Mall Store Diamond Question

[*Monique]

I''m curious as to what exactly diamonds are sold in
a typical "maul" store as far as cut, color and clarity?

Under the bright mall lights the diamonds do
sparkle, they don''t look included or very yellow,
so they do not look terrible. But so many
are certed by EGL or not certed at all.

Anyone care to speculate or know what is sold?

 

[Giangi]

I think the standard is about I 2 clarity and I-K color... Often the 'special offers' like the 5cts diamond bracalets have M-P color stones, though...
As per the cut... Very often 66% ++ depth (sometimes even higher than 70%

) in round stones. Princesses use to have 80% +++ tables and depths...

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I'm not sure about exact color, though most look yellow even under the store's magical lights, but clarity DEFINETLY in the I1-I2 range. When talking with a sales girl a couple weeks ago one of their showcase diamonds (Ben Bridge Signature) cost over $8,900 and was a SI2! It was just over 1 carat. So, I'm speculating, non showcase merchandise (non certified) wouldn't even making it into the SI range.

Personally, I think it's hilarious going into a maul jeweler and having them tell me an I2 is a wonderful clarity (as Zales did the other day) for a pendant. I wouldn't even put an 12 on my cat's collar!

Michelle

 

[Charmed]

I really never noticed the difference in color at the mall stores until I had my own E color princess cut. Now when we go, you can't even compare the color! They may have 1 carat rocks, but honey, most look like a yellow cubic zirconia!!!!!!

 

[Mara]

Davidson and Licht...a local mall jeweler that actually is pretty helpful and I am told carries a Bscope has a pretty good range of stones. When I was in there..I looked at a 1.5c H SI1 stone for $17k (HA HA I laughed myself out of the store). It was a beauty though, she said it was because of the cut (this was wayyyy back in my early stone research days and I was just learning the basics of the cut). My girlfriend at my kbox class also has a stone from them and hers is pretty white and definitely not included. I have no idea what the specs are though. Most maul jewelers carry colors up to M/N as typical stones and/or try to completely take you for a ride on the 'better' quality stones such as H color. I priced out an H color 1.20 SI1 stone at Shane Co for around $10k! Another good laugh!

 

[okaynow]

the mall stores where I live sell okay stuff. The prices are even somewhat competitive. After doing research and reading about how mall stores suck I was expecting my trip to the mall to be a big joke. Well, to my surprise, it seems like some of the stores were not so bad. One of the stores I visited stressed cut and recommended AGS 0 - 2 range, VVS, H. The prices quoted were reasonable. They even said that if I found an internet stone they had no problem just selling me a mount. Of course there was one store in the mall that had lower quality stones, but they were catering to the modest budget consumer. Even ben bridges had decent stuff(i'm not sure about their prices, though I'm sure they have to be competitive with the other mall stores), they even asked me if I already had a loose stone. . I think they're starting to see a lot of us coming to them with loose stones. Also, I get the feeling that malls are catching up.

In the end, I chose the internet because It was easier for me to find the exact stone I wanted. I also saved a ton on taxes.

 

[gemsource]

I CAN GIVE YOU A FIRST HAND CREDIBLE ANSWER,I OWN A MALL JEWELRY STORE.AND THROUGH DISINFORMATION BY LARGE RETAIL CHAIN PLAYERS LIKE THE Z NAME MENTIONED.WE WERE HIT HARD
PEOPLE GENERALLY DONT HAVE A CLUE WHAT VS-SI-OR I1 MEANS
I SEE THE Z STORE SELLING CERT I1 STONES.PEOPLE AGAHST AT WHAT WE CHARGED FOR VS CLARITY.SOME COME BACK AND SAY THE Z STORE HAS THIS I1 CERTIFIED THEY THINK BECAUSE ITS CERTIFIED IT IS THE SAME AS THE VS CERT,.THEY JUST DONT GET IT.AGAINST MY WISHES AND MY SWEAT AND HARD WORK I PUT IN THIS I HAD TO BOW DOWN.WE NOW OFFER I1 CAT COLLARS MUCH CHEAPER THAN Z STORE.BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT THE JOHN Q PUBLIC WANTS.IT IS SAD FOR ALL OF US,ALMOST AS IF TIMES HAVE CHANGED

 

[Mara]

The public is definitely uneducated. Macys sells diamonds and fine jewelry, people trust them for their clothes and other merchandise, so they think...why not for jewelry? It does not mean they are wrong, just that they are not being educated or informed before purchase. Macy's doesn't even detail the clarity/color grades of the stones in any of their fine jewelry (e.g. bracelets, necklaces, pendants), but I don't know about their rings. I was eyeing a 1 tcw diamond line bracelet in white gold, regular retail price was $1900, they always have it on sale for around $900 and then for some super sales it goes down to around $600/700 depending on the sale. In a realistic world, people will realize that diamond bracelet is really only worth around $600 and even then Macy's is still making a profit as they would not sell under their cost. So charging $1900 for a bracelet like that is obviously a much inflated price. I'm not callling out Macy's for any particular reason, and they aren't really a mall jeweler, but it is very related.

Personal tale on Macy's...Recently I found a diamond seller on eBay who sells SI1/G baby stones of around .05c for around $13 each. He sells in volume online. I wrote him, he told me some of his SI1s are more I1s, they come in big lots, but I figure I can have him handpick the bests for me. I priced out tradeshop.com on a bracelet very similar to the Macy's one (and similar to one that Diamond.Com sells too), using my own stones from the eBay purchase, in white gold, a decent weight...and he quoted around $400 for the setting and the labor. The diamonds are around $250 if I got around 20 to make up 1ctw. So in the end I would have a custom made bracelet, probably heavier than the Macy's one, much much better quality (our local jeweler told me that Macys regularly uses J/K/L I1/I2 stones for their jewelry such as this)--and I know the details of what went into the piece. All for $650 total out the door. Not $1900. Not $900. But $650. Amazing what a little knowledge can do!

On a similar note, people are also uneducated about diamonds in general and therefore easily misled by stores such as Zales or mall jewelers. We always get the Zales mailer and they have 1ctw 3 stone diamond rings for $999. Or 1c solitaire for $999-or better yet..ON SALE for $799! This is what leads the general public to believe that other boutique or small jewelers are ripping them off when they see an H&A 1c stone for $9000 or a HOF 1c for $11000. When in reality they are just getting a heck of a crappy stone from the mall jeweler and trying to compare apples to oranges, or maybe not even fruit to fruit!

Even co's like the Shane Co which spend alot of $$ on advertising on the radio for their great pricing and selection, as I noted in my post above...is totally overpriced for mediocre quality.

People freak out about spending $$$ online when in reality, chances are they will find more honest and reputable dealers, with the cream-of-the-crop stones to offer, for much less $$ than offline. We didn't buy our stone online but we were considering it. For future purchases, I am definitely doing my research online and then going custom!

 

[mtrb]

Hi,

Just wanted to say I walked into Zales about 1.5 weeks ago and asked to see some diamonds. I had read about all the "maul" Jewelers on this site first luckilly and I was prepared hear all the falsehoods that I have been reading about. I absolutely did. I was told that an I1 meant it was eye clean. I even asked her again if that is what she said, and she repeated it.. Even after she said it, I was a little in shock that people would sell diamonds this way. The proportions of the stones they were showing me were horrible also. I feel that out of all the "Maul Jewelers" I went to that day Zales were the worst offenders. If you want poorly cut, "smashed glass" looking stone with strong blue flourescence, than that is the store to go to.
Sorry if this sounds harsh, but it is my personal experience.

 

[Iceman]

Most maul stores look for a price point customer and not a quality customer. At least around here.

The bad part about the Maul is that you are opened to the world and anybody can go by and say Hey ya getting married?
The rent is terrible, you could buy a mansion for the price you pay to be close to all the looky loo's

 

[Iceman]

The EGL's are not bad if you know how to read them and know what to look for in there certs. There are other lab certs that the malls carry that are 10 times worse. But yes, get GIA or AGS if you are in doubt. Also let your eyes be the final judge and stay away from those instore lights when trying to make a final decision !!!! Ask to go in the back room. Not step out to the mall , they have great lights too!

 

[pqcollectibles]

H*******'s is another "good" MAUL store chain. I learned they carry a Master Piece line of H&A's. I wanted to see a one live and in person without bothering/getting bothered by a small jeweler. I cruised the counters looking at the various offerings. Cloudy, dead fish! I have much nicer diamonds in an old estate piece, circa 1920's. When I was approached by a sales person, I asked about their MP line diamonds. He proudly showed me 2, but we HAD to be in the "Diamond Viewing Room". There was no way I was gonna move anywhere outside that cubicle to view the diamonds in any different lighting. I got to hold one diamond in tweezers for maybe 30 secs to a minute. I did not drop it on the floor or turn away from him. The diamond was in full view at all times. When he snatched it back from me, he whipped out a diamond tester to verify it was still diamond. What a great way to impress a potential customer. With "H" asking more than double the price of similar diamonds from vendors online, it's not just the cheap junk that pays for their advertising budget and profit margin.

 

[Iceman]

Good Maul store story

I do Eat dessert first!

 

[sparky]

Last time I viewed a diamond in the commonplace(maul), I was given a 5x loupe, and the salesperson actually had a straight face. I replied, "Thank you for you offer, but isn't the gem trade standard a 10x loupe?" Needless to say, after an undeserved tongue lashing, I showed myself to the door. It is a shame because I'm sure there are a few, rare, individual, dealers who choose not to follow the path of the rotten. I went with Blue Nile, and was pleased.

 

[The Grudge]

I was checking the "Z Store's" web page. They sell their signature diamond ring as follows: 1.25 carats, H-I, SI2, IGI cert $10k in a platinum setting. Their non-signature stones averaged I-J color and I2 clarity

God help the Maul shopper!