IS BRAND NAME DESIGNER JEWELRY WORTH IT?

“Do you carry this?”

A girl walks into the store and asks to see a (specific name brand designer, like Scott Kay…) ring.

“Sorry, we don’t carry that designer.”

I show her over to our engagement ring case where we have a similar designed ring for half the price.

She’s excited.

She loves it.

She sends her boyfriend in to buy it.

The point is, once she saw something better for less money, she was sold.

So my question is:

Why do some people get it in their heads that designer rings are the only way to go?

Is a name brand better than other jewelry?

Let’s look at Rolex for example.

Rolex sells.

They sell extremely well. Why? Is it because it’s a perfect watch? No! Is it because it’s highly accurate? No again. So what makes Rolex so great?

The name.

People pay a lot for this Swiss-made watch just because they want to wear the Rolex name (P.S. You can purchase refurbished Rolex watches here on Amazon). Rolex is prestige. Rolex is pride. Rolex is power. But it is also a lot of money…

This holds true for jewelry. Big name brand designers cost a lot more. Are they really any better than similar generic (no name) items? Hardly.

Sure these pieces may be made well. But so are thousands of other pieces. In fact, some generic versions are better in both quality and price.

Just because it has a big name attached to it…

Doesn’t mean it’s better.

Name brand rings may have excellent diamonds in them like: VS2, F… Great! But so do the non-name rings in the next case.

To really know if name brands are worth it, you need to shop and compare.

If the piece in question has a carat of diamonds (1.00) with a certain color and clarity… Compare them. Match them up with similar rings and similar diamond quality (like I did in my Hearts On Fire review here). Does the price hold up?

Chances are, you’ll find something equally as nice for half the price.

But it’s a so-and-so brand…

Sure name brands will have the designer’s name or signature stamped inside the shank… (and a certificate of authenticity). Is this really a big deal?

Some designer rings come with a lifetime guarantee… Great… But so do other rings. Is this really worth double the price? (I’m looking at you Tiffany… See my review here).

Every jeweler across the country will probably have some kind of warranty, service plan or guarantee on their rings, it’s not any different. I say get your jewelry appraised and insured and it won’t even be an issue.

Really!

Why pay more?

I say, don’t worry about the name. It doesn’t make the item any better or any worse. A silver ring from so-and-so will still tarnish like other silver jewelry. Prongs on a name brand designer ring will still bend, break and wear down like every other prong. Designer names will still dull up and scratch. The diamonds can still fall out. Designer rings are just rings.

The point is…

You have to judge all jewelry and rings by how they are made. What quality the diamonds are. What the clarity and color is. You have to scope the stones (with a microscope or a 10x jeweler’s loupe). What do the inclusions look like (diamonds are diamonds, nothing designer about them). You have to look at the workmanship of the mounting.

That’s what really matters!

Big brands are only a ring with a fancy name attached.

I’ve seen some big name brands that are made crappy with low quality diamonds in them. You just never know.

So judge each piece separately and make buying decisions based upon the ring and diamonds…

Not the name.

Some people want to wear a Rolex for no other reason than to wear a Rolex. They like the name. To each their own.

Plus, when you wear a ring, people aren’t going to know who made it by looking at it. They won’t know if it’s a designer or if it’s made by a mom-and-pop store. The ring will look the same… Just not cost the same. (It’s not like a Rolex where people will know it’s a Rolex… And even then people will probably think it’s fake – learn how to tell a fake Rolex from a real here).

Me? I’d rather save my money and buy something similar for less (which is why shopping at James Allen makes sense… it saves you money!)

Your call.

Your wallet.

Name? Or not?

Cheers! :)