Looking to know which is better between James Allen Vs Spence Diamonds?
You’re at the right place!
This is our comparison of the James Allen Vs Spence Diamonds.
In this article, I have reviewed both the brands in-depth and will fully explain to you which one is better.
Let’s get started with an in-depth look at what sets these brands apart.
Table of Contents
1) History
James Allen
In 1998, James Allen Schultz and his wife Michele established Jamesallen.com. It’s easy to dismiss a year like 1998 without thinking about its implications, yet 1998 was a long time ago in Internet years.
The creator of James Allen was dissatisfied with his own search for an engagement ring, so he decided to start his own company. After its launch in 1998, the company grew quickly, quickly establishing itself as one of the major online engagement ring retailers.
They rebuilt their website as JamesAllen.com in 2005. They began to take their engagement ring line extremely seriously at this time.
They’ve also started collaborating with well-known designers in order to provide you something truly unique.
James Allen proceeded to change the way people shop for diamond rings online. As a result, not only do consumers have better trust in their purchases, but the rest of the business is compelled to follow suit.
Spence Diamonds
One of Canada’s more well-known stores is Spence Diamonds. Sean Jones and Doug Spence founded the company in Vancouver 30 years ago, and it has since expanded to 9 outlets and developed a solid reputation throughout British Columbia. Spence attempted to enter the US market in 2009 but swiftly withdrew. Lion Capital bought out Spence a few years ago. The sites were supposed to be greatly increased to 20. With seven sites now, it appears that such ambitions have been postponed.
Despite effective marketing initiatives, Spence has not always had a stellar reputation. A harsh exposé of several corporate practices was published by CBC News a few years ago. Additionally, we received a good number of letters from persons interested in Spence diamonds. It appeared that Spence would rely more on their own reputation than on formal accreditation.
2) Website Navigation
James Allen
James Allen’s website has a sleek and contemporary style to it, which I enjoy. The main page includes everything a consumer needs to get their attention.
Furthermore, they offer the correct kind of filters, which makes looking for rings a breeze. You may shop for rings based on metal type or ring style. Choose from a variety of customer-inspired rings or design your own. With just a few clicks, you may sort the diamonds by cut, clarity, color, and carat weight.
The website of James Allen is quite nicely designed, and you can quickly navigate through all of the pages, whether it is the main page or various sorts of jewelry and diamonds sites it also feels like a premium feel to it
I found it very easy to navigate to James Allen’s website. All the necessary information is nearly arranged and are easily accessible. Categories such as Fine jewelry, Weddings collection and Designer Collection are all easy to access it helps to save time.
Spence Diamonds
My knowledge has taught me that an effective marketing strategy does not a successful business make. Having said that, I can understand how a consumer with minimal product understanding may be mesmerized by the Spence Diamonds brand.
To be fair, I can understand how charmed even people who are well-versed in their search may be! The Spence Diamonds brand has undergone much thinking, and the end result is high fashion, editorial imagery, and a really distinctive presence in the diamond sector. Their website is more like a flashy brochure to tempt you to visit their stores as they don’t have an e-commerce platform.
Winner: James Allen is the winner of this category.
3) Quality
James Allen
James Allen never fails to deliver high-quality, precisely designed rings with diamonds, in my opinion. Their rings are skillfully created to perfection with the expertise of skilled gemologists.
Before you receive your ring, it goes through a thorough testing procedure to ensure that it is the ideal fit for you. James Allen provides conflict-free diamonds as well as authenticity certificates. You won’t have to worry about the authenticity of their diamonds because the majority of them are IGI and GIA certified.
Furthermore, James Allen’s products come with a lifetime warranty, so you don’t have to worry about the quality. This means you may have your rings fixed or serviced at no charge at any time.
Spence Diamonds
While it was wonderful to see that they were exhibiting GIA certified diamonds, merely possessing a GIA certificate does not make it a beautiful diamond. As Spence had previously depended on their own evaluations – a huge no-no when buying a diamond – this is another element that has altered over the past few years. Although it’s excellent that they’ve changed their strategy, the majority of the diamonds sold were of mediocre to poor grade.
Winner: Based on quality James Allen is truly on another level.
4) Store Location
James Allen
James Allen is located in the United States and does the majority of its business online. If you live in Washington or New York, though, you’re in luck. You can come to James Allen’s shop for a one-on-one examination of the rings you want.
James Allen maintains a store in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., as well as a showroom on Fifth Avenue in New York City. All of their things may be sent anywhere in the world.
Spence Diamonds
There are Spence Diamonds locations all across the US and Canada. Vancouver, Canada, is home to their corporate headquarters. In Canada, they have seven shops. They offer excellent customer service because they are an online retailer. Face-to-face communication guarantees that buyers are well informed about the items.
Winner: James Allen is the winner.
5) Pricing
James Allen
James Allen is a brand for everyone. And it more than lives up to its billing. At James Allen, diamonds and other jewels are reasonably priced.
However, cheaper pricing does not imply a reduction in quality. That isn’t true at all. The quality is precisely what you’d expect for the price. They have diamonds of different shapes and sizes. For example, these gems at James Allen are worth serious consideration.
You may acquire some really substandard pieces from them, as well as some extremely fine and expensive gems that are well worth the money. The pricing are reasonable, and the ability to create your ring from beginning to end gives you greater control.
Spence Diamonds
For the quality, Spence Diamonds are outrageously pricey. On average, their prices are almost 40% more than those of online rivals.
We are aware that physical and mortar stores have far higher overhead costs than online retailers, but aside from effective marketing, I am unable to understand where the significant price premium is going.
Perhaps a tiny part of the problem might be explained if my experience in the shop had been flawless, complete with all the bells and whistles you would expect from a premium brand and if the sales team had been shown to have thorough technical training. This was regrettably not the case. In any case, I believe that Spence Diamonds offers ordinary to subpar diamonds in terms of pricing.
Winner: James Allen offers certified high quality diamonds for a reasonable price. James Allen wins this round.
6) Shipping
James Allen
I’m afraid James Allen promises to give international delivery, but this isn’t the reality. Looking at their list of shipping destinations on their website, I discovered that they only ship to 22 countries, including Spain, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Canada, and Germany.
They provide FedEx Priority, FedEx Economy, and USPS shipping options. There are no deliveries to P.O. Box addresses.
Spence Diamonds
Since Spence Diamonds is an offline business, shipping is not offered. They conduct sales at their stores.
Winner: James Allen wins.
7) Return Policy
James Allen
Customers of James Allen have access to a sound and simple return policy. If you’re not completely satisfied with your item after getting it, you can return it within 30 days, no questions asked.
Additionally, free return shipping is only available for orders placed in the United States and Canada. A $50 return shipping fee will be applied to overseas purchases.
Spence Diamonds
If for any reason you are unhappy with the jewelry you bought from Spence, you may simply return it within 30 days of the purchase date in its undamaged, original condition with the original paperwork and receipt, and Spence will reimburse your money.
Winner: James Allen takes the win in this round.
8) Customer Support
James Allen
James Allen has a staff of non-commissioned diamond professionals that can assist you make the best decisions regarding your jewelry. Your complaints will be addressed by their professional customer service staff.
You can reach a JA representative at any time of the day or week by dialing 1-877-826-9866. You may contact them by Skype or email at [email protected]. Aside from that, you may contact them directly through their website and schedule a real-time diamond examination.
Spence Diamonds
You have the choice of going in person, writing an email, calling the customer support number, or using the online chat if you have an issue with Spence diamonds or a purchase. You may rest easy knowing this.
Winner: James Allen wins this round. They have one the best customer service teams.
9) Customer Reviews Online
James Allen
On Wedding Wire, James Allen has a 4.8 star rating based on more than 1000 reviews. Customers at James Allen appear to be pleased with both the service and the price.
There are hundreds of reviews on Wedding Wire that you may read. To be honest, I was pleasantly pleased by James Allen’s consistent reputation across the internet.
Spence Diamonds
Spence diamonds are negatively rate on yelp and other places. On Yelp, they only have a 2.5 rating. Most of the reviews from Yelp stress the poor quality of the jewelry. In this instance it’s easy to argue that there’s more unfavorable comments and disgruntled consumers than satisfied ones.
Winner: James Allen wins this round.
10) Warranty
James Allen
James Allen offers a lifetime guarantee on maintenance and repairs. From cleaning to polishing to prong tightening, we’ll take care of any problems you have.
James Allen offers free resizing for the first year following your purchase. James Allen understands how difficult it may be to find the right size. You can trust James Allen to make sure everything is in order.
Spence Diamonds
In addition to offering a lifetime warranty, Spence Diamonds also offers fundamental coverage for services like cleaning and stone replacement. To cover more expensive repairs and resizing, an extended service warranty can be bought. For the first year, it’s free; after that, the price varies depending on the product.
Winner: James Allen provides a much better warranty than Spence diamonds.
Overall Winner
Spence diamonds are concerned So near but so far away. Unfortunately, great branding and concepts do not convert into great goods. Their costs are far higher than those of internet merchants like James Allen and others. Their customer service is really lacking.
It’s a real shame. One of the rare stores that truly gets ambiance right is Spence. Service is to be expected in general, but this was the worst service we have received at a business. The quality and price of their goods, however, were the true letdowns.
Always pay less when ordering from a business like James Allen online. But Spence falls short in two respects. First of all, their pricing isn’t even comparable. Second, they ought to provide a quality product and first-rate service for the charges they want. Both are unavailable.
An online diamond shop like James Allen should be given significant consideration when deciding where to buy engagement rings or any other type of diamond jewelry.
Because James Allen is unquestionably the greatest when compared to Spence diamonds or any other corporate jewelry store.
You can be sure you’re doing business with a reputable online store when you purchase with James Allen. You receive complete honesty and transparency. There was no bribing or convincing.
Unlike any other jewelry business, including Spence diamonds, James Allen is built on customer trust, exceptional craftsmanship, and competitive pricing.
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