Cartier love rings are some of the most popular and sought-after rings in the world. But if you’re not looking to spend a fortune, there are some great alternatives available that offer quality and style comparable to Cartier.
In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best affordable Cartier ring alternatives. So if you’re in the market for an exquisite ring but don’t want to break the bank, keep reading!
Best Cartier Love Ring Alternatives
Click Here to See Our Top PickJames Allen
We’re big advocates for James Allen. Whenever we’ve sent our readers to them, we get quite a few messages back about how satisfied they were with the prices and overall shopping experience.
At this point, we’re confident that James Allen has become a household name for engagement rings and diamonds. While there’s many great things we can highlight about James Allen, we decided to focus on two main categories – price and quality.
Let’s dive into both.
Price
This is where we see James Allen and their diamonds really shine (hope you liked that pun!). Since James Allen is a digital store, they don’t need to worry about paying for electricity, utilities, rent, and wages for staff members in the store.
With the rise of technology, running an online business has become very cost-effective and just as functional as a physical store. This means James Allen is able to pass along those savings to customers in the form of reduced prices.
Not convinced? Check out this Cartier inspired 14k yellow gold ring we found from James Allen for less than $600. You don’t even have to settle for yellow gold. This ring comes in white gold and rose gold options too.
The 18k yellow gold version will run you a bit over $1000 ($1075 to be exact), but if you’re on a budget, this flat comfort fit wedding ring will be just as good.
One thing to note is that this is a men’s ring, but with the right sizing, anyone can wear this ring.
Don’t know your ring size? We got you covered in this article.
So you’re getting more bang for your buck with a under $1000 ring at James Allen, but how’s the quality?
Quality
Now a cheaper engagement ring does not mean lower quality. In fact, James Allen is probably an industry leader for quality jewellery.
By filtering to certain cuts, carats, color, clarity, and certifications for diamonds, they’re a great place to find your perfect piece with the same high end feel as Cartier jewelry.
You can get very specific with the filters to find the stones that are perfect for you. Not to mention with the Diamond Display Technology, you can view diamonds in 360 degrees with 40x magnification.
Even taking it a step further, James Allen lets you virtually wear their diamond jewellery on your smartphone with their Virtual Ring Try-On tool using augmented reality.
So rest assured, you will find high quality diamonds in multiple styles at the comfort of your house.
Want to learn more? Check out our in-depth review of James Allen here.
Clean Origin
For couples who want to celebrate their love with responsibly sourced and eco-friendly jewelry, Clean Origin is the perfect choice. All of Clean Origin’s diamonds are conflict-free and are grown in a laboratory using cutting-edge technology.
Want to learn more about lab-created diamonds and where to buy them? Check out our detailed guide here.
Price
Clean Origin is another affordable online jewelry retailer that is comparable to the likes of James Allen when it comes to pricing.
Clean Origin carries a large selection of their signature affordable wedding band and engagement ring which we’re a huge fan of.
Check out this 18k yellow gold wedding band on their website for under $800! This would be the closest replica to a Cartier ring that we would suggest if you’re on a budget.
It’s important to note that most Cartier rings are around 5-6mm which can definitely increase the price on a lot of these rings. However we personally don’t find it necessary to spend an extra $200-$300 on an extra millimetre of ring width. Most won’t even be able to tell the difference between a 4mm to 5mm ring!
Willing to bump up your budget? Check out our post on the Best Engagement Rings For Couples On A Budget – Under $2500.
Environment
Right off the bat, Clean Origin prides itself on offering shoppers with lab-created diamond jewelry. And for every purchase made, they plant a tree.
Although Cartier has mentioned their diamonds are also conflict-free and source their diamonds from countries that participate in the Kimberley Process, there’s currently no incentive like the plant a tree for every purchase incentive that Clean Origin has.
For many shoppers that care for the environment and want to be certain their jewelry is conflict-free, Clean Origin is a great alternative to Cartier rings where you can feel confident knowing you’re purchasing conflict free diamonds and ethically sourced fine jewelry.
Blue Nile
Blue Nile is another excellent online retailer for diamond jewelry, engagement rings, and closely-resembling Cartier jewelry.
Blue Nile is widely considered to be the leader in online diamond sales, and for good reason. The company only sells certified diamonds that have been expertly cut and polished, ensuring that each stone sparkles brilliantly.
Price
Blue Nile offers a wide range of styles to choose from, making it easy to find the perfect piece of jewelry for any occasion. Best of all, their prices are highly competitive, making Blue Nile an excellent choice for couples looking for the best value for their money.
Cartier rings are known to be low-profile yellow gold bands, so that’s exactly what we’re looking for on Blue Nile’s website.
Here’s an 18k yellow gold wedding band for under $700 on their website. You can choose varying ring widths from 2mm to 6mm — making it highly customized to your liking.
But again, we want to point out that once you enter +5mm territory, rings become rather pricey (above $1000). Since most can’t tell the difference from 3mm to 5mm, we recommend saving the extra couple hundred dollars and going with the 3mm rings.
Still not sure how much to spend on a wedding and/or engagement ring? Look no further than our budgeting guide here.
Shopping Experience
Many readers might think that shopping online really takes away from the physical in-store experience when looking around for affordable wedding and engagement rings. But that could not be further from the truth when it comes to Blue Nile.
Shoppers are able to view wedding bands and engagement rings with their diamonds in 360-degree view to ensure the highest quality from the comfort of their homes. Not to mention that you can book a virtual appointment with an expert to get guidance and advice from their specialists.
No matter which way you look at it, shopping at Blue Nile is a no-brainer.
Summary
Why Is Cartier So Expensive?
In order to know why Cartier is so expensive, we need to take a look at their brief history.
Cartier is a French luxury jeweler and watchmaker that was founded in 1847. The company is known for its high-end jewelry, watches, and other accessories.
And just like rare pieces of art, jewelry brands that have been around for a long time tend to be synonymous with quality and rich history, although that’s not always the case.
In addition, Cartier has a reputation for being a prestigious and exclusive label. This perception of exclusivity and high operating costs on physical locations are other reasons why Cartier’s products carry a high price tag.
Finally, the brand invests heavily in marketing and advertising, which also contributes to its high costs. Ultimately, these factors combine to make Cartier one of the most expensive luxury brands in the world.
But like we’ve mentioned before, just because a jewelry brand has been around for a long time, it doesn’t mean they’re the best at what they do. In fact, with the rise of online diamond retailers, many new and upcoming jewelry stores are finally getting the recognition they deserve.
Because they don’t have physical locations to pay for rent, electricity, utilities, and more, these online stores can carry the same high quality diamond rings and wedding bands for a fraction of the price compared to Cartier jewelry. Not to mention a lot of the newer online diamond retailers have better fulfilment processes in place to reduce costs for shoppers.
Final Thoughts
As much as we all love Cartier jewelry and their rings, sometimes the price on designer jewelry just isn’t worth it when there are so many similar and better alternatives out there.
If you’re on a budget and not looking to break the bank when it comes to buying a ring similar to a Cartier love ring, then we strongly suggest you take a look at James Allen, Clean Origin, and Blue Nile.
These 3 online jewelry retailers carry a wide selection of Cartier inspired rings without the hefty price tags, while showcasing an amazing shopping experience, great quality, and incentives to help the environment.
Let us know in the comments if we missed any stores that have great affordable Cartier ring alternatives. And as always, happy shopping!
Summary
Related: Best Tiffany & Co. Alternatives.
