James Allan Lab-Grown Diamonds Review
Fiercely Focused On Customer Experience
James Allen is a celebrated lab diamond brand and one of the earliest brands that adopted technology to make diamonds more accessible. Quality is embedded deeply in their brand identity. They are highly sensitive to customer reviews and go to great lengths to make their customers’ experience exceptional.
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Credited with creating transparency in a rather “mysterious” diamond market
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Fiercely customer-centric with the highest priority on optimizing the customer experience
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The retailer’s collection includes 200,000+ stones
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Trusted by 150,000+ customers, the company has built a formidable brand since its inception
James Allan Review
James Allen is an online jewelry retailer that specializes in engagement rings, wedding bands, and other fine jewelry. The company was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Frederick, Maryland, USA. The following is a comprehensive objective review of James Allen based on several factors.
Product Quality:
James Allen offers a wide variety of high-quality jewelry, including engagement rings, wedding bands, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and gemstones. Their diamonds are certified by reputable organizations such as the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the American Gem Society (AGS), ensuring their quality and authenticity. Additionally, their jewelry is made using high-quality materials such as 14k and 18k gold, platinum, and palladium.
Selection:
James Allen has an impressive selection of jewelry, with over 200,000 diamonds available for purchase online. They offer a variety of styles, including vintage, classic, and modern, and customers can customize their rings by choosing the metal, setting, and diamond. The website also features a 360-degree diamond view technology, allowing customers to see every angle of their chosen diamond before purchasing.
Price:
James Allen offers a range of prices, making it accessible to a wide variety of customers. While their prices may not be the cheapest on the market, they offer excellent value for money in terms of quality and selection. Additionally, they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, free shipping, and lifetime warranties on their jewelry.
Customer Service:
James Allen's customer service is top-notch, with a knowledgeable and friendly staff available via phone, email, or live chat to answer any questions or concerns. They also offer free diamond consultations with their experts to help customers make informed decisions when purchasing diamonds. Additionally, they have a helpful FAQ section on their website and provide detailed information on their return and exchange policies.
Overall, James Allen is an excellent online retailer for high-quality jewelry, particularly engagement rings. They offer an extensive selection of diamonds and styles, excellent value for money, and top-notch customer service. Their 360-degree diamond view technology is a standout feature that sets them apart from other online jewelry retailers.
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Are Lab-Grown Diamonds as Strong as Real Diamonds?Absolutely! Lab-created diamonds sit atop the list of hardest substances on earth, sharing the space with natural diamonds. In terms of strength, hardness, and durability, lab-grown diamonds are an equal match to natural diamonds.
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What are the raw materials used in creating lab-grown diamonds?You already know that the HPHT process uses a diamond wrapped inside a ball of carbon to create diamonds. However, what you don’t know is that an alloy of iron, nickel, or cobalt is usually used in the process too. If it’s the CVD method, hydrocarbon gases are used as carbon sources, and nothing else.
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How Do Lab-Grown Diamonds Differ From Cubic Zirconia and Moissanite?Contrary to popular misconception, cubic zirconia and moissanite are NOT lab-grown diamonds. Although many people confuse them as synthetic diamonds, they are not related to diamonds (natural or lab-grown) in any way. In fact, both cubic zirconia and moissanite have physical, chemical, and optical properties vastly different from diamonds. They are what’s known commercially as “imitation diamonds.” So, if anyone is advertising cubic zirconia or moissanite jewelry as lab-grown diamond rings, necklaces, earrings, and so on, then avoid them altogether.
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Do Lab-Grown Diamonds Come In Different Colors?Yes, they do. Like natural diamonds, lab-grown diamonds often have subtle tints that may or may not be visible to the naked eye. A competent gemologist can differentiate between clear and colored lab-grown diamonds, although regular consumers may not be able to. Also, yes, their prices are closely related to their color. The crystal-clear lab-grown gems with no color tints command the highest price. In most cases, you’ll find a yellow or bluish tint, which indicates the presence of nitrogen and boron, respectively, in trace quantities. Also, CVD diamonds often have a brown tint to them. If you are looking for affordable colorless gems, then HPHT are the best lab grown diamonds for you. They are usually colorless but cost twice as much as CVD diamonds for the same reason.
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Do lab diamonds sparkle less?Lab-created diamonds, also known as synthetic or cultured diamonds, have the same chemical composition and physical properties as natural diamonds. Therefore, their ability to sparkle and reflect light is essentially the same. The sparkle of a diamond is determined by its cut, clarity, and the way light interacts with its facets, regardless of whether it's lab-grown or mined from the earth. When it comes to sparkle, the most important factor is the diamond's cut. A well-cut diamond will reflect and refract light in a way that maximizes its brilliance and sparkle. Both natural and lab-grown diamonds can be cut to excellent standards, allowing them to exhibit exceptional sparkle. It's worth noting that the appearance of sparkle can also be influenced by other factors such as the quality of the cut, the presence of inclusions or flaws, and the overall design of the jewelry piece in which the diamond is set. These factors apply to both lab-created and natural diamonds.
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Will a lab diamond fail a diamond tester?No, a lab-grown diamond should not fail a diamond tester. Diamond testers are designed to determine whether a gemstone is a diamond based on its electrical and thermal conductivity properties. Both natural and lab-created diamonds have similar thermal conductivity, as they are composed of carbon atoms arranged in a crystal lattice structure. Therefore, a diamond tester should accurately identify a lab-grown diamond as a diamond. However, it's important to note that diamond testers are not foolproof and can sometimes give false positive or false negative results. Other gemstones or diamond simulants with similar thermal conductivity properties, such as moissanite, can sometimes yield positive results on a diamond tester. Therefore, it's recommended to use additional testing methods, such as visual inspection or professional gemological analysis, to confirm the identity of a gemstone.