Are you trying to decide between Clean Origin and Ritani for your jewelry purchase? Look no further! This comprehensive guide will help you determine:
- Which retailer offers the most enjoyable shopping experience?
- Whose warranty is superior?
- Where can you find the best value for your money?
- What do customers have to say about their experiences with both companies?
Shopping Experience
The term “shopping experience” encompasses the entirety of what a jewelry retailer, whether brick-and-mortar or online, provides its customers. This includes factors such as the variety of selection, quality of grading reports, and options for showroom displays.
In essence, the shopping experience represents the unique features that a store can offer to its customers.
Clean Origin
Clean Origin may be a relatively new name to you, having been established in 2017. However, the team behind the brand boasts over 60 years of collective experience in the jewelry industry.
What sets Clean Origin apart is their exclusive focus on lab-grown diamonds, meaning that their entire inventory is free of natural diamonds. Despite being created in a laboratory, these diamonds are still considered authentic as they are produced using the same conditions found in nature.
With a vast selection of over 14,000 lab-grown diamonds, Clean Origin offers approximately 11,000 options for diamonds that are 1 carat or larger, available in a variety of shapes and sizes. Additionally, they offer roughly 70 fancy colored diamonds in addition to colorless options.
Notably, all of Clean Origin’s diamond jewelry is crafted using lab-grown diamonds. When browsing their website for loose diamonds, you’ll find several different viewers available for examination. The V30 viewer, in particular, features additional functions and capabilities that are not present in every viewer.
Another viewer that you may come across on Clean Origin’s website is the DiaCam viewer, which may appear less sleek in comparison to the V30 viewer. These viewers have varying distances from the diamond, but if not properly controlled, the diamond may spin too quickly, making it difficult to observe any inclusions.
Dragging the viewer may result in glitchy images and poor light reflection. It would be preferable if Clean Origin utilized the V30 viewer for all of their diamonds.
Clean Origin offers a 100-day return policy for their engagement rings, providing customers with ample time to evaluate their purchase and decide if it meets their expectations.
Ritani
Ritani is a prominent player in the realm of designer engagement ring settings and is frequently compared to well-known brands such as Tiffany. The company began selling both loose natural and lab-grown diamonds after Brian Watkins, former CEO of Blue Nile, joined the team in 2012. Although Watkins has since parted ways with the company, Ritani’s inventory of diamonds has continued to expand.
Despite offering only loose diamonds for a decade, Ritani boasts an extensive collection, likely due in part to partnerships with other retailers that provide them with a competitive edge. Presently, they carry around 100,000 loose diamonds in varying grades and weights.
Customer Service
One of the most significant reasons that companies lose customers is due to poor customer service. Clean Origin and Brilliant Earth are both notable in providing unbiased advice to their customers since they do not earn commission or have sales goals to meet, unlike larger jewelry retailers. This means that their customers can trust the advice they receive, making for a more positive shopping experience overall.
Clean Origin
Clean Origin’s customer service can be reached through email, phone, or live chat on their website during their operating hours. These hours are from Monday to Friday, 8am EST to midnight, and on the weekends, Saturday from 10am-7pm and Sunday from 10am-midnight. While their service hours may not be as flexible as other online retailers, they offer the opportunity to book appointments with their diamond experts if needed.
The service hours are decent, but some may find the 7pm Saturday closing time a bit early. Additionally, it may make more sense to switch the Sunday and Monday hours given the typical availability of the average jewelry customer.
Clean Origin may not be a well-known brand, and finding a consensus on their service can be challenging. However, Trustpilot can be a useful resource for learning about customer experiences. Most of the reviews for Clean Origin are positive, but there are a few negative ones. The most common complaint is that some customers have noticed flaws in their ring settings or loose diamonds.
Clean Origin has one showroom located in Dallas, TX, so most of their customers shop online. They offer free FedEx overnight shipping or free 2-day shipping, as well as free returns for all loose diamond returns, whether they are lab-created or not.
Ritani
Ritani’s customer service may not be widely discussed in online reviews, but this is likely due to their relatively lower profile in the market. However, from an objective standpoint, it can be said that Ritani’s policies and convenient features demonstrate their commitment to excellent customer service.
Allow me to elaborate…
Similar to Clean Origin, Ritani operates primarily online, but recognizes that not everyone is comfortable with the online shopping experience. To cater to these customers, Ritani has partnered with various jewelry stores across the United States to provide a free “in-store preview” service at a partner retailer near them. Customers can design their lab-created or natural diamond engagement ring online and have it shipped to the nearest partner store without any obligation to buy.
Ritani also provides market analysis for customers who purchase diamonds from them. With the diamond industry under scrutiny for conflict diamonds and inflated prices, gaining customer trust is essential for any company. To address this, each loose diamond in Ritani’s inventory includes a breakdown of its cost, including the manufacturer’s price, shipping and customs fees, and Ritani’s markup. This transparency allows customers to make informed decisions about their purchase.
Lastly, Ritani offers hassle-free returns for customers who are not satisfied with their engagement ring. They even schedule a FedEx pickup for the return, which is a convenient option for those who are disabled, without transportation, or elderly. Overall, Ritani’s policies are customer-centric, designed to provide convenience and ease of mind for their customers.
RECOMMENDED: Ritani Review
Warranty
Many people tend to skip jewelry warranties when offered, as they do not want to spend additional money after making a decision on an engagement ring. Although a free lifetime warranty is a coveted perk, not all companies provide one.
Clean Origin
Clean Origin provides a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty on all their lab diamond jewelry. This means that if you purchase a ring from Clean Origin and there is a design flaw or an issue with production, they will cover it. However, maintenance such as rhodium plating, prong retipping, and tightening of center and melee stones will be at the customer’s expense.
In my opinion, this is one of the biggest drawbacks of the company. Nevertheless, customers are entitled to one free resizing if they accidentally purchase the wrong ring size within 100 days.
Ritani
Ritani surpasses Clean Origin in this category, but who knows for how long. Rumor has it that Clean Origin may be offering a warranty with their engagement rings later in 2022.
Moving on to Ritani, they provide their customers with a free lifetime warranty in addition to their other convenient features and offers. This warranty covers routine maintenance such as rhodium plating white gold rings, tightening stones, and retipping prongs.
However, there are two catches. Firstly, you must sign up for the warranty online within 45 days. If you forget, you can still sign up at any time. Secondly, the ring setting must be a Ritani branded ring setting.
Price and Value
When shopping for a ring, the cost is often the top concern for most people, even above the features and benefits. However, it’s important to keep in mind that sometimes a higher price tag can offer better value in the long run.
For example, lab-grown diamonds can be 20-70% cheaper than mined diamonds, but they’re still pricier than alternatives like moissanite or cubic zirconia. When comparing prices between Clean Origin and Ritani, it’s clear that Ritani’s lab-grown diamonds are generally less expensive.
However, it’s important to note that the type of lab-grown diamonds each brand offers is different. Clean Origin offers lab-grown diamonds with higher clarity and color grades, while Ritani typically sells diamonds with lower grades (JKLM) which can account for their lower prices.
For those looking for higher-quality diamonds, Clean Origin may be the better option, but for those content with lower grades, Ritani could be a more affordable choice.
On Reddit
There are numerous customer reviews available on various websites such as the Better Business Bureau, Google Reviews, and Yelp, most of them are complaints about the retailer. While these reviews can be beneficial, it’s always wise to approach them with some skepticism.
To get a more balanced perspective, we prefer to turn to Reddit and its many subreddits dedicated to diamonds and engagement rings. Here, we can find both positive and negative experiences shared by users, providing a more well-rounded understanding of a particular product or retailer.
Clean Origin
Clean Origin’s popularity on Reddit has been steadily increasing over the past six months. In previous discussions, I’ve noted their lack of visibility on the platform. However, in recent months, there has been a surge in Clean Origin-related posts and discussions.
As an example, one customer left a comment on a Reddit thread inquiring about the company:
This reinforces my observations about the color grades of Clean Origin’s diamonds in comparison to other brands. However, it’s worth noting that some individuals may prefer warmer-toned diamonds, which could make Clean Origin’s offerings an attractive option for them.
Another individual also left a comment on the same thread:
Ritani
After searching for Reddit posts about Ritani, I found that there are only three threads dedicated to the brand. Unfortunately, none of them provide much insight into customers’ experiences with the company, as they mostly consist of inquiries about the quality of Ritani’s diamonds.
One user even asked if it was possible to negotiate with Ritani and obtain a 10% discount on their prices. While some suggested that it wouldn’t hurt to try, another user pointed out that Ritani’s diamonds are already reasonably priced.
It’s worth noting that while Ritani’s diamond prices may be more affordable, their ring settings can be quite expensive. This is likely due to the fact that Ritani is a well-known brand and a ring setting designer.
Conclusion
In the showdown between Clean Origin and Ritani , the former emerges as the winner for several reasons:
- Clean Origin offers higher quality diamond grades than Ritani
- The ring settings available at Clean Origin are more affordable than those offered by Ritani
- Clean Origin specializes exclusively in lab grown diamonds, making them experts in their field
- Despite higher prices, more people have opted to purchase from Clean Origin than Ritani
- Clean Origin offers a generous 100-day return policy, providing customers with peace of mind when making a purchase.