Balfour Review for February 2023 | Best Class Ring Companies

Item: Balfour Review
Rating: 2.5
Author: Top Consumer Reviews

Friday, February 3rd

2023 Class Ring Company Reviews

Balfour

"A+" Better Business Bureau rating
Spread payments over 3 months
Convenient gifting options
Slim, modern design options
Limited lifetime warranty

Balfour is one of the largest commencement service companies that provides personalized products such as apparel, jewelry, yearbooks, graduation caps and gowns, announcement products, and photography. They are known all throughout North America with about 5,000 team members. Balfour also owns and operates GradImages, University Photo, Gaspard, ArtCarved, KeepSake and Taylor Publishing Company.

Sleek, modern options

Balfour has a selection of high school and college rings. The categories include the Kendra Scott Collection, University Collection, Journey Collection, Flourish, Prevail, Essence, Identity, Legend, Honor, and Standard. Right away we noticed that they have options for slim, modern designs that might appeal to some people who don't want a classic chunky looking class ring. The Kendra Scott, University, and Journey Collections have styles that wouldn't initially appear to be class rings, but rather slim, dainty, pretty accent rings with center stones.

Unnecessary extra steps

There are hundreds of rings to choose from at Balfour, so you're sure to find a style you like. Once you select a ring design, you have to type in your school and then Balfour shows a list of rings available to you. We wish you could just view all of the rings at once. If you want to narrow down your options, we suggest doing so by price since some of the rings start at over $600.

Upgrade options

On top of base prices, you'll have the option of upgrading your stones to real diamonds, which is a few extra hundred dollars. You can also upgrade the metal type, and finish. Lastly, you'll select the design of the sides, center stone color, and fill out whether or not you want an engraving. If you need to spread your ring payments out, Balfour allows you to do so over the span of 3 months.

Shipping varies based on location and school

The estimated delivery for most rings is 4-8 weeks. All high school rings are shipped directly to your local school representative and often subject to ring ceremony events if your school has one. For specific delivery dates, high school students will have to work through their representative. Rings for college students are shipped straight to their home and require a signature upon delivery. Shipping costs are based on if orders are individually or bulk shipped to a school or straight to the customer, but you should expect to pay about $20 for shipping.

Easy gift option

If you're wanting to give a class ring as a gift, Balfour makes it easy. You simply pick the jewelry style and send a personal gift message via email or text to the recipient. They'll receive a link to the jewelry and can customize the jewelry however they like. Once the design is finalized, you'll receive a link to go online and complete the purchase.

Limited warranty

If you're unsatisfied with your Balfour ring, you can't return it for a refund, but you can work with customer service to have it repaired to meet your needs. All class rings come with a limited lifetime warranty that ensures Balfour will replace your ring one time within a 4-year period for a fraction of the cost, not including diamonds, champion rings, or genuine stones.

Room for improvement

Although Balfour has an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau, their customer reviews aren't great. A few complaints say customer service is rude, the quality of their rings is bad (receiving a ring with an upside down and backwards engraving, wrong stone colors, wrong sizing), incorrect order updates, and more. The number of frustrating reports from buyers is concerning and enough for us to suggest going elsewhere for class rings. It may not be worth dealing with poor customer service or risking issues with your ring that has to be sent back and fixed.

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Class Ring Company FAQ

What is a class ring?

A class ring is also sometimes referred to as a graduation, senior, or grad ring, and is worn by students and alumni to commemorate their graduation. They are usually large and carry the inscription of the school you're graduating from along with a central gemstone. The tradition of class rings originated in 1835 at West Point, the United States Military Academy.

What is the purpose of a Class Ring?

A Class Ring has many purposes, but is mainly used as a symbol of your time in school. You can have the ring as a memento of your time when you are older. They are also fun to have during your time in school as a symbol of school pride. They are most often used for high school, but you can get yours for college or university as well!

Do Class Rings make good gifts?

Class Rings make great gifts! Since this is a personal gift, it might be best to work with the gift recipient to choose and design their ring. This is a really nice gift - you want to make sure they'll enjoy it!

Is a Class Ring important?

A Class Ring is not necessary, but can be a very nice keepsake to have. Different schools have varying levels of importance over the accessory, but they are always a great addition to the school experience. A Class Ring can be a lifelong piece of memorabilia for people, and therefore be important to them.

Do I have to spend a lot of money to buy a class ring?

This depends on you. Different stores will offer their own prices - some cater to the budget-minded, while others encourage more custom designed rings. The rings themselves can be less than $100, or get as high as in the thousands of dollars. The price will ultimately depend on what you select.

Can I design the ring?

This depends on where you get the ring from. Many stores will let you design your own custom ring, ensuring you get exactly what you want - but this can cost much more. Other stores might offer less customization, but have plenty of inventory of stock class rings - and therefore cost less.

What if I lose the ring?

Most of these rings will come with a warranty from the provider. Each store will have their own policies, but generally if something happens to your ring within a certain timeframe, they will replace it for a fraction of the cost. A warranty might be something to look at when choosing your ring if this is a big concern.

How fast will I receive my ring?

This will depend on your ring and the store. The process to get your ring involves two steps, making the ring and shipping it. Making the ring will take longer with the more personalization you have, while a ring that is not customized will be ready to ship almost immediately. Shipping times and costs will depend on the store, but generally the longest it will take to arrive once sent out is two weeks.

What if I don't like the ring once I receive it?

Each store has their own return policies. Some stores will let you return a ring after 10 days, while some others allow up to 30 days. Some sellers won't let you return your ring, but they will work with you to make alterations until you're satisfied. Make sure to look at the policy of the store you end up choosing if you are concerned about this.

Why should I get a class ring?

Having a class ring is a tradition that has passed down through the generations. It's a symbol of your educational achievements and accomplishments that you worked so hard for. They represent resilience, dedication, and engagement. Class rings also show school spirit and often highlight the interests you had while in school.

How often do you buy a class ring?

Most people purchase a class ring after a major graduation event. This includes high school graduation, college graduation, or the completion of grad school. It's not entirely necessary to buy a class ring for all of these occasions, but it is a symbol of honor and a good way to celebrate your big occasion.

What are the different styles of class rings?

Class rings have evolved for the better over time. There used to be only two options: a male and female class ring. Now they have choices for thin or thick bands, different types of metals, different gemstone colors, and ring shapes. There are designs to fit everyone's style, so you don't have to get a big, flashy ring like you've seen in the past (unless you want to!).

How much can I customize a class ring?

Besides choosing the style of ring you want, you will have the option of selecting the inscription of the ring on the inside and outside, the gemstone color, the graduation year, whether or not you want diamonds around the band, and more. You can make your class ring completely your own and dream up just about any design you want! You want to love your class ring, so put plenty of time and effort into customizing it to perfection!

Are class rings expensive?

It's hard to say exactly how much a class ring will cost since there are so many design options. If you get a simple metal ring with an inscription and small gemstone, you can spend under $150. However, if you want to bling it out with diamonds, higher grade metal, and lots of color, you can spend as much as $1,000. The cost of your class ring will vary based on your taste and budget.

Can I return a class ring if I change my mind about it?

Some highly-ranked class ring retailers offer refunds on their products (custom or not) if you change your mind about it within a certain amount of time. Others will offer repairs and alterations at no charge if the ring comes damaged or it appears differently than what was agreed upon at the time of purchase. However, since class rings are custom, you should make sure you like what you see before buying and don't plan on trying to send it back unless it is defective.

Is a class ring a good gift?

Absolutely! Class rings are a great gift from siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, or friends. Giving someone a class ring will not only be deeply meaningful, but they'll never forget your support. Since you can do so many customizations or personal inscriptions on a class ring, it makes it extra special when given as a gift.

Continued from above...

Once you see how many appealing class ring choices there are online, you'll want to start designing your own right away. Whether you're rewarding yourself with a class ring or giving it as a gift to a loved one, it will be a cherished possession for years to come.

There are quite a few companies that offer class rings, so we have provided important information for you to consider when deciding who to buy from:

Selection: Are there a lot of stone options to choose from? Do they have a big selection of band widths that would feel comfortable on your finger? Make sure you find a retailer with a lot of unique styles so you have a one-of-a-kind ring.
Cost: How does the cost of one class ring store compare to another? Do they charge a reasonable price for shipping?
Production time: Once you've designed your class ring online, how long does it take for the company to make it? How long does shipping take? You want to make sure you design it with plenty of time before graduation if you're giving it as a gift.
Reputation: What do shoppers have to say about the class ring store you're considering? Do they provide high-quality products that will last the rest of your life?

TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best class ring stores available today. We hope this information helps you find a company that provides a seamless and enjoyable experience - letting you design a ring you're excited about that will forever represent your years in school!