Today at work I did some price checking. You might be surprised at what is said here. I picked out a ring shank which is about 2.25mm wide at the top and a heavier than usual 6 prong setting.
A while back before platinum prices went up so much and the "spot price" for platinum was $700 the prices were a lot different.Now, today with a spot price of $1187 per ounce. The spot price is for pure platinum metal, as traded and bought on metals markets. This price changes and with it also change the costs of platinum jewelry parts.
At the old $700 price, the 2.25mm shank would run about $450 and at today's price about $$650. The prong setting was at about $205 and today is $306.
That comes to a combination of shank and setting of $956! Today, some jewelers realize the price is getting so high for platinum that they are not putting the same mark-up on platinum they did last year.
There is competition from jewelers who are still selling( perhaps foolishly) at the old prices and higher prices discourage customers. Today, at where I work we would not mark-up the platinum as much as we did a year ago.
The total price for the shank and setting mentioned would be sold for about $800. This is for the parts and no labor included.
To assemble the ring, size and set the stone would run about $150. I don't know if your ring requires more work than assembly of the head to the shank, sizing and stone setting. That added work could account for the labor charged. Then again, if only "putting together" the labor seems high to me.
Perhaps the cost is balanced out with the lower price for the head. I don't know what is going on with the jeweler with whom you are dealing.
All in all, the platinum prices are not out of line, but the head is too low unless very light weight. The labor seems too high. Totals are not that far off from the price charged you.
Then again, there is not a real excuse for charging more than the original estimate unless you had been informed that parts are going to cost much more due to rising platinum prices. Perhaps the jeweler is sticking to original head costs and making up the difference in labor, who knows. In any regard, sight unseen, the price total is not far off what I quoted. Keep in mind I picked a fairly medium heavy shank and a heavier than usual head. I might be comparing apples and oranges here and that should be kept in mind.
The trade-in price for your old ring is not that far off, either. This is true IF you were told you were getting the "scrap" price and not trading in a usable ring. Scrap rates vary from refiner to refiner but according to today's platinum prices, we would likely offer about $110 for the old setting as scrap metal.
Sure, we would get more than that form the refiner but once overhead including refining costs, a profit and the fact the ring might sit around a while until we had enough metal to send to the refiner, the price quoted is not out of line. At first, I thought the price too low. I visited some refiner sites today and double checked.
If you were to sell you ring directly to the refiner, certainly you would get more the platinum content. The problem is, refiners often require minimum amounts of metal to be accepted for refining and one ring is not enough.
This is the final part of the answer. I will summarize by saying, the labor seems too high unless more work than assembly, sizing and setting is needed. The head seems too low unless quite light weight. The value offered for scrap (if that was the agreement!) is not far off at all.
I know it seems very low compared to new materials from the supply house. That is a fact of metal accepted as scrap and not as a usable item of jewelry. The broken prong is not your responsibility. The jeweler has little excuse for not informing you of the much higher finished price than estimated or quoted.
My husbands b-day is coming up. He's been wanting a watch with a black rubber band , chronograph like the Omega Seamaster but I can't afford that! So I'm looking for another good quality brand that won't cost me over $400.
By the way, what is the difference between Swiss army and Wenger?
Is Swiss army played out??
Answer: Wenger is a cheap watch made in Japan. Swiss Army is actually a pretty good watch in the $400 range that is actually Swiss made.
As far as other good watches similar to Omega, it depends what he's looking for.
If it's a dive-watch, Seiko makes a nice one in the $300s (plus you can tell him that's also a James Bond watch since it was what he wore before he switched to Omega). See link below for a picture. It's almost as nice as an Omega in my opinion.
If he wants a Swiss watch because of the quality, check out Hamilton watch company and Swiss Army. They make nice watches and are close to that price range.
If he's just in love with Omegas (I'm a collector and own a few Seamasters myself so I know the feeling) and really wants that watch, just feel good knowing that it will last him a very long time and he'll still be grateful a year later if you have to skip Xmas presents to justify the expense. You can find a Seamaster for a little over a grand if you shop around online.
Just because diamonds have always been considered "a girl's best friend" doesn't mean that men don't enjoy the sparkle of gold jewelry, with or without a diamond. In fact, more and more men of today are indulging in some of the finer accessories in life, such as 14K yellow gold money clips, cufflinks, and even a bracelet or two.
The truth of the matter is that jewelry has been worn by men for centuries, both in the higher, elite classes as well as the middle class; distinctive items of intrinsic value have been handed down from generation to generation. It's much easier to get exactly what you're looking for today, as the Internet has made shopping for just about anything easier, bringing the tiny shops and larger, specialty stores directly into your home. All you need to know is what to look for when searching for your ideal online retailer of quality men's jewelry.
First things first, you need to decide on a budget that you can live with, and you need to stick to it. It's very easy to fall in love with a pricier piece, but it just won't be worth it in the long run, if you can't afford it.
Next, will it be white gold, yellow gold, sterling silver, or something else like titanium or platinum? If you're going for the gold, you have the karat weight to consider. 10K is the hardest of the golden metals, but also the lowest quality (and price). 24K is the softest and most expensive. 14K and 18K are median options that offer a blend of a reasonable price with higher quality. Two-toned gold is a choice offered in just about every type of men's jewelry, including watches and chains/necklaces. Tri-colored gold refers to any piece of jewelry with white, yellow and rose-colored (has a slightly pinkish hue) gold.
Third on our list is to pick a general category or two (like, for example, money clips and cufflinks). While cufflinks might be your first choice, you just may find a stunning money clip for significantly less than your first choice in cufflinks, or visa-versa. Keeping your mind open a bit to new and exciting possibilities is one of the best ways to find unique men's jewelry items.
After you've decided on the above, you need to find the right online shop to fill your order. Be sure that you're dealing with a secure website for starters, preferably with a "fraud clause" or something similar to protect against hackers and such. Look for a guarantee to make you feel warm and safe. A good return policy is crucial, because you just never know, and a price guarantee of some sort to alleviate the worry of finding an identical item in a week or two at a significantly lower price.Liz Harrison recommends Heavenly Treasures if you're shopping formen's jewelry.
