Natural Diamond Prices – November 2024
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The Rogers and Hollands chain, a long-time player in the jewelry industry, operates in 10 states and has 71 stores. It truly is an omni-channel retailer.
In South-Eastern states, Rogers and Hollands also uses the Ashcroft & Oak Jewelers name, whereas the Rogers and Hollands name is used in the North and West.
Throughout its history, the company has undergone a number of mergers and acquisitions which have all contributed to the success of the company as it stands today. With several generations of family involvement, it strives to maintain its family jeweler feel.
As this review will show, Rogers and Hollands’ diamond and jewelry offering has many shortcomings, despite its history of over a century in the industry. We’ve dived into it below.
Rogers and Hollands at a Glance
Jump to:
- What is the Rogers and Hollands story?
- What is most appealing about Rogers and Hollands?
- What diamond and jewelry products does Rogers and Hollands offer?
- What sets Rogers and Hollands apart from others?
- What does Rogers and Hollands packaging look like?
- Are you the ideal Rogers and Hollands customer?
1. What is Rogers and Hollands’ story?
As far as jewelry stores go, Rogers & Hollands have a rich and lengthy history. It is true that Rogers Jewelers has been around since 1945, but it is not nearly as old as Hollands which started back in 1910. After the companies merged, the number of stores grew slowly until the 1980s, when about 30 stores existed.
A total of 64 locations were operated by the company by the turn of the century. Even with offices spread over 10 states, Rogers & Hollands has managed to remain a family-run business in the current retail environment of IPOs, mergers, and acquisitions.
Their website also includes a complete history that makes for an interesting read.
2. What is most appealing about Rogers and Hollands?
Grading Authority
An immediate red flag is that Rogers and Holland sell EGL certified diamonds alongside GIA certified diamonds. Unlike GIA, AGS or IGI certification, EGL certification provides inaccurate and inflated grades whose sole purpose is to increase a company’s profits.
When it comes to such an important purchase, we’re skeptical of any vendor that offers substandard certificates.
There is little attention given by Rogers and Holland to the quality of their diamonds – both natural and lab grown. If you know what you’re looking for, you may find a nice GIA-certified diamond, but with so little emphasis placed on cut quality and specifications, you’re likely to find yourself searching for a needle in a haystack.
So there’s a dilemma. An expert diamond buyer might be able to sift through Rogers and Hollands’ engagement rings and locate a diamond of high quality, while a novice would have difficulty.
Moreover, the diamonds offered by Rogers and Holland are over 30% more expensive than their online equivalents. A knowledgeable buyer wouldn’t – and shouldn’t – buy diamonds at this price.
Additionally, you’re given a certificate that has no real value. Since we’re committed to integrity at Pricescope, this concerns us.
In the market for more affordable diamonds, it’s fine to sell cheaper diamonds of a lower quality, but not when they are masquerading as higher quality.
Successful online sellers like Whiteflash, Blue Nile and James Allen offer diamond certification from top-tier laboratories with competitive pricing, whether you’re examining it in-person or purchasing online. In addition to the liberal inspection period, they also offer free returns so you can buy with complete confidence.
Variety
In the interest of objectivity, we commend Rogers and Hollands for offering a wide range of unique jewelry designs, albeit some are a little dated.
Most of the engagement rings offered by Rogers & Hollands feature solitaire settings or halo settings – both classic styles.
As for designers, they have some worth checking out, such as Verragio. Given the other challenges with Rogers and Hollands, it’s recommended that you purchase Verragio pieces from a vetted retailer such as Whiteflash; the diamond center can be chosen by you from their fantastic, instock inventory that isn’t artificially overpriced.
Comparing designer pieces and seeing where you can find them elsewhere is always a good idea. Nonetheless, it’s encouraging to see that designers like Verragio can be purchased from Rogers and Hollands – as designers are in charge of choosing where their pieces are sold.
Ease of Use
In keeping with Rogers and Hollands’ long history, the website is somewhat outdated. Compared to the leading online sites, it’s not as elegant or user-friendly.
Although it is not particularly memorable, the website does its job and is adequate. After you have fought your way through the various banners and ads, you can start looking at engagement rings.
It will be relatively easy to switch between pieces, but the images won’t be of a high enough standard to feel comfortable buying online. Essentially, this is the Rogers and Hollands approach because they have locations throughout the country, so you should be able to visit. As we know, this is not inline with the savvier shopper of today.
Whiteflash, Blue Nile and James Allen offer extensive inventories of quality diamonds, complete with high-res imaging and videos and diamond certificates. They are also highly committed to consumer education, along with their transparent business practices.
The Selection
In terms of exclusivity, Roger and Hollands are probably not your first choice. The large number of stores they have, 71 in all, enforces the need for standard product lines. In this sense, they are not unique.
In spite of this, there are a few interesting pieces scattered throughout the listings. Even so, it’s hard to take some of the higher price tags seriously when they’re next to Disney costume jewelry.
Among the features offered on Rogers and Hollands’ website is a Design Your Own section. This ‘tool’, however, is actually a search feature enabling you to narrow down your options from their pre-existing selection. As a whole, it isn’t bespoke or customized.
While it is common for online retailers to offer majority preset options, savvy shoppers would not recommend this type of transaction. Purchasing a setting and diamond separately gives you so much more freedom to prioritize what’s truly important to you, all while budget is front of mind.
Loose diamonds allow you to specify quality specifications and budgetary constraints. If you use this approach, you can allocate your funds to the Four C’s and the setting as you see fit, and this provides the most transparency when choosing an engagement ring.
For your ring, we have a fantastic tool to help you find the perfect cut quality diamond. With over a million loose diamonds to choose from, you can specify exactly what matters most to you.
The Experience
With premiums like these and designer names, luxury seems inevitable. There’s no doubt that their stores are comfortable, at ease, and definitely don’t feel like standard chain jewelers. In spite of the price tags, some of the stores weren’t as upscale as we might have expected. Possibly due to the size of the business, they can feel generic as well.
We were surprised by the poor customer service experiences for their retail stores, especially because they give priority to their in-person stores over their online business.
In our experience, their representatives seemed to be lacking fundamental diamond knowledge. As a result of their staff’s poor understanding of diamonds, it made us concerned about the vulnerability of unassuming, inexperienced diamond shoppers.
We wondered if this was simply a bad day, and we still hope that’s the case. But the customer service at Rogers and Hollands is consistently subpar, as demonstrated by reviews on the internet.
It’s important to note that, as previously mentioned, the imagery on the site leaves plenty to the imagination. Pieces aren’t displayed at their best so you can’t really judge their quality.
Zooming in on each image is possible, however, due to the lacking quality of the original photograph, you’re simply seeing a large amount of pixilation.
Over the last few years, many online jewelers have increased the quality of their online imagery, a trend that Rogers and Hollands should follow as well.
Be sure to investigate specialist jewelers who are happy to provide comprehensive diamond performance images, ASET Maps, Ideal Scopes, as well as other reports and videos offered by excellent jewelers like Whiteflash and James Allen. Buying diamonds from these online stores will not only save you money, but will ensure a high quality diamond with the necessary certification as well.
3. What diamond and jewelry products does Rogers and Hollands offer?
Earlier, we voiced our concerns about Rogers and Hollands’ lack of reputable diamond certifications. Instead, we’ll discuss Rogers & Hollands’ extensive selection of jewelry as well as its wide selection of engagement rings.
Their collections include:
- Bracelets
- Earrings
- Chains
- Anklets
- Birthstone jewelry
- Watches
- Disney Jewelry Collection
- Children’s Jewelry
- Pet Parent Jewelry
- Zodiac Jewelry
A wide range of gemstone items are also available at Rogers and Hollands, including ‘fine’ diamond jewelry. Tiffany & Co still sell sterling silver collections, so it’s not the end of the world, but you should be careful when looking at material and gemstone quality.
Before you’re intrigued by Rogers and Hollands’ variety, we would highly recommend reading our reviews for some of our vetted vendors such as Blue Nile, Whiteflash and James Allen. Get the best diamond shopping experience online by shopping with these vendors.
4. What sets Rogers and Hollands apart from others?
Established History: There’s a strong tendency for customers to gravitate towards businesses with a long, family-run history. Customers trust Rogers and Hollands more as a result, and be more comfortable while shopping. After all, no business can exist this long without doing something right.
Accessible Location: Its 71 stores in 10 states make Rogers and Holland easily accessible to many people. The experience of purchasing an engagement ring or diamond in-store is still perceived by many customers as more significant than buying it online, regardless of the cost. Rogers and Hollands provide that experience and definitely caters to that audience.
Diamond Educational Resources: In-store, Rogers and Hollands may not have a lot of diamond education resources, though their website can provide information on 4 Cs, settings, and metal. As a result, buyers will be able to make an informed decision when purchasing such an important piece.
5. What does Rogers and Hollands packaging look like?
There’s no denying that Roger and Hollands’ packaging isn’t exactly Tiffany’s. However, as we found out, Roger and Hollands’ customers might not necessarily be looking for high-end products when they shop there – rather, they are looking for convenience and a great established history.
With a simplistic black exterior and a red foil ampersand, it beautifully symbolizes marriage and commitment. You’ll find a fairly plain white cushion inside, nothing too fancy, but it makes your ring stand out.
It is unfortunate that the packaging and branding of this product screams chain jeweler. In terms of quality, it’s fine, but it doesn’t stand out from the crowd.
6. Are you the ideal Rogers and Hollands customer?
There is a great deal of emotional and financial commitment involved in purchasing a diamond ring. Making sure you’re getting the best value for your money is essential.
After all, if you are buying an engagement ring, you are likely to be paying for a wedding soon. So for those seeking things at the lower end of the scale, Rogers and Hollands offers a wide selection and has a strong nationwide presence.
Despite having some stunning diamonds, Rogers and Hollands hold some diamonds that are not as great and have questionable certificates to boot. The key is to compare diamonds in-store with those you find online so you know what you’re getting.
Generally, Rogers and Hollands offer mid range pricing. Nevertheless, it’s inconsistent. We found some of the pricing to be particularly high, and we don’t believe you’re getting much value for your money. On the surface, the stated prices don’t seem too bad, but what matters is value for money, and that’s where we see the problem.
In exchange for paying a premium of 30 – 40% over buying online, you should get value in return. There is no denying that Rogers and Hollands are convenient, but the downside of having so many stores is that they have a lot of overhead costs that are reflected in their prices.
You are better off buying a diamond ring from a reputable online retailer, Astor by Blue Nile, Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE, and James Allen True Hearts‘ are the pinnacle of diamond quality and the standard diamonds should be held to. With a greater experience and better prices, you will not be disappointed.
In addition to diamond-related information, including reviews of well-known vendors, PriceScope encourages consumers to perform comprehensive research before they make a diamond purchase.
Not satisfied with Rogers and Hollands’ pricing and poor certification? We recommend browsing our huge inventory of loose diamonds, which offers flexibility to choose what’s important to you in your diamond.
Get fast answers to any question: Ask our community of unbiased independent helpers or use our diamond search to find your ideal diamond.
The information in this review is current, to the best of our knowledge, as of September, 2022.
