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Why do you buy jewelry from large retail stores over a small local jewelry store?

3,723 1,163 October 16, 2017 at 09:29 AM
Usually the sale prices at a place like Macy's, Zales, Kays and etc...are more expensive than the starting price of a local jeweler. What advantage do you see as someone trying to save money from buying from the department stores?
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dealnewb
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Joined Nov 2006
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LC2
10-22-2017 at 03:39 AM.
10-22-2017 at 03:39 AM.
Quote from dealnewb :
Usually the sale prices at a place like Macy's, Zales, Kays and etc...are more expensive than the starting price of a local jeweler. What advantage do you see as someone trying to save money from buying from the department stores?
Bump

People here are fond of Blue Nile. Don't know why. There have been investigations (Google it) into whether the quality of jewelry in department or discount stores is comparable to that of actual jewelry stores. Costco, IIRC, was one store that passed the quality test for diamonds.
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Novakingwai
10-22-2017 at 05:16 AM.
10-22-2017 at 05:16 AM.
Jewelry is the biggest scam ever invented. Especially diamonds. The debeers group started it. You can look it up of you don't believe me. Basically all you're paying for is the stores commission. Buy used or from a small place. You'll get much better deals. It's just people are brain washed from an early age that you ha e to buy new. It's hard to convince a woman to buy a used ring for a wedding, even though all you have to do to sell a ring as New is separate the diamond from ab old ring and put it on a new one. Most of your gold in the market is recycled.
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MattP725
10-23-2017 at 06:37 AM.
10-23-2017 at 06:37 AM.
I actually purchased my fiance's ring from James Allen. I did a lot of research beforehand and the general consensus is your big box retailers will give you much lower quality diamonds at a higher (or at least equal) price.

As another had mentioned, I did hear good things about Costco however the selection is much smaller. We all know that diamonds are a scam. There is no rational reason why something the size of a pencil eraser costs upwards of 10k. They are not an investment either. Search websites for people selling "used" diamonds. They are always discounted pretty significantly.

You are much more likely to get a better deal/price at a local small jeweler. You'll also get someone with more knowledge than an hourly wage worker at a shopping mall making a commission.

Check out Pricescope.com... amazing website for diamond/jewelry info. Saved me a ton.
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Bareborn
10-23-2017 at 09:49 AM.
10-23-2017 at 09:49 AM.
Only reason I bought it from a common jewelry store was that if we moved the likely hood of getting it cleaned,re-sized, fixed was going to be much easier.
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johnperkins899
10-23-2017 at 11:04 AM.
10-23-2017 at 11:04 AM.
Quote from Novakingwai :
Jewelry is the biggest scam ever invented. Especially diamonds. The debeers group started it. You can look it up of you don't believe me. Basically all you're paying for is the stores commission. Buy used or from a small place. You'll get much better deals. It's just people are brain washed from an early age that you ha e to buy new. It's hard to convince a woman to buy a used ring for a wedding, even though all you have to do to sell a ring as New is separate the diamond from ab old ring and put it on a new one. Most of your gold in the market is recycled.
It's a scam because they are fake or because they were replaced?
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Kabn
10-23-2017 at 12:16 PM.
10-23-2017 at 12:16 PM.
The only time I've purchased a significant piece of jewelry (engagement ring/wedding band combo), I went to a local shop because I wanted (and got) a full custom job. Part of me wonders how much she got for it after the divorce.

As mentioned, if you're going to get something that will benefit from regular cleaning/buffing (like platinum), it might be nice to get it from a place that has many locations and will do that for free. Then again, many local stores will do stuff like that for free just to get you in the store. Resizes could also be a factor.

Outside of rings, I'd just do some research to find the best cost/quality ratio, same as any other good. Bracelets, necklaces, and other pieces don't seem like they'd be as dependent on future services for differentiation as rings, so it becomes more of a commodity, allowing many sellers into the market and driving competition.

Then again, my jewelry wants are minimal and I won't date someone who expects me to buy her jewelry for anything but a wedding and maybe a birthday once every few years, so I don't worry about it.
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Last edited by Kabn October 23, 2017 at 12:19 PM.
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