Bottom Line Recommendations:
- We’ve listed the best places to buy diamonds online. James Allen and the Blue Nile are two of the best. They offer high definition quality 360-degree videos of the diamonds and their services are excellent. We recommend buying mainly from these two.
- Whiteflash has a line of super ideal diamonds that have been cut to precision and have superior light performance.
- Brian Gavin blue signature diamonds are known for their fluorescence and are a great choice for someone searching for something more unique.
- When buying your diamonds online, make sure the seller can provide you with imagery including the ASET images to help evaluate its performance.
- Also, consider the grading lab used by the seller. GIA and AGS are two of the best grading labs and are the most popular in the diamond industry.
- It’s a good idea to read through the return policy before buying a diamond in case you are not satisfied and you need to take it back. Some sellers have a more favorable return policy than others.
- Choose a seller that will also offer you a wider selection of ring settings. That way you have plenty of options to find the best combination of setting and diamond.
If you’ve been planning on buying a diamond and you are not sure where the best place to buy one is, then you’ll be pleased to know that you can shop for the perfect diamond from the comfort of your own home.
That is…online!
There are some fundamental benefits of buying a diamond online. First however is that you will need to understand who the major sellers are and how they compare. Once you know this, you will be in a far better position to make an informed decision when making the purchase.
Note that there are plenty more sellers and options online. We will, however, focus on the main and biggest sellers and those that offer the best deals. In addition, check this list by Petra Gems of the best places to buy diamonds for additional research.
Let us begin with the biggest of them all!
James Allen
You’ve probably heard of them and with good reason. They are among the leaders of the diamond industry.
James Allen has a huge diamond selection with over 150,000 diamonds for sale. All these are certified and come with individual videos.
The website is also super easy to navigate and is user-friendly. When you are after a fancy shape diamond such as an oval cut or pear cut, James Allen is an excellent choice. The quality of the videos means that you can evaluate and analyze each stone to find the best diamond for you.
James Allen was among the first to provide 360-degree videos of the diamonds on sale allowing online customers to see exactly what they are buying.
Granted other companies are also providing video technology but the quality of the videos and images from James Allen are still among the best in the market. Videos are one of the most important factors to look for when buying the diamond online.
One of the main factors that set James Allen apart is their customer service. When shopping for your stone, you will find all the tools you will need to make an informed buying decision.
But it doesn’t end there. You are also able to view the diamonds with up to 40X magnification. Most physical stores will not provide their buyers with this type of view. What more is that you can view your diamond in a virtual imitated hand to give you an idea of how it will look like when you wear it.
With their excellent videos and images, great customer service, a broad variety of diamonds plus their great prices, they are certainly worth checking out. You can get a taste of how it is to buy from James Allen from their online reviews.
While other retailers may charge you up to $100 for return shipping, with James Allen this is completely free provided you are in the United States.
With James Allen you will also get 24/7 customer support, free laser inscribing, ring building, interactive diamond search tool, and a 100 full refund if the diamond is returned within the first 30 days of purchase.
Many customers are satisfied with the service.
Blue Nile
The Blue Nile has been selling their diamonds online since 1995. They are among the most popular sellers and are the pioneers at removing the middleman and selling the diamonds directly to the customer.
Thanks to their fantastic relationship with diamond vendors and designers, Blue Nile offers the largest selection of diamonds anywhere. They also provide the widest selection of settings.
James Allen may have created a gap ahead of Blue Nile in terms of their technology. The Blue Nile, however, is now closing that gap by matching their technology with the standards at James Allen. Their video technology is almost as good as James Allen.
What’s more, Blue Nile has great quality control policies and excellent delivery.
Part of the reason why the Blue Nile is so popular is its competitive prices. Another interesting approach used by the company is in their understanding that the majority of the customers who buy diamonds are not very informed. They will then provide customers with all the information and support they need to make the right decision.
The Blue Nile is also known for its large selection of loose diamonds. These will be the larger core of the diamonds on sale. Not even James Allen can match up to their vast online diamond directory. Blue Nile offers have a selection of well over 180,000 diamonds.
With such a large selection to choose from, even people with budget constraints can find their ideal diamond. And there are more than just diamonds on offer at the Blue Nile. There are also gemstones and pearls.
And this is not even considering the seemingly limitless options for the ring settings. They a have a huge collection of gold, platinum and sterling silver settings that you are guaranteed to find something that you like.
Blue Nile’s “build your own tool” allows you to design your setting for a ring or pendant.
And you will also not be disappointed by the style of jewelry available on offer. Granted the settings may not be made by designers but they still have some unique and eye-catching designs to choose from.
The Blue Nile website is simple and without any unnecessary graphics. It is intuitive and you can navigate the site as you search for your ideal diamond with ease.
If you are new to diamonds and you lack the necessary knowledge, simply access the informative articles before making a purchase. You can learn how diamonds are graded and how to evaluate a diamond to pick the right one for you. Here you can also learn the different factors that affect the price of the diamond.
It’s important that you first go through the information articles before you make a buying decision. This will help you evaluate your options while being in a better position to confirm what the salesperson is telling you other than relying just on their word.
Take your time to purchase the right diamond. Even while they have a returns policy that is favorable to the buyer, it is a hassle to pack and send back a stone. It is far easier to ensure that the stone you choose is the right one for you.
When you choose to buy a diamond through them, you will receive a 30 days money-back guarantee in case you are not satisfied with the purchase.
You can receive your diamond through FedEx or UPS. They 24/7 provide customer support which you can receive either via phone call, email or through live chat on their website. The live chat feature is a quick and efficient way to talk to an agent.
Brian Gavin Diamonds
With his roots in South Africa, Brain Gavin is known in the diamond world as a pioneer who expands the frontiers of diamond cutting. He is a 5th generation cutter so you know he has plenty of experience with diamond cutting.
As far as diamond cut goes, Brian Gavin is perhaps the best cutters of our time. The diamonds are cut so precisely that you can’t help but be amazed at the skill and effort put into the individual stones.
Brian Gavin has a wide selection of precisely cut diamonds. What’s more, is that you can find fluorescent diamonds with good prices as well as warm color diamonds of excellent quality cut. You can also get financing options through Affirm.
All the diamonds on offer are owned by Brian Gavin and are curated individually. This is also a perfect online shop when searching for a fancy shape diamond.
One of the reasons behind Brian Gavin’s popularity is his signature Black Lines. For the cut sensitive customer who wants a stone with as much brilliance as possible, Brian Gavin is definitely among the best out there.
Their signature hearts and arrows are a collection of round diamonds that have been cut to precise proportions and with high precisions. It is possible to observe heads and arrows whether looking down on the diamond through the table or the pavilion.
There is also the Brian Gavin Black. This collection of superbly cut stones feature auxiliary angles, on the upper girdle and provide spectacular light performance.
Then there is the Brian Gavi Blue signature diamond for the buyer who wants something unique. Put aside the paranoia that is so common in the diamond industry over fluorescent diamonds. The Brian Garvin Blue is specially curated to offer the best performance.
Of course, their diamonds are not for everyone. For the discerning buyer, Brian Garvin diamonds are worth checking out.
Brian Gavin personally handpicks the diamonds that are on sale and approves them himself. This makes it among the best online store for buying loose diamonds.
And as far as their customer service goes, it is just as top-notch as the quality of their stones. Granted you will have to pay a premium for the stones. However, once you consider the quality of the cut and the craftsmanship, the higher price is completely justified.
Other services that you will enjoy when buying from Brian Gavin include 360-degree video of the individual stones on sale, 100% upgrade policy for a lifetime, a large variety of hearts and arrow diamonds, personal inspection by Brian Gavin himself, and you can even choose a custom design.
Brian Garvin is also skilled in custom setting designs with more than 30 years of experience.
Whiteflash
They were founded in 2000. Based in Houston Texas, they have some of the best cut diamonds in the world. What’s more Whiteflash sells some of the most popular brands in the jewelry industry including Ritani, Tacori and Verragio.
Whiteflash is best known for its cut. Like Brian Gavin, they offer a wide selection of heart and arrow diamonds. You may want to check out their A cut selection which features some of the best-cut stones on the market.
They have a long list of super ideal diamonds which have been cut with the utmost precision and have superior light action. You can access ASET and Ideal scope images of the diamonds helping you judge the cut quality and light performance yourself.
In the end, you don’t have to rely on just the words of the salesperson when buying your diamond. The ASET images reveal the patterning position of the diamond allowing you to see the optical precision of the facets. You can also see when the facets are not perfectly proportional.
Most vendors will not provide their customers with such information when buying a diamond and the fact that Whiteflash goes to such lengths proves their creditworthiness. Most of the vendors will keep this information away from you in their best interest.
Without such information, you may get a diamond that looks good on paper but has hearts that are badly deformed and can hardly be seen. In others, there may be missing arrowheads or missing shafts. Of course, the light action in such diamonds is not optimal.
Whiteflash has partnered with many top-notch designers. This allows them to offer their customers with plenty of varied ring setting options.
All the diamonds on sale by Whiteflash are owned by them. The result is competitive prices and better customer service by use of data gotten from previous customer purchases. It’s important to consider that some online vendors will list diamonds but will not have ownership.
Another factor that stands out when dealing with Whiteflash is their customer service. Reviews online are filled with customers who attest to them going over and beyond to help the customer find the ideal diamond for them.
Whiteflash has consistently won the BBB of Distinction awards.
They often send customers a sarin report of their selected diamond. This shows the exact measurement of the pavilion and crown angles.
Other benefits of shopping from Whiteflash include 100% lifetime trade-up policy, free shipping to anywhere in the world, and one-year money-back guarantee.
What’s more, is that Whiteflash has received the ISO 9000 certification. You will get free shipping when you buy a diamond to anywhere in the world. The shipping is also fully ensured.
In case you want to trade up a previous diamond that you bought from Whiteflash, you are eligible for 100% lifetime trade up.
Customers also receive a full year’s service plan where the diamond you bought can have free polishing, cleaning, and repair.
With the super ideal diamonds, you may be wondering why they command a premium and cost about 10-15% more than other diamonds of similar grading.
One of the reasons is because to be able to achieve that perfect cut, more of the diamond’s rough is lost during polishing and the whole process takes more labor and time.
Many diamonds will be cut to inferior standards simply because the cutter is looking to achieve the GIA triple excellent rating simply because it is one great way to market the diamond. Consumers know the ratings and are therefore more likely to buy the diamond.
Bottom line is that there are very few sellers that can match the quality cut of the Whiteflash diamonds.
What to consider when buying diamonds online
Sometimes the options on the internet can leave you a bit confused as you search for the best places to buy diamonds. However, to narrow down your search there are a few key features that you need to look out for.
- The Imagery
You should never buy a diamond blindly. It’s easy when buying from a physical jeweler store as the stones are already on display. Buying online, on the other hand, can prove a bit of a challenge.
If an online seller doesn’t have images and videos of the stones, leave immediately. Some information such as the extent of the bowtie and how the diamond reflects light can only be judged through high-resolution images.
When you are going for stones that are between the VS2 ranges SI2, the videos will help you observe the inclusions and how the diamond sparkles.
Keep in mind that even stones that have the best grades can come with varieties. You can only judge their performance and how ideal they are through video inspection.
Also, check out the ideal scope images as well as the ASET images. This offers an idea of how the diamond sparkles.
- Grading Company
The grading laboratory used by the online seller is an important consideration. The two biggest are the GIA and the AGS and the online seller needs to have their stamp of approval.
The stamp shows that the diamonds are certified and that you are getting high-quality stones.
- Search for a wide selection of ring setting
Ultimately the diamond needs to go on a setting before it can be worn. Vendors that have a wide selection of setting allow you to see how the diamond will look like in different settings. You can make the best choice of stone based on this information.
- Online is better
Simply because of the operating costs. It is far easier to sell diamonds online to sell from a physical store. Due to this very fact, the stones that are listed online will have better prices.
The differences in price could be up to 30% or more when buying online compared to when buying from a physical store.
- The return policy
Factors such as the length of time allowed for returning the diamond and whether the shipping is cost covered all need to be considered. Always make sure you know the terms of returning the diamond in case you find yourself a situation where you no longer find the diamond appealing and need to return it.
Buying online vs buying from a physical store
Buying online is an obvious favorite of many when getting their ideal diamond. One of the main benefits is that you can save money. Selling online has few costs of operation and the great things are that the seller can afford to bring the price down.
There is the benefit of having a personal one on one interaction with a seller when you choose to buy a diamond from a physical store. You can also ask all the questions you need and they can help you analyze the diamond if you lack experience with diamonds.
However, due to the operational costs, the prices are often higher compared to online.
The downside of buying online is that even with the lower prices, you need to ensure that you buy from a reputable seller. Otherwise, you could easily get conned and receive a fake diamond.
That said, once you get a reliable seller online, the quality of the diamonds between online and offline retailers are often the same.
When you go to a physical store, you will need to observe the diamond under lighting conditions with someone standing next to you. You feel pressured to make a decision.
This is not the case with buying online. You can simply log in to the seller’s website, find the stones you are interested in and evaluate the diamonds at your leisure as you take your time before making a purchase decision.
The sales policies for online sellers are also much better than for physical stores.
Conclusion
When buying your diamond online, these 4 companies are the best. James Allen is the top best diamond online sellers. Their customer support will walk you through the entire diamond buying process. Their website is simple to navigate and the quality of their 360-degree videos is unmatched.
The Blue Nile offers the largest selection of diamonds that you can find online. Their prices are highly competitive and are the best choice for someone looking not only for premium-priced stones but for those who are constrained by their budgets.
Brian Garvin is an excellent diamond cutter and is a great choice for someone searching for a stone with perfect proportions. And if you are searching for the perfect fluorescent diamond, consider the Brian Garvin signature Blue.
But for the best in cut quality and perfect symmetry, Whiteflash offers it’s signature a cut diamonds. Note that you will need to pay a higher premium for these.