seth B. Leiboh originally bought an ArtCarved ring, but, upon finding out that another option was available, returned his ring within its 14 day return period and is still considering his options.

According to Ferro and Brooks, there have been several instances of students purchasing an ArtCarved ring and then later wishing to exchange it for the official Alumni Association ring. Ringware has been doing its best to try to resolve such problems with the help of the Alumni Association.

Senior Frederick Liu bought a class ring. "I wanted it as a keepsake. I just went to the Campus Center and got one. I think I bought it from ArtCarved. I'm not angry; I'm just surprised because I did not know that there was another option or an official ring."

Because both rings are licensed by Tufts, in the end it all comes down to a student's personal preference in the style, price, and concept of his class ring.

The average quoted prices for ArtCarved ranges roughly from $400 to $500 dollars, though prices fluctuate greatly depending on style.

The Ringware prices range from $125 to $585 depending on the chosen metal.