6 online jewelers changing the way couples shop for engagement and wedding rings

Connie Chen,Connie ChenMay 13, 2019, 22:29 IST

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider, Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Catbird

CatbirdThere's no shortage of beautiful, out-of-the-ordinary rings at Catbird.

We recommend shopping at these six online jewelry brands before you check out a traditional retailer: Vrai & Oro, Couple, Holden, Mejuri, Ritani, and Catbird.
They often offer more customization opportunities, more responsible manufacturing processes, better curated ring styles, and better prices.

Choosing someone to spend your life with is a big decision. No one has ever doubted that. Buying your engagement and wedding rings is, too, but it can be a little ridiculous when the stress and financial burden of that process overtakes why you're even looking for a nice ring in the first place.

Your rings are but a tiny blip in the grand scheme of your marriage, and they should be just as easy to shop for. New online jewelry companies are starting to take on the confusing and expensive shopping experiences of traditional fine jewelry retailers, so you can find a beautiful and affordable ring to last a lifetime - then move on with the rest of your lives.

In addition to offering more unique ring styles, these online jewelers are giving shoppers more control and power than ever to make the exact rings they're imagining, and at non-exorbitant prices.

To match the visual and tactile strengths of brick-and-mortar stores, they send the rings to you through home try-on programs or to a convenient location near you. Reflecting the preferences of the progressive and socially aware clientele they'd like to attract, they're taking the extra step to be ethically and environmentally responsible with their materials and manufacturing processes.

Below, you can learn more about the specific expertises of each new jewelry brand, then browse their sites to see if the styles and prices are a fit for you and your partner. If you want to skip right to browsing, here's the basic what-to-know about the six brands:

To preview your perfect ring: Shop at Vrai & Oro
For lab-grown diamond engagement rings: Shop at Couple
For customizable wedding bands starting at just $179: Shop at Holden
To attract double-takes on your ring: Shop at Mejuri
For the best "clicks-and-bricks" ring shopping: Shop at Ritani
For the curated boutique experience, online: Shop at Catbird

Find beautiful engagement and wedding rings at one of these 6 non-traditional jewelry retailers.

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See 6 online jewelers changing the way couples shop for engagement and wedding rings >>

For the curated boutique experience, online: Catbird

Shop engagement and wedding bands at Catbird here Read more about Catbird here

There's no shortage of beautiful, out-of-the-ordinary rings at Catbird, whose name has far outgrown its Brooklyn boutique roots. In addition to its own exclusive collection of rings, which starts at $230 for a simple gold wedding band and goes up to $12,500 for a brilliant, three-diamond ring, you can find unique, eye-catching silhouettes from beloved independent designers like WWAKE, Satomi Kawakita, Kataoka, and a few dozen others.

To preview your perfect ring: Vrai & Oro

Shop engagement and wedding rings at Vrai & Oro here Read more about Vrai & Oro here

If you want to design your own ring (there are over 3,500 style combinations possible), Vrai & Oro is the perfect place to do so. If you prefer to hand over the reins to the experts, Vrai & Oro is still the perfect place to do so. It knows buying a ring is a big commitment, so it offers a Home Try-On program where you receive three sample designs for a $50 refundable deposit. You have seven days to find your dream ring.

For lab-grown diamond engagement rings: Couple

Shop engagement and wedding rings at Couple here Read more about Couple here

In addition to price and design, couples today care about where their rings are sourced and how they're made. Couple's diamonds are made above ground in a lab, but you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between theirs and mined ones. Best for shoppers who are overwhelmed by the choice of traditional retailers, Couple sells just four beautiful and classic styles, but you can still choose the setting, karat, and metal type.

For customizable wedding bands starting at just $179: Holden

Customize your wedding ring at Holden here Read more about Holden here

At Holden, choose from 10 different profiles, like the strong and industrial Octagon or the subtly textured Hammered, then pick out exactly what you want for each aspect of the ring: width, metal, karat, finish, and a free engraving. Prices are low in part because the company uses an efficient 3D-printing technology to print designs before they're cast in the precious metals. Conveniently, the startup also offers free shipping, 14-day returns, and complimentary resizing for life.

To attract double-takes on your ring: Mejuri

Shop engagement and wedding rings at Mejuri here Read more about Mejuri here

Mejuri's made-to-order engagement ring collection features various cuts, asymmetrical settings, pretty gemstones, and a new half-sizing convention, all to emphasize a "non-typical" approach that has always characterized the online company. We highly recommend getting a matching band here — the rings and bands pair beautifully together, whether you balance out a more complex design with a simple band or play off the sparkle of a ring by introducing additional diamonds on the band.

For the best 'clicks-and-bricks' ring shopping: Ritani

Shop engagement and wedding rings at Ritani here Read more about Ritani here

Ritani makes it easy to shop and find your ring in multiple ways, from start to finish. You can start designing a ring by selecting a diamond or selecting a setting, or let the site recommend a ring for you based on your preferences.

By partnering with jewelry stores in your area, it blends the convenience of online shopping with the practical visual aspects of in-person shopping. If you want to preview or buy a ring, Ritani sends it to a nearby jewelry partner. Of course, you can always have it shipped directly to you, too.

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