In the world of online diamond retailers, two names stand out above the rest: James Allen and Clean Origin. Both companies offer a wide selection of high-quality diamonds at competitive prices, but which one is the best choice for your needs? Let’s find out in this head-to-head comparison.
| Bottom Line Recommendation |
|---|
| James Allen is the top-recommended choice for those looking for a high-quality diamond engagement ring at an affordable price. Their extensive collection of lab diamonds and ethically sourced mined diamonds, expert craftsmanship, and commitment to customer satisfaction make them the number one choice amongst shoppers. |
| Features | James Allen | Clean Origin |
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2017 |
| Inventory | Over 500,000 loose and lab diamonds with 360-degree HD video + 40x magnification | Over 25,000 ethically sourced lab diamonds with 360-degree video |
| Return Policy | 30-day free return policy, free return shipping in US + Canada | Industry best 100-day free return policy |
| Warranty | Lifetime warranty with free prong tightening, re-polishing, rhodium plating, & cleaning services | Lifetime warranty on manufacturing defects |
| Support | 24/7 support via live chat, phone, and email | Call, text, email, or mail. Chat hours are Mon-Fri 8:30am-12am EST & Sun 9am-12am EST |
| Website | Very comprehensive, intuitive, & easy to use | Very simple, minimalistic, & educational |
| Upgrade Policy | Lifetime upgrades for 100% of the diamond value as long as new purchase is double the price of original diamond | N/A |
| Full Review | James Allen Review | Clean Origin Review |
Read also: The Dark Side of James Allen: Unveiling Complaints
In this expert guide, we’ll compare James Allen vs Clean Origin to help you make an informed decision. We’ll go over the following comparisons of the two diamond giants and we’ll include our verdict for each category. Here’s what we’ll cover (click to skip ahead):
Shopping experience – from browsing to checkout, who does it better?
Selection – who’s got the most loose diamonds to choose from?
Pricing – it’s all about the most bang for your buck
Website – navigation, search functions, filters, etc…
Shipping & delivery – turnaround times, tracking options, & additional fees
Customer service – “can we get some help here, please?”
Customer reviews on Reddit – what are other people online saying?
Reputation – a look into their accolades and public image
- Final Verdict – winner takes all
Let’s jump right into it!
Shopping Experience
James Allen
James Allen offers a superior shopping experience for customers looking for beautiful diamond engagement rings. Their website is easy to navigate, with a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for shoppers to browse through their inventory.
Read also: James Allen vs Tiffany: The Answer May Surprise You
One of our favorite things about the online shopping experience at James Allen is their 360 degree video and 40x magnification tool for their diamonds. This tool heightens the overall experience by recreating an environment as if you are viewing the diamond in-person.
This tool allows shoppers to view the diamond in greater detail and look for any flaws and inclusions in the diamond jewelry from the comfort of your house.
On that note, to take things a step further, James Allen also offers Virtual Ring Try-On. This feature uses your smartphone camera and augmented reality to try on their large selection of diamond rings and see how they look on your finger without having to step foot into a physical store.
We’re big fans of James Allen’s commitment to deliver on a great online shopping experience for a traditionally physical industry where most people would have to go in-store to try on rings and inspect diamonds.
Overall, the online shopping experience at James Allen is very convenient, enjoyable, and highly satisfying.
Check out our expert review on James Allen here where we dive even deeper into the online brand.
Clean Origin
Clean Origin has a very simple and clean user interface on their website. On the top left of the menu bar, the sections are clearly outlined as diamonds, engagement, jewelry, and wedding.
We typically find for many first-time shoppers, it can get confusing if you’re not sure whether to explore the diamond section or the engagement section for a diamond engagement ring.
Both the diamond section and engagement section will get you to the same end-goal of having a completed custom engagement ring, but we figured it’s still something worth mentioning.
We find the overall aesthetic of the Clean Origin website to be very minimalistic and simple. You have all the information you need and tons of great resources on the top right of menu bar under the education section.
Although you don’t necessarily get the same 40x magnification on all diamonds like James Allen, you do get high-definition videos and 360 degree details on a select few diamonds with Clean Origin.
We also find the search bar on the top to not always get the best results for us.
However, one really impressive thing we noticed on their website is Clean Origin’s industry-best 100-day free returns. If you know you’re the type to second-guess a purchase and make a lot of returns, Clean Origin is an excellent candidate for you to check out for diamond jewelry.
Overall, Clean Origin’s website and overall shopping experience is simple and educational, yet lacks important functionality like a comprehensive search function and a magnification tool.
Winner: James Allen
Related: Interested in seeing how James Allen ranks against other competitors? Check out our detailed comparison of James Allen vs Blue Nile.
Selection
James Allen
James Allen is known for their large and robust collection of high quality diamonds with high quality images. The diamonds come in a variety of cuts, colors, carat weight, and clarity grades to choose from. The diamonds also come in a large variety of unique shapes including round, oval, and pear-shaped.
Currently on their website, there’s over 500,000 different mined and loose lab diamonds to choose from across multiple styles and price points for any budget.
Money looking tight this year? Check out our top recommendations for the best engagement rings for couples on a budget under $2500.
Taking it a step further, the diamonds you’ll find on their website, whether they’re mined diamonds, natural diamonds, or lab grown diamonds, they’re all GIA certified diamonds.
That means their selection of diamonds are all carefully curated by expert gemologists, which ensure you’re getting the best value for your money.
With plenty of options to choose from, you can’t go wrong with the large selection of diamonds at James Allen.
Clean Origin
Clean Origin takes a different approach with diamonds. While they currently have fewer diamonds to choose from compared to James Allen, their main value proposition is having ethically sourced lab grown diamonds.
While they have less overall diamonds than James Allen (25,245 to be exact), they carry more lab grown diamonds than James Allen.
We find lab grown diamonds to be a great alternative for those looking for an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative.
Check out our detailed guide here on what are lab grown diamonds and where to find the best ones.
In a nutshell, a lab grown diamond is chemically and physically identical to mined diamonds which makes them a socially responsible choice. We strongly recommend Clean Origin and their ethically sourced lab grown diamonds for couples with strong environmental and social values.
Overall, Clean Origin doesn’t necessarily have the largest selection of diamonds. But when it comes to ethically sourced and sustainable diamonds, they’re the best online diamond retailer for the largest selection of lab created diamonds.
Winner: Tie
Pricing
In this section, we’ll compare two lab created diamonds with the same shape, cut, clarity grades, carat weight, and color from James Allen and Clean Origin to see which one is more affordable. The criteria will be the following:
Shape: Round
Cut: Excellent/Ideal
Clarity: VVS2
Carat weight: 1.09
Color: F
Want to know more about cut, clarity, carat, and color? Check out our post on the 4C’s and why they’re so important here.
James Allen
Total price: $1,770 (on sale for $1,600)
Clean Origin
Total price: $1,489
Winner: Clean Origin
Website
James Allen
We find the James Allen website to be the perfect balance between educational and visually pleasing. A lot of the times, websites tend to either have a bunch of information, or look good. James Allen has done it both.
When landing on the site, you’re greeted by a large image that changes periodically to showcase a sale or any promotional event which makes it very convenient for shoppers to know what’s going on.
The site uses large, high-definition images, and has important subtopics sectioned off in appropriate locations without any form of over-lapping.
They’ve also added an “As Featured On” section on their homepage to help drive social proof which can boost their trustworthiness and credibility for a newcomer.
Overall, the website is very clean, intuitive, and educational.
Read also: Swarovski Engagement Ring Review
Clean Origin
Clean Origin on the other hand most likely caters to the simple minimalists. Their website looks very simple and can appear to lack information. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Clean Origin has loads of educational content and information on their website to help buyers make an educated and informed buying decision.
It’s easy to navigate the site with the menu bar at the top, but we’ve found the search function doesn’t work that well at times.
Now if we’re comparing how the website actually looks compared to James Allen and judging solely based off looks, Clean Origin doesn’t have any notable social proof or large images that pop in the same way James Allen’s do.
Winner: James Allen
Shipping & Delivery
James Allen
James Allen offers multiple shipping and delivery options to ensure you receive your diamond jewelry on time in a convenient manner.
You can expect your engagement rings to be shipped within 1-4 business days with their standard shipping option once payments have been processed and inspections are passed through their quality control. Delivery times depend on location.
Orders greater than $500 are automatically shipped via FedEx Priority Overnight. Order less than $500 in value are shipped either by FedEx Two Day Saver or FedEx Economy.
International shipping is free anywhere in the world and purchases are all securely packaged and insured. Not only are all orders 100% insured and fulfilled by a reputable carrier like FedEx, tracking information is also included with your purchase so you can follow the progress of your delivery.
Based on personal experiences, we’ve never had an issue getting our package on time and in a secured manner from James Allen.
Clean Origin
Clean Origin offers free FedEx Standard Overnight shipping (next business day delivery) both ways on every domestic order placed in USA. All international orders are fulfilled by DHL
Free returns are also available on all ring orders and loose lab diamonds.
With their shipping services, FedEx will also provide you with a tracking order so you’ll always be in-the-loop for your package’s location.
Clean Origin also offers the industry-best 100-day return policy, so if you’re having doubts about your engagement ring, you can return and exchange it hassle-free.
We really love Clean Origin’s ability to go the extra mile to ensure your package remains a surprise, especially if you live with your loved ones and want to maintain the secret until it’s time to propose.
For this, your options are you can either ship the package to a different location like a friend’s place, or you can have it ready for pickup a certified FedEx location. If you need special arrangements, Clean Origin can have that sorted for you by calling their customer service number at 1 (888) 487-2145.
To take it a step further, Clean Origin insures and registers all items for their full value, and requires an adult to sign for delivery of the package. This means you’ll never have to worry about anyone stealing your beautiful engagement rings from your porch!
A few of our readers have purchased from Clean Origin in the past and we’ve only ever heard positive feedback. Your package is insured, registered, delivered securely, and received appropriately.
Winner: Tie
Related: Best Tiffany & Co. Alternatives You Probably Didn’t Know About.
Customer Service
James Allen
At James Allen, their customer service team prioritizes a positive and satisfactory experience above all. Their team of dedicated professionals is available to help every step of the way.
We found that their team was very understanding and more than happy to help us answer any questions or concerns we had along the way.
They understand that when it comes to making a large and special purchase like an engagement ring, it’s a very special and personal experience that takes a good amount of thought and consideration prior to purchasing. As a result, their team is ready on standby to help guide shoppers through the customer journey.
Shoppers have the option to call or text a 24/7 number, a live-chat option, and an email option that takes two business days to receive a reply.
Clean Origin
Clean Origin is committed to providing their clients with best possible customer service experience.
Whether folks have a question about a specific product, need help with an order, or just want to chat about diamonds, the customer service team at Clean Origin is knowledgeable and caring.
Not sure if you need both an engagement ring and a wedding ring? Check out our post here before you make that decision.
However, seeing that Clean Origin is a fully-digital experience that caters to shoppers on the internet, we were quite disappointed to see that didn’t offer 24/7 support like James Allen.
Currently, Clean Origin has live-chat hours from Monday-Saturday 8:30am-12am EST, and Sunday 9:00am-12:00am EST.
You can also text, call, or send them mail to a physical address (who even does that anymore?).
The nice thing however is that Clean Origin offers live one-on-one virtual appointments that people can schedule for any questions or inquiries. But we find not many people are keen on having a “meeting” especially if they’re introverted.
But overall, we find that having the option to have a 24/7 customer support channel is very important in the age of the internet, because there may be someone shopping for diamond jewelry at 3am on a Thursday (we don’t judge) that can’t wait another 5-and-a-half hours to ask a question.
Winner: James Allen
Customer Reviews On Reddit
Before we begin, you may be asking yourself why did we choose to go with Reddit?
Simply put, Reddit has quickly gained popularity as the platform of choice for many engagement ring shoppers to discuss and share their experiences with various rings and retailers.
The r/EngagementRings subreddit is a community space for people to ask for advice, questions, and showcase their new engagement rings and loose diamonds.
Many diamond retailers have a presence on Reddit and frequently engage with customers in the subreddit.
James Allen
James Allen is one of the few brands in the diamond industry that has a strong presence on Reddit under the username jamesallen.
In fact, they don’t actually spend any of their time at all convincing readers to go on their website and purchase their fine jewelry. Instead they spend the bulk of their time replying to people whom have purchased and thanking them, in addition to offering advice.
We did find that not a lot of people ask about their lab diamonds. Most people talk about mined diamonds and natural diamonds when referring to James Allen on Reddit.
Here are a few recent replies from a post asking about the quality and shopping experience at James Allen.
Clean Origin
When comparing James Allen vs Clean Origin, Clean Origin definitely has less of a presence on Reddit.
We couldn’t find too many people online talking about their experiences with Clean Origin since it is a relatively newer company. But the few that we did find were very positive.
What’s interesting about Clean Origin is that they do have a Reddit account, but it hasn’t been active for a few years.
What’s also interesting is that Clean Origin has posted some reviews from Reddit directly onto their website which makes it super convenient for shoppers to know what other people are saying about them.
That also tells us that while Clean Origin doesn’t appear to be active on Reddit, they’re still very much keeping an eye on public opinion.
Reputation
James Allen
For quite some time, we’ve always recommended readers to go to James Allen if they’re in the market for diamond jewelry and or a loose diamond.
Considering they’ve only been around since 2006, they’ve managed to rapidly grow and position themselves as the leader in the online diamond industry.
With their transparent pricing and excellent customer service, customers are able to make educated and informed purchasing decisions right from the comfort of their house.
James Allen’s parent company Signet Jewellers continues to expand the brand and has recently acquired their competitor Blue Nile as of September 2022.
Clean Origin
We personally find Clean Origin to have a stronger brand in the industry considering they’ve only been around since 2017.
In only a couple of years, they’ve quickly expanded and positioned themselves as the sustainable, environmentally-friendly, socially-conscious go-to for lab grown diamonds.
To be able to do so in a matter of a few years is an amazing feat and Clean Origin’s marketing team deserves all the praise they can get.
With so many engagement ring designs to choose from, it can quite overwhelming. Fortunately, we have a guide here on what your engagement ring should look like.
Final Verdict
Deciding between James Allen vs Clean Origin definitely isn’t an easy one when you consider how both companies offer great customer support, seamless shopping experiences, and affordable prices.
Both companies offer a wide selection of lab grown diamonds, natural diamonds, and other diamond jewelry.
But as always, we stay true to our word and can only pick one winner…
DRUMROLL PLEASE
James Allen
It’s quite clear that James Allen is the top-recommended choice for those looking for a high-quality diamond engagement ring at an affordable price.
Their extensive collection of lab diamonds and ethically sourced mined diamonds, expert craftsmanship, and commitment to customer satisfaction make them the number one choice amongst shoppers.
And don’t take our word for it. There are plenty of people on Reddit that preach about James Allen’s strong online presence and customer reviews. This further accentuates their credibility and reputation as a leading online store.
Overall, James Allen is an excellent choice and perhaps the best option for people looking for a reliable and comfortable shopping experience for their next engagement ring.
Still not sure about James Allen? Check out our detailed guide here to see if they’re right for you.
