More local jeweler stories against on-line shopping

[MRS2004]

I conferred again with the only local jeweler in town (who is NOT a mallie), and was disappointed with what he told me re: my diamond size (not his fault, obviously, just disappointed, but that''s another thread..)

anyway, when I mentioned on-line settings, he commented that all he has seen so far have been of poor quality and would not last two months/years of wearing (and he calls the mall''s "two fors" that they''ll last 2 weeks or 2 months but not a long wearing period as well). He claims that I would get poor quality if I don''t get platinum prongs, and that diamonds are $2000 per carat now (not to mention setting fees, etc..).

I really want a quality ring with great service, but I don''t think this local will give that. I would like to support local, but I am open to trustworthy on-liners.

Any input, suggestions, etc. would be appreciated. (ps, he mentions religion/church every time I''m there too. Not my thing, no offense).

 

[MRS2004]

May I also add that I'm NOT an expert and not interested in the best, most wonderful diamond ever, I just want to be an informed consumer and get the best that my budget will allow.

 

[strmrdr]

If all he has ever seen that people bought where the majority of the ebay rings he has a point.
But you can get the exact same settings he sells online and likely cheaper .
Just dont expect them for $29.99

 

[denverappraiser]

MRS2004,

I'm sorry to hear that you've been treated badly. First of all, stop going into that store. You are absolutely entitled to a jeweler that will treat you with respect and tell you the truth at every point. This is true of both storefront and internet based dealers.

I'm reasonably confident that there are other stores in your community that would love the opportunity to earn your business and I *KNOW* that there are dealers here that will bend over backwards for you, even if their businesses are based in another city. Where are you? Perhaps we can help you through the process of finding a jeweler who will treat you the way you disserve to be treated.

Neil Beaty, GG ISA
Independent Appraisals in Denver

 

[MRS2004]

I'm in a small town about 45 minutes south of Morgantown, West Virginia.

A concern of mine is what will happen when I need semi-annual checks and/or repairs? How do I go about doing that with a dealer on-line, or will (CAN?) a local take care of me?

Thanks again.

 

[MRS2004]

btw, is that reasonable for the cost of a 1 ct? Of course, I don't know the quality that he was talking about, either. An incentive from him is, however, the opportunity to trade in some existing diamonds (and settings) to apply towards another purchase, something (I assume) that I can't do on-line?

 

[denverappraiser]

MRS2004,

Are there other jewelers in your town, or in the neighboring communities? I'm in Colorado but there are Pricescope people all over the world. You may have aa neighbor here.

Is there anybody from Morgantown WV or the surrounding region?

Examinations and repairs are easiest to have done at a local store but this really shouldn't depend on where you bought your ring. Your question of whether they have the appropriate skills seems terribly important for this decision. If necessary, it's possible to do this out of state but the best choice is to use a local dealer where possible.

The search feature on the front page of pricescope will give you a pretty good idea what things cost, at least with the Pricescope dealers. You will probably find them to be pretty price competitive. You can learn the language by reading the tutorial at the top of the page and then just search for different diamonds and change one item at a time. This will give you a pretty good idea how the various attributes relate to one another and to the price. Unfortunately, it's not really possible to give a straight answer to your question about what a 1 carat stone should cost because there are so many other issues. 30 minutes on Pricescope will teach you a lot.

Different dealers have different policies regarding trade-ins. Many storefront and online dealers will offer this sort of program but the details will vary quite a bit from store to store.

Neil Beaty, GG ISA
Independent Appraisals in Denver

 

[MRS2004]

Mr. Beaty,

I appreciate your time and input. Thank you for both.

 

[Todd07]

Giving a price of 2k per carat is meaningless without the diamond spec. Take a look at the Price Stats link at the top of every prices scope page. From this you can get a good understanding of the $/carat for different diamond specs.




A 0.5 carat IA Cut ranges in cost from $6834/c (D IF) to $1106/c (K I1).




I highly recommend you spend some time reading the tutorial here on pricescope, then you can go back and see what your local jeweler really has to offer.

 

[EdSkinner]

Hop in your car and drive towards Morgantown. Iam sure there is a jeweler somewhere between your house and Morgantown city limits that will serve you well without trying to convert you. How nessary is it that you get a 1.00 ct. stone. Move down on size and up on quality. There are pleanty of .75 ct. out there for the right price. And when you come in for you annual inspection he can sell you a watch. good luck

 

[MRS2004]

I'm really looking for only a .5 carat (I have a .27, .19, and .09 - was hoping to make a .5 with .25s flanking with some channel set accents).

I'll do some more searching (and keep my religious directions in tact!

)