Are you searching for the best online store to buy IF diamonds?
Good! In this article, you will get to know about:
- IF diamond meaning?
- What to watch out for when buying IF diamonds?
- Is IF diamond price worth the tag?
- And a lot more!
Here is a quick list of the best places to buy IF diamonds. Keep reading to learn more and get buying tips and tricks for buying and also some of the FAQs.
Best Places to Buy IF diamonds
- James Allen (The best)
- Blue Nile (Best Collection of IF Diamonds)
- Ritani (Best Market Transparency for IF Diamonds)
- Clean Origin (Best Return Policy for IF Diamonds)
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1. James Allen’s IF Diamonds
James Allen makes it to our list as the best online store to buy internally flawless diamonds. This store allows the customer to view all their IF diamonds using 360-degree HD technology. This store has high-quality IF diamonds with a minimum color grade H, ideal and very good cuts, and 1+ carat in different shapes.
JA IF diamonds carry AGS, GIA, or IGI certificates. However, you should avoid IGI certified diamonds since their grading guidelines are not strictly enforced. On the cheaper side, you can buy a1 carat IF diamond from James Allen at $3,000 and can go up to a high of $500,000 for a 15 carat IF diamond.
This store sources their diamonds from conflict-free regions and goes for considerably cheap prices than you would find in corporate brick-and-motor stores like Zales or Kay. None of these stores stock IF diamonds in-store or online, they do special orders for them.
When you shop at JA, you get instant access to their IF diamonds.
With IF diamonds, you don’t necessarily need to view them in 360-degree since they have no inclusions. The HD technology comes in handy when you want to see the cut and brilliance of the diamond in real-time. By the way, did you know that James Allen has the best viewer that gives you a chance to be in charge of what you see? No other online store gives you that.
If you have any specific questions about IF diamonds, there is a provision for a live chat online with a diamond expert. In addition to getting all the information you need, you can also ask to view the grading report for the diamond ring you are interested in.
James Allen offers a lifetime warranty for any jewelry you buy from them. This warranty covers all the routine work needed to keep the diamond looking as good as new. You can either mail it directly to the retailer or drop it at one of their partner stores like Jared, only that you will pay for the shipping cost.
Pros
- 150,000+1 carat IF diamonds
- Live chat with professionals
- 360-degree view
- Lifetime warranty
Cons
- Shipping comes at a cost to redeem the warranty
2. Blue Nile’s IF diamonds
After James Allen, Blue Nile has the second-highest number of 1 carat, H and above color grade IF diamonds in their collection. The collection holds more than 1900 different diamonds, you can’t fail to find one for yourself.
There are specific filters to help you sort out this huge collection to remove the ones you don’t want. unfortunately, Blue Nile does not have 360-degree viewing on all their diamonds.
Luckily, IF diamonds are see-through under magnification, it’s still good to view the diamond before you buy it.
When you click the filter for a 360-degree view, the number of diamonds moves down from 1700 to 1100. You can filter further down according to polish and symmetry or diamond fluorescence. Using the advanced filters, you can narrow it down to your most preferred IF diamond.
Most of the online stores on this list have advanced filters, but none of them beats Blue Nile. I must say that I like it that all the IF diamonds in Blue Nile carry a GIA certificate. You will not find any perfect diamond that is certified by IGI unless it is a lab diamond.
RECOMMENDED: Buy GIA Certified Diamonds
When it comes to the IF diamond price, a 1-carat IF diamond bought at Blue Nile will have you part with $8,000 on the lower side and $15,000 on the high. Near colorless1-carat IF diamonds cost between $5,700 and $10,000.
If you look closely, you will notice that these prices are higher compared to James Allen. However, these are cheap compared to Zale, Jared, and other megastores.
Although Blue Nile has expensive IF diamonds, it still remains the go-to online shop for many customers, probably because of their round-the-clock customer service. They also boast a good reputation as one of the best online diamond sellers.
One not-so-good thing with Blue Nile is their warranty. It does not cover routine services like prong re-tipping, rhodium plating, cleaning, or polishing. You need to find a good jeweler to do these routine services on your IF diamond so that it retains its shine for years.
Pros
- 1700+ 1-carat IF diamonds
- Advanced filters for sorting through diamonds
- GIA certified diamonds
- 24/7customer service
Cons
- Not all diamonds have a 360-degree view
- Warranty does not cover routine maintenance
3. Ritani’s IF Diamonds
If you are familiar with ring designers, then you probably have already heard about Ritani. This online jeweler started as a ring designer and sold its products to other online jewelry stores like Whiteflash. They are still new to the world of selling loose diamonds.
The diamond prices at Ritani are competitive, but the ring settings are a bit expensive. Their ring settings come in yellow gold, rose gold, and white gold.
This store has more than 450 IF diamonds of different shapes and grades. The cheapest 1-carat IF diamond at Ritani is $4,000 while the most expensive is $17,000. Near colorless1-carat diamonds cost between $3,500 and $9,000. They also have diamonds with higher carat weights than most of the other online jewelers with prices going up to $500,000 for an 8-carat IF diamond.
One downside with Ritani is that they are not consistent with their diamond viewing technology. Some diamonds have 360-degree viewing, others have HD photos while others have nothing at all.
However, they have shown some improvement since there are more 360-degree videos than what was available a year ago. Unfortunately, you only get a pre-recorded video clip with no way to control or toggle. This is not convenient for customers who are looking for eye-clean diamonds that have low clarity grades.
I love the way Ritani offers customers a breakdown of how their diamonds are priced using market analysis. The breakdown shows the cost of a diamond, shipping costs, customs cost (from wholesaler to Ritani), and the markup cost. It helps to gain customers’ trust with this level of transparency.
All diamonds bought at Ritani are accompanied by a lifetime warranty. You don’t have to worry about finding and paying for routine work for your ring. However, you need to sign up for this service.
Pros
- Diamond price broken down
- Top-quality ring settings
- Free lifetime warranty
Cons
- Diamond viewing is not consistent
- Limited IF diamond selection
4. Clean Origin’s IF Diamonds
Clean Origin cannot miss in this list because of their affordable synthetic diamonds. However, they come at the tail end of the list because we are talking about IF diamonds.
To begin with, this store has only six internally flawless diamonds in their collection in either cushion or round cut. Lab-created diamonds are more than 50% cheaper than natural diamonds, hence, you are not likely to find any small carat diamonds here.
The lowest you can get is a 1.5-carat diamond. This is also the cheapest, carrying a price tag of $5,000. The highest carat weight you will find is 5.8, going for $50,000. This is not most people’s price range.
Clean Origin does not have very many IF diamonds because not so many customers like them. Lab-grown diamonds have a high clarity grade compared to real diamonds because they only have metallic blemishes and not crystal blemishes. If it is so easy to get eye-clean synthetic diamonds, then why look for an internally flawless diamond?
Most people who buy IF diamonds do so because they are rare. However, rarity is not worth considering when it comes to IF diamonds since they are available all over. So, most customers do not want IF synthetic diamonds.
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Conflict-free diamonds are still of interest to many people and customers prefer to know the origin of the diamonds they are buying.
Clean Origin gives their customers assurance that their diamonds are not blood-stained. On top of that, customers get a 100-day return policy. They will give you all the time you need to look at the IF diamonds until you make a final decision, that’s how good their customer service is.
How I wish Clean Origin had a convenient warranty like Blue Nile, this online store offers a lifetime warranty that caters to manufacturer’s defects but not any regular maintenance of the diamonds.
Pros
- Synthetic diamonds are cheaper
- Diamond origin is known
- 100-day return policy
Cons
- IF synthetic diamonds are too common and not valuable
- Warranty doesn’t cover routine works
- Very limited selection
Buying IF Diamonds Online (FAQ)
Internally flawless diamonds are among the most expensive diamonds on the market. They are priced higher because they are the second-best on the GIA clarity scale.
The quality of diamonds is not only measured using its clarity but also cut, color, and carat, the reason it is not easy to put a numerical figure to it.
IF diamonds make for less than 1% of all the diamonds found in the industry, you can relate where the high price tags come from.
While that sounds pricey, there are mega stores like Zales and Kay sale their IF diamonds at even higher prices. many of these stores do not have IF diamonds in their inventory because they don’t receive their orders frequently.
If you want to buy IF diamonds online at affordable prices, you have to toggle with grades such as carat weight and color. However, it is only possible if you are buying from a store that allows you to choose the grades you want. The four jewelry stores mentioned in this article have this provision.
How to Select the Best IF Diamonds Online?
Because they are eye-clean IF diamonds are expected to carry high grades too. Many people own pale yellow diamonds with IF clarity and think they actually have a high-quality ring.
You should know that when IF diamond price increases, it is as a result of carat weight increase. If you are limited by cash but still want an IF diamond, you should think of reducing carat weight. It is difficult to cut a big IF diamond.
You would want to keep a colorless or near-colorless diamond. Diamonds with low color grades like J, K, and L may look yellow if the diamond is clear. Check out the difference between these 2-carat and 1-carat IF diamonds, can you notice any difference.
Do You Need IF Clarity Diamonds?
High-quality diamonds come in other forms not necessarily internally flawless diamonds. IF diamonds that come with high grades are very expensive for some people. For most people, it is difficult to identify the difference between a VVS and IF diamonds with the human eye.
As already established, IF diamonds are rare. if your wallet can afford one, then why not own it? If you can\t afford it, no need to worry. You can always find lower clarity diamonds with no inclusions if you buy from an online retailer with 360-degree viewing. One good place is James Allen.
When you view the diamond in HD cameras, you can tell which clear diamonds have low clarity grades like SI or VS.
RECOMMENDED: Are VS Diamonds Right for You?
Do IF Diamonds Need Certification?
Never buy any diamond (IF or not) that has no grading certificate. Many grading laboratories provide certificates, each with a set of guidelines followed when grading diamonds.
We only advise that you buy real diamonds that carry GIA or AGS certificates. The best diamond certificates are gotten from GIA. If you wish to take the diamond for grading, GIA and IGI labs are the top in the industry.
When buying IF diamonds, you definitely should be looking out for a GIA or AGS certificate, only these can ensure what you see is what you buy. You wouldn’t want to find out that you ordered a diamond ring only to find out that it is two grades lower than what you paid for? This is why a certificate is important.
RECOMMENDED: Which Diamond Certification is Best?