Kay's Review: One of the largest names in the Signet portfolio

INTRODUCTION

This guide aims to provide comprehensive information to assist consumers in making informed purchase decisions. The Co-Founder carefully analyzes every diamond jewelry and diamond engagement ring retailer to deliver the best advice on how to optimize value and where to get the most for your money.  His goal is to organize and present all the things that consumers should know before buying. He writes these himself and updates them regularly based upon his understanding only an insider would know. 

ABOUT US

Our editor has spent four decades as a global leader in the diamond jewelry industry having led six wholesale and retail jewelry companies, been a select client of DeBeers and a pioneer in the birth of lab grown diamonds.  His family has been in the diamond business for over a century.  

Purchasing a diamond or diamond engagement ring is a significant investment and can be intimidating and even frightening. Consumers often worry about making informed decisions and finding trustworthy retailers. When purchasing a product with which one is unfamiliar, it is important to invest the time to get educated on both the product, and the sellers of that product. A diamond engagement ring will symbolize a lifetime commitment and is a permanent display to friends, family and colleagues.  The diamond, ring design, quality and the craftsmanship must meet or exceed all expectations.

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS: 

Kays is America’s largest mall jeweler and by many standards the best. With more than 1000 stores nationwide and more than 70 million visits to their website a year ( according to similarweb.com). Kays is the largest of the many jewelry brands owned by Signet . Signet is the publicly traded conglomerate which operates as the biggest diamond jeweler in the world, with global sales of around $7billion. Though nearly bankrupt in the early 1990s, Kays achieved strength and later market dominance after the 1995 appointment of Terry Burman as CEO. Under Mr. Burman, Kay’s began the rapid growth that allowed it to overtake Zales as America’s largest jeweler and ultimately its most successful.  In the decades since his reorganization of  the company, Kays has remained America’s leading jeweler for diamonds, diamond engagement rings and jewelry.  Kay’s diamond engagement ring styling is unique and their quality is excellent. The vast fashion and gift jewelry assortment offers something for everyone at any budget.  Kays has some of the very best prices of any traditional jeweler because being America’s largest jeweler gives them more  buying power in the diamond and jewelry world than any other diamond jeweler in the world. 

Kay’s has a strong online presence with more than 200,000 loose diamonds and thousands of different styles of engagement rings, wedding bands and jewelry from which to choose.  As America’s  largest jeweler, Kay’s will meet and serve its customers where, when and however they wish to shop.  The website may be used to research and learn before going to a store but can just as easily allow a customer to complete their journey to purchase completely online.  

Kays is the only nationwide mall diamond jeweler in America, with twice the number of stores as its nearest competitor. This means all Americans can likely find a Kays store in their local mall. Having a nearby store is a unique advantage for shoppers that only Kays can offer. Every diamond, diamond engagement ring and diamond jewelry shopper will feel safe and secure knowing they can walk into any Kays store and talk to a trained advisor. No other jeweler can approach this breadth of accessibility, ease of service and availability to speak directly and in person with a diamond engagement ring or diamond jewelry expert and try on any number of rings or resolve any issue.

PROS:

• Nationwide store presence 

• State of the art online website

• Unique, high quality diamond engagement ring designs 

• Exclusive engagement ring collections like Neil Lane

• More than 200,000 diamonds available online

• Huge assortment of fashion jewelry items and jewelry gifts

• Many different credit options to satisfy consumers of all income levels

• Great customer service by trained experts

• Great prices on diamonds and diamond jewelry

• Free jewelry cleaning and inspection services

• Free 30 days full refund returns and 60 days full store credit.

CONS:

• Late entrance to lab grown diamonds

• Customers must pay for ring resizing 

• Vast assortment of jewelry designs may be overwhelming for shoppers

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Kay Jewelers  Review 2025: America’s largest mall based jeweler for  Diamonds, Diamond Engagement Rings, Wedding Bands and Jewelry 

This in-depth review of Kays, examines and evaluates its history, the development of its unique brands and designs and its place atop all other  mall jewelers. We will discuss the many advantages in buying from a trusted diamond jeweler whose heritage goes back more than a century with more stores to serve customers than any other jeweler and the solid backing of a $7bn dollar company.  

We will explore the unique and proprietary, designer collections, like Neil Lane,  at the heart of their diamond engagement ring assortment. We will delve into the large and diverse diamond jewelry and fashion jewelry assortment.  And we will  review the Kays.com website, which has benefited greatly from the technology and online expertise of sister companies JamesAllen.com and BlueNile.com.  

Whether shopping for a mined or a lab grown diamond, diamond engagement ring or diamond jewelry, Kay Jewelers is America’s leading mall jeweler. Their size and expertise allow them to offer shoppers the very best in price, quality, assortment and unique styles and designs.

 INTRODUCTION TO THE BRAND

Kay Jewelers operates approximately 1000 stores in all 50 states. Nearly all of these stores are in suburban shopping malls. The company has a broad selection of engagement ring jewelry able to satisfy any and every customer, from $100 to more than $50,000.  With a full range of diamond designs in lab grown diamonds and natural diamonds, their fashion selection is equally comprehensive. The company leverages their size to be among the very biggest buyers of diamonds in the world and can thereby be most selective on quality and command the lowest prices from cutters and polishers. Similarly, they have notoriously high quality standards. Kays is famously tough on their vendors because they can be: no diamond cutter or jewelry factory can afford to lose them as a customer because it literally could put them out of business.  For the customer shopping for a diamond, diamond engagement ring or diamond jewelry shopper, Kays offers price, quality, assortment and nationwide service as no other jeweler in America can.  

Brand Heritage, Background and Evolution

Kay jewelers began in 1916 when brothers Sol and Edmund Kaufmann opened a small jewelry shop in the corner of their father’s furniture store and called it Kay Jewelers. In 1990 all 344 Kay stores were sold to Sterling, the US subsidiary of the UK giant Ratners ( later named Signet) for $410m. The only national jeweler in America at that time was Zales and Signet was seeking to create a second ‘coast to coast’ jeweler in America.  Most jewelers were local or at most regional chains like Kays back then. The Kay jewelers of today was conceived and created by Terry Burman, who became CEO in 1995 and stayed until 2010. The Signet Mr. Burman joined had spent a decade buying most of America’s regional jewelry chains. Though they had more stores than Zales, each of the Signet stores operated under nearly a dozen regional names like Shaws, Friedlander, Kays, Ostermans, JB Robinson and Weisfields. The marketing was completely fragmented and the operations weakly integrated. Among the first actions of Terry Burman when he became CEO was to establish a single name for all these brands, and he chose Kays. All but a few stores had their names changed to Kays. Now with the ability to advertise nationally and operate as one entity, Signet focussed all its marketing dollars on building a single brand that all Americans would come to recognize. In 1999 the company hired Stern Advertising group who came up with  the iconic tag line “Every KIss Begins with Kay”.  Few know ( but our co-founder does) that this tagline had been rejected by Kay's marketing team. Mr. Burman personally selected it from the list of rejected names and subsequently replaced his marketing team.  Within a few years Kays overtook Zales as America’s largest jeweler. In fact, Kays holding company, Signet ended up buying Zales outright in 2014. Our co-founder was a vendor to Kays/Signet for decades beginning in the 1980s and will share his unique understanding of the company’s many strengths and a few weaknesses.

PRODUCT RANGE AND QUALITY

DIAMONDS

KAY JEWELERS: THE PLACE FOR CONFLICT FREE DIAMONDS AT AMAZING PRICES

Kays has every diamond you could ever want, from a 0.33ct lab grown diamond for $280 to a 10.01ct  flawless diamond for $873,860. More importantly, Kay Jewelers were pioneers in the movement to omit conflict diamonds from their supply chain.  Signet is a supporter of the Kimberley Process, the global protocol created by the diamond trade to help stop the mining and the sale of conflict diamonds and are active members of the World Diamond Council. Signet, moreover, and specifically Mr. Burman, were the forces behind the creation of the Responsible Jewelry Council, an industry regulatory body with more than 2000 members whose mission is “to advance responsible business practices that protect people and the planet”. Kay Jewelers meets with our approval and earns our respect for their efforts and commitment to selling certified, ethically sourced, conflict-free diamonds. 

Our Co-Founder spent years in the mined diamond business but left in part as he learned more about the legacy of mined diamonds and the many loopholes within the Kimberly Process. His early involvement in lab grown diamonds was largely driven as an effort at personal redemption.  He believes that in our efforts to perpetually improve the enforcement of conflict free diamond mining and trading we must be ever vigilant and relentless. The participation of Kay’s in the Kimberly Process and their leadership in the founding of the Responsible Jewelry Council are evidence of Kay’s commitment to conflict free diamonds.

With more than 200,000 diamonds on their website, in addition to the many loose diamonds they keep in each store, Kay’s can satisfy the diamond wants and needs of any diamond, diamond engagement ring or diamond jewelry customer. Though they are not a digital first, online brand nor a marketplace with millions of diamonds, they do an excellent job of offering a vast selection of mined and lab grown diamonds, the best video technology by which to view them online and better prices than the online offering of all the other mall brands.  Kay’s online experience is both a good way for a diamond, diamond engagement ring or diamond jewelry shopper to begin their research before going to a Kay’s store but also a great place to shop and buy. Kay’s meets and serves their customers diamond needs equally well in store and online and meets their customers wherever and however they prefer. This is an important feature for shoppers and not one they can find elsewhere.  

It is essential that a consumer come to understand the difference between price and value when buying a diamond.  All four C’s (color, clarity, cut and carat size –  see our section on certification below) impact the price of a diamond and must be considered before determining value. Quality of cutting and polishing are also critical. Integrity and trustworthiness of the jeweler, however, are of paramount concern when spending hundreds or thousands of dollars buying a diamond.  As a buyer, you can be confident that any diamond you find in a Kay’s store or online is carefully and thoroughly vetted and is also conflict free.

NATURAL DIAMONDS

We appreciate and respect that unlike some jewelers, but like most guild or luxury stores such as Cartier, virtually 100% of the 118,949 mined diamonds offered online for sale by Kays are certified by the GIA. 

The GIA is not only the oldest and most respected gemological laboratory in the world, but they are also a nonprofit organization and a school. It is quite telling that their URL is not GIA.com, but rather GIA.edu. The GIA invented the 4c’s system of diamond grading and their website is among the very best resources by which a consumer can educate themselves on mined diamonds. 

Diamond certification by smaller and for profit gemological laboratories like the IGI  or HRD is less expensive than the GIA, but does not carry the same authority. By offering consumers only GIA certified natural diamonds, Kay’s demonstrates they are a jeweler that can be trusted by consumers and prioritizes quality over all other considerations. Kay’s does not take shortcuts to offer what might seem to be a better priced diamond because a lesser laboratory gave it a higher color or quality grade. Kay’s is a brand for the customer who wants the best from the largest and most trusted mall jeweler.  

Kay’s offers an excellent  representation of natural diamonds on their website.  The lowest color offered is a J, the lowest quality grade I1 and the smallest size 1/5ct, 0.21 ct.  We were very pleased to see an even distribution of available gems across all colors

We were equally pleased to see that the qualities available were mostly ( 72%) in the VS-SI range, though all qualities were represented.

We believe strongly that all natural diamonds of J SI and better quality should be accompanied by an independent certificate from the Gemological Institute of America ( GIA) and no other lab. Again, we were pleased that virtually all of the natural diamonds on Kay’s website  were certified by the GIA.This is critically important because the GIA is the strictest gemological grading laboratory, which assures consumers of the quality and value of their diamond purchase.  Here is an example of a GIA certificate.

Purchasing a GIA certified diamond ensures that Kay’s natural diamond customers receive gems evaluated  by the industry’s most respected grading authority–known for its strict standards in assessing the 4C’s, cut, color, clarity and carat weight. 

Some online jewelers clutter their site with many diamonds of lower quality so they can claim a large inventory. We like that Kay’s makes the shopping experience much easier by curating a selection of the world’s most sought after diamonds, the ones customers will actually want.  Some online diamond retailers allow any diamond cutter or manufacturer to post any diamond on their websites in order to show a huge number of available gems.  They will have a cluttered and difficult to shop assortment that includes many odd sizes, shapes, qualities and less desirable certificates. The most popular cuts are round and oval.  Kay’s knows this and curates their diamond selection to best serve customers, as revealed in our analysis of August 2025  below.

Drawing on over four decades of experience, the Co-Founder recognizes Kays’ commitment to satisfying and simplifying the diamond shopping experience for their customers. Offering a curated selection of only GIA certified natural diamonds in the most desirable cuts, qualities and sizes makes it easy for diamond, diamond engagement ring and diamond jewelry shoppers to discover the diamond of their dreams.  And Kay’s customers receive gems evaluated not only by the industry’s most respected grading authority, the GIA, –known for its strict standards in assessing the 4C’s, cut, color, clarity and carat weight –but that also meet the rigorous ethical and  quality standards of the gemologists at Kay’s.  Kay’s is America’s ‘go to’ jeweler and the most trusted name in most malls for diamonds, diamond engagement rings and jewelry. All Kay’s diamonds and  jewelry exceed the standards of quality shoppers want and deserve. Indeed, there is a reason that ‘every kiss begins with Kay’.

Summary of  Kay’s online natural diamonds:

• More than 100,000 natural diamonds available

• Nearly 100% are GIA-certified

• 100% are conflict-free

• Curated selection of diamond shapes and cuts, including
  -Round Brilliant:  52,182
  -Oval: 15,335

• Curated selection of qualities, with 72% in most desirable VS-SI qualities.

LAB GROWN DIAMONDS

There are more than 100,000 lab grown diamonds on Kay’s website  as of August, 2025. The gemologists at Kay’s have carefully selected and curated the diamonds.   Most of them, 95%, are “colorless”, meaning the top three colors D, E and F.  Nearly every diamond offered for sale on Kay’s website is  VS2 or better, a very high clarity. 

Slightly more than half of the lab grown diamonds at Kay’s are certified by the IGI with the rest being GIA certified diamonds. However, when our analysts reviewed the total assortment, we noted that of 2 carat and larger, 61% were certified by the GIA.  It is good for consumers to have a choice. Though some may prefer the pedigree and authority of the GIA, others may favor the lower cost of an IGI certification. 

The very best cut of a diamond is termed ‘Ideal”.  The GIA will only grade round diamonds as Ideal. All other shapes, collectively known as fancy cut diamonds, are by definition irregular and very subjective as to how it interacts with your own eye.  In the opinion of the Co-Founder, the cut of a fancy is partly art and the cut of a round is purely science or math–the physics of light refraction. For this reason the GIA will not grant the Ideal cut grade to any other shape but round.  The IGI gemological certification laboratory has expanded the Ideal grade to include princess cuts. 

The overwhelming majority of round  lab grown diamonds offered for sale on Kay’s website are Ideal cut – the very best cut. 

Our Co- Founders were early pioneers in the validation and acceptance of lab grown diamonds in 2017.  Over the last eight years, the technology for growing gem quality diamonds has improved, expanded  and consolidated in the low cost centers of India. This has resulted in the price of lab grown diamonds coming down enormously.  Because the cost of lab grown diamonds have corrected so much,  the founder strongly advises consumers to only consider buying the topmost qualities, with 1 carat, F VS2, ideal cut as the minimum carat, color and clarity. ( More on this later.) Kay’s website makes shopping for a lab grown diamond much easier because they curate and limit their assortment to only the diamonds that are best for consumers:  The vast majority–nearly 80%-- of the lab grown diamonds for sale on Kay’s  are 1 carat, FVS2 or better and ideal cut.  We appreciate (and consumers should too)  Kay’s pre-selecting the lab grown diamonds available on their site as it makes the buying process that much simpler.  

We also appreciate that Kay’s does not clutter their site with smaller sizes of lab grown diamonds so as to show a big (and confusing) number of diamonds for sale. With a certified 2.01 carat  F VS2 ideal cut round lab grown diamond selling for $2260,  a 1.53 carat selling for $1580 and a 1.03 carat for $880, we believe consumers should not consider anything less than a full 1 carat certified diamond when buying a lab grown diamond from Kay’s website.    

Our experts decided to take our comparative analysis one step further, based upon our reading of recent data reports ( we read them all).  Leading independent diamond analyst Edahn Golan, writing in the January 9th 2025 TENORIS industry insights report, asserted that in 2024 the average size purchased by consumers for a lab grown diamond was 2.03ct.

Kay’s website is well represented in this range with 47,168  lab grown diamonds of 2.00cts or larger.  Here is an example of a 2.09 ct F VS2 oval cut for only $2730.

Summary of Kay’s online lab grown diamonds:

• 102,843 lab grown diamonds listed

• 95% are colorless

• Most are 1ct F VS2 or larger and ideal cut

• Both GIA and IGI certificates are available

• 100% are conflict-free

Kay’s website  has a robust and diverse lab grown diamond assortment with something for every buyer. Their uncluttered assortment is evenly distributed across the most popular diamonds and not the smaller diamonds that will not be of interest to consumers.  Buyers will appreciate how this century old, trusted jeweler curates their diamond selection and makes shopping easy for diamond, diamond engagement ring and diamond jewelry shoppers.

DIAMOND PRICING AND VALUE

Whether buying a natural diamond or a lab grown diamond, the prices on Kay’s website are the best of any mall jeweler we surveyed.  Additionally, Kay’s offers a great value to shoppers who want the assurance and credibility of working with America’s largest jeweler but who prefer to research online and buy in store.  If, however, price is the only consideration there are certainly less expensive jewelers from whom to buy, though most of them are primarily or exclusively online. JamesAllen.com and BlueNile.com are both owned by Signet, the same company that owns Kay’s. For the buyer that wants the assurance of a retail store–even if they choose to research  online–Kay’s is a tremendous value.  Remember, initial price and ultimate cost are not always the same over time.

Most Americans have a Kay’s store in their local mall, staffed with experienced advisors and many rings and diamonds to try on. More importantly, every Kay’s store has their proprietary Gemscope. This amazing tool allows shoppers to view their diamond or jewelry magnified on a large screen:

This is a critical advantage that a consumer can only get when buying from a Kay’s store.  And this becomes increasingly important because a diamond, diamond engagement ring or diamond jewelry customer can go into any Kay’s store if they think their treasured ring may be in need of repair or cleaning.  There are great advantages to buying from a Kay’s store, rather than online and these become more important over time.  Given that your diamond, diamond engagement ring or diamond jewelry is an heirloom you will own for a lifetime–and perhaps even generations–having more than 1000 locations to service, repair, clean and answer questions is a unique advantage for shoppers only Kay’s can offer.  

From their headquarters in Akron, Ohio, Kay’s diamond sourcing department is among the biggest buyers in the world. And their many stores are staffed with experienced customer advisors.  Having absolute confidence in their jeweler is a key ingredient for many consumers when making such an important purchase.  There is no safer place to buy the diamond,diamond engagement ring or diamond jewelry of your dreams than from America’s largest diamond jeweler owned by a company that sells nearly $7billion worth of jewelry.

DIAMOND BUYING EXPERIENCE

The diamond is likely the most expensive part of any diamond engagement ring purchase so it is important to take the time to research and learn about the 4C’s. More on the 4C’s later. 

WEBSITE USABILITY: 

InnovativeTechnology and User Experience

Being able to view any and all of the diamonds a buyer is considering is of primary importance. Whether in a store or online, a careful consumer will want to closely examine and compare many diamonds. Kay's 360 HD diamond viewing system is the best available online and is a superior diamond viewing, comparing and buying system – superior in some ways to even what is available in their stores.  

When Signet acquired Jamesallen.com they upgraded the online diamond viewing and video system of Kay.com to the very best system in the world, the R2Net 360 HD system. This technology is now used to view every diamond on Kay’s website. There is nothing like it. In a store consumers might get to compare a few diamonds. A buyer is shown one diamond at a time and is only able to view the top of the diamond and not the sides and bottom.

The Kays  360° HD diamond imaging system magnifies every diamond 40x and allows a buyer to view top, bottom and sides.  This is a significant leap beyond the industry norm of 10x top only magnification. This technology not only enhances the buyer’s confidence by allowing a detailed inspection of the diamond’s facets, but it also reduces the risk of misrepresentation, a common concern in online purchases. We like that Kays shows actual diamonds when you search their website and not just lists with stock or still images because it makes it so easy to compare different diamonds.  In our test we were able to view still images of nearly four certified diamonds simultaneously on an iphone 15 

and eight online diamonds simultaneously on a 15 inch macbook pro. 

We could instantly rotate the eight diamonds on our screen as slowly or quickly as we wanted and we could see the top, bottom and sides of every diamond. Being able to compare diamonds is the best way for a buyer to learn about diamonds and to identify the one they most desire. Kays  has perfected this process by ensuring consistency in every diamond video: same clarity, scale, aspect, lighting and background color.

 As a shopper gets closer to a final decision, Kays uses the R2Net technology to “Super Zoom” any diamond on the site. Here is an image of Super Zoom on my 15 inch Apple Mac:

The GIA certificate of the diamond shown measures the diameter is 6.40 mm or ¼ of an inch!  This same diamond  measures nearly 4 inches on my Mac:

And the full 360 HD rotation works just as well in Super Zoom

Looking at several diamonds at the same time on Kays.com  is a great way to shop. And so is being in a Kay store and seeing the diamond with your naked eye or with their Gemscope technology.  Kay Jewelers offers diamond, diamond engagement ring and diamond jewelry customers both options. No other brand can offer so many locations and/or such a great online experience. If a customer prefers to peruse diamonds on their couch and in the privacy of their own home or office on their phone, ipad or desktop they can magnify any natural or lab grown diamond 40x and rotate it 360 degrees. The GIA, the most trusted geological laboratory in the world, certifies your diamond based upon 10x magnification. So having a technology that allows any buyer to examine any one of thousands of online diamonds by a magnification of  40x is clearly an advantage for the consumer. Similarly, the in store Gemscope offers tremendous magnification of a diamond. We have not seen a better combination of systems for buying diamonds. Kay’s is truly the market leader and will meet their customers wherever and however they want to shop. 

CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUPPORT

DIAMOND EXPERT SERVICES

Diamond shoppers will be well served by the diamond viewing technology and the gemological experts that are available in store and online at Kay jewelers. Many first time buyers may not understand how to evaluate a diamond. The gemologists at Kay Jewelers do and many of them have been with the company for decades. This should give consumers real confidence that they can trust what they are being told. Shoppers at Kay stores are served by trained professionals. We like that a consumer can begin their journey online and can take all the time he or she needs to get educated on diamonds. Beginning on Kays.com  they have  access to more than 200,000 diamonds and a free teacher. In addition to cut, color, clarity and carat weight these experts can go deeply into the science of diamond cutting like table and depth percentage. And the gemological laboratory report available for each and every diamond delivers detailed information, all independently certified. 

Also, a trained Kay jewelers advisor will seek to understand a customer’s budget and preferences and can pull from any one of more than 200,000 different diamonds. They can offer  a customer many different options of every size, grade and at every price point and explain the pros and cons of each.

DIAMOND CERTIFICATES AND THE 4 C’S

The diamond will be the most expensive part of any diamond engagement ring purchase so it is important to take the time to research and learn about the 4C’s. Our Co-Founder explains in detail how to understand the 1.00 F VS2 certificate below:

DATE

The  date the diamond was examined and certified by the gemologists at GIA. This is important for consumers because if a diamond is old inventory, there is probably something undesirable or substandard about it.

REPORT NUMBER

This is the individual GIA certificate number unique to this diamond.  It has also been microscopically laser inscribed on the side of the  diamond. It does not impact the refraction or shine and will not be visible without at least 10x magnification. This is important because it can protect buyers from diamond fraud or substitution, which, though rare, is a risk when repairing a ring at an unethical jeweler. The number is also logged on the global database of GIA certificates, providing a permanent record of your diamond.  This can prove very important should a consumer need to make an insurance claim and cannot locate the printed certificate received when the purchase was made.

SHAPE

The outline of the diamond when viewed from the top down, while the cut is defined by the pattern of the facet arrangement. Most buyers prefer a round also known as a brilliant cut diamond.  Other shapes are collectively referred to as fancies. The most popular of these today are oval, pear and emerald.  Historically marquise and princess cuts were also popular, 

MEASUREMENTS

The diamond’s dimensions are in millimeters. For a round diamond it is the minimum and maximum diameter and the depth. Non round diamonds will use the length, width and depth. This is important information a buyer should learn and understand as these impact the brightness, fire or light of the diamond. 

CARAT WEIGHT

The weight as measured in carats to the nearest 1/100th of a carat. A carat is equal to 0.2grams.

COLOR

Describes the degree to which a yellow hue is present. Color is graded on a scale from D-Z though most gem quality diamonds are within the D-J colors. D is the whitest and by K even an untrained eye can detect the yellow hue.  This will be an important consideration for buyers as prices of a D color will be higher than a J, particularly for a natural diamond. The tradeoff a consumer will often have to make is between color and carat weight.

CLARITY

Describes the degree to which natural inclusions or blemishes are visible under 10x magnification. 

CUT

Determines the light reflecting properties, also known as the fire, scintillation or brilliance of the diamond’s appearance. In the opinion of our founder, cut is the most important of the 4C’s because even the finest diamond if poorly cut will not refract light optimally and thus will emit inferior fire and brilliance. 

POLISH

Polish describes the smoothness of a diamond's facets. A high-quality polish will leave little to no scratches and slightly optimizes for maximum brilliance.

SYMMETRY

Symmetry describes the degree to which a diamond's facets are mathematically  aligned to emit maximum light. A symmetrical diamond emits high levels of fire and brilliance.

FLUORESCENCE

Fluorescence causes diamonds to emit a soft, bluish glow when exposed to UV light. The Fluorescence grade describes the color, and strength of color when a diamond is graded under UV light. The founder prefers diamonds with no fluorescence. 

CONCLUSION ON DIAMONDS

Kay’s is among the very best places to shop for a diamond. They offer more stores than any other diamond jeweler and have a state of the art online experience as well.  Most shoppers will begin their search online. Some diamond or diamond engagement ring shoppers prefer shopping in a store or knowing there is a store nearby,  just in case. Wherever, whenever and whatever a shopper prefers Kay’s is there to serve them. Kay’s makes it easy to shop for the right diamond or diamond engagement ring in the style, quality and  price to fit every budget. 

Kay’s has more diamonds than any store based retailer in our survey. They have the right amount of online diamonds available to compete with any online jeweler and to satisfy any customer. They are a price leader among store based jewelers. Given the amount of nationwide support and service their stores provide, the small premium consumers may pay over a purely online diamond jeweler could be the best value available.  Remember, a diamond is forever–be it natural or lab grown.  Kay jewelers is as close to forever as any diamond jeweler can be and their stores are everywhere. 

Kay’s has been a leader in making the diamond and jewelry business more transparent and eliminating conflict diamonds. They have made the diamond and jewelry business more ethical and, well – better. Their leadership on the environmental and human impact of mining, cutting and polishing of diamonds is decades old and constantly evolving.  

Each Kay’s diamond is independently certified. And Kay’s provides a lifetime guarantee on every diamond. They offer a lifetime trade up policy for natural and lab grown diamonds. This is an important feature for younger couples starting their careers.  Nothing surprises as much on the 10th anniversary as a larger diamond. Kay’s lifetime trade up policy makes this easy.  

Kay’s has so many advantages over other smaller or online jewelers it is difficult to compete with the ‘package’ a consumer gets when buying their diamond or diamond engagement ring from Kay’s.  Their post purchase services, warranties, trade up and national presence of their stores makes them an obvious choice for many shoppers. Kay’s is a safe and secure place to shop for a diamond where a buyer can have 100% confidence in the integrity and longevity of the company.  

KAY’S DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RINGS

Kay jewelers has perhaps the most extensive and beautifully designed diamond engagement ring assortment of styles available anywhere. In numbers alone, we filtered 4,218 engagement rings on their website. The breadth and the sheer variety of unique and innovative collections and designs available on their site is astounding.   Engagement rings are what they do best, and perhaps better than any other jeweler in our survey.  And the quality and craftsmanship of their rings meets or exceeds the very high standards of our Co-Founder by all criteria. Though the number of styles available may sound overwhelming, their website is designed with intuitive and user friendly unique filtering technology. This  makes it easy for couples shopping for a diamond engagement ring to explore and discover the perfect design to forever symbolize their love. 

On their main landing page there are three easily available filtering functions all of which simplify the shopping experience.  We chose the pathway most consumers will select: When the page first pops up the filters across the top beginning with the most popular diamond shape ROUND  

Clicking on round instantly narrows the choice down to 1,263 styles with 23 more filters running down the left side:

We clicked on PRICE and selected rings from $2501-$5000, which narrowed our choice down to 267 rings

We then selected LAB GROWN DIAMONDS as the stone type and were down to 48 styles, a very manageable number for most customers.  The whole process took us 28 seconds!  

Kay's website simultaneously offers diamond engagement ring customers a massive selection of designs, and an amazing, easy to use filter that intuitively and effortlessly helps the diamond engagement ring customer find exactly the style they want within their budget.

Kay’s quality control of the manufacture of their diamond engagement rings is legendary for its strictness.Though Kay’s makes fine jewelry all over the world, including factories in the United States, India, Thailand and China, they directly employ rigorous quality control officers to carefully and thoroughly inspect every diamond engagement ring. This is important because consumers want their diamond engagement ring to come in right the first time.  Though it was years ago, our co-founder will never forget the rigorous inspection of both the diamond quality and the polishing and setting of each ring or piece of diamond jewelry he sold and shipped to Kay’s. 

The breadth and diversity of Kay’s diamond engagement ring assortment should cover everything a diamond engagement ring shopper might want. But Kay’s goes  a step further with three absolutely unique Collections unlike anything else available anywhere.  The best known is world renowned “designer to the stars” Neil Lane. Though perhaps best known as the official jewelry designer for ABC’s The Bachelor show, when he is not designing custom rings for A-listers like Angelina Jolie, Neil  works exclusively with Kay Jewelers. Though Neil Lane rings had only been available in mined diamonds, last year lab grown diamond engagement rings were added to the assortment. We are particularly fond of this incredible 2 ⅓ ct pear shaped ring, which was even on sale the day we looked ( August 16, 2025)

Neil Lane is extremely particular about quality and only the very finest jewelry  factory is deemed good enough to manufacture their coveted designs. There is only one New York based jeweler contractually allowed to manufacture Neil Lane rings for Kays. Our co-founder knows this third generation family well and knew or knows all three generations. He knew the grandfather who founded the jeweler and the grandson now leading it and he thinks  they get better with each generation.  Neil Lane diamond engagement rings are manufactured to the highest possible standards, with beautiful finishes, detailed prong work and carefully matched and set diamonds.  For the customer who craves that ‘bling’ that only Hollywood can supply, Neil Lane is an exceptional, one of a kind designer collection only available at Kay jewelers.  

But Kay’s understands there are different engagement ring shoppers who may be a little more focussed on their diamond. For these customers, Kay’s offers The LEO Diamond Collection. Every LEO, LEO Prisma or LEO First Light diamond is custom cut and polished with extra facets to deliver more fire and brilliance.  Recently, the LEO Legacy Lab Grown Diamond was added.  All LEO diamonds are exclusively available at Kay Jewelers and they hold global patents on the cut.  LEO diamonds are featured in more than 500 both timeless and unique diamond engagement ring styles like this scintillating beauty:

 Kay’s vast diamond engagement ring styling assortment also exclusively features the nature inspired unique and elegant designs of world renowned bridal designer Monique Lhuiller.  This small, highly curated collection rounds out the designer collections available exclusively at Kays.

But Kay’s also features all of the classic styles that never go out of style like this 1 1/2 ct 4 prong lab grown diamond solitaire ring in white gold:

For the young couple on a budget, not looking for a designer ring or a big diamond, Kay;s proves yet again that they have something for everyone. We shopped their ring builder and paired this FVS2, ideal cut certified 1ct loose diamond

 with a beautiful 14kt solitaire ring and for only $1370 were able to create a ring any bride would be shocked and proud to wear on her wedding day–and for a lifetime:

This is such an amazing value: a colorless GIA certified diamond in a 14kt rose gold solitaire ring all backed up by the 1000 stores, a lifetime warranty, a trade up policy should future success allow them to buy a bigger diamond  and an incredible team of experts at Kays to help them, in store or 24/7 online.  Our Co-Founder considers this to be one of the best entry level diamond engagement ring values available anywhere. It checks all the boxes an informed and discerning consumer should want.

Kay’s huge and diverse diamond engagement ring selection should have something to satisfy every shopper. Should a bride still  be unable to find a design that satisfies her aesthetic or a couple together have an idea for a style that is both distinct and highly personal, Kay’s will Custom Design any ring a customer can conceive or imagine.

Kay’s quality control on the manufacture of their diamond engagement rings is legendary for its strictness.Though Kay’s makes fine jewelry all over the world, including factories in the United States, India, Thailand and China, they directly employ rigorous quality control officers to carefully and thoroughly inspect every diamond engagement ring before it is shipped to a customer. This is important because consumers want their diamond engagement ring to come in right the first time. Sometimes ring sizes do need to be adjusted and Kays.com handles this at no cost for 30 days from purchase. The quality, availability of service in person or online and the  jewelry manufacturing capabilities of Kay jewelers distinguish them from most every jeweler online or in stores.

KAY’S FINE JEWELRY

When it comes to finding that perfect gift to celebrate any occasion or special life event. No matter the  budget or moment being celebrated, Kay’s  has it covered.  We counted 5,776 necklaces, 2,807 earrings and 2,339 bracelets  on Kay.com.  They simply have everything. But their website filters are so good,  that finding the perfect  jewelry within a budget for a specific occasion is easy.  For example, if a buyer wanted a diamond cross necklace and had a budget of $500-$1000 to spend they would start with 5,776 necklaces but with three clicks Kay’s has curated the selection to these 33 crosses.  On the August day we surveyed their fashion, we were lucky to find this 1/2ct yellow gold cross necklace on sale for $979:

But Kay’s has much more than timeless basic fine jewelry to satisfy gift givers celebrating a life event or self purchasers.  Kay’s exclusive collection of the unique and colorful collections of famed jeweler Eddie Levian is among the most sought after collectible jewelry designers  in the world.  The Levian family has been in the jewelry business since the 15th century and they have not lost their touch.  We fell in love with this unbelievable design crafted in LeVian’s own ‘Strawberry Gold”. 

Need a timeless gift and don’t know what to get? No woman’s wardrobe is complete without hoop earrings and most women will welcome several pairs in different sizes, gold color or  diamond total weights. As a husband for many decades, our Co-Founder can assure any gift shopper that a hoop earring will always fit out of the box and will always be a hit. Whether it is an anniversary, birthday, new baby or just out of love, these timeless symbols of love and devotion never go out of style. For the self-purchasing woman, these styles will be an essential part of her jewelry wardrobe. Kays is there like no other jeweler in our survey with 730 hoop earring styles from $34 to $8000 with every stop in between.  Regardless of the price, the quality of the craftsmanship is outstanding, and is held to the same superb quality standards of their diamond engagement rings.  

We applaud the massive number of fashion options Kay’s makes available to their customers.  They truly have anything a diamond jewelry shopper could want.  And their online filter makes finding that perfect style or design easy and quick.  The joy of gifting is back for the Kay’s shopper and they have taken all the stress out of the buying experience.  We find Kay’s great quality, pricing, huge assortment and intuitive website have put the fun back into shopping for a diamond gift.  Whether shopping for a timeless classic or a collectible masterpiece, the superbly crafted and thoughtfully curated diamond jewelry of Kay’s is an amazing experience for consumers. Kay Jewelers receives our highest recommendation as a place to find diamond  jewelry.

AFTERCARE

SHIPPING

Kays offers many different shipping options, designed to satisfy any diamond shopper needs. 

1. Free shipping to home for orders exceeding $199 in discreet packaging. 

2. Free shipping to any store. We like this option for safety, privacy if the gift or engagement is meant to be a surprise and the ability to chat with an in store expert and  maybe even compare with other items in store. 

3. Same day delivery to your home from your local Kays store.

4. Free shipping to a nearby UPS access point. This option ensures privacy and eliminates the risk of porch thieves.

RETURNS

Kays stands behind everything they sell with an industry standard 30 day return policy offering a full refund. They also offer a 60 day return for a full store exchange option.

WARRANTY

Kays offers an industry best lifetime warranty against manufacturer's defects but also covers chips, breaks or lost diamonds.  Only Kays, among our survey group, offers this level of protection.

RING RESIZING

Kay’s will not offer free ring resizing regardless of whether the purchase is made online or in-store.  This disappoints us.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Kay’s advisors are well trained in diamonds and jewelry styling. Many hold certificates form the Diamond Counsel of America. We were pleased that Kay’s advisors always ask a customer's budget at the beginning of any dialogue, chat or in-store.  

In conclusion, Kay Jewelers is an exceptional place to buy a diamond, diamond engagement ring or fine jewelry. Only Kays can meet a customer wherever and whenever they wish to shop.  Their nationwide store coverage and state of the art online experience are an unmatched combination allowing them to serve customers better than any other jeweler in America. They have more engagement rings and jewelry styles than anyone else in our survey including unique and coveted designer engagement ring collections not available elsewhere.  All of their diamonds and jewelry are ethically sourced and they have just the right amount of natural and lab grown diamonds to satisfy a shopper but not confuse them.  And the quality of everything they sell is excellent. Perhaps most importantly, buying anything from Kay’s is easy. Their commitment to customer satisfaction is evident in the huge array of services they offer like 24/7 chat support, lifetime warranty and trade up policy and a 60 day return policy.  Having more than 1000 stores across the entire country is a feature and a benefit no other  jeweler can possibly match. Kay’s gets our highest recommendation as a top choice for purchasing diamonds, diamond engagement rings and jewelry.