Best Jewelers LA
The best place for engagement rings in Los Angeles
Christin Hill
Updated on: March 8, 2023
Are you trying to decide where to purchase an engagement ring? What factors are important in deciding which jeweler to choose? To help you decide, we have compared some of the best jewelers in Los Angeles.
The results are below!
The results are below!
Peter Norman
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Build a ring? -
Can use your own diamond?
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Handcrafted
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Online consulting for a ring?
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Natural and lab grown diamonds?
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Custom, not customized
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Diamonds at wholesale prices?
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5 star reviews?
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Jeweler to the Stars?
Tiffany & Co
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Build a ring? -
Can use your own diamond?
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Handcrafted
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Online consulting for a ring?
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Natural and lab grown diamonds?
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Custom, not customized
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Diamonds at wholesale prices?
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5 star reviews?
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Jeweler to the Stars?
Blue Nile
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Build a ring? -
Can use your own diamond?
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Handcrafted
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Online consulting for a ring?
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Natural and lab grown diamonds?
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Custom, not customized
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Diamonds at wholesale prices?
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5 star reviews?
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Jeweler to the Stars?
James Allen
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Build a ring?
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Can use your own diamond?
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Handcrafted
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Online consulting for a ring?
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Natural and lab grown diamonds?
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Custom, not customized
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Diamonds at wholesale prices?
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5 star reviews?
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Jeweler to the Stars?
Brilliant Earth
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Build a ring?
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Can use your own diamond?
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Handcrafted
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Online consulting for a ring?
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Natural and lab grown diamonds?
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Custom, not customized
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Diamonds at wholesale prices?
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5 star reviews?
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Jeweler to the Stars?
Harry Winston
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Build a ring?
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Can use your own diamond?
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Handcrafted
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Online consulting for a ring?
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Natural and lab grown diamonds?
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Custom, not customized
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Diamonds at wholesale prices?
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5 star reviews?
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Jeweler to the Stars?
Robbins Brothers
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Build a ring?
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Can use your own diamond?
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Handcrafted
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Online consulting for a ring?
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Natural and lab grown diamonds?
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Custom, not customized
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Diamonds at wholesale prices?
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5 star reviews?
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Jeweler to the Stars?
Table of Contents
Choosing the Best Engagement Ring
We expected it to be much closer, but Peter Norman really was a standout when it came to engagement rings in LA. By far the highest ratings, on any platform. He has a star-studded client list but still ensures his range is accessible to all, offering premium natural diamonds as well as lab-grown for the budget conscious.
Every piece is an original handcrafted masterpiece as opposed to a mass-produced, modified casting. Gemstones included are sold at wholesale prices and you can even bring your own gemstones.
Our top pick.
Peter Norman
Our Pick
With an established celebrity clientele, we had expected Peter Norman's range to be inaccessible to the average shopper, but this was not the case. Sure, he makes 10-carat flawless diamond rings for celebrities, but he also makes one-of-a-kind, 2-carat lab-grown diamonds for everyday shoppers.
Having an almost 5-star average review score from hundreds of reviews doesn't just happen.
The highest possible quality, every ring an individual masterpiece, pricing to fit any budget, and the most trusted reputation in LA? Look no further.
Peter Norman
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Build a ring?
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Can use your own diamond?
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Handcrafted
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Online consulting for a ring?
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Natural and lab grown diamonds?
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Custom, not customized
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Diamonds at wholesale prices?
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5 star reviews?
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Jeweler to the Stars?
Build a ring?
All PeterNorman rings are custom-made, and the designs shown on their website are only to showcase some of their previous work from which clients can draw inspiration. All clients are guaranteed exclusivity with a unique design just for them that allows them to express their creativity and individual style.
Can use your own diamond?
Yes! Peter Norman aims to design and build you the best ring you can possibly have. If you had already sourced gemstones you love, maybe from a family heirloom, or some other source, Peter can fashion this into your new ring.
Handcrafted
Peter Norman rings are all hand crafted, one-of-a-kind pieces. The rings on his website are examples of rings made for other clients. These may be used as inspiration, but yours will be unique as no 2 rings are ever made exactly alike.
Online consulting for a ring?
PeterNorman conveniently offers online and in-store consulting for rings.
Custom Design Requests can also be placed through their website peternorman.com.
Natural and lab grown diamonds?
PeterNorman offers both natural (and ethically-sourced, conflict-free) diamonds and high-quality lab-grown diamonds.
Custom, not customized
PeterNorman Jewellery is ‘custom’ not ‘customized’. Every piece at PeterNorman is one-of-a-kind, truly tailored to the taste and style of the wearer. The styles presented on their website are examples of historical pieces they have created from which you can draw inspiration. They are not for sale, and you will not be given a modified version of an already existing ring, your own jewelry will be specially made just for you. You can place an order for your engagement ring through a custom design request.
Diamonds at wholesale prices?
PeterNorman's naturally mined diamonds are conflict-free and GIA-certified. In addition, they also offer lab-grown diamonds.
All of their stones are sourced at wholesale prices for greater value for their clients. They use their long-standing relationships with trustworthy suppliers to get their clients conflict-free mined diamonds or certified lab-grown diamonds at wholesale pricing, without the uncertainty involved in buying from a downtown warehouse or buying a stone sight unseen from the Internet.
5 star reviews?
PeterNorman is highly ranked among crowd-sourced review sites like Yelp (5-star rating), Google (4.8-star rating), and Facebook (4.6-star rating).
Jeweler to the Stars?
Peter Norman has notable red carpet clientele. He has designed jewelry for European Royalty, not to mention for numerous American celebrities.
Tiffany & Co
The Premium Name
If you want to buy the biggest brand, there is no bigger brand than Tiffany when it comes to diamond jewelry. But is the price really worth it? An engagement ring is not like a Chanel handbag. At least people can see the brand. A Chanel ring is indistinguishable from any other brand. It's a big brand, big price, off-the-shelf jewelry. Massive markup on diamonds, no option for lab-grown diamonds, and no option to user your own stones. An extra star, just because they are Tiffany & Co, but we don't recommend.
Tiffany & Co
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Build a ring?
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Can use your own diamond?
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Handcrafted
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Online consulting for a ring?
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Natural and lab grown diamonds?
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Custom, not customized
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Diamonds at wholesale prices?
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5 star reviews?
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Jeweler to the Stars?
Build a ring?
Tiffany & Co. allows clients to customize their ring designs with their favorite gemstone but only paired with already existing settings in a metal of their choice.
Can use your own diamond?
Tiffany & Co, do not permit their clients to use their own diamond. Tiffany's markup and thus their profit margin is mainly on their stones.
Handcrafted
Tiffany & Co rings are handmade by master jewelers. From their website "Tiffany rings are handmade. Therefore, no two rings are the same. Just as no two loves are the same."
Online consulting for a ring?
Tiffany & Co. offers both in-store and virtual appointments with their diamond experts.
Natural and lab grown diamonds?
Tiffany & Co. believe that lab-grown diamonds are not a ‘luxury’ item and are therefore not consistent with their brand. Therefore, they only use mined diamonds in their designs.
Custom, not customized
Tiffany & Co. offers customized but not true custom engagement rings. Clients can choose from over 20 pre-made handcrafted styles, which they can then pair with the setting and diamond of their choice.
Diamonds at wholesale prices?
While they do have diamonds of reputable quality, Tiffany & Co’s diamonds are sold at the diamonds they place on it rather than the actual value of the diamonds. Research has shown that some Tiffany diamonds could have a premium markup of up to 250% and sometimes 300%. These prices are non-negotiable, and clients pay what’s on the price tag.
5 star reviews?
Tiffany’s different Los Angeles stores have Yelp ratings that range from 2.8 to 4.1; one of the more popular stores at Century City has a Yelp rating of 3.8 and a Google Rating of 4.3, creating an average rating of 4.1.
Jeweler to the Stars?
Tiffany & Co. has a reputation as the ‘Pioneer of American Luxury.’ While they have a rich history of creating jewelry for European royalty, their celebrity clientele more recently has been American celebrities.
Blue Nile
Made their name by being one of the world's largest suppliers of mined stone engagement rings. Pricing for this product is good as they mass produce their rings, and sell their stones at wholesale prices, but their rings are mass-produced and cast as opposed to being handcrafted so it's a commoditized product, not something unique and special.
Blue Nile
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Build a ring?
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Can use your own diamond?
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Handcrafted
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Online consulting for a ring?
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Natural and lab grown diamonds?
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Custom, not customized
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Diamonds at wholesale prices?
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5 star reviews?
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Jeweler to the Stars?
Build a ring?
Blue Nile has engagement rings in stock, they also offer the option of building your own ring with the setting and diamonds of your choice, chosen from the options they present.
Can use your own diamond?
Blue Nile, does not permit its clients to use their own diamond(s).
Handcrafted
Blue Nile rings are cast, so buying from Blue Nile means your ring will be one of many.
Online consulting for a ring?
Blue Nile offers 1-on-1 video consultations with diamond experts. Clients also have the privilege of exploring a virtual showroom.
Natural and lab grown diamonds?
Blue Nile has recently commenced offering lab-grown diamonds in addition to their natural mined diamonds
Custom, not customized
While Blue Nile offers a ‘Build Your Own Ring’ service, they limit the client to choose pre-made settings, limiting room for creativity in their ring design.
Diamonds at wholesale prices?
Because of their exclusive deals with diamond wholesalers, Blue Nile tends to offer quality diamonds at agreeable costs. While they do not expressly offer wholesale pricing, they can match a competitor’s price if their competitor is offering a lower price for a diamond of the same quality.
5 star reviews?
Between Yelp and Google reviews, Blue Nile has an average rating of 4.5.
Jeweler to the Stars?
While Blue Nile can create rings similar to those worn by celebrities, they are not known for their celebrity clientele.
James Allen
Marketing Spin
Whilst checking out James Allen, we were aggressively targeted with multiple Video ads, stalking us around the internet. The ads made it seem like if we didn't buy from James Allen, we'd be sorry, our GF might in fact say no.
The marketing hype is not matched with actual happy customers with James Allen having the lowest reviews of any of the jewelers we considered. They've even removed reviews from Facebook as their reviews as so bad. Avoid.
James Allen
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Build a ring?
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Can use your own diamond?
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Handcrafted
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Online consulting for a ring?
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Natural and lab grown diamonds?
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Custom, not customized
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Diamonds at wholesale prices?
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5 star reviews?
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Jeweler to the Stars?
Build a ring?
Apart from their stocked items, James Allen allows clients to choose their own gemstone and setting from pre-made designs through their online ring-builder.
Can use your own diamond?
James Allen does not permit their clients to use their own diamond(s).
Handcrafted
James Allen rings are cast, so buying from James Allen means your ring will be one of many.
Online consulting for a ring?
James Allen offers real-time diamond inspection online with a gemologist but not a ring design consulting service.
Natural and lab grown diamonds?
James Allen offers both natural (mined) diamonds and lab-grown diamonds.
Custom, not customized
James Allen has an online feature where prospective clients can design their own rings. Users may select ring head, metal, shank, and diamond size from the options they provide. But it's chosen from a limited options system, not custom designed and built.
Diamonds at wholesale prices?
5 star reviews?
Crowd-sourced reviews from sites such as Facebook which is always a red flag. Businesses with bad review scores on Facebook usually disable them (as is the case with James Allen). On Yelp, they score a meager 2.5 stars. Their advertising, portraying them as the best place for an engagement ring, seems far from reality
Jeweler to the Stars?
While James Allen does offer its clients designs inspired by celebrity engagement rings, they do not have a notable celebrity clientele.
Brilliant Earth
A well-known brand, but pricing is not great, with diamonds sold at retail pricing, buyers are unable to use their own stones. Add to this, they sell customizable off-the-shelf pieces as opposed to custom and they are middle of the pack.
Brilliant Earth
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Build a ring?
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Can use your own diamond?
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Handcrafted
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Online consulting for a ring?
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Natural and lab grown diamonds?
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Custom, not customized
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Diamonds at wholesale prices?
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5 star reviews?
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Jeweler to the Stars?
Build a ring?
Brilliant Earth has pre-made engagement rings and offers clients the option to build their own ring with a gemstone and setting that they can choose from the options available on their website.
Can use your own diamond?
Brilliant Earth sells pre-made rings, as such, there is no opportunity to have your stone(s) used.
Handcrafted
Brilliant Earth rings are cast, so buying from Brilliant Earth means your ring will be one of many.
Online consulting for a ring?
Brilliant Earth offers 1-on-1 video consultations for up to 50 minutes with a jewelry consultant but not a jewelry expert. Appointments can be made through their website.
Natural and lab grown diamonds?
Brilliant Earth offers both natural and lab-grown diamonds for their engagement ring designs.
Custom, not customized
Brilliant Earth does offer custom ring designs. They have a catalog of previous custom engagement designs that clients can explore for inspiration. They then can choose the metal, gemstone, and style they want, after which they can contact their designers, who will help them design the final ring.
Diamonds at wholesale prices?
While Brilliant Earth has a large selection of diamonds, they come with a 50% premium markup and do not offer wholesale pricing. Price comparison sites note similar diamonds can be found elsewhere almost 20% cheaper.
5 star reviews?
Between Yelp and Google reviews, Brilliant Earth has an average rating of 4.1.
Jeweler to the Stars?
Brilliant Earth designs rings similar to those worn by celebrities, but they are not known to have celebrity clients.
Harry Winston
Surprising Bottom Placed
We had to check out data twice, as we had expected Harry Winston to come in higher, but indeed, they are bottom ranked option. Let down with a lack of custom items, value, and poor reviews. Look elsewhere.
Harry Winston
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Build a ring?
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Can use your own diamond?
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Handcrafted
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Online consulting for a ring?
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Natural and lab grown diamonds?
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Custom, not customized
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Diamonds at wholesale prices?
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5 star reviews?
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Jeweler to the Stars?
Build a ring?
Harry Winston offers a number of set designs, which can be customized as well as offering pre-made / stocked rings for sale. So you can buy stocked and customized to-order rings, but not original creations.
Can use your own diamond?
Harry Winston only uses their own diamond(s) in their ring designs.
Handcrafted
Harry Winston rings are made from a master, which is cloned/cast to provide for new customers.
Online consulting for a ring?
Harry Winston does not offer online engagement ring consulting.
Prospective buyers can instead fill out an online contact form to ask for assistance (at one of their salons) or schedule an appointment (at one of their salons).
Natural and lab grown diamonds?
Harry Winston does not offer lab-grown diamonds.
Custom, not customized
Harry Winston carries a range of designs, that can be modified, but do not offer a custom engagement ring design and creation service
Diamonds at wholesale prices?
James Allen offers a wide selection of jewelry at competitive pricing compared to other stores. However, they do not offer, diamonds at wholesale prices.
5 star reviews?
Between crowd-sourced review sites, Yelp and Facebook, Harry Winston has an average rating of 4.5.
Jeweler to the Stars?
One of Harry Winston's most popular ring designs includes Jackie O's engagement ring from Aristotle Onassis, which is among the most expensive engagement rings in the world. Harry Winston's celebrity clientele notably seeks out his watches, earrings, and necklaces.
Robbins Brothers
Reasonable without being outstanding. Off-the-shelf jewelry, some budget pricing including lab grown diamond rings, but nothing custom.
Robbins Brothers
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Build a ring?
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Can use your own diamond?
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Handcrafted
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Online consulting for a ring?
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Natural and lab grown diamonds?
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Custom, not customized
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Diamonds at wholesale prices?
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5 star reviews?
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Jeweler to the Stars?
Build a ring?
The Robbins Brothers only offer clients stocked items. This means that you can only purchase ready-made rings instead of designing one of your own. While these rings are customizable, they are not custom; they can only be modified to the extent the original design will allow, not an entirely new creation as a true-custom ring.
Can use your own diamond?
Robbins Brothers sell pre-made rings, as such, there is no opportunity to have your stone(s) used.
Handcrafted
Robbins Brothers sells mass-produced cast rings. They are not handcrafted.
Online consulting for a ring?
Robbins Brothers offer both in-store and virtual appointments, which can be scheduled through their website.
Natural and lab grown diamonds?
Robbins Brothers offers both man-made (also known as lab-grown) diamonds as well as natural diamonds.
Custom, not customized
Robbins Brother has a selection of engagement rings, and with a variety of collections to choose from, their rings may also be customized. Clients can also book an appointment with their jewelers to design their engagement ring. But it's customized, not custom jewelry.
Diamonds at wholesale prices?
While Robbins Brothers have a long history as an engagement ring store, their diamonds often carry considerable markups of up to 50%. Diamonds of better quality may be sourced for much less through Wholesale Diamond sellers who sell direct to the public as well.
5 star reviews?
Between Yelp, Google, and Facebook reviews, Robbins Brothers has an average rating of 4.5.
Jeweler to the Stars?
While the Robbins Brothers can create lookalike celebrity ring designs, they do not have a celebrity clientele.
Final Word
We expected it to be much closer, but in every metric, Peter Norman was the winner. Something for all ends of the market, the most trusted, jeweler to the stars and the common person alike.
100% custom each and every time, with stones at wholesale prices.
Look no further.
A literature and sociology major with a Master’s in Music, Christine Marie Hill is a marketer and product comparison expert.