diamond buying- we walked out feeling bad

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#16
ACK - I HATE it when salespeople are pushy and rude. Usually I'll give them a look that tells them to knock it off. I couldn't bring myself to give money to salespeople who used the tacky lines that these people used on you and your fiance.

Please don't let this experience ruin your search for the perfect diamond. Maybe let a little time pass then go to some different jewelry stores or diamond brokers.
 
#17
wow, i am so sorry that salesperson was sooo rude!!

julie, just from reading you post, i can tell you are such a considerate and kind person..there is alot of love in your relationship. you show that you care more about yor future together w/ him then going in debt for a ring. your BF is so lucky to have you!! you truly have your bf's best interest at heart.

i say take your business elsewhere. you and your bf deserve to be treated w/ politeness and respect. that rude SA doesn't deserve ur business.

wishing you a lifetime of happiness! congratulations! :tup:
 
#18
You need to educate yourself as others have said. If someone has the audacity to spin such crap to you in order to sell you can answer back. There is no need for dirty selling tecniques that involve your sence of worth in the deal.

By the same token, you should be aware that a 2 carat D, IF will cost a fortune in anyones language and you could definately shop around for a better combination of charicteristics for less money and even bigger size.

FWIW, my upgrade is 4 carats, G color, and it does everything a diamond needs to and then some despite ave. cut and quality. It took me over a year to find and it suited my budget and my aesthetic tastes. Even when I go into high end shops like Cartier and very expensive clothes shops I get very full compliments on it!
 
#19
First off, congrats on your engagement.
There is very good advices here already. I just wanted to say dont feel bad, is not your fault you fell in love with the ring, but there is many other options out there too. Dont stress out.
I dont know how to explain this but of course you deserve it, but price does not determine how much your are worth. You are worth it period. That is why he is marrying you.

I am so picky but I worry about prices all the time too, Dh is different if he likes something he does not care about the price like I do. I kinda told him what kind of ring I wanted (joking but serious, lol) before he proposed. He did good, I love my ring. I think if I went shopping for the ring together we would've argue over the ring. After I found out how much he paid (I read his bank statement:angel:) I was like WTF?? this much for a ring. I was shocked, he told me I was worth more than that :love:
 
#20
Aw, I'm really sorry. Its hard to shop for an engagement ring with your fiance. 12k would be about a 1-1.5 ct ring, I think. Maybe a 1 ct. if you want a near colorless stone. I think you guys might have a very different ring budget in mind if you want a 2-3 ct. and maybe you should talk about it?

Those salespeople were waaaay out of line. Actually I was in Tiffany and the saleswoman told me that she prefered a smaller ring on my hand?!? I went to lots of jewelry stores and never got attitude like that. We went to Cartier, Van Clef, Tiffany, random local stores... I'm so sorry that they made your fiance feel bad. That's really terrible.
 
#21
I agree w/ the others. I'd find a broker in your area, if your fiance won't go for shopping online. I'd really show him pricescope though and all the search tools- some sites even have uploaded images of the stones and electronic loupes! Maybe that would satisfy his need to "see" the stone, which I gather is an issue? Some of the places also have videos of the stones online too, which would also help you two. Good luck and sorry about the bad experience.

ETA:
Here's an example of the online photos and loupe, w/ an oval cut stone that is 2 carats (I, VS2). Just to give you an idea of the neat tools that some vendors have online to make your purchase easier.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Oval-Diamond-1124567.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131
 
#22
Aw, I am sorry that you feel bad about the experience...look at it this way though...the sales associates most likely work on commision, so naturally they are going to do everything in their power to push the more expensive ring. This is about what you and your BF want and are comfortable with. If you loved the oval, you can go lower in color (since you said that you could not tell the difference anyway) and go down in clarity as well (there are plenty of eye clean SI1-2's out there just waiting to be loved)! Seriously, if you have not already, check out pricescope.com. If you explain your situation and the budget plus setting type you like, I know that the regulars there can help you find it!
 
#23
I think you have the right idea to go to a different jewelry store to look as well as to take a break from talking about the ring and let him lead for a while on his own. I think it is also important to let him know, however, that a ring that 'looks the same' (i.e. a center oval of the same size) can be purchased much more affordably by finding a stone with a different clarity and cut.

With an oval cut it is not necessary to pay extra for flawless clarity. You can save a fortune by going down to VS2 or even SI1 without compromising sparkle one bit (don't forget, a good cut is what determines this, not colour or clarity). You can also save on colour. In the colourless range, F is good value, but G often looks exactly the same and saves quite a bit of money.

I also think you have the right idea to go to a different shop. You should not be pressured like that and any good jeweler in my experience will negotiate on price and be interested in making a long time client (not just a quick sale). But, If he were to go back to the same store without you and ask to see loose oval diamonds in the G, SI1 range, he would show that he is an educated diamond shopper and not one to be taken for a ride by their ridiculous selling tactics.

Good luck in your search. I know how hard and uncomfortable it can be with sales people like that. My fiance and I went through the same thing before finding a fabulous woman to work with in a different shop than the one we started out at.


p.s. Once you find a ring, I would be tempted to write that store a letter enclosing a photo and letting them know they missed out on your business because of their approach... that would send a loud message to the management there... :smile1:
 
#24
LV Rawks said:
the sales associates most likely work on commision, so naturally they are going to do everything in their power to push the more expensive ring.
Click to expand...

This is very true. Once when a sales person was acting really pushy, I flat out asked "oh, do you work on commission?" She was taken aback at first and embarassed, but quickly stopped laying on the sales pitch so hard. It felt good to say to her :smile1: In the end, however, we ended up going to a store where they don't work on commission and we had a much more positive experience.
 
#25
Julie, I am so sorry that your ring-shopping experience was affected by poor service. I absolutely hate being pressured to buy an expensive item- it's my money, and those sales people should not tell me how much of it to spend! I hope you and your SO do not get discouraged, you might want to do some research on stone quality, etc online, and check other retailers as well, hopefully they will give you better service. Good luck!
 
#26
Yea, that was very rude and sound like examples of jewelers to avoid from what I read in diamond articles.

I also hope you get your diamond from somewhere else. What a happy occasion! You deserve the best buying experience!
 
#27
claudette2 said:
This is very true. Once when a sales person was acting really pushy, I flat out asked "oh, do you work on commission?" She was taken aback at first and embarassed, but quickly stopped laying on the sales pitch so hard. It felt good to say to her :smile1: In the end, however, we ended up going to a store where they don't work on commission and we had a much more positive experience.
Click to expand...

I used to work on commision,but I do think its extremely unproffesional to let that aspect in on your sales,people buy into you and your product,not your wage packet.

And if you are good at selling and enjoy it,it should never,ever be allowed to become an issue,if it does the sa needs to take a big step back and evaluate what they are doing wrong.
This should be a pleasurable experience as possible,it can be a bit fraught at times,lots of stuff to get your head around,but with better handling on the sa's part,you should have enjoyed the experience as you were learning,and not got onto price till much much later,after she had actually had taken the time to listen to you and your needs and wants better,and that way she could have had a better judgement on what to show you,and tailor that to your wants,not what she wants in her wage packet. It would have been less embarassing for you,and you might have walked out with a diamond you wanted,instead of never wanting to go there again.
Sure there are diamonds we would all love to have,and dream about,and they can be admired etc,but in such a way that reality is allowed back in,we snap out of the trance,and allowed to get real without embarassment!! It should'nt have been put across in an unatainable way to you,by hiding the price,thats rude and embarassing!!
I hope this is just a glitch in your search,and all your next experiences are much more fun and enjoyable!!:heart:
 
#28
I completely understand where you're coming from. You are a wonderful fiance for considering your SO's feelings.

My SO is very, very into the idea of being able to "provide," so to speak. I'm afraid I set the bar rather high for a diamond -- and my mother also helped. She and her own mother have always owned beautiful jewelry... I remember she once said that if my SO doesn't buy me an "appropriate" ring, she would buy me a better, bigger one to wear instead. She was joking but you can imagine SO's face...

If I were you, I would NOT go back to that store. You don't need shady sales people laying on a thick pitch as if they're selling you a used Chevy. Give me a break. Buying a diamond shouldn't make you feel bad, it should make you feel wonderful. Just tell your SO that while you loved the ring, you love him more and you're most concerned about finding the RIGHT ring for your lifestyle.
 
#29
LeeMiller said:
Those salespeople were waaaay out of line. Actually I was in Tiffany and the saleswoman told me that she prefered a smaller ring on my hand?!? I went to lots of jewelry stores and never got attitude like that. We went to Cartier, Van Clef, Tiffany, random local stores... I'm so sorry that they made your fiance feel bad. That's really terrible.
Click to expand...

I went to scope out rings at Tiffany and actually felt my sales person was quite pushy. He asked what my SO's salary was, rather than my budget. Seems bizarre to ask such a question.

Of course, every store and every sales person is different. Goes to show, huh? :flowers:
 
#30
^^^ Ew, that is out of line. I think maybe in one of the stores my SO's occupation came up, but I can't remember. And we received great service in Cartier despite by fiance wearing a sweatshirt and jeans. Maybe because we're in DC and people aren't so flassy here, so its hard to tell who will drop the $$. Actually I was surprised that budget never came up in the high end stores we went to. But I had a vague budget idea and I knew what to look at around that budget. I just didn't see the point of trying on a 30k ring and making my fiance feel uncomfortable. Its not like the engagement ring is the last piece of jewerly ever - I've already gotten a diamond necklace and Tahitan pearl earrings since then. And I have my eye on the Cartier rolling ring with diamonds!

Yeah, it can vary based on the SA. Tiffany's needs to do some better training in particular from what I've seen. Then again we have our favorite SA there and only go to her. Frankly, she smashing. She's older, chic and wear the biggest pearls to work with fabulous style. I adore her. When we shop with her she never pushes and gushes over how my fiance is a keeper when he makes a purchase. That's what you ultimately want your fiance to hear, that he's spending a good amount of money and spoiling you!
 
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