Peoples Jewellers is one of the oldest jewellers in Canada, dating back almost 100 years. The company expanded over most of the century on its own, until being bought out by the US giant Zales Corporation. In 2014, Peoples joined the Signet corporation (parent company for Kay Jewelers and Jared) after their aquisition of Zales.
They currently operate 150 stores sprinkled around Canada.
Peoples was about as a drab an experience as I’ve had in all of my secret shopping experiences. We visited their location at the West End Mall near Toronto. Despite the mall having a bright and modern feel, the store seemed drab and dated.
We went in and started to browse the engagement ring section. Eventually one of the sales associates freed up and came over to help. There was absolutely zero engagement. The only words we heard from her were “which one do you want to look at?”
After looking at one diamond the salesperson got distracted by one of her colleagues, so we were only able to look at one ring while we were there. I was trying to figure out why this feeling was familiar to me. Only after I did my research for the “history” section did I realize what it was. It felt just like going into a drab Zales or Kay store.
Unfortunately that one ring we saw was far from impressive. We took a look at a 1.03 I color I1 clarity (GS certified) in a white gold setting for c$5,875. This was one of the ugliest diamonds I’ve ever seen. First, the inclusion was glaringly noticeable. Second the diamond was so poorly cut, it was incredibly dull. Round diamonds should have a depth around 62% (never exceeding 63%). Any deeper and the diamond will not only look dull, but it will also look smaller than well cut round diamond of the same size.
Not only was the diamond poor in quality, but it didn’t offer much in the way of value either. Here is a comparable (1.01 carat I color and I1 clarity) diamond from from James Allen for c$3,354. Add in a nice solitaire setting, and this is still about c$2,000 cheaper than the option from Peoples.
Peoples is just not the place to buy an engagement ring or any other diamond jewelry. It wasn’t the worst store we visited in Canada, but it was near the bottom. You are better off looking elsewhere.
Before you buy a diamond, get personal buying advice from industry veterans. We'll help you get the best diamond for the money.
DISCLAIMER: We don't use your email for marketing. Period.
We are a team of diamond experts who will teach you to identify scams and avoid spending money on features you can't see. Tell us as much information as possible to help us help you (ie, budget, preferences, etc)
DISCLAIMER: We don't use your email for marketing. Period.
Here is your coupon code: GFDSF3GF