Local Jewelers vs. Retail Jewelers

Where to Purchase Fine Jewelry?

With the holiday season in full swing, you can’t help but begin to plan and research gifts for your loved ones. One of the most popular gifts—especially for women—is fine jewelry. Whether the woman in your life loves a simple bracelet or earrings that pop, jewelry is always a great gift that will bright up her Christmas morning.

So, if you have decided jewelry is the right gift for her, where do you go to purchase? It’s no secret that there is an abundance of places to purchase jewelry. Between big box retailers like Belk and Macy’s, chain jewelry stores like Zales or Kay, and your local jewelers like Brittany’s Fine Jewelry, it may be hard to decide where to go. Like anything, there are pros and cons to shopping at your closest retail store. Below, Brittany’s Fine Jewelry has outlined the difference between shopping local and shopping at big box retail stores.

Difference Between Local Jewelers and Retail Jewelers

Expertise

When you shop for jewelry at retailers like Belk or Macy’s, you are most likely going to get sales associates who have little training. While they can answer many of your basic questions, sales associates are not trained to fully understand the depth of each piece.

At local jewelers like Brittany’s, each of our sales associates are trained by the Gemological Institute of America to understand different diamonds, gemstones, their origin, and more. Our sales associates can walk you through everything you need to know about a particular piece before you buy. Whether you are shopping around for that special engagement ring or purchasing earrings for a loved one, our team has the expertise to help you throughout your entire purchase.

Service

Service and atmosphere is a huge difference when it comes to purchasing fine jewelry. When you choose your local jeweler, you can often schedule an appointment so that associate gives you his/her full attention. At Brittany’s Fine Jewelry, we work with each person individually to go over his or her specific wish list, questions, and thoughts. At a big box retailer, you often wait in line for an associate to help you—especially during the busiest seasons.

Quality

When purchasing fine jewelry, you expect to purchase a piece to be a high quality. However, there is a significant difference when purchasing from a big box retailer compared to a local jeweler. At your local jeweler, you can expect each piece that is sold in the store to be hand-picked and inspected before it is sold. Retailers often buy jewelry in bulk—meaning diamond rings, necklaces, bracelets, and more are mass-produced. This can lead to pieces not being inspected before you purchase and a lower quality of materials.

Expert jewelers will often be very transparent about the quality of each piece, including noting the cut, color, and grade of diamond. When you’re purchasing fine jewelry, talk with your sales associate to go over exactly what you’re looking for and your budget.

Style

Women often like jewelry that is special and unique. Your local jeweler often has an abundance of unique jewelry no one else sells. There, you can often find rare colored stones and unique metals which will stand out in a crowd.

Because retail jewelry stores mass-produce their jewelry, many stores will sell the same items in every store. However, sometimes if you are willing to pay more, a retail store may have unique pieces if asked.

Price

When purchasing fine jewelry, you should always have a budget in mind. However, be aware some jewelers attempt to lure buyers in by promising huge discounts on their merchandise.  Since there is no manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) on diamonds, jewelers can inflate the ‘retail’ price of their merchandise which allows the huge and thus false discounts. Therefore, you may think you are getting a deal when that jeweler spiked the price. Always be cautions when purchasing fine jewelry and diamonds from both big box retailers and local jewelers. Diamonds should never be bought on price and should be purchased based on value.

Visiting Your Local Jeweler

If you’re looking for fine jewelry for your special someone, it’s not lie that your local jeweler will have more variety, further expertise, and can give you the attention you deserve when making such a purchase. If you’re looking for the best local jeweler in Gainesville, Florida, visit Brittany’s Fine Jewelry.