So you’re looking for an engagement ring (or a custom necklace, or bracelet, or some other fine piece of jewelry). You decide to head over to your local jewelry store to look for the perfect engagement ring. As soon as the blast of AC hits you and you’re standing in a carpeted room full of fine jewelry enclosed in glass cases manned by seemingly experienced salesmen, you ask yourself: what am I doing?
This isn’t a question of self-doubt; rather it’s an honest question about what to look for. You may know very little about jewelry, so how do you know this particular jewelry store you’re visiting is giving you what you expect?
If you fear that you cannot choose the best jeweler for your needs, fear not! At Guida Jewelers, we pride ourselves in our high-quality products and services, and if you ever find yourself in any jewelry store, we want you to be prepared to know that you’re getting the best piece of jewlery possible.
Below are 7 ways to tell if you’re choosing the best, most trustworthy jeweler with the highest quality products and services.
1) Long-standing brick-and-mortar store
Like any small business, the longer the store has been open the better. While this may not be a direct correlation, a long-standing brick-and-mortar jewelry store is a good sign that they’re doing something right.
When talking to your jeweler, make small-talk – inquire as to how long the business has been open and if business has been good as of late. Not only will conversing with your jeweler build a relationship, but you will also be able to get a feel for the business in general, as well as the jeweler who’s helping you. A quality jeweler cares about his or her customer.
2) Insurance policies
A jewelry store with in-store insurance policies is a testament to the jeweler’s confidence in their products. By offering in-store insurance policies, this means that a jeweler is willing to let their jewelry do the talking; they stand by their products, but they are also dedicated to being open and honest and letting their products stand for themselves.
3) Ask how they get their pieces
At Guida Jewelers, we proudly display all of our fashion designers on our website. A jewelry store that is vague about how or where they get their jewelry, or if they blatantly tell you they import mass-produced jewelry, will tell you a lot about the quality of the jeweler’s products.
A bonus is if the jeweler will sketch out some concepts for you, truly showing that their pieces are unique and not mass-produced or generic.
4) How particular/specific they are
This goes back to a jeweler’s knowledge and trustworthiness. If a jeweler can tell you about settings, what type of metal is used in a particular piece, and go into detail about any custom jewelry they do, then you can be assured that this jeweler knows what they are talking about and is being honest with you.
A jeweler brushes your questions off and tells you to be patient or wait until the next step may be untrustworthy. A quality jeweler has no reason to hide the specifics from a paying customer.
5) Too good to be true or not (slower and more detailed=high quality)
As appealing as a jewelry store that promises “beautiful diamond engagement rings in 24 hours!” may be, this is a classic example of something that is too good to be true.
High-quality jewelry and service take time. A quality jeweler wants to sell you the best piece of jewelry for you. A quality jeweler takes time to ask questions, sketch out designs or ideas, and ensure the finished piece you purchase is one you’ll love for a lifetime.
So if you visit a jeweler and they promise you five-star diamond rings with an ultra-fast turnaround time, this is a time to be skeptical. Never skimp on quality when it comes to fine jewelry, especially something as permanent as an engagement ring.
6) If they ask you about the individual
This has been said, but it deserves its own point. A quality jeweler will want to tailor a piece of jewelry to the wearer. If a jeweler doesn’t take the time to know the gifter and/or the wearer, then it may be time to question how trustworthy they are.
Not only should a jeweler determine what suits the wearer best, but a jeweler may take into consideration the gifter to ensure the piece of jewelry matches both personalities (especially with something as bonding as an engagement ring).
In sum, make sure your jeweler isn’t doing all the talking. They should be asking questions, too.
7) Get a sense of the quality – product and service
There really is not standard for this, at least from a customer’s point of view. If you don’t know about jewelry as much as, say, a jeweler would, you can still look around to get a sense of what makes up fine jewelry.
Ask your friends and family, especially those that own pieces of fine jewelry. They may be able to give you tips and tricks for telling a good piece of a jewelry from a bad one.
When you visit a jeweler, take note of the things we mentioned in this list so you can take a mental inventory of everything in the jewelry store. Can you trust the jeweler? Does the jewelry appear to be of quality? Is the service as much as you expected, or better? Is the jeweler personable? All of these questions and more will help you to determine if you’re visiting a quality jeweler.