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disappointed in engagement ring

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googies

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2006
Messages
21
Let me start off by saying my bf and I did not do our research before going to buy my ring.

We recently purchased a Coast engagement ring and band from the infamous Robbins Bros. After spending 4hrs looking we almost walked out with nothing when they brought in their closer and we fell for it. They brought me a Coast Diamond ring with 3 sided pave set diamonds 1/2 way down (18k white gold). It was beautiful and sparkly so I jumped for it. I really wanted pave set diamonds for the more vintage look. They found a .50 ct diamond for my center stone (sorry, I dont have specs on the diamond with me). We looked at it under their miscroscope and it looked good and to the naked eye we couldnt see anything noticebly wrong with it. I asked for certificate and was told that they dont give those out. (I wonder why) I matched it with a 3-sided pave set 18k wg diamond band by Solana (may be exclusive to RB). The diamond cost $925, ring cost $1150 and band cost $1650, + $200 to set the centerstone and $75 for 5yr warranty=$4,000. We had to come back in a week to pick up the ring so they could set the stone. Picked it up and after wearing it for 3 days we noticed what looked like 2 little black spots on the side of the diamond and I think 1 inclusion near the prong at the top of the diamond. We were very upset and bf is mad. You can clearly see this with the naked eye and it wasnt there before. I dont know what happened here.

Needless to say we are taking it back this week and after seeing all the negative posts on RB I am going to suggest we get a refund since we are within the 30 days. We''ll see if they give us any trouble though.

I feel like we got ripped off on the diamond and the band. We felt pressured to purchase by the saleslady and after looking at the ring more closely the quality of the Coast ring isnt so great. There are clear imperfections in the millwork on the sides(uneven). After seeing all the posts about RB I feel we may have made a mistake. The whole thing makes me sad.

So we may be on the search again for a ring, but this time with more knowledge thanks to this site.

Where can we go look at rings in person in southern california? I want something classic and simple and .50 ct centerstone is fine for me. Any suggestions?

I appreciate all responses.
 

widget

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 12, 2004
Messages
4,255
Hi, Googies...

I just wanted to welcome you to Pricescope, and tell you how sorry I am that you''re in this spot at what should be a happy happy time.

I wish you the very very best in seeking your refund. I''m sure they won''t give it up without a valiant struggle from their best sales people. Stay tough!!!

If you decide to look elsewhere, I encourage you to consider shopping online with one of the excellent vendors often used here, and with the support of this community. You''ll very likely end up with a much better diamond and ring at a better price.

Good luck!
widget
 

salmon

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Apr 11, 2006
Messages
126
RB is a complete rip off!!!!! Consider it a lesson learned and by all means, don''t let them sweet talk you into something else or an exchange, even if it is more expensive and offered at a discount. Get your money, run to the parking lot, and never look back. They never show the real diamonds in the store, they usually show you CZ, which are flawless and sparkly. That''s their trick. Almost a bait and switch, but not technically, as they give you stone a matching the specs on what you saw (color,carta weight), however, they don''t folloe through on clarity and color. That''s why you''ll see those ugly inclusions when you leave. As 90% of the public don''t realize this, they get away with these shoddy tactics. I went to the one in San Diego and was disgusted with their customer service and used car salesman tactics.

If you''re near San Diego go to diamond connection in Old Town or go to:

Harold Steven''s Jewelers
525 B Street, Suite 150
San Diego, CA 92101
+1.619.231.05.20
www.haroldstevens.com

If you go to Harold stevens ask to see their I2see diamonds are diamonds in that quality range (good light perfomance and optics).


If I were you I would purchase on line with:

1. Excel diamonds (Superb cert diamond)

2. White Flash (expert selection or A cut above diamonds)

3. Last but definetely not least and my personal favorite (Good Old Gold). Use google.


The best thing to do in general is go to the good old gold website, get a cup of coffee and go through their diamond tutorial on cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. It''s the best i''ve seen. Their is also go info on pricescope (tutorial). Buy an idealscope and happy hunting. I would add more, but I''m running late and I have to go. If you have any other questions, ask and I''ll get back to you. However, I''m sure others will chime in in my absence. Happy hunting and SCREWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW Robbin brothers, biggest scammers of the freakin century. They should be tarred and feathered.

Oh yeah, for settings check out Mark Morell or Leon Mege (especially for Pave).
 

diamondseeker2006

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Messages
58,547
How good that you realized this during the return period! I think Coast settings are generally very good quality, but the diamond situation can be so much better.

I''ll second Salmon''s recommendation to look at the 4 C''s section on the Good Old Gold site and then look at their very fine hearts and arrows diamonds. I could not find a stone locally that was as good as the one we found at GOG, yet the price was equal to lesser quality local stones.
 

aljdewey

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 25, 2002
Messages
9,170
So sorry to hear you''re disappointed. I hope you can make the return and get something you love.
 

gailrmv

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
3,136
I hope you can make the return. Let us know! Glad you found pricescope within your 30 days! People here are great and will give you lots of recommendations and feedback.
 

googies

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2006
Messages
21
Thanks Salmon and to everyone who responded.

I am just down about the fact that we didnt do our research first and that we got pressured into buying something. I also bought my fiances ring from RB and i''m wondering if I should not even bother picking it up and telling them I changed my mind. Its an 18k white gold band($700). Does that sounds like a bad deal? My fiance liked it, but at this point we are hesitant to buy anything from them.

Our challenge is going to be finding a jeweler we can trust and making sure we get our money''s worth for a quality diamond.

I''m thinking I should just go with a solitaire ring and find a pretty diamond band to go with it. I like the way the pave set diamonds make the ring look, but there are so many rings out there I find it hard to make a decision.
 

JulieN

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 25, 2005
Messages
13,375
I think it should be a pretty wide/large gold band for 700, but doesn't sound totally unreasonable.
 

:)

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jul 25, 2006
Messages
1,864
Sorry you are having a bad experience Googies - I agree RB is incredibly high pressure and can be really unpleasant to shop in due to this. Which one did you go to?

Are you closer to SD or LA? (for recs)
 

wimpwgn

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2006
Messages
46
I wouldn''t fork out $40 for anything I didn''t do some research on, but that''s just me, because I''m a poor guy who works hard for his money.

Regarding your return, did you purchase it by credit card? If so, try contacting them if you are unable to resolve the issue with RB. Also, any vendor should have a refund policy, even if sometimes it''s not 100% refund. Try getting 100% refund first, but settle for something less if it''s your last option.

Good luck!
 

googies

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2006
Messages
21
I went to the one in Montclair. Its about 40 miles east of Los Angeles.
 

googies

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2006
Messages
21
RB has a 30 day money back guarantee and they say "for any reason" we can return it. So, wish us luck!

We did purchase it by credit card so I will definately check that out if things get ugly with them.

Does it sound like we overpaid($4,300)? My centerstone is .51 ct. Total weight with band is supposed to be 1.52ct or something close to that.
 

Cehrabehra

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 29, 2006
Messages
11,071
I went to robbins bros back in august and the stones they showed me were certed.... they were all over 1.5 carats, so maybe it''s the size? They showed me the certs on all the stones I looked at. They were not ugly but hey werent spectacular either... I''m sorry you''re unhappy
7.gif
 

Cehrabehra

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 29, 2006
Messages
11,071
Date: 12/14/2006 7:56:05 PM
Author: salmon
RB is a complete rip off!!!!! Consider it a lesson learned and by all means, don''t let them sweet talk you into something else or an exchange, even if it is more expensive and offered at a discount. Get your money, run to the parking lot, and never look back. They never show the real diamonds in the store, they usually show you CZ, which are flawless and sparkly. That''s their trick. Almost a bait and switch, but not technically, as they give you stone a matching the specs on what you saw (color,carta weight), however, they don''t folloe through on clarity and color. That''s why you''ll see those ugly inclusions when you leave. As 90% of the public don''t realize this, they get away with these shoddy tactics. I went to the one in San Diego and was disgusted with their customer service and used car salesman tactics.

If you''re near San Diego go to diamond connection in Old Town or go to:

Harold Steven''s Jewelers
525 B Street, Suite 150
San Diego, CA 92101
+1.619.231.05.20
www.haroldstevens.com

If you go to Harold stevens ask to see their I2see diamonds are diamonds in that quality range (good light perfomance and optics).


If I were you I would purchase on line with:

1. Excel diamonds (Superb cert diamond)

2. White Flash (expert selection or A cut above diamonds)

3. Last but definetely not least and my personal favorite (Good Old Gold). Use google.


The best thing to do in general is go to the good old gold website, get a cup of coffee and go through their diamond tutorial on cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. It''s the best i''ve seen. Their is also go info on pricescope (tutorial). Buy an idealscope and happy hunting. I would add more, but I''m running late and I have to go. If you have any other questions, ask and I''ll get back to you. However, I''m sure others will chime in in my absence. Happy hunting and SCREWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW Robbin brothers, biggest scammers of the freakin century. They should be tarred and feathered.

Oh yeah, for settings check out Mark Morell or Leon Mege (especially for Pave).
Okay I''m with you on WF and GOG - but I doubt LM and MM are going to have settings in that price range.... you could ask but... anyway, RB does show real diamonds with real certs, but obviously not all of their diamonds are of that standard. I went in and told them my budget was double what it really was just to see what I planned to get without a lecture about how I couldn''t afford it @@ lol
 

googies

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2006
Messages
21
I will ask about that when I go back. Before we even picked out the center stone I asked if we would be getting a certified document and was told "no, we dont do that".

Weird.
 

googies

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2006
Messages
21
I think we may have overpaid on the band ($1650). I''m sure I could get a biggar center stone and get a different band. My bf''s budget is around $4k.
 

mrssalvo

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 3, 2005
Messages
19,132
4K is a very nice budget. I''d take the rings back and return them and try to start over educating yourself here on the way. I don''t think the prices for the setting is totally outrageous, but they do eat up most of your budget. I''d suggest putting the majority of the $ into a center stone and finding a simpler setting that you could change sometime down the road. You might want to look at Pearlmans website for realisistic setting prices. he doesn''t carry Coast settings but he does have a lot of the same designers that RB carries and you could at least price compare and get a little idea of how much more they are marked up.
 

wimpwgn

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2006
Messages
46
I''m in market for an engagement ring too and my budget for centerstone is $5500-$6000.

When I used pricescope''s diamond search engine, I found plenty of high quality diamonds within my budget. Just to give you an idea, the spec I''m looking for is:

1.15-1.35ct round
AGS0 ideal cut
G-H color
VS2-SI1 clarity

For $4000, you can definitely find a great looking 0.9ct (avoid magic number 1ct). I just recently found a VSS1, E, 0.8ct H&A ideal cut for $5k. Look around, you''ll find something you like.

I know you are excited to get engagement, so am I. But you certainly don''t want to get ripped off for something you''ll wear for a long time to come.

Good luck!
 

asscherisme

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 6, 2006
Messages
2,950
I''m sorry that happened. I would take those rings back today and not follow through on your BF ring either, return it.

I also can''t believe they charged you $200 for a setting fee, esp since you bought the diamond there. Many places will set for free if you buy it there. I did have something set locally and I did not buy the diamond or setting there and they charged me $50.

Another really honest online vendor and they have a real store as well is Quest jewelers. My cousin lives in DC and bought from them and could not say enough about the quality and service. They are in the DC area and very honest.

I would make sure to stick with either GIA or AGS certified diamonds so you know what you are getting.
 

pyramid

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Nov 10, 2002
Messages
4,607
How often do you clean your diamond. I have found that in any diamond of SI clarity when the diamond is dirty the inclusions show. I don't know about Robbins Bros as I am not in the USA, however you should clean your diamond often and especially using a small toothbrush the underside of the stone which is most important, also this side gets dirty from sweat etc. You say the inclusions were not there before, inclusions do not just appear after the diamond is cut, inclusions are in the diamond from before it was cut when it was still in the ground, the only thing that can change is if you chip the diamond and this would be damage not inclusions.
 

psaddict

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Dec 9, 2006
Messages
105
I am sorry that happened to you! Sometimes I look around at what some mall stores are charging, and feel so annoyed that they get away with what they do. For anyone that hasn''t, peek into Kay jewelers next time you''re at the mall and look at what they''re charging for I1-I2 diamonds.
38.gif



I did a very quick search and found this diamond that looks gorgeous:

http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-183730.htm

it''s a 0.9 carat diamond only a little over $3K... you could still get a very nice setting & wedding band with the remaining $1K of your budget... something with pave diamonds in it. Much better than what that awful store sold you!
38.gif
 

wimpwgn

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2006
Messages
46
Date: 12/15/2006 2:21:46 PM
Author: Pyramid
How often do you clean your diamond. I have found that in any diamond of SI clarity when the diamond is dirty the inclusions show. I don''t know about Robbins Bros as I am not in the USA, however you should clean your diamond often and especially using a small toothbrush the underside of the stone which is most important, also this side gets dirty from sweat etc. You say the inclusions were not there before, inclusions do not just appear after the diamond is cut, inclusions are in the diamond from before it was cut when it was still in the ground, the only thing that can change is if you chip the diamond and this would be damage not inclusions.

Is it a possibility that RB switched out the diamond for a lower grade because they sensed buyer''s lack of knowledge?
 

wimpwgn

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2006
Messages
46
Date: 12/15/2006 2:28:15 PM
Author: psaddict
I am sorry that happened to you! Sometimes I look around at what some mall stores are charging, and feel so annoyed that they get away with what they do. For anyone that hasn''t, peek into Kay jewelers next time you''re at the mall and look at what they''re charging for I1-I2 diamonds.
38.gif




I did a very quick search and found this diamond that looks gorgeous:


http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-183730.htm


it''s a 0.9 carat diamond only a little over $3K... you could still get a very nice setting & wedding band with the remaining $1K of your budget... something with pave diamonds in it. Much better than what that awful store sold you!
38.gif

Beware of the strong blue flour, some people like it, some don''t. I have yet to find out my personal preference.
9.gif
 

tweety

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 15, 2006
Messages
4
Date: 12/14/2006 7:29:36 PM
Author:googies
Let me start off by saying my bf and I did not do our research before going to buy my ring.

We recently purchased a Coast engagement ring and band from the infamous Robbins Bros. After spending 4hrs looking we almost walked out with nothing when they brought in their closer and we fell for it. They brought me a Coast Diamond ring with 3 sided pave set diamonds 1/2 way down (18k white gold). It was beautiful and sparkly so I jumped for it. I really wanted pave set diamonds for the more vintage look. They found a .50 ct diamond for my center stone (sorry, I dont have specs on the diamond with me). We looked at it under their miscroscope and it looked good and to the naked eye we couldnt see anything noticebly wrong with it. I asked for certificate and was told that they dont give those out. (I wonder why) I matched it with a 3-sided pave set 18k wg diamond band by Solana (may be exclusive to RB). The diamond cost $925, ring cost $1150 and band cost $1650, + $200 to set the centerstone and $75 for 5yr warranty=$4,000. We had to come back in a week to pick up the ring so they could set the stone. Picked it up and after wearing it for 3 days we noticed what looked like 2 little black spots on the side of the diamond and I think 1 inclusion near the prong at the top of the diamond. We were very upset and bf is mad. You can clearly see this with the naked eye and it wasnt there before. I dont know what happened here.

Needless to say we are taking it back this week and after seeing all the negative posts on RB I am going to suggest we get a refund since we are within the 30 days. We''ll see if they give us any trouble though.

I feel like we got ripped off on the diamond and the band. We felt pressured to purchase by the saleslady and after looking at the ring more closely the quality of the Coast ring isnt so great. There are clear imperfections in the millwork on the sides(uneven). After seeing all the posts about RB I feel we may have made a mistake. The whole thing makes me sad.

So we may be on the search again for a ring, but this time with more knowledge thanks to this site.

Where can we go look at rings in person in southern california? I want something classic and simple and .50 ct centerstone is fine for me. Any suggestions?

I appreciate all responses.

First, so sorry it was such a disappointment for you.
8.gif
But if you are not happy, I definitely think you should return the ring. After all, you will have to be wearing it for years to come.
26.gif


Second, I have been lurking for quite some time now (almost a year and half as a matter of fact, ever since my fiance told me about the website after his proposal), and I have seen many angry posts about B&M stores and especially RB. Although I have never spoken out before, I feel like I should defend RB on this particular matter today.
1. From a fellow Coast Diamond ring owner, the Coast brand of rings can be costly to start. Like many other designer brand, i.e. Tacori and Verragio. However, the band price is not set by RB. I have gone to various dealers, and their Coast price are all comparable, give or take $30-$40. From my understanding, RB really don''t make the money off designer rings, their money lies withe the diamond and/or their own brand of bands. Coast is a small family owned jewler, so they don''t mass produce anything. Their style is similar to Tacori but definitely even more details, hence the price? Besides, compare to similar Tacori bands, Coast is still about couple of hundreds dollars less. The workmanship is awesome and the diamonds they use are all of VS1-2 and G-H in color. I believe the platinum they use are also of more expensive blend.
2. Like I mentioned there are multiple dealers, but RB has one of the most selection for especially Coast Diamonds.
3. When shopping at any B&M, as long as you know what you want, it makes shopping experience much easier. When we purchased my wedding band and Fiance''s band, we knew we wanted to get a matching set (both material and the engraving), so we were only focused on Coast bands and that is it. The entire shopping process is very painless, RB didn''t push anything on us at all. The entire process took less than 30 min. That being said, it was a huge purchase, and it cost us enough money to feed a small nation. haha...
4. I really think it depends on the RB branch you go to. The one in SD is very nice and not pushy at all. The level of service here is awesome. They have so far done everything we asked for within the time frame we asked for, so we are pretty happy with them. Same things cannot be said about another B&M store called Diamond Gallery. For example, the quotes were obtained within a reasonable amount of time (less than a week), and the rings arrived within their quoted 6-8 weeks. Also, when fiance was buying my e-ring, he was living in Nor Cal at the time, he wanted to see if the diamond he purchased will fit in the ring, and RB was more than happy to oblige. They used a CZ of same dimension, and saw the prong can be slightly stretched out to accomodate the size, only then did fiance made the purchase. I thought that was excellent service on their behalf, which explains us going back there for several other purchases.

Ahhh, ok, sorry to bore you. This is officially the longest post ever. haha.
 

psaddict

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Dec 9, 2006
Messages
105
Date: 12/15/2006 2:35:19 PM
Author: wimpwgn

Date: 12/15/2006 2:28:15 PM
Author: psaddict
I am sorry that happened to you! Sometimes I look around at what some mall stores are charging, and feel so annoyed that they get away with what they do. For anyone that hasn''t, peek into Kay jewelers next time you''re at the mall and look at what they''re charging for I1-I2 diamonds.
38.gif




I did a very quick search and found this diamond that looks gorgeous:


http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-183730.htm


it''s a 0.9 carat diamond only a little over $3K... you could still get a very nice setting & wedding band with the remaining $1K of your budget... something with pave diamonds in it. Much better than what that awful store sold you!
38.gif

Beware of the strong blue flour, some people like it, some don''t. I have yet to find out my personal preference.
9.gif
Yeah I noticed that too... but I thought a lot of people seem to like the warmer colors like I and J paired with fluorescence? I guess it varies from person to person! either way, it looks like she could get some good quality stones for around $3K, much better than a visibly included 0.5 stone
38.gif
 

Dee*Jay

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Mar 26, 2006
Messages
15,103
There are two stones on Wink's site that are within your budget and definitely worth a look (see the 3rd and 4th ones down). They are both over a carat--lots of size for the buck! Here is the link to Wink's site: link.

(I almost hate to show these to you because I was considering them for a little project of my own, LOL... )
 

Logan Sapphire

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 5, 2003
Messages
2,405
In terms of men''s wedding rings, you can get them for much less at Facets/Signed Pieces (www.signedpieces.com). For an 18kt white gold 6mm comfort fit band in a size 9.5, it''s $422.
 

googies

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2006
Messages
21
wow! I feel completely duped by these people. That $200 didnt seem right, but what did I know. I will tell them that as well.
 

googies

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2006
Messages
21
I literally wore the ring for 4 days when I saw the markings on the diamond. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me so I asked my fiance to look at it and he saw the same thing as well as my friend. I cleaned the ring with the solution RB gave me and used the little brush. The inclusions were still there. Thats when my fiance said NO WAY, we are taking this back. I haven''t been able to do so yet because I work so far away from the place I couldnt get there after work this week. We are going tomorrow though.

I can''t imagine that they switched the diamond, but I hear that it happens a lot.
 
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