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..... because the silver ring with the CZ in it they are selling costs $100. A silver ring with a CZ in it usually costs $5 - $10 wholesale, or about $20 - $40 retail.
So, instead, they are implying that they are selling some sort of superior diamond substitute -......
It's a $100 ring. No one with even half a brain really believes that they are receiving a quality jewel for $100.
Not many stones are worth much more than a few dollars. When you buy inexpenosive to mid-range jewelry, you are paying more for the quality of the setting than you are paying for the stone.
It's easy to find a sterling ring that costs $100 or more with no stone involved. It depends upon the quality of the workmanship what the price will be.
Since I've never seen the jewelry that you are complaining about, I have no idea about the quality of the setting. Cheap mass produced settings can be purchased for a few dollars, but they are not the same thing at all as a setting that is made with precision and polished to a fine finish.
You also have to pay for design. If that company has high quality talented designers, then their product is worth more.
If their product is substandard, cheap stones, badly finished settings, no design quality, then it is up to the shopper to look at what they are buying and if they would rather pay $100 to order online than to walk into a jewelry store to get the same quality for $40, then that is the consumer's choice.
....... Is there any kind of treatment, resin coating or such, that could be used to strengthen & protect the stone? ......
The stone can be repaired if it breaks. Nearly all rubies on the market today are glued together because large solid natural rubies are hard to come by, and thus very expensive.
So, your stone could be glued and repaired. I suspect that it might not be worth the cost unless the stone has high sentimental value.
If it is a flat backed stone, you can have a backing glued onto it. Many opal cabochons are a layer of stone on a plastic backing and maybe a resin covering. Probably not as expensive as having the stone repaired, but probably not so cheap-- mainly because it is a special order.
OK not picking a side on this and I am in no way a gem expert.... that said here comes the but! Two years ago my mom ordered some jewelry from Stauer's on line store for my wife and sister in-law. My mom was suspicious because items that they claimed normally sold for $300.00 were on sale for $35.00. She decided to go ahead with the purchase because a friend and coworker praised them convincingly enough. Christmas came and my wife got a beautiful "FAKE" diamond bracelet which she loved. One day while working she caught it on something and broke the clasp so she took it to be repaired.The jewelry shop closest to are house deals in high end jewelry and you pay for it too. Of course that's were my wife takes her "FAKE" $35.00 diamond bracelet. Embarrassing right!?!?!? Not so fast. The jeweler told her it should be fixed by tomorrow afternoon and that he would put it in their safe until she could pick it up. My wife laughed and said you know their not real right. The jeweler gets his looking dilly thingy out and inspects the fake diamonds once more then says to her, they may not be real but those are dam nice rocks. Then he claims that they catch the light better than allot of his high end natural diamonds. Well that's the story I share with you and maybe that jeweler just didn't know his gems that well but the story is true.
I notice they push "chocolate diamonds" on TV commercials. I read that brown diamonds
are lower quality so now they are named "chocolate". Is that true?
It's easy to find a sterling ring that costs $100 or more with no stone involved. It depends upon the quality of the workmanship what the price will be.
Since I've never seen the jewelry that you are complaining about, I have no idea about the quality of the setting. Cheap mass produced settings can be purchased for a few dollars, but they are not the same thing at all as a setting that is made with precision and polished to a fine finish.
You also have to pay for design. If that company has high quality talented designers, then their product is worth more.
If their product is substandard, cheap stones, badly finished settings, no design quality, then it is up to the shopper to look at what they are buying and if they would rather pay $100 to order online than to walk into a jewelry store to get the same quality for $40, then that is the consumer's choice.
Your point is well taken.
I agree with you.
Exquisite and beautifully designed and crafted sterling silver jewelry can run hundreds of dollars. Examples: the excellent pieces by jewelry designers David Yurman of New York and Stephen Lagos of Philadelphia.
I've noticed in the years since I first posted my original opinion on this particular Stauer product, they are no longer advertising this item. Could be either they just ran out, or perhaps they had too many complaints and returns.
I notice they push "chocolate diamonds" on TV commercials. I read that brown diamonds are lower quality so now they are named "chocolate". Is that true?
I don't know about lower quality. It's just a color and diamonds come in many colors. However, the brown diamonds look like smoky topaz to me and I refuse to pay diamond prices for smoky topaz (or at least something that looks just like it). I could get the same look for a fraction of the price.
Actually, I like smoky topaz a lot better because it is handled and designed differently. A smoky topaz piece can be lovely, but not when treated like it is a diamond.
I have bought quite a few pieces from Stauer and I'm very happy with my purchases. Their return policy is great. If you don't like the product you ordered, they take it back, period. You can't get better customer service than that. I just got quite a few "real gemstone" studs for my grand daughters. They are beautiful and I'm very pleased with them. I have a few Stauer watches. They are beautiful designs and keep good time. My only gripe about them is I don't like their leather straps.
Clark -- I'm not sure, but I would bet that it's because cubic zirconia is a generic term, so there is little "cachet" in the name. All the fake diamond stuff out there has exotic sounding names -- Diamonique, Diamond Nexus, Asha Diamond.... very probably because that way they can copywrite the designs.
But nothing beats a real good diamond.....
CZs are not the same as synthetic diamonds. Synthetic diamonds are completely different stones than CZs. Synthetic diamonds are lab created diamonds and are usually chemically identical to diamonds. They are less expensive than diamonds but more expensive than CZs because they are the same as a diamond, only man made rather than mined.
CZs are not as hard as synthetic diamonds. They scratch easier and have different visual characteristics. Because they aren't the same, they are cheaper. People often bash synthetic stones, saying they're fake, cheating, etc. I think there is nothing wrong with getting a synthetic stone. The buyer can purchase a perfect gem without inclusions more economically and ethically. It's a win all around.
I don't agree that nothing beats a diamond. That's purely a matter of taste. I think diamonds are overpriced and overrated. My engagement ring is a 3CT natural sapphire in rose cut. It's nearly as hard as diamond and cost less than 1/5 of a diamond's price. I love it and wouldn't trade it for a diamond. I think colored stones in wedding sets are beautiful too.
... I don't agree that nothing beats a diamond. That's purely a matter of taste. I think diamonds are overpriced and overrated. My engagement ring is a 3CT natural sapphire in rose cut. It's nearly as hard as diamond and cost less than 1/5 of a diamond's price. I love it and wouldn't trade it for a diamond. I think colored stones in wedding sets are beautiful too.
As a matter of fact, the engagement ring of Princess Diana was a sapphire (although it was framed by little diamonds). The very same ring was chosen by Kate Middleton to be her engagement ring. The custom of the British royal family is when an engagement is to be announced the fiancee is presented with trays and trays of gorgeous rings from the royal collection and chooses the ring herself.
In the years before WW1 an engagement ring usually contained a gemstone other than diamond. When the modern "brilliant cut" was introduced the popularity of diamonds skyrocketed.
Tanzanite is a real (genuine, natural, and authentic) mined gemstone. The gemological name is blue zoisite, but it is named after the country it was first discovered in, Tanzania.
I do not know what Stauer is selling, but I assume it's the real thing ... but read the ad very carefully.
The problem with Tanzanite is that it comes in many qualities, and I noticed on QVC and Home Shopping programs on TV that they are often selling pale, pastel lavender colored tanzanites - which are more common and not that valuable. Good quality tanzanite should look like the best quality sapphire, a rich blue with a hint of purple ... almost like a cross between a sapphire and an amethyst, but the blue should predominate over the purple. The color should be deep and intense, not washed out.
Let us know what you decide to do!
I just bought some tanzanite from Stauer. It's nicely cut and has pretty good fire to it. The colour is a little washed out though. I still feel it's good value. I bought an assortment of genuine gem stone studs for my grand daughters. They are so nice I had to rescue them from my wife and daughters. LOL. Also they were dead inexpensive!
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