Where to Buy a Diamond

By this point, you probably already know what you are looking for in a diamond, but where should you buy it? The first key is choosing a reputable jeweler. You may already know a local jeweler that you trust and want to support. However, I did not have this luxury, so my first diamond buying experience involved a lot of research, and the company I actually settled on may surprise many. Originally, I planned to purchase a diamond online, and I did order one online, but sent it back after learning more about the policies of Jared. Of course, there are plenty of other great sellers, but Jared ended up being the best fit for my needs. You may decide on another vendor, but here are my top three picks: 1) Jared, 2) James Allen, and 3) Blue Nile.

Diamond Inventories

When you go to purchase a diamond, online vendors will have huge inventories for you to search and filter through. It can be a little overwhelming at first, but once you narrow down what you are looking for, the search gets easier. If you choose to go with an online seller like James Allen or Blue Nile, all the information is accessible online. However, if you choose a brick-and-mortar store, you do not have to settle for what is currently in stock. Ask to see their online inventory. Jared has a massive inventory of diamonds they can order and have shipped to the store. Regardless of what vendor you pick, do not settle until you find the perfect stone.

James Allen

One of the major perks of James Allen is the high resolution, 360-degree images of the diamonds. Even after filtering the diamonds by cut, clarify, color, and carat, you will want to pay particular attention to the “hearts and arrows.” If you look at the diamond directly from above, you will notice darker triangle and diamond shapes. They shapes will form a pattern. The best cut diamonds have a symmetrical pattern, so that is something you will want to look for.

Because James Allen has a limited number of brick-and-mortar stores, the likelihood of one being near you is low. Consequently, if you want to have the ring resized, cleaned, or repaired, then you will most likely have to mail it back to James Allen. The overall time before you receive it back may be close to a month. However, when Signet Jewelers acquired James Allen, they now allow you to bring your jewelry to a local Jared location for servicing. You will need to provide proof of purchase from James Allen.

Blue Nile

Blue Nile offers very competitive diamond prices and has a huge selection to choose from. The only reason I rank James Allen above Blue Nile is because of the imagery of the diamonds that is available on the website. While Blue Nile still has crystal clear, 360-degree images of their diamonds, the angle at which the stones are placed while being photographed does not allow for a view directly from above. While the angle is just slightly off, it does make it more difficult to view the hearts and arrows, which is one of my main selection criteria in a stone. A better cut with symmetrical hearts and arrows will greatly increase the brilliance of the diamond. Like James Allen, Blue Nile is largely an online retailer, so the store locations are limited. If you do not have one near you, then you may be required to ship your jewelry for repairs. I did not want to risk a mail courier losing my diamond, so an in-house jeweler was a must for me.

Jared

Now on to my top pick for diamonds – Jared. Again, when I started my search, I never would have guessed that Jared would be my go to, but there were several factors that one me over.

Price matching: Jared will price match loose diamonds. The stones must be like-for-like certified diamonds, so the cut, clarity, color, and carat must all be the same. Additionally, the authorization to price match will come from the store manager. I have had some that would allow the price match if those criteria were the same, while others also wanted the dimensions of the stone to match (height, table size, etc.). This is more difficult; however, I recommend finding the stone you want, then searching Blue Nile’s inventory for one with the same characteristics. By doing this, I was able to save several hundred dollars on a 1-carat diamond.

Diamond warranty: Jared offers a diamond replacement warranty. If your diamond falls out of the setting, they will replace the diamond for free. However, the caveat is that you have to follow the inspection schedule. Jared requires you to have the jewelry inspected every six months in order to utilize the diamond warranty. As long as you are within that six-month period since the last inspection, then you are covered. However, if you wait seven months, and the diamond falls out in the seventh month, then you will not be covered. The clock restarts each time the jewelry is inspected. Since Jared has store locations across the United States, going in to get it inspected is usually pretty easy. Once you get to the store, it will take about 10 minutes for them to inspect the jewelry and send you an email confirmation with the inspection date.

In-house jeweler: Because I did not want to frequently mail jewelry in for cleanings, having an in-house jeweler was a huge consideration. Jared has one, and if you purchase their lifetime protection plan, then routine repairs, rhodium plating, cleanings, and other services are free. Since rhodium plating can cost around $100 and may be required every year for white gold, I recommend paying for the protection plan. Most repairs will be completed within a few days of you dropping off the jewelry. Keep in mind, if you cause significant damage to the item that is not from typical wear, then you will not be covered.

Finally, if you found a diamond from James Allen that you liked, Jared can order it. Again, this will depend on the manager at the store. I have had a manager at one store order a diamond from James Allen because they have access to the inventory, and I have had a manager at another store say they could not do it.

Conclusion

If you go with any of these three diamond vendors, you cannot go wrong. I know individuals with diamonds from all three locations, and none of us are disappointed. Hopefully this information above allows you to make an educated decision. James Allen and Blue Nile offer great diamonds at great prices, but their physical locations are limited. On the other hand, Jared has locations across the United States; however, you will pay a higher price, but the lifetime protection plan will compensate for the price if you plan to keep the jewelry for a lifetime.