How do high street jewellers get away with it?!

[barbie86]

Apologies if this is the wrong sub forum, just needed a rant!

I decided to amuse myself earlier by looking at what UK high street jewelers are offering. And I came across a 1ct solitaire ring at £9k. Checked the 'specs' (they didn't say who had graded it, so, large dose of salt here) and it was H-I (hmm...) and I1... Nothing else mentioned.

How are they allowed to get away with it?! It's basically daylight robbery.

 

[doberman]

I've heard the term "high street jewelers" often enough but I'm not exactly sure what it means. Is it like high-end jewelry stores?

As for how they get away with it, a lot of people dont do their research before buying an expensive item. They can't be bothered. And some people impulse buy I'd imagine.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Look in my jewlery box
The general public might know about the 4 Cs but for most that's about it

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Is high street the UK word for main street ?
The trashy woman's mags go bananas when Kate Middleton wears high street so i always assumed high street was just the main shopping street where the big brands and also some nicer stores are

 

[barbie86]

Sorry guys! High street jewellery store in the UK = mall jewellery store in the USA (like Kay's, Zales, etc).

I do occasionally buy stuff as they do cheap jewellery with semi precious stones, and I do love my right hand rings

I just don't know how they get away with their huge mark ups on diamond jewellery, it's shocking. I mean, if you go to Hatton Garden (jewellery district in London) you can get a 1ct G colour VS2 clarity solitaire for basically half what they are charging!

 

[Jsand]

I have wondered this too and compared online just for fun. The specs I’d get at Zales etc for the same money we spent at HPD are shocking. I think these places simply rely and prey upon on clueless customers.

Not judging those shoppers at all - before stumbling upon PS I was completely uneducated about diamonds, and had we been in the market for a diamond we’d have been prime candidates to get ripped off for a dud!

 

[bespokecarmel]

Emotional advertising to a generally unknowledgeable public accounts for a fair amount of the reason, but I would venture that the in house financing that many of the chains offer is a better explanation. A quick google search tells me that one doesn’t necessarily need to have good credit in order to finance a ring with most mall chains. And that consumer pays in both quality and price.

 

[MillieLou]

Because most people are, on the whole, uneducated about jewellery, don't know better, are accustomed to terrible quality and will buy it because they think that's what it's worth. I overpaid shockingly for a horrible 0.25ct I2 (probably I3 really) diamond with a big chip in the side, 18 years ago, from H Samuel (like Zales in the US). I have just sold the gold for scrap and literally threw the diamond in the bin. I would have been embarrassed to try to sell it, even for a few pounds.

Buying jewellery "online" is still viewed with suspicion, and there is a strong culture of sentimentality. Women are expected to love their rings because of what they represent, no matter how objectively hideous, and any suggestion of dissatisfaction is treated very harshly. As for upgrades - very rare and raise eyebrows. The only acceptable way to upgrade in the UK is to lose your original ring, be devastated and inconsolable, and eventually sadly accept a much better and more expensive ring - though of course you would have the ugly original back in a heartbeat It's actually a bit misogynistic when I think about it.

I hope things are changing. You can get good craftsmanship and quality from independent jewellers eg places like in Hatton Garden, the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter, and dotted around the UK (usually who make their own pieces in-house). But we still don't have the range of good affordable options as the US.

 

[dk168]

I am in UK, and have been importing jewellery from abroad for years once I had discovered the joy of Internet shopping!

DK

 

[Snowdrop13]

Don’t get me started! Things have improved a bit in that some of the higher end shops are selling GIA certified stones and there’s more choice. I’ve seen a few fancy yellow diamonds appearing too. However, most still emphasise colour and clarity rather than cut. And prices are OTT! Young men just don’t know what they’re doing buying diamonds. I’ve had a succession of junior colleagues who’ve got engaged over the last few years- every one of them has paid £10k plus for a 1 carat stone (one of them proudly told me his was E VVS1 and thus the best.......). I wish they’d ask for my help Anyway, both of my sons have been told in no uncertain terms not to buy diamonds without speaking to me first!

 

[Austina]

For all the reasons @MillieLou has mentioned.

The High Street have more or less had the monopoly on jewellery sales for many years until the internet popped up and gave people other choices. On the whole, I would say that still the vast majority of UK jewellery buying is done in store. I think one of the other reasons is the immediacy of being able to go out, choose a ring and walk away wearing it. The shops have good lighting that makes even the poorest diamond sparkle like crazy and that’s the environment that they see the ring in.

We don’t traditionally do the upgrading thing here either, so apart from one friend, all my others have their original engagement rings still.

When I decided to have a ring made in the US, I was nervous, but using the resources I’d learned from here, I chose my diamond and setting and it turned out beautifully. The other issue is of course, having to pay duty on anything we import, so add that to the mix, and some people think it’s too difficult, or not worth it.

I’ve often seen people looking in jeweller‘s windows and told them to look on line

 

[dk168]

Paying custom and duty charges don't bother me, it's the hassle of having to return anything.
Hence I would normally treat imports as one way transactions.
I would be lucky to see EC or other fancy shapes except Princess in the shops where I live, unless I venture into bigger towns or cities.
Hence I love going up to London from time to time just to ogle at jewellery.
As already echoed by the others from UK, the prices are crazy. No wonder the average size of an engagement ring is about 0.5ct!

DK

 

[X5M]

Apologies if this is the wrong sub forum, just needed a rant!

I decided to amuse myself earlier by looking at what UK high street jewelers are offering. And I came across a 1ct solitaire ring at £9k. Checked the 'specs' (they didn't say who had graded it, so, large dose of salt here) and it was H-I (hmm...) and I1... Nothing else mentioned.

How are they allowed to get away with it?! It's basically daylight robbery.

The prices charged are simply atrocious. I often do window shopping just to amuse myself and I cannot believe that anybody would think they are getting a good deal.

It all comes down to diamond education though and the fact that a lot of shoppers are not that educated on diamonds. Even Hatton Garden can be a rip off unless you know what you are looking for.

I started off with a ring from BN when I got married 7 years ago as I was adamant we wouldn’t go to the High St or even Hatton Garden. I recently upgraded to a CBI and an international purchase wasn’t as stressful as I thought it would be.

There’s a company on Instagram based in London who shames High St retailers without naming them, his posts are always amusing

 

[dk168]

Does anyone follow the shopping channels on Freeview?

I do just for amusement purposes.

Some of their prices are better than those on offer in the usual high street shops IMHO, and more design varieties.

Just have to overlook the clarity grade, and for small diamonds, that would not bother me too much.

I have yet to buy any real jewellery from them though, only costume pendants from Ideal Home some years ago, however I had been very tempted, especially earrings.

DK

 

[Jsand]

The prices charged are simply atrocious. I often do window shopping just to amuse myself and I cannot believe that anybody would think they are getting a good deal.

It all comes down to diamond education though and the fact that a lot of shoppers are not that educated on diamonds. Even Hatton Garden can be a rip off unless you know what you are looking for.

I started off with a ring from BN when I got married 7 years ago as I was adamant we wouldn’t go to the High St or even Hatton Garden. I recently upgraded to a CBI and an international purchase wasn’t as stressful as I thought it would be.

There’s a company on Instagram based in London who shames High St retailers without naming them, his posts are always amusing

Interested to check out the Instagram account you mention - can you name it?

 

[dk168]

Interested to check out the Instagram account you mention - can you name it?

Rabbit hole alert!

DK

 

[Jsand]

Rabbit hole alert!

DK

An enjoyable one I’m sure! Much like PS itself!

 

[Rockdiamond]

Alternative viewpoint :
Before I opened Diamonds by Lauren I used to sell diamonds and jewelry to stores. So I’m sensitive to how jewelry stores operate.
Putting aside rip off scenarios ( certainly common)....
Say the wholesale cost of a diamond is $1000. How much profit does a website need to add? Especially if the website offers extremely minimal service. No showroom, no inventory, few employees.....
Now how about a local jewelry store- they have so much more expenses that ( in best case scenarios) add up to a far higher level of service for the consumer.

Anyway- the point is, sometimes things cost more in stores for good reasons.


PS - I’m not English, but I thought “high street” refers to high end stores like Tiffany

 

[dk168]

@Rockdiamond I would equate our high street jewellery shops to those in shopping malls in US and Canada.

And I don't go out to eat a steak in a restaurant for the same reasons, as what I normally have at home would cost upwards of 30 GBP in a restaurant!

DK

 

[Jsand]

Alternative viewpoint :
Before I opened Diamonds by Lauren I used to sell diamonds and jewelry to stores. So I’m sensitive to how jewelry stores operate.
Putting aside rip off scenarios ( certainly common)....
Say the wholesale cost of a diamond is $1000. How much profit does a website need to add? Especially if the website offers extremely minimal service. No showroom, no inventory, few employees.....
Now how about a local jewelry store- they have so much more expenses that ( in best case scenarios) add up to a far higher level of service for the consumer.

Anyway- the point is, sometimes things cost more in stores for good reasons.


PS - I’m not English, but I thought “high street” refers to high end stores like Tiffany

I’m English living the US - high street refers to the mass produced places like Zales / Kay / Jared etc

 

[Blingismything]

Unfortunately all this is true. The prices asked in High Street stores are mostly ridiculous and the diamond quality is questionable. This can also happen with pre-loved and Etsy sellers here in the UK.

I often know more about their diamonds than the sales assistants!

Londondiamondsofficial often have photos on their IG story with outrageous prices from other vendors.

Hence 90% of my collection is pre-loved and I love it as I do not feel as if I have been ‘ripped off’

 

[MRBXXXFVVS1]

I can't speak for high street itself, but most consumers know of the 4Cs at best and focus on carat and price.

Interestingly enough when DH and I started talking about rings, we were traveling and had extra time so we stopped in at a Helzberg Diamonds. The sales associate explained hearts and arrows, light leakage, and let us view diamonds under an Idealscope and ASET. She also explained florescence to us and showed us a few diamonds under black light. It was probably one of the most educational jewelry store visits we've ever had. If they had the exact specs and the right price, I would consider buying from them just based on that experience. DH ultimately bought my ER online at one of the preferred vendors according to my very specific specs!

 

[X5M]

Interested to check out the Instagram account you mention - can you name it?

It’s Londondiamondsofficial

 

[prs]

UK towns and cities were all built long before people had cars. The downtown shopping areas were the center of all retail shopping activity. Industries and residences spread out from that central area in a spoke and wheel system. People walked to "town" or later took the public transport that ran up and down the main roads that formed the spokes of the wheel. It's this downtown shopping area that the British would refer to as the "High Street".

The British have the H Samuel chain of jewelry stores, similar to Zales etc here. There's an H Samuel on just about every High St, and often one or two local, family run jewelers too. One thing I've noticed is there seems to be far too many small jewelry stores given the size of the population of each town. So prices have to be high to support the low volume, and there is a total absence of price competition.

I don't know why the likes of Blue Nile and James Allen haven't yet made any impact on this market.

 

[prs]

To make it more clear I should have added that in the UK, the road at the center of the wheel where the spoke roads merge together is often called High Street, whereas in the USA it would be called Main Street.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

How are they allowed to get away with it?! It's basically daylight robbery.

You guys definitely ED daylight robbery when you charged a tax on Windows leading to houses with few or no windows.
Hence the English term hahahaha.

 

[AprilBaby]

I also assumed high st was high end like Tiffany or Cartier.

 

[Izzy70]

I was offered an G 80 pointer diamond for £8,500, in Guernsey where we are VAT free. I presume that means 0.80ct? Nesdless to say I found this site and Whiteflash

 

[Blingismything]

This is a good example $10,600

 

[PreRaphaelite]

[shudders]