Is this 0.75-carat Princess Cut diamond engagement ring a good deal at Jared? You’ll agree with me that it isn’t, after looking at the quick, hard data in this article. The Jared diamond isn’t certified. (Or if it is, they don’t say so on the product page.) You can get a certified, better-quality diamond ring in the same style for as low as $xxxx.
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The Jared offer: $2,199.99.
Item number at Jared: 161395304
See it live at Jared (unless it’s been discontinued / gone out of stock).
Carats
This diamond is 3/4-carat.
Clarity
It has a Clarity score of I2.
You’ll be able to see many inclusions (flaws) in this diamond. This is actually the second deal breaker, for me personally.
First was that it has no evident diamond certificate from a major diamond grading lab.
Second, not, is that it has such a low Clarity spec, from the retailer itself. I2 is quite bad, in my opinion. Most people won’t be happy.
Color
The color is “I”. That’s not the best, especially for this price. It’s in the “near colorless” level of color grades. But it’s on the lower half of that.
You’ll be able to see some yellow in this diamond, in the right light. Not terrible though.
It won’t be noticeable unless you’re comparing it side by side with a diamond of at least two color grades higher.
James Allen offers a very similar style ring with the certified same or better diamond specs for $1,705 (earth-mined) or $1,525 (lab-created).
Earth-mined for $1,705:
Lab-created for $1,525:
How to get the James Allen deals
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 gold setting. (It’s available on the same page in 14K Rose Gold and also (for about $100 more) in 18K yellow gold. (14K is the better choice for an engagement ring. 18K is too soft for daily use over decades.)
2. For an earth-mined diamond matching the high-priced Jared offer, go to my 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.)
3. For even greater savings, click the “Lab-Created Diamonds” filter. (Use my pre-set James Allen Lab-Created Diamonds search results.)
The specs of the James Allen earth-mined diamond is better than the Jared diamond
To see the differences in specs, look at the images of the complete rings, in the images higher up in this article.
Carats
This diamond is 0.80-carat, a bit larger than the Jared diamond.
Clarity
It has a Clarity score of SI1. (Which is 4 grades better than the Jared Clarity score of I2). You’ll notice significant difference. MUCH better clarity to the eye.
(Remember, the picture you see at Jared is an artist’s illustration. Your diamond won’t look that clear.)
However, the images of your chosen diamond at James Allen will be exact images of the very diamond that you’re buying. So, in super zoom, you can examine it at length. If you see inclusions you hate, then simply look at a different diamond with the same SI1 score at James Allen. Not all SI1-Clarity diamonds will look exactly the same, of course.
Color
The color is “I”. That’s the same as the Jared diamond’s score.
The specs of the James Allen lab-created diamond are MUCH better than the Jared diamond
Carats
The diamond is 0.80 carats. So it’s slightly larger than the Jared diamond, which is 0.75 carats by the specs.
Clarity
It has a Clarity score of SI1. (That is 4 grades better than the Jared diamond’s clarity score of I2.)
Color
The color is “D”. That’s perfect. (“D” is the best possible color score.) (“E” for this James Allen diamond is FIVE color grades better than the Jared diamond.) It’s the best possible. You’ll really feel it, too, as you look at a perfectly colorless diamond. )
Conclusion: This 3/4-carat Princess Cut diamond solitaire engagement ring from Jared is NOT a good buy for $2,200. You can get a certified much better diamond ring at James Allen for as low as $1,525.
The data, laid out here in the screen grabs, show that you get a MUCH better deal at James Allen. You get a certified diamond. With better specs. For less money.
There’s no catch. It’s like when Amazon started beating brick and mortar prices on everything from books to clothes to furniture to electronics. It’s a function of how efficient and transparent they are.
Same with James Allen. You’re not paying for brick and mortar showrooms there. You’re paying for the diamonds. And you get, as well, transparency, certificates, world-class specific-diamond-imaging, and more.
That’s why I can’t recommend buying that diamond ring at Jared. But rather, I think it’s obvious you should shop at James Allen for a better one.
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.
