The Best Place to Buy Engagement Rings Online

engagement rings
Engagement ring via Blue Nile

Gone are the days where the best place to buy engagement rings was at your local jeweler. Now, don’t get us wrong. We still LOVE going to local retailers. I got my engagement ring from a local jeweler that my family knew, and I couldn’t be happier. But that’s not always the quickest, easiest, or even most affordable option. For that, you’ll want to look online.

But shopping online for engagement rings can feel like uncharted waters. Not only do you sometimes feel like you need a crash course in diamond cuts, but there’s the fear of having what is likely one of the most expensive things you’ve ever bought shipped to you. And what if it doesn’t even fit? Can you return it? It’s a lot to think about, but thankfully the stores on this list are trustworthy options that will make the process as easy as possible. But first, let’s get into the basics.

What to Look for When Buying Engagement Rings Online

When searching for the best place to buy engagement rings online, you’ll want to establish that they are not only a trusted retailer, but that they offer certified diamonds, as well as a secure way to make (and receive) your purchase. You’ll also want to make sure that they are following established guidelines when it come to ethical sourcing of diamonds. Most of this advice still applies whether you’re looking to buy engagement rings online OR in a store. With that said, these are the main things you want to make sure a retailer can guarantee:

Grading Reports:

If you are buying a diamond, you want a store that can provide certification of the stone from either the GIA, AGS, GCAL, or IGI, all of which are trusted and licensed gemological laboratories. This report will detail what is known as the 4 C’s (cut, carat, color, clarity) as well as its authenticity. It’s also important to note that the GIA and other third-party labs now offer these reports for laboratory grown diamonds as well.

Conflict-Free Diamonds:

In the early 2000’s the global diamond community got together to guarantee they would only sell conflict-free diamonds under compliance with The Kimberly Process, which tracks each diamond from “mine to market.” If you are shopping for an earth-diamond (vs. lab grown) you’ll want to make sure your stone is conflict-free.

Generous Return Policy:

30-days is standard for most online retailers, however many offer extended returns during the holiday season.

Appraisals:

You will need an appraisal for your engagement ring insurance (which we advise getting as soon as you purchase the ring). This appraisal will provide the replacement value of the ring, which the insurance company will then use to insure your ring.

Free Resizing:

While you can take an engagement ring to a local jeweler to get resized, having the company you bought it from offer it (for free) is key. They are familiar with the stone/setting and are often the best place to have this done.

Insured Shipping/Returns:

If your engagement ring is being shipped to/from you, the label needs to be fully insured.

Diamond and Jewelry Experts On Staff

If you have questions about a particular diamond or gemstone, you’ll want to be able to speak to a certified gemologist.

WGM Says: When buying a ring online (or in person), try to make sure you’re getting close to the right size. Most online retailers will offer virtual help with sizing, but you can also use our guide on how to measure your ring size here. Just know that when in doubt, it’s always better to size up than down.

5 Best Places to Buy Engagement Rings Online

When searching for the best place to buy engagement rings online, you’ll want to establish that they have met the criteria above. Once you do that, it all comes down to price and design! While all of the retailers below have inventory you can buy online, most of them also have brick and mortar locations across the country to visit and see the ring in person as well.

Blue Nile

Founded in 1999, Blue Nile is one of the top recommended stores on and offline from customers and jewelry experts. With over 24 brick and mortar locations across the country as well as their main website, you can find lab-grown and natural diamonds, including their Astor Collection™, which is graded for “triple excellence in its cut, symmetry and polish by industry experts GIA and GemEx.” By cutting out the middleman, you can get the same quality diamond as other big-name, luxury retailers for half the price.

How Their Process Works: You can start by shopping loose diamonds by type (lab or natural), as well as shape, price, cut, etc. Alternatively, you can browse settings and choose your stone after you find one you love. If you’re not sure where to start, their “Build Your Own Ring” tool will guide you through the process. Looking for a ring that’s ready to go? They also offer a “Ready-to-Ship” collection of their best-selling engagement ring styles paired with a top GIA graded diamond.

Quality Assurance: Blue Nile offers handcrafted engagement rings and GIA-certified diamonds that range from D-K in color with exceptional clarity(FL-SI2). Along with free 30-day secure returns and a lifetime guarantee from manufacturing defects, they also offer:

  • Appraisals
  • 24/7 Expert Advice
  • Diamond Price-Match Guarantee

Frank Darling

For those looking for the best place to buy engagement rings with truly unique designs, Frank Darling tops our list. They focus on “low-profile” ring settings, including the trendy bezel which is currently on everybody’s radar. In addition to only selling earth diamonds that adhere to the Kimberly Process, all of their small diamonds used in settings are recycled. They also use recycled 18k gold for their settings, and offer lab-grown diamonds as well.

How Their Process Works: As one of the newer options online, the Frank Darling website is one of the easiest to navigate (and most fun). To start, their ring quiz is a great way to discover designs you love. After you answer a few questions, they will send you a sketch of a custom ring based on your choices. Alternatively, you can shop by setting or diamond. Once you find a few styles you like, they also offer a “try at home” program, where they’ll send you three sterling silver replicas with faux stones along with a ring sizer. After five days, simply send it back.

Quality Assurance: In addition to certification listed on each diamond’s information page, you can also see each stone’s specs, such as polish, symmetry, and depth. All collection rings are free to ship and return for up to 30 days. Custom settings can also be returned within 30 days. The center stone can be returned within 60 days from the date of first payment, or within 30 days from the date your purchase is ready to ship or pick up, whichever comes first.

James Allen

After Blue Nile, James Allen is the second most recommended online retailer for engagement rings when it comes to value and quality. Unlike Blue Nile, however, they only have two U.S. locations where you can see their rings in person. That’s because they’ve dedicated their site—which launched in 2006—to the online engagement ring shopping experience. If that’s your preferred shopping method, then they’re a great choice.

How Their Process Works: You can design your own engagement ring starting with the setting, diamond, or gemstone, or even get inspired by other customer’s real rings. You can also choose to design your own ring using their “Ring Studio,” which is one of the more helpful design tools we’ve seen online. You can choose details such as the head, metal, shank, diamond shank and size, and even get a complete 360-degree view.

Quality Assurance: They offer free shipping and returns on all items along with a 30-day guarantee and one-time free resizing. Every engagement ring or fine jewelry valued over $1,000+ will also receive a full insurance evaluation. And if you’re ever ready to get a larger diamond, you can take advantage of their “Lifetime Upgrade” program, which allows you to exchange your James Allen purchased diamond for one that is 2x value or greater.

Tiffany & Co

Let’s get this out of the way first: Tiffany & Co. are going to be more expensive than any other choice on this list in terms of a carat-to-carat comparison. Often that difference can be 2-3x, which is yes, crazy. But in our opinion, no engagement ring list is complete without them. After all, they invented the engagement ring as we know it. And while you can get a similar quality diamond from Blue Nile or James Allen, I believe buying from Tiffany comes down to how much you value the name brand and experience (and of course that little blue box). There is also something to be said about resale value, if, for instance, you wish to sell your ring to upgrade to a different one. Tiffany jewelry, and in particular their diamonds, have a high secondary market because of their craftsmanship and demand for only the best cuts.

How Their Process Works: You can visit one of their 90+ locations across the U.S., or securely buy an engagement ring online. While you can filter by diamond shape, setting, or material (IE: gold or platinum) when shopping online (likely offering you the best selection), I do think that where they really excel is with their customer service in-store, so keep that in mind when deciding where you purchase.

Quality Assurance: Unlike other stores on this list, Tiffany gives each of their diamonds their own Tiffany Diamond Certificate to certify the authenticity and integrity of specific diamonds vs a third-party lab. Their diamonds, which undergo a rigorous selection process (they only select 0.04% of the world’s gem-grade diamonds) are covered by a lifetime guarantee. All jewelry has a 30-day return policy and free return shipping (or if you’re nervous, you can always return the ring OR pick it up from a store.)

Clean Origin

Lab-grown diamonds have soared in popularity the last five years, and that’s thanks in part to the quality creations being put out by retailers like Clean Origin. Founded in 2017, Clean Origin sells the promise that “100% of our diamonds are 100% ethical,” by only selling lab-grown diamonds. In addition to being an online-first company, they also have showrooms in Texas with locations in California, Illinois, Ohio, and Virginia on the way.

How Their Process Works: Like the other stores on this list, you can start your search by diamond or setting. However, they also offer a large selection of Quick Ship and Ready-to-Shop rings for fast inspiration. You can also search non-binary styles as well as rings with “hidden accents” (like a thin band of diamonds that only you can see) that make their engagement rings unique.

Quality Assurance: All of their lab-grown diamonds are certified by either the IGI or GCAL. They also offer a whopping 100-day return policy if it doesn’t work out, as well as free resizing. You can also purchase their “Forever Service Plan,” which goes above and beyond the standard warranty protection with annual inspections and repairs included in the one-time fee (which ranges from $150-$500 depending on the cost of the item purchased).

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