Costco offers this ring for $59,999.99. You can get the same design, with a better diamond, and from a top-level retailer, for as low as $22,000.
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Costco offers this ring for $59,999.99
(Turns out there IS actually a GIA certificate. Read on to know why it wasn’t easy to spot in this Costco listing. (But that in no way helps the price!)
It’s Costco item number 1012741.
You can see it live at Costco, unless and until it’s sold out.
James Allen offers a ring with the same diamond specs for $44,290.
How to get the James Allen deal
James Allen sells diamond rings that you build yourself. It’s easy to get this deal:
1. Select this 6-prong platinum setting for $1,000.
2. 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.)
3. For even greater savings, click the “Lab-Created Diamonds” filter. (Use my pre-set Lab-Created Diamonds search results.)
4. Buy your ring now and save at least $15,710.
The Costco diamond ring’s specs, explained
Diamond Certificate
At first, it seemed that this diamond did not have a diamond certificate from the GIA, IGI, or AGS. (Usually that is noted nearer the top of the product page at Costco.) But good — as it turns out, we can see in the specs that it does indeed have a GIA certificate.
Carats
It’s a big whopping 4-carat stone.
Clarity
It’s graded as having VS2 clarity.
That’s a little worrying to me. True, VS2 can be perfectly eye clean. Meaning, many VS2 diamonds appear perfectly clear and “clean” to the naked eye.
But the truth also remains: some are not eye clean. With a Costco diamond, you can’t look at it in super zoom, 3D imagery. (You can at James Allen.) In fact, at Costco, you can’t view your diamond at all.
With some Costco diamonds, they include a GIA grading report number. And you can use that number to look up the grading report directly from the GIA. That allows you to see a diagram of the inclusions (flaws) that the gemologist found. So you can see where the flaws are located. And you can kind of guess whether they’ll be very visible or not.
But in this particular diamond, no specific GIA diamond report number is listed. So we can’t even do that.
That’s a red flag to me. Or a deal breaker. (Even supposing the price here was competitive with James Allen, which it isn’t.) I just really prefer to be able to see a diamond before buying.
But let’s continue…
Color
The color is “I”.
That’s on the lower half of the “Near Colorless” scale.
Cut Quality
Cut quality is Excellent. That’s … excellent, obviously. It means this diamond will sparkle very well.
The James Allen diamond ring’s specs explained
The James Allen diamond has the same specs. It’s just a lot less expensive.
James Allen has an advantage — you can closely examine any James Allen diamond in super zoom, on your screen, before you buy it. So you can judge of the clarity, location of the inclusions (flaws), and so on.
Get a diamond ring with even better specs for only $21,780. (Not a typo.)
Comfortable with lab-created diamonds? You 100% can be.
Lab-created diamonds are 100% authentic and identical to earth-mined diamonds. They just were made in a lab, in similar conditions that occur deep inside the earth.
They’re also a lot less expensive, because demand for them is lower than demand for earth created diamonds. That allows massive savings for people who are comfortable with them.
Even better, lab-created diamonds are often of better quality. Just as in this case.
To see prices of lab-created diamonds at James Allen, click the “Lab-Created Diamonds” filter. (See the image blow.) (Or use my pre-set Lab-Created Diamonds search results.)
Carats
The James Allen rock is an entire quarter-carat bigger, at 4.28 carats.
Clarity
The clarity is rated at VS2. I won’t put an image of that. It’s the same on a grading scale as the Costco diamond.
However, there’s a big advantage for the James Allen diamond. It’s this: you can look at the James Allen diamond in super zoom. From every angle. This is true for any James Allen diamond. So, you can find one that does not have inclusions (flaws) near the top facet.
That’s hugely important. Some VS2 clarity diamonds look a lot worse than some others, just because of the location of the inclusions. They get the same grade because overall the number and size of the inclusions are the same. But they look very very different based on the location of the inclusions.
Advantage goes to James Allen here.
Color
It’s of the color grade G, which is is two entire shades better.
Cut Quality
It’s called “Ideal” by the IGI. (The James Allen diamond has an IGI certificate, while the Costco diamond has a GIA certificate.)
What the GIA calls “Excellent”, the IGI essentially calls “Ideal.” It’s equal or better.
Both diamonds can be considered to be tied in this quality.
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.
