James Allen vs Kay Jewelers: Here’s Which One We Recommend

We had a long time reader ask us if we preferred James Allen or Kay Jewelers. So we thought it’s about time we make this comparison and end the debate once and for all. Despite being owned by the same parent company, Signet Jewelers, James Allen and Kay Jewelers are actually two very different diamond engagement ring retailers. In this detailed buyer’s guide, we’ll highlight the main differences between the two and we’ll give you our honest recommendation.

Bottom Line Recommendation
When you consider the most bang for your buck, our top recommended pick is James Allen. They have excellent 24/7 customer service, a unique online experience, over 250,000 diamonds to choose from, consistent positive reviews from various community members on Reddit, and quality craftsmanship… all at an affordable price. That’s why choosing James Allen is a no-brainer.

	James Allen	Kay Jewelers
Year Founded	2006	1916
Website	Very comprehensive, intuitive, & easy to use	Clunky and slow
Customer Support	24/7 support via live chat, phone, and email	Text, live chat, WhatsApp, appointment, or walk-in during certain hours of operation
Selection	250,000+ diamonds with HD video + 360 degree detail	1,803 ready-to-ship rings
Price	Very affordable	More expensive
Return Policy	30 day free return policy with free return shipping	30 day free return policy with free return shipping
Warranty Policy	Lifetime warranty with free prong tightening, re-polishing, rhodium plating, & cleaning services	Lifetime warranty with free prong tightening, re-polishing, rhodium plating, & cleaning services at an additional cost
Shipping Policy	2-4 days	7-10 days
Upgrade Policy	Lifetime upgrades for 100% of the diamond value as long as new purchase is double the price of original diamond	Lifetime upgrades for 100% of the diamond value as long as new purchase is double the price of original diamond
Jump to Site	Visit James Allen	Visit Kay Jewelers

Here’s what we’ll cover in this guide
• Pricing • Selection • Diamond Quality • Customer Service • Online Shopping Experience • In-Store Shopping Experience • James Allen on Reddit • Kay Jewelers on Reddit • Return Policy • Warranty Policy • Shipping Policy • Upgrade Policy

James Allen

When it comes to diamond jewelry, James Allen is one of the most popular online diamond retailer for high quality diamonds.

James Allen offers shoppers expert craftsmanship on engagement rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and wedding bands at an affordable price.

One key feature that sets James Allen apart is their Virtual Reality Try On Feature. This feature lets shoppers all across the world see how an engagement ring online would potentially look on their very own hand.

This means shoppers no longer have to sit in traffic and drive all the way to brick and mortar jewelry stores just to see a few diamond rings.

Also, buying a diamond ring online for your loved one is a lot more discreet if it’s going to be a surprise!

Read also: The Truth Behind James Allen: Know This Before You Buy

Kay Jewelers

Kay Jewelers is one of the most popular physical jewelry store in the United States.

With plenty of brick and mortar locations and being in business for over 100 years, Kay Jewelers has a wide variety of loose diamonds, and plenty of other diamond jewelry at competitive prices.

The main key feature that sets Kay Jewelers apart from others is their large network of physical stores.

Many shoppers prefer to go into a physical store and speak with diamond experts in person.

This is perfect for shoppers that prefer something more “tangible”.

Read also: This Diamond Cut Will Make Your Ring Sparkle The Most

Pricing

In this section, we’ll take a look at two diamond rings with similar criteria from James Allen and Kay Jewelers to see which one offers the more affordable option.

The criteria is the following:

• Color: I

• Cut: Ideal/Best

• Clarity: VS2

• Carat weight: 0.25

• Shape: Round

• Style: Solitaire

• Metal: 14K White gold

Here is the result from Kay Jewelers which comes out to $2,086.58.

And the exact same ring from James Allen comes out to $1,100.

That’s a whopping $986 difference!

It’s no surprise that James Allen is the more affordable option here.

Read also: James Allen vs Tiffany: The Answer May Surprise You

Selection

In this section, we’ll take a look at which retailer has more diamond engagement rings.

Since James Allen focuses mainly on creating custom rings, you won’t find many ready-to-ship diamond engagement rings on their website.

If you’re looking to make something custom and unique (which we always recommend), James Allen has over 250,000 diamonds available to make your engagement ring specific to your needs.

But if you want something ready-made, James Allen has 240 ready-to-ship diamond engagement rings available.

Read also: 10 Stunning James Allen Eternity Rings

At the time of writing this, Kay Jewelers has 1,803 ready-to-ship diamond engagement rings.

On their website, there’s no information about how many diamonds you can pick from.

But since they offer a wide range of customizability, we’d wager they can make any diamond ring specific to your needs.

Diamond Quality

Determining a diamond ring’s quality is always a challenge to answer.

To get a better sense of what makes a diamond good quality, we recommend you first check out our article on the 4 C’s.

Some shoppers prefer a better cut over a bigger diamond. And some may prefer a better colored diamond over better clarity grades.

While quality can come down to preference, here’s what we have noticed about James Allen vs Kay Jewelers.

When you’re going diamond shopping, both James Allen and Kay Jewelers offer high quality diamonds at affordable prices.

But James Allen’s diamond quality is better overall.

Their diamonds are typically smaller but offer more symmetry. This means they are less prone to blemishes and flaw, which make the diamond look dull.

Read also: James Allen vs Clean Origin: Head-to-Head Comparison

On the other hand, Kay Jewelers tends to have lesser quality diamonds. Their diamonds are larger and bolder, but tend to have more blemishes and flaws.

It’s important to keep in mind that people around you will typically view your diamond engagement ring at a very high-level.

This can mean they’ll either notice the diamond size or the color grade/clarity grades first. Or maybe even both.

But for many people, unless someone is performing a professional diamond inspection on your ring, we wouldn’t sweat the tiny details.

And if you’re not sure whether a big or small diamond will suit you, we recommend taking a look at these articles below to help:

Best Engagement Rings For Small Hands

Best Engagement Rings For Big Hands

Customer Service

How a company treats their customers plays a huge part in most people’s decisions when they’re diamond searching.

In this section, we’ll highlight the various ways for customers to get support from each retailer.

In our experience, we find that the more venues a retailer is able to offer for their customers to get in contact with them, the better.

Kay Jewelers has a strong focus on the in-store experience aspect and less on the online front.

And we’ve noticed that can be rather inconvenient, especially as shopping online has been a fast-growing trend.

If you’re looking to get in contact with Kay Jeweler’s customer service team, you can pick between texting them, live chat, WhatsApp, booking an appointment to speak with a jewelry expert, or walking in to a store front and speaking with a representative during certain hours of operation.

On the other hand, James Allen has a stronger focus on the digital aspect of their store, especially with their VR Try On Feature.

But if you prefer an in-store experience as well, James Allen has a few locations around the United States.

Read also: Looking For a James Allen Store Location? Here’s Where to Find Them

If you’re looking to get in contact with James Allen’s customer service team, they offer a 24/7 toll free number, 24/7 live chat, 24/7 email, and 24/7 real-time diamond inspection.

Their 24/7 availability is a huge bonus for many shoppers, especially if you’re located in different timezones.

Read also: The Dark Side of James Allen: Unveiling Complaints

In theory, you can be on a vacation with your significant other to propose in a different country, and not have to worry about getting answers to your questions or concerns on time about your diamond ring.

No matter where in the world you are, James Allen is there to help ease your mind and restore your peace and quiet.

Online Shopping Experience

When it comes to shopping online, James Allen is the clear winner between James Allen vs Kay Jewelers.

With their 24/7 customer support and VR Try On Feature, it’s hard to beat that level of online shopping experience.

Many shoppers have told us they found the James Allen website to be very user friendly and easy to navigate.

On the other hand, we’ve noticed that Kay Jewelers website can feel rather overwhelming and clunky at times.

Read also: James Allen vs Blue Nile: Which One Is Right For You?

In-Store Shopping Experience

James Allen actually offers some pretty neat services in their showrooms.

They offer one-on-one consultations, diamond prep services, an ambient coffee bar, and a sweet VR headset to try on various rings.

But while James Allen has a few showrooms across the country, they aren’t in convenient locations like Kay Jewelers.

Kay Jewelers has over 3,500 showrooms across the US, Canada, and the UK.

This is great for shoppers that are looking for a face-to-face experience with another human being.

James Allen on Reddit

Kay Jewelers on Reddit

Return Policy

James Allen offers a 30 day free return policy with free return shipping.

Kay Jewelers also has a 30 day free return policy which can be up to 60 days if you’re looking to exchange instead.

Warranty Policy

James Allen offers lifetime warranty with free prong tightening, re-polishing, rhodium plating, and cleaning services.

Kay Jewelers offers an extended service plan which lasts a lifetime for an additional cost and includes clasp repairs, ring resizing, rhodium finishing, and more.

Read also: Everything You Need to Know About The James Allen Warranty

Shipping Policy

Both James Allen and Kay Jewelers offer customers free shipping over $50.

But James Allen’s shipping time is faster, with a delivery time of 2-4 days.

On the other hand, Kay Jewelers’ average shipping time is 7-10 days.

Upgrade Policy

Both Kay Jewelers and James Allen will give you the trade-in value of your engagement ring to use towards a new piece. But only on the condition that your new piece is at least double your old engagement ring’s trade-in value.

Recap
When you consider the most bang for your buck, our top recommended pick is James Allen. They have excellent 24/7 customer service, a unique online experience, over 250,000 diamonds to choose from, consistent positive reviews from various community members on Reddit, and quality craftsmanship… all at an affordable price. That’s why choosing James Allen is a no-brainer.