Did you miss a “Black Friday Deal”? Nope. You missed paying too much for this Marquise cut diamond engagement ring at Zales. On “sale,” it’s $3,000. (25% off! but … still overpriced.) You can get a GIA- or IGI-certified, BETTER diamond ring for $2,335 or so. I prove it with data and screen shots in this article. And show you exactly how.
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The Zales offer: $2,999.98.
Item number at Zales: 20018218
See it live at Zales (unless it’s been discontinued / gone out of stock).
The James Allen MUCH better price of $2,335 (on a GIA-certified, objectively better diamond)
Specs compared directly
Carats
Both diamonds are 1 carat.
Clarity
Zales diamond in this ring is I2-Clarity:
That’s just pretty bad clarity, as you can see from the chart:
James Allen diamond example is I1-Clarity:
That’s only slightly better, at “Included-Level-1” Clarity instead of “Included-Level-2”.
But it is better. Plus it’s certified by the GIA. That’s the best you can get. And you’re saving around $600 to $700 dollars.
I don’t know that I would recommend buying a diamond of I1 Clarity. It depends on where the inclusions (flaws) are. You can at least look at any diamond you’re considering, in super zoom, from any angle, at James Allen. But I recommend bumping the Clarity up, and perhaps the carat-size down if necessary in order to stay under budget.)
Color (Note that the perfectly colorless grade is “D”. There are no such grades as A, B, or C.)
Zales diamond color in this ring is Color “I”:
That’s not necessarily bad, especially for a fairly sparkly cut / shape such as the Marquise Cut. The brilliance and sparkle and fire in such a cut can more or less hide any yellow color.
The James Allen diamond in this example has the Color H.
That’s slightly better. It’s even one entire grade better. And again, it’s less expensive, and it’s vouched for by the GIA, which is the best certificate you can get.
How to get the James Allen deal
At James Allen, you don’t just add a ring to cart. It’s slightly more interesting (and gives you more control and choice). Instead, you do this:
- You choose a setting (the metal ring, which in some cases comes with accent diamonds).
- Then you choose a loose diamond to add to it.
But it’s not as hard as it may seem. In fact it’s easy.
At least, it’s easy if you have someone walking you through it for the first time.
Here’s exactly how to get these deals (or very similar deals) at James Allen:
1. Select this 14K white gold setting. (It’s available on the same page in 14K, 18K as well, also in yellow gold and rose gold, or even in Platinum. Just choose them from the drop down on the setting product page.)
2. For the diamond, go to these pre-set James Allen diamond search results and select a diamond from the first 2 or 3 diamonds in the list.
(James Allen diamonds are unique, so I can’t send you straight to a specific diamond. It would sell out quickly. But there are many many others in the inventory. The price will be close to what you see here.
Also, of course the inventory is always changing, so you may see slightly different prices when you search.)
Conclusion: Even on a “Black Friday sale,” this Zales marquise cut diamond ring is overpriced. You can get a certified, better diamond ring for around $2,335. You’ve just saved around $700.
Especially with such bad clarity, the Zales diamond on sale here is simply overpriced IMHO. It’s priced higher than better quality diamonds (certified by the GIA or IGI, with objectively better specs) at James Allen.
So you can relax. You didn’t miss a “Black Friday deal” on a 1-carat marquise cut diamond engagement ring. You only missed being rushed into overpaying for a diamond.
It’s easy to get great deals on better diamond jewelry — for less money! Here’s how:
- Scroll up to the section on “How to Get the James Allen Deals.”
- Follow the easy directions there.
- Feel 100% confident that you bought the best diamond for the money
How to search this site to save up to tens of thousands of dollars at trusted diamond retailers, vs most any Costco, Kay, Jared, or Zales ring you’re considering
Search and save. You could save enough for a new compact car. Or a honeymoon. Or several expensive dinner dates. Or that guitar you’ve been wanting.
Read this very short note on how easy it is.
