Any experience with ShaneCo?

[makhro82]

Does anyone have any experience with ShaneCo? I've been to the store and the customer service was excellent and they seemed to be more knowledgeable about diamonds with better quality stones than most.

I am possibly looking to buy this band: http://www.shaneco.com/Catalog/ProductDetail.aspx?X=41055768&C0=2&C2=12&A1=Gender%7cHers&A2=Metal%7cRose+Gold

Does it seem reasonably priced?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I am not sure how well the search works here, but there have been some negative threads in the past. I don't recall seeing any lately. As far as that ring goes, it does not say anything about the diamond color and clarity, so it is hard to comment on price. Are you sure you want a curved band? I prefer straight bands because sometimes I wear 2 bands without an engagement ring.

 

[makhro82]

I'd prefer to have two of these babies which don't sit flush with my ring and they are $3600 each so that is out of the budget

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Oh, now those are gorgeous!!! I guess my only concern besides not knowing the quality of the Shane ring is that if you ever decided to change to other bands, you might have trouble selling curved bands. But if you love them and think you'll keep them permanently, then go for it!

 

[makhro82]

I wonder if I go the custom route on these for a cheaper price. Or start with one? I don't really like the curved ones because I would prefer to wear it occasionally by itself. I wish Dreamer's band was in rose gold because I would be all over that baby but white gold gives me a rash.

 

[mandasand]

Shane Co offers a trade-in policy that applies to fashion jewlery as well....if you trade-in, you have to spend 2x the amount of the purchase value. So, if you decide to upgrade the curved band later you can.

If you look at their website, it states what the diamond general specs are and if you intend to order online, just call or use the chat feature and they will tell you.

I know for a fact from previous items I have bought there that their "fashion" jewlery, where the diamonds are preset, they have a general grade standard. They certainly aren't the most top quality but they are just accent diamonds so I'm not sure if that's a big deal. However, they match diamonds by color and clarity in their anniversary bands.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I would check with ID Jewelry. Some of their bands can be made in rose gold. I'd ask about any of them you like, but they have a couple of rose gold ones pictured. I do think you would be glad you got straight bands.

http://idjewelryonline.com/index.php?cPath=53_131&sort=2a&noitems=21&&noitems=21&page=2

 

[mandarinmom9]

Hi. I know just slightly more than just enough to be dangerous regarding diamonds.. So as far as if that is a good price, I can't really say? But I do have experience with Shane and I don't love that store. I originally got a ring $39k for a 3 carat. I upgraded into a 5.5 carat for $60k. Sounds great but it is a 1 level diamond (the worst kind) no one wants it. I know the markup on jewelry is high but I feel I paid 4 times what it is worth. I don't like the selection of diamonds they carry.

 

[Volvoqueen]

I spent a year researching EC before I made my purchase, I was a PS addict, reading anything and everything I could. Armed with this knowledge, I went into my local brick and mortar stores in my area, one of which was ShaneCo (even though I'd already narrowed down to a couple of vendors online that I was seriously looking at), just to see what they would tell me, and see if I was going to get a line of BS.

They should me three stones, two EC and an Asscher, they were very low quality stones, that were being prices two/three times what they would go for online. Table and depth ratios were way off, just so the stone would show face up larger, optics were disappointing, they have their own internal grading system, so you don't really know what you are going to get.

The stones I looked at under the loop should have been SI2 at the very lease, and they were giving grades of VS2 or better. Under the scope these diamonds looked like they had freckles, not what you want to see. The women I was speaking with told me they were the diamonds "birth marks" like it was a good think.

I know you are just looking for a band, but the long and short of it is that IMO they sell sub par stuff to folks that don't know better, use one of the online vendors recommended. If you dall or write most places can make in Rose Gold for a small additional fee.

 

[mandasand]

From my observations over the last week of trolling this site, ShaneCo gets a bad rap. I think it's because there are so many diamond experts here and the majority of posts are for people looking to spend over $10k for a diamond, at least that is a newbie's impression. But, ShaneCo is by far more superior than a typical mall store and way better than a store like Jared that is their direct competition. I know I could probably find a better deal online, but there is something about being able to walk into a store and know that you are going to get good customer service and an excellent guarantee. I am a ShaneCo fan, obviously and I see no problem with people educating themselves before buying, and making online purchases. To me, I want to see with my own eyes before I buy. I also liked the experience of going to my local ShaneCo and having a sales person help me and make recommendations based on what she noticed I was gravitating towards. Since I don't live in a major metro area, I think this is a good option for me.

Now, if I was just buying an anniversary band, I would feel a little better about it because it SEEMS less risky than having to pick a solitaire stone sight unseen. But, again, that's my opinion.

 

[marygrace]

I'd prefer to have two of these babies which don't sit flush with my ring and they are $3600 each so that is out of the budget

I found similar rings at Brian Gavin and Blue Nile, ranging from $1000-$1500.

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond-jewelry/wedding-bands/diamond-eternity-bands/
http://www.bluenile.com/wedding-rings/womens-wedding-rings?track=image&oid=17388

 

[marcy]

Makhro, I have bought dozen of pieces of jewelry from the Shane Company and am very happy with their quality and service. Their trade in policies are great ($1 more on loose stones or solitaires and double on jewelry). Their quality is a lot better than a mall jeweler or Jared's and I really, really appreciate being able to go to their store for any repairs or issues I have with a piece of their jewelry. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to someone.

Marcy

 

[Zeya]

I've been to Shane Co in Cupertino, CA a couple of times now. I hope nobody minds me adding my two cents here.

Good things:
- Wide selection of rings and other jewelry
- Look up and you can see their lighting is reasonable: long UV tubes, instead of clusters of tiny LEDs like some places have
- Good service overall, patient with questions. Not too pushy.
- They did a good job of showing us a few diamonds so we could learn our color tolerance, also similarly showed us some clarity grades
- They will do a free rhodium plating treatment once a year, if I understood what she was saying correctly
- They will cover you if your diamond falls out and other damage-related scenarios. They don't cover theft, but strangely they will cover if you lose the rock. (Yeah made no sense to me either. You "need" insurance for theft anyway, so I don't know how important this would be.)

Bad things:
- Low selection of diamonds
- If you aren't educated, they will show you diamonds and never mention cut rating. Their little stickers on their diamond packets only show carat, clarity, and color (and some serial numbers etc).
- They were asking way too much for some diamonds I saw. You can get better/cheaper online; research pays off.
- You'll pay sales tax

All in all, it was a great place to go to get ideas. They especially have a large variety of rings you can see in person and get ideas from. But I must say, having been on pricescope now, you can get way better quality diamonds elsewhere for the same or cheaper price.