Jeweler Shopping in Port

[kshearon]

We have never bought jewelry while on a cruise, but this year my wife is interested in updating her wedding set.

 

Can anyone provide insight for in port shopping? Are the deals that good, and is the quality the same as we would receive here stateside?

 

 

Our next cruise will be to St Kitts, San Juan, St Thomas, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, and St Marteen.

 

 

Are there any places anyone could recommend to shop or avoid?

 

 

Thanks in advance!

[Clarea]

We have had very good luck with Imperial Jewelers in St. Thomas.

[helen haywood]

I love Vibrant Jewelers in St. Martin! Best advice would be to have an idea of comparable prices for what you are looking for.

 

 

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[leaveitallbehind]

We have had very good luck with Imperial Jewelers in St. Thomas.

 

Second that - have had very good experiences there. (Very nice family - get their annual Christmas card. :))

[easyboy]

We have had very good luck with Imperial Jewelers in St. Thomas.

 

 

Had some items there too!

 

 

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[navybankerteacher]

Since you asked, I would suggest that you consider avoiding all Caribbean islands for jewelry purchases. At the least, you should do serious window shopping in your home area so you will have a very good idea of what sort of prices apply to what sort of pieces.

[CanadaDeb]

I've bought from Imperial Jewelers in St Thomas and Caribbean Gems in St Maarten...you can go on tripadvisor and check out the reviews in different ports, that will give you a general idea of the experience of others.

[zqvol]

You will do just as well price wise in the Triad, plus you will have the peace of mind that comes from buying locally.

[BananaAnna]

We bought a ring at Kay Jewelry in St. Marteen that I love and still get compliments on. I negotiated price down to about 1/3 of original asking price. Basically I got it at a price that if it turned out to be green and white glass instead of emeralds and diamonds I'd be sad but not feel like I'd lost a vast amount.

Personally, unless you are VERY knowledgeable about jewelry, I wouldn't spend a lot of money in store where I had little recourse in case of a problem.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Since you asked, I would suggest that you consider avoiding all Caribbean islands for jewelry purchases. At the least, you should do serious window shopping in your home area so you will have a very good idea of what sort of prices apply to what sort of pieces.

 

 

Plus 1 on this.

Jewelry stores across the Caribbean (and many other mainstream ports) are pretty much Walmart with brighter LED lighting.

 

 

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[donaldsc]

We have never bought jewelry while on a cruise, but this year my wife is interested in updating her wedding set.

 

Can anyone provide insight for in port shopping? Are the deals that good, and is the quality the same as we would receive here stateside?

 

 

Our next cruise will be to St Kitts, San Juan, St Thomas, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, and St Marteen.

 

 

Are there any places anyone could recommend to shop or avoid?

 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

I can't figure out why people who would do a lot of research buying jewelry in their home town rush out and buy stuff on a cruise from a jeweler who they know nothing about and from whom they have no recourse if things go badly. Someone who buys a lot of jewelry once told me - "if you don't know about jewelry, know your jeweler". Seems like this applies here.

 

DON

[ExpatBride]

ISomeone who buys a lot of jewelry once told me - "if you don't know about jewelry, know your jeweler". Seems like this applies here.

 

This is excellent advice. I collect antique and vintage jewellery and knew nothing about it when I first started. I've built up a relationship with a jeweller who specialises in these types of pieces and not only has he steered me in the right direction time after time, but he's taught me a lot along the way and has even refused to sell me some pieces that he felt weren't of fine enough quality for my collection. For example, treated stones... a coloured gemstone may look beautiful and be what the dealer says it is, however, if it's been treated to improve its colour or clarity (which an estimated 70%+ of sapphires on the market are) then the value really takes a hit. I've only bought one item from another jeweller... an Art Deco watch for which I vastly overpaid and learned never to stray again.

[cruzeluver]

The deals in the Caribbean are not what they used to be. The market is too flooded. However, if you want to get something on the islands as a remembrance of you trip, do your research ahead of time so you know what you are looking for and what you would expect to pay at home so you will know if the price is fair. And please, please ignore the on boar d"shopping experts". They steer cruisers to stores that pay fees to the cruise line so you are not get unbiased opinions. I would never buy from s ship-recommended store.

[Keith1010]

Be very careful on the jewelry.

 

I would avoid one of a kind pieces unless you really know value.

 

Keith

[PORT ROYAL]

We have never bought jewelry while on a cruise, but this year my wife is interested in updating her wedding set.

 

Can anyone provide insight for in port shopping? Are the deals that good, and is the quality the same as we would receive here stateside?

 

 

Our next cruise will be to St Kitts, San Juan, St Thomas, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, and St Marteen.

 

 

Are there any places anyone could recommend to shop or avoid?

 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Recommend Diamond Jewellers on Front Street. 12 Years of complete satisfaction, for us, family and friends.

[iancal]

Costco, Blue Nile.

 

Forget the Caribbean. Forget jewelry stores in shopping centers. Call your insurance agent, call an insurance adjuster and ask then who they use in your area to replace stones-diamonds. Pay them a visit. Pick out a setting, then pick out the stones. You will be far better off than dealing in the Caribbean and you may even get what you paid for.

 

Take your time, think about your choice. Why buy somewhere where you only have a few hours to decide and where you cannot easily return if there is an issue?

 

This would be our advice.

 

Several years ago we shopped for a gold item. Had it weighed at the front of store (in St. Thomas). Then asked, much to the consternation of the sales person, for it to be weighed on the scale in the back of the store.. The scales did not agree. Guess which scale registered the heavier weight? Imagine what stories could be told to someone with zero knowledge of gemstones. The appraisals they provide are sales tools and bear no resemblance to reality.

Edited May 14, 2017 by iancal

[slg1979]

Stay away from buying jewelry in Cozumel.. just last week I tried to buy a blue sapphire and white sapphire ring (think princess Dianna). Stared at $1500. Haggled to $150.. noticed a chip in the 'stone'. "No problem we fix it 20 mins." An hour later the ring appears. Not the same ring.. the white sapphires suddenly turned black when tilted against the light.. asked to see a loupe to do a little closer inspection. "We don't have a loupe" BS! I said any descent jewelry shop has a loupe... they produced a loupe. The ring had a prong on the mount that was broke and mended, the 'stone' was obviously plastic. The guy freaked when I asked if u could use a lighter to test it against heat.. I got my money back and never looked back:. Oh and the silver quality stamped on the inside began with a 3, not the 9 as advertised. This was in the large pavilion at the dock near the leather shop dead center of the tourist village. In the indoor market place.. yes. Shop at home. You can even haggle with ur local stores.. I did saved over $3500 on my favorite ring. Have a great Sunday.

 

 

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[navybankerteacher]

Recommend Diamond Jewellers on Front Street. 12 Years of complete satisfaction, for us, family and friends.

 

Are you aware that there is a "Front Street" on many of the islands cited in OP's question?

[kshearon]

Thank you all so much for your extremely valuable insight. We certainly aren't jewelry experts, and you've brought up a number of good points.

 

We will continue to look here at home for the "set of her dreams." I had concerns about these advertised places each time you leave the ship, but we certainly aren't cruise experts either!

[6rugrats]

Thank you all so much for your extremely valuable insight. We certainly aren't jewelry experts, and you've brought up a number of good points.

 

We will continue to look here at home for the "set of her dreams." I had concerns about these advertised places each time you leave the ship, but we certainly aren't cruise experts either!

Good idea. You are better off purchasing stones and settings separately, and don't be hesitant to ask for a discount from your local jeweler.

[cruzeluver]

Stared at $1500. Haggled to $150

 

 

Although your entire experience sounds awful, this would have been my first clue something was not right. I have heard of bargaining but from $1500 to $150???

[gooch47]

We shopped at the "House of Rajah" on St. Thomas numerous times. Always treated like royalty and they would remember me from trip to trip. No, I didn't spend a fortune. I went in there one time with a terrible cold and the owner sent one of his employees out to get some "bush tea" for me to drink.

 

My son bought the engagement ring for his fiancee there. When he had it appraised at home it came back as being quite a bit more money than he paid for it.

 

We still get brochures mailed to us even though it has been many years since we visited them.

[iancal]

Appraisals are almost worthless and bear no relation to actual value or indeed resale value.

 

They are mostly for either sales purposes or insurances purposes and according to some familiar with the industry they are usually double, sometimes more, of their actual value. If you are not sure, ask a professional in the jewelry business or the insurance business-an adjuster.

 

Insurance agents love appraisals. They get the to sell riders equal to double or more of the asset value. Higher riders, higher premiums, higher commission.

 

A number of years ago, where we live, one of the largest well known North American department store chains was taken to court by our Consumer Affairs dept. Why? They were advertising and selling diamond rings at half and often less of the so called appraised value. Settled out of court, this well known dept. store ceased and desisted.

 

Think about it. Why would someone sell a ring or other valuable piece of jewelry at a fifty or seventy five percent discount? Does it make sense that someone would sell you a $10,000 ring for $3,000?

[navybankerteacher]

[quote name=iancal;53071280

 

...

 

Think about it. Why would someone sell a ring or other valuable piece of jewelry at a fifty or seventy five percent discount? Does it make sense that someone would sell you a $10' date='000 ring for $3,000?[/quote]

 

Of course not. But they are willing to offer you a $2,000 ring for $10,000 - and let you feel like a clever negotiator when you work them down to an agreed price of $3,000.

 

It's a win-win: he gets 50% over real value and you get to boast on Cruise Critic.

[sail7seas]

I can't figure out why people who would do a lot of research buying jewelry in their home town rush out and buy stuff on a cruise from a jeweler who they know nothing about and from whom they have no recourse if things go badly. Someone who buys a lot of jewelry once told me - "if you don't know about jewelry, know your jeweler". Seems like this applies here.

 

DON

 

We bough t some jewelry in various Caribbean ports and have not had second thoughts about it. We have enjoyed r great many wearings and i sitll truly love some of it. i wILL NOT shop in ship recommeneded stores t the ship recommendation, iMO, only inflates the price.. I a m not a GIA traineddjeweler and do not pretend to be, however, i only buy somethting i lov e for its beauty and not necessarily for its value. When I am purchasing most anything from stove to ring, to dress, et , I always ask myself if I love or like it as much as the amount of money that is being charged for it. If I really like the piec,e and know it will bring me good memories of the trip during which we bought iit, then i think about it. Don't buy jewelry as an investment thinking you can resell it and make money. The chance of that happening is small. I also bought items I was quite sure I'd never find at home. I dont' often visit large jewelry sttores in my daily life and when we frist started doing lots of vaactioning and cruising in the Caribbean, the selection was tremendous. it is less so now but I never would have seen so many choices at home. It also was good to not pay sales tax. Just Do Not spend more money than you can

 

 

commfortably afford. It is good advice when people tell you to shop around at home before you travel to have an idea of prices There truly are VERY FEW if any bargains. if you love, it, decide how much money it is worth to you...... not how mucch someone else would or should pay for it.. However, an unttrrained person cannot distinguihs the three c's of a diamond, for the most part. .

 

Don't plan on sellling your jewelry for retrirement funds. :)

Edited May 14, 2017 by sail7seas