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Many names exist in the jewelry sector that come straight to mind when you think about prestige, sparkle and luxury. But of all those names, the Walmart brand probably isn’t one of them. Nevertheless, although it may come as a surprise to you, in fact Walmart does offer a range of engagement rings and diamond jewelry. So, could this be the ideal place to find a bargain? Read on to learn more.

Walmart’s History

Walmart originates from 1950, when Sam Walton, a businessman, bought a store in Arkansas and opened Walton’s 5 & 10. Just over a decade later, Walmart began in the form that we know it today, beginning with just one store in Bentonville that expanded outside its home state by 1968 and, within two decades, throughout the south of the USA. By 1995, Walmart had a store in all 50 states. Of course, Walmart is best known for its groceries, but in fact sells a wide range of non-grocery products including jewelry and, although it may sound strange, diamond engagement rings are one such product in its collection.

The Walmart Diamond Range

Engagement rings sold by Walmart come in a range of colorless stones, cubic zirconia, white sapphires, and moissanite as well as diamonds. This is why it’s so important to use the filtering tools on Walmart’s website to find only diamond rings. Walmart’s range also comes in a diverse array of settings, but you won’t find complex setting techniques here and there is a lack of attention to detail in many of its products.

Many different ring suppliers work with Walmart to stock their jewelry department and this means that there are many kinds of engagement ring coming from around 200 brands. Some of the top ones include Imperial, PalmBeach Jewelry, Miabella and JeenMata. As you might imagine, some of these brands are better than others, so it’s important to do your research well. Remember that Walmart is, first and foremost, a discount retailer that isn’t known for its good quality, but rather its low pricing. This is something to bear in mind when choosing the right ring for you.

Diamond Quality and Imaging

If you take a look at the diamonds from Walmart’s most popular brands, you could be tricked into thinking that you’re getting a great bargain when you’re actually not. It’s very important to read the small print carefully. For a start, the carat weights can be very misleading as they refer to the total carat weight of the ring rather than just the weight of the center diamond itself.

You can also assume that the diamonds used are uncertified and even the color remains unknown since only a general range is given which cannot be guaranteed. It’s also important to check the clarities, as these too are often too low a grade for good quality diamond rings. Of course, as you might expect, there are no light performance reports, diamond imaging or HD video for you to examine as well as no mention of any cut quality.

Learn more about the importance of diamond light performance images and HD Video here.

These are all things to keep in mind when determining whether or not you’re getting good value for money. Even though the price tags are relatively low, they may still not be worth paying for the poor quality of the product.

Should I Buy A Diamond Ring From Walmart?

Although Walmart has some excellent costume jewelry pieces available at very affordable prices, it’s probably best to steer clear of this retailer if you’re keen to buy fine diamonds. Even the certified diamonds only carry an IGL grading report which is well-known to have inconsistent and inflated grades. Walmart may be a reliable and reputable brand for grocery shopping, but the same certainly cannot be said for its diamond jewelry.

Unless you have absolutely no interest at all in the quality of the product you buy and are driven solely by price considerations, Walmart is not the store for you, and even if you’re on a tight budget, it’s best to look elsewhere for your rings as other retailers offer better quality pieces at a comparatively low price.

When you buy from Walmart, you’ll be getting only a very vague description of the diamond you’ll be buying that won’t enable you to clearly and objectively assess its quality. Furthermore, most of the rings sold by Walmart come from third party sellers, meaning there can be extreme variations in product quality. Even worse, different sellers offer different sales policies and this could leave you with less purchasing rights than you expected.

In short, you need to pay a lot of attention to detail if you do decide to go down the road of buying a diamond ring from Walmart, and unless you’re extremely confident in your ability to assess the quality of a diamond at a distance you should look elsewhere for your purchase. If you are short on budget, James Allen and Blue Nile have great options at a lower price. If cut quality is your top priority then I’d consider Whiteflash.