Pearl paradise clearance ring?

[Travis84]

Hi everyone. Ive been considering buying my longtime girlfriend a pearl ring. I don't make a lot of money so pearls seem like a good choice since you can get something beautiful without spending thousands. I found a ring on pearl paradise's clearance section. A white gold band with a 6-6.5mm Akoya pearl and small diamonds. It looks beautiful. The price is $235 and it says it would retail for more than $1700. Could this possibly be accurate or is it more like I'm getting a $400 ring for $235? I was planning on spending more, but if the retail price they claim is even close to legitimate then I would be open to spending less.

I've read good things about pearl paradise but this seems too good to be true. Any help or advice would be great. I have no problem sacrificing a little size for higher quality. In fact, I thinks some pearls look too big on a finger. Here is he link.

Pearl Paradise pearl rings

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Welcome to P-G Travis84.
Lucky girlfriend to be getting pearls!

I've bought some fantastic pearls from clearance pages. An akoya pearl graded AAA will be beautiful indeed!
I have a pearl ring that is about 7mm-- big enough for me! I find it hard to wear larger pearls as rings-- they spin on me.

Online vendors can sell pearls at great prices because they buy in large quantities and eliminate the middleman. The average jewelry store sells relatively few pearls, and they are often priced quite high for what they are. The way I see it, the comparative retail prices quoted reflect what similar jewelry might be priced at a brick and mortar jewelry store when items are not on sale. Might you find such an item for less than that high retail price in a store? Sure. B&M stores often overprice jewelry and then have 50% off sales. But often they are still overpriced even when discounted.

I recommend you focus on the item itself and the price being charged for it, and forget the comparative retail price.
Is that ring worth that price to you?
Do you like it and think she would like it?

 

[KaySD]

The retail price shown is $1174, not $1700. I can believe some jewelers would try to charge over $1000 for a ring like that. I agree with PD that you should focus on whether you like the ring. It is very pretty.

 

[pattye]

Having worked in fine jewelry sales, I'd say this beautiful ring is an EXCELLENT value. A 14k gold ring mounting without diamonds or pearls can wholesale easily for $235. Two 3 point diamonds are a nice size, and the pearl will be a great quality!

Oh, welcome, Travis! The Pearl-Guiders are always available to help you spend your pearl $$$'s wisely!

 

[GemGeek]

A great choice, clean and contemporary. Price is excellent. You did a great job.

 

[Sanippy]

Nice ring but I would take the valuation with a grain of salt. Are there jewellers out there who may sell a similar product for the valuation amount? Possibly. What is the true retail value/ replacement cost? What you paid for it.

 

[MSC]

Excellent advice here.
Something to think about: will your girlfriend be wearing this ring daily, like an engagement ring? If so, you may want to consider calling PP and asking if they could substitute a freshwater pearl with very sharp luster for the akoya pearl. The reasoning being that a freshwater pearl of that size will be 100% nacre and will handle daily wear better over the long haul.
Otherwise, akoya's are hard to beat quality-wise.

 

[Sea Urchin]

I wouldn't pay any attention to MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail) prices because I don't think they are generally very realistic. However, I do think $235 is a very good price for that ring. But they also have other rings that are a good value, too. Jewelry doesn't usually have good resale value so, in my opinion, what she likes and will want to wear is the most important factor, as long as it's in your budget.

A 6.0-6.5mm pearl is very tiny. Does your girlfriend usually wear small rings? Also, does she usually wear white metals or yellow (or rose gold)?

You could, for just one example, get a much larger pearl without diamonds for about the same price, if that seems more her style. And then white pearls are seen by many people as classic/traditional whereas a black pearl or colored freshwater pearl is a bit less formal or more edgy or whatever.

Personally, I'd rather my husband include me in jewelry purchases rather than surprise me. Many of us ladies are picky about our jewelry and I'd hate to have him spend money on something that I really don't prefer. But, that's just my opinion so for what it's worth...

Good luck with it. If you get a chance, please post a photo of whatever you get. We lurve photos!