Should I Trust The Jewlery shops in the Caribbean

[Jods00]

Looking to buy a 10 year anniversary ring in one of the ports? Not sure though.

 

Has any one purchased a diamond ring in a port then bring it home have it appraised and found it was fake.

 

Please tell me all the positive and negative. I have just under 3 months to decide.

 

Thanks in advance for all your help.

[yogi2929]

Most here would suggest a purchase of a souviner piece, not an investment piece.

 

Do your homework and know what you are buying. It will be hard to get things fixed from home.

[skylock]

Buy something close to home. If there is a problem it will be easier to fix.

[flyingb]

Looking to buy a 10 year anniversary ring in one of the ports? Not sure though.

 

Has any one purchased a diamond ring in a port then bring it home have it appraised and found it was fake.

 

Please tell me all the positive and negative. I have just under 3 months to decide.

 

Thanks in advance for all your help.

 

I would never buy jewelry from a store that is not guranteed by the ship. :eek: Good luck and hope you have a wonderful cruise, but then again aren't they all! ;)

Luv's Crusin'

[Crazy4Koko]

Diamonds International will be quite happy to take your money....and is a Carnival approved vendor. Not only does Carnival get a kickback for your purchase, but they also guarantee your purchase..but MAKE SURE YOU FILL OUT YOUR GUARANTEE FORM! Some folks forget that part.

[MamaTene]

Hubby and I have been cruising for 25+ years and have bought MANY pieces of fine jewelry in St Maarten. We ALWAYS used the SAME store and have built a trusting lasting relationship with a specific sales person. When he opened his own store, we began doing all of our business with him. All of our pieces have appraised in the states for a SIGNIFICANT amount over what we paid. In fact, I continue to do business with them here in the states via email and their website.

[golfadj]

The important thing is do your homework know what the piece is worth and than hope they will stand behind what they sell in case of a problem.

 

The boards of full of stories of people who were not happy with their purchase.

 

We have purchased items my wife likes but would never buy a very expensive piece of jewerly other than from someone local.

 

Remember the price of a precious stone is a worldwide price. You will only save on the labor to make a piece of jewelry in a third world country.

[skylock]

Any possible small savings will be wiped out with any problem you have. Trust me, I know.

[okwriter]

I bought a diamond/emerald ring years ago from a reputable dealer in St. Thomas. It has definitely appreciated. However, my sister lived there at the time and knew exactly where to go. Use your common sense and look at the business. Is it a thatched roof and a few tables? Or is it a real business with glass showcases and nicely dressed employees?

[dustyroad]

just make sure the item you want too buy has a certificate of value and authentisity by a gemologist. there are many trustworthy shops as well as those that will take your money for something is really not of good quality or value. but you still pay a high price for the bad item. i have learned ( the hard way ) too not buy expensive jewlery except by a jewlery shop in my home town. good luck with you search for a good peice you like.

[LHP]

While the jewelry you buy at places like Diamond's International are definately REAL......

 

the problem is pricing.

 

I have been buying jewelry from them for 10+ years. I had a friend from Canada that managed one of their stores in Cozumel. She is now retired.

 

What I have seen change over the past 10 years is that the high pressure sales had gotten worse. It has become more like a car dealership with them starting with a really high price and then coming down several times.

 

For example.....we were just in Cozumel. I have been looking for a sapphire diamond tennis bracelet.

 

Years ago, I would have just called Natalie and told her the carat weight and quality of the stones I wanted and (IF she had them) she would have had them waiting on me. The price she gave me was not "cheap" ... but a better deal than I would get in the States. And no sales tax (which in our state saves you almost 10% right off the bat) Sometimes I would find what I wanted.....sometimes I would not. For my sapphire ring....it took years to find exactly what I wanted. Natalie understood that I was serious, but would not buy something just to buy it.

 

 

Compare that to our trip last week.

 

I am looking for 16 carats of sapphires and at least 3 carats of diamonds. Bracelets with larger stones in a design that I like are harder to find. I have been looking since 2007. So every time we go into port....I look.

 

I always explain that I am looking and that I will NOT be buying anything today. I don't $10,000 on a whim....even if I found something I loved...I come back and "think about it"...because I will be keeping this piece for a long time.

 

The bracelet I looked at in Cozumel had a retail price of $25,000. It was REALLY close to what I am looking for. And by the time we left the store...the price was down to $7,950.

 

The first "price" was $11,900. The "second" price was $8,900.

 

I just don't like that. I don't want to deal with car salesmen on my vacation.

 

 

 

If you are doing to St Thomas...I can recommend Cardow. Hubby just bought a neck chain from them. There was no high pressure. We knew how much per gram we were going to pay before we walked in. He has been looking for a chain for a year. Since we cruise a lot....we have looked at just about every port.

 

We found a Kings Box Link which is a different style and difficult to find. Also he wanted a 70 gram chain (most of the stores sell 38 - 50 grams) .

 

It was the style and weight that he wanted and it at a good price, so he bought it....without the high pressure (multiple price reductions) we experienced last week. Based on the weight, he gave them a price.

Now with neck chains, the design also affects the price.

 

For example, the Figaro design is very common....so they are not as expensive as a design like the Kings Box Link (that is harder to find).

 

I said all of that to show that you have to be an informed buyer.

 

You have to know BEFORE you walk in the diamond carat, cut, clarity and color that you want AND what it would go for in the US.

 

You can save some money, if you are willing to do the work. But if you are at all hesitant....then I would buy at home with a jeweler that you know and trust.

[MEOWSMURPHY]

Hubby and I have been cruising for 25+ years and have bought MANY pieces of fine jewelry in St Maarten. We ALWAYS used the SAME store and have built a trusting lasting relationship with a specific sales person. When he opened his own store, we began doing all of our business with him. All of our pieces have appraised in the states for a SIGNIFICANT amount over what we paid. In fact, I continue to do business with them here in the states via email and their website.

 

Ditto only we have a jeweler in St. Thomas.

[Crazy4Koko]

 

 

The bracelet I looked at in Cozumel had a retail price of $25,000. It was REALLY close to what I am looking for. And by the time we left the store...the price was down to $7,950.

 

The first "price" was $11,900. The "second" price was $8,900.

 

I just don't like that. I don't want to deal with car salesmen on my vacation.

 

 

 

 

Amen.. When I was in DI Cozumel in October the guy insisted on showing me Cadillacs when I told him I wanted a Toyota.

 

But honestly? I wanted Larimar.. but I guess the pricepoint I was looking to spend wasn't to HIS liking. I was totally disgusted.

[SkyMaster]

I have a good friend who is a GIA certified gemologist, (as is his wife). We cruise with them occasionally, and of course, in port go to the shops. They have noted that some of the stores actually do have some good stones, and good buys, but at others the gems are total crap. Bottom line, unless you absolutely know what you're doing, I'd be very, very careful.

Our son-in-law is a custom jeweler/goldsmith, (actually makes settings, carves molds, and does other custom work for some of the very high end stores in their area) so naturally, that's where we buy our jewelery, since our friends locally have retired, and closed their shop. Once again, in view of some of the horror stories we've heard,,,,please be very careful.

 

"SKY"

[firefly333]

I would buy near home, the prices will be better.

 

If you buy at a ship sponsored store, you already know there is a huge mark up because of the kick back to Carnival.

 

Look at some site like bidz.com before you buy so you go armed with what you can buy online.

 

btw I bought a ring I thought hey its a great deal, 65% off. Go online, retail is meaningless when it comes to jelewry, 85% off is common.

[Jay B]

Diamonds International will be quite happy to take your money....and is a Carnival approved vendor. Not only does Carnival get a kickback for your purchase, but they also guarantee your purchase..but MAKE SURE YOU FILL OUT YOUR GUARANTEE FORM! Some folks forget that part.

 

Has anyone tried to get Carnival to honor a guarantee? The reason I'm asking is that we were on a Princess cruise a few years ago and our friend had a problem with some jewelry purchased at a recommended store that Princess guaranteed. She never had any luck getting Princess to honor the guarantee.

[Joyce From Yardley]

Looking to buy a 10 year anniversary ring in one of the ports? Not sure though.

 

Has any one purchased a diamond ring in a port then bring it home have it appraised and found it was fake.

 

Please tell me all the positive and negative. I have just under 3 months to decide.

 

Thanks in advance for all your help.

 

Hi,

 

As all the other posters have said...buy at your local jeweler.

After reading other posts on CC & hearing horror stories while on a cruise ship. Beware of D I. Although you might get a good stone, the problem seems to be in the setting. Several people have LOST their stone/stones due to the prongs not holding the stone in place.

 

Happy 10th Anniversary & Have a Wonderful time on your cruise.

 

Joyce & Of Course Harvey

[LHP]

One other point....DI does have some good designs that you can't find anywhere else.

 

I actually started buying at DI in 1999 because I wanted a diamond tennis bracelet and back then all you could find in the States were S's and XOXOX....

 

and I did not like either.

 

I bought my first one in 1999 and my second one to match it in 2001 and have worn them every day since without an issue.

 

The first one was a 1 carat...and second one was a 3 carat. I wear them together on one arm.

 

My best friend owns a jewelry store here in town (she actually made my wedding ring) .... but she has been very pleased with the quality and price I got back then.

 

However, you do have to be an informed buyer and I just don't think people (in general) are saavy enough when it comes to a major jewelry purchase to buy in the Caribbean.

 

Now if you are only talking a thousand dollars....then a Caribbean purchase will be fine....BUT if you are talking $5,000 or more...unless you know what you are doing....purchase at home...

 

Hubby also got his Breitling from DI and got a great price and they shipped him an automatic winder from Miami. The one thing that is important to us is that if you are spending more than $5,000....we are saving at least $500 right off the top in Sales Tax.

[rickcop44]

After reading the posts the folks have left, I would never want to buy jewelry in the Caribbean again. To the contrary, however, my wife and I have been sailing every year since 1992 and we have never, ever gotten a bad piece of jewelry or been disappointed in a jewelry purchase. We've shopped at numerous jewelry stores in St. Thomas and St. Maarten. We've probably spent close to $50,000 on jewelry in the past 17 years. Every piece we've purchased has appraised for much more than we paid for it. One other thing; several people have mentioned shopping at cruise line recommended stores only. That's bunk. Those stores pay the cruise lines to get on their so-called recommended list. They're no better nor no worse than other jewelry stores on the islands. We've bought from recommended and non-recommended stores. It's been our experience that we actually get better deals in the non-recommended stores because many of the cruise passengers are duped into thinking they're bad and thus, pass them by. I'll give you one good example although I can give you many. My wife found a 14K gold Byzantine necklace at the Columbian Emeralds store at Havensight Mall. They wanted $560 for the chain. She wanted to buy it, but I made her wait and comparison shop. Just three doors down, we found the exact chain - the exact chain - in a non-recommended store. Price? $175. It appraised for just under $1000 after we got it home.

 

Be cautious, certainly. But don't be afraid to shop in non-recommended stores. The stores know their future pretty much rests on tourists stopping and shopping. If they rip you off, that gets around fast and they know it. Good luck.

[melenovs]

Looking to buy a 10 year anniversary ring in one of the ports? Not sure though.

 

Has any one purchased a diamond ring in a port then bring it home have it appraised and found it was fake.

 

Please tell me all the positive and negative. I have just under 3 months to decide.

 

Thanks in advance for all your help.

 

 

My family and friends have been doing business with the same company and sales man for over 11 years. He's wonderful and we have never had problems. Are you going on Eastern Caribbean or Western? email me if you would like details!

melenovs@yahoo.com

[melenovs]

This is true! The stores are charged by the cruise lines to be "recommended", it does not make them any better or worse than others.

[tbirdjoni]

I am in the process of getting a refund from Diamonds International with help of the people at PPI, Carnival's company that handles this. I have dealt with the woman from PPI and simultaneously the Cozumel manager of DI. I am not sure which one helped me more but I had to be very affirmative. I got the RMA form today and hope to have the refund from a Christmas day purchase within a week. It was a watch that was defective. It is a very well known name brand available in lots of places but they could not find me a replacement, so finally authorized a refund.

So yes, the Carnival people did help me.

[grandmato4]

If you know what you wish to purchase then do your research before you go so you understand what you should be looking for in the piece you wish to purchase and know what questions you should be asking and what answers you should be receiving and know what would be a good price for the piece you want. If you find that piece of jewelry when on your cruise then purchase it, but if not, be prepared to wait until you return home to make the purchase.

[ryanpatricksmom]

Hi,

 

As all the other posters have said...buy at your local jeweler.

After reading other posts on CC & hearing horror stories while on a cruise ship. Beware of D I. Although you might get a good stone, the problem seems to be in the setting. Several people have LOST their stone/stones due to the prongs not holding the stone in place.

 

Happy 10th Anniversary & Have a Wonderful time on your cruise.

 

Joyce & Of Course Harvey

 

 

I purchased an anniversary band, and while I didn't lose the stone, it did go flying out of the setting while I was waving my hands about telling a story. Fortunately, I saw the diamond fly out and was able to retrieve it. It cost a few hundred dollars to have the setting brought up to the proper standard, so I'm sure that in the end I paid about what it would have been in the states, and I risked losing one of the diamonds.

 

My husband bought me a diamond necklace on the ship a couple of years back, and although that seems to be more stable, I don't think there were any significant savings over a local jeweler.

 

Frankly, I prefer to buy my fine jewelry at Costco, LOL!

[mudpievelour]

I would never buy jewelry from a store that is not guranteed by the ship. :eek: Good luck and hope you have a wonderful cruise' date=' but then again aren't they all! ;)

Luv's Crusin'[/quote']

 

I would never buy jewelry from a store that is guaranteed by the ship. They are way overpriced because they are paying a kickback to Carnival. And if you have to get that item repaired, don't look to Carnival. You will have to send it to somewhere in New York (insured, of course), and although I have heard of some good results, that is much too much hassle for me.