Our reviewers evaluate products and services based on unbiased research. Top Consumer Reviews may earn money when you click on a link. Learn more about our process.
Thursday, March 20th
Signet Jewelers, the parent company of Jared, owns several brands that we reviewed in the lab-created diamond marketplace. Jared specializes in "accessible luxury jewelry" with a focus on pieces that express love and contribute to a better world. With over 200 retail locations in the US, and an online shop, Jared offers a wide range of options to choose from.
Most jewelry starts at $1,000
What kinds of jewelry options does Jared offer that use lab-created diamonds? If you can imagine buying it with natural gemstones, you will probably find it in Jared's lab-grown pieces too. On the lowest end of the price spectrum, we found a lab-created diamond necklace in 14K white gold and a total weight of 1/2 ct, clearance priced at $499.99 (down from the original retail price of $999.99). There were a handful of additional clearance items also priced under $1,000, but expect to spend at least that much at Jared.
Mostly engagement rings with a few other styles
You could also jump to the highest jewelry pieces Jared offers with lab-grown diamonds; no surprise that they're all engagement rings. If your budget can accommodate $24,000-$55,000, you'll have about six different choices here. Generally speaking, Jared's selection of lab-created diamond jewelry is heavily weighted towards rings (175+), then evenly divided among bracelets, earrings, and necklaces (about 40 of each), for a total of just over 300 choices.
Free shipping or in-store pick-up
As we browsed the Jared site most recently, we got a pop-up discount offering a savings of $25 on any purchase of $100 or more if we signed up for their emails. Other customer-friendly perks here include free second-day shipping via UPS, as long as you're buying jewelry that's in-stock and not personalized in any way - or you can opt to pick up your online order at a Jared location near you, and even get it gift-wrapped while you're there. That's also a great way to make sure your purchase doesn't mysteriously disappear during the shipping process, but rest assured that all purchases over $1,000 will require an adult signature anyway.
Standard policy for returns
Returns for lab-grown diamond jewelry bought at Jared aren't anything exceptional. The retailer gives you 30 days from your order date to return or exchange your purchase, though the latter has to be done in-store and not by mail.
Disappointing customer feedback
Unfortunately, Jared's reputation is marred by an unacceptably high number of negative reviews. On Trustpilot alone, the jeweler has an average of just 1.9 out of 5 stars, with almost 250 1-star reviews citing poor quality, missing shipments, and unfriendly customer service. While parent company Signet has an "A+" rating and accreditation from the BBB, Jared's reviews don't reflect that.
Choose a different store for lab-created diamond jewelry
The bottom line is that Jared's reliability is in question. When it comes to lab-grown diamonds (or any other jewelry, really), we recommend buying from a store with a higher rating. You may find something you like here, but it may not last as a lifetime investment.
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