Confused on purchasing this from ZALES?!?!?...Is it worth it...

[moreno_dr18]

This afternoon my wife and I were at the mall and she fell in love with a wedding set she saw at zales. I looked for the rings online and these are the links to them.
1/3 CT. Diamond Solitaire Engagement Ring in 14K White Gold
http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3210503
1/4 CT. T.W. Enhanced Black and White Diamond Band in 14K White Gold
http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3577307&kpc=1
Men's 1/5 CT. T.W. Enhanced Black and White Diamond Five Stone Band in 10K White Gold
http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3864640&kpc=1

They offered us 1/3 CT for $449.99, 1/4 ct for $299.99 and the 1/5 CT for $399.99. So we're talking about approx. $1200-$1400 with tax.

Is this worth it? Can I do better for the same price or lower?....and yes we are a young couple on a budget...So your help would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[CharmyPoo]

You will hear that Zales is typically priced higher than the Internet vendors. Their quality is also not as good as what you can get our there. I would suggest you checking out some of the PS vendors before making your choice. There are also some great second hand deals you can take a look at - I have no issues with second hand but others may. I always find it to be a great alternative when the budget is a little lower. Example, I found this T&CO one on ebay that seems to fit your budget. It might end cheap as it is scratched inside but you should be able to get it polished out. I also love vintage / antique rings as I have a love for antique stones.

If you jump over to the colored diamond forum or search LOGR, you will also find some great low cost setting alternatives. Many PSers (including myself) have numerous LOGR settings. I find them to be well made and of good quality especially compared to some of the mall jewelers. They don't match up to the top jewelers but they also cost a lot less. You can get diamond and gold settings from $100 to $200 or higher depending on the look. I even snatched up a gorgeous setting at $20 bucks once .. auction ended really cheap.

Making links clickable for the lazy folks out there.

http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3210503

http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3577307&kpc=1

http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3864640&kpc=1

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 10/19/2009 1:40:30 AM
Author: CharmyPoo
You will hear that Zales is typically priced higher than the Internet vendors. Their quality is also not as good as what you can get our there. I would suggest you checking out some of the PS vendors before making your choice. There are also some great second hand deals you can take a look at - I have no issues with second hand but others may. I always find it to be a great alternative when the budget is a little lower. Example, I found this T&CO one on ebay that seems to fit your budget. It might end cheap as it is scratched inside but you should be able to get it polished out. I also love vintage / antique rings as I have a love for antique stones.

If you jump over to the colored diamond forum or search LOGR, you will also find some great low cost setting alternatives. Many PSers (including myself) have numerous LOGR settings. I find them to be well made and of good quality especially compared to some of the mall jewelers. They don't match up to the top jewelers but they also cost a lot less. You can get diamond and gold settings from $100 to $200 or higher depending on the look. I even snatched up a gorgeous setting at $20 bucks once .. auction ended really cheap.

Making links clickable for the lazy folks out there.

http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3210503

http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3577307&kpc=1

http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3864640&kpc=1

Hehehe! When you have lots of non clickable diamond links to go through daily it gets mighty difficult, clickable links are so much easier and save me getting in a muddle!

Moreno welcome! Its up to you and your wife of course but I just wanted to point out the centre stone clarity is 12 and even in that size the stone could be visibly included. Chances are the cut isn't good either. I would definitely suggest checking out some of the online vendors here before deciding.

 

[exoticisabella]

From what I''ve seen of Zales and other mall type stores, Zales seems to be at the bottom of the food chain. If you''re looking to buy local and in that price range I would suggest checking out walmart and sams club (yes! They have done a good job about increasing quailty control on their jewelry collections), costco, or reading the articles on pricescope here and hitting the pawn shops (if she''s okay with a "used" ring). Another suggestion of many pricescopers is to buy her a nice band now and wait on the big diamond until it is more affordable.

 

[clgwli]

I agree that I think Zales is the worst of the mall bunches. I''ve gone there looking for certain gold items and always walked away unhappy with their prices. I would look around elsewhere and see if you can find a better diamond for the same price give or take. While I am picky about diamond clarity to a point, I2 is not acceptable at all in my eyes. I totally understand being younger and not so well off as we were still in college when we got engaged. We found a great ring on e-bay even back then. The diamond was about .23 carat a VS2 and J in color (we haven''t had it checked out unmounted so that is why I have an "about") It was bought for $100 as a replacement ring for a platinum setting with a colored stone that cracked

There are lots of options out there instead of this IMO. Like I said we even did a colored gemstone at first until we could afford more.

Good luck!

 

[Lula]

Hi, Moreno,
Adding up the Zales price on the solitaire and the two wedding bands, plus sales tax (do not pay extra for an extended warranty, no matter where you shop!), I come up with approximately $1400, for the three rings.

A quick search on the James Allen website found this .26 carat Isee2 diamond H, VS2 color and clarity for $350 that is no doubt a better performing diamond than what you can get at Zales. Because the cut is superior to the Zales diamond, this .26 carat will look probably look larger than the Zales .33 carat. Here's the link:

.26

Here's a .32 carat for $340, also an Isee2 diamond, I, SI1 color and clarity.

.32
I found these two on a super-quick search; there are lots more to choose from. James Allen sells 18 kt. gold solitaire settings for approximately $300 - $400.

If your wife likes black diamonds, I would check on sites like Overstock.com and Lord of the Gem (mentioned above) to find the wedding bands for a more competitive price.

What I'm saying is, if you're willing to shop online, you can spend the same amount of money as you would at Zales, but get better quality and the same or similar "look" with the black and white diamonds.

 

[Sam82]

I also did a quick search at blue nile, which is priced pretty well. A .33 solitaire in a white gold setting will probably run you an extra $100-150 more than the Zales solitaire. The quality will be much better. I would not buy the e-ring at Zales. I might consider the wedding band at Zales if you cannot find anything like it and you see it in persona and are satisfied with the quality.

 

[CharmyPoo]

Date: 10/19/2009 4:22:01 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 10/19/2009 1:40:30 AM
Author: CharmyPoo

Making links clickable for the lazy folks out there.

http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3210503

http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3577307&kpc=1

http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3864640&kpc=1

Hehehe! When you have lots of non clickable diamond links to go through daily it gets mighty difficult, clickable links are so much easier and save me getting in a muddle!

I don''t have a lot of links to go through and I am too lazy to not cut and paste

 

[AprilBaby]

The diamonds mentioned above are all beautiful. I would highly recommend you follow the links and stay away from the I2.