Lake Murray, like OOOOOklahoma???

First thing is check in your town for what you want, shop for prices, then you will be able to bargain from a position of knowledge. There are lots of good places. You will see more jewelry than you ever thought possible!

No, I'm not in Oklahoma...I'm in South Carolina. I knew to check here on prices, but wondered what stores were reputable and had the best prices. Thanks for your response.

Check out Cardow on Main St in Charlote Amalie. We have been shopping there for yrs and the selection is excellent. They are also the oldest jewelry store on the island. Also check out Dazzler's/Dynasty in Havensight Mall. They have several stores there. We also purchased from them. Love their selection and price. Do shop around and compare.

Hi Tammy,

Thank you for this info. I will definitely go in these stores. When we were in Nassau, we got an emerald bracelet. I was putting it on to went to dinner that evening, and the stones fell out of it. Fortunately, I returned it and got a refund. I hope to be able to replace the bracelet on this trip. Thank you again.

Working in the jewelery biz here, I have had the chance to learn some inside info. I now know that places like Cardow, Diamonds International, etc., have more purchasing power, and buy it all at prices that are less than some of their competitors, hence, they can sell it for less. But, they don't, because they spend so much on advertising and marketing. A smaller store, with less overhead, can actually give you better prices than the big guys will (note that I said WILL, not CAN). Dynasty/Dazzlers, for example: I guarantee that I could walk in and negotiate a better price with them, than I could by walking across the street to Diamonds International and negotiating with them. Being part of a large company, even the Store Manager at Diamonds International only has so much authority. Once the higher-ups set a percentage as the "Minimum Sale Price", he cannot, I repeat, cannot go any lower than that. By going into Dynasty/Dazzlers, the boss that you speak to might just be the owner. He's got the ultimate authority, so to speak, so he can actually sell it for whatever price he wants to. And, with over 1 million visitors per year to our little island, he figures he can just sell the next one for not quite as low a price.

Hi Marty --
Where are you in St. Thomas? I really appreciate this information and it all makes sense to me. For example, when we went to Columbian Emeralds International, they weren't willing to do much of anything except for the price as advertised. They weren't willing to negotiate at all. I fully understand what you are telling me. Are you with a particular jeweler? If so, please let me know which one.

Thank you so much.

I was with Azura by Jewels, on Main Street, until a few weeks ago. Now I am just weighing my options and will find a new place to work in the next couple of months.

I'm not coming until February '06. We leave 2/12 and won't be in St. Thomas until the the 13th, 14th or 15th. I don't remember the itinerary right off hand.

Gonna be on a cruise?

Yes, we're taking yet another cruise. On one of the cruises we took we were supposed to go to St. Thomas, but the port was heavily damaged by a hurricane. Needless to say, we didn't get there. So, since I haven't had the pleasure of shopping there, we'll be there in February. After this cruise, I guess we'll go to Alaska. I definitely want to take that cruise.

We learned last night that our daughter will probably be getting married next summer and her fiance wants to be married in the caribbean. Jack and I will probably fly down for that event. But all of this is speculation at this point.

Why don't you email me with your phone number or email address and I'll let you know when we're coming down. I'm really in the market for a small emerald bracelet and possibly a ring. I already have plenty of sapphires and will work on rubys later. As you can tell, I have a plan in mind.

I just sent you a PM, since your e-mail addy is hidden.

Marty,

This may sound stupid, but what's a PM? My email is [email protected]

Hello,

Scroll to the top of the board. On the right side you should see a link that says 'you have new messages' or something along those lines. Click there to see your new messages. The flag only appears when you have new messages. You can also access your private messages by clicking on My Settings, again at the top of the message board in the forum tools and then choose In box. Only registered users have private messaging and my settings.

--Islander

"PM" = Private Message

I sent you an e-mail...for real this time.