Updated December 10th, 2021 

Review: Ritani vs James Allen

Both Ritani and James Allen are popular places to get your engagement ring online. Shopping for an engagement ring online has many benefits, including cheaper prices, greater diamond and setting options, and more. But which online jeweler is the best place to shop? Keep reading to get a breakdown of Ritani vs James Allen.  

Diamond Pricing  

Ritani's diamond prices can’t be beaten. Here is a price comparison of the same diamond on Ritani and James Allen’s site.  

The Diamond’s Specs:  

• 2 Carats 
• H Color 
• SI2 Clarity 
• Excellent Cut 
• Excellent Polish 
• Excellent Symmetry 
• No Fluorescence 
• Medium to Slightly Thick, Faceted Girdle 
• No Culet 
• 56% Table 
• 63% Depth 
• 1.00 Length to Width Ratio

​James Allen offers this diamond for $19,130. * At the time of writing this, they offered a holiday sale, so the diamond was marked down to $18,560.  

​Ritani offers this same exact diamond for $18,046.  

​Even though at the time of writing this, we are running a 3% off sale (so this diamond would end up being $17,504.62), our base prices are clearly much more competitive.  

Diamond Shopping Tools 

Ritani has a variety of tools to make shopping for a diamond easier and more transparent.  

Diamond Cost Breakdowns 

We're breaking industry standards by providing a more honest approach to diamond shopping. Ritani's Diamond Cost Breakdown, which is listed under every stone, shows you exactly what goes into the final price of a diamond. 

Ritani's Diamond Cost Breakdown tells you the diamond cost (how much the diamond cost to get from the vendor), fulfillment costs (like shipping duties, customs fees, and more), our markup, and the final retail cost.  

James Allen does not give its customers this information. 

Diamond Price Alerts

The diamond market is constantly changing. Ritani gives its customers the ability to set up diamond price alerts, which will notify shoppers via email if the price of the diamond goes up or down.  

James Allen does not offer this feature. 

Best Value Diamonds 

To make shopping even simpler for customers, Ritani gives diamonds with exceptional value a Best Value badge. These Best Value diamonds are all listed under the Recommended tab so shoppers can easily find them. Ritani uses historical market prices to determine which diamonds are Best Value; each diamond’s 4 Cs and other factors play a role in this.  

James Allen does not indicate which of their diamonds is the best value. 

Diamond Information 

The quality of each specific diamond is summarized in an easy-to-understand way. For example, Ritani informs shoppers if their diamond appears smaller, larger, or equal to its carat weight. This information is calculated from the diamond’s proportions. This information is crucial because it is difficult to see how large a diamond will appear online. Many shoppers also aren’t aware that diamonds can appear smaller or larger than their carat weight indicates, as carat is simply a measure of weight.  

Ritani also helps customers understand if their diamond is eye clean based on its specific inclusions as well as its clarity grade. While diamonds on Ritani's site have HD imagery and/or videos listed, it is sometimes difficult to tell for beginner shoppers whether the diamond will be eye-clean in person. Ritani also lists which inclusions may affect your diamond’s appearance.  

James Allen does not provide these in-depth details on how large a diamond will appear or if it will be eye-clean. 

Diamond Certificates  

At Ritani, all diamond certificates are listed on our website. At James Allen, you must request your diamond certificate from their customer service team, but the report you receive still doesn’t even come with the GIA report number.  

Here is a report we received from James Allen's customer support team:  

As you can see, James Allen intentionally redacts it. It’s likely that they do this to avoid comparison shopping, or to make it harder for customers to receive a price match.  

We know we sound like a broken record at this point, but we include GIA report numbers because we believe in transparency. We know we have the best prices on diamonds, and we are ready to price match any diamond from a competitor.   

Free In-Store Preview 

Buying a diamond or engagement ring online can be scary – after all, you have no idea what it will look like until it arrives at your doorstep. That’s why Ritani offers Free In-Store preview at over 100 locations in 30 different states. Free In-Store Preview allows shoppers to preview a diamond or completed engagement ring that they are interested in at a local jeweler or WeWork near them. You get to see your actual loose diamond, or the actual diamond set in your engagement ring, at no cost to you. If you don’t like it, there is no obligation to buy it. You can walk away without paying a dime.  

At the time of writing this, James Allen has two showrooms – one in Washington, D.C. and one in New York where you can try on their pieces. However, these pieces are likely set with diamond simulants, not actual diamonds. They give you the option to look at a specific diamond you are interested in at their Washington, D.C. showroom – but that is only one location. If you don’t live near D.C., you’re out of luck. 

Custom Engagement Rings  

Both Ritani and James Allen can create your dream custom engagement ring. These custom design services allow you to work with a diamond expert and create the exact ring you had in mind. However, when you custom design a ring with James Allen, you can’t return it. Ritani allows returns on custom orders. 

Where Rings Are Made 

Ritani is very upfront and clear about where our engagement rings are made. Each Ritani engagement ring is handcrafted in our New York factory. We couldn’t find any information about where James Allen’s rings are made on their site, so we had to ask one of their diamond experts.  

Only some of their engagement rings are made in the U.S.; the rest are made overseas.   

By choosing a Ritani engagement ring, you are supporting an American business and local artisans. You can rest assured that your ring was created with care in a safe and ethical environment. And since we create our engagement rings in-house, we have greater control over the quality and the final product. 

Lab-Grown Diamond Inventory  

If you’re looking for the perfect lab-grown diamond, you’re in luck. Ritani has an expansive inventory of lab-grown diamonds. Of course, inventories can fluctuate at any time, but at the time of writing this, Ritani had 59,589 lab-grown diamonds in stock, while James Allen only had 45,814 in stock.  

Quality Standards 

Ritani has stringent quality standards for its diamonds. The lowest clarity grade Ritani offers is SI2. The lowest clarity grade James Allen offers is I1. Even though these diamonds are cheaper, Ritani does not offer I1 diamonds because their multitude of inclusions can actually make them weaker and less durable. The brilliance and fire of these diamonds are also weakened.  

When it comes to color, the lowest color grade Ritani offers is L, as anything below this is often too yellow for jewelry. James Allen offers M diamonds. To ensure customer satisfaction and provide the highest quality diamonds, we do not carry M-color diamonds.  

The Bottom Line 

Ritani is an excellent place to purchase your loose diamond or engagement ring – but don’t just take it from us. Here are some reviews from our overjoyed customers. 

“I had my original wedding ring stolen and they helped me replace it with one similar in price. The prices and quality were the best online so I ended up with a better ring than my original which kinda made up for the mess. Their deals were so good that it made me nervous that I was being scammed… but I wasn’t. I ended up with a beautiful 2ct stone from them which I am ecstatic to be wearing right now! Ritani is amazing!” -Jo W.  

“Ritani is absolutely amazing! I had the opportunity to customize the ring to make it my own and it looks absolutely stunning! Their customer service was fantastic as well. On top of that, the price of diamonds on Ritani is WAYYYY better than anywhere else online!” -Ben T.  

“It came in a beautiful box and the packaging was perfect! I had gone to countless jewelers only to be offered low quality stones for 10x’s the price. Ritani made everything easy and understandable for someone who was new in the diamond/jewelry market. The stone was beyond what I could imagine, the images don’t do it justice. The setting was phenomenal quality and carries the stone flawlessly. If you’re looking for a sign to buy lab grown. This is it. Do it. You won’t regret it.” -Tito V.  

“Ritani is an amazing company. Their customer service is above and beyond. I originally was designing a ring with a round diamond. When I got the ring home I loved it, however, wanted to try a different design. They then helped me through looking at emerald cut designs and ultimately I ended up at a 3 ct pear diamond in a halo setting. I messaged them so much that they knew me by my name and they never made me feel like I was annoying them. They are truly awesome and the quality is incredible. My pear diamond ring is nice and heavy and the stone is beautiful! Could not recommend this company enough! Also, their prices are super competitive and allowed the diamond I wanted to be attainable. Thank you Ritani for such amazing experience and I look forward to future purchases!” -Joshua L.​

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Learn More about the Ritani Difference 

*Reflects price as of December 10th, 2021