Jewelry shopping in ST. Maarten and St. Thomas

[jjgarv]

Being our first trip to the Virgin Islands we are looking to maybe do some Jewelry shopping. Is it really cheaper down there? Any hints or tips on where and what to buy down there? Any help is appreciated!

 

[Muffyrides]

I was just on the March 2nd cruise and enjoyed some jewelry shopping in St. Maarten. I went into a lot of jewelry stores. I had the most luck and felt found the best prices at Royal Carribean. When I started looking I did not really have anything specific in mind I was looking for. I went to each of the stores and got prices and haggled quite a bit with a lot of them. I kept shopping and telling them I would be back. At the end of the day I knew where the better prices were and that is where went back and first started by haggling over one item then another...then as the price would not come down enough I would just say I will just buy this and then they would come down more and more until I had the price I wanted. While I waited I haggled over a couple other items. I left very happy with no buyers remorse.

The people on the street really hound you to go to the shops they are pushing.

St. Thomas was a little more difficult shopping for jewelry. Its beautiful atmosphere...just not as easy to wander in and out of shops and peruse.

Good luck and have fun

 

[Bev J]

We enjoyed our shopping in st. maarten much more than st. thomas. Jewlery seemed better price in SM, my hubby hit it big on the slots so bought me a lovley tanzanite/diamond ring, we got it at Joes Jewlery and they did come down several hundred dollars from the starting price, this was after we came back 2 times to look again at the ring. I was glad we did not buy the first look. I felt ST was much more pushy in the sales pitch, it is not like it was when we first went in 89.
The biggest thing we had to try to avoid were the taxi drivers when we got off the ferry!!

 

[mog]

I agree about Joe's Jewelry. I've bought jewelry in several ports over 4 cruises. St. Maarten is probably better than St. Thomas. Joe's Jewelry is one of the "recommended" by the cruise lines shops. They also have an outlet that looks like it only has t-shirts and junk, but also has some very nice jewelry at really good prices! They came down a whole lot on price.

 

[MO64RN]

I bought a tanzanite ring at Joe's in St. Marten. The next day after spending the day at Cataway Cay I noticed one of the Tanzanites missing while at the pool. We searched the whole area then went back to the stateroom where my son found the stone on the dresser. Unbelievable! I contacted the shopping specialist who offered to take it back during the next cruise but I was undecided what to do. So I brought it to my own jeweler when we returned home. I was told the prongs were damaged and needed to be replaced. I emailed Joe's jewelry with all the information faxed them the receipt. They gave me a work order number and address in NY to send my ring. I was very nervous and wondered if I would ever see it again. I sent it on a Saturday and I had it back by Wed. and it was perfect. Great Customer Sevice. I would highly recommend Joe's.

 

[jjgarv]

Thank you all for your help! Now If I can just convince my wife to let me "let it ride" in the casino, I can buy her something nice!!

 

[DOOGIERUNNER]

Beware of inflated prices when purchasing jewelry. We spent the day shopping for a tanzinite ring for my wife and ended up haggling and purchasing at Majesty Jewerly. We got them down nearly 70% off the retail price. When we got home we had it appraised for insurance purposes. We did not tell our jewelers what we paid. The appraisal came back at the price we had paid... no where near Majesty's retail.

 

[mog]

Wow, I'm surprised - I've had 2 of my "cruise purchased" rings appraised back home and they were appraised at 2-3 times what we paid for them. We usually go to the "bargain" jewelry stores, though - some of those really nice jewelry stores are way more expensive. Where is Majesty Jewelry? Is it in St. Maarten?

 

[MarkRG]

Be very particular about your shopping down there. There are good deals in both ports but there is also some high pricing too.

A few good points to remember:

• Attend the shopping excursion seminar and bring a notepad!
• Pay close attention to how much you can spend duty-free in both ports. This is important.
• Go in a lot of shops before buying. You can find deals but it will entail footwork. But don't pass up buying something thinking 'oh they'll have it or better at the other port'.
• Do not acquaint price to appearance. Always ask for pricing. Got a really great deal on a piece last time at St. Maarten, but passed over it the first time thinking it was going to be too much.

 

[WDWLVR]

I bought a ring a Majesty last May and got a great deal. I shopped there on the recommendation of a friend from work who really knows her jewelry. In fact when I came back from the cruise she fell in love with my ring and got something very, very similar at a jewelry show here only she spent about $200 more than mine.

I think Majesty has great service and wouldn't hesitate to visit and buy from them again.

 

[BethA]

I saw a diamond and tanzanite bangle that I loved . They came down a bit, but I was still undecided. After I got home I emailed them and they sent it for the same price. They were great to deal with!!

 

[wenabre]

So from what I have read, let me get this straight...you can go into these stores and haggle prices like in an open air market? Thanks for any info...
Wenabre