Ritani is a jewellery retailer that was started by a family of jewellers. Though they have outgrown the “family business” status, and now ship jewellery worldwide; they have retained their in-house workmanship and continue to handcraft their pieces from their base in Seattle.
Yes, Ritani is legit. It is not a scam store because you will receive the product you purchased without a problem. And also, they will never steal your money or credit cards details.
With a lot of jewellery retailers, it can be overwhelming to know where to head to for your jewellery pieces. Ritani advertises as the store to head to if you need a unique ring (your symbol of love) that matches your unique love.
This Ritani review will examine Ritani to provide the information that will help you determine if you should head there for your “symbol of love”.
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Ritani is an online jewellery retailer that is headquartered in White Plains, New York. They were founded in 1999 by Harout Aghjayan (the brother of famous jewellery designer Vatche Aghjayan). Ritani specializes in engagement rings and bridal jewellery. However, they also hold non-engagement/ non-wedding jewellery pieces.
Ritani have slowly put themselves in the consciousness of stakeholders (that is, buyers and watchers) of the jewellery industry. They’ve accomplished this through years (almost two decades) of seamless service; some top quality craftsmanship of ring settings; and an innovative e-commerce business model.
The Ritani website is https://www.ritani.com/. It is compatible with mobile operating systems; so you can conveniently browse through listed items and place orders using your mobile phones and tablets.
Ritani is legitimate. It is not a scam. One of the first questions that people ask is whether an online platform is legit. Where the platform has to do with high-end purchases like diamonds, the questions is even more imperative. There is no doubt that Ritani is a legit jewellery retailer and not a scam store.
Their almost two decades of operation is one pointer. No scam store can continue ripping off people for that long a time. Also, Ritani has a physical existence with its headquarters based in Seattle (New York). Their operators are also visible and known; the company is currently run by Brian Watkins and has a board of directors that is also known. Suffice it to say that, scam stores have only a virtual existence, and their operators are also largely unknown.
In 2014, Ritani made the Forbes list of America’s Most Promising Companies. Over the years, the company has also been featured in The New York Times, CNN Money, Fox Business, and Business Insider. There is no way a scam store will get that kind of recognition.
Lastly, we will see that every piece of diamond listed in Ritani is GIA certified. This proves that Ritani is legit because GIA certifications are done by no less than four expert gemologist chosen at random. While these certifications are quality certificates, their mention here is to prove that the merchandise listed in Ritani does exist, meaning Ritani has the capacity to fulfil orders.
In online purchases, you don’t get to physically see and assess the items before the purchase. To give you some sight in this clear case of blind purchase, online stores provide an assortment of resources which can help you make an assessment of the items before the buying commitment. Online jewellery retailers are no exception; the helpful resources they provide to help you with your assessments include product description, product images, and 3600 video viewer.
Ritani provides all these resources but to a different degree of excellence. First, it should be said that Ritani has a diamond search button which is a very helpful tool when searching for diamonds with particular specifications.
Also, there are detailed descriptions of every diamond and piece of jewellery. For example, every diamond in Ritani’s inventory is listed with its 4 C specifications (cut, clarity, carat, and colour) as well as other details such as polish, symmetry, fluorescence, and measurements. If you’ll want to rely on only descriptions when buying your jewellery, the Ritani product descriptions are nigh-excellent. However, I don’t know of any diamond buyer who will be content with only product descriptions. When it comes to diamonds, visuals are important.
In this regard, Ritani does have a lot of high-quality product images. Many of the pictures really prove that “pictures are worth a thousand words”. However, it’s my observation that too many of the listed diamonds have pictures that are, at best, lacklustre.
Video Viewer came forward to improve on whatever images give. The videos show the diamond as it turns slowly through 3600. It is like holding the diamond in your hand and viewing it from whatever possible angle. Ritani also uses this 3600 video viewer. However, only very few diamonds in Ritani’s inventory have video.
Also, there’s no way to know what particular diamonds have this video viewer until you choose the diamond for viewing. Also, it’s not possible to look at only diamonds that have video because the search tool does not sift that. So you just have to blindly choose diamonds to find those with the video capability.
That said, if you want to see high-quality videos for every piece you’ll look at, or high-quality videos that give you every possible angle of the pieces, then Ritani might not be an ideal place.
You don’t know what to look out for in a diamond; there’s no problem. Ritani has a robust education page that gives you what you need to make you feel equipped in diamond shopping. For example, the diamond shape page tells how the different diamond shapes and cut grade affect sparkle. Also, nice buying tips on the 4C’s page explains amongst others what diamond colour grade you should go for considering the jewellery you want to set it on (rose gold, white gold or platinum). You can also view how the different diamond carat graded diamonds will look on an average finger, and there is a skin tone tool that allows you to view the diamond on a finger with complexion matching yours.
Most persons are familiar with the 4C’s and rightly use these to assess a diamond’s quality. However, but as gemologist will agree there are things beyond the 4C’s that are important when gemologists or experienced diamond buyers looks beyond the 4 Cs, at more subtle details such as the diamond’s structure and its angles, it’s level of fluorescence, the degree of inclusions, and the quality of its polish. You’ll find detailed discussions of all these in the “anatomy of a diamond” page. There is also a page on engagement rings, and another on settings, and another on precious metals which gives important information (such as the average lifespan and durability of bands). When you’ve digested the Ritani education pages, you’ll feel like a pro in getting the best diamond ring for your pocket.
After going through the education pages, if you still feel you can’t go through the diamond buying decisions on your own; no problem. After all, diamonds are a precious symbol of love, and it’s understandable that you want the “perfect” piece. Ritani offers the “Virtual Gemologist” service just for you, where you get a free consultation with an expert (gemologist).
You can select up to four diamonds which the expert will go over with you, and then you sign up for the consultation (at a time convenient for you).
One good news is that you don’t have to wait long to get the appointment; you can schedule Virtual Gemologist sessions for the very same or the next day. And if you must cancel an appointment; there’s no problem. All you need do is to call Ritani’s Virtual Gemologist customer service (at 1.888.202.0804).
The expert provides nothing less than expert service; you’ll be shown HD imagery and 20X magnification images of the diamonds, and be walked through the different exclusive reports.
Whether you are new to the diamond field, or a veteran on it; the experts/ gemologist can help you decide which diamond to buy, or recommend an entirely different diamond based on what matters most to you.
There are different advantages to buying items online and in brick and mortar stores. Online purchase affords convenience, while brick and mortar stores give the opportunity to physically see and assess the item before the purchase. Usually, online stores try to soften the disadvantage by providing, item certificates, detailed descriptions, as well as quality images and even video viewer tools. At best, these give a mere imitation of “physically seeing and assessing” your jewellery piece.
Ritani comes up with a unique model that marries the advantages of online purchase and purchases from brick and mortar stores, which is the “clicks and bricks” model. The model allows you to pick your diamond ring or design one online (Ritani website), then get it shipped to a local jeweller for previewing.
One interesting thing is that the in-store preview does not carry any obligation to buy. If you like what you see, you can complete the transaction and go home with your jewellery piece; but if you do not like what you see, you can simply walk away.
Some will argue that the Ritani “clicks and bricks” have little value since jewellers offer return policies that allow customers to return the jewellery if they are not totally satisfied with it. However, it can take quite a while for your items to get back to the retailer, for them to process it, and more time for the refund to get to your account. If you don’t have a lot of time on your hand; you might have to go to another store when still expecting to be refunded by the original store. And if you don’t have a high enough credit limit, buying from another store might not be possible until the refund from the first store clocks in. This scenario can be avoided with Ritani’s clicks and bricks model. If you don’t like what you see, you may simply move on to another store for your purchase and not be restricted by funds tied down (that is, awaiting refund).
Also, the in-store experience and being able to physically preview the diamond is something that, to many customers, is vital. It is understandable because diamond and bridal jewellery purchases are big purchases with considerable expense. Thus, previewing the items in-store gives a kind of peace of mind that is not inherent in online purchases.
For the click and bricks model to work, Ritani has formed a partnership with a lot of local jewellers all over the US and Canada. These local jewellers’ stores are where you go to for your ring preview in the “clicks and bricks” model. However, the stores are not just for review, they facilitate other Ritani’s services such as returns, the complimentary cleaning service, and more.
Because, there are many of these stores in the US and Canada, customers in those regions will not have to drive far to access the Ritani services. Customer reviews are glowing in this regard. It’s very common to find reviews such as “You are not going to find this kind of combination of value and service anywhere else”. However, because many Ritani services are tied to these partner stores, it means that many services are not available to international customers.
You’ll want a store that holds a large inventory so that you’ll be more likely to find something that you like. In this regard, Ritani ticks the box. The product category, and a description of items, you’ll find in each category are as follows:
The main product offering of Ritani is a diamond engagement ring; thus, you’re in for a treat. Ritani has a lot of custom engagement rings. Like most jeweller, you may create your own ring. In doing that, you may start with a diamond or with a setting.
You can also shop engagement rings by type that ranges from elegant simplicity to dazzling sophistication. There are the very popular solitaire engagement rings, which showcase the dazzling beauty of a single diamond; there are the more complex and ornate halo engagement rings, which have a border of small, delicate diamonds framing the centre diamond, and enhancing it with additional brilliance; there are the complex but highly customizable three-stone engagement rings, which have exquisite small diamonds, stunning sapphires or rubies flanking a centre diamond to dramatically increase sparkle and visual impact; there’s also the classic engagement rings with tasteful diamond-studded bands.
You can shop by type, and get vintage engagement rings. These sets are antique-inspired but subtly infused with modern style, to blend the best of the past with the best of the modern. You can also get stunning sapphire rings, bridal sets, and promise rings.
Your engagement ring shopping may start with the metal. Ritani have five metal options you can choose from, which include 18kt rose gold, 18kt white gold, 14kt white gold, 18kt yellow gold, and platinum
Ritani has a vast collection of loose diamonds (over 75,000 at the time of writing). This is not the largest collection of loose diamond amongst online diamond retailers but is large enough. That way you don’t have an inventory that can become overwhelming when sifting through; rather it’s just big enough for all your selection needs. You’ll find diamonds in all 10 popular shapes – Round, Princess, Cushion,, Emerald, Radiant, Oval, Pear, Asscher, Marquise, and Heart.
You may also shop from the Ritani Reserve Diamonds. These are supposed to be ideal diamonds; that is, diamonds with the best cut grading for maximum spark and brilliance.
You may shop from the Bestselling Women’s Rings, Bestselling Men’s Bands or Anniversary Rings. The Women’s Wedding Rings include Diamond, Eternity and Classic; while the Men’s Wedding Bands include Diamond, Classic and Modern.
You may also choose to buy a wedding band that matches your engagement ring no matter its style. Thus, you may match your Halo, Classic, Solitaire, and Three-Stone engagement rings.
In this category, you’ll find other jewellery pieces other than engagement rings and wedding bands. This includes different types of earrings (gold, pearl, diamond, and gemstone), Bracelets (gold, charm, pearl, tennis, Cuffs & Bangles), and necklaces (gold, pearl, diamond, and gemstone).
You’ll also find Diamond Stud Earrings, Diamond Halo Earrings and Diamond Halo Pendants. If you are for designer labels, you’ll also find collections from Lili Claspe x Ritani, EF Collection and Mimi So. Just like you may design your own engagement ring, there is also the option to design your own jewellery (Design a Diamond Pendant or Design Diamond Earrings)
You can get various jewellery gift items for Anniversary Gifts, Bridal Gifts, Birthday Gifts and Milestone Gifts. Some items are Halo Studs, Halo Pendants and Diamond Studs, Diamond jewellery, Cufflinks, Amulets & Tags, Bracelets. Also, you can shop for designers gift (Lili Claspe x Ritani, EF Collection, and Mimi So). You can even design your gift. If you’ll be shopping with a budget, you can go to “Gifts By Price”; and you’ll find items: $250 & Under, $500 & Under, $750 & Under, and $1500 & Under.
It’s not enough to know that a store holds a large selection of items from which you can make a selection; it’ll also be important that the items are of good quality so that you’ll not waste time poring through loads of poor quality items.
In this regard, it will interest you to know that Ritani only lists GIA and AGS certified diamonds on their site. GIA (Gemological Institute of America) standardized diamond grading by introducing the 4C’s; while the AGS (American Gem Society) has also established itself as a top-level diamond grading organization. As a result, almost all experts recommend buying an AGS or GIA certified diamond.
When it comes to settings, Ritani’s selections are great. Ritani has some exquisite ring settings, including unique ones that you can’t find anywhere. Many industry watchers (including me) agree that Ritani’s top-notch ring settings are the main reasons for their emergence as a strong contender in the diamond and jewellery retailing business. One reason that can be identified for the excellent ring settings is that they manufacture their jewellery in-house, and have control over the whole process. From their base in Seattle, every single piece of jewellery is carefully crafted by highly skilled craftsmen using state of the art equipment in a controlled environment. Most of their settings (e.g the micro-pave ring setting) have intricate features and detailing that defies automation, and can only be hand carved by super-skilled craftsmen. Thus, when you get a ring setting from Ritani, you’re sure to be getting one of the best possible pieces of design.
However, what do they say about premium items? They are usually pricey. Thus, you’ll also find that, in terms of cost, ring settings in Ritani do not stack up well with the competition. The settings in Ritani tend to be more expensive than comparable settings from other top jewellers. You’ll also find that Ritani does not have as many different settings as these jewellers, especially low-cost settings.
There is a group of diamonds called the “Ritani Reserve Diamonds”. The name tells that they belong to a special category. They are the premium diamonds in Ritani’s inventory. Ritani advertises that the Reserve Diamonds “is certified as the most exceptional 1% of all diamonds worldwide, cut precisely to yield the most sparkle”.
This is one area where Ritani really dropped the ball. Their premium stones do not hold up to the tag when held up to scrutiny, in terms of cut precision and optical performance. For example, some random diamonds pulled from their Reserve Diamond collections had dug-out facets that altered scintillation. Thus, the balance of the sparkliness is altered in the premium stones that are supposedly cut to yield the most sparkle. (Note that, digging out is a technique that craftsmen use, when cutting diamonds, to save carat). Some other stones from the collection showed light leakage which caused less brilliance.
That said, if you want super ideal diamonds with excellent cut precision that gives the very best optical performance, Ritani might want to point you to their Reserve Diamonds, but you should do well to look away.
Price is the most important factor in purchases. Even in high-end products like diamonds and bridal jewellery, you shouldn’t want to pay beyond what a particular piece (by virtue of its specs) should reasonably command.
The best way to gauge price is to do a comparison with the competition. When this was done, it was found that Ritani’s prices are fair, but not always the lowest. It’s been mentioned that Ritani’s ring settings are clearly pricier than the settings you’ll find in most other jewellers. For the loose diamonds, you’ll find many that are competitively priced, but a good number are also priced on the high. For example, you’ll find a Ritani Reserve Diamond priced at about $9,500; but you can find a stone with the same cut and carat grading priced much lower in some other top online jewellers.
Interestingly, Ritani has a “diamond price match” policy, where they pledge to give you the best price for your diamond. That is, if an online competitor’s diamond is priced for less, Ritani will attempt to find a similar diamond for you at a lower price. This policy is to ensure that they provide you with the most competitive prices possible. However, it should be noted that before Ritani will give a matching diamond, their experts will check out the stone (from the other store), and must determine that it has the same spec with theirs in terms of the 4 Cs (cut, colour, clarity, and carat weight) as well as additional criteria such as fluorescence, polish and symmetry, table and depth percentage, etc.
The ideal shop should offer stress-free services which include making payments conveniently. To do this they have to support a good range of payment so that you can easily find one for convenient use no matter where you’ll be buying from.
Ritani does support a good range of payment method. They accept payment from many popular credit and debit cards, PayPal, and bank transfers. However, it should be noted that Bank Wires or “Bank Transfers” are best utilized for International Payments because, most often than not, foreign credit cards are declined. However, this is not a particular problem with Ritani. That said, you even get a 1.5% discount when you place your order using a Bank Wire.
Shipping is an important element of online purchases; the two shipping considerations being the cost of shipping and delivery times. Reviews of online purchases have it that one of the biggest reasons customers abandon their shopping carts at checkout is because of shipping cost. Customers don’t want high shipping costs; and the closer shipping costs are to zero, the best for customers. In terms of shipping times; customers don’t want to wait forever to get their package.
Ritani ships merchandise worldwide, and in terms of the double consideration of shipping cost and delivery times they tick the relevant boxes. Ritani offers free shipping, not only for US and APO domestic shipping but also for international shipping.
One good thing with international shipping is that there are no additional costs (not even C.O.D. charges) to be paid upon delivery. The total you pay at checkout is the exact amount that you will be billed for your package. That total amount at checkout already includes all applicable duties and taxes imposed by the customs and revenue authorities in the destination country. Also, all shipping is fully insured at zero cost to you.
Ritani currently ships to the following countries: Norway, Italy, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Japan, Turks, Netherlands, Greece, Bermuda, Germany, China, Singapore, Slovakia, Qatar, Canada, Turkey, Czech-republic, Cayman Islands, Kuwait, Egypt, Latvia, Sweden, Israel, Poland, Luxembourg, South Africa, Gibraltar, Australia, Liechtenstein, Austria, New-Zealand, Ireland, Thailand, India, Hungary, Mexico, Malta, United Kingdom, Belize, South Korea, Slovenia, Barbados, Belgium, Monaco, Trinidad and Tobago, Spain, France, Finland, Macao, Denmark, and Lithuania. However, the company is aggressively expanding its international coverage by adding more countries. Thus, it’s very likely that more countries have been added to the list.
Shipment to Addresses in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and South America takes 2 – 9 days; while shipment to addresses in Europe and the United Arab Emirates, the rest of Asia, and Europe take 3 – 9 days.
Ritani’s unique “click and bricks” model is designed to remove the one big disadvantage of online purchases, which is buying merchandise blindly (that is, not physically seeing and inspecting items before the buy decision). However, that problems still exist for many Ritani purchases, especially orders that will be shipped to international addresses. There is also the possibility that the initial excitement may disappear, and you will have a change of mind about the diamond or piece of jewellery upon delivery of it. There is also the faint possibility of being delivered a wrong or damaged item. Whatever the case, you’ll need to be able to return the merchandise to the retailer, for a refund or an exchange with another item. Therefore, there is a need to review the return policy of Ritani.
Ritani, like almost every online jeweller, has a return policy that allows the return of merchandise for a refund and/ or exchange.
If you opt to return a Ritani purchase, the first thing to do is to call Ritani customer service (at 1.888.202.0801). However, the returns policy also makes for good reading. First, the returns window is 30 days, which gives you a whole month from the time of delivery to your home to return the item to Ritani. This is also on par with the jewellery industry average which is 30 days. Secondly, the returns shipping cost is borne by Ritani, and they also do not charge any restocking fees. Thus, when you return an item
Lastly, there is free return insurance. You don’t have to worry about the items getting lost or damaged on their way back to Ritani and you being liable. You are 100% covered from the time the item leaves your door until it arrives at Ritani’s door.
Another interesting perk is that Ritani can arrange for the items to be picked up at your door. When you initiate the returns process; after packaging the items as required and attaching the returns label, you do not have to move to the shipping service to drop off the package. It can be arranged for someone to come to your door to pick up the package. Think excellent customer experience! Also, returns are fully insured.
However, there are a few items which are final sales and cannot be returned. They include
You should want a jeweller that stands by their products. Ritani does just that with their lifetime warranty. Like most jewellers, the warranty covers only manufacturing defects. The warranty is a ring life care program. That is, if at any time a manufacturing defect causes damage on a Ritani ring, you can return the ring to Ritani, and they will repair or replace the item at no cost to you. Note that this does not apply to designers collections carried by Ritani; and also that the lifetime warranty only applies to US and Canada customers.
However, it shouldn’t surprise you that in such “manufacturing-defect only” conditioned warranties, when the time is up, there is a tendency for the seller to try to absolve themselves by claiming that the damage is not due to manufacturing defects. Unfortunately, this ugly situation has played out in Ritani. In this particular case, even some Ritani’s partner jewellery stores confirmed it was a manufacturing defect (that the crack on was due to porosity and bubbles forming during the manufacturing process); and one of them even reached out to Ritani to let them know. But Ritani wouldn’t budge.
You want your diamond piece always sparkling. While you can do the necessary cleaning yourself; it is best done by the professionals. The complimentary lifetime cleaning offer of Ritani, means they’ll clean your diamond for you free of charge (at least twice a year). However, you don’t have to send the ring to them. The offer is only available in-store. All you need do is walk into any of the many partner jewellery stores of Ritani. Thus, the offer is also available to only customers from the US and Canada.
The ideal legit jewellery store will provide for effectively answering the questions that customers will have and solving any issues that customers may have with their transactions. Ritani provides different channels for providing necessary assistance to customers.
There’s an FAQ on their website where you can get articles for self-help. Admittedly, in a high-end purchase like diamonds, self-help might not do it for you, and you’ll want to directly reach a support rep of the company. You can do that via phone, chat, email, or post.
The live chat feature is available on their website; for the telephone service, the line is 1.888.974.8264; for the email service, the email address to send your submissions is care@ritani.com; and for the post, the mailing address to send your correspondence is 30 Dr Martin Luther King Blvd., White Plains, NY 10601.
Ritani also has an active blog and a strong social media presence; you can also use those media to reach them.
However, it should be noted that the Ritani customer support service is not available 24/ 7. For the chat and phone services, Ritani’s support agents are active from 8 am – 12 pm ET (Mondays – Fridays), from 10 am – 7 pm ET on Saturdays, and from 12 am – 9 pm on Sundays.
Ritani has established itself as a major player in the jewellery industry. And they deserve their place. The company is legit. That said, they pride themselves on craftsmanship and are able to give top quality ring settings. They have also revolutionized customer-oriented e-commerce with their innovative “clicks and bricks” model that allows you to see and preview your ring before committing financially to it. Amongst other services, they give you free expert opinion, free shipping and returns, and interesting warranties such as lifetime warranty, and free cleaning.
However, there are some areas where they fall short. The main ones include the lack of HD pictures and video for many of the diamonds listed; the question marks on the cut precision and optical performance of their supposedly premium diamonds; and the relatively high prices of ring settings and loose diamonds.
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