In this quick article, you’ll learn:
- How my readers save $2,000, even $3,000 or more on diamond engagement rings … avoiding needless overspending — and getting a premium diamond, together with premium settings of any kind of gold — white, rose, or yellow gold.
Just want to see the steps to get the premium diamond engagement ring for about $1,000?
Then jump to that section now.
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Tiffany vs James Allen: same quality grades … price difference of $2,500?
I put James Allen and Tiffany to the test, to see who would come out on top in terms of value for money.
The results shocked even me …
This Tiffany-certified Tiffany diamond is $3,640 (see the image below)
- Carats: 0.38
- Clarity: VS1
- Color: F
- Cut “Excellent” (as graded by Tiffany itself)
- GIA grading report? NONE
- Price: $3,640
This GIA-Certified James Allen diamond is $1,140 (see the image below)
- Carats: 0.37 (same as the Tiffany example above)
- Clarity: VVS1 (better than the Tiffany example above)
- Color: F (same as the Tiffany example above)
- Cut “Excellent” (as graded by the GIA)
- GIA grading report? YES
- Price: $1,140
Summary of the comparison between James Allen ($1,140) and Tiffany ($3,640) diamonds
Why I chose a $1,140 diamond at James Allen when this article is about how to get a premium engagement ring for about $1,000
I chose the $1,140 diamond pictured above because I needed an almost exact counterpart to the “lowest quality” comparable diamond I could find at Tiffany.
I wanted to compare apples to apples, to illustrate the vast difference in prices that I have been finding between James Allen and Tiffany.
“There’s got to be a reason the Tiffany diamond is so much more expensive … or does there?”
As you can see from the comparison, the diamonds very similar in quality. If anything, the James Allen diamond seems to be better, since it has a slightly better clarity grade.
And yet the James Allen diamond is $2,500 less expensive.
You might think, “There’s some reason for that. No one would pay that much more for a diamond if it wasn’t somehow worth it.”
I don’t know if I buy that explanation. It’s one of those “this must be true, because of that” fallacies of flawed logic.
Based on hard data, I’d say James Allen is the far better value.
What data do I mean? I mean the the GIA’s grading report, and I also mean Tiffany’s own grading report.
I don’t believe the Tiffany diamond is $2,500 better … or even $25 better …
I personally believe that the Tiffany diamond is $2,500 more expensive not because it’s any better. The data in the grading reports say that they’re the same quality of diamond — and that the James Allen diamond is in fact slightly better in clarity.
No, I believe the Tiffany diamond is $2,500 more expensive than James Allen because it’s sold by an old-school, luxe brand company that even until now has been able to convince people their diamonds are 3x more awesome in price.
I think they market Tiffany diamonds as luxe and romantic and awesome. And charge aspiring husbands what that desperate market will bear.
What about you? What do you think about the $2,500 difference in price on a $1,140 diamond?
What I see at James Allen is $2,500 saved — while getting a slightly better diamond! Suddenly a good engagement ring is within the reach of so many more people!
And this pattern of vast price disparity between James Allen and Tiffany (and other luxe brands)? It’s repeated over and over in all my comparison shopping between these two incredibly popular diamond retailers.
Some shoppers still want the reassurance that the Tiffany brand seems to give them.
I and my readers know that we can depend on the GIA, IGI, or AGS grading reports at James Allen for assurance that we know what we are getting.
Just want to see the steps to get a premium diamond engagement ring (diamond and setting) for about $1,000 instead of $3,640 and up?
Then jump to that section now.
Can you get a premium diamond engagement ring for $1,000?
Oh yes, you can.
I wrote an entire article about how to get an acceptable diamond engagement ring for under $1,000 here: here.
But save that long read for later. Why?
Because in this post, due to a current sale — and my “secrets” to finding the best, lowest-priced diamonds — my readers can get a James Allen True Hearts diamond engagement ring for exactly $1,010. (The ways of searching the database of inventory aren’t truly secret, but on the other hand, you do need to know how — and I spell that out below.)
What is a James Allen True Hearts diamond, and is it actually better than a Tiffany diamond?
James Allen’s True Hearts diamonds are graded by objective, independent, 3rd-party diamond graders: the GIA, IGI, and AGS.
- GIA – Gemological Institute of America
- IGI – International Gemological Institute
- AGS – American Gem Society
… but Tiffany just grades its own diamonds …
- NOT the GIA
- NOT the IGI
- NOT the AGS
- Only Tiffany’s own diamond graders … hmm
Tiffany expects you to trust their grades are 100% objective — even though higher grades translates to higher retail prices.
It’s entirely possible that they are completely objective.
But seems to me there’s a possibility of conflict of interest. That makes me trust 3rd-party graders (GIA, IGI, AGS) more.
While I believe Tiffany’s grading reports, I trust the independent grading labs even more. They’re independent — plus the GIA invented objective, 3rd-party grading of diamonds.
Tiffany has some trendy new proprietary shapes — the “Tiffany True” — and also a proprietary setting style.
Some Tiffany cuts, including the the Tiffany True cut, are quite trendy in the world of diamond shapes, introduced only in 2018.
Two shapes include: a “cushion modified fancy yellow diamond” and a (less trendy, but still trendy) “square modified white diamond.”
The square modified white diamond is the more popular, because it’s obviously less trendy than a fancy yellow. Tiffany’s gemologists claim that it results in an “unprecedented amount of brilliance.”
Are they correct? It seems we must take their word for it since Tiffany diamonds aren’t graded by independent, objective, third-party gemologists accredited by the GIA, IGI, or AGS. They grade themselves.
Tiffany also offers a beautiful proprietary Tiffany setting, with a built-in “T” where the prongs hold the diamond in place.
Some people love that.
Some people, such as myself, see that as a hood emblem on an expensive car — a bit much … especially since Tiffany markets this setting as “an icon of modern love.”
Do you see what I see in the massive T by the diamond in the illustration below? It reminded me of a Tesla emblem. Which is awesome on a car, but not what I want to think of when I see an engagement ring. A diamond is forever. An icon or emblem for a hood ornament really isn’t.
But James Allen offers timeless, classic cuts, graded by independent experts, and classic solitaire settings that aren’t trendy.
James Allen isn’t afraid to have their diamonds graded by third-party, independent, objective gemologists. So you can know, from a 3rd-party professional grading report, exactly what you are getting.
(Presumably Tiffany isn’t afraid. I don’t know why they don’t have their diamonds graded by 3rd-party gemologists. The fact remains that they don’t, while James Allen does.)
James Allen also does not have to “get creative” with proprietary, trendy cuts. Rather, it deals in the 10 classic, timeless shapes, most notably for engagement rings the Round Brilliant, the Princess, and the Cushion Cut — and more.
Nor does James Allen build in “T” (or “JA”) emblem into their settings. Instead of creating a cool and trendy “icon of modern love,” James Allen brings you a selection of timeless, classic symbols of love — classic cuts, classic settings.
Do you want “modern love”? Or a timeless love?
It may be just me, but … Do you want “modern love,” with all of the associations of that term?
Or do you want a timeless love? A love like the best of our grandparents’ generation has?
I think the question answers itself, if you’re interested in marriage — especially since the timeless symbols at James Allen come to you via a totally modern, ground-breaking, disruptive kind of shopping experience, comparable in my opinion to Amazon.
The James Allen True Hearts criteria — why are they so special? And are they a better value than a “Tiffany True” cut?
- The cut is among the very best — ideal.
- They come with 3rd-party diamond certificates from the GIA, AGS, or IGI.
- At the core of James Allen’s True Hearts selection are round brilliant cut diamonds. These superlatively high quality “Hearts and Arrows” diamonds have the very best proportions and symmetry. They also have top grades for cut and polish (the brilliance of each facet). When viewed from the top, angles, you can see exquisite figures of arrows. When viewed from underneath the diamond, you can see patterns of hearts. These diamond gemstones are polished with utmost exactitude. This visual feast is dazzlingly difficult to accomplish even the best diamond cutters.
- At James Allen you have the right to choose your exact loose diamond at James Allen. But I have never seen a way to do that at Tiffany. (At Tiffany, so far as I’ve ever found, you have to just accept whatever diamond is mounted on whatever specific setting you happen to get — or send it back for a refund. The point is, at James Allen, you can choose your exact diamond, using incredible 3D video imaging, and a 3rd-party grading report from the GIA, AGS, or IGI — but at Tiffany, you can’t)
How to Get Your James Allen True Hearts Premium Diamond Ring for only (about) $1,000 right now: Step by Step Directions
In mere minutes, you’ll see exactly how to create a premium diamond engagement ring and buy it for about $1,000.
1. Search for diamonds using this “secret” method. (Click here to open James Allen to that page.)
- Click here.
- Set all your sliders and filters exactly the way they are shown in the image below.
My method is not truly secret. But it’s “hidden,” in a way, because you have to know how to use the search and filters to find these high quality, low-priced diamonds.
2. Click on the True Hearts diamond you want (currently for $830!) …
3. Click the “select this diamond” button …
After you click the pink button pictured above, you’ll see the gray buttons popup pictured below …
4. Click “add your diamond to a ring” …
This of course adds the loose diamond to a ring package. Now you’re about to select a setting (which at the time of this writing is 25% off) …
5. Sort the settings by price: low to high
Sorting by lowest prices to highest is crucial! It brings up classic styles which are nonetheless fairly inexpensive — especially with the (at time of writing) 25% off sale on settings.
6. Click on the ring setting you want …
Click on the image of the ring setting you’d like. That will take you to the setting’s product page …
7. Click on “Select this Setting” …
Clicking on “Select this Setting” takes you to your personal, one-of-a-kind diamond engagement ring product page. (See below).
8. Now click on “Add to Cart” …
Don’t worry — the engraving you see in your finished design won’t be on your ring. Although the diamond imaging in the original loose diamonds view is of your exact diamond, this image is not of your exact ring.
The reason for that becomes obvious … they haven’t yet mounted your diamond on your ring setting.
But what they show you in the image above is a representation of about how it will look.
10. You just got a premium diamond engagement ring for about $1,000 … saving thousands off what you’d pay at a last-century diamond retailer
These are premium rings, with premium diamonds. There’s no catch.
- The 3rd-party grading reports from the GIA, IGI, or AGS are real. They prove it. They vouch for these premium diamonds.
- The settings are also premium settings.
- Everything is covered by a 30-day no questions money-back guarantee
A comparable ring at Tiffany, for example, would cost literally thousands more — and still would not come with a 3rd-part objective grading report. (Remember, Tiffany doesn’t use the GIA, IGI, or AGS for diamond grading. Tiffany just grades their own diamonds.)
How does James Allen sell these diamond rings for such a bargain?
In a similar way that Amazon achieves low prices on premium products. Innovation in business model. That’s how, in a nutshell.
11. Why leaving it the cart for a while can be a huge mistake
Some people make the mistake of thinking they can save all that indefinitely, now that it’s in their cart.
My readers won’t make that potentially devastating mistake.
They know that since every diamond is unique, it can be sold at any time to another shopper. The diamond you selected may be reserved for a short time, but don’t count on it necessarily being there in your cart for days — certainly not for weeks.
