{"id":57798,"date":"2022-02-07T01:16:24","date_gmt":"2022-02-07T01:16:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ringspo.com\/uk\/?page_id=57798"},"modified":"2025-01-09T04:09:50","modified_gmt":"2025-01-09T04:09:50","slug":"beaverbrooks-review","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ringspo.com\/uk\/beaverbrooks-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Beaverbrooks Review"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n

Beaverbrooks Review<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Should you buy your engagement ring or diamonds from Beaverbrooks?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n
\n
\n\n

Beaverbrooks has a rich history \u2013 having been founded  in 1919 and recently celebrating its centenary. For any business to survive that long, it must be doing something right, and it has grown to 69 stores across the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this Beaverbrooks 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’d like to jump straight to the ‘value for money’ section and see how choosing one of my recommended retailers could save \u00a36,000 compared to Beaverbrooks, click here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n
\n
\n
\"Beaverbrooks<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Beaverbrooks engagement ring selection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Beaverbrooks offers a total of 584 styles of diamond engagement ring to choose from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"beaverbrooks<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The rings are a mixture of cluster set diamond rings (where several smaller diamonds are placed close together to give the impression of a larger stone), while other rings have larger centre stones. A cluster of smaller stones generally costs less than one larger diamond, so cluster settings can be a good option for those with a lighter budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beaverbrooks offers its engagement rings in yellow gold, platinum and white gold, so you can choose the colour that fits your taste and budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The large number of ring styles available through Beaverbrooks means that they offer a wide range of diamond shape \u2013 more than many other British jewellers. The most common shape they offer is the round brilliant \u2013 it\u2019s not only the most  popular shape, but it also the shape that sparkles the most.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Beaverbrooks<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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

\n
\n
\n\n

Beaverbrooks 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’ll examine the quality of diamonds Beaverbrooks offers, as well as how transparent they are about the quality of the diamonds themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

\n
\n
\"Beaverbrooks<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\n\n

Beaverbrooks make it easy for you to choose a diamond by diamond colour and clarity:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Beaverbrooks<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The most common colour offered is G, which is a good grade \u2013 it looks nice and white, without asking you to overpay for a higher colour grade where there is no visible difference in the diamond.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"G<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The majority of the clarity grades offered are SI1, which is lower than I would recommend you choose if you want your diamond to not have any visible flaws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SI1 Clarity means \u2018slightly included\u2019 and sits here on the diamond clarity scale:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"si1<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beaverbrooks don\u2019t show any images of actual diamonds on their website, which makes it difficult to know exactly what a diamond will look like, but my advice is to always view an SI1 diamond with your own eyes to ensure you are happy with the level of inclusions, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the factor that determins 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

\n
\n\n

Diamond is too shallow:<\/h4>\n\n\n
\n
\"shallow<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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

\n
\"shallow<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n
\n\n

Diamond is too deep:<\/h4>\n\n\n
\n
\"deep<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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

\n
\"deep<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n
\n\n

Excellent \/ Ideal cut:<\/h4>\n\n\n
\n
\"excellent<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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

\n
\"excellent<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 and getting a dull diamond that doesn’t sparkle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In their \u2018Engagement Ring FAQs\u2019 section, Beaverbrooks acknowledge the importance of cut:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Beaverbrook<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Beaverbrooks says:, \u2018the most important of the 4Cs, it\u2019s the cut that releases the inner beauty of a diamond. Incredibly complext and difficult to analyse, the quality  of the cut will determine the final look of the diamond and especially the sparkle<\/em>\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite this, Beaverbrooks don\u2019t show diamond cut grade for the diamonds on their website<\/strong>. Instead, when you look at the details about a diamond, they show the diamond shape<\/em>, rather than the cut<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"beaverbrook<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This means that despite knowing that diamond cut is the most important factor in determining how much a diamond sparkles, they don\u2019t give customers this information!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I asked Beaverbrooks about this on their livechat, they said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is not something we do in the UK. It is just not common practice to provide this specific information as of yet in the UK. I would say this is more of an American \/ other country thing to do\u201d:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"7.<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The lack of information on their diamonds\u2019 cut quality is a huge red flag for Beaverbrooks. Many other jewellers do include diamond cut quality on their websites \u2013 some of which make it one of the filters on their search tool to make it as easy as possible to find a high quality diamond that will sparkle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beaverbrooks 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. Diamonds which score higher are generally more expensive \u2013 an F colour diamond will be pricier than an H colour, if everything 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 an F colour diamond if it is actually an H. This is why independent diamond testing labs are important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 they make less money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Retailers do have an incentive to increase diamond quality scores, as it will mean that they can sell a diamond for a higher price. 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, although there are other good diamonds \u2018labs\u2019 too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beaverbrooks don\u2019t offer many GIA certified<\/a> diamonds, but instead have their own testing lab at their head office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I asked about this, I was told that while some of the higher end diamonds do have GIA certificates, most don\u2019t:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Beaverbrooks<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

This is another red flag for me for Beaverbrooks \u2013 I wouldn\u2019t rely on an assessment of a diamond by an organisation which has an incentive to increase the quality score and therefore make more money from selling that stone.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

\n
\n
\n\n

Beaverbrooks 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

Beaverbrook has 69 stores nationwide, 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

Returns-wise, if you feel the ring isn’t right for you they will give you a full refund or an exchange within 30 days, which is better than a lot of jewellers.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

\n
\n
\"beaverbrooks<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\n\n

Looking at reviews on reviews.io, Beaverbrooks scores 3.48 from 29 reviews, with 62% of people saying that they recommend Beaverbrooks:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Beaverbrook<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

As with many online reviews, the reviews for Beaverbrooks seem to be 5* and glowing, or 1* from people who were not happy with their experience \u2013 there isn\u2019t much inbetween.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s always worth taking online reviews with a bit of a pinch of salt, but as an average, 3.48 would indicate that people are happy, but not ecstatic with the service they have received from Beaverbrooks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

\n
\n
\n\n

Beaverbrooks value for money<\/h2>\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

<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

\n
\n
\"beaverbrooks<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\n\n

To see how Beaverbrooks value for money compares, we\u2019ll compare it to one of my recommendations as the best place to buy a diamond ring in the UK<\/a> \u2013 Taylor & Hart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor & Hart<\/a> is a boutique 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, colour ad carat as similar as possible.  A good way to compare is looking at solitaire diamond rings as they are simple and timeless, without ornate settings to make the comparison more complicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking at Beaverbrooks, they offer Platinum Diamond Solitaire Ring<\/a> in platinum, with a 0.90 carat E colour, VS2 Clarity and Round Brilliant shape for \u00a310,750 including all taxes:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"beaverbrooks<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

You can see the diamond specifications here and there are a couple of things to pay attention to:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"beaverbrooks<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The first is that diamond cut quality is not shown – Beaverbrooks only show the shape of the diamond where they should be showing the cut quality, meaning that we have no idea whether it will sparkle beautifully or be dull and lifeless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other is that ‘there may be a 5% variance on the diamond carat weight”, which is not something I have seen at any other retailer, either budget or high-end. A 5% variance is a significant difference and if you are on the wrong end of this and receive a diamond that is 0.88 carats rather than 0.9, it’s likely a few hundred pounds less than a diamond that does hit the 0.9 carat weight. Not great!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we compare <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we look at this price compared to my recommended retailer, a 0.9 carat diamond with H colour and VS1 clarity, the same as Beaverbrooks, the price is just \u00a33,470:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"beaverbrooks<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At \u00a33,470, Taylor & Hart’s ring is priced over \u00a36,000 lower than the ring from Beaverbrooks, which means that the Beaverbrooks’ ring was over 2.7 times the price of Taylor & Hart’s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a couple of things to note here as well – the diamond from Taylor & Hart has been independently graded by GIA as having excellent cut quality, symmetry and polish, so we know it will sparkle beautifully:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"beaverbrooks<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a36,000 is a huge difference in price, despite the fact that the Taylor & Hart ring has a GIA-graded excellent cut diamond <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"comparison<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the \u00a36,030 you would save by shopping at Taylor & Hart <\/a>instead of Beaverbrooks you could:<\/p>\n\n\n\n