Greetings, everyone. This is my first time posting here at pricescope, so please be kind and forgive me if I make some sort of faux pas. 
I''ve done some perusing of the forums, but wasn''t able to find anything quite along the lines of these questions. If I may have missed something, I''d appreciate a pointer in the right direction.
I have two major questions, which I''ll divide into two parts:
Question #1 - Online vs. Brick & Mortar
I had looking for an engagement ring for my girlfriend, and found an excellent three-stone setting at Whiteflash that is just what she was looking for.
I chose this diamond ("A Cut Above", Ideal cut, polish, and symmetry, 0.437ct, G color, SI1 [eye-clean] clairty)as the center stone and two non-ACA 0.25ct diamonds for the side stones, with both being similar in color, cut, and clarity to the center stone.
I decided to go with Whiteflash after perusing a few local jewelery stores and not being terribly impressed (Zales and Gordon''s were particularly irritating local stores). I ended up purchasing the ring and stones from Whiteflash, and should have them here in about 10 days.
Of course, things never go smoothly: I wanted to see comparable rings at local shops, as well as wanting to see which shops would be suitable for future service on the ring. I visited several different stores, and was quite impressed with Ben Bridge (they had almost the exact same ring, only it was $5,000 rather than $2,400, which is considerably more expensive, even considering that the BB setting was in platinum, and Whiteflash''s in white gold) and Helzberg. The latter had nearly the same ring, only it had 0.14ct sidestones, and cost $2,700.
What impressed me most about Helzberg was the customer service I received at two separate stores. Both were staffed with knowledgeable, friendly staff. Over the last few weeks I had tried to educate myself about the various properties of diamonds (of course, I''m still a rookie at this!
), and once they noticed that I had some knowledge of the subject, they showed me precisely what I was looking for, and answered all the questions I had without being deceptive.
While Whiteflash certainly has excellent customer service and better prices, I noticed that Helzberg offered a sort of service plan: for a $150 one-time fee and regular six-month inspections (offered at no cost, of course), they would guarantee the ring and diamond, as well as provide cleaning, resizing, replating of the white gold, etc. as needed at no cost other than the initial one-time fee. If the diamond was lost, they would replace it with something comparable. All in all, not a bad deal...or so I think.
I''d hate to be penny-wise and pound-foolish by buying an admittedly very nice ring from Whiteflash, but without the same guarantees and support that a local (albeit chain) jeweler would offer for a relatively minor additional cost. I''d expect that replating and cleaning costs over a few years would likely exceed the savings I''d get from Whiteflash.
After such a long introduction, I''ll get to my question: What should I do? Would I be better off buying at a local retail store and getting the additional service plan, even if it means spending a bit more up front, or should I go with Whiteflash and forego the service plan offered by a local jeweler? Is there any aftermarket service plans offered by trustworthy retail/local jewelers that would cover a ring/diamond purchased from a third-party (e.g. Whiteflash)?
Any advice?
=========================
Question #2 - Insurance
I presently have several insurance policies with USAA (car, motorcycle [through a third-party], and renters). I''ve been looking at their Valuable Personal Property insurance to cover the ring.
Is there anything in particular I should be aware of when I call to ask them about a potential policy for this ring? Do most insurance companies cover loss or damage to the stone, what about cleaning and service? I suspect most policies will cover the first two, but not the cleaning and service.
My girlfriend is a high school math teacher, and it would not be unusual for her to bump her hand against the chalkboard, so such coverage against loss/damage would be nice.
Anyone have any ballpark figures one what one should pay for ~$2,500 in coverage? I''m just trying to make sure I don''t get ripped off.
Thanks again!
-Pete
I''ve done some perusing of the forums, but wasn''t able to find anything quite along the lines of these questions. If I may have missed something, I''d appreciate a pointer in the right direction.
I have two major questions, which I''ll divide into two parts:
Question #1 - Online vs. Brick & Mortar
I had looking for an engagement ring for my girlfriend, and found an excellent three-stone setting at Whiteflash that is just what she was looking for.
I chose this diamond ("A Cut Above", Ideal cut, polish, and symmetry, 0.437ct, G color, SI1 [eye-clean] clairty)as the center stone and two non-ACA 0.25ct diamonds for the side stones, with both being similar in color, cut, and clarity to the center stone.
I decided to go with Whiteflash after perusing a few local jewelery stores and not being terribly impressed (Zales and Gordon''s were particularly irritating local stores). I ended up purchasing the ring and stones from Whiteflash, and should have them here in about 10 days.
Of course, things never go smoothly: I wanted to see comparable rings at local shops, as well as wanting to see which shops would be suitable for future service on the ring. I visited several different stores, and was quite impressed with Ben Bridge (they had almost the exact same ring, only it was $5,000 rather than $2,400, which is considerably more expensive, even considering that the BB setting was in platinum, and Whiteflash''s in white gold) and Helzberg. The latter had nearly the same ring, only it had 0.14ct sidestones, and cost $2,700.
What impressed me most about Helzberg was the customer service I received at two separate stores. Both were staffed with knowledgeable, friendly staff. Over the last few weeks I had tried to educate myself about the various properties of diamonds (of course, I''m still a rookie at this!
While Whiteflash certainly has excellent customer service and better prices, I noticed that Helzberg offered a sort of service plan: for a $150 one-time fee and regular six-month inspections (offered at no cost, of course), they would guarantee the ring and diamond, as well as provide cleaning, resizing, replating of the white gold, etc. as needed at no cost other than the initial one-time fee. If the diamond was lost, they would replace it with something comparable. All in all, not a bad deal...or so I think.
I''d hate to be penny-wise and pound-foolish by buying an admittedly very nice ring from Whiteflash, but without the same guarantees and support that a local (albeit chain) jeweler would offer for a relatively minor additional cost. I''d expect that replating and cleaning costs over a few years would likely exceed the savings I''d get from Whiteflash.
After such a long introduction, I''ll get to my question: What should I do? Would I be better off buying at a local retail store and getting the additional service plan, even if it means spending a bit more up front, or should I go with Whiteflash and forego the service plan offered by a local jeweler? Is there any aftermarket service plans offered by trustworthy retail/local jewelers that would cover a ring/diamond purchased from a third-party (e.g. Whiteflash)?
Any advice?
=========================
Question #2 - Insurance
I presently have several insurance policies with USAA (car, motorcycle [through a third-party], and renters). I''ve been looking at their Valuable Personal Property insurance to cover the ring.
Is there anything in particular I should be aware of when I call to ask them about a potential policy for this ring? Do most insurance companies cover loss or damage to the stone, what about cleaning and service? I suspect most policies will cover the first two, but not the cleaning and service.
My girlfriend is a high school math teacher, and it would not be unusual for her to bump her hand against the chalkboard, so such coverage against loss/damage would be nice.
Anyone have any ballpark figures one what one should pay for ~$2,500 in coverage? I''m just trying to make sure I don''t get ripped off.
Thanks again!
-Pete
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