"I first started looking for a diamond a year ago for an engagement. I started with a jeweler my parents used, who was great, but did not have as much to choose from as I would like. From there I started looking online for advice, and found diamonds for sale online (which had never occurred to me). I originally worked with another retailer, who had great selection, but not the best service. I felt like I was being sold instead of helped.

I originally found Lumera using their diamond education section (which is the best I found anywhere - lots of details and explanation and zero selling ("e.g. you should buy a diamond at least this big...)). Anyway, spoke to a consultant, and was immediately struck by two things: extremely knowledgeable and very to-the-point. I did not feel like I was being sold something, or that he was trying to figure out how much I could spend, or tell me what I needed to hear in order to make a purchase. Instead he gave me very direct and specific answers to my many questions, and corrected a lot of assumptions I was making (most of which actually led me to spend less, since I was overestimating the clarity I needed). I found this approach to be awesome for what I needed - facts and honest help. I ended up doing most of the communication through email, which was actually really nice, since it kept everything in writing and allowed me to refer back.

The primary reason I purchased from Lumera was I trusted their advice. Their prices are as low or lower than others I saw, and there were more diamonds to choose from than I needed. I had read reviews that basically complained they will not extend their return past the stated 30 days, but that was not an issue for me (as long as the policy is clear and understandable, I would feel silly demanding they change it just for me). I actually returned the first diamond I bought when I found out she wanted a different shape, and replaced it with another, no problem. All in all, great experience. I would recommend them to anyone who sort of recognizes that buying something of very high value that you know little about is fraught with danger, and what you need more than anything is advice you can trust."

"I was a little hesitant to purchase a diamond from anyone, much less online. I learned as much as I could in advance so that I could make the best decision possible. While researching options, I found Lumera. On the one hand they had great reviews, and far and away the best source of information and guidance (very detailed, with no effort to sell up or mislead). On the other hand, I had read a couple of very negative reviews. Looking around, it turned out to be only a couple, but they were posted and reposted everywhere.

Anyway, I decided to give a shot. As mentioned, the site itself is excellent. I learned so much just reading. Eventually I chose a diamond (1.50 ct G VVS1). I contacted a consultant to review the option, and after she asked me some questions, she explained the the higher clarity, while making the diamond rarer (and therefore more valuable) did not actually enhance the appearance. This seemed obvious when she said it, but I realized I had been moving up in clarity as a way of improving the appearance. Instead of recommending that I put the money into a larger size or better color, her first option was to simply find a comparable VS2 and save some money. This made me very happy, as I could have been easily talked into a bigger size, since I was already resigned on the cost.

Long story short, diamond arrived, and it was exactly what I hoped for. It came with the GIA certification and appraisal. I had it re-appraised, just in case, and he verified that the diamond matched the certificate, and gave it a higher value than the Lumera appraisal.

I am very pleased with my purchase, and Lumera earned my trust with their straight forward approach. While I understand some others being upset because they will not extend the return window, or honor a typo, in my experience, they were very professional, and I would not expect them to do any more than they did for me."

"AWFUL customer service! Tried to purchase a diamond, and they cancelled my order based on some BS fraud criteria, telling me "Unless you pay by paypal we can't process the order". THEN, when I buckle and decide to just pay with PayPal, they cancel it AGAIN and tell me the diamond was sold! Absolutely ridiculous, buyer beware!"

"Do all the research you want, but I can tell you Lumera is unbeatable. I spent 6 months researching every option, online, in NYC, and in my home town of San Francisco. In terms of sourcing the diamond, Lumera simply can't be beat. Let's just put aside the great customer service, the knowledgeable staff, the responsiveness of the whole company, and the incredible inventory that they have access to. All of those things are great, but at the end of the day I was looking for top quality at the best price in exactly what parameters I wanted, and for a secure purchase. And...so here's what happened....

I choose Lumera once A.) I fully vetted the company (I'm a forensic consultant so I have access to certain tools to do this) and, B) I found exactly what I wanted. I purchased an astounding Cushion Cut, 2.14 carat, G VS1 Diamond. Excellent cut, polish, and symmetry. The thing sparkles from across the room! Right after I wired the money the diamond arrived without a hitch. I had already arranged appointments with 6 diamond specialists in San Francisco. I told a little white lie to all of them in order to test the diamond. I told all of them that my parents had sent the diamond to me, so while I knew it was a G VS1 diamond, I knew nothing else including where it came from and how much it cost. I just asked them to inspect it and tell me what they thought. One jeweler after the next, here are some of the comments I got:

"Stop your search for a diamond, this is stunning!!",
"I don't think I even have anything to show you that you'll like better",
"I don't know if you knew this, but your parents really know diamonds"
"I'd be happy to take your diamond as an exchange, but I'd feel guilty doing it",
etc. etc.

I also asked each one what they'd sell this diamond for today and every singe price was higher than what I bought it for. The prices they gave me were $3,000 to $9,000 higher than what I paid at Lumera. My family jeweler in NYC who is doing the setting called me and said, "Rob, you really should have gotten this diamond through me, I told you I get a 15% discount, so I could have gotten this diamond for..." then he said a price that was significantly higher than what I got it for at Lumera. And this guy IS honest, we go way back, but the simple truth is that he, like the other 6 jewelers, just couldn't compete with Lumera.

So, this is the first online review I've ever taken the time to write. I just felt so compelled to do so in order to help everyone else out there that is in search of that perfect diamond. Lumera can't be beat, no matter how you look at it. They simply have a superior business model with reduced costs and they pass on a good amount of the savings to their customers while offering a larger inventory to choose from.

OH, AND AN IMPORTANT LESSON LEARNED: Get insurance for your loose diamond the same day that it arrives. The thing is, I called my insurance company, AAA Insurance, three different times before the diamond arrived to be sure that they will cover loose diamonds. The staff at AAA all reassured me that they cover loose diamonds. BUT, THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT. When I called to activate the insurance the day that I received the loose diamond, they said that they'll only cover a diamond in a ring setting, not a loose diamond. So, I called Jewelers Mutual. They were a little more expensive, but worth it because I got instant coverage of the loose diamond and they have a superior policy where if the diamond or ring is lost, you get to choose which jeweler you use to replace it. This is a big difference from most insurance companies that I called that say in the fine print that THEY get to choose the jeweler to replace the ring. Read the fine print and don't assume that your insurance agents actually know the difference between covering a loose diamond versus a diamond ring. "

"Lumera Diamonds – Beware!!!!

Like many people, I was reluctant to buy a diamond over the internet, but found a diamond that looked good on paper with Lumera for an ok price and took the plunge (the diamond wasn’t cheap – 2.05 carot, F, VS1, so U.S.$25,000). Many of my friends thought I was crazy to buy off the internet, but I did so after researching the type of diamond I wanted, cut/clarity etc, so felt ok about it, especially with Lumera’s 30 day guarantee so took the plunge, also ordering at the same time their basic ring setting for U.S.$299. How wrong I was. The diamond turned out to be incredible ugly with hardly any shine (and bear in mind, while GIA don’t rate cut for non-round diamonds, this was rated excellent excellent for polish and symtery and Lumera rated it excellent for cut). I should have been suspicious when, because I am overseas, I couldn’t even speak to an operative. Anyway, I emailed Lumera within a few days of receiving the diamond telling them that I wasn’t happy and saying I wanted to return it. I was aware, from their website that I wouldn’t be able to get a refund on the setting, which made sense to me given that it was custom, but was ok with losing the U.S.$299. However, I was in for a shock when I tried to return the ring. I was told that they couldn’t take the ring back (despite the fact that all I wanted to do was return exactly what was provided to me), only the diamond itself. This mean that I had to somehow find someone to take out the diamond for me, which was difficult because at the time I was in the Rockies (proposing) and there wasn’t a jeweler there that could do it within the timeframe. Eventually, Lumera agreed that they would allow me to send back the ring exactly as I bought it from them, but they would charge me U.S.$900 to remove the diamond from the setting (despite the fact that they only charge U.S.$299 to put the ring in the setting (and for the setting itself). The long and short of it, by the time we had this constant too and throw (since I was also on holiday in Canada proposing), the 30 day period had expired (I note in this respect a number of other online retailers give you 60 days) and Lumera wouldn’t do anything. I even offered to exchange it for a higher value diamond, worth at least 20% more (I simply just hate the diamond and want to be rid of it and my finance also isn’t impressed with it – which is disappointing given the money I have spent), but to no avail, the only thing Lumera offered was that they could sell it on a consignment basis for U.S.$18,000 (so I would lose U.S.$7,000). I have found a jeweller here who will buy it from me for U.S.$20,000 as a part exchange, but that still means I would have lost U.S.$4,000, whereas any normal shop you would have bought it for would have allowed a return/exchange. I WOULD ADVISE EVERYONE WHO IS CONSIDERING BUYING A DIAMOND ONLINE AND PARTICULARLY FROM LUMERA TO RECONSIDER GIVEN THAT A DIAMOND REALLY NEEDS TO BE SEEN (IT IS, AS I HAVE FOUND OUT, DIFFICULT TO TELL THE QUALITY OF A DIAMOND FROM A GIA REPORT) AND THEIR RETURN POLICY. This has proved to be a very expensive mistake for me and I really haven’t been impressed by the customer service from Lumera (particularly given how much I have spent and how important this purchase is).
"

"After a frustrating few days visiting various retailers, i noticed significant price differences and the whole process was becoming a little daunting. I decided to look online. Using Google as my weapon of choice, the search began!

Searching online in the comfort of my own home was a much more pleasant experience. I was a little apprehensive about making such a large purchase online but the reviews seemed to be genuine.

Of all the websites i looked at (Blue Nile, James Allen....)i found Lumera the most user intuitive and price competitive. My limited diamond knowledge lead me to believe that i should go for something with a high clarity (above VS1) and good color. I was working with a budget of between US $16-18k and wanted something around the 1.5 carat size.

After saving various options to "my saved diamonds" - i decided to contact Lumera directly and see whether they could help me select something more suitable. I was fortunate enough to deal directly with Joe Brehob which was a breath of fresh air - it was the first time that someone wasn't trying to sell me something but more interested in making the right choice.

Joe explained that all diamonds have floors and the GIA was set up to explain the severity. I soon learned that unless using a magnification then these floors would not affect the appearance of the diamond and other factors played a bigger role such as cut, symmetry and color.

I continued the searches and sent them to Joe on a daily basis. Each selection was given a critique and personal observation until we narrowed down a final search criteria: larger than 1.5 carat, round, ex cut / polish / symmetry and under $18,000. The following is quote from Joe with my final selection:

"My recommendation based on your most recent comments and diamond suggestions would be: 1.60 ct Round, F VS2, Ex cut, Ex polish, Ex symmetry - $16,860 (bank wire price)

(this diamond is not yet listed online, which is why you are not able to see it online)

- The diamond is colorless. While G is very nice as well, in this case, the price of the F is in the same range. So, while a very subtle difference in color, I would always choose it if the price difference is small or non existent.

- The diameter is 7.62mm. This means it is larger in size than every other diamond you asked about except the 1.71. And even in that case, the difference is only about 1/10 of a mm, not really material.

- The diamond has Ex symmetry, which is important to the overall balance of light and sparkle. This is why I would eliminate the 1.70 you asked about. For this level of diamond, I would not compromise on symmetry.

- The diamond has no fluorescence, which is what mars the color of the1.65 F you asked about. To have an F with no fluoro at this diameter, cut quality, and price, is a very nice combination.

So, overall, it is the best quality, highest color, and near largest diamond, for the same or lower price than others on the list.

After initiating the bank transfer the diamond arrived in Hong Kong 1 week later. Everything arrived in perfect order - orignal GIA certification, Lumera documentation and big sparkling diamond set into a white gold solitare (which Lumera set for $ 299) a lovely leather Lumera branded case! I also have a diamond that is valued significantly higher than what i paid so WIN WIN!

The whole experience was very enjoyable and i now understand more about diamonds and have an extremely happy fiancee! 100% recommended - i cant wait to make my next purchase!

Regards
Alex (Hong Kong)"

"Hi Joe,

We received the 1.26 Oval D VS2 today, and my wife loves this diamond more than the first one that was lost! It cost us $1,250 less (I paid via bank wire) buying at Lumera vs. a local jeweler where we previously viewed the exact GIA diamond.

After receiving the diamond earlier today, we took it straight to the jeweler that is designing the replacement ring. Ironically, he was upset he could not find it to sell to us; even though, he had five weeks to look for the diamond.

I am looking forward to the $200 referral fee I will be getting when I refer my friend who will be getting engaged soon. Thanks for all your help!

Rob K."

"I looked everywhere for a diamond, and finally found Lumera after working with a string of other retailers. Lumera was the first to take the time to walk through exactly what I was looking for, and even explained why the approach I was taking would cause me to spend more than I really needed. Everyone else just seemed happy to take my order, but the diamond I eventually chose from Lumera (a 2.02 carat round G Si1 GIA) was a larger size and better cut than I thought I could get, and for less than I had been willing to spend. It looks amazing, and is just as advertised; perfect white color, no flaws visible at all, and amazing cut. I had the diamond appraised at $2,500 more than I paid, had it set by a jeweler into a setting my gf picked out, and gave it to her the next day. Overall, it was an excellent experience, and I would recommend Lumera to anyone."

"I have just had an EXTREMELY bad experience with Lumera Diamonds. I found the perfect diamond from them at the perfect price only to be told the next day that the diamond did not exist. I was surprised to learn that they had fake listings when it states in their company policy: “We believe in honesty. You will find our diamonds fairly and accurately described”. The customer service was reprehensible and they did not even have the integrity to offer me a diamond of equivalent quality for my original purchase price. This company has lost all credibility to me and I recommend that you do not purchase your diamonds through this retailer.
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