Buying Jewlery ?

[pfd104]

We will be sailing on jewel of seas on its Panama Canal/Caribbean Jan cruise. Any comments positive/negative on purchasing gold rings on board ship or in Grand Cayman? We have been married 30 years and thought it would be nice to obtain matching wedding type rings on the cruise.

[Ocean Boy]

Good jewelry usually has much better pricing on the islands than on the ships. However, Grand Caymen is an expensive island. I don't know where else you are stopping but St. Thomas and St. Maarten would be much better choices.

[heynow]

My suggestion, for what's it worth, is to buy jewelry at Diamonds International. They are everywhere in the carribean. Every cruise I buy my wife a peice of something. Wether it's a ring, pendant, bracelet whatever, I always buy at DI. And they will always come down on the prices. We have the jewelry appraised after every cruise, for insurance purposes, and we are always told that we are getting excellent quality. Again, just my opinion.

[Bakincakes]

Grand Cayman is extremely expensive and shop keepers there don't do alot of bargaining.

 

St Maarten would be your best bet..the Dutch side...I've gotten bargains on gold there..

 

Diamonds I buy from a reputable jeweler in the States...

[heynow]

!!!

[jewopaho]

My suggestion, for what's it worth, is to buy jewelry at Diamonds International. They are everywhere in the carribean. Every cruise I buy my wife a peice of something. Wether it's a ring, pendant, bracelet whatever, I always buy at DI. And they will always come down on the prices. We have the jewelry appraised after every cruise, for insurance purposes, and we are always told that we are getting excellent quality. Again, just my opinion.

 

Having spent years in the business, I can state without equivocation that what you save at Diamonds International is ... the sales tax! I agree that the quality is decent (i.e. nobody's slipping you a clunker) but you probably did not do much better than if you had purchased similar items in the states. Their list prices are generally inflated, so there's some wiggle room ... but you're not getting the jewelry for pennies on the dollar, as seems to be what the cruise lines' shopping guides want you to believe.

 

Then there's the matter of appraisals ... frankly, not worth the paper they're printed on, unless the jewelry is lost or stolen. If anyone is under the impression that the $3000 appraisal on the ring that you bought for $1000 translates to having purchased it for 1/3 of its value ... I have this piece of oceanfront property in Kansas (right off the coast of Nebraska) that might interest you. The true worth of a piece is what you can get if you sell it, not what the insurance company sends you ... don't forget, you're paying for that protection, and can pretty much put any value you wish on it.

 

Yes, Grand Cayman is expensive ... never bought anything there beyond the usual souvenirs for the kids. There's a bank on every street corner ... that ought to tell you something.

[Puffinater]

Do your research. Wife wanted a specific style of ring in mind and had only found online place selling something similar to what she wanted. Amazingly there was the exact ring she wanted on the ship. Might have paid a bit more but it was worth it to her and she did not have to settle.

[CRZRDaveinNC]

Google Diamonds International complaints. It took me months to get my issues resolved. Never again.

[abhb]

Check out Magnums is Grand Cayman. Bought a 3 carat diamond tennis braclet and a 2 1/2 carat diamond ring there. Had it appraised. The jeweler here said he could believe what I paid for such nice diamonds and quality workmanship. We bargain and got the price that we wanted. I recieve compliments all the time on the ring:D.

[billie5]

I agree completely with Jewopaho. The best two places to buy gold jewelry, IMO, are without doubt the gold district in Manhattan and very reputable on-line companies. With reference to the latter, the tricky part is to know the reputable internet sources. For example, Sarraf.com and bluenile.com come to mind, especially Sarraf, my number one internet source.

 

On the other hand, if you come from a small town in Kansas, with no access to NYC and fear of the internet, then the Caribbean makes more sense. Not that there is anything wrong with small towns in Kansas (I live in a small town in Virginia -- same problem), it is just a question of volume. Small jewelry stores have to charge a great deal more than volume outlets just to earn a sustainable income. The only jewelry I would not hesitate to buy on cruises are lower end pieces which happen to appeal to me: mystic opal, other semi-precious stones, etc.

 

Oh, and if you still believe in valuing jewelry by the appraisals, and don't want Jewopaho's oceanfront property, I have a mountaintop in Virginia I can let you have for a bargain. :)

 

Bill

[north29]

I sincerely believe that all the Cruise ship store or stores near cruise ports are over price on most things. As mentioned above St Martins may be one of the better places to shop.

But all things aside if you can afford it, buying what you want when you find it may have more memories in the future. I know, we still talk and remember who, where and when we bought pieces of fine jewelry.

LOL, the warehouse clubs,most know who I;m talking about, have some of the best prices on Gold and diamonds around.

[JulesTangerine]

Longtime lurker here. Please avoid Diamonds International at all costs. They are a gang of crooks selling inferior merchandise. We had a protracted nightmare experience with them after buying a very expensive item that promptly fell apart. Buy at your own risk--or be smart and make expensive purchases from reputable companies that have quality merchandise and fair business practices. Just one example--DI does not accept returns based on "buyer's remorse." That means that if you change your mind, for whatever reason, you cannot return an item. This practice runs counter to all notions of reasonableness (my horrible experience was based on defective merchandise, not any change of heart, but I offer this as an example of why to avoid DI under all circumstances).

[catlady27]

We have purchased several pieces from Milano's in St. Marteen and everything we have purchased has been of exceptional quality and worth well above (i.e., would have cost me exponentially more in the US) what we paid.

[limbogirl]

I love jewelry and was looking for diamond stud earrings for 2years. My 50th birthday was coming and I wanted to be well informed! I bought diamond studs in St. maarten 1 carat each (tw 2 carats) I have a Gia certificate for them. I wanted a certain color,weight,and rating and I looked for 2 years. The earrings I bought are gorgeous and I dare anyone to compare them to studs bought in the states, because many of the earrings in the us have poor color and ratings because as so many jewelers have told me "no one notices!) I noticed and so have many people noted the sparkle and color of these earrings. You have to know what you are buying. If you haven't researched in the us don't buy in the Caribbean.

[jewopaho]

I sincerely believe that all the Cruise ship store or stores near cruise ports are over price on most things. As mentioned above St Martins may be one of the better places to shop.

But all things aside if you can afford it, buying what you want when you find it may have more memories in the future. I know, we still talk and remember who, where and when we bought pieces of fine jewelry.

LOL, the warehouse clubs,most know who I;m talking about, have some of the best prices on Gold and diamonds around.

 

We're straying a bit from the topic ... buying in Grand Cayman. It's unikely that a cruise there would also include a stop in St. Maarten.

 

Your reference to the warehouse clubs is no laughing matter. In fact, an article in one of the trade papers (I know I read it ... just don't remember the specifics) concluded that the best values in diamond jewelry can be found at ... Sam's Club! I did check, and the prices are attractive.

 

Jewelry is like anything else you buy ... you like it, and the price is agreeable. Of course, perception is reality ... if you believe you got a deal, you did.

[Kellie Poodle]

I'm going to make a suggestion that might be a little shocking at first, but please bear with me.

 

I have gotten some of my nicest and best quality pieces of jewelry in pawn shops. One person's bad luck is my bargain.

 

Pawn shops, in most states, are highly regulated by the government, so they are less likely to screw with you. A reputable shop will offer an appraisal along with the piece. If another appraisal does not equal the one they give you, you have the right to return it for a full refund. (Check with your own state for regulations as they probably differ from state to state)

 

I like unique things and pawn shops seem to have more unique stuff than regular jewelry shops, including many "estate" pieces. You can bargain with them on many pieces, too.

 

The best pickings are pawn shops in gambling towns like Vegas or Reno.