Should I Buy Diamond Engagement Rings at Amazon?
Should I Buy Diamond Engagement Rings at Amazon?
Posted by Rebecca B. on 5th Sep 2019
Amazon Diamonds – A Review
Our Rating 2.8 out of 5.
Compare Amazon Diamonds with James Allen.
Amazon is a retail giant, overtaking many markets worldwide, from electronics to furniture to clothing, but how do they fare as a diamond and engagement ring retailer?
Shopping online with Amazon has become the norm for so many people around the world, with quick delivery, reliable service, and fairly decent customer support. However, not too many people are familiar with their diamond engagement ring market, which could cause uncertainty when looking at Amazon to buy such an expensive piece of jewelry.
Does Amazon stack up to the other online diamond and engagement ring retailers in the market? Below is a review of everything you would need to know before considering purchasing an engagement ring from Amazon.
A Brief History
Amazon was created by Jeff Bezos in 1994. Initially created as a book retailer, Amazon has grown to include almost every single item you could need, all found in one online site. Amazon has grown from strength to strength to cement themselves in the online retailing market.
Amazon increases its inventory constantly, allowing more products to be sold, either fulfilled by Amazon or an outside seller, to cater to every market.
What Amazon Offer
Apart from selling almost any item you can dream of, Amazon offers for individual sellers to list their own engagement rings and diamonds for sale. The issue comes into holding the site accountable for the quality of the products sold, with them being the middle man between seller and consumer.
There is a fairly large inventory of diamonds and engagement rings to choose from on Amazon, all ranging in price and quality. There is not much to brag about when it comes to the online service offered, as the site was not created to be directed primarily towards engagement ring and diamond retailing.
Amazon also does not hold up well in pricing either. The quality of diamonds you will find on Amazon are often lower than those found on other reputable sites such as James Allen or Blue Nile, and even though the quality is lower, they often hold a higher price tag.
What Makes Amazon Stand Out?
Wide inventory – In almost all cases, diamonds shown for sale on Amazon are not sold by Amazon, but instead by individual sellers. This allows for a wide range of diamonds to be shown, for sale from all over the world. It is important to note though that this does not mean it is a wide variety of high-quality diamonds.
Reliable site – The plus side to buying a diamond or engagement ring from Amazon is that they are a trusted online retailer. There is no chance that the site could be fake, and there is extensive customer care to help should a problem arise.
Engagement rings – Amazon features a wide range of engagement rings on offer. Just like with the diamonds, these engagement rings are sold by individual sellers, meaning there is a higher chance of a bigger range on offer, and not only limited to a certain jewelry retailer.
Ready-made rings – Many of the engagement rings sold on Amazon are ready-made, and cannot be customized to fit with a chosen diamond. This is due to there being so many individual sellers, that communicating and offering custom designs between them would be nearly impossible.
Amazon Pricing
Amazon might appear to offer competitive pricing for diamonds at first glance, but the reality is that the diamonds are often of a lower quality than what is stated on the site. Buying the same quality diamond from other retailers like James Allen will not only save you some money but will give you the assurance that the diamond is certified and true to the qualities it was advertised with.
Custom Orders
There is a very limited selection of custom order engagement rings on Amazon. There appear to be many settings available on the site, but many of them feature diamond clusters which are not suited to have a center stone fitted. You will notice that there will be very few options available to pair a diamond with an engagement ring setting.
When it comes to pairing the diamond with the engagement ring setting you have chosen, Amazon lack in what they have to offer. There is almost no choice as to what diamond to choose, and you will not see the actual diamond on offer. There is a very vague description given, and there is no access to the certifications.
Custom designing an engagement ring is one of the best ways to create a piece of jewelry that is as personal as can be, and Amazon falls very short in this regard.
Website Ease of Use
Amazon is full of sponsored ads and other pop-ups that might throw you off your search. Filtering out diamonds and engagement rings becomes tricky as well, as there are many of the same products repeated on the page, which are sold by individual sellers.
This makes viewing and finding an engagement ring or diamond very difficult, and can be quite off-putting when trying to filter your results.
The checkout process is fairly simple, the same as if you were buying a new radio. This doesn’t quite make up for what Amazon does not offer when searching for the jewelry you want.
Customer Service
Amazon is fairly reliable when it comes to customer service with most products on their site, but they do not offer extensive customer care that is needed when purchasing diamonds and engagement rings.
Depending on the individual seller, you are often not guaranteed your money back or a return option on your engagement ring, which could leave you with a below quality item and no way to get your money back.
Full time Customer Support – Amazon does offer full-time customer support, but these customer care agents are not clued up in all things diamonds and engagement rings. When making a purchase of such a large value, it really does help to have someone who is knowledgeable in the industry helping out.
Return Policy – There is no guaranteed return policy with Amazon diamonds and engagement rings, as there are many different individual sellers.
International Shipping – Amazon offers shipping worldwide, but this doesn’t apply to all of the products on the site. Once again, this will depend on the individual seller.
Amazon Financing Options
Amazon is fairly limited with financing option, once again being due to the fact that there are so many individual sellers offering up diamonds and engagement rings. The best option would be to finance the purchase on your own through a loan or personal credit card.
Why You Should Choose Amazon
- Fairly large inventory of diamonds and engagement rings
- A large variety of other jewelry
- Shipping can be offered to many locations
Amazon – Not The Ideal Retailer
Amazon might be the go-to choice for household items and other goods, but it definitely is not the best option for diamonds and engagement rings. There is no way to be sure of the quality of the diamond or jewelry you will be receiving, and unlike sites like Blue Nile and James Allen, there is no guarantee of quality or after sales.
For such a large purchase, it is better to leave the diamond and engagement ring industry to the bigger names in the market, those who have been created for the sole purpose of providing people with the best quality diamonds and engagement rings, with after sales that make a difference.