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Where’s the best place to buy an engagement ring in Canada?
Learn the best place to buy a diamond ring.. And where to avoid
Buying an engagement ring is a big investment – both financially and emotionally.
Perhaps the biggest deciding factor in whether you get a beautiful ring for a fair price is where you buy your ring.
Get it wrong and you could pay over the odds for a dull diamond, and many jewellers in Canada don’t make it easy to find a good stone – limiting the information they tell you and overcharging for low quality diamonds.
We’ve reviewed 9 jewellers across the Canada (with more coming soon), examining them across four key criteria:
- Engagement ring setting selection
- Diamon quality
- Service
- Value for money
Here’s what we are looking for in each:
1. Engagement ring setting selection
We look at the choice and quality of their ring settings, including the quality of the metals used e.g 10k gold vs. 18k gold.
We also consider whether the jeweller allows you to customise the ring setting to make it your own.
After all, while some ring setting styles are classic for a reason, being able to personalise it can make your ring even more special.
2. Diamond quality
The big one when it comes to engagement rings!
We look at the quality of the diamonds that are used, as well as how transparent the jewellers are about what matters most – the diamond’s cut.
‘Cut’ is one of the 4Cs of diamonds and is what determines how much your diamond will sparkle. However many Canadian jewellers don’t tell customers the cut grade, relying on the fact that many customers aren’t well-versed enough in the intricacies of diamonds to realise that they are being sold a low-quality stone.
Many Canadian jewellers also offer diamonds with low clarity grades, which will have noticeable inclusions and flaws, while showing diamonds that look perfect on their websites. We highlight this and in our individual reviews show what the diamond will actually look like.
3. Service
Many Canadian jewellers offer very short return periods for engagement rings, which can make things tricky if you are trying to time the delivery around a special proposal.
We look at this, as well as other service-related policies to ensure that the jewellers will stand behind their merchandise.
Lastly, we look at what customers are saying post-purchase, to see how well they were supported if there were any issues.
4. Value for money
Diamond rings are a significant investment, and it’s important to understand that there’s a big difference between price and value when it comes to buying an engagement ring.
While a chain jeweller like Charm Diamond Centres may charge around $8,500 for a 1 carat diamond ring, it’s usually a low quality stone with obvious flaws. For the same price at an online jeweller, you can usually get a significantly higher quality diamond without the same compromises.
Luckily, it’s easy to compare diamond ring prices as each diamond is graded on the same quality criteria – the 4Cs.
Best place to buy an engagement ring
The results of our research are below. Each retailer has a full and detailed review which you can click through to, to find out more.
Our recommendations for the best place to buy your diamond ring:
I have two recommendations as the best place to buy a diamond engagement ring when you’re in Canada, depending on what you are looking for:
Widest selection and best value: James Allen
James Allen is one of the largest jewelry retailers on the web, with access to a huge range of diamonds.
What sets them apart is the incredible imagery of every diamond they sell so you can see exactly what you’re getting. This makes them a great choice for any diamond, but an especially good places for non-round ‘fancy’ shaped stones.
Ethical choice and Canadian diamonds recommendation:
Brilliant Earth
Brilliant Earth goes above and beyond current recommended standards for responsible sourcing with their Beyond Conflict Free Diamonds, which have been selected for their ethical and environmentally responsible origins, including a great selection of Canadian origin diamonds. .
Whether you’re looking for a lab-grown or a natural diamond, Brilliant Earth is the jeweler to choose if making a conscious, ethical choice factors into your decision when choosing your ring.
