Kay Jewelers is one of the biggest jewelry retail companies in the United States. This company has over 1,000 stores across the states which makes it a big deal – at least we think so. We take a closer look at the company and what it has to offer in this Kay Jewelers review. Kay Jewelers has brick and mortar stores, but it also has an online website that works as a great e-commerce platform for the company. The company has a wide range of items including rings, bracelets, charms, necklaces, earrings and watches. They also have a broad assortment of wedding and engagement rings that feature lovely diamonds and gemstones.
History of Kay Jewelers
Kay Jewelers was began by Edmund and Sol Kaufann back in 1916. The first company storefront was in Reading, Pennsylvania. From that store, customers could find music boxes, razors, eyeglasses, appliances and silverware amongst the jewelry items.
Sterling Jewelers Incorporated owns Kay Jewelers, and it operates under the parent company Signet Jewelers. Zales has over 1,000 open stores and a large team of jewelry experts waiting to assist their customers. In the Unites States, the major competitor to Kay Jewelers is Zales.
What makes Kay Jewelers stand out?
One of the things that stands out about Kay Jewelers is the customize option on their website. Kay Jewelers gives its customers the option of designing their own rings. The company will then bring your design to life. Their homepage gives all the details on how to customize a ring, in three easy ways. The first way you can customize your ring from Kay Jewelers is by creating a custom design. This is where you bring your sketch to Kay Jewelers and they will work with it to give you what you want. Other than a sketch, it could also be heirloom, a snapshot or description.
The second method that you can use to create a custom design is to design your own Neil Lane ring. The Neil Lane ring is a ring whose frame has a ready made design. You can customize it by choosing the diamond shape, ring head, mounting, finishing and mounting color. You also choose other aspects of the stone such as the quality and carat weight. The third method you can use to customize your own ring from the Kay Jewelers website is to create your own ring. This option offers you an advanced online tool that you can use to create a custom engagement ring.
Kay Jewelers Refund Policies and Customer Service
Customer Service
Kay Jewelers have great customer service. They have virtual jewelry consultants who are available to give you custom advice. You can also have an expert shop along with you in the comfort of your home. You can also schedule an online meet at a certain time or book an appointment for an in store visit. If you are looking for an engagement ring, Kay Jewelers will cover the 4 C’s with you. They will also help you find the perfect engagement ring. Their consultants will also help you get the right design that suits your preferences for the custom designs.
Returns and exchanges
If you purchase something that you are not very happy about, making a return to Kay Jewelers is quite easy. They have a 30 day return policy where you can return an item up to 30 days after the date of the purchase. You can also exchange it for something new as long as you take it to any Kay location within 60 days of the item being shipped. After you return an item, it has to be assessed by the Kay Quality Assurance team before processing the refund. The refund does not include delivery charges for the item.
Warranties and Guarantees
Kay Jewelers guarantees all their emerald, ruby, sapphire and diamond jewelry for a lifetime. The guarantee is only eligible if the item undergoes inspection every 6 months. If there is a discovery of any problems, repairs are done without you having to pay any extra money. They also have a stone replacement guarantee where a diamond, sapphire, emerald and ruby has a replacement if it breaks, gets lost or chips from its original setting due to normal wear.
Kay also offers a mounting guarantee where a diamond, emerald, sapphire or ruby will be mounted twelve months from the purchase date for free. This is a guarantee against all defects in workmanship or material.
Trade in’s
Kay Jewelers has a diamond trade in policy where you can trade in your diamond for another diamond that is at least twice the trade in value. This only applies for natural diamonds and not lab created diamonds. You can take your color gemstone or diamond jewelry to any Kay Jewelers outlet for free inspection and professional cleaning for a lifetime.
Kay Jewelers Vs Zales
Zales Kay and Jewelers are some of the most reputable jewelry retail companies today. These two companies have built brands which are easily identifiable to customers everywhere. There are some significant differences between the two companies that we will look at in this Kay Jewelers review as we compare the two.
The first difference between Zales and Kay Jewelers is the prices of their items. The two companies have a broad assortment of diamond pieces as well as gemstones. Zales offers its products at higher prices in comparison to Kay Jewelers. Though Kay may he pricier, they also have high quality items that are worth the investment. Their websites are also different in some aspects. Kay Jewelers has a website that is more organized and easier to navigate. The company also has an FAQ section on their website that answers some of the most common questions from their customers.
Despite the differences, there are some similarities between these two companies. One of the similarities is the quality of the diamonds that they offer. Both the companies sell diamonds that are certified by the International Gemological Institute (IGI). The IGI is a credited institution but it is not on the same level as institutions like the GIA or AGS. Gradings from IGI have been found to be inflated when compared to those from IGS and GIA. Another similarity between the two companies is the payment options. Both Zales and Kay Jewelers also make use of the same delivery services.
FAQ
Kay Jewelers sell real diamonds. The company offers diamonds that are accompanied by IGI certificates. This means that their diamonds are high quality authentic rings. IGI certificates are however considered light performance certificates when compared to certificates from GIA and AGS. They have however built a good reputation which also indicates that they sell quality diamonds to their customers.
One thing about Kay Jewelers is that you can negotiate the prices. If you have established a good relationship with the company, you can have them adjust the price of an item for you. The adjustment would however be slight and may not be very significant for someone looking for a hard bargain.
Zales and Kay Jewelers are some of the most reputable jewelry retail companies in the United States. Both of these companies have numerous brick and mortar stores across various states, as well as an established online presence. I’m comparison to the quality of their jewelry, both these companies are certified by the IGI, which is not as highly regarded as other institutions such as GIA or AGS. Kay does have a wider selection of rings and customization options.
Our favorite engagement rings from Kay Jewelers
Kay Jewelers have a wide range of jewelry options to choose from. On their home page, you can shop jewelry by the categories that include lucky symbols, emerald jewelry and claddagh jewelry. Their rings vary in terms of size, clarity, design and setting style. They are in the categories of anniversary rings, engagement rings, fashion rings, gemstone rings, men’s rings and promise rings. Here are some of our favorite engagement rings from Kay Jewelers that we think you would love.
