Post # 1
Member
1122 posts
Bumble bee
So, I lost me engagement ring. Weve looked everywhere, and its nowhere to be found. I am looking into replacement options, but since our insurance will only pay $1000 towards it, im looking for something that we can upgrade later. Im hoping to get just a solitaire with a high quality diamond (size doesnt really matter) for around $1500. I would rather not shop at Kays, as they ruined my first ring, and I have just had awful experiences with their customer service. I went to Tiffanys today because I always said I wanted a Tiffanys ring, but the guy was really jerky when he showed me the beautiful flawless .16 ct solitaire for $1500. Saying it was a baby ring and to buy a bigger stone. I told him what my budget was and that we would be upgrading it in a few years, but I had just lost my ring, and we are saving to move and to buy a house. He was super pushy about buying the $3000 ring right then and just coming home to tell my husband id spent that mich money. Lol. No way!! Honestly, as much as I thought Tiffanys customer service was supposed to be great, I was ddisappointed after that. So are there any stores that you would recommend that are considered “chains”, that have quality pieces for a decent price and good customer service? I would love to buy local or from a mom and pop, but given the situation, id rather know my new ring was guaranteed and that I would be able to upgrade to a larger stone when we have the extra money later. If you have any recommendations, I would really appreciate it. =)
Post # 3
Member
263 posts
Helper bee
Try Zales they are having a big sale too. Or blue Nile. there is a huge mark up on chain stores.
Post # 4
Member
1122 posts
Bumble bee
@Inlove2001: I know there is, and I hate that, but with my husband being military we need a store that will have other locations. Is Zales customer service good? Ive never dealt with them before. After my horrible experience with Kays I vowed no more chains. The engagement ring I lost was from Kays, but I wouldnt let them touch it as it was a replacement for my original set that they ruined.
Post # 5
Member
263 posts
Helper bee
I have had mixed reviews about them. you could try online. Etsy has great prices and beautiful styles.
Post # 6
Member
263 posts
Helper bee
Try overstock.com. I just looked. They gave good qualities within that price range.
Post # 7
Member
522 posts
Busy bee
@ChellFish22: Don’t hate me for this but: JCPenney. My brother’s engagement/wedding ring is from JCP, and it’s gorgeous. It took a while to get it sized, but he was really happy with the customer service and craftsmanship. I have other friends with JCP rings, too… I know it sounds weird, but it might be worth looking into it.
Post # 8
Member
1122 posts
Bumble bee
@Nostawyn: That doesnt sound weird at all! I have a friend whose ring came from Kohls. And it was beautiful. Ill definitely take a look!
Post # 9
Member
3229 posts
Sugar bee
I know you want a chain store but it really sounds like Blue Nile or James Allen would be the best bet for you. Both of them offer upgrades where you can get 100% credit of your current diamond to apply to the upgrade as long as the upgrade is twice the price of your old diamond. Here’s the links about it:
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-upgrade-program?track=NavDiaUpgrade
and
http://www.jamesallen.com/about-us/upgrade-policies.html
Post # 10
Member
1119 posts
Bumble bee
I would def go to Shane co!!! They have the best upgrade policy I’ve ever seen at a jewelry store. They give you a full credit for your diamond and put it towards your upgrade and have a lifetime guarantee for dippings and repair. They are amazing. I would def look into them!
Post # 11
Member
9948 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
Sorry to hear that you’ve lost your ring!
I suggest that you look at Peoples (Canada) / Zales (USA) … My first Marriage and my ERing / primal Set came from there and I know that they had a 100% Upgrade option (although I never used it)
My current WBands come from them… And I am still happy with their service… Having been a Customer 30+ years… Just make sure you take your ring in every 6 months (with the paperwork) to keep the Warranty active.
Hope this helps,
Post # 12
Member
1122 posts
Bumble bee
@MissSweetiepie: There isnt a Shane Co anywhere near us. =( I wish there was!!
@NovaRising: This may be a stupid question, but do those companies have good reputaions? Buying something online ive never seen makes me nervous. I dont really care about carat weight at this point, just as long as the diamond is of excellent quality and sparkles like crazy. Lol. But you cant tell that over the internet, and that bothers me for some reason.
Post # 13
Member
1122 posts
Bumble bee
@This Time Round: Thank you! After having such an awful time with Kays, I was worried to use Zales, because I figured they would just be more of the same. I saw a very pretty Celebration ring there, but didnt get too excited because of the horrible time I had with Kays. I would love a ring just like my original engagement ring from Kays, but I really dont want to give them more of my money for them to just be jerks.
Post # 14
Member
3229 posts
Sugar bee
@ChellFish22: Both of them have great reps. You can get pictures of the diamonds, have a diamond expert pull it for you and take a look (if diamond is in house), and they have great return policies. If I decided to go with a diamond for my forever stone, I’d probably go with one of them.
Post # 15
Member
9948 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
To
@ChellFish22: I would say that when it comes to Chain Stores based on my experiences that People’s / Zales is better than Kays.
PS… My first post should have said Bridal Set (not Primal set)… Dang autocorrect here on WBee
Post # 16
Member
1122 posts
Bumble bee
@NovaRising: Awesome!! Ill shop around on both sites! Thanks!
@This Time Round: I knew what you meant ;). And thats good that it is better. Mall stores make me nervous sometimes.