Jared Jewelers Diamonds: Our 2024 Review
How Jared Jewelers improved their diamond and engagement ring quality and selection
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Overall Score:3.67 | | ||||
| Price:3.5 | | Selection:4 | | Customer Service: 3.5 | |
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| Other Recommended Retailers |
Are you thinking of purchasing an engagement ring at Jared? I put together this review to answer any questions you have and help you decide whether Jared is right for you. I’ve had twenty years of experience in the diamond industry, and have helped tens of thousands of readers find the perfect diamond.
In this review, we will cover Jared’s natural and lab-grown diamonds, their setting quality and their customer service. I have secret shopped dozens of Jared locations around the United States. This is what I’ve learned.
Jared Jewelers has made significant strides in improving their quality and pricing recently. The difference in secret shopping Jared a few years ago compared to today is palpable. They have become an intriguing option for buying your diamond jewelry. It was a pleasure updating this Jared Review.
Yes, you can still save money by ordering from James Allen, but the gap has narrowed and there is a definite possibility that you can buy an excellent engagement ring at a fair price from Jared.
What we cover in this article:
- Jared Jewelers history
- Secret shopping Jared Jewelers – video
- Jared Jewelry: their products
- Jared Jewelers’ diamonds
- Jared Jewelers customer service
- Jared Jewelry quality
- Jared lab-grown diamonds
- FAQs about Jared Jewelers
- Final thoughts on Jared Jewelers
Why you should trust us
To help you with the diamond buying process we lean on our expertise and experience. The author of this article, our CEO, Mike Fried has over 20 years of experience in the diamond industry. Mike started from the bottom, sorting and evaluating hundreds of thousands of diamonds to learn every facet (pun intended) of diamond quality and value. Mike followed that up by spending years buying and selling diamonds on the wholesale market as well as selling tens of millions of dollars worth of diamonds to diamond retailers.
Jared Jewelers History
Jared, The Galleria of Jewelry, is one of the flagship jewelry chain brands owned by the Signet corporation. They are Signet’s attempt at offering a more personal experience than their mall store chains like Kay Jewelers and Zales.
Jared jewelry stores are usually in shopping mall areas as standalone stores. There are roughly 250 Jared locations in 39 states. Jared stores bring in $1.2 billion dollars in revenue for Signet, making up about 1/5th of their total sales.
Jared locations differ from their sister stores (Kay and Zales) in a few ways.
Firstly, their staff is slightly better trained and have a little more knowledge of the products. We will get into this a bit later. Secondly, they do offer better quality. Lastly, each location has an in-house jeweler that can do minor repairs and modifications.
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Secret Shopping Jared Jewelers Reaction Video
I have secret shopped dozens of Jared stores over the last 10 years. My most recent visit was to their St. Louis location in May of 2023. The salesperson was fantastic and I had a great time. Here is my video:
Jared Jewelry and Diamonds: Their Products
Jared, like all Signet stores, used to rely heavily on branded diamonds. Given that Jared is Signet’s “upscale” choice, during my visit the salespeople used to push their better brands hard. In my more recent visits, that approach has changed. During our last visit, the saleswoman seated us right in front of a display case filled with GIA certified diamonds.
Jared Diamond Certification
Let us digress for a moment to talk about those GIA certified diamonds and their importance. As we discuss in our certification article, it is important to get a diamond with a GIA certificate. Those are the gold standard in the industry. Why is that so important? Without them, there is a strong possibility that the quality claims of the certificate are inflated.
When you look at a diamond with inferior certification, you may think you are getting a great deal on quality “x”. In reality, the diamond is really quality “y” and you are overpaying for it.
This is why I’m so happy to see Jared has made the move to offer GIA certified diamonds. Not only does it give you, the consumer, comfort in knowing that you are getting exactly what they are claiming. It also allows you to effectively compare those diamonds to others and see what kind of deal you are getting.
Engagement Ring Inspiration (Click a Ring for More Information)
Jared Jewelers’ Diamonds
Now that we know we can rely on the certification of Jared’s diamonds we are able to do a proper Jared Jewelers review. I looked at several diamonds, but I will focus on the three round diamonds I looked at while there. Since round diamonds have more widely accepted standards for cut quality, it’s easiest to ensure I’m comparing apples to apples.
The first diamond I looked at was a 1.50ct I color, VVS2 clarity round diamond for $10,730. The diamond was superbly cut (it was a triple excellent cut grade from GIA) and it appeared to be bright and brilliant.
Here is a comparable diamond from James Allen for $8,550 This diamond is virtually identical to the one offered by Jared and it is 20% cheaper.
The next diamond I looked at in Jared was a 1.44ct I color, Si1 clarity round diamond for $9,100. Again, the diamond was well cut, bright and, despite the SI1 clarity, eye-clean. It was a very nice diamond. For comparison, here is a 1.42 I, SI1 round diamond from James Allen for $6,980 (22% cheaper).
The last diamond I saw from Jared was a “First Light by Leo Schachter.” I won’t compare this one to a James Allen diamond as it is a unique cut. The diamond was a stunning 1.50ct I color, VVS2 clarity round diamond for $12,000. You are paying a premium for the brand, but the diamond truly was stunning.
Jared Jewelers Customer Service
We can’t write a Jared Jewelry review without talking about customer service. As mentioned before, Jared Galleria of Diamonds has a better track record of hiring (and retaining) salespeople. On average, their knowledge and sales skill rank somewhere between your typical mall store and independent jewelers (who usually have the most knowledgeable staff).
My experience secret shopping Jared has ranged from average to above-average interactions with the staff. The experiences have been friendly and not too pushy (that is always a plus as many salespeople in the industry work on commission). The level of knowledge when it comes to diamonds has been pretty mediocre, but that is expected in a chain store (it’s impossible to train thousands of people to be diamond experts). On the other hand, they had a strong understanding of the different brands and offerings in the store (rare for a chain store).
Jared Jewelry Quality
Jared Galleria of Diamonds is of excellent quality, made with select diamonds, gemstones, and precious metals. Because of high-quality craftsmanship and durability, Jared jewelry maintains its beauty over time.
All Jared diamonds come with certification, usually from the GIA, the most reliable lab entity. This certification helps ensure the quality of the diamond you’re buying. Jared Jewelers take their diamond sourcing seriously and are committed to offering conflict-free diamonds. They offer a lifetime guarantee on their jewelry, as long as you meet their rule of 6-month inspections. Most jewelry items qualify for free returns within 30 days—furthering the guarantee on their products.
Jared offers custom engraved messages using state-of-the-art machinery. You can even have Jared Jewelers design a custom engagement ring or other piece of jewelry for the special someone in your life.
In October 2022 Jared introduced a new high-end line of jewelry called the “Jared Atelier” collection. According to National Jeweler Magazine, “the collection features 21 diamond and gemstone jewels in limited quantities, with one to three editions of each piece.”
Jared Lab-Grown Diamonds
On our most recent secret shopping trip, we stopped by a Jared Galleria in one of Chicago’s suburbs. We were happy to see that Jared now carries a full line of lab-grown diamonds. They were all IGI certified (which we recommend for lab-created diamonds) and well cut.
The team members there did not push natural over lab-grown, and they did a good job explaining the pros and cons of lab-grown vs natural.
FAQs About Jared Jewelers
Are Jared and Kay the same company?
Jared and Kay are owned by the same parent company, Signet, but that does not mean they are the same. Kay Jewelers is more of a mall store-level jeweler, while Jared is targeting people that are looking to go to an independent jeweler.
Does Jared sell lab-grown diamonds?
Jared sells both natural and lab-grown diamonds. Their lab-grown diamonds are certified by IGI. During our secret shopping, we have been very impressed by the selection and quality of Jared’s lab-grown diamonds.
Final Thoughts on Jared Jewelers
Jared Galleria of Diamonds offers high-quality diamonds, above-average customer service, and a decent in-store experience. However, no physical jeweler can compete with an online-only retailer on price. Our secret shopping showed a premium of approximately 20% for the diamonds. That doesn’t mean that Jared is overpriced. There are advantages to purchasing from a local physical retailer. The question is whether those advantages are worth the premiums.
It has been my experience that most physical retailers are charging premiums in the 35-50% range. Jared Galleria of Diamonds is far more competitively priced. Yes, you can get a cheaper engagement ring from James Allen. But if you want to buy at a local jeweler, Jared is the way to go.
Overall, my experience secret shopping at a Jared jewelry store was far above the typical experience I’ve had at other retail locations. You can definitely purchase a diamond engagement ring from Jared and be satisfied that you are getting a nice ring at a decent value.
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
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