Ring warranty

[kondos]

I will be buying an engagment ring soon and have been looking at some different options.

1. buying from a Jewlery store such as Jared, Wedding Day Diamonds or Shane Co.
2. I have a friend whos family is in the business thus allowing me to purchase a diamond and setting at wholesale price.

With option 2 I would be getting a great ring for much less but no warranty. Here is the question, how important is the warranty that comes with buying a ring from a "box" store?

Any advice is much appreciated!! Thanks!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

The warranty is usually inconsequential unless you purchase a setting with pave (tiny diamonds) all over it. You insure your ring for loss or damage anyway, so the warranty covers manufacturing defects which we rarely see on here unless there is pave involved.

But, I will tell you that at least 95% of the time, these "friend of the family" diamond purchases almost always turn out badly for the buyer. They usually find out after the fact that the diamond isn't all that great and neither was the price. So be forewarned!

Your very best bet is to insist on seeing nothing but GIA certified diamonds that have the Excellent cut grade. Anything else and you'll be in trouble. Then tell them you want to sleep on it. Get a copy of the GIA report and post the numbers here. We can also help you do a price search to be sure you are getting a good deal on the price.

 

[Dancing Fire]

The warranty is usually inconsequential unless you purchase a setting with pave (tiny diamonds) all over it. You insure your ring for loss or damage anyway, so the warranty covers manufacturing defects which we rarely see on here unless there is pave involved.

But, I will tell you that at least 95% of the time, these "friend of the family" diamond purchases almost always turn out badly for the buyer. They usually find out after the fact that the diamond isn't all that great and neither was the price. So be forewarned!

Your very best bet is to insist on seeing nothing but GIA certified diamonds that have the Excellent cut grade. Anything else and you'll be in trouble. Then tell them you want to sleep on it. Get a copy of the GIA report and post the numbers here. We can also help you do a price search to be sure you are getting a good deal on the price.

99.99% of the time...

 

[Gypsy]

The warranty is usually inconsequential unless you purchase a setting with pave (tiny diamonds) all over it. You insure your ring for loss or damage anyway, so the warranty covers manufacturing defects which we rarely see on here unless there is pave involved.

But, I will tell you that at least 95% of the time, these "friend of the family" diamond purchases almost always turn out badly for the buyer. They usually find out after the fact that the diamond isn't all that great and neither was the price. So be forewarned!

Your very best bet is to insist on seeing nothing but GIA certified diamonds that have the Excellent cut grade. Anything else and you'll be in trouble. Then tell them you want to sleep on it. Get a copy of the GIA report and post the numbers here. We can also help you do a price search to be sure you are getting a good deal on the price.

99.99% of the time...

Yup. I'd skip both options.

 

[kondos]

Thanks for the advice! It sounds like either options would not be a good "deal." If going through my friend it would be through stuller.com. Is this a decent place? Any other suggestions on where to go? I am not all that familiar with ring/diamond purchasing, it is my first engagment ring.

 

[stargurl78]

I don't think the mall store warranties mean much any more with so many places going out of business lately. Besides, that you will often pay too much for the quality you are getting with these stores (although I do have 2 friends with very lovely rings from these stores, but I'm unsure of what they paid).

And I agree with the above posters who state that it is never a good idea to go through a friend.

Post the style and specs of what you are looking for, along with your budget, and we'll try to help you get the most for your money.

 

[kondos]

These are ideas that came from her when we first started looking. My budget is around $4,000-$5,000. One thing I cant stand is visible inclusions. A buddy of mine bought a big ring and the moment you take a look at it you can see them.



http://www.shaneco.com/Catalog/StoneSelector.aspx?PN=4929|39820&O=LSDia&XS=906334&SS=181|179&PH=3000&PL=0&CH=10&CL=0&RH=10&RL=2&LH=10&LL=1&DT=1

http://www.shaneco.com/Catalog/StoneSelector.aspx?PN=29649&O=LSDia&XS=906334&SS=181|179&PH=3000&PL=0&CH=10&CL=0&RH=10&RL=2&LH=10&LL=1&DT=1

http://www.shaneco.com/Catalog/MyBuiltItem.aspx?BID=519964

http://www.shaneco.com/Catalog/MyBuiltItem.aspx?BID=519967

Thanks!!!!!

 

[Sparklelu]

Well if you dont want to be able to see visible inclusions then steer faaaar away from I1-2 because that screams has visible inclusions except for very rare circumstances. I would use a vendor that will give you all the specs on the stone as well as is able to tell you if the stone has visible from what ever your idea of eye clean is. Brian Gavin, Good old Gold, Whiteflash, ID jewelry all come very highly recommended. And will provide you with images and reports to help you choose. I'm sure others far more knowledgeable than I am will chime in. Suffice it to say with the help of PS you will be able to get a beautiful stone with great optics that will blow other rings away. Listen to the gurus here!

 

[webdiva]

These are ideas that came from her when we first started looking. My budget is around $4,000-$5,000. One thing I cant stand is visible inclusions. A buddy of mine bought a big ring and the moment you take a look at it you can see them.



http://www.shaneco.com/Catalog/StoneSelector.aspx?PN=4929|39820&O=LSDia&XS=906334&SS=181|179&PH=3000&PL=0&CH=10&CL=0&RH=10&RL=2&LH=10&LL=1&DT=1

http://www.shaneco.com/Catalog/StoneSelector.aspx?PN=29649&O=LSDia&XS=906334&SS=181|179&PH=3000&PL=0&CH=10&CL=0&RH=10&RL=2&LH=10&LL=1&DT=1

http://www.shaneco.com/Catalog/MyBuiltItem.aspx?BID=519964

http://www.shaneco.com/Catalog/MyBuiltItem.aspx?BID=519967

Thanks!!!!!

I see two different styles, with the more simple one having some ornate stuff inside the ring, correct? What are her favorite parts of those rings? And I see that one of them is $1350 which is not so bad - leaves you about $2500 for the stone at another vendor?

 

[webdiva]

Some options to get you started and give you an idea of what's out there:
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9227/
Seems to have pretty good performance based on the documentation presented.

Some reasonably priced settings that have similar settings to what she likes:
http://www.gabrielengaged.com

IDJewelry also has access to Gabriel & Co. and can suggest some stones for you.

 

[oldminer]

You are getting some good positive suggestions now. However the first couple "But, I will tell you that at least 95% of the time" are not based on facts, but seat of the pants reactions. Remember, 87% of statistical results quoted are made up purely on the spot

I just had a consumer last night who bought a diamond ring on-line from a good vendor and went into Jared's where they Say a sales person told them their diamond was a fake. Even if this was not exactly what happened, since there likely is a different version Jared's person might give, they came a long way after work to me to be sure before they really panicked. It was a very nice diamond and 100% not a fake stone. Many B&M retailers "knock" purchases made anywhere else. Whether you bought from a nearby competitor, a jeweler in another town, or on-line, these stores must encourage their staff to beat up on the competition by instilling fear or disappointment in your mind. This is a long standing situation which has created so much distrust surrounding almost every type of retailer. It is 100% counterproductive to long term business, and I just made that statistic up on the fly, too.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

You are getting some good positive suggestions now. However the first couple "But, I will tell you that at least 95% of the time" are not based on facts, but seat of the pants reactions. Remember, 87% of statistical results quoted are made up purely on the spot

I just had a consumer last night who bought a diamond ring on-line from a good vendor and went into Jared's where they Say a sales person told them their diamond was a fake. Even if this was not exactly what happened, since there likely is a different version Jared's person might give, they came a long way after work to me to be sure before they really panicked. It was a very nice diamond and 100% not a fake stone. Many B&M retailers "knock" purchases made anywhere else. Whether you bought from a nearby competitor, a jeweler in another town, or on-line, these stores must encourage their staff to beat up on the competition by instilling fear or disappointment in your mind. This is a long standing situation which has created so much distrust surrounding almost every type of retailer. It is 100% counterproductive to long term business, and I just made that statistic up on the fly, too.

Yes, Jared's did similar to me! They didn't say my diamonds were fake, but they said they were bad quality. Keep in mind, they were AGS certified branded H&A F SI1s. EVERY OTHER jewelry store I ever took them into said they were two of the prettiest diamonds they had ever seen. But, the people in Jared's (including the manager) said they were cloudy. Then they went on to put down specific online vendors they claimed to never have heard of. They are flat out intimidated by online diamond vendors and make up stuff to try to have a consumer question their own judgement. They'll do anything to make a sale.

 

[mandasand]

Kondos,
I originally was going to buy my ring from ShaneCo...I really do love them and they aren't a typical "mall" store, IMO. They have the best customer service. But, I just wasn't impressed with their diamonds. They have a lot of nice settings, but something was lacking for me there too, when compared to other retailers. I found a lovely setting and SO MANY options from Gabriel & Co. Seriously, the quality is not even comparable to ShaneCo, I tried them both on in person, Gabriel blew the ShaneCo setting out of the water.

If you are not looking to buy online, then you can find a local vendor that carries Gabriel. Just complete the form online and they will email you a local jeweler that carries Gabriel. Or, you can go with the several online vendors that carry this designer like Good Old Gold or ID Jewelery.

 

[kondos]

Thanks for all of the advice! I am weary of buying online.... I am the kind of person that likes to see it in my hand before handing over thousands of dollars... The problem with buying from a "box" store is that the mark up is rediculous and they dont care about the quality your receiving. That is why I asked about the warranty because I have heard stories of diamonds falling out etc. When I was talking to my friend he said that I would be getting my ring from Stuller. The same distibutor that say, Jared gets there diamonds and stuff from, it would just be wholesale price, but no warranty. But then again there is the quality thing.... To many decisions!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Okay, let me restate my original comment as I truly did not do a true statistical analysis to be sure that the 95% was exact. For some factual information, I have been here for more than 6 years and have read hundreds of thousands of posts (based on the fact that I have written 26,969 posts as I write this reply). I recall many disasters with people buying from friends of friends and friends of the family and I can only recall one where the guy got a nice quality stone at a really good price. That is just my personal observation. However, if your family happens to be friends with Jonathan Weingarten or Debi Wexler or Bill Pearlman or Jim Schultz or Wink Jones or Brian Gavin, etc., then I can tell you with certainty that those would be VERY good friends to have!

Stuller is just a company that makes lots of settings and jewelry findings. That is who makes many of the basic 4 and 6 prong tiffany style settings you'll see at jewelers everywhere. I think that is fine for a simple setting. I don't see the setting warranty issue as being relevant. If your diamond comes out of the setting and is lost, your insurance policy on the ring will cover it. You want insurance to cover the stone chipping, falling out, the ring getting lost or stolen, etc. A warranty does not cover all these things. You have to have the ring covered as a scheduled rider on homeowners insurance or take out a jewelry insurance policy from Jeweler's Mutual.

What is a much bigger task is getting a really well cut, beautiful diamond at a fair price. I was not able to do that locally so I had to do it online, and my jewelry purchases after that have all been with trusted vendors who have an online presence, but some also have an actual jewelry store. If you want to buy from the friend do two things. First, tell him that you only want GIA Excellent cut stones to consider, period. Then come post the info from the grading reports here. Then we can tell you which stones are likely to be best and also what price comps are to be sure you are really getting a good deal. It is possible to get a good stone if you stick to your guns and don't get swept away by the first sparkles you see! Good luck!

 

[Christina...]

Okay, let me restate my original comment as I truly did not do a true statistical analysis to be sure that the 95% was exact. For some factual information, I have been here for more than 6 years and have read hundreds of thousands of posts (based on the fact that I have written 26,969 posts as I write this reply). I recall many disasters with people buying from friends of friends and friends of the family and I can only recall one where the guy got a nice quality stone at a really good price. That is just my personal observation. However, if your family happens to be friends with Jonathan Weingarten or Debi Wexler or Bill Pearlman or Jim Schultz or Wink Jones or Brian Gavin, etc., then I can tell you with certainty that those would be VERY good friends to have!

Stuller is just a company that makes lots of settings and jewelry findings. That is who makes many of the basic 4 and 6 prong tiffany style settings you'll see at jewelers everywhere. I think that is fine for a simple setting. I don't see the setting warranty issue as being relevant. If your diamond comes out of the setting and is lost, your insurance policy on the ring will cover it. You want insurance to cover the stone chipping, falling out, the ring getting lost or stolen, etc. A warranty does not cover all these things. You have to have the ring covered as a scheduled rider on homeowners insurance or take out a jewelry insurance policy from Jeweler's Mutual.

What is a much bigger task is getting a really well cut, beautiful diamond at a fair price. I was not able to do that locally so I had to do it online, and my jewelry purchases after that have all been with trusted vendors who have an online presence, but some also have an actual jewelry store. If you want to buy from the friend do two things. First, tell him that you only want GIA Excellent cut stones to consider, period. Then come post the info from the grading reports here. Then we can tell you which stones are likely to be best and also what price comps are to be sure you are really getting a good deal. It is possible to get a good stone if you stick to your guns and don't get swept away by the first sparkles you see! Good luck!

I actually thought that it was closer to the 99.99% that DF posted! I wouldn't buy a car from a friend. I wouldn't borrow money from a friend and I wouldn't purchase a diamond from a friend. It can change the dynamic of the relationship if things go wrong, and frankly, real friends are too hard to come by, I'll keep all I have.

 

[denverappraiser]

At the risk of sounding self serving, if you're going to buy from a friend or even an FOF, get it appraised. Tell them on day 1 that you intend to do so and that you will do it no matter who you buy from, friend or not. YOU choose the appraiser. Blame it on paranoid people Pricescope. *IF* there's a problem you can now blame it on the appraiser. At worst you get better documentation and are out a few bucks and at best you save a friendship.

In terms of warranty, I agree with the above. Beyond outright manufacturing defects, which you deal with by the above appraisal, the coverage from a standard type insurance polich is better anyway.

 

[mandasand]

Kondos,
I totally understand your apprehension about buying online..."sight unseen," but that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice quality because of it. If you shop at Jared, be warned that they will try and sell you overpriced jewelry AND THEN make you pay for a warranty. That's just bad customer service. ShaneCo is much better because they at least have good customer service. They also have a way better setting selection than Jared...some really unique pieces. BUT, if you want a good quality diamond, you really have to push them. Sometimes they won't even sell you certified diamonds. Tell them you only want to see AGS or GIA certified stones. Tell them you only want to see the "Shane Classic" diamonds, which are all certified and ideal cut.

Or, try and find a reputable local jeweler that has an ASET, ideal scope and all the cool diamond equipment and really knows diamonds and can source you the right stone. They may not have as many setting selections, but sometimes they can source that too. For example, the local jeweler I am working with carries Gabriel & Co but didn't have the setting I wanted to try on, so he ordered it for me. It was that simple.

Also, the way to avoid having to worry about the stones falling out is to make sure you have it cleaned and examined every 6 months or so. If it happens, as long as the ring is insured using your home owner's insurance or through company like Jeweler's Mutual, the mall store warranties don't even matter.

 

[ImmaSquashYou]

I just want to state that it is true to NOT go through a friend. I'm currently in the process, and had this happen to me not more than a week or so ago. I have a good friend, whose "best friend" whose family business is wholesaling diamonds. I didn't think too much of it, but the prices he was quoting me gave me concerned me since it was a bit higher than all the prices i've been looking at when compared to bluenile and such. And he claims that he is the one wholesaling to them. I believe however, that i was lucky, to be able to find out how much he was trying to overcharge me and that the diamond i was getting, was NOT very good. He showed me two diamonds, one that is SI2, and one that is SI1. The si2, he was quoting me $6200. The Si1, he was quoting me $7200. Now, he assured me that there was no way there could be ANYONE cheaper than him. This also was how i find it weird and kind of shady. The $6200 one, he had the laminated gia certificate. The $7200 one, he only had a copy of the gia report, not a big deal to me. So i asked if i could take a pic of the reports and sleep on it, he said should sure, so i did.

I went home, and later searched on bluenile to see what prices came up in comparison to what he quoted me. A very fortunate thing happened to me. I was able to find the SAME EXACT DIAMOND with the SAME GIA REPORT number on blue nile. My heart stopped, as i was unsure how can he have the same diamond as bluenile? Anyways, i've giving him the benefit of the doubt that this diamond in fact is supplied BY them to bluenile. However, the price on bluenile?? It was $6400. $800 less! I wouldn't of even been mad if he charged me $6400 (same price as bluenile), or even $6600. But $800 more when he knows i'm on a very tight budget?!?!?!?! i also want to point it that the representative of bluenile told me that particular diamond is NOT worth the $6400 and that it was very likely to be chipped because of the thin girdle. After that, i already know that whatever diamond he can find for me later on, won't matter. Because i can no longer trust him. BUT, this was my own personal experience. And just remember, a recommended jeweler, is DIFFERENT than a friend who is a jeweler.

 

[Sparkle524]

The warranty is usually inconsequential unless you purchase a setting with pave (tiny diamonds) all over it. You insure your ring for loss or damage anyway, so the warranty covers manufacturing defects which we rarely see on here unless there is pave involved.

But, I will tell you that at least 95% of the time, these "friend of the family" diamond purchases almost always turn out badly for the buyer. They usually find out after the fact that the diamond isn't all that great and neither was the price. So be forewarned!

Your very best bet is to insist on seeing nothing but GIA certified diamonds that have the Excellent cut grade. Anything else and you'll be in trouble. Then tell them you want to sleep on it. Get a copy of the GIA report and post the numbers here. We can also help you do a price search to be sure you are getting a good deal on the price.

Oh gosh, I totally agree. Especially with the FOF comment. Before I found PS my husband's friend and coworker suggested his best friend who was in the diamond business. Well we were too trusting and to make a long story short, we were out $12K by the time the whole fiasco was over. I'd have to say that it was partially our fault because we were too trusting and assumed that there was no way that he would jeopardize his reputation because his best friend referred us. Well we were wrong!! Stay very far away from FOFs!!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I guess I need to start copying posts like the last couple so I can have some official statistics.

 

[marcy]

I am an odd ball on PS in that I really value and appreciate the warranties on my jewelry. I have quite a few things from the Shane Co and some things from Jareds. I truly appreciate being able to walk in to their store and have my jewelry fixed or tweaked for free. My ring sizes change between summer and winter and I can get them sized for free. I have insurance on my ering but other than losing the entire ring or breaking the diamond I'd rather have the convenience of the jeweler taking care of any issues than trying to go through an insurance company. A plus for the Shane Co. is their upgrade policy on loose stones is really good - you only have to spend a dollar more. Both Jareds and Shane Co carry AGS0 and GIA EX diamonds but usually they only have a few of those in the store to see.

Have fun shopping!

 

[denverappraiser]

I was able to find the SAME EXACT DIAMOND with the SAME GIA REPORT number on blue nile. My heart stopped, as i was unsure how can he have the same diamond as bluenile

Squash,

That happens more often than you might think. The way the diamond business mostly works these days is on a system known in the trade as memorandum. It's basically a consignment deal where you tell the store what you want and they memo it in from some supplier. If you buy it, they take their commission and pay the seller and if you don't buy it it goes back and waits for the next customer to come along. It's actually a fairly efficient and reasonable system that benefits both the buyer and the seller. The 'virtual' diamond lists that you see on BN and other big sites like that aren't usually owned by the advertiser at all. They're just listing the data and, if you order it, they'll memo it in and sell it to you. Sometimes they even drop ship it directly to you from the wholesaler. It's actually fairly common for several different people to be listing the same stone at the same time for different prices. You can see it live in the database here if you shop for some set of specs and look carefully at the listings. It's not at all unusual to see the same stone 2 or 4 times. NONE of these folks own it.

Your guy is probably getting it from the same source as BN but neither one of them actually owns it and neither one actually has posession of it. He's putting a bigger markup on it. You can ask HIM why that is. It's certainly his right to charge whatever he wants just as it's your right to shop wherever you want. He can also call himself 'wholesale' if he likes and may be he even does some of that but what's going on HERE is a retail transaction. That makes him a retailer (not that there's anything wrong with that by the way but since he's the one who brought it up ....).

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I am an odd ball on PS in that I really value and appreciate the warranties on my jewelry. I have quite a few things from the Shane Co and some things from Jareds. I truly appreciate being able to walk in to their store and have my jewelry fixed or tweaked for free. My ring sizes change between summer and winter and I can get them sized for free. I have insurance on my ering but other than losing the entire ring or breaking the diamond I'd rather have the convenience of the jeweler taking care of any issues than trying to go through an insurance company. A plus for the Shane Co. is their upgrade policy on loose stones is really good - you only have to spend a dollar more. Both Jareds and Shane Co carry AGS0 and GIA EX diamonds but usually they only have a few of those in the store to see.

Have fun shopping!

Marcy, I'd never use jewelry insurance for routine repairs. I have it to replace items that are lost, stolen, or damaged beyond simple repair. With a store warranty, you are basically paying more for your items up front to cover possible maintenance. And that is certainly fine if that is your preference. I choose to buy for less at the outset and then pay for my repairs and resizings as needed. But I'll have to tell you, I rarely ever have anything that needs to be done to my jewelry. I didn't need a thing done to my original e-ring for 25 years, and then I finally had it sized up a little and had my prongs retipped. I have hardly had anything else other than having watch batteries replaced! So my point is, we all pay for maintenance whether we pay up front or pay as we go!

 

[Laila619]

I am an odd ball on PS in that I really value and appreciate the warranties on my jewelry. I have quite a few things from the Shane Co and some things from Jareds. I truly appreciate being able to walk in to their store and have my jewelry fixed or tweaked for free. My ring sizes change between summer and winter and I can get them sized for free. I have insurance on my ering but other than losing the entire ring or breaking the diamond I'd rather have the convenience of the jeweler taking care of any issues than trying to go through an insurance company.

I do, too. The warranties are really great--free rhodium plating, free re-sizing, free cleaning, free tightening of prongs, free repairs. I'm not sure why they always get slammed on PS? I think my husband paid $50 bucks for the warranty on my e-ring, and it covers all of the above. That's a small price to pay for all that.

 

[ImmaSquashYou]

I was able to find the SAME EXACT DIAMOND with the SAME GIA REPORT number on blue nile. My heart stopped, as i was unsure how can he have the same diamond as bluenile

Squash,

That happens more often than you might think. The way the diamond business mostly works these days is on a system known in the trade as memorandum. It's basically a consignment deal where you tell the store what you want and they memo it in from some supplier. If you buy it, they take their commission and pay the seller and if you don't buy it it goes back and waits for the next customer to come along. It's actually a fairly efficient and reasonable system that benefits both the buyer and the seller. The 'virtual' diamond lists that you see on BN and other big sites like that aren't usually owned by the advertiser at all. They're just listing the data and, if you order it, they'll memo it in and sell it to you. Sometimes they even drop ship it directly to you from the wholesaler. It's actually fairly common for several different people to be listing the same stone at the same time for different prices. You can see it live in the database here if you shop for some set of specs and look carefully at the listings. It's not at all unusual to see the same stone 2 or 4 times. NONE of these folks own it.

Your guy is probably getting it from the same source as BN but neither one of them actually owns it and neither one actually has posession of it. He's putting a bigger markup on it. You can ask HIM why that is. It's certainly his right to charge whatever he wants just as it's your right to shop wherever you want. He can also call himself 'wholesale' if he likes and may be he even does some of that but what's going on HERE is a retail transaction. That makes him a retailer (not that there's anything wrong with that by the way but since he's the one who brought it up ....).

Denver, i understand that it can be listed 2-4 times on different websites. Which is why whiteflash can't guarantee their selection. I'm not sure if i made it clear, but he PHYSICALLY showed me the diamond, meaning the diamond was in HIS possession at the time. He was doing this as a "favor" for me. However, it wasn't the laminated GIA certificate he showed, but a copied one (i didn't think it was that big of a deal since i wasn't purchasing it right then). So there are a few ways that i see this. either A) he is the actual wholesaler that BLUENILE gets the diamond from, and in which he is charging me more than what he is charging blue nile, B) he sourced the diamond from the ACTUAL wholesaler just like where BLUENILE gets it from, and, like you said, is actually retailer or C) the diamond wasn't the diamond on the GIA certificate and would of purchased it on BLUENILE and then resold it to me at a higher cost. Either one you pick, i was still lied to since he specifically told me that he is a wholesaler, and that his prices cannot be beat even by online retailers because he is the one that is wholesaling to them. So either way, i was getting the short end of the stick there no?

P.S. sorry op that this got off topic. Denver, perhaps there is another way to look at this and i didn't see an option D? maybe we can discuss this over pm?

 

[denverappraiser]

Those are basically the choices but D would be that he's faster on the trigger than BN and ordered in the stone for you to show it when you asked about it. FedEx offers a pretty good service. Occasionally it's even local. It's not even out of the question that he IS the listing seller on the virtual listing service. There are thousands of them, some with a few stones and some with a lot. It doesn't really matter.

The test for a retailer is actually pretty easy. Ask them to sell you a diamond. If they agree, they're a retailer. If they refuse but refer you to some specific outfit to buy it, they're probably a retailer (because the companies are related). If they refuse but refer you to a list of places that they recommend you shop at then they are a wholesaler (and the folks on the list are their dealers). Again, I don't have a problem with retailers. I'm picking on him because he's obviously a retailer but claiming something contrary to the obvious facts. It doesn't even matter if he makes a few or even a lot of 'wholesale' deals with other people. YOU are a retail client and he knows it. That makes him a retailer.

 

[marcy]

I am an odd ball on PS in that I really value and appreciate the warranties on my jewelry. I have quite a few things from the Shane Co and some things from Jareds. I truly appreciate being able to walk in to their store and have my jewelry fixed or tweaked for free. My ring sizes change between summer and winter and I can get them sized for free. I have insurance on my ering but other than losing the entire ring or breaking the diamond I'd rather have the convenience of the jeweler taking care of any issues than trying to go through an insurance company. A plus for the Shane Co. is their upgrade policy on loose stones is really good - you only have to spend a dollar more. Both Jareds and Shane Co carry AGS0 and GIA EX diamonds but usually they only have a few of those in the store to see.

Have fun shopping!

Marcy, I'd never use jewelry insurance for routine repairs. I have it to replace items that are lost, stolen, or damaged beyond simple repair. With a store warranty, you are basically paying more for your items up front to cover possible maintenance. And that is certainly fine if that is your preference. I choose to buy for less at the outset and then pay for my repairs and resizings as needed. But I'll have to tell you, I rarely ever have anything that needs to be done to my jewelry. I didn't need a thing done to my original e-ring for 25 years, and then I finally had it sized up a little and had my prongs retipped. I have hardly had anything else other than having watch batteries replaced! So my point is, we all pay for maintenance whether we pay up front or pay as we go!

Good points, Diamondseeker. The place I have a lot of jewelry from doesn't have your pay extra for a warranty but as you say it is probably included in their price. I don't have many problems with my jewelry either and you are probably like me that you take care of your jewelry but I have had the occasional channel set diamond come loose, or an accent diamond fall out, or a prong need tightened but nothing major. It depends on the piece of jewelry and how much it costs whether the warranty matters to me or not. I have bought many wonderful pieces of jewelry online but they are things that would be low maintenance like studs or a pendant.

 

[marcy]

I am an odd ball on PS in that I really value and appreciate the warranties on my jewelry. I have quite a few things from the Shane Co and some things from Jareds. I truly appreciate being able to walk in to their store and have my jewelry fixed or tweaked for free. My ring sizes change between summer and winter and I can get them sized for free. I have insurance on my ering but other than losing the entire ring or breaking the diamond I'd rather have the convenience of the jeweler taking care of any issues than trying to go through an insurance company.

I do, too. The warranties are really great--free rhodium plating, free re-sizing, free cleaning, free tightening of prongs, free repairs. I'm not sure why they always get slammed on PS? I think my husband paid $50 bucks for the warranty on my e-ring, and it covers all of the above. That's a small price to pay for all that.

Laila619, I agree. Most of my jewelry either came with included warranties or have the ones you pay a percentage of the price paid. While I have rarely used them for repairs i feel the free resizing, rhodium plating and prong tightening have more than made up for the money I paid for them. I like the no hassle no questions asked ability to walk in hand my jewelry over to be fixed and it doesn't cost me a dime.