{"id":58325,"date":"2022-02-25T05:44:27","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T05:44:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ringspo.com\/uk\/?page_id=58325"},"modified":"2022-08-08T07:12:13","modified_gmt":"2022-08-08T07:12:13","slug":"boodles-review","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ringspo.com\/uk\/boodles-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Boodles review"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Boodles review<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Should you buy your engagement ring or wedding ring from Boodles?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Boodles has a long and distinguished history. Having been founded in 1798, they have more than two centuries of experience in creating high quality jewellery. For any business to survive that long it must be doing something right!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boodles is a premium retailer \u2013 they have 9 stores nationwide in carefully chosen locations. Buying from them is undoubtedly a lovely experience, with an emphasis on personal service and quality at every touchpoint. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this Boodles 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

If you\u2019d like to jump straight to the \u2018value for money\u2019 section and see how choosing one of my recommended retailers could save \u00a35,401 compared to Boodles, click here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

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\"Boodles<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Boodles ring selection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Boodles have beautifully designed rings, with a total of 35 styles of diamond engagement ring to choose from:<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Boodles<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

This is a smaller number of designs than some other retailers, but the flipside of this is that every design Boodles offers is a classic design that will never go out of style. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boodles’ premium positioning is reinforced by the precious metals it offers for its rings, offering only platinum or 18carat rose gold, with no white gold available. Platinum is more expensive than white gold but is heavier and harder wearing, so a better choice for a ring that is going to be worn every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boodles appears to specialise in halo settings, with a ring of small accent stones, typically pave diamonds, encircling a larger centre stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Boodles<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Halo rings not only look beautiful, but also have the advantage of making your ring look larger and more impressive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, Boodles ring selection is lower on numbers than most other jewellers, but higher in quality. One thing to be considered though is that the limited selection does mean that if you are looking for a less common diamond shape e.g. an Asscher cut, Boodles may not be able to help you.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Boodles 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 Boodles offers, as well as how transparent they are about the quality of the diamonds themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"booles<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Finding the right diamond is usually a case of finding the right combination of the 4 Cs of diamond quality that match your budget. If you\u2019re not familiar with the 4 Cs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clarity refers to the number, location, size and type of \u2018inclusions\u2019 within a diamond. These are tiny little marks or \u2018flaws\u2019 present inside the diamond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colour is a measure of how white or yellow a diamond is. G or H are good colours, above this level and the diamond doesn\u2019t look much whiter, but is much more expensive and below this level and the diamond can look noticeably yellow (which most people don\u2019t like).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A diamond’s \u2018cut\u2019 is important because it unlocks a diamond\u2019s beauty and sparkle. A quality diamond will have an ‘ideal cut’ which allows the light to sparkle more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly there’s carat, probably the most talked about aspect of a diamond. It refers to its weight and in turn, its overall size. Usually, the bigger the diamond, the higher the carat number and this may be the biggest determinant of diamond price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boodles don\u2019t show any information about carat, cut, clarity and colour on their website, which does make it a little tricky to understand what is available. When I asked their customer service through email about this, they said; \u201cThe reason we don\u2019t provide details on our website is that we are a family company and don\u2019t mass produce our jewellery so may only have a few of each pieces on our website on the entire company<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Boodles<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In order to find out about the diamond cut quality, you\u2019ll therefore need to enquire, and will then receive some options based on their current availability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We enquired about a pear halo diamond ring and received several options at a range of carat weights and prices \u2013 we\u2019ll show the least and most expensive below:<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Boodles<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The difference between them is that the second ring has a centre stone with a 0.11 higher carat weight and 1 clarity grade, plus 0.04 higher carat weight in the setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the lack of diamond information on the website is a little frustrating, the actual diamond quality recommended is very high. The majority are in the sweet spot of diamonds that look perfect to the naked eye, without paying more for \u2018quality\u2019 that can\u2019t actually be seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boodles diamond grading lab<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Diamonds are graded on four key factors \u2013 carat, colour, clarity and cut \u2013 and a host of smaller factors too. Diamonds which score higher 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. 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<\/strong> 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<\/a>, although there are other good diamonds \u2018labs\u2019 too. Boodles don\u2019t show any grading lab information on their website, but when I asked Boodles about this, I was told that \u201cAll diamonds that are over .70ct are GIA certified\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Boodles<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

GIA is my most recommended lab, so it is reassuring the Boodles do offer GIA graded stones for higher carat weights.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Boodles 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 during 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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\"boodles<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Boodles offers quality service to their customers \u2013 it appears that buying from them would be a lovely experience, with bespoke service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boodles have a 30 day return policy; this is a more than adequate amount of time to decide if you feel that the ring is not right for you. Also they have free resizes if you feel that your ring doesn’t fit your finger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking at reviews on Google, the reviews are split out by individual store. Boodles \u2013 Jewellers Bond St. store in London has a very impressive score of 4.5 from 15 reviews, indicating that people are very pleased with the service they have received from Boodles.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Boodles<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Overall, the service from Boodles seems excellent from their return policy to resize services.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Boodles value for money<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Buying a diamond ring is a big commitment \u2013 both financially and emotionally. So it\u2019s important that you ensure that you are getting good value for money and aren\u2019t spending more than you need to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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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\"boodles<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
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To see how Boodles value for money compares, we\u2019ll compare it to one of my recommended retailers \u2013 Taylor and Hart.<\/a> Taylor and Hart is an award-winning jeweller specialising in custom designed engagement rings headquartered in London, so is a good place to compare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When comparing, we\u2019ll keep the ring style, diamond clarity, colour, carat as simple similar as possible. Looking at Boodles, the \u201cVintage Pear Cut Platinum Diamond Ring\u201d, with a .90 carat, halo style, G colour, VS2 Clarity and Pear shape together with 0.32 carat additional brilliant cut side diamond is priced at \u00a311,000 including all taxes;<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Boodles<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

For an extremely similar ring, the price at Taylor and Hart is just \u00a35,599:<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"boodles<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The Taylor and Hart ring also has a GIA-graded diamond with excellent symmetry and polish, but costs just over half of the Boodles ring \u2013 there is a saving of \u00a35,401.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"boodles<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

While you may not be looking for a diamond of this size or price, it is indicative of the high prices Boodles are charging \u2013 over \u00a35,000 more for a ring with the same quality of centre stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is obviously a significant difference \u2013 you could either save \u00a35,400 by buying from Taylor and Hart, or if you did want to spend the same amount as the Boodles ring, you could:<\/p>\n\n\n\n