Jared Jewelers Review

Jared the Galleria of Jewelry, part of the global giant Signet Jewelers, is known for its extensive collection of diamond jewelry. With such a prestigious background, expectations for quality and service are naturally high. This review will explore whether Jared meets these expectations. For those in a hurry: our findings indicate that Jared may not meet the standards in diamond education, customer service, and the quality of the diamonds offered.

The History

In the interest of fairness, I focus my reviews on the quality of the products and the price; these are the areas which are of most significance to customers. However, it would be impossible to review Jared without mentioning a little of their history and the foundations of their parent company Signet; the subject of scandals and stories, the history of Jared certainly sets a tone for this brand.

The group was previously known as the Ratner Group. Established in 1949, the business boomed throughout the 80’s and 90’s, with former CEO Gerald Ratner building it from 130 stores to 2500. Ratner infamously announced at a business conference that the reason the products were so cheap is because they were ‘total crap’. After a rebranding in 1993, the Signet group was born. Stack them high and sell them cheap is still very much at the core of the Jared and Signet experience.

Further issues hit Signet in 2008 when it was sued for discrimination against female employees. Does that mean their jewelry is bad? No, but I’ve been in this business a long time and these details paint a picture that potential customers deserve to see.

Leaving the past in the past, Jared has undergone some big changes over the past few years and these improvements have not gone unnoticed by customers. A better in-store experience and optimized website have seen Jared’s win back points with the public.

Jared Jeweler's Loose Diamonds

On their website, Jared’s states that their business targets the ‘upper mid-market jewelry customer’. A simple translation would be that Jared’s is more expensive than other large chains such as Zales and Kay Jewelers – but they are quite literally cut from the same cloth.

 

 

 

 

 

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Jared have updated their website to compete with companies such as Blue Nile, James Allen and Whiteflash – you can now view a high-res image of a loose diamond and choose a setting to complete the ring. What they are lacking however, is diamond light performance imaging. This is imperative when buying online! 

They sell GIA and AGS certified diamonds which is positive, however they also sell diamonds with questionable certificates from inferior grading labs.

I have created the table below to highlight red flags, so you can easily weigh up the pros and cons.

	The Good	The Bad	The Red Flag
Diamonds	GIA & AGS certified diamonds Good quality images Good online inventory Good in-store inventory with a focus on GIA diamonds	Diamonds sold with inferior certificates  (GSI etc)	No light performance imaging or HD Video Very little focus on cut quality Extremely low color and clarity grades (not all, but enough that you need to pay close attention)
Settings	Huge collection of settings to suit a wide variety of styles Good quality settings	N/A	N/A
Designers	Jared stock some good designers – being such a big company, they hold some of the most recognisable names in the jewelry industry	Sorting the wheat from the chaff – while many of the designers are good, there are also some much lower quality items on offer. You need to know what you are looking at.	N/A
The Experience	N/A	N/A	Pushy sales tactics, communication issues, a lack of clarity in sales, promotions and financing…Jared’s has let a lot of people down. Like all bricks and mortar experiences, it really is a roll of the dice who you deal with.
The Website	Clear and functioning. Some high res-images and virtual assistance	N/A	Unlike many top brands, there is zero focus on educating the consumer on the Jared website. Search and filter tools neglect some important information and all diamond details feel like an afterthought.

Jared Jeweler's Lab Diamonds

The subpar certification is also seen in Jared's Lab Grown Diamonds:

When shopping for diamonds, clarity about the quality and certification of each stone is paramount. I strongly advise against vendors that mix diamonds with inferior certifications alongside higher quality stones. This practice not only misleads consumers but also complicates the purchasing process, making it challenging to discern the true value and quality of the diamonds offered. Always look for well-respected lab certifications like GIA, IGI, and AGS, which are known for their rigorous standards and reliable grading. This ensures you receive a diamond that truly matches its described attributes and overall quality.

Jared Jewelers Engagement Rings/Settings

Jared offers an extensive variety of engagement ring settings, featuring designs that incorporate natural diamonds, colorful gemstones, and lab-created diamonds. The selection caters to diverse tastes with numerous metal options available, ranging from timeless gold to modern platinum, ensuring there is something to suit everyone’s style. Additionally, Jared provides ample customization opportunities, allowing couples to create a ring that truly reflects their personal story and preferences.

While the online shopping experience at Jared is comparatively relaxed, allowing customers to browse at their leisure without pressure, the in-store experience can feel quite different. Several visits to their physical locations revealed a more aggressive sales approach, which may not be comfortable for all buyers. Furthermore, despite the wide selection and customization options, there are notable concerns regarding the quality of the settings. A number of customers have reported issues, which raises questions about the consistency of the craftsmanship. These quality concerns, coupled with the experiences of other buyers, suggest that while Jared has strengths, there are also significant areas for improvement. We will delve deeper into these customer experiences and quality issues in the next section.

Jared Jeweler's Reviews

Exploring external reviews provides a broader perspective on Jared’s service and product quality. On Trustpilot, Jared Jewelers has earned a low score of 2 out of 5 stars, highlighting widespread dissatisfaction among customers. Key complaints focus on subpar customer service, questionable financing practices, and persistent quality issues with their products. Similarly, reviews on Consumer Affairs are equally concerning, where Jared has a rating of 1.7 out of 5 stars. Feedback on this platform echoes the Trustpilot grievances, with numerous customers voicing frustrations over similar issues, including poor customer support and problems with the integrity of the jewelry sold.

These reviews suggest a pattern of challenges that potential buyers should consider. The recurring themes of customer dissatisfaction across different review platforms underscore the need for Jared to address these critical areas to enhance their customer experience and product quality. For consumers, these reviews serve as a cautionary tale, advising them to weigh these factors heavily before deciding to purchase from Jared.

Jared Jeweler's Customer Service

During my personal visit to a Jared Jewelers store, I encountered a sales approach that felt overly aggressive and, at times, downright rude. This experience in the physical store was uncomfortable and not conducive to the careful consideration required when selecting such significant and sentimental purchases as jewelry.

This negative impression is not just based on my own experience; it aligns closely with broader customer feedback found online. Numerous reviews on platforms like Trustpilot, Reddit and Consumer Affairs have echoed this sentiment, with many customers highlighting pushy sales tactics and a lack of courtesy from staff, which collectively paint a picture of disappointing service across multiple interactions and locations.

Given these consistent accounts of unsatisfactory encounters, I find it hard to recommend Jared for in-store shopping. If you still prefer to explore their offerings due to their extensive product range or specific jewelry pieces, I would advise doing so via their online store. Shopping online with Jared appears to be a more relaxed and pressure-free experience, allowing you to consider your options without the immediacy and pressure of in-person sales tactics. Nonetheless, given the noted concerns about product quality and customer service, I recommend proceeding with caution and considering these factors seriously in your decision-making process.

The Final Word

Although there are areas that Jared’s have improved, they must still be compared to the industry leaders and in this sense, they fall short. Whiteflash deliver a diamond education, level of service and diamond quality that Jared’s cannot compete with, nor can they compete price wise with James Allen/Blue Nile.

Perhaps you roll the dice with Jared’s and buy a small, low value item of jewelry as a gift. Maybe you will dodge the questionable sales tactics and inconsistent customer service – but when it comes to something as significant as an engagement ring, I would give Jared’s a hard pass.

The lack of diamond light performance imaging however, means that I cannot recommend them for buying a diamond online.