Zales

[knowverylittle]

Insomnia took me to the Zales web-site <- click on this

H-I color, SI2 for $8K!! AND no mention of cut so poor/fair is assumed. OMG, under-informed consumers get ripped off this badly?!? Zales is always packed too.

 

[strmrdr]

ouch!!! :{

 

[Mara]

Sounds like my experience with Shane Co. I don't recall exact details, but I think I was shown something like a 1.20c H SI with no cut details except 'GIA certified' for around $11k.




Oh and then there was the maul jeweler with the pre-set 1.50c G SI for $17k. Yeah sure, and I'll take that bridge out the front window too.

 

[in_need_of_help]

The other day I was in the maul with my gf and decided to go into a few maul shops for educational (for her) and amusement (for me) purposes.This “expert salesperson” showed us a diamond with 58% depth and 64% table and claimed it was an “excellent cut” diamond.The diamond was 1.5ct, H color, SI2 (with an inclusion clearly visible from 12 inches away), GIA cert., and sold for $12,000 (a “great price”).

 

[aljdewey]

Know very little: The key to information being helpful is in the details.




I'm not defending Zales because they are seriously overpriced and typically lacking in quality in their most movable fodder. However, did you note that this price includes a platinum ring which looks to be a Zales version of the Vatche x prong. Are you aware that the Vatche version of that setting runs nearly $1700?




Classic B&M retail DOES run more than internet.....no doubt about it. But look....the internet price for an H, SI2 stone runs somewhere near 5200 for the stone (I'm too lazy to look it up, but the H, si-1 I was just looking at ran 5900 and the I, si1 ran 4876). Add on the vatche setting and it's 6900 or thereabouts.




IF the Zales stone is a premium cut stone (whatever that means), it's still expensive, but that price includes the stone/ring. Sure, it's inflated, but not by 50% or so.

 

[knowverylittle]

I would agree that Vatache settings are way over-priced too, but can understand people paying for the name and 'exclusivity'. Reading older postings it seems they hiked their prices a little while ago. $1700 buys a fantastic setting at Blue Nile/ Mondera. A local B&M Jeweler quoted me about $380 for a run of the mill Platinum Tiffany style ring.

 

[magna2]

Well, it is their own exclusively cut octillion diamond so they can charge whatever ridiculous price they want for it. It is a 82 facet diamond that supposedly outperforms a conventional brilliant cut (whatever that means). They'll show you a brilliantscope report to show you how well this octillion cut performs so that the consumer will think that the $8K for the 1 ct is a bargain compared to their other inventoried round brilliant.

So, if you at it from their perspective, the $8K is such a bargain for such an exceptional cut.

LMAO.

 

[stumpy]

And note that the weight can vary from .01 ct to .05 ct so their 1 ct stone may be really only .95 ct thus lowering its value since it is below the 1 ct threshhold.

 

[Mara]

The Zales replica of the Vatche platinum ring should be nowhere near $1700. The reason that Vatche ring is so expensive is the brand. You can get a replica platinum ring like that for around $500 or at max $1k. Also the stone you were looking at Al is extremely well-cut--who really knows much about this octillion Zales cut.




Though on the flip side, this is a branded Zales stone. So in essence they can price it however they want--no one else has this stone--no market competition for this particular brand. So the discussion on pricing may be entirely moot.

The end result is still that some B&M's or maul jewelers try get one over on the customer with exhorbitant pricing....we've all seen it a time or two