Where to buy engagement rings online in 2025, with expert tips

Sure, the long-awaited wedding ceremony and beautiful photos are a ball to plan, but the entire “I do” process starts with one thing: finding the best engagement ring.

Unlike years ago, the round-cut diamond, though a classic, isn’t the only one to shop for. Plus, there’s so much that goes into one piece of fine jewelry, from the clarity and cut to the color and carat.

“The classics never go out of style, but I think that today’s brides and grooms want something timeless and personal,” Nellie Barnett, a four-year diamond grader at the Gemological Institute of America, told The Post. “Considering the turbulent year and a half the world has experienced, there is a strong desire to have engagement rings with a personal touch — using symbolism, creating custom settings or requesting unique diamond cuts.”

Should I buy an engagement ring online?

Purchasing an engagement ring is a personal decision and, with so many customization tools offered online nowadays, the process couldn’t be simpler. Whether you’re unable to access a jeweler or simply prefer to see prices and specifications upfront, it’s the preferred process for some.

“Whether shopping online or in a store, the quality of a diamond affects its price [along with if it’s a lab-grown diamond], which is why we highly recommend anyone considering a diamond to look for one with a GIA report,” Barnett said. “GIA Diamond Grading Reports are based on rigorous examination by trained and experienced professionals who use scientific and impartial assessment of the diamond’s four C’s —color, clarity, cut and carat — to provide the exact details of what is in the diamond, as well as any treatments.”

And, be sure to check out our FAQ with a gemologist for expert-backed insights to buying engagement rings online. Oh, and you’ll want to check out this research on the average price of engagement rings by state.

What are the best places to buy engagement rings?

brand spotlight

Pros:

• Designer rings
• Natural and lab-grown diamonds

Cons:

• Special orders are final sale

For natural engagement rings, we recommend none other than Blue Nile. While the brand has plenty of fine jewelry options on its site, they’re one of the select few to have an entire landing page dedicated to natural diamonds. Usually, it’s quite hard to shop for natural diamonds online, so we appreciate how the brand makes them more accessible than ever.

With Blue Nile, you’ll feel like you’re having a one-of-a-kind custom experience. You’ll begin by choosing a diamond, then a setting and finally seeing it all come together before checkout. Blue Nile allows you to sort by diamond type — as is the case with other online jewelers on this list — but it also provides a custom edit of “Our Engagement Ring Picks” for a more curated approach to ring shopping (and who doesn’t like the inside details from a renowned jeweler on top options?!)

Additionally, Blue Nile offers luxe natural diamond options with its designer engagement rings, including Zac Posen, Bella Vaughan and Blue Nile Studio. It’s a wonderful destination that we recommend looking into.

Price range: Prices vary, as shoppers select diamonds and settings separately upon ordering

Financing: 9.99% APR with 24 monthly payments with a Blue Nile Credit Card (no interest if paid in full within six or 12 months)

Best Place to Buy Lab-Grown Engagement Rings: Grown Brilliance

What’s great about Grown Brilliance is its affinity for lab-grown diamonds, specifically. We had the opportunity to visit its showroom in NYC to scout all of the beautiful diamonds and the sparkle and styles are simply stunning — there’s no other way to put it.

Grown Brilliance works closely with IGI (the reputable diamond graders we interviewed below) and loves how the brand is holistically knowledgeable about the industry and the 4 Cs. Not only can you shop by diamond cut but you can also match it with your preferred metal, including yellow gold, white gold, rose gold and platinum.

There’s also a portion on its website called “Diamond Education,” where you can learn more about the 4 Cs, diamond shapes and lab-grown diamonds. The brand’s overall quality and mission to help couples find their perfect diamond is beyond compare.

Price range: $895+

Financing: Up to 36 months with rates as low as 0% APR

Best Place to Buy Engagement Rings at a Good Value: KAY Jewelers

We’ve all heard it before: every kiss begins with KAY. With that slogan, we can practically see the commercial right before our very eyes.

As a legacy jeweler making diamonds both accessible and well-varied, KAY Jewelers reigns supreme as the best online destination for the money. Prices have an extremely vast price range and that’s largely in part to the myriad options you’ll find online, along with some prized collections that are a bit more luxe.

The brand has one of the most narrowed-down shopping experiences we’ve noticed. Choose from wedding ring sets, classic solitaire options, halo, gemstone, three-stone, vintage and more. Designer collections are also available, like Neil Lane (yes, “The Bachelor” jeweler!), Monique Lhuillier, LEO and Now & Forever.

Whatever your price point is, check out KAY Jewelers. The brand has been around for a minute but its recent elevations are impressive.

Price range: $700+

Financing: Offers six-month financing with a minimum purchase of $300 (zero interest if paid in full within six months)

Best Place to Buy Traditional Engagement Rings: With Clarity

Clarity is an online jeweler we need to place on your radar — a seamless fit for anyone looking for a traditional engagement ring. Whether you prefer natural or lab-grown diamonds, you’ll be sure to find not only a good value but a stunning diamond and band coupling at the end of the day.

The brand is one of the most transparent at letting you know how much the ring will cost per carat size and metal option. For this reason, it’s beyond easy to price-compare while shopping. Additionally, it hosts some of the most beautiful, classic options, with a subtle variety of more intricate bands (if you’d like to explore some wedding bands for later wear at the same time).

It has the perfect amount of options online to provide variety but not too much to overwhelm you. As a whole, the brand is one to be considered.

Price range: $800+

Financing:Use Affirm to make up to four interest-free payments, or pay in installments for up to 36 months. Your rate will be 0-36% APR based on credit, and is subject to an eligibility check. 

Best Place to Buy Unique Engagement Rings: VRAI

VRAI has been on our minds for years now and it was a no-brainer in our book to name it the best for unique engagement rings — and, it’s not only because the brand has a complete landing page dedicated to “Unique Engagement Rings.”

Namely, you’ll find the Ariana Grande-inspired engagement ring (with two asymmetrical stones), unique double-band options (like The Double Band Round Brilliant in Platinum) and V-shaped bands and marquise stones. Overall, VRAI has us adding some to our wishlists — and recommending it to brides-to-be who can’t stop Googling the ring of their dreams, along with items for their wedding registry.

Price range: $1,100+

Financing: No interest or fees when you split your purchase into four equal interest-free installments with Klarna (available on purchases from $200 to $1,000)

An FAQ on Buying Diamonds Online

Before reading some commonly asked questions about engagement rings, meet our expert:

• Nellie Barnett: the manager of media and public relations at GIA in Carlsbad, CA. She started grading diamonds in 2014 and was formerly a diamond grader in GIA’s laboratory in New York City for four years after earning her GIA Graduate Diamonds and Applied Jewelry Professional diplomas. During her time in the lab, she graded thousands of diamonds before her current role.

What should I look for in a diamond ring?

“Aside from style and preference, the top considerations when diamond shopping is the 4Cs of Diamond Quality,” Barnett explains. “GIA actually developed the 4Cs – Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat Weight – and the GIA International Diamond Grading System more than 70 years ago. These two standards create a common and consistent way for people around the world to evaluate and describe diamonds and their quality.”

What does ‘color’ mean when shopping for a diamond?

“Color actually describes the absence of color,” she said. “GIA’s diamond color-grading system starts with D – for absolutely colorless – and goes to Z which means that the diamond has a visibly light yellow or brown color.”

What does ‘clarity’ mean when shopping for a diamond?

“Clarity describes any characteristic that is seen within a diamond at 10x magnification,” she said. “These characteristics are referred to as inclusions or blemishes – they can occur within the diamond or on the surface.”

For example, a small crystal inside the diamond is considered an inclusion while a scratch on the surface is considered a blemish. “A diamond that has absolutely no inclusions or blemishes is Flawless on the clarity grading scale and also has a higher value,” she adds.

What does ‘cut’ mean when shopping for a diamond?

“Cut describes how well a diamond’s facets interact with light by measuring the stone’s proportions and how they influence the diamond’s face-up appearance,” she said. “Only round brilliant cut diamonds receive a cut grade.”

What does ‘carat’ mean when shopping for a diamond?

Carat Weight is the measurement of how much a diamond weighs. 

What engagement ring cut should I buy?

“Cutting style refers to how the diamond’s facets are arranged,” she explains. “For example, the most common facet arrangement for round diamonds is the standard brilliant cut that has a specific arrangement of 57 or 58 facets. Other cutting styles include the emerald cut, which is a square or rectangular shape that has four longer facets along the sides – these are called step cuts – and beveled corners.”

Barnett notes that the cut differs from the diamond’s shape. “Shape, which is different from cut or cutting style, describes a diamond’s outline when viewed face-up,” she adds. “By far the most popular diamond shape is round. But, there are other shapes which are called fancy shapes and those include marquise, pear, oval, rectangle, square and heart.”

How do I know if a diamond is of good quality?

“Make sure that the diamond you are considering has a grading report – preferably from GIA! The 4Cs determine whether or not a diamond is of exceptional quality,” she said. “The best quality diamond is described as Flawless, D Color and Excellent Cut but, ultimately, what is considered perfect will be determined by the person who wears the diamond.”

How much should I spend on an engagement ring?

“There used to be an old adage that you had to spend at least three months’ salary on an engagement ring, but that’s now archaic,” she said. “Here’s a far better tip: learn the 4Cs of Diamond Quality, do some comparison shopping and find an engagement ring that makes your heart beat the way that your love does. In the end, it’s not how much you spend, but how much love the ring represents.”

What should I know about engagement ring settings?

“Diamond settings highlight the beauty of the stone and protect it from damage,” she said. “There are three common settings: bezel, with a thin metal strip to hold the gem; prong, which holds the diamond in place using narrow metal supports; and halo, consisting of small diamonds around the center stone.”

Another thing Barnett recommends considering is the metal used. “Selecting the right metal for your engagement ring setting is just as important as selecting the right diamond because the metal plays a big role in your diamond’s color appearance,” she adds. “Since diamonds are highly reflective, the many facets of a standard round brilliant diamond and other diamond shapes act like tiny mirrors reflecting their surroundings, including the color of the band and the prongs holding the gem.”

Keeping this in mind, you can use the color of the metal in your engagement ring to enhance your diamond’s color, too.

Should I purchase engagement ring insurance?

“Typically, items that are of high value are often insured,” she said. “Similar to having insurance for a car or a home, it is highly recommended to purchase insurance for a diamond.”

2024 engagement ring trends, exclusively shared by a jewelry expert

Although yellow gold is trending, white gold continues to dominate.

“We see the mixed metals trend continue to grow in 2024 with consumers embracing the mix of white and yellow gold when layering necklaces and bracelets and also selecting rings made of yellow gold with white gold accents,”  Don O’Connell, CEO & president of Charles & Colvard told The Post.

Additionally, high-carat engagement rings will continue to trend for 2024.

“This is a big opportunity for lab-grown gemstones as more and more consumers are learning that lab-grown gems provide the same quality and sparkle, but also come with the added benefits of being responsibly sourced,” O-Connell notes. “Additionally, lab-grown gems give consumers the option to go for bolder carat weights with a more accessible price point.”

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