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Rubies are among the most popular gemstones for engagement rings and also among the most expensive of all gemstone varieties.
If you’re looking to purchase a ruby ring online, there’s the inherent risk that you’re not going to get your money’s worth. This is why it’s extremely important to pick a retailer with a solid track record and one that stands by the quality of its products.
Here are our picks for the best retailers to buy a ruby ring online. We have considered the quality of their products, their track record, creativity, customer service, and customer reviews when compiling this list.
Where to Buy Ruby Engagement Rings
1. James Allen
Although James Allen is known for their excellent diamonds and streamlined online shopping experience, they also have an impressive collection of loose rubies and readymade ruby engagement rings.
The rubies in the James Allen collection start at $380 and go upwards of $245,000 giving you a wide range to choose from. They come in all popular gemstone shapes, including oval, round, cushion, and even some cabochon cuts. Each stone comes with a certificate of authenticity from the GIA, ensuring the quality of the stone.
Because James Allen provides HD video and images for each gemstone, it’s the next best thing to see the stone in person. You also have the option of building your own ring and choosing from a wide range of ring settings and styles. You’ll also have free engraving, free returns, and free shipping with your purchase arriving in a sophisticated, classy package.
In our comprehensive guide, we cover all the reasons to shop at James Allen, as well as some of the downsides.
2. Blue Nile
Blue Nile has a small but selective collection of ruby jewelry that is of impressive quality and style. They don’t offer loose rubies for sale, as their rubies are already mounted and ready for sale.Â
Known for disrupting the diamond industry with its competitive pricing and innovative approaches to selling diamonds online, Blue Nile has a towering reputation in the online jewelry industry. Their main principle is to keep prices low while offering the best products. You’ll see this in action with the quality of their jewelry, excellent customer service, and after-sales policies.
One thing to note is that Blue Nile doesn’t have videos of all their products, and this can be difficult if you like to see your future ring from all directions. However, they do have clear images and magnification that lets you carefully inspect the setting and style of the ring.
Read our in-depth review of Blue Nile here, where we cover what makes them stand out from the competition.
3. Angara
For a wide range of ruby rings, Angara is an excellent place to start your search. Their collection includes over 250 ruby rings, but because each of these can be customized to suit your preferences, this actually amounts to endless options.
You won’t be able to buy loose rubies here, but Angara gives you the option to select your ruby depending on the quality you’re after. One of the ways in which they stand out is in their Gemstone Quality filter, which lets you choose from Good, Better, Best, and Heirloom quality rubies.
Angara focuses on gemstones like sapphires, rubies, and emeralds and has grown to become one of the leading names in the business over the last 10 years. They’re located in Los Angeles but operate only online. The company offers a 100% refund on products if returned within 30 days, with free shipping both ways for US orders.
Each ring comes with a certificate of authenticity, including one free resizing and beautiful packaging. Because they focus mainly on engagement rings, there’s a very good selection of rings to suit every taste and style.
4. Brilliant Earth
Brilliant Earth is known in the industry for their ethical stance – they were one of the first companies to focus on ethically sourced gemstones, diamonds, and metals. Which is why all their rubies are lab-created. Whether you’re looking for a loose lab-created ruby or for a ruby engagement ring, Brilliant Earth has got several options available.
The loose rubies on the site start at around $1000. Once you’ve chosen your ruby, you can then browse their big collection of settings, which comprises over 270 options. You can then finalize your custom ring by choosing your ring size. This gives you a lot of control over how you want your final ring to look, rather than simply buying a ready made one.
The company has several local jewelry stores, but if you’re not near any of these, purchasing online is easy and streamlined. Their customer service reps are friendly and knowledgeable and will take the time to answer your questions. If you do have any issues with the final product, they also have excellent after sales policies.
Read our in-depth review of Brilliant Earth here, where we discuss the pros and cons of shopping with them.
How to Buy Rubies Without Getting Ripped Off
When buying your ruby online, note that there are several considerations to ensure that you don’t get ripped off. These include the following:
1. Choose a reputable vendor
We’ve said this before, but we’ll say it again. A reputable vendor will stand by their products and ensure that you purchase the perfect ruby ring with 100% satisfaction.
2. Look for certification
Your retailer should be able to give you a certificate for your ruby but note that certificates are often only given for loose rubies and not for stones mounted in ring settings.
3. Ask about treatments
Almost every ruby on the market has been heat treated so that’s no surprise if you see this on your ruby’s description. Heat treatments help to enhance the color and clarity of the ruby.
But there are other treatments that are not so desirable. One such treatment is fracture filling which can hide the flaws of a low-quality ruby. Always ask your retailer if the ruby has been treated in any way and they should disclose this information to you.
4. Check returns policies
Just in case you end up not loving the ring you’ve purchased, it helps to know that you can send it back. Returns policies can range from 2 weeks to 75 days, but 30 days is standard. Note that most retailers will not accept custom-made ring.
Wrapping Up
By picking the right retailer, you can avoid unnecessary headaches and the chances of getting ripped off with lower-quality ruby jewelry. For engagement rings, it’s important to check the quality of the ruby as well as the craftsmanship of the setting. After all, these two have to work perfectly together if you want the perfect ring!