{"id":58605,"date":"2022-04-08T02:09:48","date_gmt":"2022-04-08T02:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ringspo.com\/ca\/?page_id=58605"},"modified":"2025-01-07T07:12:41","modified_gmt":"2025-01-07T07:12:41","slug":"ann-louise-jewellers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ringspo.com\/ca\/ann-louise-jewellers\/","title":{"rendered":"Ann Louise Jewellers review"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ann Louise Jewellers review<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Should you buy your engagement ring or wedding ring from Ann Louise Jewellers?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Ann Louise Jewellers was established in 1983 and has since grown to 14 stores located throughout B.C. and Alberta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this Ann Louise review<\/strong>, we will primarily examine them from the point of view of buying a diamond engagement ring. However, the findings are equally relevant for any other type of jewellery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

diamond engagement ring. However, the findings are equally relevant for any other type of jewellery<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019d like to jump straight to the \u2018value for money\u2019 section and see how you could save 11.5% compared even to Ann Louise’s ‘sale’ prices AND get a higher quality diamond by choosing one of my recommended retailers, click here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Ann Louise Jewellers ring selection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At the time of writing this review, Ann Louise Jewellers offers a total of 147 styles of diamond engagement ring to choose from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rings are a mixture of cluster set diamond rings (where several smaller diamonds are placed close together to give the impression of a larger stone), and other rings with larger centre stones. A cluster of smaller stones generally costs less than one larger diamond, so cluster settings can be a good option for those with a tighter budget.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Apart from cluster rings, the diamond ring styles that Ann Louise Jewellers predominantly sell are either solitaire settings, or halo \u2013 two classic styles that have stood the test of time. Solitaire settings are generally less expensive than other styles and are great for keeping the focus on the centre stone, while a halo setting can make your ring stone look larger and more impressive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing to note is that if you click through to ‘engagement rings’ on the Ann Louise website, engagement rings with both natural and lab-grown diamonds are listed<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s no easy way to distinguish whether a ring has a natural or lab-grown centre stone from the product selection page, so if you know that you are looking for either natural or lab-grown stone, the best approach is to use the filters on the left hand side of the product screen to make your selection:<\/p>\n\n\n

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Overall, Ann Louise offers a wide range of styles and prices for their diamond rings, which means that there should be one that fits what most people are looking for.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Ann Louise Jewellers diamond quality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Engagement rings are all about the diamond, and being able to choose a diamond that will sparkle brilliantly will make the difference between a truly stunning engagement ring and one that looks dull and unimpressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this section, we\u2019ll examine the quality of diamonds Ann Louise offers, as well as how transparent they are about the quality of the diamonds themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ann Louise Jewellers understand the importance of 4C\u2019s; in their education section<\/a> they mention that \u201cUnderstanding these variables will help you get a better sense of what you personally value in a diamond.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you probably know, the biggest determinant of the cost of a diamond ring is the diamond itself and Ann Louise Jewellers offers a range of carat weight from; 0.01 carat all the way up to over 2 carats. This is a good range of carat weight where you can choose a carat that fits your taste and budget.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Carat weight is generally the biggest determinant of its price, but the factor that determines how much a diamond sparkles is the \u2018cut\u2019. Diamond cut is a measure of how well the diamond has been formed and it is essential that a diamond has good proportions to reflect light; otherwise it will be dull, lifeless and unimpressive. If a diamond is too tall or too shallow, it won\u2019t reflect much light and therefore won\u2019t sparkle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding the cut quality of a diamond is absolutely essential to be able to understand whether it will sparkle. If you don\u2019t know the cut quality then you may very well be wasting your money.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Diamond is too shallow:<\/h4>\n\n\n
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Light passes through the diamond and is lost, meaning the diamond looks dull and sparkles less than it should.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Diamond is too deep:<\/h4>\n\n\n
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Light is bounced off the bottom facets at the wrong angle and is lost out of the side of the diamond, reducing sparkle.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Excellent \/ Ideal cut:<\/h4>\n\n\n
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Light is reflected off the bottom facets and back through the table to your eye, meaning the diamond sparkles beautifully. <\/p>\n\n\n

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In the education section of their site, Ann Louise clearly explain the importance of cut: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Not to be confused with shape (i.e. round, oval, princess), the cut of a diamond affects the brilliance, fire and scintillation; in other words, how much a diamond glitters.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n

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Despite knowing the importance of cut quality, Ann Louise Jewellers don\u2019t show diamond cut grade for the diamonds on their website, even in their diamond specification section for each stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This means that despite knowing that diamond cut is the one important factor in determining how much a diamond sparkles, they don\u2019t give customers this information! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I asked Ann Louise Jewellers about this on their email, they said: \u201cWe try to upload as much of the clarity and cut information we can onto our website, however we may not have the diamond cut grading on each individual product\u2019s page.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Ann Louise Jewellers don\u2019t allow you to choose clarity and colour in their product filter but they show it in their product details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of the diamonds in rings on the Ann Louise Jewellers website are \u2018I\u2019 clarity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I clarity is at the bottom of the diamond clarity scale:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Diamonds that have been graded I have significant flaws which can usually be seen:<\/p>\n\n\n

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We don\u2019t usually recommend that diamonds with a clarity grade lower than VS2 are purchased, although some SI1 diamonds can sometimes be acceptable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, the lack of cut quality information (which means you don\u2019t know whether a diamond will sparkle) and the low clarity means that Ann Louise is offering lower quality diamonds than we can recommend, unlike our recommended retailers like Ecksand<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ann Louise Jewellers diamond grading labs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Certification\u2019, also known as \u2018grading\u2019; is when a diamond is assessed for Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat weight, with these recorded on a certificate which is totally unique for each diamond. A diamond certificate acts like a passport which tells you all about your diamond\u2019s credentials and should give you piece of mind that you are actually buying what you think you are buying.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Diamonds which score higher in their grading report are generally more expensive \u2013 an F colour diamond will be pricier than an H colour, if everything is the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important therefore that diamond grading levels can be trusted \u2013 you don\u2019t want to pay more for an F colour diamond if it is actually an H. This is why independent diamond testing labs are important. An independent testing lab doesn\u2019t have any incentive to say that a diamond is higher quality than it is, as they don\u2019t make any more money if they do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, if they bump up diamond quality grades, it may mean people trust them less, which might mean they make less money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Retailers DO have an incentive to increase diamond quality scores, as it will mean that they can sell a diamond for a higher price. For this reason, I recommend that you always look for a diamond which has been graded by an independent authority \u2013 my usually recommendation is the GIA because they have the strictest standards, so you will be sure that you are getting the quality that you are paying for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ann Louise Jewellers does carry some<\/em> GIA certified diamonds in their stock and they do have a GIA certified diamond specialist at their head office to inspect their diamonds to ensure quality control.<\/p>\n\n\n

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It seems therefore that if you request a GIA-graded diamond, one can be sourced. However, the majority of Ann Louise\u2019s diamonds are not GIA certified.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Ann Louise Jewellers service<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Buying an engagement ring is a special purchase, and you want to have confidence that the retailer will not only treat you well while buying your ring, but also that they will stand behind their product after the purchase too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ann Louise Jewellers have 14 stores located throughout B.C. and Alberta \u2013 which means you have the option to visit the store to see a design you like in person and try it on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing which could be improved is that Ann Louise Jewellers only offers a 14 day return policy – this is not very long if you decide that the ring is not right for you for any reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking at Google reviews, Ann Louise Jewellers’s outlet in Burnaby scores 3.7 from 104 reviews. It\u2019s always worth taking online reviews with a bit of a pinch of salt, but as an average, 3.7 would indicate that people are less than ecstatic with the service they have received from Ann Louise Jewellers.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Ann Louise Jewellers value for money<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The easiest way to understand whether a retailer offers good value for money is to compare it to others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buying a diamond ring is a big commitment \u2013 both financially and emotionally. So it\u2019s important that you ensure sure that you are getting good value for money and aren\u2019t spending more than you need to. After all, if you\u2019re buying an engagement ring, it\u2019s likely that you will have a wedding to pay for soon.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

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When comparing, we\u2019ll keep the ring style, diamond clarity, metal, colour, carat as similar as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good way to compare is to look at solitaire diamond rings as they are simple and timeless, without ornate settings to make the comparison more complicated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ann Louise Jewellers offers a solitaire ring with a 2 carat lab-grown diamond at a price of $4,799, which is apparently reduced from $9,599:<\/p>\n\n\n

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The diamond in this ring is shown as being graded G for colour and VS for clarity, although the website doesn’t tell us who graded the diamond. It could be an independent lab, or is could just be a member of the Ann Louise Jewellers team:<\/p>\n\n\n

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VS could actually be one of two colour grades, either VS1 or VS2 \u2013 ideally this would be more clearly stated on the website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The $4,799.50 on the website obviously doesn\u2019t include province-specific sales tax – you will need to add this on for your specific province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s now compare this ring to my recommended retailer, Ecksand<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This ring is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n