Kay has marked down this 3-carat diamond ring, from $20,000 list price to $18,000. Is it a deal? Not at all, in my opinion. And I think you’ll agree that I prove it. First of all, what you see in the image is not what you get. More important, I’ll show you how to get a much better (objectively better, certified) 3-carat diamond ring for about $13,000. (You’ll be able to see the difference from a few feet away.)
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The Kay Jewelers offer: $18,000
This ring is Kay Jewelers item number 151155708.
You can see it live at Kay, until or unless it sells out.
Objective look at the specs of the Kay offer
Carats of the Kay diamond
This diamond is 3-carat.
Clarity of the Kay diamond
It has a Clarity score of I2. That’s pretty bad, as you can see from the diagram. It’s so bad that James Allen doesn’t even have a filter for I2 diamonds.
You’ll be able to see many inclusions (flaws) in this diamond. Notice! What you see in the image at Kay is not what you get! It’s an artist’s rendition. It’s an idealized version of what you’ll get.
You’ll definitely be able to see the inclusions (flaws) as black marks, or grey streaks, or clouds inside the diamond.
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 ring with the same or better diamond specs for $15,825 (earth-mined) or $11,675 (lab-created)
Earth-mined at James Allen for $15,825:
Lab-created at James Allen for $11,675:
How to get the James Allen deals
At Kay, you just add the ring to your cart and check out. No problem.
At James Allen, you select a setting (ring). Then you select a diamond.
Sounds a little “expert” level. But it’s not. It’s the way diamonds should be sold. And it’s so easy.
Here’s how to get these deals (or very similar deals) at James Allen:
1. Select this 14K white gold setting.
2. For an earth-mined diamond similar to Kay’s offer, 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.
Also, the diamond inventory at James Allen 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 these pre-set Lab-Created Diamonds search results.)
4. After selecting the setting and the diamond, it’s even easier. You just check out.
Conclusion: This 3-carat diamond ring from Kay is not a good deal. You can get a better ring for much less, as shown.
I2-Clarity in the Kay deal is the deal breaker for me. Along with the price, of course. I think I’ve proved, above, that you can get a much better diamond for much less cost. It’s all in the certified specs, as I’ve shown. And in the screen shots of the prices.
You’ll save at least $1,000, if you go with that earth-created diamond deal at James Allen. What will you do with that extra $1,000?
And if you go with the lab-created diamond search, you’ll likely save around $5,000 or more. What will you do with the extra $5,000?
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.
