How We Review
A transparent look at how we evaluate jewelry retailers and products. We publish this so you can judge our reviews on their methodology, not just their conclusions.
What we review
We focus on online jewelry retailers and the categories most readers ask about: engagement rings, lab and natural diamonds, gold and silver fine jewelry, pearls, and gemstone pieces. We do not review every brand we cover — only those where we can collect enough information to form a useful opinion.
Our scoring rubric
Every retailer review is built around five weighted criteria. We score each criterion 1–10 and calculate a weighted overall score.
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 25% | Clear per-stone pricing, no hidden fees, currency clarity, financing terms disclosed. |
| Product quality & selection | 25% | Metal purity, certification body (GIA, IGI, AGS), inventory depth, customisation options. |
| Returns & warranty | 20% | Length and conditions of return window, restocking fees, lifetime warranty / resizing terms. |
| Customer experience | 15% | Clarity of the buying journey, response time of customer support, third-party review sentiment. |
| Ethics & sourcing | 15% | Conflict-free sourcing claims with verification, recycled metals, lab-grown options, certifications. |
How we gather information
We use a layered approach, in order of priority:
- Primary sources. Retailer policy pages, certification bodies (GIA, IGI, AGS), manufacturer spec sheets, and direct correspondence with brands when we need clarification.
- Hands-on testing where practical. When we can purchase or borrow a piece, we document the unboxing, inspect under a loupe, weigh it, and test the return process. Reviews that include first-hand testing are clearly labelled with a “First-hand experience” badge and the date of purchase.
- Aggregated public data. Pricing across comparable specs, sampled at the time of publication, and updated when we revisit a review.
- Verified third-party feedback. Trustpilot, BBB, Reddit threads, and professional gemology forums — weighted by recency and pattern, not single complaints.
When a section of a review is based on aggregated data rather than first-hand testing, we say so explicitly. We don’t claim hands-on experience we don’t have.
What disqualifies a brand from a positive review
- Unverifiable certification claims (e.g., “GIA-equivalent” certificates from non-recognised labs).
- Hidden fees that materially change the advertised price.
- Patterns of customer complaints about non-delivery, refused returns, or undisclosed metal substitutions.
- Active misrepresentation of lab-grown stones as natural (or vice versa).
- Refusal to disclose return-window terms before purchase.
How often we update reviews
Each review carries a “Last verified” date. We aim to revisit retailer reviews at least once every 12 months, and sooner when a retailer materially changes its policies, pricing structure, or product range. Spot updates (a price check, a policy change) may happen between full reviews and are noted in the page’s update log.
How we stay independent
- Affiliate links don’t change scores. We earn a commission when readers buy through some of our links, but the scoring rubric above is applied identically whether or not we have an affiliate relationship with a brand.
- Brands cannot pay for placement in our “best of” rankings or for a higher review score.
- We disclose every commercial relationship on the page where it’s relevant. See our affiliate disclosure for the full policy.
Corrections
If we get something wrong, we want to know. We update the affected page, add a dated correction note at the top of the article, and — for material errors — flag the change in our update log. You can report an error or challenge a claim via our contact page or by emailing davidthecaratcut@gmail.com.
Related
Read our editorial policy and affiliate disclosure.