Facets/Signed Pieces prices

[David111771]

Dear Fellow Pricescopers:

I wanted to address some of the comments that I have seen on Pricescope recently.

Yes, our prices have increased. However, I would like to be very clear as to why. As you know, the diamonds we use are only E-F, F-G , G-H in color and VVS-VS in clarity. These are the highest quality diamonds used in fine jewelry today and this is what separates us from most of the jewelers out there.

Unfortunately, prices on these stones have increased significantly over the last 6-9 months. Additionally, prices on platinum have increased as well. It used to trade at below $800.00 an ounce, it now trades above $900.00.

We will always encourage you to shop around -- it is your right to get the best deal you can find. However, please be careful when comparing our pieces to those of other jewelers. Make sure you are comparing rings that are identical, not only in diamond color and clarity, but also in the type of metal they use. While we do not claim to have the best deals on every item we sell, we are certainly competitive. Therefore, if you see what appears to be an identical ring somewhere else, make sure it is indeed identical. Otherwise, you are comparing apples to oranges.

If you have any questions about this, or anything else, please feel free to call us toll free at 866-398-3074.

In the meantime, we look forward to speaking with all of you in the near future.

Best Regards,


David Leventhal
Signed Pieces/Facets

 

[aljdewey]

Thanks for the clarification, David:

I can understand the price of platinum has increased; I was unaware that the price of melee has experienced such significant increases, too. You''re the first to mention this, so that''s interesting.

These things may explain why the prices are higher on your pieces than they were several months ago. For me, though, it leaves me still wondering why your pricing was more competitive than comparable vendors previously, and less so now.

I can only speak for my experience....no one else''s. In my case, I was comparing apples to apples. The melee in my project is F, VS....and it''s *all* ideal cut melee (instead of premium/ideal mix quoted when I spoke with SP).

I would wholeheartedly agree that your goods are superior to "most jewelers out there"; such is true for most of the PS vendors here. The question, I think, for many becomes "at what point does such quality become absolutely cost prohibitive?"

 

[Mara]

I was also unaware that melee costs had risen so significantly, this is the first we had heard of it.

David, since you're visiting, can you address the post where someone said that they were told that your business model is such that you would have low pricing for a time and then raise the prices later?

PS is not just about finding fabulous jewelry and beautiful stones, it's also about finding those at the best price possible for one's budget. Of course apples to apples, we say that all the time here on PS. But some of the prices for the eternity rings on the Facets site rival CUSTOM eternity rings with unique touches such as milgraining or filigree that are made by other vendors, that's a pretty steep markup for a 'standard' piece seemingly?

I'll be the first to admit I love a good deal and I surf your site less now because everything in the Facets section is overpriced IMO. There are some other vendors out there, PS gallery vendors even, that have fabulous pricing on seemingly similar goods and they use F VS quality as well. That seems like apples to apples?

I do love the Signed Pieces sections of your site....my friend bought a ring from there and I am eyeing something else possibly for my hubby at some point..we'll see!

 

[AGBF]

Date: 9/23/2005 3:05:58 PM
Author: MC
Is Pearlman's reputable?

I realize that this posting is now over a week old, but I just saw it. I just this week discovered (and loved the looks of) pieces in the Facets collection, so I do not mean to knock them. However, I have bought jewelry from Bill Pearlman of Pearlman's, and must respond to this question by saying that the jewelry he obtained for me and his warm correspondence was wonderful.

Deborah

 

[MissAva]

Is there a reason that the F/SP prices rose so much before the others did?

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 10/5/2005 11:23:22 PM
Author: AGBF
I realize that this posting is now over a week old, but I just saw it. I just this week discovered (and loved the looks of) pieces in the Facets collection, so I do not mean to knock them. However, I have bought jewelry from Bill Pearlman of Pearlman''s, and must respond to this question by saying that the jewelry he obtained for me and his warm correspondence was wonderful.

Deborah

Thanks for your input. I''m still looking as my birthday is a few months away, but I''m tending toward the Pearlman ring since the price is still reasonable and nearly w/in budget.

 

[glamgirl]

Hi all! Well I am very close to ordering a Signed pieces semi- mount Raphael custom made eternity band (in a couple of weeks at most) when I just came across this thread. Perhaps I have been out of the loupe too long, but I dont see, or cannot find the same Quality and Diamond weight that can compete with Signed Pieces for what I want(their higher prices appear still cheaper to me), but I am reading about many other people on this board saying that they are now no different or too expensive? I checked many other venders even on Pricescope, and see prices for .40 to under a carat mounting in Platinum for 2,200 or 2.500 and up. I dont understand. Is 2,400 too much for a 1.38 carat eternity band f-g vs semi- mount custom Raphael design. Many of the other sites I have found selling similar mounting dont even bother to give the stones specs, let alone cut. From who/where are all of you comparing Signed Pieces with where the same could be had for less? I dont see it.

PS. When I bought my diamond this past March I remember reading several threads about the prices of Diamonds and Platinum going up, and was thankful that I had finally got my stone, so prices going up are no surprise to me, and I also am hearing about prices for All goods going up in the next year because of energy costs(hurricane fallout).
Any input appreciated...... am I missing something??

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 10/19/2005 6:55:06 PM
Author: glamgirl
PS. When I bought my diamond this past March I remember reading several threads about the prices of Diamonds and Platinum going up, and was thankful that I had finally got my stone, so prices going up are no surprise to me, and I also am hearing about prices for All goods going up in the next year because of energy costs(hurricane fallout).
Any input appreciated...... am I missing something??

Signed Pieces use to have lower prices. Thev had GREAT prices before. Now, after doing some comparison shopping, I'm finding that although their prices have gone up, they still have lower prices than other vendors - especially when you factor in the quality of their diamonds.

 

[glamgirl]

See.... that is what I thought! I thought they were more than reasonable before, but even with the price increase for the quality of what you get, its still hard to beat, even if its not bargin basement anymore. It appears that people are perhaps used to expecting SP prices to stay the rock bottom and that an increase is percieved as unfair, or not right. I personally dont feel it''s fair to a company who has been able to make many customers happy the past serveral years, to get disaproval for raising prices. There are so many factors that can make a company raise it''s prices (aside from diamond/ platinum prices). They are located in New York... is''nt that not one of the most expensive places for real estate? Not to mention Gas prices/energy prices??? I would not be surprised at all to see other companys follow suit(in raising prices) in the next 6 months.

 

[MissAva]

You are right they are in NY they have a small booth on 47th street. Honestly I would not have stopped there if I had not seen them on Pricescope. As for gas and energy prices they are raising more in the SE and Mid West then NYC compatively so why are we not seeing rises in prices elsewhere, why only SP? Just a thought.

 

[glamgirl]

I think higher prices are already occuring and its only a matter of time until you will see it everwhere.

 

[KittenKat]

A friend of mine is a high-end jewelry designer...

Not long ago, she was telling me how expensive melee has gotten. She''d told me her old cost, and new - and it was mindblowing. (She only deals with top quality stuff, as well.)

I do not remember the exact increase - but it was shocking.

I cannot imagine there is SUCH a shortage of tiny stores to warrant this increase...

 

[flopkins]

I am rather late coming in on this, but would like to also echo the others in saying I noticed a huge increase in prices over this year. A friend of mine bought an eternity ring from facets in January (during their sale, I believe) and got around 1ctw for around 1k, FI paid nearly the same for approx .6ctw last month; I saw the prices jump significantly and convinced FI to buy my w-ring right away before prices increase further - and whaddaya know, the prices have gone up again in the month since we bought, around another $100. Sheesh!

Their quality is hard to beat though, I wouldn''t have wanted to buy anywhere else, but the price increases hurt!