I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t hesitant about buying a diamond engagement ring online. After researching the subject thoroughly, I want to share with you why James Allen put my mind at ease and what policies/services they offer which put my mind at ease.
1. Pricing
Buying a loose diamond and then pairing it to a ring will always save you money. The only problem is that picking the loose diamond on your own really complicates the process because most of us are amateur diamond shoppers.
No need to worry!
Use my beginners’ guide for choosing a loose diamond. Once you get through the basics I encourage continued research so that you become an educated buyer. I am not an expert but can give you some good tips on starting this process.
James Allen’s pricing was very comparable to other online suppliers, but comparing them to physical location jewelry stores is where they really sparkle. The “bang-for-your-buck” absolutely blows the in-person stores out of the water. Like not-even-close.
Through James Allen, I was able to pick the exact diamond I wanted. The best part was the stone appraised at $8-10k more than what I paid for it. You can really make out well in terms of saving if you are smart, patient, and well researched!
2. Money-Back Guarantee
Every online shopper experiences that internal fear of not getting what you pay for. It’s natural. You are forking over a big sum of money without seeing the product. It’s a scary thought and I totally get it.
Luckily, James Allen has a 30 day 100% Full Refund on anything purchased from them. It gives you peace of mind that the online buyer needs to feel comfortable.
Pick the diamond, pick a setting, and pick up your FED-EX package. It’s really that simple.
Once you receive your package, the 30-day return policy gives you ample time to have the ring analyzed. In fact, I got an independent appraisal because I felt so paranoid. It appraised well over the purchase price, and I kept the ring.
3. Free Re-sizing
Engagements are all about the surprise in my opinion. The problem was that I had not talked with my girlfriend about ring size prior to this. I sized her engagement ring using another piece of jewelry she had.
The proposal came and the ring slid on for a perfect fit. She even told me it was a perfect size. I patted myself on the back thinking I was in the clear. Two weeks go by and she tells me that the ring fits a touch too loose than what she wanted.
James Allen’s 60-day free re-size to the rescue! Being that the ring was a thin pave band the whole ring had to be re-made. It was returned to us a half size smaller, very timely, and at no cost.
4. Worry-Free Shipping
You just bought this expensive ring, what happens if it gets lost or stolen in transit?
All packages sent by James Allen are insured up to the full price of the jewelry.
I was also able to get the ring shipped to the Fed-Ex location of my choice. This ensured that my fiancé wasn’t going to intercept the package before I did.
Their shipping puts your mind at ease and allows you to keep the surprise aspect of the engagement from becoming a juggling act.
5. Lifetime Warranty
James Allen guarantees that the ring will be free from manufacturing defects at the time of the delivery. The guarantee will allow you to send the ring back every six months for free prong tightening, re-polishing, and cleaning for life. Completely worth it!
My fiancé has sent her ring back once to get re-polished and the prongs tightened.
A very popular style nowadays is a narrow band with slender prongs. It looks great but unfortunately isn’t the most robust design. It is great knowing we can get the prongs tightened to ensure the diamond is secure every six months if needed. She has extended her intervals.
The polishing had the ring looking brand new again. If you were to get a white gold band, the lifetime guarantee will also cover free rhodium plating if it is showing signs of wear.
The only thing that isn’t covered is the $30 insured FEDEX shipping for the cleaning which is required.
6. Presentation
The ring itself comes in a well-made red presentation box for the proposal. There is also a cleaning cloth included with a bunch of important paperwork.
The ring will arrive in a nicely packaged larger box. The larger box includes all the paperwork. This includes the GIA Certification and a James Allen appraisal that will be accepted by jewelry insurance agencies if needed. We now have insurance through Jewelers Mutual.
Note: My independent appraisal came out very close to the James Allen appraisal that is included with the ring at no extra cost.
7. Style Customization
Matching a loose diamond to a James Allen setting will cost no extra money. Small changes requested to a setting can usually be accommodated at no extra cost.
If in doubt, ask about customization because it can affect the refund policy.
For example, I didn’t like the thickness of the prongs and had them refined and brought to a point or claw. There was no issue with this alteration in terms of added fees.
There are many examples from past customers with pictures that can be referenced for style changes you may like.
8. Wedding Band Discounts
We chose to use James Allen again for our wedding bands because of the great experience we had. They will even give a discount for prior customers that bought an engagement ring.
All the same policies that were mentioned above apply to the wedding bands as well. They have many options with great pricing.
9. Customer Service
While purchasing the ring, all my questions were clearly answered when speaking to the James Allen representative through online chat and over the phone. They really made you feel like you were an important customer who deserved your business.
We had an issue where FEDEX lost our package after the re-sizing. Although it wasn’t their fault, James Allen reminded us the ring was insured and that they would do everything they could to track it down.
They were in constant contact with FEDEX and eventually located the ring and got it forwarded to the right address very quickly.
For an online outfit, customer service is outstanding.
10. Future Upgrades
While purchasing the ring, all my questions were clearly answered when speaking to the James Allen representative through online chat and over the phone. They really made you feel like you were an important customer who deserved your business.
We had an issue where FEDEX lost our package after the re-sizing. Although it wasn’t their fault, James Allen reminded us the ring was insured and that they would do everything they could to track it down.
They were in constant contact with FEDEX and eventually located the ring and got it forwarded to the right address very quickly.
For an online outfit, customer service is outstanding.