polls Repeated Visit To recap, during our last visit in 2020, Eugene Seah walked through with us on the what we should look out for when choosing a diamond, before introducing their White Series Decagon diamonds . Ever since that visit, we have occasionally dropped by the store to look at their jewellery collection. JANNPAUL Lab Diamonds Recently, we discovered that JP started to carry lab diamonds. Hence, we decided to drop by their store again to find out more from Eugene, about the lab diamonds in colorless and fancy colors. The lab diamonds from JP are are guaranteed to be free from stria or off hues and are all Type IIa, the chemically purest makes and are AGS or GIA certified only. They are available from D to F colors, fancy pink and blue, with VVS1 to VS1 clarity. - uses the highest quality carbon seeds only - never reuse our carbon seeds - do not add catalysts (eg. Boron, Aluminium or titanium ) to speed up the growth process - their growing chambers are contaminant
During my relentless search for a perfect diamond, I have a hard time unearthing unbiased reviews, done by bloggers or Instagrammers who focus only on the diamond - the product, and not about the need to show off their perfect lifestyle and wedding proposal. *roll eyes*
Hence, I have decided to come up a detailed review on James Allen (JA) diamond on my own. Overall, it was a pleasant purchase and am very glad to have chosen JA for my very 1st online purchase of the diamond ring, which is a very special gift for myself.
James Allen True Hearts Cut* (*Please note, by using above link, you will be able to get $150 USD off your purchase*!)
Budget
Since I was hesitant about my 1st online diamond ring purchase, I have restricted my budget to around 3.8k USD, 0.7c, H or better, VS1 or better and the best ideal cutting available. Based on these restrictions, I managed to narrow now my search to the online retail giant, James Allen.
How long I took to decide on the diamond ring design
In my quest for the perfect diamond ring, the whole process took 1 month! During this journey, I have lost count on the number of GIA and AGS reports I have poured through. Fortunately, the virtual assistants, who are available 24 hours, are always just a click away.
Quality of the service
4 out of 5 (Satisfactory)
The virtual assistants are not automated chat bots, but real people behind the keyboards. 95% of them were very helpful and responsive and a few even stand out. One of them actually sent me a chat transcript after my virtual consultation, and another helped me to determine my ring size. Unfortunately, the virtual assistant who finalized my order was careless and mistyped my name and I had to follow up for the rectification.
Experience of the platform
3 out of 5 (Room for improvement)
The platform seems a bit buggy (it could be my browser's problem), the Wish List always seem to display differently, depending on whether I have logged in through the mobile phone or laptop. Recently, I noticed I was unable to view the diamond in other shapes, except for round shapes. For some odd reason, the browser appended the variable RingMatchID=55990 every time I clicked on "Start with a diamond". I might try to flush my browser cache later to see if I can get rid of this variable.
I was also unable to take part in the "Refer a Friend" programme and had to contact JA IT to rectify this. The virtual chat function lagged and sometimes hung whenever I launched the chat from my phone. This is something I did not expect from a vendor who was an early eCommerce adopter. Furthermore, I noticed that the GIA/AGS/IGI serial numbers are removed from their reports. Hence, compared to other online retailers such as White Flash and Brian Gavin Diamonds, JA does not seem to be as transparent.
Nevertheless, I absolutely adore the 360-degree high-definition images of all its diamond types, that are magnified up to 40 times. This was one of the main reasons why I choose JA for my 1st ever purchase.
In addition, JA actually allows their customers to publish their actual photos and videos of their purchases. Seeing photos of the actual products makes me feel safe and assured about making a purchase from JA!
Waiting time and delivery
4 out of 5 (Some room for improvement)
My purchase arrived within 3 weeks; I made my order on 28th Oct 2020 and the ring was delivered on the 19th Nov 2020, just under 3 weeks, around 1 week earlier than the ETA.
I noticed that the online status was not updated in real time; it did not reflect each stage accurately; the status jumped from DIAMOND INSPECTION to SHIPPED within a few weeks. Hence, if you need to change your ring size or made any changes to your order, remember to do it asap, or within the 1st 2 weeks of your order!
FedEx is the appointed delivery company. Unfortunately, FedEx dented my JA package at one corner! I am pretty upset since I absolutely adore the JA packaging....more on that later.
Furthermore, JA actually encourages you to write a feedback once the delivery is complete. That is a plus point too!
Quality of the product
4.5 out of 5 (Nearly Perfect)
THE James Allen Jewelry Box came...slightly dented
My JA purchase came in a nice package; a drawer like jewelry box which contains the classic deep red ring box on the first layer, with a lower pull out drawer which contains a jewelry cloth (not inside the photo since I accidentally left it behind my brother's place), a well made Hearts and Arrow loupe and 2 thick plastic sleeves.
1 plastic sleeve contains the a laminated AGS certificate and a duplicate copy, while the other contains the coupons, appraisal, lifetime warranty, a quality certificate (thanks Julie!) and an invoice.
However, one corner of the jewelry box is badly damaged and it spoilt my day - I was so looking forward to receiving it in perfect condition. *Ugh* Shame on you FedEx! 🚚
AGS Serial number is correct
With the help of the electronic microscope, I was able to magnify the ring around 100x to scrutinize the workmanship and consistency of the Pave settings (I will upload the photos in the future). The sizes of the pongs are consistent, the ring surface appears very smooth (except for a few micro scratches, which is expected). The pave diamonds are well set evenly and securely (I hope). I have read reviews of the pave diamonds coming loose and will monitor this....Nonetheless, the diamond looks magnificent when viewed from sideways and from the top.
I also verified the AGS serial number through the electronic microscope and was happy to announce that what JA was considerate to ensure that this not covered by the setting.
<x100 magnified photos coming up soon....>
UV test reveals no blue fluorescence for JA's True Hearts and Arrow as expected...
Just for fun, my brother loaned me a cheap Alibaba brought UV torchlight for me to perform the test blue fluorescence. As expected, there are no traces of blue fluorescence for the True Hearts diamond. However, unexpectedly, there are 2 pave diamonds, one on each side which fluorescence a strong blue! ❤️ 💎
Now I feel my JA ring is extra special! 🥰 Thanks JA! Perhaps JA should seriously let us have an option to have colorful fluorescence diamonds at the sides? I have some diamond accessories which fluorescence in pink, green and yellow and they are gorgeous!
Performance of the JA's True Hearts and Arrow
The actual photo of the chosen diamond, viewed through the JA's complimentary Hearts and Arrow loupe is shown below. The sparkle is breathtaking!
Here is a second photo, which clearly shows off the beautiful hearts and arrow's design! If I am going to nick pick, the hearts and arrows should be set aligned with the sides of the ring. I wonder what are the considerations which JA deliberated before deciding to set the True Hearts diamond "sideways".
I also compiled a video to illustrate how the JA True Hearts diamond performed under the morning sunlight.. The morning sunlight had hit my brand new JA True Hearts diamond ring, and bathed my bathroom in a rainbow of brilliant sparkles. So much so, I had to whip out my handphone to capture the beautiful sparkles. The flashes are blindly beautiful (see for yourself!) and I have to emphasize that my puny Samsung Note 9 only captured 60% to 70% of the beautiful scene.
My Thoughts
The moment I received the JA True Hearts diamond ring, I brought it out for a shopping trip and compared its performance with the local brick and mortar's ideal cut diamond. I also brought my brother and my husband along to perform an unbiased comparison.
Our conclusion is unanimous, JA True Hearts diamond is on par; but it is over 40% cheaper!
Due to the quality of the product JA has delivered and the cost savings, I honestly wished I had taken more risk and purchased a bigger diamond, opted for the 18K Rose Gold, and spent more on the ring settings to make it stand out more. So that my JA True Hearts ring will look more distinguished from the current 0.4c, 18K Gold customized ring, which I am wearing right now.
Since JA has not really established a presence in Singapore yet, there are not a lot of consumers who realize that there are much cheaper alternatives with the same, or even better quality diamond products out there. I am so glad that I decided to research before making an informed purchase!
This ends my quest for the perfect diamond ring. 💍
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