Adiamor vs. James Allen (2023 Comparison)

If you’re considering a diamond or a piece of fine jewelry, there are plenty of jewelers to choose.

Two popular options known for their online experiences are Adiamor and James Allen.

They both provide a wide range of products across loose diamonds, wedding rings, necklaces, and other fine jewelry.

My bottom line recommendation is James Allen because it’s where I bought my wife’s engagement ring. I had an incredible experience from start to finish. 

But Adiamor also provides an exceptional experience, and I have no hesitation sending my readers there.

So let’s compare Adiamor versus James Allen across the aspects most important to your purchase, including an overview of each retailer, their selection, prices, and more.

Overview of Adiamor

The team at Adiamor has been hand-crafting jewelry for more than five decades. 

Founder Avo Sarkisian specialized in pave designs, where small diamonds are placed along the shank of a ring to complement the main one.

Avo’s and Company evolved into Adiamor, which has been selling online since 1998.

This means Adiamor was at the forefront of selling diamonds online. It was a pioneer in the industry that has since welcomed competitors like Blue Nile, Brilliant Earth, and Clean Origin.

The company is based in Los Angeles, California, with physical locations for consultations or to view jewelry in person.

Adiamor abides by the Kimberley Process, which means it sells conflict-free diamonds that aren’t used to fund wars against legitimate governments.

On its website, you’ll find educational content that explains concepts like:

• The four Cs of color, clarity, cut, and carat
• Diamond certifications
• The different diamond cuts and makes each unique

So they’ll help you find the perfect diamond ring or piece of jewelry from start to finish, whether you’re in the initial phases of browsing online or know exactly the piece for you.

For all the details on their brand, read my full review of Adiamor.

Overview of James Allen

James Allen was founded in 2005. Its headquarters are in New York City, but it has showrooms across the country in places like:

• Washington, DC
• Dallas, Texas
• Chicago, Illinois
• Atlanta, Georgia

I’ve personally visited their location in Washington, DC and enjoyed my conversations with their sales representatives.

I had some questions about the ring I was buying my then-fiancé, and they provided helpful support.

James Allen was a later entrant into the business of selling diamonds online but have since established themselves as one of the best places to buy a diamond. 

One of its early advantages over competitors was the use of high-resolution image and video technology that allowed prospective customers to see exactly what their jewelry looked like before they bought it.

Check out the diamond below on their website, because you can rotate is 360 degrees to learn how to appears at every angle.

Aspects of a diamond like clarity and cut are difficult to describe without pictures, so James Allen improved the online experience by adding these features.

Known primarily for engagement rings, the company boasts that more than 150,000 proposals have taken place using its rings. 

They also sell wedding bands and fine jewelry such as tennis bracelets.

If you’re beginning the process of buying a piece of jewelry online and aren’t sure where to start, visit the educational content on its website. 

You’ll learn about diamond cuts, caring for a gem, how they’re graded, and more.

All of its diamonds are conflict-free and align with the Kimberley Process. 

How are Adiamor and James Allen Different?

1. Jewelry Selection

James Allen and Adiamor have a huge selection of jewelry. I’m referring to both the types of jewelry available and the number of choices within those categories.

Adiamor’s main product lines are:

• Loose diamonds (natural and lab-grown)
• Engagement rings
• Wedding rings
• Fine jewelry (earrings, pendants, bracelets)

They have close to 150,000 loose diamonds available across all the popular shapes such as round, princess, marquise, and pear cut diamonds.

If you’re searching for a natural round cut diamond, you have close to 100,000 options ranging across all color, clarity, and cut grades and from 0.15 to 15 carats.

Or if you’re interested in a lab-created princess cut, there are almost 4,000 diamonds to assess.

Once you’ve chosen a diamond, Adiamor offers a variety of settings from pave and halo settings to three-stone and vintage styles. You can choose between metals like 14K white, yellow, or rose gold or platinum.

Adiamor also has more than 400 styles of wedding rings.

For example, this French cut eternity band has small diamonds cascading all the way around the ring.

It’s called an eternity ring because the diamonds form a continuous circle around the ring instead of only half way.

They also have channel-set wedding rings, where small round, princess, or baguette cut diamonds are placed within the band. There’s a small lip that hangs over the edge of the diamond in the crevice.

James Allen has an even larger selection of diamonds and jewelry compared to Adiamor.

They have more than 250,000 round cut diamonds for sale, and that doesn’t include their selection of synthetic diamonds.

You can also choose lab-created or natural diamonds in cuts such as:

• Asscher
• Radiant
• Cushion
• Marquise
• Emerald

They have a wide selection of settings and wedding rings. Styles include French and petite pave, channel-set diamonds, and stackable rings.

Our favorite is their line of channel settings, like this piece with round-cut diamonds. 

Or as another example, this wedding ring is made of 14K white gold and features U-pave diamonds around half of the band.

Their selection doesn’t stop with wedding jewelry. It extends into all types of occasions, with offerings like pendants, pearl earrings, and gemstone necklaces.

2. Quality

Don’t judge the quality of a diamond by the vendor who sells it. Instead, it should be evaluated by a credible third-party organization like the Gemological Institute of America or the Gem Certification & Assurance Lab.

For lab-grown diamonds, the International Gemological Institute is renowned for their assessments.

James Allen sells diamonds certified by the GIA, IGI, and American Gem Society (AGS).

If you’re buying a natural diamond, we recommend choosing one graded by the GIA or AGS.

You used to have to request the GIA report from James Allen, but now it’s available directly on the site.

Once you’ve selected a diamond, click on the “GIA” square below it to pull up the report.

You can use it to understand the diamond’s quality across the four Cs, its proportions, fluorescence, and more.

Adiamor sells diamonds certified by the GIA and AGS. So you can choose any diamond from Adiamor and be confident in the accuracy of its grading report.

The other jewelry sold by James Allen and Adiamor is high quality. Adiamor’s handcrafted pieces have stunning designs.

For most products on their site, you can view how they look in a high-quality, 360-degree video.

The same is true at James Allen. Instead of relying on a written description, view it with magnification the same as you would at a retail store.

3. Prices

Online jewelry stores often have lower prices than brick-and-mortar stores like Zales, Kay, and Jared. This is especially true of James Allen and Adiamor.

You’ll consistently see lower prices at these two retailers compared to their competitors that operate primarily out of physical locations.

But the best way to compare prices at James Allen versus Adiamor is to assess diamonds that have the same grades across the most important qualities.

For example, we compared the cost of diamonds with the following grades:

• Cut: Very good
• Clarity: SI1
• Color: H
• Carat weight: 0.90

The average price of a diamond with these grades from James Allen is $3,557. The lowest price is $3,060, and the highest is $3,970.

At Adiamor, prices range from $2,967 to $3,615. The average is $3,335.

This means James Allen’s diamonds sell for about six percent more than ones from Adiamor, but the exact price depends on each diamond. It’s fair to call it even because the difference is so small.

There are some instances where diamonds of a particular grade at James Allen may be less expensive, so I recommend not basing your final decision on discounts of only a few percent.

Prices for wedding rings are also similar. For simple rings without small diamonds, costs range from $110-$300 at James Allen and Adiamor. 

With diamonds, their wedding rings generally cost between $500-$1,200.

4. Online Buying Experience

James Allen and Adiamor have exceptional online buying experiences. 

Because they sell most of their jewelry through their websites, they’ve developed the process in a way that’s intuitive and gives you confidence in your purchase.

Our favorite feature on both sites is the ability to create your own engagement ring.

You can start with a diamond or setting.

Once you’ve chosen your diamond and setting, you can view how they look together.

For example, we chose a one-carat round cut diamond from James Allen and paired it with a petite pave cathedral setting.

The site then shows you a high-quality image of the completed ring.

Adiamor’s online experience does the same. We chose a round cut diamond and a 14K yellow gold knife edge ring. The site combines the diamond and setting for you to view.

If you aren’t interested in designing your own, Adiamor also shows buyers their most popular engagement ring styles.

James Allen doesn’t have a page that promotes their list of the most popular styles, but they do have an inspiration section where you can view the rings others have purchased.

5. Shipping and Packaging

Adiamor offers free priority overnight shipping for orders more than $250, and they’ll ship to 34 countries.

James Allen doesn’t have a minimum purchase price for its free shipping, and they’ll ship to 23 countries. But for free priority overnight shipping, the minimum is $500.

You can learn more about James Allen’s shipping policies here.

A piece of jewelry’s packaging is also part of the experience, especially for engagement rings. Most buyers propose using the original box, so you want to be confident in its style for such an important moment.

Adiamor’s packaging is a Rosewood box with a cream-colored leather interior.

You can request it include a dark brown ribbon with the Adiamor logo.

James Allen’s packaging for diamond rings is a red box with a white interior.

While both are impressive, my favorite packaging is Brilliant Earth’s because of its wooden design.

6. Customer Service

Buying a piece of jewelry such as an engagement ring often ranks among someone’s most expensive purchases. So you shouldn’t neglect the role of customer service. 

Fortunately, if you’re comparing James Allen versus Adiamor, they both pass the test.

We’ve personally interacted with the teams at both companies and have been satisfied with their customer service. Their representatives are quick to answer the phone and provide helpful information.

When I was shopping for an engagement ring at James Allen, I was debating between one diamond or the other. 

Their team walked me through the differences and pointed me in the right direction. It was unbiased advice that took the details of my situation into account.

You can contact the customer service teams at Adiamor and James Allen through email, phone, or a live chat on their websites. 

They’ll talk you through the logistics of your order and guide you in the process of choosing the right piece of jewelry.

James Allen’s customer service is available 24/7, but Adiamor’s team has set hours Monday-Saturday and isn’t available on Sundays.

7. Return Policies & Warranties

Another way James Allen and Adiamor instill confidence in buyers is through their return policies and warranties.

Both companies offer full refunds for items returned in their original condition within 30 days.

James Allen offers to pay the return shipping cost for customers in the United States and Canada, with a limit of three free returns per customer, while Adiamor doesn’t promote this feature.

Many jewelers don’t allow returns for custom products or one with engraving. While James Allen and Adiamor’s policies don’t reference these situations, you should clarify this policy when you order a piece that falls into one of those categories.

Click here to learn more about James Allen’s return policy, and here are the details for Adiamor.

James Allen and Adiamor also have similar warranties. Both are lifetime warranties that cover manufacturing defects and exclude the normal and wear and tear the piece experiences.

If your ring appears to have a manufacturing defect, send it to the company. They’ll inspect the jewelry and decide whether it’s covered by their policy.

If it is, they’ll repair or replace it for free. If it’s not covered, James Allen and Adiamor will provide a quote for its repair.

8. Reviews from Customers

You should also take into account customer reviews when assessing Adiamor versus James Allen. 

Both companies promote quality service on their respective websites, but you can learn more about what to expect by reading what customers have to say.

James Allen has earned 4.8 out of five stars from 1,392 reviews on WeddingWire.

Reviewers give high ratings for their:

• Quality of service
• Average response time
• Value
• Professionalism

Specifically, reviewers note the quality of their designs, the jewelry’s durability, affordable prices, and the easy buying process.

But not all buyers have had the same experience. Some have commented on the difficulty of quickly repairing a ring and also slow shipping times.

Adiamor has also earned positive reviews on WeddingWire, with 4.4 out of five stars from 82 reviews.

Customer reviews praise the service team staying in close contact throughout the process of buying a ring, reasonable prices, and a stress-free buying experience.

On the negative side, some noted difficulty dealing with customer service representatives and challenges understanding inventory availability.

But every jeweler has some poor reviews. What’s most important is James Allen and Adiamor have proven to address customer complaints seriously and work to resolve those issues.

Is Adiamor or James Allen Jewelry Right For You?

Adiamor and James Allen both provide quality loose diamonds, engagement rings, and other jewelry. They’ve established themselves as two of the leading brands in the competitive industry of selling jewelry online.

You can’t go wrong either way.

In the comparison of James Allen versus Adiamor, I recommend James Allen because of their huge selection of diamonds and settings, low prices, and exceptional customer service.

When I bought an engagement ring from the company, their team was available each step of the way, and I landed on the perfect piece for my wife.

By viewing jewelry at James Allen, Adiamor, and other quality vendors, you’ll find the right piece for you that will last a lifetime.