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My boyfriend and I are looking for a pear shaped diamond for my engagement ring. We have a tight budget. $3,000. I keep hearing people say to shop at james allen. But we’re skeptical.
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Actually, we are no longer looking for pears. I fell in love with the cushion cut.
Ok, Is your budget the same and what type of setting are you putting it in?
Can you explain what makes you skeptical? Just so I can either a) address the concerns or b) offer alternatives.
Our budget has gone up to $5,000 max! We are looking at radiant and cushion cut diamonds. It’s hard to pick. I like them both. I like settings with diamonds all over! I’m skeptical because it’s online. However, I’ve been browsing the site and they’ve got some pretty cool features.
I understand your concerns, but I think they are misguided. We have found that far more people end up getting taken advantage of by going in to a store than purchasing online. Diamond buying is confusing and, deep down, you realize that you will never know as much as the professionals selling the diamonds.
When you purchase online, you have the advantage of going at your own pace, cross-referencing (with a site like ours) and checking off all the boxes. I am also able to help with somewhat unbiased opinions. While we usually get paid by the online vendors we recommend, we have no reason to recommend one diamond over the other unless its the better choice for you. When you walk into a store, the less desirable the diamond, the more incentive the owner of the diamond has to sell it.
There have been countless readers who I’ve started the process with and partway through send me a message ‘we went to this store and found this diamond that was such a great deal, so we snapped it up.’ I then feel like garbage when I have to point out the things they missed which turn it from a good deal to a terrible deal (improper certification inflating the quality, strong fluorescence, yellow fluorescence, even artificial treatment). Unfortunately, most stores make it very difficult to return a diamond ring.
Its possible you can find a good deal at a store (by good deal, I mean not much more expensive than an online retailer), but you are far more likely to fall into a sales trap. I’m not saying that you should unequivocally stick with online purchasing, but I think your concerns on principle are misplaced.
As for the diamond, here are a couple of recommendations:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.09-carat-h-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-307734?a_aid=dmnd1357
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/radiant-cut/1.11-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-350674?a_aid=dmnd1357
What do you think?
Thanks. We like the radiant cut that you picked.
Sounds good. Let me know what you decide to do in the end.
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. James Allen will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free International Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisals
- One free resizing within 60 days of purchase
- Free ring inscriptions
- Best-in-class high quality imagery of all diamonds in stock
- 24/7 Customer Service
- Best-in-class packaging
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. Blue Nile will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisal
- One free resizing within the first year of purchase
- High quality images of about half of their diamonds
- 24/7 Customer Service
- 100% credit towards future upgrades (must be at least double in value)
- Best in class fulfillment
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