Rare Carat burst onto the online jewelry scene several years ago with an innovative platform allowing consumers to easily compare diamond pricing across retailers. Initially starting out as an aggregator displaying third-party diamond inventory, they have since pivoted into a full-fledged retailer selling their own exclusive diamonds direct-to-consumer.
This strategic shift has positioned them alongside industry titans like Blue Nile and James Allen. However, it has also invited greater scrutiny from jewelry buyers wondering if this relative newcomer can deliver the same level of trust and credibility expected from established brands.
As the merchant leans heavily into digital marketing and social media promotions making bold claims of offering “the world’s largest selection” of diamonds at “guaranteed best prices,” prudent shoppers want to know – is Rare Carat’s sparkle legitimate or too good to be true?
What is Rare Carat?
Before assessing the validity of Rare Carat’s value claims being plastered across the internet, let’s understand what this company is and who is behind it.
A Tech Startup Disrupting the Diamond Industry
Rare Carat was founded in 2016 by entrepreneur Ajay Anand, who still runs the business today as CEO. Identifying an opportunity to bring more price transparency to diamond shopping through technology, Anand built an advanced diamond search engine to index pricing data across the fragmented jewelry industry.
This inventory aggregation and price comparison model was it’s original approach for delivering value. Over time, they have invested significantly in proprietary data science capabilities to add further dimensions like predictive price forecasting and algorithmic deal ratings on diamonds.
The Pivot From Search Engine to Retailer
As outlined earlier, Rare Carat has shifted its business model within the past couple years from solely being a diamond search engine to now directly selling diamonds themselves in addition to displaying aggregated inventory.
Functioning as a retailer in earnest means assuming responsibility for the entire customer journey – managing supply chains, providing exceptional service, meeting quality standards, logistics, and fulfillment. For new entrants like this retailer, this poses a much higher bar to deliver a consistent, satisfying purchase experience.
Assessing Rare Carat’s Legitimacy Through Customer Feedback
Given this backdrop of Rare Carat traversing into new competitive territory, we wanted to objectively evaluate whether they can be considered a legitimate diamond retailer on par with the incumbents.
The best way to make this assessment is by analyzing direct customer feedback from independent review platforms. What do real Rare-Carat shoppers have to say about their first-hand experiences? Let’s find out.
Over 2,000 Five-Star Reviews Paint a Positive Picture
Examining it’s profile on Trustpilot reveals an impressive overall rating of “Excellent” based on 2,125 total reviews of which a staggering 97% are 5-stars. Only 3% gave 4-stars, with 1% or less awarding 3 stars or below.
While the volume of near-perfect scores signals strong satisfaction generally, we dug deeper into the specific review commentary:
- Numerous buyers raved about responsive, knowledgeable customer service that made them feel comfortable throughout the purchase process.
- Many noted Rare Carat prices being consistently lower than competitor quotes, sometimes by thousands of dollars!
- Reviewers often remarked their diamonds exceeded expectations for sparkle and beauty once receiving their order.
- A number of posts praised fast shipping and handling times, with some receiving items earlier than estimated.
With largely glowing Trustpilot feedback across crucial elements like price competitiveness, product quality, and service, RareCarat scores very well on credibility so far.
We cross-referenced these Trustpilot trends against Rare Carat’s 2,000+ Google reviews and found strikingly similar validation with overwhelmingly 5-star sentiment citing exceptional staff, pricing, diamonds, and experiences.
Infrequent Negative Feedback Shows Room for Improvement
In the spirit of balanced analysis, we also closely reviewed the 3 Trustpilot reviews and 2 Google reviews showing dissatisfaction with Rare Carat:
- A 2-star Trustpilot review from December 2020 described failed payment attempts across multiple credit cards when trying to complete an order.
- Another 2-star Trustpilot review felt a free gemologist diamond assessment they received did not match up with the actual stone.
- A sole 1-star Trustpilot review cited frustration from receiving “too many emails” after a $10K+ diamond purchase.
- No additional context was provided on either Google review giving 4 and 2 stars respectively.
While concerning instances for those specific customers, it’s encouraging that most negative feedback seems concentrated within Rare Carat’s early years of 2017-2020. Having relatively few complaints over the past couple years suggests operational improvements put in place over time.
Proactively replying to unhappy reviews also demonstrates responsiveness. But enhancing payment checkout and diamond inspection reports would better prevent such issues altogether.
The Verdict: Is Rare Carat Legit Diamond Merchant or another Scam?
In summing up this investigation of authenticated consumer perspectives:
- Having over 97% 5-star reviews across 2,000+ buyers signals most are having positive purchase journeys with Rare Carat exceeded expectations.
- Thoughtful responses to the isolated negative reviews along with the lower volume of complaints in recent years does indicate maturation as a retailer.
- Offering refunds and reactive fixes cannot fully compensate for falling short on core aspects like payment processing or diamond quality assurance – these require preventative measures and strict controls before transactions happen.
So is Rare Carat legitimate? Our verdict is yes, it passes credibility standards as an authorized online diamond merchant and is not a scam operation. However, limited risks still exist from execution inconsistencies that open gaps for improvement compared to blue-chip incumbents boasting stronger quality controls refined over decades.
As the retailer continues evolving from a plucky diamond search innovator into an integrated retailer competing head-on with established giants in a $90 billion global industry, we expect procedures and safeguards to further improve until reaching full parity. Savvy buyers can feel reasonably assured but should verify return policies when exploring their still ascending inventory of eye-catching diamond deals.
| Website: | Rare Carat |
| E-mail id: | [email protected] |
| Contact No: | +1 (855) 720 4858 |
| Owner Name: | Ajay Anand (CEO) |
| Address: | 2000 Town Center, Southfield MI 48075 |
| Site Url: | rarecarat.com |
| Trust Score: | 7/10 |
| Legit or Scam: | Authentic Diamond Ring, Jewelry Retailer |
Have you been the victim of a scam attempt? Please share your story in the comments!
Smart Shopping Tips to Avoid Online Jewelry Scams
While Rare Carat passes credibility analysis, many bogus jewelry sites with convincing facades abound across the internet. We offer these tips to help identify and avoid falling victim to sophisticated scammers:
- Research the domain history – Long-standing sites with no past evidence of shady business have more integrity.
- Beware unbelievable deals – Frauds lure in victims with prices too good to true. If it seems implausible, trust your instinct.
- Review return policies – Rigorous retailers enable free returns, no or low restocking fees. Strict no refund policies are a giveaway.
- Confirm certification info – Cross-check grading reports on diamonds match what vendors advertise.
- Only use credit cards – Never wire irreversible payments. Disputing credit charges helps reclaim losses from fraud.
- Video chat before buying – Insist on a live diamond viewing from multiple angles. Any hesitation could signal something amiss.
Exercising caution moving forward allows enjoying online jewelry shopping while steering clear of cons.
Rare Carat Coupons 2023
Before deciding on any diamond purchase, be sure to search for any active Rare Carat promo codes which can help you save up to 15% off! They run frequent sales around major holidays like Valentine’s Day and Black Friday.
It is running several enticing promotions as we close out the year. Here are the key deals available:
Holiday Diamond Discounts
- Get $100 off natural diamonds over $5,000 with code XMAS100NAT
- Save $100 off lab diamonds $1,500 – $5,000 with code XMAS100
- Take $150 off lab diamonds above $5,000 with code XMAS150
- Receive $50 off lab diamonds $1,000 – $1,500 using XMAS50
This rare holiday sale runs through December 26th. Act fast to save big on sparkling diamonds for yourself or a loved one this season!
Free Diamond Stud Earrings
For even more holiday cheer, Rare Carat is gifting free diamond earrings on qualifying orders over $2,000 while supplies last. Just enter code FREESTUDS at checkout to redeem this flash deal.
Please note this earrings promotion cannot be combined with the tiered dollar-off coupons listed above. Only one promo code can be applied per order. See site for full details and restrictions.
Future Discounts
Beyond the holiday sales, expect new Rare Carat promo codes and additional savings incentives around major events in 2023 like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Black Friday.
Sign up for their email newsletter to receive alerts on upcoming deals. What better way to kick off the new year than with diamond discounts?
FAQs
1. Is Rare Carat real or fake?
Rare Carat is 100% legitimate and not a scam. They are an established diamond retailer founded in 2016 that sells certified natural and lab-grown diamonds.
2. Who is the owner of Rare Carat?
Rare Carat was founded and is owned by entrepreneur Ajay Anand, who serves as the company’s CEO.
3. Is Rare Carat safe to buy diamonds from?
Yes, It is a safe place to buy diamonds. They sell certified diamonds from reliable suppliers and have delivered over 160,000 diamonds with thousands of positive customer reviews.
4. Can I return or exchange the diamonds?
Returns are accepted within 30 days. You can exchange for another diamond of at least equal value to your original purchase by contacting their support team.
The Bottom Line: Should You Trust Rare Carat?
While deemed a legitimate vendor based on in-depth evaluation of verified customer reviews and background research:
- Rare Carat reasonably satisfies credibility standards as an authorized diamond merchant
- They are not a scam operation looking solely to rip off consumers
- Previous growing pains seem to be improving over time
That said, we advise applying judicious discernment until their service quality and systems gain more maturity on par with category leaders that inspire unshakable consumer confidence built over generations. Given their upward growth trajectory, we anticipate it reaching such pinnacles in due course across key measures like:
- Diamond inspection rigor
- Photography consistency
- Quality assurance oversight
- Fulfillment precision
- Customer support availability
Their foundational aim of bringing transparency to diamond shopping still holds up well. Combining this virtue with sharpened competencies befitting market frontrunners will solidify Rare Carat as a premier innovator-retailer for years ahead.
