Okay, newbie thinks that wal-mart''s diamonds look tempting...

[MRS2004]

Don''t stone me! The quality (half-hearted, I-quality, I2 clarity "rated") actually looked nice and are price nicely (1/2 ct., round, anniversary $300)

any thoughts/experience on these???

 

[lmurden]

Pleasessssssssss.

Just kidding! If you like how its looks on you then go for it, but I think that you could get a higher quality stone from one of the online venders for a few more bucks. Good luck!

 

[MRS2004]

hee hee hee....sadly, no, I'm not kidding. It is tempting, but I must say that the sales "lady" and her explanation of "we're wal-mart," to my question of how such diamonds can be offered at such prices does run chills down my spine (does that mean that they are stripping underpaid third-world citizens of their dignity to give us a "wal-mart price"??? (no underlying feelings there!).

I AM off to look at my local pawnshop, though, on the advice of a local appraiser..... another cringe!!!

 

[Todd07]

Hi MRS,


- If your eyes say it looks nice, it looks nice

- Walmart margins are probably alot lower than the next door B&M.


- You're on PS so you've probably read the tutorial and know what you are doing.


- Play with the price stat link : 3B cut/ K/ I1/ EGL certs go for $370-600 at .47 carats




IMHO, $300 sounds like a SIM or treated stone in a reasonable setting. Whatever the stone actually it, Walmart sells on price so it's probably a fair deal

 

[MRS2004]

sorry, that's $400 for the 1/2 ctw band! my bad...

 

[MRS2004]

also, dcd is $500, which, including tax on wm's part, may be worth the peace of mind to go more reputable (imho: dcd)

 

[MelissaSue]

For some reason, ever since I got sattellite internet, I can't get the walmart website to load.. Tragic.. I know.. lol

Anyway, you say 1/2 carat total weight anniversary band, and since I can't get walmarts website to load.. I don't know what that looks like.. Is it 3 stones? or more like a solitaire? or what?

I know that I have looked there before and the prices were not THAT good for the quality (but you're right, the diamonds don't LOOK bad).

But.. Let me tell you about my ONLY experience with the walmart jewlery dept. It wasn't even for jewelery. About.. 3 years ago, I saw in walmart these cute little angel ornaments with birthstones in them and they were offering free engraving. So I wanted to get them for my neice and nephew were like 2 and infant at the time.. I didn't have time to have them engraved that day, so I bought them and took them home, and considered going somewhere REAL to have them engraved but, i ran out of time and decided to go the free route and went back to walmart. I believe it was christmas eve or the day before christmas eve that I went back, so I was absolutley out of time.. Well it took me a long time to actually find where the engraving person was, but it turned out it was just whatever walmart employee happened to be working the jewelery counter.. She just used one of those little vibrating engraver pens and it looked like a 3rd Grader who was just learning to write cursive engraved my ornaments. I gave them to my neice and nephew anyway, because they were too little to know better, and when they get bigger it can be a funny story about how their Auntie bought them cheap walmart gifts.
HEHE.. just a little story.. I have nothing against walmart really..
Melissa

 

[CaptAubrey]

wal-mart has low prices on diamonds because a) they buy more than any other retailer by far, and b) they are big enough that they can dictate the prices they pay, i.e., they just tell their suppliers, "these are our price points, you find a way to meet them." as a result, a lot of what they get are badly cut stones known in the trade as "face-up white." these are otherwise poor quality diamonds that are cut to look better and bigger than they "really" are. so you'll get a .10 pointer that looks like a .15 pointer because it's cut very shallow.




but, as noted above, their prices are fair for what you're getting. if it looks nice to you and you've shopped around enough to understand the market, i see no problem with it.

 

[valeria101]

I2 melee doesn't always look transparent! Do those ?

 

[denverappraiser]

Mrs2004,

A picture would be helpful. The difference between 1/2 ct. and 1/2 ctw. is very important. Walmart is the biggest jewelry retailer in the country for good reason - low prices. Their plan is to sell lots and lots of fairly low end goods for reasonable prices. This is the rule in pretty much every department and jewelry is no different. I2 melee is not particularly expensive and there are lots of dealers who will sell you 1/2ct of the stuff and set it into a beautiful ring while staying within your $400 budget. This is not the kind of item that is popular among Pricescope customers but there is nothing wrong with buying it as long as both you and the dealer understand what it is.

If it's exactly what you want, go with it. If not, shop around at the b&m and online dealers. You should be able to find a lovely ring and stay within your finances. Don't let them make you feel bad for your budget, it's a lot of money. Stick to your guns and pick something awsome!

Neil Beaty, GG ISA
Independent Appraisals in Denver

 

[MRS2004]

I would LOVE a nice $20,000 ring, but I have other obligations (plus very small hands).

That said, this band is to be a compliment to my remounted 1/4s and 1/2 ct (my plan) that will be a e-ring type.

 

[wanderlost]

too bad you couldn't get a dozen little EightStars for a ring like that!

 

[quaeritur]

A local, small, independently-owned jewelry store near me carries beautiful F-G VS bands in that style (much better quality stones) for $425! I think you can get better quality for similar prices somewhere else... and help out local businesses while you're at it!

 

[yowahking]

Diamonds are sort of like meat. You could shop by ct wt, and get a 1/2 ct for X price, like getting a pound of hot dogs. Everyone knows they are cheap and not really quality, but many people really like the taste of hot dogs. There is often more profit in the hot dogs of the jewelry industry than the fillet mignon. If you like it, get it. There are places where you could by the same I2 ring "50%" off and still pay more. Mongomery Wards sold lots of I2's at 80% off and still were the same price as Wallmart. Does not mean that it is worth much more than you are paying, but you are not buying it for the trade in value later.

 

[valeria101]

----------------
On 9/9/2004 10:09:01 PM MRS2004 wrote:



That said, this band is to be a compliment to my remounted 1/4s and 1/2 ct (my plan) that will be a e-ring type.----------------

The picture looks fantastic - but I doubt it is of the very product

If the ring really looks that perfect for the price, this is one great deal.