As longstanding symbols of love, commitment, and elegance, diamonds need to be chosen with care. You want to make sure that you have the right stone to commemorate a special moment, to pop the big question, or simply to choose an excellent gift.

To that end, the quality and authenticity of your diamond matter a lot, making it even more important to be particular when it comes to where you buy your stone.

The world of online diamond shopping has been fast-growing and, aside from regular retailers, marketplaces like Rare Carat have emerged to provide a wholly new type of diamond shopping experience. Here, we’re going to review the platform to see how it compares to the traditional diamond buying experience.

Who Is Rare Carat?

Rare Carat is a US-based diamond marketplace that was launched in 2016 by Ajay Arand, who was frustrated with the process of trying to buy an engagement ring. As such, he created this platform to try to offer an experience that was more transparent, convenient, and offered expert guidance for buyers.

Rare Carat is an aggregator of diamonds from a host of vetted sellers, wholesalers, and retailers, rather than a direct seller. As an independent platform, it offers customers a host of tools to explore the market, including AI-powered search engines and quality scores, and the help of certified gemologists.

Why More People Are Turning to Online Diamond Marketplaces

The traditional approach of diamond shopping is no longer the only way. In fact, it might not even be the preferred way. Compared to their brick-and-mortar cousins, online diamond marketplaces offer a level of variety, competitive pricing, and transparency that is making them more and more popular.

Rather than being limited to the selection offered by one store alone, marketplaces like Rare Carat offer users access to diamonds from multiple vendors, and the ability to compare them based on factors like cut, clarity, carat, and price. This open comparison fosters a more competitive environment, often keeping prices more reasonable than at standalone jewelers.

The third-party nature of online diamond marketplaces also means that they can offer a degree of independent certification and expert oversight. Although choosing the right platform matters a lot, the right ones can offer buyers peace of mind that they know the kind of quality they’re getting.

About Rare Carat’s Online Diamond Platform

Rather than just being a simple listing service, Rare Carats is a highly equipped, full-service shopping platform. Their range includes natural and lab-created diamonds, along with Moissanite options, providing eco-friendly alternatives to the traditional. Beyond loose stones, shoppers can browse engagement rings, wedding bands, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces.

A standout feature is their AI-powered comparison engine, which combs over millions of diamonds and provides precise filters to help shoppers narrow down their options and make smarter decisions. Each diamond comes with a “Deal Score” and a Rare Carat Report, combining AI analysis with the expertise of human GIA-certified gemologists. This process ensures that pricing and quality are both transparently clear.

For those who want a little more guidance, Rare Carat also offers free, unbiased consultations from their gemology experts, as well as a Diamond Concierge Service, which provides a much more personal shopping experience than automated tools alone.

The Advantages of Shopping With Rare Carat

Rare Carat is one of the platforms getting a lot more traction among diamond buyers online, and one of those reasons is the benefits offered by the combination of AI and expert insights. They assess not just the sticker price but the value of each stone. The Deal Score provides an at-a-glance view of how fair the offer is. Each listing is also reviewed by GIA-trained gemologists, offering an extra layer of assurance.

This approach to transparent and educational shopping improves their grading reports and insights on things like fluorescence and diamond treatments, which can help you get a better understanding of the quality of your stone.

Aside from the variety and quality of diamonds on offer, Rare Carat’s customer-centric policies stand out, such as their 30-day return window, which is crucial for high-stakes purchases like diamonds. They also provide a 90-day resizing guarantee, especially helpful if you’re guessing someone’s ring size.

What’s more, every purchase comes with free, insured shipping, with a signature required on delivery, to make sure that your investment is protected. This is vital when shopping online, and heightened by the elegant, thoughtfully packaged boxes which make for a special unboxing experience.

Potential Drawbacks to Consider

Like any option, rare Carat isn’t perfect. For all of its strengths, it has a few limitations, chief among which is the fact that it’s strictly online. High-quality images and 360-degree videos of products help you get a better idea of what you’re buying, but you may miss the experience of seeing or touching the stone in person before committing to it.

Because the platform lists diamonds from external sellers, availability can change frequently. Shipping times and policies may vary slightly depending on the vendor, though Rare Carat does vet for quality and consistency across its partners.

Although the site does provide helpful tools and expert access, the diamond-buying process can be a little intimidating, and it can take a little research to be able to reach the fully detailed reports.

Lastly, some of the customer-friendly perks, like free returns and resizing, are chiefly designed for US-based customers, so you should do your own research into what you can benefit from depending on your location.

Final Thoughts

Rare Carat makes a successful combination of cutting-edge technology with traditional expertise to create a shopping experience that is both accessible and reliable. It’s a platform built for transparency, convenience, and value, offering users access to a wide range of certified stones and detailed tools to make informed decisions.

If you’re looking for a place to buy and genuine ring or a high-quality accessory, then Rare Carat is certainly far from the worst choice you can make. With its excellent customer service, extensive inventory, and commitment to helping customers get exactly what they’re after.