AlluringBody Review
Overall Impression: 10
It offers a great first impression that only improves as you delve into the site. It’s clean, professional, and easy to jump right in and start browsing. What hits you right away is the realization that nearly all of their pieces are customized specifically for the buyer. For instance, you can select the carat weight of the diamond, the ring size of a captive bead ring, whether you want additional diamonds on the top ball of a belly bar, and more. There’s also a ton of education on here: in the “learning center,” customers can get insight into everything from how to choose a nose ring to the difference between prong and bezel settings to what constitutes a great diamond cut.
Website Usability: 9
The products are broken down into easy-to-digest categories relating to which body part you’re looking to decorate. Shop by material (metals and stones) or types (nose screw versus nose stud, for example). It would be nice to be able to click onto all of their navel jewelry, for instance, rather than having to choose between platinum and white gold belly rings, but the site is so user-friendly that it takes you one second to click onto another option.
Customer Reviews & Testimonials: 10
The company clearly understands that customers may be hesitant to plunk down hundreds of dollars for a piece of body jewelry without knowing what other people think of the products. And so they’ve handled reviews like some of the huge online retailers – and that’s a good thing. AlluringBody testimonials are broken down into specific categories: navel rings, nose rings, earrings, and the company itself. Reviews are also included on some specific product pages, so you can see right away whether other customers are happy with the jewelry you’re looking at. They also incorporated a unique, personal touch: posting photos that customers have sent in with them wearing the products.
Shipping Costs: 10
No matter how much or how little you spend, shipping is free within the continental U.S. And if you spend over $500, it’s not only free, but it’s shipped FedEx 2 Day Express. Packages shipped to Canada or the UK will run you $45.
Return Policy: 9
This is a truly no-hassle policy that other sites only claim to have. Not only can customers open the packaging to see whether the quality is what they expected, but the product can be shipped back within 30 days without an authorization code or paperwork to fill out. They outline all of the easy steps for a refund or exchange on the site. The only hiccup is that your refund may get deducted by up to $250 if you purchased a belly ring with a half-carat or more of diamonds. It’s understandable that they have to make up the time it takes them to disassemble the piece, but that’s little consolation for customers who fall into that category.
Quality Guarantee: 10
All of their jewelry is guaranteed for life. Yes, for life. You don’t offer something like that unless you’re absolutely sure you only sell the best. So if a setting comes loose in the course of daily wear and tear, they’ll fix it for free – you don’t even have to pay for them to ship it back to you.
Detailed Product Information: 10
Everything you need to know is listed here: the metal; the setting; the cut, color, and clarity of the diamond; the gauge; and even the origin (USA). There’s no guessing about any aspect of the product. They even give you a head’s up on things like the fact that the captive bead rings arrive unassembled and advise customers to have a professional insert and assemble it.
Conflict Free Diamond Statement: 10
The “about us” page clearly states that very single diamond used in their jewelry is guaranteed to be conflict free.Nickel Free Gold or Bio-compatible Materials: 10
AlluringBody’s nickel-free gold pledge is everywhere on the site, so customers can’t miss it. The company only offers nickel-free white or yellow gold, along with platinum – pure metals that are least likely to irritate the sensitive skin that comes into contact with a piercing.
Made in USA or Clearly Stated Origin: 10
The website includes multiple mentions of their made-in-the-USA commitment, including in the homepage, the “about us” page, in a section that details the benefits of purchasing from them, and on every product description page.
Rings4piercings.com Review
Overall Impression: 4
The first impression is “This is it?!” The homepage includes row after row of “featured” body jewelry, while the “about us” tab is seriously lacking in anything related to the company itself. It’s too bad that the initial impression is so poor because the site actually offers thousands of different designs–everything from classic motifs to those incorporating flowers, traditional shapes, animals, initials, and more. The complete lack of information about the company, combined with the glaring omission of any kind of guarantee about the products, Piercingdot.com Review, Body Jehowever, makes Rings4piercings seem like a gamble right from the start.
Website Usability: 8
Because there isn’t any information on the site other than the products themselves (no educational material or FAQs, for example), it’s easy to navigate. You simply click on one of the tabs to the left of the page, and it takes you directly to whatever product category you’re interested in.
Customer Reviews & Testimonials: 0
There was no sign of reviews or testimonials, even after a visit to the site map to specifically seek them out.
Shipping Costs: 5
Rings4piercings offers free shipping, which it advertises at the bottom of most product descriptions, but there’s literally no other information about shipping–how long it will take, mode of delivery, whether you have to purchase a certain dollar amount to qualify for free shipping, whether you can pay for express delivery, etc.
Return Policy: 5
There’s a brief mention of a 30-day return policy on the “about us” page, but no details are given about whether the package can be opened or any other conditional qualifications. It’s impossible to determine whether this is a great, no-questions-asked policy or whether you’re in for a nasty surprise if you open the package before trying to return it.
Quality Guarantee: 0
There was no mention of a guarantee.
Detailed Product Information: 4
Some product descriptions were only a few words long. They all indicated the type of metal used and whether the additional materials were CZs or real diamonds or gemstones, and that’s about it. Each product detail also included the free shipping pledge, a customer service phone number, and a 10% off coupon code; unfortunately, those things don’t have anything to do with the product itself.
Conflict Free Diamond Statement: 0
Nothing on the site addressed whether the diamonds used in their products are conflict free.
Nickel Free Gold or Bio-compatible Materials: 3
Some of the gold jewelry includes the statement that it’s nickel-free, while others don’t. Again, it’s impossible to determine whether that means that they just got lazy in the product descriptions or whether some of the gold is, in fact, not nickel-free. In addition, the company offers sterling silver jewelry, which many experts say is inferior to nickel-free gold or platinum when it comes to reducing skin irritation.
Made in USA or Clearly Stated Origin: 0
Although the company is located in the U.S., no mention was made of where the jewelry is created. And with prices starting at $15, well, draw your own conclusions.
Piercingdot.com Review
Overall Impression: 7
This website jumps right into the products, listing the first 12 of nearly 3,000 of its bestselling items on the homepage. If you’re looking for information about the company, its history, or a gentle easing into the product lines available, you won’t find it at Piercingdot. Its in-your-face design lets you know right away that there is lots of stuff to choose from, at really low prices, and that shipping is free. Not a bad way to introduce yourself to new customers, and it certainly serves as a way to differentiate itself from other, more upscale competitors.
Website Usability: 8
There are a variety of ways to search for the products you’re interested in: by material, by body part, by design, and more. You can also do a search for a key word or specific element that you’re looking for. There’s a fairly extensive FAQ section that answers questions ranging from what type of material to choose for a new piercing to why you’re not supposed to turn or move jewelry during the healing process. The flaw here is that the writing quality is poor, which makes it difficult to understand at times.
Customer Reviews & Testimonials: 0
There didn’t appear to be any reviews or testimonials.
Shipping Costs: 9
As long as you spend over $30 and your shipping address is in the U.S., you don’t pay anything for shipping. Orders under $30 only incur a $2.99 flat rate charge, which is still a pretty good deal.
Return Policy: 3
The company says its goal is complete customer satisfaction, but there are so many restrictions placed on its return policy that it may make it nearly impossible to get a refund. The item must be returned within 15 days, without being worn and without damage to the product packaging, must be accompanied by an authorization number (which you have to request in writing), there are no exchanges, and all returns are subject to a 15% restocking fee.
Quality Guarantee: 0
Though the company says it proudly stands behind its products and their quality, there’s no mention of any guarantee.
Detailed Product Information: 8
The product details give you exactly that: the details, but nothing more. It lists the materials used, size, type (belly, eyebrow, earring), gauge, etc. All of the information is utilitarian rather than aesthetic, which may be perfectly fine for many customers.
Conflict Free Diamond Statement: N/A
The company doesn’t offer products with genuine diamonds.
Nickel Free Gold or Bio-compatible Materials: 2
Piercingdot offers a dizzying array of materials and metals, including gold, titanium, sterling silver, and surgical stainless steel. There’s no statement about the gold products being nickel-free, and while the materials certainly seem fit for wear, they could be irritating to some people. Other unusual materials that Piercingdot uses in its products: acrylic; plastic; and an “organic” line that includes bone, wood, horn, and mother-of-pearl.
Made in USA or Clearly Stated Origin: 0
There’s no information about where the jewelry is manufactured.
Qualitynosestuds.com Review
Overall Impression: 6
The tabs at the top and to the left are small and hard to read, making the site seem a little unwelcoming. The site advertises more than 1,000 styles of nose jewelry, and it seems like they each have their own category. It’s tough to wade through so many specific categories – like 20 gauge nose jewelry and medium gem nose jewelry. It would be easier if they were sorted into groups by style, design, or material. Though there isn’t a ton of education on the site, they do offer a tab containing nose jewelry sizing information, which provides a basic sketch of how different sizes of stones will look in your piercing, what various sizes of gauges mean, and a glossary of style terms.
Website Usability: 6
Again, it can be tough to browse the site because the product categories are incredibly specific, but once you land on something you’re interested in, you feel like you’re moving in the right direction. One good aspect of the site is that the prices are listed on category pages – rather than making browsers wait until they get to the product description – which isn’t surprising since the company hangs its hat on its low prices.
Customer Reviews & Testimonials: 5
There’s no rhythm or reason to the haphazard collection of testimonials, but at least there are some present on the site. There is no dedicated page or section for reviews, though occasionally when you click on a page, a testimonial will appear as in imbedded part of the page.
Shipping Costs: 6
All orders above $25 are shipped free, and if you manage to order something below $25 (which, with prices starting at $2.99, could easily happen), shipping costs $5. The company also includes information about how your product is shipped, allows you to pay for express shipping, and explains how to track your order.
Return Policy: N/A inaccurate at time of review
Quality Guarantee: N/A inaccurate at time of review
Detailed Product Information: 9
Customers find information about what metal is used, the color and size of the diamond or stone (if applicable), the gauge and what type of piercing it will accommodate, as well as details such as the fact that a specific screw or pin is designed to lay flat against the nose.
Conflict Free Diamond Statement: 0
There are a few products featuring real diamonds, but the site doesn’t include a statement about where the diamonds are procured or whether they’re conflict free.
Nickel Free Gold or Bio-compatible Materials: 0
The company uses an assortment of metals in its jewelry – including 14K gold, sterling silver, surgical steel, plastic, and titanium – but it doesn’t verify that the gold is nickel-free. And while the materials may be fine for some customers, others may experience irritation with sterling silver or with gold that includes nickel.
Made in USA or Clearly Stated Origin: 0
There’s nothing on the site about where the jewelry comes from or the companies for which Qualitynosestuds distributes.
Body Matters Gold (BMG) Review
Overall Impression: 8
There’s a lot of information on the home page – including a letter from the founder and a monthly update/letter. Like other elements on the site, it’s slightly overwhelming but not off-putting. An information library, with everything from recommendations about safe metals for piercings to piercing aftercare to birthstone information and legends, is a nice resource for customers. Also beneficial is the company’s recognition that not everyone who shops their site is located in the UK, so they provide conversions for their metric measurements (13 mm/US 1/2″) and also supply prices in UK pounds and U.S. dollars.
Website Usability: 6
BMG breaks their products down into a lot of categories, and those categories are further broken down into lots of sub-categories. This set up makes it easy to shop for what you want – if you know exactly what you want, that is. There isn’t a huge selection of jewelry within most sub-categories, however. And it would be helpful if there were tabs on the homepage where you could simply click onto the category you want. Instead, customers much click the “shop by category” tab before selecting the type of jewelry they’re interested in.
Customer Reviews & Testimonials: 8
There are pages and pages of customer testimonials – seemingly everyone who’s ever bought anything from the company wrote to tell them about it. Which is a fine tribute to the company’s products, but the sheer volume is slightly overwhelming, and I found myself reading only one or two reviews when I discovered how many pages were involved.
Shipping Costs: 5
Unfortunately, shipping isn’t free – all orders cost 5 British pounds to ship. Which means that depending on the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar against the British pound, Americans can expect to pay up to $10 for shipping.
Return Policy: 3
BMG packages all of its jewelry in plastic, which they say allows customers to view the product and see if it’s okay before opening. Once you get into the packaging, however, the jewelry can’t be returned. This is a rather poor policy because it’s very difficult to view the details of the workmanship through layers of plastic and impossible to know whether a piece will fit. To their credit, they have a huge, red, can’t-miss “Warning” label on the packaging that explains the policy. But even if you don’t open it, you only have 14 days to send it back – on your own dime to the UK, of course.
Quality Guarantee: 5
The company offers a three-year guarantee against normal wear and tear, as well as a guarantee that the stones are exactly what they claim to be in the letter of authenticity. Any guarantee is better than none, of course, but it would be nice to know that they’re confident the workmanship will hold up past three years.
Detailed Product Information: 8
The product descriptions aren’t fancy, but they do include important information such as the material used; the cut, clarity, and weight of the diamonds (if applicable); and the gauge. Another pro is that the product descriptions for the nose jewelry include a photo of how the nose jewelry will look on you. Sometimes it’s hard to picture the difference between a 1 mm and 2 mm, for example, so it’s very helpful to have a model for each product. The downside to the site is that you have to click on the product information to get to the price. It would be nice if the price showed up a page or two before that so shoppers know whether the product they’re interested in is within their budget.
Conflict Free Diamond Statement: 9
Based on the written guarantee from their own supplier, BMG guarantees customers that its gemstones are procured from sources that don’t fund conflict, which is in line with UN regulations.
Nickel Free Gold or Bio-compatible Materials: 10
BMG uses nickel-free gold in its creations.
Made in USA or Clearly Stated Origin: 10
All of their pieces are made in the UK in BMG’s own workshops.
ItsHot.com Review
Overall Impression: 3
Assuming that you’re browsing ItsHot for body jewelry, you’ll be lucky to even find the tab that takes you there. It’s buried on the left side between tabs for diamond dog tags and bling hip hop jewelry. It’s possible that if you’re shopping for cufflinks, a toe ring, an engagement ring, and a belly ring, you’ve come to the right place. But if you want a company specializing in high-quality body jewelry, it’s pretty clear that this isn’t it.
Website Usability: 5
Once you find the right tab, it’s pretty easy to maneuver the three pages of body jewelry (16 belly rings and a few toe rings thrown in). In some of the product descriptions, however, it mentions that the piece can be customized with different colored diamonds. The problem is that it doesn’t tell you how to do so, which is frustrating.
Customer Reviews & Testimonials: 9
The site includes a customer feedback page, which offers a couple dozen testimonials – enough to show that they have customers but not too overwhelming for the reader. It’s interesting to note that several of the reviews indicated that it took about two months for the order to arrive. The reviews did agree that the customer service is great.
Shipping Costs: 8
ItsHot provides free shipping on every order over $150 (which is every belly ring). If you’re in other countries, it’ll cost you: $45 to Canada and $65 to the UK.
Return Policy: 4
The homepage advertises 30-day returns, but you have to jump through some hoops to ensure that you get a refund – and that refund will be minus a 15% restocking fee. To the company’s credit, however, all of the instructions are outlined on the website, and none of the requirements seem outrageous.
Quality Guarantee: 3
Only items that cost more than $1,000 come with a certificate for diamond carat weight, quality, and replacement value. Apparently all of the other items do not have to live up to the company’s claims.
Detailed Product Information: 8
All of the product description pages include lots of information – the metal used; size of the piece; weight; setting type; and diamond details like color, clarity, and carat weight. Below every product description is even more information, which contains almost disclaimer-type details. For example, it admits that some colored diamond “are enhanced for a more vivid color.”
Conflict Free Diamond Statement: 0
Though it’s hard to find on the site, the company states that most of the diamonds used in its jewelry come from Israel, Canada, and India. But it doesn’t mention anything about those diamonds being conflict free.
Nickel Free Gold or Bio-compatible Materials: 0
All of the body jewelry is created with 14K gold, but there’s no reference to whether that gold is nickel-free.
Made in USA or Clearly Stated Origin: 1
The company, which has a corporate office in New York City, says that it manufactures all of the jewelry it sells, but it doesn’t say where they manufacture those items. It could be New York City, but nowhere does it specify a country of origin.
