Canturi Diamonds Review: Inconsistent Quality and High Prices

Overall Score:3.17
Canturi
Price:2		Selection:4		Customer Service: 3.5
Pros	Friendly staff Comfortable store setting
Cons	Inconsistent quality High prices
Other Recommended Retailers	Blue Nile James Allen

Bottom Line Recommendation

Jenny and I secret shopped Canturi in December of 2019. We visited their locations in Brisbane and Melbourne. I would not recommend buying a diamond ring from Canturi. Comparing their diamonds to ones we can find from reputable online dealers, you can save roughly 40% going that route. Here is our list of favorite online retailers for purchasing an engagement ring. And if you are concerned about purchasing a diamond online, I suggest you read our article comparing purchasing a diamond from a local retailer vs online.

That said, even if you were adamant about buying at a physical retailer, Canturi would not be our choice. The diamond quality was inconsistent, and there are other retailers that, while still more expensive than buying online, are more competitively priced. Based on our secret shopping trip, I would recommend considering Cerrone Jewellers. We found them to have the best balance of quality and value as well as excellent customer service in Australia.

While its true that we have affiliate marketing relationships with many of the online retailers (we explain how we operate here), we have no affiliation whatsoever with Cerrone or any of the other physical retailers that we rate highly.

The History

Born in 1966 in Sydney, Australia Stefano Canturi is a classically trained craftsman and visionary jewellery designer. His interest in miniature sculpture began at the age of nine in Florence, Italy where his instant admiration of hand carved sculptures was born.

In the years that followed, the drive to sculpt became irrepressible, and at the age of 17 he pursued an opportunity to learn the craft of jewellery creation under an Italian Master..

In 1986, he began designing and crafting jewellery under his own name and quickly attracted a following of women who were drawn to the unique talent of the visionary artist. Over the years, jewelry designed by Canturi has been worn by Oprah Winfrey, Kylie Minogue, Linda Evangelista and other well-known stars.

His Creation Department is in Sydney, Australia and much like the original craftspeople of an era past, his works are only available through his three exclusive jewellery salons in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Brisbane

The Experience

Canturi was one of the last stops we made while wandering around Brisbane. I genuinely liked the layout of the store. It was bright, airy, and had a nice modern vibe. The one weird thing was that we sat on couches to look at the rings. I get that they are trying to make you comfortable, but it was weird to me. Many people want to take notes or pictures. They may want to walk around to see how the diamond looks in different light. I don’t think sitting on deep cushioned sofas is conducive to buying a diamond. But maybe that’s just me.

The salesperson was incredibly nice and helpful. It’s one of the rare occasions where the salesperson asked to show us a variety to help us get a better understanding of our options. She picked an excellent variety of engagement rings to show us.

The Product

The first diamond we looked at was a 1.08ct E color, SI2 clarity round diamond set in an 18kt white gold solitaire setting. The diamond was very nice. The cut was fine and the SI2 was eye-clean. The price for the ring was AU$15,500.

The second engagement ring we looked at was a three-stone round diamond setting. The center diamond was a 0.86ct E color, SI1 clarity diamond that was graded by GSL. We recommend only purchasing diamonds with a GIA certificate. GSL is a local certificate, and I’m a bit skeptical. To be fair, the grades did seem spot on so we’ll let it slide.

What I won’t let slide was the cut. The diamond was horrifically cut. It was deep and had a huge table. The diamond just looked terrible. The side-stone diamonds were 0.70ctw and were supposedly E color, SI1 clarity and the total price was AU$11,700.

Melbourne

The Experience

We found Canturi on Little Collins St. The experience in Melbourne was very similar to the experience in Brisbane. That is the way it should be (that a store has uniform standards and style), but is not always the case. The store wasn’t as bright as the one in Brisbane, but had a nice vibe. Once again, they did the whole “show diamond rings while sitting in comfy couches” thing. The salesperson was also very nice and helpful.

The Product

The first diamond we saw was a 1.03ct G color, VS2 clarity in an 18kt white gold solitaire setting for AU$13,900. This was a fantastic diamond. The cut was superb, and the diamond was bright and eye-clean.

The second diamond was a 0.80ct F color, SI1 clarity round diamond. This diamond was nowhere near as nice as the previous one. It was very poorly cut, making it look dark and lacking brilliance. It also had inclusions that were noticeable to the naked eye. This diamond was set in a 0.19ctw halo setting and cost AU$8,700.

Totally recommended. Quick responses, concrete and specific advice, something and someone you can rely on to make such an important decision.

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Gio

Apr 1, 2023

A great service, they really made the purchasing process easy. I would recommend to anyone. Veronika was super helpful and responsive. She gives you confidence that you are making the right decision. My partner was VERY happy with the final product – what more can you ask? The diamond guides are very interesting and useful too.

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Will Marsden

Dec 25, 2022

Summary

While you may be able to find a nice diamond at Canturi, our personal opinion is that you will be able to purchase a diamond of equal quality (or better) for a lower price online. If you prefer to stick with a physical retailer, Canturi would not be our first choice, but they are a fine option.

James Allen James Allen is the leader in online diamond sales. Their imaging technology is the same as inspecting a diamond with a jeweler's loupe. They have the largest exclusive loose diamond inventory online and fantastic prices. They also have the nicest collection of lab-created diamonds online. They currently run a 10% discount on selected lab-grown diamonds!

Click to Visit

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

Blue Nile Blue Nile is the largest and most well-known internet jewelry seller. They have a very large exclusive online inventory. Their high-quality images are catching up to James Allens' and their prices are amazing. Right now, Blue Nile offers up to 50% savings on selected jewelry during a limited-time season sale.

Click to Visit

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

About the author

Mike Fried Mike Fried has over 25 years experience in the diamond industry working with Leo Schachter Diamonds, Moshe Namdar Diamonds, and joining The Diamond Pro in 2007. He is recognized as an industry expert and has been quoted in publications such as Us, People, Page Six, The Next Web and more.