negotiating this zales ring (2024)

i am planning on getting the ring in the link below from zales
http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2250006&cp=2109180.2137034.&pg=1&numResultsPerPage=96&cp=2109180.2137034&f=PAD%252FRing%2BStyle%252FSolitaire%2Bwith%2BSide%2BAccent&kpc=1&parentPage=search&searchId=20136379232
zales lists it at 1500 (+ tax)

i am wondering, when i go in to buy it, what my target price should be in negotiating. its not a terribly expensive ring so i doubt i''ll be able to knock off that much. but from internet sources, it seems that the going rate for comparable center stones and settings would be about 1000.

how much should i shoot for in negotiating?

how should i go about negotiating? (can''t afford it, doesn''t meet the going rate, etc.)

thanks so much for the help

From what I know about Zales, I don''t think they negotiate on price. Isn''t it basically a "what you see is what you get" type of deal? I acutally like the setting. However the information provided about the center stone says that it''s an I1 which means that the inclusion is visible to the naked eye. Is this okay for you and/or your GF? I am sure that under the special lighting in the store, this stone probably looks fine, but when you get it out in regular lighting the sparkle effect will be greatly diminished.

However....if you are dead set on purchasing this ring from Zales, how about you find out if you can choose a different center stone? It would just not be worth it to me to spend $1500 on a ring with visible inclusions. At least not when there are other options out there.

Date: 1/10/2007 11:49:09 PM
Author:sammyjoey
i am planning on getting the ring in the link below from zales
http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2250006&cp=2109180.2137034.&pg=1&numResultsPerPage=96&cp=2109180.2137034&f=PAD%252FRing%2BStyle%252FSolitaire%2Bwith%2BSide%2BAccent&kpc=1&parentPage=search&searchId=20136379232
zales lists it at 1500 (+ tax)

i am wondering, when i go in to buy it, what my target price should be in negotiating. its not a terribly expensive ring so i doubt i''ll be able to knock off that much. but from internet sources, it seems that the going rate for comparable center stones and settings would be about 1000.

how much should i shoot for in negotiating?

how should i go about negotiating? (can''t afford it, doesn''t meet the going rate, etc.)

thanks so much for the help

Click to expand...

They don''t negotiate. Can I try one last time to get you to buy online??? I know the quality or lack of that you are considering, and it makes me sad.... I kind of want to save you from going down this path, but so far what I have said has fallen on deaf ears. Just know, I tried...

Thats ridiculously expensive for such a small stone thats I quality. Even $1000 for a 1/2 TOTAL weight of I quality is way too much.

You can do MUCH better online....even in other B&M stores, but you seem to have your heart set on zales mechandise.

thank you all for your help

i am convinced i can do better, but my gf really likes that zales setting, even compared to the other similar ones we''ve seen or that you''ve shown me. i''ve talked to zales and they don''t sell the center stone separate from the setting. so thats the dilemma

also, she seems very very very eager to get engaged really soon. as i''ve said before, she doesn''t seem to care to much about the quality of the diamond, she just really likes that setting and wants to be engaged soon (although i really don''t see why it matters if she has the ring today or in two weeks or in a month). i think it would be worth the time to find a ring that will be special but she seems to be pushing for zales cause its right there and easy and quick

thanks again for your suggestions

Well, need a backup plan?

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/diamond/45994.html
http://www.exceldiamonds.com/diamond/45995.html

And a custom of a setting like Zales will definitely be under 1000.

I know your girlfriend is eager now, but she might very well regret her choice later when her friends' rings out-sparkle hers.

Blue Nile has a setting almost exactly like Zales'

18k WG Pave Setting $800

.37 G, VS2 Princess $539

Total = $1339

http://www.stuller.com/public/product.aspx?prodGrpID=ea4b7081-b7b5-4ffc-b735-3f8fdcff542d&categoryID=ebaf75d1-9565-4405-87ab-c4426fb1df7d

Between this thread and the other thread that sammyjoey started before, there have been an incredible number of suggestions but they are still set on zales so I think it is time to let it go . . .

noone can say we didn''t try . . .

sammyjoey . . . good luck and I wish you and your GF the best . . . and if having the zales ring will make her happy, well then . . . that is what matters.

Ugh,

I''ll sell you my Zales 3/4 ct marquise I paid $3200 for at a reasonable $750.

There aren''t many things I''ve bought in my life that I felt I didn''t get a good deal...that is, until I found Pricescope!

Dana

If she really doesn''t care about the quality of the ring, why not get her a plain band or a non-diamond ring? Because spending even $500 on that ring is, imo, a total waste. You don''t need a diamond ring to get engaged. I understand she''s eager to get engaged but encouraging you to waste your $ because it''s quick and easy confuses me.

But in the end, I guess it''s about what you''re comfortable with. Did you check to see if you buy it online whether you''ll save sales tax?

Your GF sounds sooo much like me. I just wanted to get engaged, that was it. I said it was only a symbol of our love, and as long as it symbolized us I didn''t care. I just wanted SOMETHING. Just wanted to be engaged. I was happy with my ring, and the rush proposal it came with for about a year. Then we started planning the wedding and I was too busy with that to worry about it. I got so stressed over wedding stuff when it was time to get the wedding band, I went back to a mall store and purchased that for $1k. It baisically went like this....rush into store...what matches? ....Oh that does....Done.

Now after I got married, as time went on and I learned a little about diamonds. Or i''d see some of the rings that friends of mine would get, or hear about some of the romantic proposals. I didn''t get jealous I just realized that I had made a mistake. These rings are THE most important ones you will wear. They will be there everyday, you should pcik something that you not only love the look of, but that is also good enough quality to stand the test of time.

I talked to my hubby about it and a year after we were married he decided to upgrade the stone in my ring(Original ring was from Gordons on clearance at at 1/2 ct total weight for $500. The center stone was VERY small at like .35ct and it was an I3, I color. It was SO bad that if I didn''t keep it cleaned everyday with cleaner it looked cloudy and nasty. As for the cut, when a proper jeweler looked at it he said not only was it uber deep but the faceting was messed up. ) We got a gorgeous, .83ct, G color, SI2 at James Allen for right about 2k. I love my center stone but as my husband knows, I regret picking the ring I did from the mall. The setting is OK, and same with the wedding band, but it''s not something i''m head over heels in love with, and I regret it everyday of my life.

Sorry for the novel but i''m trying to get you to maybe talk to her about this more. She''s in the excitement and rush of wanting to be with you and be engaged. I felt the same way, I thought I would truly never care about any of that. But I did.

I also regret paying good money for bad quality. For 1k online i''ve seen weddings bands with G color and SI1 stones, I paid that much for J/K color stones and I2 clarity......it''s highway robbery!

You may want to ask her specifically what she likes about that setting. Is it the little rounds on the sides? Because that should be pretty easy to find. Is it the prongs? I have seen other people post rings on here with prongs that looked similar.

Good luck!

I have to agree w/ the posters above- yes it''s important to get what your girl wants, but if I was her and you went above and beyond in terms of research and getting the best your money can buy, then I would.
She might be anxious to get engaged NOW, but this is a ring she is going to look at for the rest of her life.
It is a major purchase, and should be treated as such. I am quite the bargain shopper and believe in getting the most bang for your buck, but I also think that when making a major purchase (the kind that hopefully you only do once in your life) it''s worth it to buy the best quality you can, and to seriously consider all of your options.

I will tell you that I am VERY impressed that you found pricescope and came here and posted, that is a lot of effort in and of itself, I commend you for that.
Good luck!

Date: 1/11/2007 9:43:11 AM
Author: dach2k3
Bottom line... you aren''t going to get much support in buying a crappy product on a site that is populated by people who want the very best (or at least the very best value) in diamonds. Most people here painstakingly look at diamonds to get the absolutely best deal for their money in terms of quality/size vs. price paid. Despite all their advise to the contrary, you have apparently made up your mind to buy exactly what no one else here wants to buy... so why come here at all?

Click to expand...

Now, c''mon, sammy is more than welcome here! In his posts he did say that he wanted to pick out a better ring, but his girlfriend wants the zales ring. He is putting her preferences over his, and there''s something to be said about that. It''s a fine line to walk: my girl wants that ring... doesn''t care about quality... wants to be engaged like yesterday... but it''s a lower value. I don''t understand the gf''s position at all. She doesn''t care about the ring, but it has to be *that* ring, and she''s asking him to spend $1500 on something she claims not to care about. However, I suspect more than anything a) she thinks she needs a diamond ring to be engaged and b) she really doesn''t understand the difference in diamond quality. I know I didn''t not too long ago.

Sometimes the role of the significant other is to save us from ourselves. Everyone has made great points. You have to think about her feelings when she''s showing off the ring - in the real world, not with the ''special'' lights.

Everyone keeps asking me about my ring, since I haven''t gotten it yet, but I''ve decided to wait it out for a bit and really know what I want.

If she''s dying to get a ring, why don''t you take her ring shopping with what you''ve learned here at some of the stores people are suggesting? I really can''t imagine she''s mind having a nice brunch and then spending part of Sat or Sun jewelry shopping.

Date: 1/11/2007 9:52:46 AM
Author: colorkitty

Now, c''mon, sammy is more than welcome here! In his posts he did say that he wanted to pick out a better ring, but his girlfriend wants the zales ring. He is putting her preferences over his, and there''s something to be said about that. It''s a fine line to walk: my girl wants that ring... doesn''t care about quality... wants to be engaged like yesterday... but it''s a lower value. I don''t understand the gf''s position at all. She doesn''t care about the ring, but it has to be *that* ring, and she''s asking him to spend $1500 on something she claims not to care about. However, I suspect more than anything a) she thinks she needs a diamond ring to be engaged and b) she really doesn''t understand the difference in diamond quality. I know I didn''t not too long ago.

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i didn''t mean to say he wasn''t welcome... i just don''t understand why he''s coming on this site in particular and then ingoring all the advice. It''s like going onto a dog breeder forum and telling them you are going to buy a $1,500 mutt.

My girlfriend is like this too... she doesn''t like to "worry about" things as she puts it. When she was recently buying a car, I had to slow her down about three times so that we could do research on the car she wanted. Of course now that her payment is a good $100 less per month than she was expecting on that car she''s obviously happy, but at the time she wasn''t so agreeable about waiting a few extra days to buy the car.

Date: 1/10/2007 11:49:09 PM
Author:sammyjoey
i am planning on getting the ring in the link below from zales
http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2250006&cp=2109180.2137034.&pg=1&numResultsPerPage=96&cp=2109180.2137034&f=PAD%252FRing%2BStyle%252FSolitaire%2Bwith%2BSide%2BAccent&kpc=1&parentPage=search&searchId=20136379232
zales lists it at 1500 (+ tax)

i am wondering, when i go in to buy it, what my target price should be in negotiating. its not a terribly expensive ring so i doubt i''ll be able to knock off that much. but from internet sources, it seems that the going rate for comparable center stones and settings would be about 1000.

how much should i shoot for in negotiating?

how should i go about negotiating? (can''t afford it, doesn''t meet the going rate, etc.)

thanks so much for the help

Click to expand...

that''s barely bigger than a 1/4 carat center diamond! For 1500 bucks? are you nuts??!! LOL See if you can negotiate them down to $599! Cause that''s about what its worth.

Date: 1/11/2007 8:22:55 AM
Author: colorkitty
If she really doesn''t care about the quality of the ring, why not get her a plain band or a non-diamond ring? Because spending even $500 on that ring is, imo, a total waste. You don''t need a diamond ring to get engaged. I understand she''s eager to get engaged but encouraging you to waste your $ because it''s quick and easy confuses me.

But in the end, I guess it''s about what you''re comfortable with. Did you check to see if you buy it online whether you''ll save sales tax?

Click to expand...

I disagree - I''ve known plenty of women who don''t give two shakes about the quality of their diamond but they NEED a diamond - who cares what it looks like - its the symbol of it all, and they''re right in their own way.... I''m just impressed when men want the very best for their women, it is so sweet

Is she afraid you are going to change your mind about getting her a ring? What's her hurry??? She's going to have to wear it for a long time....most of us wore our original sets for years before upgrading or changing. Some would never think of upgrading or changing, so that means until death she might be looking at this ring.

ETA: If you ever tried to sell this particular ring at a pawn shop, they would give you about $35-40. Seriously, this is not a good deal for your money. No one here is trying to put down your fiance's choice, but really we don't want to see you get ripped off.

I would seriously try to talk her out of rushing. The proposal will come and go, and the date she gets the ring will come and go, but she will be looking down at that ring long after that date has passed. Of course, if she can't be talked out of it, it's best to get what she wants, providing it's within your budget. Some women truly don't care about the ring except for what it symbolizes, the story they get to tell their kids about it, etc.

Being the man can be a difficult thing when it comes to proposing and buying a ring!

Good luck with the purchase and the proposal, and most of all, POST PICTURES when you get the ring, LOL!

thanks to all of you for your advice. i am going to talk to her and i am going to see if i can get that setting custom made somewhere else.

a different question: if i try to do a custom ring, i''d want pictures to be able to show the designer what i want. do you think a zales employee would let me photograph the ring in the story if i told them something like "my girlfriend likes another ring but i want to show her this one too. can i get a picture of it?" i know that''s not really ethical, but you know...

Cehrabehra, I was offering the suggestion in case she didn''t know you don''t have to have a diamond to be engaged. There are surprising numbers of people I''ve come across who honestly don''t know that. And, also JMO, but asking your bf to spend $1500 on a crap diamond because you''ve bought into the marketing that diamond=engagement=required is unfair (if that''s what is going on here). If she really doesn''t care about the diamond, why should he spend $ on it? Makes no sense to me, but, again, sammy sounds like a sweet guy who is trying hard to please her. What makes them happy is all that matters.

Sammy, I would think you could use the internet picture to either print out and show a store jeweler or send via email to an online one. What about the similar bluenile setting? It''s a thicker band, but maybe she''d like that? The pave band look is relatively popular right now and, with a little searching, I can''t imagine it would be too hard to find a similar ring.

I hope you and your gf are both able to get what you want. I think you will. Good luck!

Date: 1/11/2007 11:35:50 AM
Author: colorkitty
Cehrabehra, I was offering the suggestion in case she didn''t know you don''t have to have a diamond to be engaged. There are surprising numbers of people I''ve come across who honestly don''t know that. And, also JMO, but asking your bf to spend $1500 on a crap diamond because you''ve bought into the marketing that diamond=engagement=required is unfair (if that''s what is going on here). If she really doesn''t care about the diamond, why should he spend $ on it? Makes no sense to me, but, again, sammy sounds like a sweet guy who is trying hard to please her. What makes them happy is all that matters.

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Custom made settings are pretty expensive because there are design and labor costs in addition to the cost of the metal and diamonds . . .
My BF spent a BIG chunk of his savings to get me a GORGEOUS center diamond (more than I wanted him to spend) and now wants me to have the perfect setting but a custom made setting is VERY expensive and in the end I decided that seeing him drop another HUGE chunk o''change of his hard earned savings was too much to bear and so we have stuck to the "stock" settings.

On a $1500 budget, a custom setting and center diamond is in my humble opinion unrealistic . . . but there are others here more in the "know" than myself and may be able to help you out.

In any case, good luck . . . you are sweet for trying to get her what she wants, we are just trying to make sure your hard earned money gets you the best value possible.

EXACTLY!! Show here what you could buy for the same price - something much bigger and more sparkley! She may change her mind.