Where To Buy Good Engagement Rings
Perhaps one of the most established jewelry stores on our list, Zales was founded in 1924 in Texas. As one of the largest jewelry retailers in the United States, you have the option to browse online or easily visit its stores in person. The company offers ethically sourced diamonds, gemstones, and lab-made diamonds at an affordable price. Zales also has unique engagement ring collections such as Enchanted Disney, Kleinfeld, and Vera Wang.
where to buy good engagement rings
Jared has quite a few options to choose from when picking your ring. You can have a virtual appointment, purchase a ready-to-ship ring, or design your own engagement ring for personalization. Jared features collections by Vera Wang, Pnina Tornai, and selections of unique gemstones and colorless diamonds.
James Allen offers a fully curated experience with a custom design feature and the ability to view each diamond with a high-resolution, 360-degree high-definition photo. You can see every quality of the diamond and feel 100% comfortable purchasing online versus in person. If you want something all put together, James Allen offers ready-to-ship rings at a variety of price points. While James Allen is on the higher end of the price range, you can be certain the stone is of high quality.
Catbird is a women-owned business that specializes in unique and handmade engagement rings. Found in Brooklyn, New York in 2004, the company prides itself on ethically sourcing diamonds and offering a wide range of options for customers looking for a sustainable and eco-friendly ring. We found its rings to have delicate and light styles with classic looks, such as round, square, and solitaire cuts. All rings come with your choice of metal, including platinum, 14k yellow gold, white gold, or rose gold. You can schedule a virtual consultation if you want to be absolutely certain about your pick before you buy.
Stag & Finch has a very minimalist design aesthetic in its engagement rings. Each piece is handcrafted with care. The company focuses on sustainability and eco-friendly materials with recycled precious metals and ethically sourced gems. The gemstones are cut in-house with unique and beautiful designs. Some designs include nature-inspired, multi-stone, and accented engagement rings. The website also has a ring-builder if you prefer to customize your own ring.
Buying a diamond engagement ring is a tricky process that can feel overwhelming at times. We have many articles that help you with the 4Cs and more. This article will help you with one of the most fundamental questions; Where to buy an engagement ring from and should you buy an engagement ring online?
Mike Fried has written hundreds of articles and helped answer more than 30,000 emails from our readers. This has given him a unique perspective on what information truly helps our readers in their quest for finding the perfect diamond engagement ring or piece of jewelry.Mike is recognized as an industry expert and has been quoted in publications such as Us, People, Page Six, The Next Web and more.
There are plenty of options to sift through when it comes to finding the best online jewelry store and where to buy engagement rings online. We go more in depth on our favorites below, but the best way for us to help you settle on the right company, engagement ring, and diamond would be via our personal help. Feel free to contact us anytime. And this service is 100% free for you the consumer (we explain how we work here).
Online diamond engagement ring shopping and Blue Nile have been synonymous for years. They literally built the market. They were the first company to develop the concept of removing all middle-men and virtually listing loose diamonds direct from the manufacturers so that you can build and buy engagement rings online.
Their place as the industry leader of engagement ring retailers has allowed them to cultivate relationships with some great designers as well. Most prevalent is their relationship with Bella Vaughan. I adore this take on the classic baguette engagement ring.
Couple that with their strong relationships with vendors and a streamlined business model (which means they are often better priced than their competitors) and they have earned our seal of approval for our readers as one of the best places to buy diamond engagement rings online.
Recently, though, we have expanded our relationship with them to include readers of ours who are looking for a more customized bespoke shopping experience buying a high-end diamond and/or expensive piece of fine jewelry, diamond jewelry, or engagement ring.
According to Smartscrapers, Jared has 239 locations in the United States. So wherever you may be, there is likely a Jared nearby. In our most recent secret shopping of Jared, we were pleasantly surprised. All of their natural diamonds were GIA certified and their lab grown diamonds were IGI certified. We found the staff to be extremely knowledgeable. While the prices are higher than those from online vendors, they are still pretty good.
Until lab-grown diamonds became popular, Moissanite was the only cheaper alternative to natural diamonds that looked similar to diamonds. They are still a popular option in the budget range of engagement rings. And there is no better place to find them than Charles & Covard.
Charles & Covard is synonymous with moissanite. Not only are they the best place for you to buy a moissanite for your engagement ring, they are the best place for other moissanite retailers to purchase them. The majority of retailers that offer moissanite get them from Charles & Covard. You may as well cut out the middleman and go straight to the source.
Of these top diamond engagement ring retailers, James Allen and Blue Nile are hard to beat. Both offer everything a customer needs to buy engagement rings online: broad selection of conflict free diamonds, low prices, and modern technology like high-quality imagery and 360 degree inspection tools. Both James Allen and Blue Nile also provide top-tier customer service, which contributes to a superb customer experience every time.
Other diamond engagement ring vendors we recommend are Brian Gavin Diamonds, Abe Mor and Leibish & Co. These retailers each offer special expertise and specialize in specific areas. Brian Gavin is one of the best diamond retailers for high-quality diamond cuts. Abe Mor is the best for high-quality, rare and expensive diamonds, while Leibish & Co is the number one fancy colored diamond vendor.
Now you know what places we think have the best service and quality and you can start engagement ring shopping on their sites. And if you need some guidance on how to choose a perfect diamond and buy an engagement ring you can check out our useful tips or contact us directly and one of our diamond experts will be happy to answer your questions.
Not so long ago, choosing an engagement ring required just a few questions: princess or emerald cut? White gold or yellow? These days, there's a lot more to consider when figuring out when, where, and how to buy an engagement ring. Here, the best tips for making this monumental purchase.
The first tip for buying a diamond engagement ring is to know the 4Cs: Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat Weight. Created by GIA, the 4Cs are the global standard for assessing the quality of diamonds and allow you to compare one diamond to another.
Rose gold has been a popular choice for many years. It was often used in engagement rings during the Retro era (1935 to the 1950s). It is usually made by alloying gold with copper and silver, which is what gives it its warm, pinkish tone. Companies closely guard their special blends.
White gold is made by alloying pure gold with white metals such as nickel or palladium among others. It is a beautiful and durable choice for engagement rings. White gold is usually plated with rhodium, a platinum group metal, to give it a whiter finish. This can wear away over time. White gold jewelry typically requires replating, or the slightly yellowish color of the white gold underneath may start to show through. This is easy and relatively inexpensive to do, however; simply ask your local jeweler for this service.
Side stones are a dazzling way to dress up an engagement ring and make it look bigger. Popular choices include making the ring a three-stone ring, adding a halo, including channel, pavé or bead set diamonds along the shank of the ring, and adding colored gems or birthstones. If you want diamond side stones, choose those with 4Cs grades similar to that of the center stone. Having a similar color grade is especially important if you want the stones to match.
Bohemian Rings: Bohemian style rings play with unexpected gemstone shapes, setting styles and silhouettes, such as geometric diamond cuts, black diamonds, and rings with open shapes. Some are edgy; others have a more romantic vibe.
Stacked Engagement and Wedding Rings: Will your diamond engagement ring be worn alongside a wedding ring? Make sure that their silhouettes match and that the two rings fit together. A popular trend now is stacking multiple rings together with the engagement ring to complement it in design.
Custom Rings: Personalization makes rings feel unique and memorable. Consider a custom engagement ring for a one-of-a-kind ring that celebrates the special moments in your relationship.
The good news is that most rings can easily be resized up or down by a size or two. Resizing more than that may be more difficult depending on the style of the ring. Solitaire rings are easy to resize, while rings with pavé or bead-set diamonds or other details on the band will require more work.