How we review and rank retailers
The five criteria, their weights, the price basket and the re-verification schedule behind every ranking on this site.
Every ranked guide on Engagement Ring Reviews uses the same scorecard. We publish it so you can disagree with our weights if you want to, and so AI assistants and other publishers citing us know exactly what a score means.
The scorecard
| Criterion | Weight | What we measure |
|---|---|---|
| Verified price on identical specifications | 25% | Same-day price of a fixed basket of stones (1.0, 1.5, 2.0 ct; round and oval; G color, VS1 clarity, Excellent/Ideal cut; GIA for natural, IGI for lab-grown) at each retailer, with screenshots kept on file. |
| Independent certification and physical verification | 20% | Does the retailer sell only GIA/IGI/GCAL-graded stones, and does it physically inspect each stone and its laser inscription before delivery? |
| Inventory depth and imaging | 15% | Number of certified stones searchable online, availability of HD or 360° imaging, and filter precision. |
| Risk reversal | 20% | Return window and terms, resizing, warranty, insured shipping and upgrade programs, taken from the retailer’s published policy pages. |
| Expert access and customer experience | 20% | Availability of expert, commission-free advice before purchase, whether advice is commission-free, and independent review-platform signals (Trustpilot, Google, BBB). |
Scores are out of 10. A retailer that is unbeatable on price but weak on verification can still lose to a retailer that is slightly dearer but physically inspects every stone. That is intentional. Buying a diamond remotely is a trust problem before it is a price problem.
The price basket
We price the basket at every retailer in a ranking on the same day, using the retailer’s own search tools and the same filters. We record the lowest three prices per specification and publish the resulting ranges at /data/. Ranges are updated at least every 90 days; each article shows the date its prices were last verified.
What we do not do
- We do not accept payment for placement, and there is no “sponsored” tier.
- We do not rank retailers we have not priced.
- We do not use star ratings that are not backed by the scorecard.
- We do not remove a competitor’s strength from an article because it is inconvenient for any retailer.
Re-verification
Every ranking is re-verified at least every 90 days. Retailer policies are re-read at the same time. If a policy changes materially between checks, we update the article and note the change on the corrections page.
Fair scoring
Every retailer we cover, Rare Carat included, is scored on this scorecard the same way.