Spence Diamonds

[Fobulous]

For those of you looking to pop the question to that special someone I HIGHLY suggest you check out Spence diamonds. I have been looking for a ring for the past few months and have visited numerous jewelry stores. Each and every time I felt like I was getting the sleazy salesman garbage from all the other jewelers around town... I just bought the ring last night and found that it was an easy process and at no point in time did I feel like I was being fed the high pressure sales bit...

Just thought I would pass that on in case it helps anyone out...

[jam26]

In my experience, Spence was a good way to become educated about diamonds and the purchasing process, but there are far better deals to be had out there from diamond dealers who have a much smaller overhead cost.
Congratulations on your purchase though and good luck.

[Slava]

Good luck!

I would consider a private jeweller. One guy I know will give you the stone in a basic setting for you to ask the question. Then once she says yes he will meet with both of you and she can decide how she wants it set and everything like that.

[Ford Prefect]

I used Spence's when I bought my wife's engagement ring about 20 years ago. Ya, I know, it was still a lump of coal that long ago. They gave me the same great service back then as well. Something we've found over the year's that you might like to keep in mind is the support they give on anything they sell. They've been excellent with any repairs, and in fact they just rebuilt the setting at a very reasonable cost. It needed to be repaired due to normal wear and tear, but rather than trying to do a patch job to it they offered to just melt the setting down and rebuild it to its original condition. I forget the cost, but it was not prohibitive by any means ... somewhere in the $150 to $250 range I think. A lot of jewelery stores won't even be around 20 years after purchase, but Spence's will be, so that's worth something on the service end of things.

[brownie]

So lets take this a step further,and I'll ask whats the price someone should spend on a ring? Any help here is appreciated.

[The Goon]

Ah, crap-this thread just made me realize I'll probably have to propose this year. I'd better start looking into these things.

[Gundo]

I myself found Spence to be very very pricey when I was looking for the ring a couple of years ago, just as Jam said its a great place to become educated about rings and diamonds but there are far better deals out there.

Brownie: It shouldnt matter how much you spend on the ring, your asking her to marry you, not the jewelery. But that being said most women do like big sparkly jewelery, the ring I bought when I asked my wife to marry me set me back $4900

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by brownie

So lets take this a step further,and I'll ask whats the price someone should spend on a ring? Any help here is appreciated.

Don't all the DeBeers commercials say you're supposed to spend two months salary or something like that? Just buy a ring that looks expensive and then spend the rest on a sweet TV for yourself. It'll be your only chance to get something cool out of the deal.

The groom-to-be doesn't get jack out of the whole wedding thing. Nobody goes to a wedding to see the groom, you end up paying for everything, your clothes are rented for crying out loud and you can only get so excited for choosing china patterns.

Oh yah, I got my wife's engagement ring at Spence's. They were really friendly and tried hard to make things work within my budget. Give them a shot.

[Mccree]

I used Spence a few years ago and it was a very good buying experience. THere are better deals out there but I am not sure you get the same service. I would recommend them anyday.

[Fobulous]

I checked out quite a few places and found that I got the best deal at spence...

As for how much you should spend.. I have heard things like three months salary... but I am pretty sure my girlfriend would have killed me if I had done that... so I guess it is based on the girl.

[SeeGeeWhy]

Personally, I wasn't impressed with the value offered at Spence. You can find a lot higer quality (or failing that, larger size at the same quality) of diamond than what Spence is offering.

My wife has a friend that had her Spence-made setting fail twice. The repair took a long time and she didn't have her engagement ring for her wedding, which was upsetting obviously.

I bought from Calgary Jewellery (http://www.calgaryjewellery.com/) on 17th Ave. I dealt with the store owner, Bernard, and he gave me a great deal on very high quality diamonds.

Not only was the price great, but the service was phenomenal. I built a completely custom ring and they were able to do a great job on very short notice. My only advice is to give yourself a little time if you are going this way so you can get some wax models built before commissioning the final construction. Otherwise, they have some interesting designs and can guarantee that they do not sell conflict diamonds (if that is important to you). The only way you're getting that guarantee from Spence is if you pay the big dollars for the Canadian gems.

Fleetwood Jewellery in Heritage Square has good deals from time to time.

I never did check out the goldsmiths, brinkhaus or Breslaur and Warren, which I sort of regret.

The Diamond Exchange on 17th is probably suitable for those who already know a thing or two about what they are looking for.

http://www.BlueNile.ca is a decent online shop if you are brave enough to buy a big ticket item like that online (I wasn't).

A few tips for those who are diamond hunting...

Do your shopping! The boutiques will absolutely have better deals available and will negotiate with you, as opposed to the mall stores and big stores like Spence. Do not be intimidated, and do not agree to the first ring you discuss, ever! Be as specific as possible when talking with the sales person so you can get to your price point right away. If you ever feel like you are being upsold as opposed to being served, walk away.

One place to really stay away from in my opinion, is Jewels by Maximes. Don't even get me started on that place.

As for diamonds in general, the one parameter you do not want to sacrifice on is the cut. That is what will give it's sparkle (or "fire"), which at the end of the day, is the only thing that anyone notices anyways.

Colour and clarity are arbitrary, and you can get away with going lower on these two parameters - which will get you a bigger diamond for your money. For example, if you go for an ideal cut diamond with SI1 clarity and around G-H colour, you can probably get a decent sized gem for your budget.

When you start demanding high clarity or colour, you will have to pay big dollars for it, and will not necessarily enjoy the benefits of the upgrade. That is, of course, unless you are going really BIG - clarity and colour are noticable then, but if you are going big you can probably afford to pay for the upgrades required for a nice looking diamond.

But like I said... focus on CUT.

Furthermore... make sure you get your certificates and independent appraisals for insurance purposes.

[Sylvanfan]

Yeah, if the woman actually loves you any ring should be good enough! Especially for young people who are renting. Why put big money into an engagement ring and deny yourself the down payment for a place to live. Unfortunately I owned a house before I got married....

Spence was okay for the ring and they will clean the ring and the like. The price we paid for the ring basically ended up being what the Ring appraised to. So we didn't get a great deal, but we didn't get gipped either. They did prove to be a bunch of morons and screwed up our orders for wedding bands and left me scrambling in the week before my wedding to go find new ones. Apparently this isn't the first time they've screwed up on wedding bands though....best to avoid them I say. Besides you're a guy, you'll probably lose it one day like I did. Go to metalsmith and find a $40 silver ring that way you don't feel bad when your wifes cat kicks it off the table and into the HVAC duct.

I actually found that Costco had good prices, but you have to take what they have there in store. I also thought some of the online retailers in the US had better prices. I think it was Blue Nile Diamonds that seemed to have some good deals and you do get an IGI or AGI certificate with all their diamonds. Something Spence doesn't give you. But the key thing is to educate yourself on these things before hand because if you're spending that much money you better know what you're buying.

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

I actually found that Costco had good prices, but you have to take what they have there in store. I also thought some of the online retailers in the US had better prices. I think it was Blue Nile Diamonds that seemed to have some good deals and you do get an IGI or AGI certificate with all their diamonds. Something Spence doesn't give you. But the key thing is to educate yourself on these things before hand because if you're spending that much money you better know what you're buying.

I am actually with you on this one. Costco seemed okay for what they were offering, but you have to deal with their lack of selection.

The certificates should come from GIA (Gemological Institute of America - http://www.gia.edu/) or AGS (American Gemology Society - http://www.agslab.com/). There are a lot of labs that will provide certification of a diamond, which verifies the quality of the diamond, but the standards are always shifting and are completely up to the gemologist doing the certification. GIA and AGS are two of the more consistent bodies that do the certs.

As for the appraisal, that is to verify the insurable value of the gem, and any independent lab will suffice for that, really... just go with whoever the jeweller uses.

As for service, nearly ALL places will clean your diamond and check the integrity of the setting. This should be done two or three times in the first year and then once a year after that to make sure the ring is holding up.

Thats the pitfall of getting your ring from the "guy your brother knows", there is very little education in the process, no certification, and no support and service in the long run. Almost every jeweller will be able to take in old rings to upgrade for an anniversary, and if it has any sort of history in the location, you can probably count on that reliability, which is good piece of mind.

You're spending huge bucks on this and the last thing you want to have to do is worry about it.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by SeeGeeWhy

Personally, I wasn't impressed with the value offered at Spence. You can find a lot higer quality (or failing that, larger size at the same quality) of diamond than what Spence is offering.

My wife has a friend that had her Spence-made setting fail twice. The repair took a long time and she didn't have her engagement ring for her wedding, which was upsetting obviously.

I bought from Calgary Jewellery (http://www.calgaryjewellery.com/) on 17th Ave. I dealt with the store owner, Bernard, and he gave me a great deal on very high quality diamonds.

Not only was the price great, but the service was phenomenal. I built a completely custom ring and they were able to do a great job on very short notice. My only advice is to give yourself a little time if you are going this way so you can get some wax models built before commissioning the final construction. Otherwise, they have some interesting designs and can guarantee that they do not sell conflict diamonds (if that is important to you). The only way you're getting that guarantee from Spence is if you pay the big dollars for the Canadian gems.

Fleetwood Jewellery in Heritage Square has good deals from time to time.

I never did check out the goldsmiths, brinkhaus or Breslaur and Warren, which I sort of regret.

The Diamond Exchange on 17th is probably suitable for those who already know a thing or two about what they are looking for.

http://www.BlueNile.ca is a decent online shop if you are brave enough to buy a big ticket item like that online (I wasn't).

A few tips for those who are diamond hunting...

Do your shopping! The boutiques will absolutely have better deals available and will negotiate with you, as opposed to the mall stores and big stores like Spence. Do not be intimidated, and do not agree to the first ring you discuss, ever! Be as specific as possible when talking with the sales person so you can get to your price point right away. If you ever feel like you are being upsold as opposed to being served, walk away.

One place to really stay away from in my opinion, is Jewels by Maximes. Don't even get me started on that place.

As for diamonds in general, the one parameter you do not want to sacrifice on is the cut. That is what will give it's sparkle (or "fire"), which at the end of the day, is the only thing that anyone notices anyways.

Colour and clarity are arbitrary, and you can get away with going lower on these two parameters - which will get you a bigger diamond for your money. For example, if you go for an ideal cut diamond with SI1 clarity and around G-H colour, you can probably get a decent sized gem for your budget.

When you start demanding high clarity or colour, you will have to pay big dollars for it, and will not necessarily enjoy the benefits of the upgrade. That is, of course, unless you are going really BIG - clarity and colour are noticable then, but if you are going big you can probably afford to pay for the upgrades required for a nice looking diamond.

But like I said... focus on CUT.

Furthermore... make sure you get your certificates and independent appraisals for insurance purposes.

We got our wedding bands from Goldsmith's. They were awesome. The engagement ring I got from Spence's didn't have a band to go with it but it was an odd shape. The good poeple at Goldsmith's made a custom platinum band that matched perfectly with the engagement ring. Looks like a set.

In hindsight, I actually wish I would have gone to them for the engagement ring too. Of course that's only because I'm a lot more confident having gone through the learning process and understanding a lot more about diamonds and the like (thanks to Spence).

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by fredr123

We got our wedding bands from Goldsmith's. They were awesome. The engagement ring I got from Spence's didn't have a band to go with it but it was an odd shape. The good poeple at Goldsmith's made a custom platinum band that matched perfectly with the engagement ring. Looks like a set.

In hindsight, I actually wish I would have gone to them for the engagement ring too. Of course that's only because I'm a lot more confident having gone through the learning process and understanding a lot more about diamonds and the like (thanks to Spence).

Absolutely!

There is an impression that those little shops are exclusive, expensive, and snooty, but it is usually the opposite.

For the most part, you will get the same level of education from them as you would at a place like Spence, too... you just have to be willing to ask a question or two.

It is a very important pruchase. As Sylvan put it, you can probably get a downpayment on a house in lieu of the engagement ring... why leave that sort of thing to chance?

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by fotze

Hah. I thought you were just repeating that brutal Spence Radio ad with that voice guy.

Another piece of advice. If you've just picked up your brand new vehicle, don't go straight to Walmart or else you will get backed into.

OUch!
What car did you buy?

Usually when i goto walmart i try to park as far away from the store as possible. hehe

[Shazam]

I bought my wife's engagement ring from Blue Nile. Much better price than what I could find around here. I got the wedding ring done at Calgary Jeweler's. The jeweler there was quite impressed with the quality of the stone, and was stunned when I told her how much I paid for it.

I couldn't find anything at Spence that was F-color without them ordering it, and they were horribly expensive to boot.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

I used Spence's when I bought my wife's engagement ring about 20 years ago. Ya, I know, it was still a lump of coal that long ago. They gave me the same great service back then as well. Something we've found over the year's that you might like to keep in mind is the support they give on anything they sell. They've been excellent with any repairs, and in fact they just rebuilt the setting at a very reasonable cost. It needed to be repaired due to normal wear and tear, but rather than trying to do a patch job to it they offered to just melt the setting down and rebuild it to its original condition. I forget the cost, but it was not prohibitive by any means ... somewhere in the $150 to $250 range I think. A lot of jewelery stores won't even be around 20 years after purchase, but Spence's will be, so that's worth something on the service end of things.

Not that you didn't get good service, but that's pretty much the going rate to get a ring melted, redone and a stone set in it.

[Marvelous]

If I am going to add some more options here...

I bought the engagement ring for my wife from alberta diamond exchange.
http://www.albertadiamondexchange.com/
Located on 17th in the Devonish building

- I paid half as much as I would have paid at Spence,
- I got to design the ring for a reasonable price
- I got a diamond above the 1/4 carat marks.
- Spence sells tries to sell you more on sparkle than weight (Their radio ads even say so) however diamonds have more value when on or above the 1/4 carat weights. Check out Bluenile prices on diamonds that weigh 0.98 kt versus one that weighs 1.00 kt. Spence will try to sell the 0.98 kt at the 1.00kt price. At least that is the experience I got.
- My diamond is GIA certified and the certificate was provided
- Free appraisal too --> If you get the ring appraised at twice as what you paid for, you will look very good but insuring it will be a downer

[ZDogg]

Purchased my now useless Engagement Ring at Spence. Have to say that contributed to some of the stress over the whole wedding planning phase and eventual breakdown of the relationship.

Spence screwed up the setting (diamond not centered) on the original order. So they sent it back to be corrected and something happened to the Diamond so they had to sell me a different one. Once that was all figured out they got the setting together but this time the side diamonds were all out of alignment... so they sent it back to be set again.

Once that was corrected and the ring came back to Calgary they forgot to call me so it sat there for a couple weeks. In all their brillance they figured I didnt want it so they sent it back for dismantling. Luckily I had phoned asking what was taking so long... this was when they realized the ring was about to be dismantled and they got it shipped back to Calgary. It actually took 3+ months from the original order date before they had the thing all good to go.

Did I get a discount? apology? Nope, instead they actually raised the prices of the small diamonds over that period and decided to charge me the difference... at that point I was just happy to have the stupid thing and end the hassles.

With all that being said I am glad Spence has a Large Diamond buy back policy because I am heading in to sell it back to them. Unless some poor sucker out there wants to buy the complete setting from me.