Ben Bridge Jewelers – A Review

Our Rating 3.9 out of 5.

Compare Ben Bridge Jewelers with James Allen.

Ben Bridge is a popular jeweler in the United States. Being a physical retailer, many people choose to visit Ben Bridge over shopping online to gain a more personal experience and have surety of the diamond they are buying.

It is not as clear-cut as it should be. While you are afforded a personal experience in-store, the diamonds at Ben Bridge are not the best quality and often have a higher cost than they deserve. It would be best if you instead consider James Allen or Blue Nile for the best quality and value for your money. You will not receive the in-store experience, but you will get a diamond and service worth every dollar spent.

A Brief History

Ben Bridge holds a special place as one of the oldest and most established jewelry chains in the USA, with its stores found mostly in malls.

The company was founded over a hundred years ago in 1912, beginning in Seattle. In 1968, their first mall store opened in the Seattle South center Mall, responsible for starting the jewelry chain mall stores.

The first out-of-state store opened in 1980, and as a big help to the company, Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway invested in it.

From this, Ben Bridge grew to have 86 stores across America and Canada, focused mainly on the West Coast.

What Ben Bridge Jewelers Offer

The experience received in a Ben Bridge store can often be hit or miss. Some locations offer a wonderfully luxurious experience, whereas others fall short. The same goes for the sales assistants in-store - with such a large chain holding many employees, you will get some great ones and some that will be below par.

Purchasing diamonds at Ben Bridge can be slightly risky as well. They do hold some fantastic stones, but you need to have a keen eye for diamond properties to know which stones are worth buying.

Ben Bridge is a member of the American Gem Society, which is helpful but not nearly as beneficial as having GIA-certified diamonds. However, it is better than no diamond certification at all.

What Makes Ben Bridge Stand Out?

History: Ben Bridge is one of the oldest jewelers in the United States, and this does come into play when a consumer is looking for a trustworthy business. While this should translate to more knowledge and better-quality diamonds, it does not always shine through.

Settings: Ignoring the diamonds for a bit, the settings at Ben Bridge are quite nice. The craftsmanship shines through well from the designs, which, paired with the suitable diamonds, make stunning engagement rings.

Forever mark Diamonds: Ben Bridge can boast about their diamonds because they hold some Forever mark stones. These are beautiful and rare stones that are responsibly sourced and are currently in demand in the diamond industry.

Ben Bridge Pricing

The price tags that Ben Bridge's diamonds hold prove that they are a physical retailer, much like other jewelers who do not focus on online retail. Some physical retailers manage to keep prices down to accommodate those who cannot afford high premiums. However, luxury brands, such as Tiffany & Co, charge premium prices for their diamonds and jewelry.

Unfortunately, the price tags at Ben Bridge seem to match those found at luxury chains such as Tiffany & Co, without the brand name or quality that one receives when buying at a higher end.

There is no justification for the prices that most of the diamonds at Ben Bridge hold because the service and quality do not make up for these exorbitant prices.

Custom Orders

Personal jewelers at Ben Bridge will work with customers to create an original piece from the ground up or help to reset or restyle an heirloom.

There is some room when it comes to custom designing your piece, and the customer has the option to have their design done in-store or online at Ben Bridge.

Ben Bridge holds design events dedicated to resetting old diamonds into contemporary settings.

Website Ease of Use

The Ben Bridge website is modern and clean and holds everything you would want from a site. The focus online is not primarily on engagement rings. There are banners for their new Rolex watches and other jewelry but navigating to the engagement ring page is not difficult.

You can choose to sort by bridal sets, various collections, vintage-inspired rings, and then by cut and style. It does offer more choice than other physical jewelers’ online sites and makes it easier to filter down to the ring or setting you want.

Viewing a ring on the site is pleasant. There is a clear picture of the ring and the diamond and a vast amount of information on the setting, the primary stones, and any other accompanying stones that might be on the ring.

Concerning other helpful service information, you can find it easily on the site.

Customer Service

Ben Bridge stores hold some great sales assistants who try to provide some diamond education to customers before the sale is made.

Online, there is helpful customer service and some useful pre-sales and after-sales services.

Trade-ins: You can trade in any diamond purchased at Ben Bridge and be credited with the full price towards the purchase of a diamond that costs twice as much as the original purchase.

Returns: Ben Bridge has a 90-day return policy on items purchased for credit in-store or exchanges.

Warranties: All jewelry and timepieces bought from Ben Bridge come with a Limited Warranty Plan, which protects the items against defects. An additional care plan can be purchased that helps to cover additional services such as refinishing and resizing.

Ben Bridge Financing Options

There is a special Ben Bridge Financing option applicable in-store or online. It includes a three-payment option with no interest.

Why You Should Choose Ben Bridge

• Custom design for jewelry in-store or online
• 86 locations across the USA
• Diamond trade-in program
• Forever mark diamonds sold both online and in-store

Ben Bridge – Unjustified High Prices

You might be lucky enough to find one of the better diamonds in a Ben Bridge store. Still, you will quickly notice when making a comparison that the diamond will cost a significant amount more than a similar diamond sold at James Allen.

Some brands can justify this price increase, but Ben Bridge has nothing that does. It would be better to use your budget online at James Allen or Blue Nile to stretch it further and ensure you receive a quality diamond with a GIA grading report.

Here is the official website: https://www.benbridge.com/