philip_eunice1 Posted January 18, 2015 #1 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Hi all gonna be on the sun in feb looking for a recommendation on a good honest jeweller were I can buy a new wedding ring for my wife Anyone one have any experience Thanks Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulch Posted January 18, 2015 #2 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Personal observation is that Mexico is good for silver, very limited for gold, platinum, etc. Ship jewelry is much higher in price than our local stores; and gem quality is not particularly good. Also, as your question implies, you need to be wary about the quality unless you really know what you are doing. Shopping in St Thomas would be different.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip_eunice1 Posted January 18, 2015 Author #3 Share Posted January 18, 2015 On the sun so it's belize Roatan Costa maya Cozumel If the past we have bought in Cozumel and the insurance value has always be considerable better than what we paid but I do understand its "buyer beware" so that's why I'm asking Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garycarla Posted January 18, 2015 #4 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Here is what is often posted when this question comes up. If you have an issue with it, can you take it back? Is the pricing really that much different than in the states? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sauer-kraut Posted January 18, 2015 #5 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Beware! Find a local jeweler (not a chain store) and purchase from them. You will get better customer service, they will stand behind their product and want to keep you as a customer. I use this example in several of these types of questions. My mother bought a lovely ring on a cruise in port, they gave her all the "appraisal" papers showing how much the stone/ring were actually worth. When the ring needed to be repaired, it was a hassle to send to New York for the guarantee work. It took months before it was returned, and the repair was poorly done. She took it to our local jeweler who has been in business since 1894, they did the repair and told her that the stone was worth less than half of what she paid, and the "appraisal" was completely bogus. Buy from someone you know, don't get taken! Perhaps a nice ring as a memento from the cruise, but when purchasing a wedding ring use a good quality jeweler who will take care of any possible issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peak17 Posted January 18, 2015 #6 Share Posted January 18, 2015 I also think any serious jewelry is better purchased at home from a local store. They can't take the risk of not giving you exactly what they say and have to stand behind it. But, if this is truly how you want to do it, go to a few local stores before your cruise and find out how much things are before you buy it outside the country. Ps. I am not a jeweler! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love my butler Posted January 19, 2015 #7 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Hi all gonna be on the sun in feb looking for a recommendation on a good honest jeweller were I can buy a new wedding ring for my wife Anyone one have any experience I highly suggest you buy any jewelry local so you can get service after the sale. The 'deals' you get on just about any cruise really are not deals. Throw in the fact you are thousands of miles from the purchase point. You are just asking for trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip_eunice1 Posted January 19, 2015 Author #8 Share Posted January 19, 2015 So no help thanks Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rvsullivan Posted January 19, 2015 #9 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I think you are getting some help! What most, including myself are saying is in my experience, I've never found a reasonably priced/honest jeweler in Cozumel that I would make a major purchase from. Jewelers around the world all pay the same amount for gold, silver and diamonds. The appraisals given by the jewelers in Cozumel do you no good once you return home. I'll give an example from last month. I was shopping for a watch in the $500-600 range. I found one I liked on the ship for $504, looked in two shops in Cozumel, the cost there $512. Didn't buy, returned home and found the exact same model number in my local jeweler at the mall, $428. Was assured by both the ship's jewelry shop and the ones in Cozumel these were the best discounted prices I could get as they were 35% off. Buy at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkgourmet Posted January 19, 2015 #10 Share Posted January 19, 2015 One word: COSTCO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rvsullivan Posted January 19, 2015 #11 Share Posted January 19, 2015 One word: COSTCO Agreed!!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valleyvillage Posted January 19, 2015 #12 Share Posted January 19, 2015 One word: COSTCO And, they are in the UK, so, Yes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip_eunice1 Posted January 19, 2015 Author #13 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Well as I stated on previous vists we have bought well and got better insurance appraisals when we returned to home and took items to our jeweler thanks Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricialy Posted January 20, 2015 #14 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I've bought jewelry in Costa Maya, Roatan, St. Thomas, and Jamaica without a problem - always returned home and it was worth more than I paid. This summer - in Cozumel my sister-in-law and I really got taken - We were happy with the prices we paid, and they weren't "too good to be true." She bought a diamond ring and I purchased a Tanzanite bracelet. The store had the signs out front for cruise customers saying they were one of the recommended stores (we weren't on a cruise - found out that was a lie) - got certificates of authenticity on the gold and diamonds - it was all FAKE. I will NEVER buy jewelry anywhere that isn't local again. Filing a charge-back with your credit card is not an easy process when the bank is foreign. I Filed a claim on my Visa and went back and forth for months. Had to pay for a local appraisal ($50) - and finally to ship the bracelet back (another $54 UPS) - then the jeweler wouldn't accept the package, so it was abandoned as I wasn't willing to pay another $54 to have a $49 value bracelet returned to me. I should have known when he asked me to pay $100 in cash and charge the rest. There is no way to get the cash back. He did finally refund my money, but it was still a mess. I learned a lesson, which is sad for the honest sellers out there. If you'd like the name of the store - e-mail me at tricialy at yahoo dot com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip_eunice1 Posted January 20, 2015 Author #15 Share Posted January 20, 2015 That's great thanks Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evandbob Posted January 20, 2015 #16 Share Posted January 20, 2015 In Cozumel about 4 years ago, behind the main town square, I was looking at leather belts when the store manager asked me inside. He had a wonderful collection of stones, mostly sapphires and rubies set in white gold. I had my loupe with me to examine the stones. I wound up buying a ring, necklace and earring set that appraised for double when I got home. I won't walk into the chain stores that that the cruiselines advertise (or shill) that you see in every port, like DI or CE. I've made very nice purchases in both St Thomas and St Maarten at local stores also. It does help to know what to look for, and I've had experience on both Canal St and 47th St Diamond Districts in NY. Sounds like you know what to look for and can avoid the riff raff. Good luck hunting and shopping! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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