[benn]

My girlfriend has found a setting she just loves there. I'm just worried I'm not getting the best deal and was wondering what others' experiences with jared (their salespeople, warrantee, service, etc.) has been! Thanks, Ben

[Elle]

My girlfriend has found a setting she just loves there. I'm just worried I'm not getting the best deal and was wondering what others' experiences with jared (their salespeople, warrantee, service, etc.) has been! Thanks, Ben

I haven't had much experience with them, but have visited a few times. I was very impressed with the way they treated me, their merchandise, and the overall experience. I would definately like to buy from them. If I remember correctly, their prices is what they are marked, no pricing games. I like that!

[glitter girl]

Hello,

I am a consumer. I would urge caution about Jared's.

yes they are very nice. they are local and their store and very nice and the jewelry is beautiful but -

I have bought numerous things there that needed repairs. You have to get the warranty.

my problem is especially with the "less expensive" rings also "less expensive" can be up to 1,000.00. as you can see I used to spend a lot of money there.

I bought a created (lab) emerald ring. a pretty green stone. I don't always care much for authenticity; it just has to be pretty. the stone fell out and they replaced it. the ring was 14k gold with the stone and cost about 300.00. the repair including replacing the stone was free.

a pink sapphire and diamond ring lost that cost about 1,000.00 lost a stone. I had it replaced. that repair and replacement of stone was free also.

I bought a ring with a blue topaz in the middle and small black (they look blue-green) opals on either side. one of the opals cracked. I took it back for repairs. they told me opals were not covered and I would have to pay for the opal. I think the charge for repair and replacement of opal was at least 100.00 and maybe 200.00.

I agreed b/c I liked the ring which had originally cost about 300.00. THEN the opal cracked again. I called today and they say that at first, yes it is covered b/c the first repair occurred within the last 6 months, and then they say no it is not covered...

I asked them to generate a history of the repairs I have requested and I explained to the manager that stones break etc. a lot.

each time a stone falls out or breaks it is frustrating for me. their repairs tend to take a long time too. usually several weeks or more b/c the rings need to be sent away somewhere to fix and then sent back.

I have also bought a diamond wedding and engagement band set (that is fine, no problem) and I've bought necklaces and bracelets that were more expensive, in the 2000 to 5000 price range and they were fine.

I am putting in prices not b/c I'm mercinary but b/c I suspect Jared maintains low quality and the fact that stones fall out and break at the 300.00 price range shows this. therefore I suspect their jewelry is poor quality all the way around, at all price ranges. they don't seem to have what used to be called "pride in their product."

my suggestion is:

absolutely do not buy any opals from Jared under any circumstances, or any other stone that they will charge to replace.

be very careful about buying from Jared in general.

if you do buy, keep very careful records of what you buy when. your own records, not just their records and receipts.

buying the warranty is essential due to the poor durabiity of so many of their products so that is an added cost to the jewelry. it is not an optional cost IMO.

Jared makes a big deal about some jeweler called Levian and something called the Leo Diamond but they also need to put more energy into maintaining quality.

take care

This post has been edited by glitter girl: 23 March 2007 - 11:15 AM

[marcyc]

Kay's is owned by the same company as Jared's and often has the same jewelry. You might check with them to see if they have the same ring. Kay's will usually give you some type of a discount. Jared's won't discount their prices at all. You do have to buy a lifetime warranty on their jewelry. I think overall Jared's jewelry isn't any higher quality then Kay's, Jared's just has a larger selection.

[emeral cut girl]

I haven't purchased any of the their inexpensive jewlery, but I have puchased a few more expensive pieces -- over $2000+ each. I have had no problems. I do take my items in every six months for cleaning and adjustments if needed -- they will tighten the prongs, polish, etc. The Jared's I use have bench jewelers right on the premises.

Maybe their less expensive items are less well made?

[SirLouie]

I purchased my mounting from Jared a few weeks ago - or rather, I put it on layaway for now so that no one else will purchase the ring I wanted. Once I select my diamond, I'll purchase the mounting outright. Here's my experience with Jared. I'll underline the key points if you just want to skim.

Salespersons and Service Plans. I first went into Jared with one of my best friends. Jared was the first place where I looked at mountings - I had never done so before. The lady that started to take care of me patiently explained the difference between white gold and platinum as I browsed the selection. She found similar rings in both white gold and platinum and showed me the differences in weight, metal content, and price, along with an explanation about the rhodium plating put on the white gold. She mentioned that their Extended Service Plan (mine cost $129 on a $1699 mounting) covers cleaning, rhodium plating, sizing, prong damage, and side stone loss.

Mounting Selection. There was an impressive selection at Jared - much more than at other mall stores, and comparable to local jewelers. The setting that stood out to me was a pretty 14k white gold ring with six marquise stones set in a sort of floral pattern, with a diamond weight of 5/8 carat. I felt it was expensive at $1699, but I tucked it in the back of my head as one of my premiere selections. I still had to select a center stone, which I will talk about later.

Comfort Touches. As we were browsing rings, my friend and I were approached with bottled water by another lady (I think there were cookies, too, but we didn't get any). This lady also offered to clean my friend's platinum rings - and when she got them back, they looked brand new. I think that most places will clean rings for you, but I thought I'd mention it.

Low Pressure. I searched other stores for designs that I liked, and although I found a few, the Jared setting still seemed to be the frontrunner. I left the store and the lady helping me gave me her card and told me that either she or another lady could take care of me if I chose to return. I didn't feel pressured at all, and that was good. Maybe I just had nice salespeople.

Diamond Selection. I browsed the radiant diamonds there, and in retrospect I can say that I was not terribly impressed by their selection. I believe all their diamonds are graded by IGI (and not GIA or AGS as recommended on the FAQ on this board), and my personal comparisons of diamonds from Jared with diamonds from Goldstock (another local jeweler) were light years apart. The Goldstock Radiant diamonds were much more sparkly and had well cut (in my opinion only) corners, providing a pleasing shape to me. The Jared Radiant diamonds were almost perfectly rectangular, with very small-cut corners. I had to make sure that I was looking at a Radiant (I'm not sure if the Jared diamonds actually were cut cornered or not now that I think about it, but I think they were labeled as Rectangular Modified Brilliant). They were fine and sparkly if you never compared them to another stone, but the difference I saw between their stones and Goldstock's was high. I was told that all the diamonds come with a Diamond Bond Warranty, which means that as long as your ring is inspected by Jared every six months, if the diamond chips or cracks they will replace the diamond.

Virtual Vault. On a subsequent visit, the other lady that helped me told me that if I wanted to, I could go into their "virtual vault" - it's a computer in a room in the back that supposedly allows me to look at diamonds they have in inventory but not in their store. Supposedly you could look at the diamonds under a "virtual loupe," which would allow you to zoom in on pictures of the actual diamond. She told me that if i found diamonds that I liked that way, she could order them into the store at no obligation. She said that once they arrived in the store, I would have ten days to come into the store, really examine the stones, and then purchase one. If I didn't want to purchase one, she said they would just send the diamonds back to their inventory. I didn't take her up on the offer because I am leery of IGI grading, but someone else might benefit from this knowledge.

Availability and Lead Time. I was a little disappointed that the ring was only available in 14k white gold, so after a few days I asked the lady to look into whether or not it was available in 18k white gold. A few days after that, she called me and left me a voicemail that said it was not available in any other metal. After having spent a week or two of searching many other stores, I decided that I liked the Jared setting the best, and since it was not available in 18k gold, I secured the 14k version. Oddly, two days after I put it on layaway, the other lady that was helping me left me a voicemail that said, "I'm responding to your question as to whether the ring is available in 18k white gold - it is, for $1899 - and also in platinum, for $2299." Huh? I called her back, explaining that the other lady had already called me telling me that it wasn't. She explained that it was available, but that it had to be ordered, and it would take 56 days (!) to come in. I told her thank you but kept the 14k version.

Price. The one thing I noticed that was different about Jared was how they managed price. They were not open to negotiation on price on any of their products. Most of their prices seemed reasonable to me, on par with other jewelers. I did not compare them to online mountings. I thought the price for my particular mounting was high, but maybe I just have expensive taste!

Post-Purchase Management. My final experience thus far with Jared was with a question I had for them. I told them that I planned on purchasing the ring for my girlfriend as a surprise, but she had given me no specifications or preferences. I chose white gold because of the shine (my friend's platinum ring develops a patina that she doesn't care for unless it's cleaned), light weight, and lower cost. However, since my girlfriend rarely wears much jewelry, I am not aware of whether or not she is allergic to any of the other metals in a 14k white gold ring (specifically, I heard that nickel often causes an allergic reaction). I asked Jared what would happen if, say, six months after I propose, she develops an allergic reaction to something in the ring - I'm sure I'd be well out of my return policy at that time. The lady at Jared assured me that I'd be able to return the ring for full store credit and purchase the platinum version of the same ring (we'd just have to wait the 56 days for it to be cast). She said that once you're a customer, if there's a problem, they'll do what they can to make things right. Whether this is marketing fluff or truth, I leave to you to decide.

So that's my experience with Jared. Hopefully it will help someone who's looking to purchase from them.

Thanks!
-Shawn

This post has been edited by SirLouie: 11 May 2007 - 12:21 PM

[leoman]

Kay jewelers, Friedlander's and Weisfield Jewelers are all part of the Jared family.

I bought from Friedlander's, but I wouldve bought from Jareds if I had not gotten a deal at Friedlander's. No history of buying from them before, but they were very helpful, very knowledgable and never pushed me like so many other sellers do. I like that a lot...pricing was actually better at the actual Jared store compared to the others I listed...

[SirLouie]

*** UPDATE ***

Mounting Head Confusion. When I picked up my 14k mounting to pay for it after I had placed a layaway hold on it, I provided Jared with the diamond I purchased from an online dealer. The Jared salesperson then asked me whether I wanted a platinum head or a white gold head. I was curious - this was the first time I had heard about such an option. While I was told that they would have to order or find a proper head based on the diamond's size, I was not told that there would be a metal choice - or a separate cost - for the head. I was under the impression that the head was included with the mounting. In fact, I had specifically asked when I put the ring on layaway, if all I would need to pay for would be the mounting plus the diamond I purchased separately. The salesperson thought she had explained that the head would be an additional charge, but I am certain that she was mistaken. After all, I had planned to review the store all along, so I certainly would have noted that had she mentioned it to me.

I found that the white gold head cost approximately $110, while the platinum head cost approximately $330. I opted for the platinum head, as it was explained to be more durable and less likely to break in the (hopefully rare) event of repeated bending. It wasn't that big a deal to me, but someone else might want to know to ask about the head. I'm still very happy with my Jared purchase, and this small mistake is forgivable.

Incidentally, for those following my saga, my purchase experience quest is complete. Once I receive my ring's appraisal and am credited for the online diamonds that I have returned, I will post seller reviews and pictures of my final product.

-Shawn

[emeral cut girl]

Shawn,

Could it have been that the setting was for a round and you purchased a stone of a different shape? If so, then you definitlely want to change the head to the appropriate stone type. Some jewelers will force a round into a marquise head and visa versa...it just doesn't hold the stone as well. Emeralds and radiants really need the proper head so they are secure.

[SirLouie]

Could it have been that the setting was for a round and you purchased a stone of a different shape? ...

ECG,

Thanks for the thought, but I doubt it. I had told the salespeople at Jared that I looked to put a Radiant in it from the very start. When I inquired about setting a diamond obtained from another place, they mentioned that they would pop out the existing head and put in one that matched the diamond's dimensions (without mention of a metal choice or additional cost). Furthermore, when I purchased the mounting and asked if there was any more to the purchase price besides the ring, the diamond I would purchase separately, the service plan, and tax, I was told "no, there is no more." My update serves to inform people that "yes, there is more" - specifically, the choice of metal for the head as well as its respective cost. I'm guessing that I received an uninformed answer from the salesperson, who was one of three with whom I was dealing.

In summary, I am aware that it is best for a diamond to be mounted in a properly sized and shaped head, and I made it known to Jared what kind of diamond I was purchasing. I felt that I was led to believe that the price of the head was included with the price of the mounting, when it clearly was not. I was also not aware that the head could be a different metal than the rest of the ring, which obviously affects the final price as well.

Incidentally, the diamond looks fantastic in its properly mounted head.

-Shawn

[Gare]

I recently purchased a diamond engagement ring from Jared. I chose to utilize Jared for several reasons:

1. Their size "should" allow them to offer the lowest prices of any diamond retailer (NOTE: Jared is the mother company of Kays and three other mall-type jewelry stores, per Leoman below - i.e., they are one company who share profits and get their diamonds from the same source meaning their inventory is HUGE which allows them to sell for less)
2. They have a pretty large selection of loose diamonds of most every cut - many jewelry stores only have pre-set rings (key if you want to design your own ring)
3. All diamonds were certified (GIA)
4. They offer good maintenance/warranty/upgrade plans - I paid $70 (percentage of total price) for free life-time maintance (irodium recoating for white gold settings, replacement of center and side stones if lost or chipped, resizing, etc.)
5. They allow you to upgrade your ring at any time using the purchase price of the ring. So, if on your 10th year anniversary, you want to upgrade your $10K ring to a $15K ring, you only pay for the additional $5K in cost.
6. They offer nice payment plans if you sign up for a Jared's account/card (0% interest with a 10% down payment for 12 months, etc.)

I'll caveat all of this by saying that, although Jared offers very competitive "retail" prices, they in no way come close to competing in price with on-line diamond stores. I noted, on average, that diamonds of comparable specs were generally on average $1K less on-line than what Jared was offering. Additionally, many of these on-line stores will not charge sales tax (my tax was $400) AND offer similar warranty/upgrade services (provided they are still in business when you decide to pursue that upgrade).

If I had to do it again, I think I could say with 90% certainty that I'd go through Jared again. The 10% reservation comes from the fact that you could easily save $1500 going on-line. Check it out, and you'll see what I'm talking about. Go to Jared, get the specs and prices on a particular diamond, then use that criteria and search for comparable diamonds using an on-line diamond seller's search engine, and you'll see the delta in price. I, in fact, was able to find a diamond with EXACTLY the same GIA cert specs (dimensions, weight, etc...) that cost about $800 less on-line (top that off with the fact that they weren't charging sales tax, and you have a savings of well over $1000).

Overlooking the price difference between Jared's and on-line stores, it was VERY nice to have a dedicated and certified Jared diamondtologist help me find the perfect diamond and setting (similar to a realtor helping you find the right house). We sat down on numerous occassions and utilized their on-line diamond catalog and viewed diamond after diamond. Each diamond in their system comes with a photo that can be magnified on-screen so that you can easily see flaws - very nice feature. You were allowed to have two diamonds shipped to the store at a time. This required, however, a down payment (for each diamond) of 20% for diamonds under $5K, and 10% for those over $5K. The payment is returned if you choose not to buy. I had several diamonds shipped to the store and found a "winner". I was also very happy with the workmanship of the jeweler who set the ring. Additionally, if I had gone through an on-line seller, I would have not had the luxury of having a jeweler at my side with a loupe (sp) to magnify the diamond for clarity inspection, etc, ..

On a final note (my apologies for being long-winded), they were a little off on their estimation of end-all price and delivery date timelines. I agree with Shawn below that they weren't really forthright in explaining ALL costs that would be involved. To give you an idea, I spent $5700 on the diamond, $500 on the ring, and walked away with a $7K bill (the extra cost was for the setting of the diamond, the maintenance plan, and sales tax). As for delivery dates, I was given incorrect "promise" dates twice (they failed to tell me that the diamonds they get from their on-line system have to be sent out for gem-scribing...). Nonetheless,

Hope this helps..

Gare

[samething209]

My husband purchased a semi-mount for me since it was our third anniversary and he thought it would be nice to get a bigger stone thus needing a new setting.

I actually suggested Jared's since they seemed to have a large selection. The sales guy we worked with was very nice, showed us several rings etc. I picked the setting I wanted and while we were at the counter my husband asked him if that was the final price on the ring...twice the guy said yes.

We asked about mounting a 2 CT diamond (Asha Sim) that we already purchased and wanted to make sure that it would fit that ring. We had him bring out a 2 CT just to make sure that it would look OK. It did, I was concerned it would sit up too high off the ring but he assured me through setting the stone it would be lower.

So a few days go by and my husband returns to the store to pick up the ring and requests they set our stone...he is then told no they don't set Asha Simulate diamonds since they use heat to set their "Diamonds"...hmmmm...ok ...so we were wondering how the set gem stones.

We took it to a few local jewelers all of them had no problem setting the stone (Jared's was the ONLY Jewler that told us no they wouldnt set it) we were then told that we needed to buy a crown for it???? We were like what the heck a crown? Oh yeah Jared's failed to tell us that NONE of their rings have a crown on them, you purchase that AFTER you buy the ring. Two local Jewelers then told us that the setting would have to be completely remade since the ring could hold no bigger than a 1/2 CT Stone....quite the difference from what we were told at the store!

So we take the ring back and ask to speak to the manager she tells us that the ring wont fit a 2 CT and we should consider a smaller stone. Also she says that none of their rings come with a crown so you have to buy that after you purchase the semi mount.

My husband told her had he bought a diamond from them he's pretty sure he would have never heard about having to buy a crown for the ring....she had no reply.

We were then told that in order to get our cash back they would have to issue a check to us from their corporate office and it would take 5-7 days to get cut!

Needless to say we are returning the ring, it is currently at a local jeweler who is remaking the ring for us to fit a 2 CT.


They lost out on a $2,000.00 purchase all because the sales rep was VERY uniformed and the manager was rude and unwilling to work with us.

[jdesa2000]

My girlfriend has found a setting she just loves there. I'm just worried I'm not getting the best deal and was wondering what others' experiences with jared (their salespeople, warrantee, service, etc.) has been! Thanks, Ben

I would be extremely weary about buying from these large chain stores, such as jared’s. They are all owned by the same entity, sterling jewelers(who also owns kay jewelers). Sure, they have really low price, but that’s only because their jewelry is imported which means you’ll continue to send you American dollars out of this country. That’s the main reason this country is in the crisis it’s in….is because we keep on buying imported junk. Back to the reply. Even if you do buy from jareds or kay jewelry, your jewelry won’t be guaranteed unless you purchase extra coverage. Why wouldn’t they stand behind their products without making the consumer pay more for a warrantee? The reason why is because it’s of very low quality and if they didn’t charge on top of the purchase price, they would be losing money by all the people returning their jewelry with missing stones and falling apart jewelry. You’ll find that usually all local jewelers who make their own jewelry will guarantee their jewelry without making you pay more. Why? Because they focus on the quality. Most, if not, all of the time, you will never even need to bring your jewelry back to your local jeweler because it’s not made by a third world person who doesn’t even know how to make jewelry. My recommendation to you is not to buy imported merchandise. Spend your money on quality products, made in the USA and at the same time, you’ll be strengthening the American economy. Be Smart, buy smart, buy American. Americans will always stand behind their products, period, without making you pay more.

[jdesa2000]

My husband purchased a semi-mount for me since it was our third anniversary and he thought it would be nice to get a bigger stone thus needing a new setting.

I actually suggested Jared's since they seemed to have a large selection. The sales guy we worked with was very nice, showed us several rings etc. I picked the setting I wanted and while we were at the counter my husband asked him if that was the final price on the ring...twice the guy said yes.

We asked about mounting a 2 CT diamond (Asha Sim) that we already purchased and wanted to make sure that it would fit that ring. We had him bring out a 2 CT just to make sure that it would look OK. It did, I was concerned it would sit up too high off the ring but he assured me through setting the stone it would be lower.

So a few days go by and my husband returns to the store to pick up the ring and requests they set our stone...he is then told no they don't set Asha Simulate diamonds since they use heat to set their "Diamonds"...hmmmm...ok ...so we were wondering how the set gem stones.

We took it to a few local jewelers all of them had no problem setting the stone (Jared's was the ONLY Jewler that told us no they wouldnt set it) we were then told that we needed to buy a crown for it???? We were like what the heck a crown? Oh yeah Jared's failed to tell us that NONE of their rings have a crown on them, you purchase that AFTER you buy the ring. Two local Jewelers then told us that the setting would have to be completely remade since the ring could hold no bigger than a 1/2 CT Stone....quite the difference from what we were told at the store!

So we take the ring back and ask to speak to the manager she tells us that the ring wont fit a 2 CT and we should consider a smaller stone. Also she says that none of their rings come with a crown so you have to buy that after you purchase the semi mount.

My husband told her had he bought a diamond from them he's pretty sure he would have never heard about having to buy a crown for the ring....she had no reply.

We were then told that in order to get our cash back they would have to issue a check to us from their corporate office and it would take 5-7 days to get cut!

Needless to say we are returning the ring, it is currently at a local jeweler who is remaking the ring for us to fit a 2 CT.


They lost out on a $2,000.00 purchase all because the sales rep was VERY uniformed and the manager was rude and unwilling to work with us.

Jared wouldn't set your stone because they are NOT JEWELERS. They are a gallery or galleria of imported jewelry. But don't make the mistake of thinking they are actually jewelers. An actual jeweler knows how to make jewelry and set any type of stone and doesn't use heat when setting stones. That's pretty funny, after going to jareds, you went to "a local jeweler". Im sure you could have saved yourself a whole lot of time and effort if you just by passed the nice looking wal-mart style jewelry store and went to a reputable jeweler who actually makes jewelry.

[Bride to Be]

Jared's is terribly overpriced for the quality. I too found a diamond wedding band that I LOVED and had them price it out in platinum. The original estimate they gave was for $3500 but they needed to "fine tune" the estimate. Jared's called later and said it would be $11,500!!! This is for a 1.5 carat eternity band. Not big, not super high quality diamonds. Unreal.

I went to a jeweler in downtown Boston who quoted me the same setting but with higher color and clarity and bigger stones (over 2.0 total carat weight) in platinum as well. The Boston jeweler quoted $3,000!

During the same visit, Jared's also priced out a simple platinum band for my husband-to-be at $6,000. We laughed at them, couldn't help ourselves. The same band is on bluenile.com for $1,700.

Use Jared's to see some different styles then buy it somewhere else. Jared's is outrageous. I would never by their jewelry after this experience. They are ridiculous.

[Almost There]

*** UPDATE ***

Mounting Head Confusion. When I picked up my 14k mounting to pay for it after I had placed a layaway hold on it, I provided Jared with the diamond I purchased from an online dealer. The Jared salesperson then asked me whether I wanted a platinum head or a white gold head. I was curious - this was the first time I had heard about such an option. While I was told that they would have to order or find a proper head based on the diamond's size, I was not told that there would be a metal choice - or a separate cost - for the head. I was under the impression that the head was included with the mounting. In fact, I had specifically asked when I put the ring on layaway, if all I would need to pay for would be the mounting plus the diamond I purchased separately. The salesperson thought she had explained that the head would be an additional charge, but I am certain that she was mistaken. After all, I had planned to review the store all along, so I certainly would have noted that had she mentioned it to me.

I found that the white gold head cost approximately $110, while the platinum head cost approximately $330. I opted for the platinum head, as it was explained to be more durable and less likely to break in the (hopefully rare) event of repeated bending. It wasn't that big a deal to me, but someone else might want to know to ask about the head. I'm still very happy with my Jared purchase, and this small mistake is forgivable.

Incidentally, for those following my saga, my purchase experience quest is complete. Once I receive my ring's appraisal and am credited for the online diamonds that I have returned, I will post seller reviews and pictures of my final product.

-Shawn

I went to Jared's last week and priced out a ring and they mentioned the head mounting up front, but it seemed a bit high to me. They wanted $290 for a 14kt white gold ring then $300 to mount the diamond in a platinum head. $590 for an 14kt ring with a platinum mounting just seemed high.

[abe at ajdiamonds]

*** UPDATE ***

Mounting Head Confusion. When I picked up my 14k mounting to pay for it after I had placed a layaway hold on it, I provided Jared with the diamond I purchased from an online dealer. The Jared salesperson then asked me whether I wanted a platinum head or a white gold head. I was curious - this was the first time I had heard about such an option. While I was told that they would have to order or find a proper head based on the diamond's size, I was not told that there would be a metal choice - or a separate cost - for the head. I was under the impression that the head was included with the mounting. In fact, I had specifically asked when I put the ring on layaway, if all I would need to pay for would be the mounting plus the diamond I purchased separately. The salesperson thought she had explained that the head would be an additional charge, but I am certain that she was mistaken. After all, I had planned to review the store all along, so I certainly would have noted that had she mentioned it to me.

I found that the white gold head cost approximately $110, while the platinum head cost approximately $330. I opted for the platinum head, as it was explained to be more durable and less likely to break in the (hopefully rare) event of repeated bending. It wasn't that big a deal to me, but someone else might want to know to ask about the head. I'm still very happy with my Jared purchase, and this small mistake is forgivable.

Incidentally, for those following my saga, my purchase experience quest is complete. Once I receive my ring's appraisal and am credited for the online diamonds that I have returned, I will post seller reviews and pictures of my final product.

-Shawn

I went to Jared's last week and priced out a ring and they mentioned the head mounting up front, but it seemed a bit high to me. They wanted $290 for a 14kt white gold ring then $300 to mount the diamond in a platinum head. $590 for an 14kt ring with a platinum mounting just seemed high.

Every time a customer of mine takes one of my independently diamonds to Jareds for a second opinion, they make my customer (and therefore me) cry. Apparently, only they sell quality diamonds. Other jewelers diamonds seem to be of lower quality. My point being, if you buy a diamond anywhere else, dont go to them for an "independent appraisal" as they are not independent. Go to a certified appraisal company,.

[diamondgrl]

My girlfriend has found a setting she just loves there. I'm just worried I'm not getting the best deal and was wondering what others' experiences with jared (their salespeople, warrantee, service, etc.) has been! Thanks, Ben

If your girlfriend loves it you should probably get it. Jared's doesn't discount because they clain that they have really good prices already. Truthfully, I think their prices are pretty good. They are owned by Sterling, Inc. which does also own Kay Jewelers. But they have more styles and loose stones than any mall store I've been to. You should definately buy the warranty. They say it covers everything but loss or theft (which is more than any store I've been to.) In my experience there are alot of things that can go wrong with jewelry. I've bought from a few different stores and wouldn't say that there are any that are of different quality. Truthfully, alot of stores use the same vendors to supply their rings. At least Jared's will cover the price of repairs. ALL Jared stores have an onsight jeweler (it's right on their website) so things should only get sent out if they need to be matched for stone color. The "head" of the ring (the things that hold the diamond in place) I was told are for display only and that they have to fit it with a new one that matches the shape and size of the stone (which makes sense) I have a princess cut and no other jeweler offered to measure it and get the "right" head for it. The sales people in my area are not very pushy and seemed pretty knowledgable but I guess with any store can very by location. They answered all of my questions and called me back when they said they would. I like that they are apart of a big company at least I know that there is a better chance that their "lifetime" warranty will be honored in a few years. (I've had some where the store went out of business before I could even use my warranty!). Overall, I think you may be able to find a better price online if you look hard enough but they are pretty good as far as jewelry stores go. I hope this helps, afterall if your girlfriend loves it she won't be too thrilled if you buy her a different ring!

[diamondgrl]

My husband purchased a semi-mount for me since it was our third anniversary and he thought it would be nice to get a bigger stone thus needing a new setting.

I actually suggested Jared's since they seemed to have a large selection. The sales guy we worked with was very nice, showed us several rings etc. I picked the setting I wanted and while we were at the counter my husband asked him if that was the final price on the ring...twice the guy said yes.

We asked about mounting a 2 CT diamond (Asha Sim) that we already purchased and wanted to make sure that it would fit that ring. We had him bring out a 2 CT just to make sure that it would look OK. It did, I was concerned it would sit up too high off the ring but he assured me through setting the stone it would be lower.

So a few days go by and my husband returns to the store to pick up the ring and requests they set our stone...he is then told no they don't set Asha Simulate diamonds since they use heat to set their "Diamonds"...hmmmm...ok ...so we were wondering how the set gem stones.

We took it to a few local jewelers all of them had no problem setting the stone (Jared's was the ONLY Jewler that told us no they wouldnt set it) we were then told that we needed to buy a crown for it???? We were like what the heck a crown? Oh yeah Jared's failed to tell us that NONE of their rings have a crown on them, you purchase that AFTER you buy the ring. Two local Jewelers then told us that the setting would have to be completely remade since the ring could hold no bigger than a 1/2 CT Stone....quite the difference from what we were told at the store!

So we take the ring back and ask to speak to the manager she tells us that the ring wont fit a 2 CT and we should consider a smaller stone. Also she says that none of their rings come with a crown so you have to buy that after you purchase the semi mount.

My husband told her had he bought a diamond from them he's pretty sure he would have never heard about having to buy a crown for the ring....she had no reply.

We were then told that in order to get our cash back they would have to issue a check to us from their corporate office and it would take 5-7 days to get cut!

Needless to say we are returning the ring, it is currently at a local jeweler who is remaking the ring for us to fit a 2 CT.


They lost out on a $2,000.00 purchase all because the sales rep was VERY uniformed and the manager was rude and unwilling to work with us.

Jared wouldn't set your stone because they are NOT JEWELERS. They are a gallery or galleria of imported jewelry. But don't make the mistake of thinking they are actually jewelers. An actual jeweler knows how to make jewelry and set any type of stone and doesn't use heat when setting stones. That's pretty funny, after going to jareds, you went to "a local jeweler". Im sure you could have saved yourself a whole lot of time and effort if you just by passed the nice looking wal-mart style jewelry store and went to a reputable jeweler who actually makes jewelry.

This is ridiculous! They are jewelers just because they are more mainstream doesn't make them any less of jewelers. I realize that some of there jewelry is imported but so is gas. I contribute more to foreign economy by driving my car than I do by buying jewelry. The reason
they wouldn't set synthentic stones is because unlike other jewelers who have had to replace syn. and had issues finding a good one because they're NOT REAL. Jareds doesn't want to be liable for a stone they can't replace because they don't deal in synthetic diamonds. I agree they should have told you this upfront but when I asked the store I go to about they were very honest in saying that it is simply against their policy.

[MichelleB]

My girlfriend has found a setting she just loves there. I'm just worried I'm not getting the best deal and was wondering what others' experiences with jared (their salespeople, warrantee, service, etc.) has been! Thanks, Ben

I haven't had much experience with them, but have visited a few times. I was very impressed with the way they treated me, their merchandise, and the overall experience. I would definately like to buy from them. If I remember correctly, their prices is what they are marked, no pricing games. I like that!

Yea I heard they are trustworthy. Nobody likes bait and switch on prices. They are not like that.