How Much Is A Repair In Kay Jewelers

This is a super in-depth review of Kay Jewelers.

In this up-to-engagement review I'll suspension down:

• Who Kay is
• What makes Kay unique
• Central features
• Things I like
• Matter I don't like
• Whether or not their diamonds are worth the cost tag
• And lots more than

Allow'south get started!

Who Is Kay Jewelers?

Kay Jewelers is i of the first companies people call back about when thinking about engagement rings, hymeneals bands or fine jewelry.

The visitor is owned by the world's largest corporate jewelry store, Signet.

Signet is a Great britain based visitor, but operates in America under their subsidiary visitor, Sterling Jewelers. Signet is the parent visitor of Jared the Galleria of Jewelry, Kay Jewelers, and most recently, Zales.

They likewise own many other stores, including our favorite online diamond retailer, James Allen.

Kay as a visitor has been around for over 100 years. The first Kay Jewelers store opened in Pennsylvania in 1916. However, Kay's headquarters is Signet Jewelers, whose home role is in Akron, Ohio.

Kay claims the championship of the number one jewelry shop in the United States and has over 1,000 stores. They sell many different name brands in their stores and on their website such as The Bachelorette band designer Neil Lane, Vera Wang, Le Vian, Leo Schacter, Tolkowsky, and the father of cultured pearls himself, Mikimoto.

Today, Kay's remains ever-popular in high end jewelry, only Signet has begun to focus more on their online shop and less on their presence in shopping malls in America since the times of CoVid 19.

What Makes Kay Jewelers Stand up Out?

Even though Kay has both their website www.kay.com and brick and mortar locations all over the USA, they are widely more successful in stores than online. The mission of Kay Jewelers as a visitor is to "Gloat Life and Limited Love."

When you go to Kay, it's a personal experience.

You are treated like family when you begin your ring search with Kay. Only you don't get this feel shopping online. This is besides referred to equally a clicks and bricks business model, which proves to exist very successful in online diamond retailers.

Kay has a wide range of inventory, both in-store and online. They acquit conjugal jewelry, colored gemstone jewelry, charms and amuse bracelets, blue diamonds, black diamonds, and gilded chains. Online you tin can create mother'southward necklaces with all dissimilar birthstones and actually simulate what it would await like online.

And if that many items still weren't enough for yous, adjacent time yous go into a Kay, ask for a mountings book. Behind the jewelry counter, they have many books total of random jewelry designs for those with more particular tastes.

The mountings book contains many empty ring settings. You can actually custom order in stones or diamonds and have their shops do information technology. If you want a full custom design, they tin do that equally well.

Kay has a world of options when it comes to ownership jewelry. Customers get lifelong friends with their consultants and having a long-standing reputation with their jewelry consultants.

Kay Jewelers Dedication To Customer Service

Typically, when nosotros review a diamond retailer, we have their online conversation and go from at that place. We'll talk to an online rep a little downwardly the fashion, just let's talk a trivial almost their instore service. Because Kays is a mega corp., you're going to encounter many different managers and associates with different attitudes and outlooks.

No 1 is required to have any kind of jewelry education, other than bones brand training for new employees. Store managers don't even have any training with the Gemological Institute of America. But managers and assistant managers are required even receive the Diamontology Course with Jewelers of America.

The online customer service team has even less training in diamonds and gemstones. They are simply taught to solve issues rather than educate in diamonds. Y'all tin can book an date with a jewelry consultant but it has to be over the phone.

As promised, I struck up a conversation. Since James Allen's our favorite diamond retailer online, I want to ask Kays about their build a ring process online.

I figured I'd be on a long wait online because of how big the company is, but it didn't take long. I did notice that for some reason my estimated waiting time increased instead of decreased, so that was strange. Today I've been connected to Jody.

When I was adding my ring I built to the cart, I noticed that there weren't whatever options for the Extended Service Plan. All of Kay'south bridal jewelry has this warranty, and it's solely dependent on cost of the detail. So, I asked if Jody if I was missing anything. Here's how our conversation went.

When I was adding my band I built to the cart, I noticed that in that location weren't any options for the Extended Service Plan. All of Kay'south conjugal jewelry has this warranty, and it'southward solely dependent on toll of the item. Then, I asked Jody if I was missing annihilation.

Here'south how our chat went...

Jody was very dainty though and she did answer my questions. Unfortunately, if y'all want to apply the build a ring service and purchase the Extended Service Plan lifetime warranty that covers resizing, rhodium plating, prong retipping, and rock tightening, you'll accept to do it in store.

Kay Jewelers Shopping Feel?

And so, what can you expect when shopping with Kay Jewelers? Hither's the general rundown on how the average process should go. Information technology Tin can be every bit easy as 1, 2, 3, 4.  Annotation that different items may take longer than others.

1. Picking Your Diamond

Before 2020, at that place was really merely 1 way to create engagements on Kay'due south website. Now, there are multiple ways, including searching for loose diamonds online. This was one of the biggest pitfalls about Kay that has now evened out to mention the competition.

They still have the Ring Builder that allows you to choose from preselected diamond grades of uncertified stones.

Notwithstanding...

You take no clue what your diamond actually await like, or where information technology'south beingness placed. They also have a Neil Lane engagement ring architect, which I'm certain is a huge hitting and too hugely overpriced for uncertified diamonds.

But we're going to check out their collection of loose diamonds and lucifer them up with our recommended retailer, James Allen. Let'due south meet how they compare.

Kay'due south Pattern-A-Ring build is similar other online diamond retailers.

It's minimal and make clean, perfect for the older crowd that tends to store at brick and mortar retailers. Currently they offer more than 33,000 loose diamonds, which really isn't a bad selection. You can too choose from general 4Cs filter to more complicated filters like diamonds from grading labs and fluorescence.

Majority of Kay's loose diamonds online are actually AGS or GIA certified, which is the but certified diamonds nosotros recommend. I discover this strange since nigh of Kay'southward in-store engagement rings are uncertified and they carried very few GIA certified preset engagement rings.

I do notice when I cull a carat weight choice of 1 carat to 1.5 carat diamonds, my choice is narrowed to around 8,000. Which, is still a lot, only a heavy drib from 33,000. Since these days the average carat weight for a diamond ring is i.2, I'd look them to take more.

Their diamonds can be seen on a crystal articulate 360˚ viewer simply similar James Allen's. You can control the move as well. This princess cut diamond from Kay has an H color grade, VS1 clarity, and a GIA grading report and goes for $v,190.

two. Choosing Your Setting

It'due south absurd they let y'all either purchase the loose diamond by itself or choose a band setting. They should anyway, because I'm simply given ii ring setting options when I select information technology.

Seeing as princess cut diamonds are the second most popular choice diamond shape, only having two options is a chip ridiculous. The just reason I could run into it working for them is because you'd have to purchase a setting or have their shops put it together and charge more.

I mean sure, yous could accept a local jeweler have it done in a band setting, but what's the betoken of buying this particular diamond online when in that location's so many other options? Peradventure there'southward plans to add together more than since it's a newer characteristic. Either way, Kay all the same has a long way to go to match online retailers like James Allen or Brilliant Earth.

Read likewise>>Should you buy an engagement ring from Brilliant Globe?

Furthermore, this extremely express selection of band setting options are expensive. Adding the second ring setting to my diamond above puts my full cost at around $8,300, before tax and warranty.

three. Purchase Process

Before we add together our engagement band to our shopping handbag, a summary of all the details nosotros've chosen is listed below the matching band options. You lot'll likewise notice information technology takes 12 business days for processing in addition to your shipping choice. Signatures are required.

Everything looks good, and so let's add it to the cart. For some reason, information technology won't let my ring to go into the shopping pocketbook on Google Chrome. I had to open my Safari browser to add it. Keep that in mind if you have any issues.

We can see our ring in the cart below:

At that place doesn't look like in that location's whatsoever way to add an Extended Service Program, which is Kays warranty that covers all metalwork. After talking it over with online conversation, I discovered that you lot can't add the Extended Service Plan unless yous get to a store.

Y'all have just two options when purchasing this ring, debit/credit card or Kay Jewelers Credit Menu chosen the LONG Alive LOVE carte du jour. Y'all do have the pick of leasing, but it can only be washed through live chat since many stores are airtight.

The Long Live Dearest Menu is usable at both Kay Jewelers and Jared for purchases.

Unfortunately, y'all can't apply from the checkout page, and so if yous're interested in looking at the financing plans for the LLL menu, you'll take to utilise here, before you click checkout.

Here are the financing plans you can choose from:

4. Return Policy

Kay Jewelers has a render policy that'due south both user-friendly and like shooting fish in a barrel for customers. You lot have a choice of returning trade either at a store or online. Fifty-fifty if you've purchased information technology online, you tin even so bring information technology to the store for a hassle-costless render. Just if you don't have a store near you or would simply rather mail it, yous can start the procedure online.

The render policy allows you to render your Kay buy inside 30 days (from send date) for a full refund to the original form of payment. If on an LLL card, it'll contrary. If you paid in cash, you lot'll more than likely have to wait 7-10 business days for a check from Habitation Part.

If you pay debit/credit card, it needs to get back to that menu. Exist aware of card cutoffs and expirations when purchasing because it can exist a big pain to get that refund. If you're planning on exchanging your purchase for something different, they have a 60 solar day exchange policy.

You can only do exchanges in shop. Watches accept to exist returned 30 days. Note that custom designed merchandise or engraved can't be returned at all

What Did I Similar About Kay Jewelers?

Warranties

Kay offers a few unlike warranties for their jewelry, dependent on the product you get. The best warranty Kay has to offer is there Lifetime Diamond Delivery. This warranty is a free lifetime warranty given to those purchasing jewelry with diamonds, sapphires, rubies, or emeralds.

T he downside to this warranty is that you must maintain it past visiting the store every six months to go your ring inspected and cleaned. But if you tin do that, it's well worth information technology.

If you lose 1 of the stones mentioned higher up, Kay will replace the stone with the same or better quality stone every bit long every bit you're up to date with inspections. I like this warranty because none of our online diamond retailers offering any type of protection with the stone itself.

Keep in mind though that y'all are still unable to choose your ain stone, so if you lot had an eye clean I diamond, the replacement may not exist eye clean.

Read also>> What is an eye-make clean diamond?

The other warranties offered are the Extended Service Programme and the Jewelry Replacement Plan. The ESP is offered with most of the jewelry, but when it's not, the JRP is usually offered. Some items have no warranty offered, only not many. Additionally, there is a Watch Program that can exist added with watch purchases.

For engagement rings and wedding bands, you lot're offered the ESP. It covers all your metalwork to include rhodium plating white gold, tightening stones, prong retipping, and resizing for life.

In addition to regular maintenance, the ESP covers chain breaking, straightening earring posts, fixing damaged channels, reshaping ring shanks, and other modest damages. Anything extensive may effect in a charge. And dissimilar our online retailers, you can resize with Kay'southward more than than merely one time, and it's for life, not just the first year.

The toll of the ESP will be dependent upon the cost of the detail you're purchasing.

Hither are gauge prices:

The Jewelry Replacement plan is for items such as hollow aureate jewelry, Pandora charms, men's alternative metallic nuptials bands and mother's rings. This plan allows one gratuitous replacement within 3 years.

You are also offered a new JRP when you lot receive your one replacement. The JRP is also significantly less than Extended Service Plans. Hither is the prices for the JRP:

While James Allen offers a free warranty, I personally similar the idea of offering a paid option. The ESP also covers a lot more James Allen'southward free lifetime warranty. But, there are also reasons why I wouldn't use my warranty if I were to purchase jewelry from there. I'll explain those reasons why a footling later.

Trade-In Policy

Like most retailers, Kay allows you to upgrade your ring. Unlike whatever of our online retailers, you can upgrade any piece of diamond jewelry (not lab created diamonds) you lot maybe don't wear anymore, or only looking for something new.

Nonetheless, if you desire to take advantage of this trade-in service, you have to do information technology at a shop. Just, you do have a ton of options in Kay'southward vast inventory.

All trade-ins get the total price in which they paid for it, They don't take into account your setting, so the policy is diamond for diamonds. They exercise have a gold exchange that you lot can read about on their website. You can't trade for colored stone jewelry unless it also contains diamonds.

Your upgraded slice of jewelry must be at least 2x what you paid for the old piece of jewelry. You are able to get upward to l% off your new piece of jewelry.

What Didn't I Like About Kay Jewelers?

Like every jewelry store, there are things we find that we're not too excited well-nigh. Kay Jewelers is no different. Here are the things we don't like about Kay.

Build-A-Ring Procedure

In that location's then many different means to blueprint a ring online at Kay's, information technology tin be a chip disruptive to go along them straight. Never mind the fact that finding their loose diamonds is pretty difficult.

I looked around their menu, got frustrated and then just searched "loose diamonds". Somehow that brought me to the folio. Makes me think they don't actually want people to get them. They're also priced better than ones in-shop, at least the diamond itself is.

Reputation

1 affair you can't ignore when looking for a diamond retailer to trust, is their reputation and customer reviews. Beingness a mega corporation, at that place is going to be a lot of things said nigh Kay. There are also a ton of negative Kay Jewelers reviews on platforms like Facebook, Reddit, and the Better Business Agency.

Kay has been surrounded with a lot of rumors, lawsuits, and articles for both employees and customers. The biggest outcome I've come to notice that people have with Kay is the repair shops. And as a former employee, I don't blame them.

Signet Jewelers has had quite the few scandals over the years, both internal in management and when dealing with customers. Some people claim Kay and other related stores like Jared and Zales are scams.

The biggest media hit Kay took was when this Buzzfeed article was released in 2016. It details the awful experience of a customer who bought a  $5,000 date ring for his fiance.

She went to get it sent out for repair and it came back with a different stone in information technology: moissanite, a diamond simulant. Still, at both Kay and Zales, it tested diamond. The client had it tested at two jewelry stores outside of the company and they confirmed it was not diamond.

At least 7 more women came out with similar stories.

It doesn't instill a whole lot of conviction within me to buy from Kay knowing how many of these stories are running rampant on the web. Let's put it this way, my own engagement ring and wedding ceremony band was purchased from Kay.

I don't have an ESP, but even if I did, I wouldn't send my own jewelry to their repair shops, so I tin't in good censor recommend that besides. If y'all buy jewelry from Kay, you're better off getting it serviced by a local jeweler.

How's Kay Jeweler's Pricing?

I took the aforementioned loose diamond I picked out above and compared the pricing to fellow competitor/family fellow member, James Allen. Even though Signet owns both companies, they are priced very differently.

Here's the diamond I picked out earlier- a 1.01 carat princess cut diamond with H colour and VS1 clarity. And it likewise has a GIA certificate.

I've chosen a similar diamond from fellow competitor James Allen. It also has the same diamond grades and a GIA grading report. Check out the deviation betwixt prices:

James Allen'south diamond band is $3830 at full price. That'due south a $1360 difference. And not to mention the fact that James Allen has over 200 settings for a diamond similar this, and Kay has less than 20 settings for all the diamond shapes in their inventory for 1 carat diamonds.

More than than that, even if Kay did have simple solitaire setting to compare to one of James Allen'south, Kay would however be more expensive.

You'd have to pay for the Extended Service Plan if you wanted maintenance. James Allen's ring settings come with full maintenance warranty for costless.

You shouldn't have to pay high prices for less value So save yourself the headache and don't.

Kay Jewelers Bottom Line: Largest Jewelry Inventory

If y'all're ordering online or purchasing jewelry from Kay Jewelers, I don't recommend purchasing bridal jewelry similar diamond engagement rings and wedding bands. Based on our analysis, there are many reasons why you shouldn't purchase these items at Kays.

The main reason is that you lot will exist paying a high cost for sub-par quality diamonds.

Yous have no control on which diamond y'all get, no assurance that your diamond grades are actually what they claim to be, and no existent visual of what your band will look like before it comes in the mail.

Why would you want to brand that big of a risk, when you could store with an online retailer that offers transparency and less expensive prices like James Allen?

This is why nigh people that buy from Kay's buy in-store instead of online.

What keeps Kays in booming concern is the many jewelry pieces they accept all over their stores. Many people still adopt to purchase jewelry that they can physically touch and determine if it'due south what they like. And if y'all're looking for a brick and mortar shop with a ton of choices in jewelry, Kay will have the largest inventory.

Kay has a ton of affordable lab created gemstone jewelry with many items under $100 that are perfect for birthstone gifts or loftier school graduation gifts. Even online, you get tin lost in the pages of colored gemstone jewelry as well as creating your own mothers jewelry with different birthstones.

At that place are so many unique choices for manner jewelry at Kays that why it'due south our pick for largest inventory.

Source: https://learningjewelry.com/kay-jewelers-review/

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