{"id":58521,"date":"2022-03-25T08:19:38","date_gmt":"2022-03-25T08:19:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ringspo.com\/ca\/?page_id=58521"},"modified":"2025-01-03T02:48:52","modified_gmt":"2025-01-03T02:48:52","slug":"ben-moss-review","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ringspo.com\/ca\/ben-moss-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Ben Moss"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ben Moss review<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Should you buy your engagement ring or wedding ring from Ben Moss Jewellers?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Ben Moss was originally established in 1910 and has been owned by Charm Diamond Centres since 2016, meaning they are now part of Canada\u2019s largest independently owned and operated jewellery company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ben Moss is a signatory member of the Canadian Diamond Code of Conduct which means they can sell diamonds certified as Canadian under the \u2018Glacier Fire\u2019 brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this Ben Moss review,<\/strong> we will primarily examine them from the point of view of buying a diamond engagement ring. However, the findings are equally relevant for any other type of jewellery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019d like to jump straight to the \u2018value for money\u2019 section and see how choosing one of my recommended retailers could save 19.47% and still get a higher quality ring compared to Ben Moss, click here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Ben Moss ring selection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ben Moss offers a huge selection of engagement rings on their website \u2013 551 at the time of review:<\/p>\n\n\n

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Many styles are available, with the most common being the solitaire and the halo \u2013 two classic styles that have stood the test of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The halo setting is a ring of small accent stones, typically pave diamonds, that encircle a larger center stone. Halo settings can be the same shape as the center stone, or they can be different, such as a cushion-cut halo around a round diamond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with most other jewellers, the most common centre stone shape that Ben Moss offers is the round brilliant:<\/p>\n\n\n

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Round diamonds are a great choice because they are the shape that reflects the most light and sparkles the most. However, Ben Moss does also offer a wide range of other shapes too, including a limited selection of some less common shapes like the marquise and heart shaped diamond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, there\u2019s an impressive range of ring styles and diamond shapes on offer from Ben Moss, which means you should be able to find something that suits your taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing to note is that the majority of ring settings use 14 karat gold, with some even using 10 karat, rather than the more pure 18 karat that many engagement rings are made with:<\/p>\n\n\n

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If you want to look at the positive of this, then rings with lower grades of gold are actually usually more durable than those made with higher grades, as gold itself is quite a soft metal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, with fairly premium prices being charged, many buyers may be surprised at the low availability of 18 karat gold settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ben Moss diamond quality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Engagement rings are all about the diamond, and being able to choose a diamond that will sparkle brilliantly will make the difference between a truly stunning engagement ring and one that looks dull and unimpressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this section, we\u2019ll examine the quality of diamonds Ben Moss offers, as well as how transparent they are about the quality of the diamonds themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As you probably know, the biggest determinant of the cost of a diamond ring is the diamond itself, and Ben Moss offers a range of carat weights from under 0.15 carats all the way to nearly 3 carats.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Again, this wide range means that you are likely to be able to find a ring that fits your desired style and your budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But diamond carat is just one of the \u2018Four Cs\u2019, with the other three being Cut, Colour and Clarity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people also include and \u2018Certification\u2019 as a fifth C and we will discuss the importance of this later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While carat weight may be the biggest determinant of diamond price, the factor that determines how much a diamond sparkles is diamond \u2018cut\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diamond cut is a measure of how well the diamond has been formed and it is essential that a diamond has good proportions to reflect light; otherwise it will be dull, lifeless and unimpressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a diamond is too tall or too shallow, it won\u2019t reflect much light:<\/p>\n\n\n

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Diamond is too shallow:<\/h4>\n\n\n
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Light passes through the diamond and is lost, meaning the diamond looks dull and sparkles less than it should.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Diamond is too deep:<\/h4>\n\n\n
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Light is bounced off the bottom facets at the wrong angle and is lost out of the side of the diamond, reducing sparkle.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Excellent \/ Ideal cut:<\/h4>\n\n\n
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Light is reflected off the bottom facets and back through the table to your eye, meaning the diamond sparkles beautifully. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Understanding the cut quality of a diamond is absolutely essential to be able to understand whether it will sparkle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t know the cut quality then you may very well be wasting your money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike other retail jewellers, Ben Moss doesn\u2019t allow you to select diamond cut grade in their product filter, and it is not usually shown in the details of individual rings:<\/p>\n\n\n

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As you can see, clarity, colour and carat are all listed, but no ‘cut’ grade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This means we can\u2019t tell whether a diamond is likely to sparkle well, or be dull.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I asked them about this through email they said; \u201cCut grade is not commonly information customers ask for but should you have a particular piece in mind I would be happy to request the information on your behalf\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n

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This is a red flag as being able to select the cut quality of a diamond can ensure that you get a stone that sparkles well, which really is the whole point of buying a diamond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another important indicator of diamond quality is \u2018clarity\u2019, which is a measure of how many flaws (or ‘inclusions’) a diamond has. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The majority of the clarity grades that Ben Moss offers are ‘Included’ and graded either I1, I2 or I3:<\/p>\n\n\n

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Included diamonds are right at the bottom of the clarity scale: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Here’s how GIA describes ‘Included’ clarity diamonds:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Inclusions are obvious which may affect transparency, brilliance and durability.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Included clarity diamonds have obvious inclusions which can be easily seen by naked eye – looking at the I2 clarity diamond below, you can see there are significant inclusions which are very easy to see:<\/p>\n\n\n

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By offering diamonds with such obvious inclusions, Ben Moss is able to offer 1 carat diamonds at prices that seem low. However, they are actually poor value as the diamond\u2019s beauty will be negatively impacted by the flaws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ben Moss diamond grading labs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Diamonds are graded on four key factors \u2013 carat, colour, clarity and cut \u2013 and a host of smaller factors too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diamonds which score higher are generally more expensive \u2013 an F colour diamond will be pricier than an H colour, if everything also is the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important therefore that diamond grading levels can be trusted \u2013 you don\u2019t want to pay more for diamond that has been graded as an F colour but it is actually an H.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why independent diamond quality testing labs are important, and any diamond you consider should be accompanied by a report that shows the quality of the diamond:<\/p>\n\n\n

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An independent testing lab doesn\u2019t have any incentive to say that a diamond is higher quality than it is, as they don\u2019t make any more money if they do. In fact, if they bump up diamond quality grades, it may mean people trust them less, which might mean that people use their service less and the make less money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being able to rely on the grading scores from independent labs is a key part of comparing diamonds across retailers \u2013 you know that you are comparing like-for-like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, retailers DO have an incentive to increase diamond quality scores, as it will mean that they can sell a diamond for a higher price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this reason, I recommend that you always look for a diamond which has been graded by an independent authority \u2013 my usually recommendation is the GIA<\/a>, although there are other good diamonds labs too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ben Moss doesn\u2019t show information about diamond grading lab on their website. When I asked about this over email, I was told that \u201cWe use independent laboratories to grade and certify our diamonds such as IGI<\/a>, Gemscan<\/a>, Amsterdam and GSI<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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IGI has a good reputation within the industry, especially for lab-grown diamonds, although the others less so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, none of these labs are as rigorous as GIA, which means that a diamond that is graded as an F colour, may actually be a G, H or I instead. Not ideal.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Ben Moss service<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Buying an engagement ring is a special purchase, and you want to have confidence that the retailer will not only treat you well during while buying your ring, but also that they will stand behind their product after the purchase too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ben Moss has 16 stores in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C., which means you have option to visit the store to see a design you like in person and try it on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ben Moss offers a Lifetime Diamond Guarantee and Lifetime Extended Service Plan (ESP). This service plan will cover all necessary repairs of your jewellery for a lifetime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with its sister organisations, Charm Diamond Centres<\/a> and Crescent Gold and Jewellery<\/a>, Ben Moss offers have 30 day return policy, which is better than a lot of jewellers. Looking at reviews on Google, the reviews are split out by individual store. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an example, the Ben Moss store in Abbotsford, BC has an impressive score of 4.1 from 39 reviews, indicating that people are pleased with the service they have received from Ben Moss, but not blown away:<\/p>\n\n\n

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Ben Moss value for money<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The easiest way to understand Ben Moss offers good value for money is to compare it to others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buying a diamond ring is a big commitment \u2013 both financially and emotionally. So it\u2019s important that you ensure sure that you are getting good value for money and aren\u2019t spending more than you need to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all, if you\u2019re buying an engagement ring, it\u2019s likely that you will have a wedding to pay for soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To see how Ben Moss value for money compares, we\u2019ll compare it to one of my recommendations for the best place to buy an engagement ring<\/a> from \u2013 Ecksand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ecksand<\/a> is a boutique Canadian jeweller with a strong focus on customer service, curation and craftsmanship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When comparing, we\u2019ll keep the ring style, diamond clarity, metal, colour, carat as similar as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good way to compare is to look at solitaire diamond rings as they are simple and timeless, without ornate settings to make the comparison more complicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the sake of this review, we’ll look at a 1 lab-grown diamond, with a 14k white gold setting, which Ben Moss sells for $2,799 plus tax:<\/p>\n\n\n

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This diamond has been graded HI colour and SI1- SI2 clarity, although we aren\u2019t told what the cut quality is:<\/p>\n\n\n

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One thing that is interesting about this is that lab-grown diamonds with clarity this low are actually very rare and quite hard to find!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As lab-grown diamonds are produced in tightly-controlled conditions, lab-grown diamonds with higher clarity grades are much more common than natural diamonds with higher clarity grades. As a result, not many retailers offer SI1 or SI2 clarity lab-grown stones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When comparing to my recommended retailer Ecksand<\/a>, the lowest clarity grade they offered for a comparable stone is VS1, which is at least two grades higher than the Ben Moss stone:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Also, the lowest colour that Ecksand offers for a comparable ring is G, which is again a higher grade than the Ben Moss diamond’s H or I colour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite offering a higher quality diamond, Ecksand’s 1 carat lab-grown ring is priced at just $2,343, compared to Ben Moss’s $2,799:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As well as being nearly $500 lower in price than the ring from Ben Moss, this ring is significantly higher quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n