From the moment you hit the site, it is very clear as to what direction you can take. The top of the landing page features several categories to choose from. This could seem overwhelming, so there are two main call-to-action tabs to choose from. Shop Engagement Rings or Shop Loose Diamonds. Let's get into each.
Breathless is the word we would use for the selection James Allen offers. There are classic settings like this(Choose Your Engagement Ring Setting | JamesAllen.com) to more modern options like this(Choose Your Engagement Ring Setting | JamesAllen.com). When landing on the ring page, an easy-to-use visual is placed in front of you giving options as to what style you may want to pursue. Once you click on that style, the site will filter to only those. From there you can browse to your heart's content.
Once you select a setting, it will take you to a page that will give you all the details you need. From a 360 degree video that you can interact with, to visuals of shapes and sizes on a model's finger. You may choose from a range of metal options in white gold, yellow gold, rose gold and platinum. You even have the option of a real-time inspection of the piece. Once you have made your decision on which setting you prefer, the site will then prompt you to select a diamond and or gemstone.
SHOP LOOSE RINGS
We found this to be a very user-friendly interface. You can very clearly choose between an earth-created diamond and a lab-created diamond. Once you do this, there are easy-to-understand visual and slider scales that allow you to narrow your search.
Once we did this, the site filtered to a selection of diamonds. We were able to sort by all different criteria. Whether it be the highest to lowest pricing or fastest delivery, there are multiple ways to get what you want.
Once a diamond is selected, the site provides an incredible amount of detail. Most importantly there is a 360-degree video of the diamond that is also interactive to the user. Take your cursor and move the diamond back and forth as much as you want.
If you still have questions, there is a tab for a real-time chat. This was the one area we did not love. On one hand, it was great to have a pretty seamless interaction with a service representative; they were able to see which diamond we were considering without having to spend time trying to tell them. However, we did not find them to be as discerning as we would have liked. The agent was super nice, but we felt like pushing a bit for the sale as opposed to giving us the real information we wanted. We did however understand the diamond was not on premises, so it does present a challenge for the representative. Which is why their return policy is so key.