5 Engagement Ring Brands Couples Love

When I was looking for my wife’s engagement ring five years ago, the process felt overwhelming. It used to be about walking into a jewelry store and picking from what was in the case. That’s not the reality anymore. Today, it’s about understanding where a diamond comes from and having control over the final design. According to The Knot 2023 Jewelry and Engagement Study, one in four couples now choose a custom-designed ring, showing just how much personalization matters.

You want to get it right, and that means finding a brand that fits your specific needs.

This guide covers five of the best engagement ring brands that have earned loyal followings for different reasons. Some give you a dedicated artist for a completely custom build, while others have amazing online tools you can use right from your couch.

Engagement Ring Brand Comparison

1. GOODSTONE: For a Truly Personal Custom Build

GOODSTONE started on January 9, 2016, with a focus on a completely personal experience. The company makes every piece in the United States and avoids pre-made settings or mass production. When you work with them, you’re matched with an expert designer who stays with you from the initial conversation until the ring is delivered.

The Custom Process

What I found unique about GOODSTONE is that your designer is your only point of contact. You skip the chatbots and generic customer service lines. You talk directly to the person sketching your design. This direct line of communication is a huge advantage. It allows you to get incredibly specific, whether you want to adjust the depth of a setting, approve a detailed CAD model of your ring, or even swap a stone midway through the process.

While GOODSTONE has delivered engagement rings in as little as two weeks, they advise choosing your gemstone 6 to 8 weeks before your target date. This gives their jewelers enough time to do their best work without rushing. If you’re unsure about the ring size, they’ll send you a complimentary sizer before production starts, which helps avoid any resizing headaches later.

Warranty and Ongoing Support

GOODSTONE’s lifetime warranty is one of the most comprehensive I’ve seen. It’s designed to make you feel like part of the family long after the purchase.

• Free Resizing: You can get your ring resized as many times as you need for life.
• Maintenance: It covers routine care like metal maintenance, stone tightening, and cleaning.
• Repairs: Diamond setting and even gemstone replacement are included at no extra charge.

Clients in the United States also get free insured shipping, which provides peace of mind when sending such a valuable item.

Sourcing and Ethics

GOODSTONE uses 100% recycled precious metals, which reduces the environmental impact of new mining. These metals are re-refined to match the quality of newly mined materials, so there is no compromise on quality. Every natural diamond is conflict-free and sourced in compliance with the Kimberley Process standards. They also offer a wide selection of lab-grown diamonds from ethical suppliers as a popular alternative.

2. Tiffany & Co.: For the Iconic Legacy

Tiffany and Co. has been a giant in the jewelry world since 1837. When Charles Lewis Tiffany introduced the modern engagement ring in 1886, he set a standard that continues today. The famous “Blue Box” represents a timeless symbol of luxury. Through the Tiffany Ring Studio, you can select a diamond shape, setting, and metal to create your own version of their classic style, with a Tiffany Diamond Expert to guide you.

Diamond Standards

Tiffany stands behind its diamonds with its own Tiffany Diamond Certificate. While GIA certificates are the industry standard, Tiffany’s certificate adds a guarantee of authenticity and confirms the diamond meets their strict internal standards. Since 2019, the company has provided 100% geographic transparency for every newly sourced, registered diamond. This means they can tell you the specific mine or country it came from, a level of detail few global jewelers offer.

A key detail: Tiffany offers a “triple excellent” cut on all its round brilliant diamonds, which ensures maximum sparkle and fire.

Ongoing Service

Buying a Tiffany ring gives you access to their lifetime service network. You can bring your ring to any Tiffany store for complimentary cleaning to keep it looking its best. For more complex needs like repairs or resizing, their artisans assess each ring individually and recommend the best course of action. This ongoing relationship is part of what you invest in with the Tiffany brand.

3. Brilliant Earth: For Ethically Sourced Diamonds

Brilliant Earth launched in 2005 with a mission to make the jewelry industry more transparent and ethical. Their approach goes beyond the basics to ensure that every piece has a positive impact. Their Beyond Conflict Free standard, also introduced in 2005, raises the bar far above the standard Kimberley Process requirements.

Sourcing Standards

The Kimberley Process was designed to prevent the sale of “blood diamonds,” but Brilliant Earth’s standard goes further by adding protections for both people and the planet.

Fewer than 1% of diamonds worldwide meet Brilliant Earth’s strict criteria. Their diamonds are sourced from mines in places like Botswana, Namibia, and Canada that follow fair labor practices and environmental regulations.

Their suppliers must prove a strong chain of custody, allowing every Beyond Conflict Free diamond to be tracked back to its origin. This gives you confidence that your purchase supports communities and doesn’t harm the environment.

Design and Tools

Brilliant Earth excels with its online tools. Their virtual try-on feature lets you see how a ring will look on your hand using your smartphone’s camera. The renderings are surprisingly realistic and help you visualize the final product. You can easily adjust the diamond shape, carat size, and metal type. For those who prefer an in-person experience, they also operate over 30 showrooms across the country.

Returns and Warranty

The company provides a solid support package. This includes free returns within 30 days, a lifetime manufacturing warranty against defects, and one free resizing within the first 60 days. They also offer a free ring sizer and free shipping both ways, making the online buying process very low-risk.

4. Blue Nile: For Online Selection and Value

Blue Nile was one of the original online diamond retailers, launching back in 1999. They built their brand by offering a huge selection of diamonds at competitive prices. The company, now owned by Signet Jewelers, continues to innovate with tools like the Creative Studio for custom ring design.

Creative Studio

The Creative Studio is an online tool that lets you design a ring from the ground up, even if you have no jewelry experience. You can choose your diamond shape, setting style, metal, and even the design of the band. A 360-degree preview updates in real-time with every change you make. You can also use this tool in one of their showrooms with an expert jeweler to guide you.

Diamond Quality

Every engagement ring from Blue Nile is handmade and set with ethically sourced diamonds graded by either the GIA or IGI, two of the most respected labs in the world. Their inventory is vast, with diamonds covering a wide range of qualities:

• Color: D to K grade (from colorless to faintly colored).
• Clarity: FL to SI2 (from flawless to slightly included).

Each ring undergoes four separate quality checks before it ships. The company also offers a Diamond Price Match Guarantee, which adds another layer of confidence that you are getting a fair price. Their support team is available 24/7, and they offer free shipping and 30-day returns.

5. James Allen: For Unmatched Diamond Viewing Technology

James Allen changed the online ring buying game with its technology. Their standout feature is the Real-Time Diamond Inspection, which lets you talk with a non-commissioned diamond expert while looking at actual diamonds from their inventory together online.

Real-Time Diamond Inspection

This service is like having a gemologist in your living room. You share your screen and view diamonds in 360-degree HD with up to 40x magnification. This is a game-changer because it lets you see inclusions or flaws that you would never spot in a normal photo. Many users on Reddit’s r/EngagementRings say this feature gave them the confidence to buy a diamond online because they could inspect it just as closely as they would in a store.

Ring Studio

James Allen offers over 500 setting designs that you can customize with your choice of metal and center stone. Their Ring Studio lets you pair any of their hundreds of thousands of loose diamonds with these settings. The website updates your ring in real time so you can see exactly how your choices look together.

Policies and Support

James Allen’s customer service policies are very buyer-friendly.

• Returns: They offer a no-questions-asked 30-day return policy for a full refund or exchange.
• Resizing: You get one free ring resizing within the first year of purchase (up or down two sizes).
• Lifetime Warranty: This includes free services like prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating, and cleaning every six months.

Inventory

James Allen boasts one of the largest online inventories, with nearly 600,000 natural diamonds graded by GIA, IGI, and AGS. Every single one is shown with a 360-degree HD video. Their team of non-commissioned gemologists is available 24/7 to help you sort through the options.

Finding the Right Fit for You

From my experience, choosing between engagement ring brands comes down to what you value most.

If you want a truly one-of-a-kind ring and a personal relationship with the maker, GOODSTONE is an excellent choice. If you value timeless legacy and brand prestige, Tiffany & Co. delivers that iconic experience. For those focused on ethical sourcing, Brilliant Earth leads the industry. And if you want the power of technology to inspect every detail yourself, James Allen’s tools are the best out there.

The right choice is the one that gives you the most confidence as you make this huge decision. Good luck with the search.