The beauty of the internet is that everything – and we mean everything – is but a few mouse-clicks away. Of course, that includes engagement rings. But how do you know which online stores are great and which maybe aren’t so good? As with anything, when you buy without seeing the item, or without the personal contact of talking to a real person, risks are present. But don’t worry, we’ve fished around to bring you some of the ones we think have all you need.
Blue Nile
Blue Nile was just about the first dealer to cut out the often many layers involved in diamond buying. This approach was very successful and, although still a massive name in loose diamonds, they are also very big in jewelry, including engagement rings. The site feels a little more crowded than those of Estate Diamond Jewelry and James Allen, but necessarily so.
You can choose every part of your ring separately, and see it come to life before your eyes. Choose a diamond, chose a setting, choose a metal, it’s all up to you. Because they have such buying power,m their prices are also very competitive. If you’d rather browse through their ready-to-wear rings, then you can do that too. As a website, it is excellent. As dealers, they are right at the top of the tree.
James Allen
For everything we’ve said about Blue Nile, just swap the name for James Allen and you have one of the very best. James Allen was the first to really integrate ring design into their website. Although others have caught up since they are still the leader in the art. Like Blue Nile, James Allen also have a wide range of engagement rings ready to buy. Most rings on their website have 360-degree viewing available, which can help tremendously when choosing.
Once you’ve chosen your ring, the checkout process is flawless. Just choose your rings size, and that’s about it. Easy to use, and the range of rings available is mind-boggling!
Estate Diamond Jewelry
One of New York’s premier stores for antique and vintage engagement rings. Fortunately, they also have a fantastic website. The images are clear and crisp, and all the details you need about any ring are right there. If you don’t see what you want, expert help is just a phone call away. They also have a very informative and very readable blog, offering advice and information about many jewelry topics.
If that’s not enough, EDJ also has one of the most popular lifestyle apps in the App Store. The app will allow you to digitally try on a range of rings the comfort of your own home. If you have an iPhone or iPad, it’s a must-have.
Nida Rings
It may seem a little strange to put an Etsy trader in the same league as the illustrious names here, but Nida Rings aren’t your average cottage industry ring maker. Nida Tariq, the owner, puts her heart and soul into every single, handmade ring. Over 9 years her reputation has grown to the point where it’s impossible to find an unhappy customer.
Of course, having the technical backing of Etsy means Nida Rings can just get on with the task of making stunning engagement rings.
Trumpet and Horn
If ever there was a prize for best jewelry business name ever, it would be T&H. Disappointingly, nobody, there is called either Trumpet or Horn. But that’s the only disappointing thing about their website. With a team of renowned specialists, dealing in antique rings, there’s something here to light up everyone’s eyes. If we had one complaint, it’s that the shop page is just too long as it keeps adding products to the bottom. It’s better to refine your search to avoid simply being overwhelmed with choice. After that, though, the clean, uncluttered layout is very much in keeping with the other antique ring dealers in this list.
One of the joys of the T&H site is that, if it is known, they have the history of the ring on its product page. Some have a sentence or two, some have much more. Altogether, it makes browsing a very enjoyable experience.
Tiger Gemstones
For our last choice, we’ve chosen another Etsy dealer, but one with a difference. Buying an engagement ring can be a costly experience. Diamonds, after all, aren’t cheap. If an antique engagement ring is just too rich for your pocket, you do have choices. Tiger, instead of using natural diamonds, use stimulants such as Moissanite and Cubic Zirconia. Although they wouldn’t pass an expert’s eye as alternatives to natural diamonds, they are a very cost-effective way of getting pretty close.
Tiger’s designs are excellent, which is why we include them here. At a glance, you would never know that these aren’t rings costing a hundred times as much.
Have a look, you might be surprised.