I WILL NEVER BUY FROM JEWELS BY GRACE AGAIN

[MarionC]

Yes, I know how it goes.
I had a very upsetting issue with a vendor that I would not post due to the vendors large fan club and my being new-ish at the time.
But I would never use that vendor again. When people tell others to use them I cringe silently.
I am not in any vendor’s fan club. I will say, I am very happy with Yoram.
Also, JA has put up with my “buying, setting, returning over and over” nonsense while I educated myself over the years without ever saying a word. So they get a positive vote from me.

 

[whitewave]

The term "fan girl" is so sophomoric, trite and overused...

 

[MrBlueshift]

@ARTISAN, I'm sorry to hear you had a negative experience with Grace. If she or someone in her employ had the ability to sign for your package and quickly post the item back to their site, I wonder why they couldn't have also prioritized your refund. It's unfortunate that, instead of an immediate refund, you were thrown a string of unconvincing excuses for six weeks.

At first it's always nice to give someone the benefit of the doubt, but there's a limit, after which you realize something more systemic is going on. So I can understand how, in retrospect, you'd feel unhappy about her not honoring the original price.

I’m inclined to disagee with the idea that questioning the validity of her excuses rises to the level of “conspiracy theory”. This is not the first time I’ve heard bad customer experience from her blamed on this scapegoat.

And to the idea that this website has more good comments than bad - I know plenty of people who have had poor experiences with her and choose not to come and share them here because they do not want to deal with the fan girl mentality on this site. I disagee with this as in my opinion, if enough people said something, people might get the full picture of the vendor and situations like this might be avoided. With that said, it is not my place to share other people’s stories.

After I posted my review earlier this year, I heard in private from a few other clients of hers about similar experiences they had, and each of those people knew of others as well. I think a lot of people just aren't willing to go public with negative experiences in general. Personally I would only write about one that is significantly bad, and so the small negative issues I've had with other vendors remain private. In the same vein, I also wouldn't write about any straightforward positive transactions, as that is something I expect of all vendors.

 

[pyramid]

I would say biased re fan girls description. However I am in another country and find this recommending vendors odd, as the site is supposed to be customer orientated where customers recommend after a purchase, rather than one person giving 600 recommendations after 3 purchases. This makes it a fan club or biased!

 

[msop04]

The term "fan girl" is so sophomoric, trite and overused...

Agreed... but if the shoe fits...

 

[flyingpig]

Most negative reviews I have read about JbG are about how Grace processes returned products and cancelling consignment. They were rarely about purchasing process or quality of stones/settings they sell.

I tend to believe all these negative reviews are legit for one reason. It is Grace's 3 day money policy, which is highly restrictive and inflexible, which shows Grace's general thoughts and attitude for returned products.

I think her products are beautiful and reasonably priced. But this policy is a deal breaker for me; therefore I never considered this vendor for my purchase and recommend her products to others.

 

[whitewave]

Agreed... but if the shoe fits...

Maybe I am too old at right below 50-- seems such a stupid term to me, "fan girl" -- seems like words a 12 year old would use... not to mention it is clearly used as an insult

"I can't even"

 

[msop04]

I would say biased. However I am in another country and find this recommending vendors odd, as the site is supposed to be customer orientated where customers recommend after a purchase I would say, rather than 600 recommendations after 3 purchases. This makes it a fan club or biased!

Wouldn't you think a large portion of being a customer-oriented jewelry site is the ability of members to share their experiences with vendors and recommend them (or not) based on said experiences? It also gives vendors the chance to speak and resolve issues if they choose to do so.

There's nothing wrong with vendors being liked... that's not the issue. The fact that many vendors are respected and recommended so much here on PS speaks to their product, character, and customer service -- through good experiences as well as bad. I'm sure every vendor has dropped the ball at some time or another... they're human, it happens. It's how the issue is resolved that is what I am interested in knowing... and what others here likely pay very close attention to when choosing a vendor in the future.

 

[msop04]

Maybe I am too old at right below 50-- seems such a stupid term to me, "fan girl" -- seems like words 12 year old would use... not to mention it is clearly used as an insult

"I can't even"

It is... *TOTALLY*!!

 

[pyramid]

Maybe there could be a table scoring thing where you score your own purchase only. Therefore 1 would be bad, 5 okay, 8 very good, 10 excellent. Instead of this recommending 600 times and newbies wonder if you are part of the company or on the payroll. That is what makes it biased. People keep recommending after a few purchases but always the same person recommending, is it her cousin's business or what is the connection!!!!!

Especially when people come on about cut of a diamond they found, they are automatically getting told new stones with ideal cut. Maybe it is different in America but going on the internet and not being on that site for years, which I had been, would make me think, these people are trying to pull me in, in the same way we hear of the men around 47th street recommending stores to people in the street. This is shunned on this site, we are told to look and leave our wallets, but this to me is the same type of thing. One person or a few keeping recommending the same vendors, when the buyer has come online about a dealer in their home town, or even other internet diamond sellers who are not vendors on here as they don't pay a subscription to join this club.

 

[pyramid]

A lot of people here buy replacement rings or dress rings, however if a youngish or older couple are getting engaged a 3 day return is reasonable a six week wait is not, it ties up their money when they want to get engaged.

 

[meely]

No expert at all and not trying to cause offence but I wonder if it is a cashflow issue on the vendors part.

 

[pyramid]

For instance has anyone else seen this, I only found it the other night but I always knew that cut was recommended on here and that years ago we were told that the top cut only showed a 1% improvement than Very Good which no one could see.


This is what I found in the Tools section here: written by Dave Atlas who priorly owned the company and wrote the AGA cut grade. How the world has changed, we all need to have the very best now.

"It is with absolute certainty that the vast majority of diamonds that have been sold to consumers in the past 50 years have been primarily in the 2B to 4A category of the AGA Cut Classes. Many, even most, of them look very nice or even excellent and most owners are very happy with these diamonds. Even today, most diamonds sold in the USA are 2B to 4A in spite of all the extra and readily available knowledge that consumers can now easily access. What does that say? I think it says most people need to control their spending budget sufficiently that they will agree to take a compromise on cut quality as well as to compromise of color, clarity and weight."

 

[msop04]

A lot of people here buy replacement rings or dress rings, however if a youngish or older couple are getting engaged a 3 day return is reasonable a six week wait is not, it ties up their money when they want to get engaged.

People should choose a vendor based on what is important to them. If a 3 day return is reasonable and a 6 week wait is not, then they should absolutely choose what suits them. This isn't the case or what is being discussed.

Many times JA or BN are recommended because their prices are hard to beat... but it is almost always mentioned that those vendors may not offer the best upgrade program if that is something the potential buyer thinks will be a future endeavor. Many members are quick to recommend branded cuts or super ideals, but they are also careful to find out if the extra expense will be appreciated by the intended, given the budget. For those reasons alone, it's safe to say that not everyone is pitching a certain vendor or brand... The vast majority of PS members want nothing more than to help the consumer when it comes to jewelry/diamond shopping... I wish I'd found this site much sooner!

 

[msop04]

For instance has anyone else seen this, I only found it the other night but I always knew that cut was recommended on here and that years ago we were told that the top cut only showed a 1% improvement than Very Good which no one could see.

I found this which Dave Atlas had written on his site about AGA Cut Grade in the Tools section here. I thought it appropriate to share this as I noticed KarlK and Paul Antwerp both saying the AGA was out of date now. Well I don't think this piece of advice is 'out of date' for people buying engagement rings. We can't all have the best and top cut is that, as well as color, clarity and carat weight, yet we are told cut is most noticeable and up the cut and down the others except carat weight.

This is what I found in the Tools section here: written by Dave Atlas who priorly owned the company and wrote the AGA cut grade. How the world has changed, we all need to have the very best now.

It is with absolute certainty that the vast majority of diamonds that have been sold to consumers in the past 50 years have been primarily in the 2B to 4A category of the AGA Cut Classes. Many, even most, of them look very nice or even excellent and most owners are very happy with these diamonds. Even today, most diamonds sold in the USA are 2B to 4A in spite of all the extra and readily available knowledge that consumers can now easily access. What does that say? I think it says most people need to control their spending budget sufficiently that they will agree to take a compromise on cut quality as well as to compromise of color, clarity and weight.

There will always be improvements made as technology increases and new ideas come to pass... but this really doesn't have a lot to do with this thread.

 

[pyramid]

There will always be improvements made as technology increases and new ideas come to pass... but this really doesn't have a lot to do with this thread.

Well it is the fan girls who are pouncing on people and recommending ideal cuts, that is why I thought it did.

 

[pyramid]

We don't hear in bricks and mortar jewellers including Tiffany and other high end brand ones, that ideal cut is necessary, we hear a balance of the four C's are recommended. Even Tiffany sell down to I color so they are not recommending D color in the way we recommend Ideal Cut here. It was always a balance of the first 3 and then choose carat weight with your budget. This board has tried to change everything by telling people to go with Cut, cut is king and all that, which means people had large stones with less value. Some are happy to not include rarity, which is fine but it is not how established jewellers see it including those who wear the stones such as Hollywood, millionaires, royalty etc. they all tread the 4 c's as a balance. This group is a sub group with a biased attitude toward cut, and these people who are recommending vendors here are all biased too. Oh and before someone says I am biased, I think you will find mainstream is what I am thinking, there are far more people in many countries in the world who state 4 cs should be balanced, probably includes your lab in America gia, which is not really heard of in other countries.

Maybe it is just a country thing to as larger diamonds are not over here either. A programme on tv today said Prince Philip could have chosen a much larger diamond for Queen Elizabeth as there were larger ones in the crown but he chose the approx. 3 carat one.

Maybe this is all just a lot of rubbish and people should buy what they want, cut is a marketing tool and so is the rest of the C's and so are diamonds.

 

[whitewave]

People should choose a vendor based on what is important to them. If a 3 day return is reasonable and a 6 week wait is not, then they should absolutely choose what suits them. This isn't the case or what is being discussed.

Many times JA or BN are recommended because their prices are hard to beat... but it is almost always mentioned that those vendors may not offer the best upgrade program if that is something the potential buyer thinks will be a future endeavor. Many members are quick to recommend branded cuts or super ideals, but they are also careful to find out if the extra expense will be appreciated by the intended, given the budget. For those reasons alone, it's safe to say that not everyone is pitching a certain vendor or brand... The vast majority of PS members want nothing more than to help the consumer when it comes to jewelry/diamond shopping... I wish I'd found this site much sooner!

Yes, I tend to ask if the OP would like to see super-ideals within budget for comparison... their choice

 

[msop04]

Msop
It depends on who is recommending these vendors, when it is the same people, it looks like staff, who spend their time here every day because they are being paid. A system where we get recommendations from individual people who have all bought from the vendor would be less biased don't you think?

No, I don't. That's the exact same thing. There is no reason why the same people cannot recommend vendors they have been happy with time and time again. Everything is biased, whether you like it or not. If 15 members have a good experience with a vendor and I don't, then I'm going to be biased in a less positive way (or at least cautionary). That said, if many others have had great experiences with said vendor and the issue is made right with me, then I will be more likely to use them again in the future.

You may know the people recommending as you are here a lot with them, however if you came on the site how do you know them to be any different from someone who is a sales person in a shop or as I said those runners on 47th street. Especially when we read that they get presents for thousands of posts and then show us the jewellery made by the same vendors. They do not get money to spend where they want off the board.

Everyone is new until they're not. I'm still new compared to a lot of members, and I'm certainly still learning. And no one gets "presents" for sheer volume of posts. Who are you talking about, and what vendor awarded said "presents"?

If a vendor awards a prize at random, then of course it will be from their inventory. You're not gonna win a contest for Domino's Pizza to be spent at Papa John's... geez.

 

[msop04]

Yes, I tend to ask if the OP would like to see super-ideals within budget for comparison... their choice

Exactly!

 

[msop04]

Well it is the fan girls who are pouncing on people and recommending ideal cuts, that is why I thought it did.

Their is absolutely nothing wrong with making a recommendation. It can only have the potential to becomea problem when others aren't mentioned in addition to and/or others are frowned upon... and that's not been the case that I have seen.

Each buyer has his/her own set of wants and needs, as well as a budget... we do our best to suggest the absolute best for each situation.

 

[whitewave]

Msop
It depends on who is recommending these vendors, when it is the same people, it looks like staff, who spend their time here every day because they are being paid. A system where we get recommendations from individual people who have all bought from the vendor would be less biased don't you think? You may know the people recommending as you are here a lot with them, however if you came on the site how do you know them to be any different from someone who is a sales person in a shop or as I said those runners on 47th street. Especially when we read that they get presents for thousands of posts and then show us the jewellery made by the same vendors. They do not get money to spend where they want off the board.

Presents?!?!??! People get presents?!? I have never heard this... in fact, I believe shilling gets you banned here as it is taken very seriously...

 

[pyramid]

Whiteflash I believe gave out $1000 at 10,000 posts. There were various gifts given over the years to posters which large numbers of posts only. That is why people posted and stayed to begin with.

i.e. those were the fan girls, whoever came up with that it is priceless, yes it is childish, but they are fans, maybe not girls. Biased I think.

 

[pyramid]

Way back Mara was the one chasing the posts, she got diamond toe rings from whiteflash for one of her post counts. Others have got too. Diamondseeker got something can't remember what now. Lots of them got.

 

[pyramid]

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/firegoddesss-ps-10k-gift.63619/page-2

 

[msop04]

We don't hear in bricks and mortar jewellers including Tiffany and other high end brand ones, that ideal cut is necessary, we hear a balance of the four C's are recommended. Even Tiffany sell down to I color so they are not recommending D color in the way we recommend Ideal Cut here. It was always a balance of the first 3 and then choose carat weight with your budget. This board has tried to change everything by telling people to go with Cut, cut is king and all that, which means people had large stones with less value. Some are happy to not include rarity, which is fine but it is not how established jewellers see it including those who wear the stones such as Hollywood, millionaires, royalty etc. they all tread the 4 c's as a balance. This group is a sub group with a biased attitude toward cut, and these people who are recommending vendors here are all biased too. Oh and before someone says I am biased, I think you will find mainstream is what I am thinking, there are far more people in many countries in the world who state 4 cs should be balanced, probably includes your lab in America gia, which is not really heard of in other countries.

Maybe it is just a country thing to as larger diamonds are not over here either. A programme on tv today said Prince Philip could have chosen a much larger diamond for Queen Elizabeth as there were larger ones in the crown but he chose the approx. 3 carat one.

Maybe this is all just a lot of rubbish and people should buy what they want, cut is a marketing tool and so is the rest of the C's and so are diamonds.

@pyramid... it's always the same old song and dance with you. "The olden day of PS..." and "cut is marketing" and blah blah blah... Why do you ALWAYS start this rant in threads that have nothing to do with it?? It's exhausting.

If this bothers you so much, then please buy what is important to YOU regarding YOUR jewelry purchases. It's OKAY for people to desire lower color, freaking GINORMOUS old cut diamonds that may or may not be "balanced" in your eyes. "Balance" is subjective. It depends solely on what is important to each individual person's wants, needs, and budget.

I just bought a 1.84 OEC in a VERY LOW COLOR (U-V with faint brown undertones) and it's an I2 (that's I-TWO), and guess what?? That's not balanced at all according to you... but it's eye clean (enough) for me and it's pretty much to die for IMO. And that's okay... because it checked all the boxes that were important to me... and it's mine.

 

[MarionC]

Oops, time to unwatch,
Happy 2018 everyone!

 

[msop04]

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/firegoddesss-ps-10k-gift.63619/page-2

This wasn't from any particular vendor... it was from PS admins.

A most heartfelt BIG THANK YOU to PS Admin for my 10K gift! This forum is such an exquisite treat for me I can't even begin to express my thanks. I've been obsessed with diamonds and gems since I was a little girl, sifting through fake jewelry in the big treasure chest at the dentist's office (They couldn't very well give us candy, now could they?! And I was NOT about to sit still for a toothbrush. hehe), and cracking rocks open in my backyard to see if they were amethyst crystals inside or not.

It was a tough choice to decide what to do with my newfound gift! After 10k posts, I felt very much like this! What to do?

 

[flyingpig]

@pyramid... it's always the same old song and dance with you. "The olden day of PS..." and "cut is marketing" and blah blah blah... Why do you ALWAYS start this rant in threads that have nothing to do with it?? It's exhausting.
.

Amen

 

[derbygal]

No expert at all and not trying to cause offence but I wonder if it is a cashflow issue on the vendors part.

@meely I wondered the same thing.