This $18,000 diamond ring from Costco has a 2-carat, GIA-certified, I-Color, VS2-Clarity, Excellent Cut Round Brilliant diamond. It’s a stunning diamond. But you can get one with the exact same specs, also certified, for $13,100, from James Allen. Here’s how to do it.
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Costco’s offer for $18,000
It’s Costco item number 1353333.
You can see it live at Costco, until it’s sold out.
James Allen offers a ring with the same diamond specs for $13,100 (earth-mined) or $6,600 (lab-created)
As you can see in the images, below, James Allen again wins out. For an earth-mined diamond, the cost total for the entire ring is $13,100. The specs are identical.
And for the lab-created diamond on the ring, the cost is only $6,600. You save $11,400 over the Costco cost. (Lab created diamonds are 100% authentic, 100% identical in chemical and physical characteristics, to earth-mined diamonds. They’re even graded by major grading labs such as the IGI. So nope, they’re not “fake.” They’re just made by humans in lab equipment that can reach extremely high pressures and temps.)
Earth-mined for $13,100:
Lab-created for $6,600:
How to get the James Allen deal
Getting the deal at Costco is no brainer. You just buy it on the site and pick it up at the warehouse. (Be sure join first, if you haven’t already. That will save you a possible 5% or more surcharge levied against non members.)
But James Allen is different. It sells diamond rings that you build yourself, so it’s very slightly different. But it’s easy if you know how:
1. Select this 6-prong solitaire platinum setting for $900.
2. For an earth-mined diamond matching the Costco 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 of course send you straight to a specific diamond. It would sell out quickly. 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 Lab-Created Diamonds search results.)
4. Combine a diamond you like with the setting you chose, and buy your ring. (Hurry because every diamond is unique. Anyone could buy it before you do.)
The specs of these diamond deals compared
Diamond Certificate
The Costco diamond has a GIA certificate. They’re generally acknowledged to be the best, strictest, most accurate grading lab.
The two James Allen diamonds (the earth-mined and the lab-created) each have an IGI certificate. That’s also a great lab.
Shape
All three diamonds (Costco, James Allen earth-mined, and James Allen lab-created) are Round Brilliant Cut shape diamonds.
It’s a classic cut. It’s by far the most popular cut of diamond, especially for engagement rings. It has the best light performance, bar none.
Carats
All three diamonds are almost exactly 2 carats. The Costco is 2.00, the JA earth mined is 2.04. The JA lab-created is 2.00.
Clarity
All three are of VS2 clarity.
James Allen has an advantage here. Remember, diamonds are naturally formed crystals. (Even in the lab, they are, arguably, naturally formed — no one can predict exactly where the inclusions (flaws) will show up).
The point is just that: the inclusions (flaws) could be anywhere in the diamond.
Which means: you want to make sure that they don’t appear top and center, where they’re super visible.
You can’t examine the Costco diamond before you buy it. But you can examine any James Allen diamond to your heart’s content, all night long: you just use their super-zoom 3D images of the diamond you’re looking at. You can within seconds see where the inclusions are.
Color
The color of the Costco diamond and of the James Allen earth-mined diamond is “I”.
The color of the James Allen lab-created diamond is two full letter grades better, at G.
Cut Quality
The cut quality of all three diamonds has been graded by a professional gemologist, working for a 3rd-party unbiased lab (GIA in Costco’s case, and the IGI on these two particular diamonds from James Allen).
And they are all graded “Excellent.” And that means something. It’s not just the store telling you “Yeah, of course it’s Excellent.”
That means these diamonds are full of sparkle and life.
(And the lab-created diamond is two full color grades better. So it will look the best of all three. Which is ironic since it’s the least expensive. But that’s only due to market forces. It’s easier to supply them. And fewer people are comfortable with them, because many people still have the misunderstanding that they are somehow “less than.” Truly they are not.)
Conclusion: This Costco diamond isn’t the best deal. James Allen definitely has two better deals, as shown in the hard numbers and screen shots on this page.
In my opinion, this Costco diamond ring isn’t the best deal at all. The James Allen offer wins out.
Congrats, you just saved at least $4,900.
Or if you chose the lab created diamond search at James Allen, you saved $11,400.
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.
