Buy a Ring, Get a Free Gun, Jeweler Offers

Buy a ring, get a gun is the brainchild of an Iowa jeweler trying to entice deer-hunting husbands-to-be. Anyone spending at least $1,999 on an engagement ring gets a free rifle. 

An Iowa jeweler is offering free rifles for husbands-to-be who spend at least $1,999 on an engagement ring at his store near Iowa City. Jeweler Harold van Beek told KCRG near Cedar Rapids that he wanted to "do something for the boy who doesn't like to hunt for diamonds but likes to hunt for deer." The deal at Jewelry By Harold in North Liberty starts Thursday and will run through the end of October. The rifle offer is subject to Iowa laws on gun ownership. Those barred include felons and addicts.

You can buy a ring and get a free gun at an Iowa jewelry store called Jewelry by Harold — a promotion that certainly brings new meaning to the term “shotgun wedding.”

The promotion covers engagement rings that cost at least $1,999, reports International Business Times. As long as you purchase a ring for $1,999 or more, you can get a voucher for a free gun. Harold van Beek, owner of Jewelry By Harold, stated:

“Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. So say: I’m hunting deer, and here is a diamond ring, dear.”

The buy a ring, get a gun promotion only lasts until October 31 and has some restrictions, including the fact that the purchaser must be eligible to own a gun in Iowa (a rule that discounts convicted felons and drug addicts).
Van Beek explained that he was inspired to run the promotion after seeing a similar deal in Georgia. Market Watch notes that the owner of Jewelry by Harold stated:

“We hope people know about the crazy jeweler in North Liberty that does crazy things. Fun is more important than anything else, we try to put some fun in it. Hunting season is coming up, I thought this is cool, so let’s do something for the boy who doesn’t like to hunt for diamonds, but likes to hunt for deer.”

The free gun voucher will allow the purchaser to receive a Remington 870 hunting shotgun, which usually retails for less than $500. The voucher can only be redeemed at Fin and Feather in Iowa City. The rifle is popular with military and police organizations, who have purchased Remington 870s in the past.
Would you take advantage of the buy a ring, get a free gun promotion at Jewelry by Harold, or is Harold van Beek going too far to try and make a sale?