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Wednesday, February 19th
With over a century of experience, Helzberg Diamonds is a jewelry store that certainly knows its stuff. With over 200 retail locations nationwide and a strong online presence, customers have a variety of options for ordering jewelry and having it delivered for in-store pickup. This is an excellent way to ensure that you get precisely what you want and keep it under wraps until the perfect occasion.
No create-your-own jewelry here
If you're looking for loose lab-grown diamonds to use in an engagement ring or to custom-design another type of jewelry, Helzberg isn't going to be the right place to shop. There are no loose stones in their inventory, and so if you select the "create your own” option, you're really just making an engagement ring by choosing a stone shape and size, the type of prongs, and so forth - all within the parameters Helzberg provides.
Lots of variety in the ready-to-order jewelry selection
On the other hand, if DIY jewelry design is not your idea of a good time and all you want is something beautiful and ready-to-ship, you might like Helzberg's selection of just over 300 lab-created diamond options from engagement rings to earrings and more. While we found one super-spendy choice here (the Light Heart Princess-Cut Solitaire 5ct in white gold for a few pennies shy of $40,000), everything else was under $16,000. For the more budget-conscious, Helzberg had a few options under $400, including a pendant knot in 10k rose gold and knotted heart stud earrings in 10k white gold, both for $249.99.
Shoppers save by buying online
Online orders at Helzberg are often eligible for savings not offered on in-store purchases. For example, at the time of our most recent visit, the site featured a discount of $200 off $999.99+ or $400 off $1,999+ with the provided code. Since the retailer provides free shipping on all orders of $99+ and there's nothing in the lab-grown diamonds category for less than that, you won't pay for delivery either. Spend a little more ($499+) and you'll get a speed upgrade to 2-day shipping. And, of course, if you're trying to keep your purchase a surprise (or protect yourself from porch pirates), you can opt for store pickup if there's a Helzberg near you.
Extended care protection offered
Your lab-created diamond jewelry might be eligible for one of Helzberg's extended care plans. Most pieces we saw offered the Lifetime option, which covers jewelry inspections, cleanings, and eligible repairs due to normal wear and tear. Just be aware that you'll have to bring your jewelry in for inspection every six months to keep your plan active - and that won't work unless you have a Helzberg brick-and-mortar location near you. You can find any available care plans on each product's page: look for the checkbox underneath the delivery options.
Good reputation
Having been in business for a considerable amount of time, Helzberg Diamonds' "A+" rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau came as no surprise. There were only a few complaints registered, all of which were handled professionally and with courtesy by the company's representatives. However, there was a limited amount of feedback available on their online shopping experience, and even the jewelry products themselves were seldom rated by shoppers.
Just okay when looking at lab-grown diamond options
Given all that, how could we rate Helzberg as anything other than "just average” with respect to lab-grown diamond jewelry? It's a reliable jewelry store that's been around a long time, but you're absolutely going to find more options in other places. If you're really loyal to the brand, maybe particularly fond of your local Helzberg store, it might be your top pick. But for the average customer looking for a store with lots of information and a huge inventory of lab-created diamond jewelry and loose stones, the experience at Helzberg will be missing the "wow” factor.
Lab-grown diamonds, also known as synthetic or cultured diamonds, are man-made gemstones that are created in a laboratory environment using advanced technological processes that mimic the natural conditions under which diamonds form in the earth's mantle.
Sounds pretty technical, but the amazing thing is that these diamonds are essentially identical in chemical, physical, and optical properties to natural diamonds mined from the earth. They are also graded on the same 4Cs scale used for natural diamonds, which stands for cut, clarity, color, and carat weight. All of the same sparkle factor? Yes, please!
Better yet, lab-grown diamonds are generally less expensive than natural stones of the same size and quality. And, if you've ever been concerned by the idea of "blood diamonds”, lab-grown stones are perfect for you: they don't involve the environmentally damaging (and often unethical) practices associated with natural diamond mining.
However, lab-grown diamonds have a few small drawbacks. One major concern is that they may not hold their value over time as well as natural diamonds, since they aren't as rare or unique. Additionally, some people may prefer the idea of owning a natural diamond as a symbol of their love or commitment - even if lab-created stones are undetectable as such to the average person's eye.
When you realize that some jewelers offering lab-grown diamonds have an inventory of over 100,000 stones to choose from, you might feel a little overwhelmed. Take a deep breath, try to enjoy the process a little, and use these ideas to make your shopping easier:
Shopping for jewelry made with lab-grown diamonds can be an exhilarating experience, and Top Consumer Reviews has evaluated and ranked today's most popular retailers to give you an advantage as you browse. We hope this information helps take the edge off any nervousness you might be feeling, so that you can find - or create - the perfect piece of jewelry for that proposal, anniversary, or "just because” moment.
Select any 2 Lab Grown Diamond Stores to compare them head to head