We explain whether jewelry comes with a guarantee
Like everything else in life, jewelry can occasionally break. This is an unfortunate fact of life, but it’s usually easily preventable.
But what can you do about the random break, damage, or defect with a piece of jewelry? Many customers want to know if jewelry comes with a guarantee. How will their item be covered in case the unspeakable happens?
Does jewelry come with a guarantee?
This is a tough question to answer for us in the jewelry industry because there is no clear-cut answer. It really boils down to who makes the piece and where you got it from.
Think of it like buying a car. If you drive your new car off the lot and get into an accident an hour or two later, unfortunately for you it’s your fault. On the other hand, if you notice the brakes on your new car are locked-up or your windshield wiper doesn’t work, the dealership will most likely give you some type of complimentary service.
Additionally, some manufacturers have great warranties that cover everything for 100,000 miles, while others give you next to nothing. And the longer you have the car, the greater the chance you’ll need to conduct some preventative maintenance to keep it running like new.
Jewelry is the same way. For example, if you purchased a pearl necklace and the clasp was defective, the retail jewelry store would most likely replace the clasp for free. If you got home and your child decided to yank it off your neck and the chain broke, you’d be on the hook for paying to have it restrung.
And, like taking your car in for an oil change every so often, you should have your jewelry cleaned and checked every 6 months or so to keep it in good shape and prevent any damage.
Additionally, most smaller jewelry stores will work with their customers in case something unexpected happens to the jewelry. Larger chain stores tend to have strict rules and regulations that may get in the way of amicable resolutions with customers, whereas smaller stores are usually more willing to make the customer happy however they reasonably can.
Jewelry
guarantees depend on the designer
Yes, some jewelry designers do offer
a warranty, but this is not common.
For instance, most of the brands we
carry at our stores don’t have much of a “guarantee” per se. However, we value
our customers and our relationship with them, and we stand behind our products.
In short, we won’t write you off and are more than willing to work with you to
get your jewelry back to where it needs to be. We will never use “That’s our
policy, follow up with corporate” as an excuse. We want you to be happy, so we
will work with you until you are.
An important thing to note is yes,
we understand jewelry is expensive. But just because it is expensive does not
mean it will not wear, or things will not break. Jewelry is just like any other
consumer product. Some additional articles that you may find helpful on the
subject are:
~ How long does jewelry repair take?
Our Jewelry Brands and Guarantees
Here’s a breakdown of the most
popular designers we work with and the guarantees they offer.
John
Hardy
Hardy will cover manufacturer
defects up to 30 days from the purchase date at an authorized retailer (which
we are). They cover defects in material and workmanship. Physical damage,
negligence, or an accident is not covered for obvious reasons. Pavé stones have
a 1-year warranty against being lost. For leather pieces, they recommend not
swimming or coming in contact with water of any sort, as water damage voids the
warranty.
Jewels
by Star
This is a great company with an even
better product. If you buy a ring from them and a stone comes loose, you lose a
stone altogether, or even break a prong, bring it back to us and if it has been
a reasonable amount of time from the time of purchase, they will usually fix
your ring for free. Bear in mind that this is very situational and varies for
each individual ring and customer.
Raymond
Weil
Every Raymond Weil watch comes with
a 2-year warranty from the point of purchase. You can also go online and
register your watch, and they will give you a third year free. This does not
cover batteries. A dead battery is not a defect, it’s a fact of life.
Victorinox/Swiss
Army
If bought from an authorized retailer
(which we are), Victorinox watches come with a 3-year warranty right out of the
case. This covers all manufacturer defects from the hands, to the dial and
movement. This does not cover batteries.
Michele
Much like the other watch designers,
Michele has a 2-year warranty to protect against manufacturing defects when
bought from an authorized retailer. This does not cover batteries.
Doves
by Doron Paloma
This company is fantastic and can
usually do something for you if you experience an issue. Of course, this is
very situational and it depends on the piece, how it got broken, and what on
the piece is broken.
Estate jewelry does not have a warranty
“Estate” jewelry is a fancy way to say previously loved or owned jewelry. Being that the nature of the jewelry is used, there is no way to guarantee against any damage and we (or most other jewelry stores) cannot be held responsible. That said, we would not put anything in our case that was on the verge of falling apart or not structurally sound.
A good relationship with your jeweler is more valuable than any guarantee
Our goal is to turn you into a happy customer.
We help a lot of our customers with broken or damaged jewelry, and we do a lot for our customers at little to no charge. Being a small business gives us the flexibility to be able to do so because we’re all human and understand that accidents happen.
If you have a problem with a piece you bought from us, please bring it back in and have us look at it. We will be more than happy to help you out within reason.
To learn more about jewelry, guarantees, or repairs, feel free to visit either of our New Jersey jewelry store locations in Morristown or New Providence to see for yourself and talk to any of our expert jewelers.
If you’d like to talk to someone directly about your jewelry, feel free to contact us online anytime by emailing us directly at info@braunschweiger.com or by simply filling out our contact form. We’ll answer your questions quickly.