Comments on: Your Take: Would an Engagement Ring from Costco Bother You?

By: Greg

Greg — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:38:33 +0000

I think the extended warranty really depends on your situation, the cost of the warranty, and what you receive. In my case, I got a very good deal on the warranty. I ended up buying a loose diamond, then having it mounted at a local jewelry store. The service for mounting was going to cost around $40, and for a total of $60 I received a lifetime warranty that includes free rhodium plating as often as I like. (The setting is white gold). So for $20, I get a lifetime of service that would have cost probably $50-60 per occurence. Not a bad deal. My situation may not be the norm, but I would not turn down a warranty out of hand…it could be a great value.

By: Erin

Erin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:04:40 +0000

Rebecca – I’m curious to hear more from you – as you do have a ring from Costco. I’m in the research stage with my BF right now, and the more I read, the more I am open to a Costco ring. Have you had any trouble taking your ring into local jewelers for any servicing/cleaning/tightening of the setting? That’s my biggest concern.

Also – to anyone. What is your take on the extended warranties from the jewelers? I feel like they’re kind of a rip-off, but want more thoughts on this for my own sanity. Thanks!

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 03:27:18 +0000

My engagement ring is from Costco. My husband and I researched for months. We went to numerous jewelers and many of them did not even carry the quality stones and settings that Costco did. My ring was purchased 3 years ago for $3200.00 and it was appraised at $6800.00 a month after the purchase. When I took my ring to a reputable jeweler to have it cleaned, he asked where it came from. I said Costco…wondering what the response would be. He chuckled and said that many jewelers actually purchase pieces of jewelry and/or loose stones from Costco, because the the exceptional quality of the stones. They then remove the stones and remount them in their own signature settings. It made me feel even better about the purchase. I noticed some of you comparing Costco rings with Wal-Mart and Kmart…there is not comparing. At Wal-Mart, Kmart, JcPenney, and in many cases Kay Jewelers, Helzberg Diamonds, and other mall jewelers…you can actually see the inclusions in the stone. Costco rings are colorless, and flawless or flawless to the naked eye and their clarity and sparkle is amazing. If you are against purchasing a ring or any other piece of jewelry from Costco…it is evident that you have not educated yourself properly on your investment and are looking for name instead of true quality.

By: Greg

Greg — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:46:33 +0000

If you look at the specs on the diamonds Costco sells, they are far better than most mainstream jewelry stores you’ll find, and at very attractive prices. Most places will sell you a $800 ring for $3000, and you’ll walk away thinking you got a great deal. Costco sells a ring for $3000 that has nearly that much value. So if it bothers you that your ring came from Costco, you’d better not look at the specs on the ring on your finger. Chances are, you paid more and got less.

By: MissMartha

MissMartha — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:05:19 +0000

Good point Michelle! You want to marry a smart man who gets his moneys worth!

By: Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:13:52 +0000

I have been researching diamonds with my bf for a few months. We are practical with our money and I’d hate to see him get ripped off. Quality is definately number one and if any of you have looked specifically at the specs of the diamonds that are sold are Costco, I think the prices are beyond comparable to what you would find at a jewellery store. For example: On the site right now you can buy a
.72 carat cushion cut( like princess but soft corners)
D color which is colorless( best on the scale) VS2 clarity( very slightly included)
18 k white gold for $3999.
I think that’s a good price, but it depends what you’re looking for and how much research you’re willing to put in. They also have a fantastic return policy , although with jewellery in order to return it has to be appraised and checked by a gemologist to make sure it’s the same stone being returned)
Also , each diamond is GIA grading.
So to answer the question, I wouldn’t care where my partner got the ring from – as long as I know he didn’t get taken, and got his moneys worth!

By: Anna

Anna — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:15:29 +0000

My husband bought my engagement ring online at Mondera. I don’t love it because of the price, where he got it or how big the stone is. I love it because he spent months researching stones, comparing settings, taking me to stores to try on different cuts before picking a setting and stone separately that Mondera put together in a ring. It was the thought and the effort he put into the ring that makes it special. The ring just happens to be a visual representation of the love behind it.

By: neimanmarxist

neimanmarxist — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:56:36 +0000

he got my ring online. he could have proposed with a twist-tie for all i cared, and i would have been ready to die of happiness anyway.

By: d

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 22:19:01 +0000

I would proud that I was marrying such an intelligent man. I would feel secure knowing my husband-to-be will be wise with our financial security.

By: Meg

Meg — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 20:21:26 +0000

I don’t intend to have any idea where my (future) fiance bought my engagement ring. I don’t care if the ring isn’t expensive or ginormous, but I’m not going to lie: it would bother me to know it came from the internet or from Costco (or Wal-Mart, which also sells them).

By: Todd A

Todd A — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 05:18:07 +0000

My wife is pragmatic enough to recognize quality wherever it would come from. However, I actually bought her engagement ring diamond from a close friend at the time, who was trained to be a jeweler (but was otherwise employed). And, it’s been pretty special, because of that.

By: Mary@SimplyForties

Mary@SimplyForties — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 23:06:37 +0000

I can think of a few other places, like Harry Winston’s for example, that have the same cachet as Tiffany’s. In answer to your question, though, if I loved the ring, I wouldn’t care where it was purchased. In fact, the excess of Tiffany’s would more likely be a problem for me. The only thing I would have a problem with, along this same vein, is if it was represented to be something other than what it was. A Costo ring in a Tiffany’s box, a “real” diamond that was actually a simulated one, you get the idea!

By: Amber Jones

Amber Jones — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 22:31:32 +0000

Personally, I wouldn’t mind knowing that my ring came from somewhere like Costco or Walmart (it didn’t – it came from Friedmans actually). To me, a ring is just a symbol, and as long as it doesn’t turn my finger green, then I’m ok with it!

By: Grace

Grace — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 22:16:29 +0000

I think people are just wasting their money buying an engagement ring from Tiffany. It’s all about the quality of the stone, you can get so much stone from a wholesaler for the same price you’d pay at Tiffany. The whole setting argument is silly, any good jeweler can copy and duplicate what’s so called the “Tiffany setting”. I don’t care my ring didn’t come from Tiffany and if my husband was able to find a quality stone at Costco, all the power to him!

By: plonkee

plonkee — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:04:39 +0000

I wouldn’t care if it came from a Costco type store (I think the equivalent in terms of social standing in the UK would be Argos). However, I have sentimental ties to a an area that specialises in jewellery manufacture, and ethical issues with diamonds in general.

On the whole, I’d rather be involved in the selection – which is normal in my circle. I’m not as bothered by the stone itself as long as the ring is platinum, and suits me. I think I’m probably slightly unconventional?