Kimaï Review: Is the Celebrity Lab Diamond Favorite Worth It?
Kimaï Jewelry
USD 2720
Pros
- Premium quality
- Stunning and unique designs
- Diamond color and clarity grades are high
- Recycled materials
Cons
- Premium prices
- Diamond cut quality uncertain
- You can't compare and inspect diamonds
- Customer service a little slow
- Lab diamond not 100% sustainable
Last Updated on May 9, 2023 by LabGrownCarats
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Diamonds have long been regarded as a sign of love and dedication, but the diamond business has been plagued by problems such as conflict diamonds and environmental concerns. But, with the introduction of lab-grown diamonds, a new age in the diamond industry has dawned.
Kimaï specializes in ethical and environmentally friendly lab-grown diamonds. Kimaï has grown quickly, driven by its exquisite designs and celebrity following. That’s why we decided to review Kimaï Jewelry and their lab-created diamond jewelry selection.
In this Kimaï review, we’ll look at Kimaï’s lab-grown diamonds and jewelry and assess their quality, sustainability, and affordability. We’ll learn that there are many things that we like about Kimaï, but there are also things that we don’t appreciate, such as the high prices and the lack of information about diamond quality.
We begin by offering an overview of Kimaï as a brand and discussing what sets lab-grown diamonds apart from their mined counterparts. We then explore Kimaï’s jewelry selection, including designs and diamond quality, and take a closer look at their prices and compare them with average lab-grown diamond jewelry prices.
We’ll evaluate the shopping experiences at Kimaï, their efforts at being sustainable, and its customer service – we examine return policies, exchanges, warranties repairs so you can make a confident choice before buying from Kimaï.
We’ll end our Kimaï review by comparing them to other leading brands in the market, such as Vrai, Ritani, Clean Origin, James Allen, and Brilliant Earth.
Keep reading our Kimaï review to learn if the premium quality and designs justify the premium prices.
3 diamond jewelers we like better than Kimaï Jewelry
Overview of Kimaï Jewelry and Lab-Grown Diamonds
In the first part of our Kimaï Jewelry, we will provide an overview of Kimaï lab diamonds and jewelry, explore who they are, the benefits of Kimaï’s lab-grown diamonds, and how they compare to other jewelers in the market.
Who is Kimaï Jewelry?
Kimaï is a fine jewelry brand that creates unique designs using ethically sourced materials, including lab-grown diamonds. Their collections feature stunning pieces crafted with lab diamonds. With their mission to create unique, beautiful and environmentally-friendly diamond jewelry, Kimaï has quickly become one of the leading names in the industry.
The History of Kimaï Jewelry
Kimaï was founded by Antwerp natives Jessica Warch and Sidney Neuhaus in 2018 and has since quickly gained popularity for its commitment to sustainability without compromising on quality or style. Its founder both hail from prominent Belgian diamond trading families, and they
However, Kimaï Jewelers is probably most famous for being the lab-grown diamond jewelry choice of the (former) Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. That catapulted Kimaï into notoriety, wallowing them to showcase their brilliant designs to the world.
What makes Kimaï special?
What really sets Kimaï apart from other companies is their unique designs that combine classic elegance with a modern flair. Their pieces range from simple solitaire rings to intricate pendants adorned with colored gemstones or pave set accents for added sparkle and shine.
They work directly with a diamond lab in Israel and a team of jewelers in Antwerp, and they create all jewelry pieces made-to-order with a deep focus on craftsmanship and sustainability.
Each piece is carefully crafted by experienced artisans who use only ethically sourced materials such as recycled gold or platinum for maximum sustainability without sacrificing quality or style.
With its unique designs and commitment to quality, it’s no wonder why so many people are turning to Kimaï for their diamond needs. Including celebrities!
Kimaï’s celebrity endorsements
The Duchess of Sussex, also known as Meghan Markle, has famously been spotted wearing stunning diamond earrings from Kimaï. The pair featured three unique evil eyes with lab diamonds set in gold, an example of the distinctive and ravishing designs made by Kimaï.
More recently, Selena Gomez, too, has been wearing Kimaï jewelry, sporting a pair of exquisite earrings.
Is Kimaï Jewelry legit?
Kimaï is a well-established fine jewelry brand that specializes in lab-grown diamonds and using recycled materials. The company was founded in 2018 and has since gained a reputation for its commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. Kimaï is endorsed by several celebrities and is a legit diamond jeweler.
Kimaï sustainability – ethical diamonds and more
To understand why lab-grown diamonds make Kimaï sustainable, we must first understand why lab-created diamonds are ethical and environmentally better.
Lab-grown diamonds, also known as lab-created or simply lab diamonds, are created using advanced techniques that replicate the natural conditions under which real diamonds form deep within the Earth’s crust. As a result, lab diamonds have the exact same chemical composition, physical properties, and optical characteristics as mined diamonds. So if you are in doubt, lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds, just as real as mined diamonds are.
But lab diamonds come at a fraction of the cost while being more eco-friendly!
Benefits of Lab-Grown Diamonds
- Eco-Friendly: The production process for lab-grown diamonds generates significantly less waste than mining operations, requiring fewer resources such as water and energy.
- Ethical sourcing: With no need for large-scale mining activities associated with human rights violations or conflict financing issues (as seen in some diamond-producing regions), lab-grown diamonds offer a more ethical choice for consumers.
- Cheaper: Lab-grown diamonds are up to 60-80% cheaper than mined diamonds. See, for example, how much a 1-carat lab diamond costs. That means you can save or get a better diamond. Or both!
So, just by using lab-grown diamonds instead of mined ones, Kimaï is a more sustainable jewelry option. But it doesn’t stop there. Kimaï has taken further steps to ensure its products are as environmentally friendly as possible.
Recycled Materials
Kimaï uses recycled gold, silver, and platinum in all of its pieces. This means that instead of mining new metals from the earth, they use materials that have already been extracted and refined.
By doing this, they reduce the environmental impact associated with mining operations while still providing customers with high-quality jewelry pieces.
Packaging
All of Kimaï’s packaging is made from recyclable materials such as paper or cardboard boxes and biodegradable plastic bags. They also avoid using unnecessary plastics or other non-recyclable materials whenever possible.
Not completely sustainable
While Kimaï is reducing its carbon footprint by using recycled materials and eco-friendly packaging solutions, they do not offer diamonds created using renewable energy or carbon offsetting (the former being the most sustainable, as carbon offsetting can be problematic).
As you can learn in our Vrai review, they use lab diamonds created using renewable energy, while Brilliant Earth offers similarly suitable diamonds. Pandora’s Brilliance collection, too, is moving to completely sustainable lab diamonds. And we have seen other jewelers, such as Grown Brilliance, use recycled materials and packaging.
Using completely sustainable lab diamonds would have ensured their business practices are completely climate neutral. However, just by choosing lab diamonds over mined, Kimaï is well ahead of many other jewelers.
Kimaï is a fine jewelry brand creating unique designs with ethically sourced lab-grown diamonds. Lab diamonds offer environmental and ethical advantages over mined diamonds and are cheaper – making them an attractive option for those seeking high-quality pieces without breaking the bank.
Kimaï jewelry selection and designs
In this part of our Kimaï review, we will discuss the design quality and selection.
Kimaï jewelry designs
One thing that makes Kimaï stand out is its unique and stunning jewelry design collections. Kimaï creates limited collections and thereby limits its stock. That is better for the environment and ensures a focus on developing new and exciting jewelry designs.
So while their selection of jewelry designs is somewhat limited, this is, well, by design. Instead, you’ll frequently find unique pieces and new designs, ensuring their jewelry is trendy, striking, and contemporary.
Kimaï is not where you would buy your standard lab diamond stud earrings (though they do actually have them). Instead, Kimaï is where you would shop for unique and premium designs that you will not find anywhere else. But, as we’ll note later in our review of Kimaï, it comes at a cost.
Kimaï jewelry quality
Kimaï offers a range of gorgeous and unique designs that cater to various tastes and preferences. Kimaï’s exquisite collection features lab-grown diamonds set in luxurious metals such as gold or platinum, allowing for an elegant and stylish look. The outstanding quality of each item is unmistakable, making them stand out from other brands.
We’ve found that the craftmanship and jewelry quality is very high and among the best. However, the lab diamond quality is at least as important, if not not. So that’s what we’ll look at next in our review.
Kimaï lab-diamond selection and quality
In the previous section of our Kimaï review, we learned that their jewelry quality is top-notch. In this part, we’ll dig deeper into the selection and quality of their lab diamonds.
Kimaï lab diamond selection
As you will have learned if you have read any of our other lab diamonds reviews or buying guides, we always recommend that you pick the stone you want from the jeweler’s selection of loose lab diamonds.
This ensures that you get the perfect diamond and jewelry you are looking for. In addition, and just as importantly, you avoid the problem of jewelers using lower-quality diamonds for their pre-set lab diamond jewelry.
Unfortunately, you cannot choose the diamond yourself at Kimaï. So instead, we’ll take a closer look at the typical diamonds they use in their pre-set jewelry collections.
Kimaï lab diamond quality
Now that we have learned that Kimaï’s designs and craftmanship are excellent, let’s delve deeper into the quality of the lab diamonds they use.
Before we begin, you should recall that diamonds are graded using the 4Cs of diamonds. These apply to diamonds regardless of origin (lab-grown or mined).
The 4Cs are:
You can read about each in our guides to the lab diamonds 4Cs. But to recap, if you are looking for a colorless brilliant-type diamond, cut is the most important grade, and you should always pick the best one. Always. For non-brilliant and fancy-colored lab diamonds, cut is also very important, but clarity or color can be equally important.
Unfortunately, Kimaï does not disclose the diamond quality of most of their jewelry pieces. Only jewelry with larger diamonds and engagement rings has the diamond quality listed. Here’s an example of their diamond stud earrings, which run up to 1 carat per piece (2 total carat weight) at a staggering cost of $8,745, without listing any other diamond 4C than the carat weight!
Jewelry set with bigger diamonds either includes the color and clarity grades or let you choose between diamonds of different quality ranges, in the case of engagement rings.
However, the information can sometimes be a little hard to find, even when it is disclosed. See some examples below, which may help you.
Diamond quality information for the Kimaï Castle Eternity ring
For this diamond ring set with a smaller diamond, the quality is mentioned in the product description as F color and VS+ clarity.
Diamond quality information for the Kimaï Oprah Eternity ring
For this ring set with slightly larger diamonds, the quality is listed under “about this ring” and under “materials”, though they differ a little.
Diamond quality information for the Kimaï Simone ring
This ring features an even larger diamond, and here the quality is disclosed under “materials” and in the bottom floating information bar, but, again, they differ slightly.
Kimaï engagement ring diamond quality
Finally, for their engagement rings, you can typically pick between diamond quality ranges. But, again, the information is all over the place and pretty confusing. Still, no diamond cut grade is mentioned.
Diamond color grades at Kimaï
As you can see from the examples above, Kimaï offers colorless diamonds from D to F on the GIA color scale. This is an excellent color quality. It’s actually higher than we would generally recommend. The difference between the grades is often insignificant, and mainly when set in gold, the difference between a DEF and GHI color will be unnoticeable. That’s because gold influences the light emitted from the diamond. Even in non-gold settings, you often won’t be able to spot the difference.
Except for on the price tag! Higher-quality colors are rare, which makes them much more expensive. Even when produced in the lab.
Diamond clarity grades at Kimaï
Except for one of the options with the engagement rings, the clarity grades always fall between VS1 and 2 (often listed as VS+). Kimaï states that this is the highest quality, but it’s not. While VS2 is usually a sufficient clarity grade, in some cases, diamonds with noticeable inclusions can be graded as VS2 (grading is very subjective, as you can learn in our guide to lab diamond grading).
Most often, however, VS1 and 2 have only very slight (hence the “VS”) imperfections visible under magnification only. So the quality is decent and acceptable.
Diamond cut grades at Kimaï
While the lab-grown diamonds used by Kimaï are of high quality regarding color and clarity, the very important diamond cut grade is entirely omitted from their product descriptions.
And that’s a problem.
To solve the question and ensure that our Kimaï review gives you the answer, we reached out to Kimaï. As we’ll mention later, we had some challenges getting in contact with Kimaï, but finally, we got a response.
Kimaï tells us that they use diamond of excellent (GIA) or ideal cut (IGI) grades for most of their engagement ring, and that the minimum is very good. Excellent and ideal are are the highest cut grades awarded by the respective diamond grading institutes.
But, there’s a huge jump down to very good, which, in fact, is not very good. You should never buy a brilliant-cut diamond shape with anything but the highest grade (excellent or ideal).
When you buy lab-grown diamond engagement rings at Kimaï, you can discuss the specific ring and diamond with their customer support and through them get more certainty about the diamond quality.
You can also reach out to them regarding other pieces of jewelry, but you may risk getting a lower-grade diamond (such as a very good cut). We would therefore only recommend buying at Kimaï if they will guarantee the diamond cut grade to be either excellent (GIA) or ideal (IGI).
Diamond carat weights at Kimaï
The diamond carat (a measure of weight and not size but closely correlated) is the only grade that is always listed. In some cases, mainly with more expensive rings, you can choose between different carat weights.
Diamond carat shapes at Kimaï
Kimaï offers a variety of shapes, including round brilliant cut (the most popular), princess cut (square shape), and cushion cut (rounded square shape), among others. For many jewelry pieces, you can pick the diamond shape you like, which is great and speaks to the advantages of made-to-order. However, it’s important to note that you cannot select your own diamond from an inventory of loose stones like some other retailers allow you to do so.
Kimaï diamond grading and certificates
Diamonds above 0.50 carats offered by Kimaï come with an International Gemological Institute (IGI) certificate, assuring the diamond’s quality and authenticity. The IGI is a well-respected gemological laboratory that provides an evaluation of diamonds according to rigorous standards.
The FAQ pages on the Kimaï website state that IGI grades most diamonds but that they can get larger stones GIA or HRD-graded upon request.
However, as we saw in all the images above, Kimaï says that GIA grades the diamonds. That is a little confusing.
Generally, GIA-graded diamonds trade at higher prices because their grading is more expensive (and more well-known). However, IGI is the leading diamond grading institute for lab diamonds, and 95% of diamonds you’ll find at reputable lab diamond jewelers are graded by IGI, which, too, is reputable, but just less well-known by the general public.
So the GIA-IGI-confusion is not a problem. It’s just…confusing.
Summary of Kimaï jewelry and diamond quality
Kimaï jewelry is of excellent quality, offering superior craftsmanship and exquisite and unique designs. However, the picture is a little muddier when it comes to diamond quality. The color quality is almost too good, and the clarity grades a good, but their diamond cut quality, often the most important of all grades, is completely absent. In addition, since you cannot pick the exact diamond you want from an inventory of loose lab diamonds, you will never know precisely what you are getting.
Kimaï prices – jewelry and lab diamond
The prices of Kimaï jewelry and their lab-grown diamonds are crucial aspects to consider when comparing Kimaï with other jewelers in the market. In this section, we will discuss the price range for both their jewelry pieces and lab-grown diamonds.
Kimaï jewelry prices
Kimaï offers a wide selection of jewelry and designs. They offer everything from rings, engagement rings, and earrings to necklaces, bracelets, and unique jewelry pieces.
The prices at Kimaï start at $215 for a single earring (o.o4 ct) and go up to several thousand dollars. The most expensive piece, apart from engagement rings, is the Splendido Earings, which happens to be the ones Selena Gomez was wearing.
Most of their designs are unique and gorgeous, and the prices for these exquisite pieces can vary greatly depending on factors such as design complexity, materials used (gold or platinum), diamond carat weight, color grade, and clarity grade, among others.
Generally speaking, much of Kimaï’s jewelry cost less than $1000 and is fairly affordable. But not necessarily cheap. Why?
That’s because while prices are low, the diamond or diamonds used are tiny. So if assessed purely on the basis of the diamonds used, the quality, and the carat weight, most diamond jewelry at Kimaï is pretty expensive.
However, at Kimaï, you don’t only pay for the diamonds, and they do not make up the lion’s share of the price, unlike at many other lab diamond jewelers. Instead, you are paying for the unique designs and the premium quality and brand.
It’s sort of how Tiffany & Co. charge exorbitant prices for their mined diamond jewelry. The difference is that Kimaï uses lab-grown diamonds, so the prices are not exorbitant. But they are not low either.
But, to compare with our best-rated lab-grown diamond jewelers, let’s take a look at their diamond prices.
Kimaï diamond prices
Normally, we compare lab-grown diamond prices by searching using a 1-carat reference diamond. However, since Kimaï does not sell loose diamonds, we are unable to carry out this comparison.
Instead, we’ll compare one of the most popular pieces of lab diamond jewelry, for which the design is standardized and the diamond is the star of the show: The ever-popular diamond stud earrings.
Prices for lab diamond stud earrings at Ritanï and competitors
Almost all lab diamond retailers sell a pair of 1-carat (total weight) diamond stud earrings. Kimaï, too, though, in fairness, it’s not really their specialty designing classic jewelry pieces. Regardless, it is a reasonable way to assess their diamond prices.
The 1-carat (total weight) lab-grown diamond stud earrings at Kimaï cost $2,695. They do not list the diamond quality, but we have been informed that it is VS2+ clarity and F+ color, similar to most of their other pieces.
Below are the prices for similar lab-grown diamond stud earrings at our highest-rated lab diamond jewelers.
| Jeweler | Clarity | Color | Cut | Price |
| Ritani | VS2+ | H+ | Ideal | $1,360 |
| Clean Origin | VS2+ | F+ | Very Good | $1,350 |
| Grown Brilliance | VS2+ | F+ | Excellent | $1,750 |
| Vrai* | VS2+ | J+ | Excellent | $1,900 |
| Kimaï | VS2+ | F+ | Very Good | $2,695 |
As you can see, Kimaï is vastly more expensive than the other lab diamond retailers that we recommend. So, if you’re looking for lab-grown diamond stud earrings, we recommend getting them for half the price at Ritani!
Prices for solitaire lab diamond engagement rings at Ritanï and competitors
We’ll also compare a simple solitaire lab diamond engagement ring set with a round brilliant stone.
| Jeweler | Clarity | Color | Cut | Price |
| Ritani | VS2 | F | Ideal | $1,308 |
| Clean Origin | VS2 | F | Ideal | $1,855 |
| Grown Brilliance | SI1+ | G+ | Excellent | $1,780 |
| Vrai* | VS2+ | J+ | Excellent | $1,850 |
| Kimaï** | VVS2+ | F | Very Good*** | $3,840 |
Again, Kimaï is around double the price as what you’ll find at our recommended jewelers. It should be noted that at Clean Origin and Ritani, we have picked the stones from their inventory of loose diamonds (which is a plus).
So, what have we learned from that? Lab-grown diamonds at Kimaï are very expensive. So if you are looking for a plain or classic type of jewelry, Kimaï should be avoided.
But, if you are looking for one-of-a-kind gorgeous and trendsetting jewelry set with lab-grown diamonds, Kimaï may be for you. However, we would also recommend you consider Vrai, who similarly focuses on unique and contemporary lab diamond jewelry.
In summary, while Kimaï does offer beautiful designs and high-quality lab-grown diamonds within its product offerings, they come at a high cost. If you are willing to shell out for premium designs (worn by celebrities) and a premium brand, Kimaï can be a good option. If you are looking for something more simple and focused on the diamond, Kimaï will not be right for you.
The shopping experience at Kimaï
Having learned that prices at Kimaï are premium, as is their jewelry. In this part of the Kimaï review, we’ll learn if the shopping experience at Kimaï is premium, too.
The shopping experience is a crucial part of purchasing a lab-grown diamond or the price of lab diamond jewelry. Shopping online is, of course, different from at a store. Mostly, it gives you access to a much larger inventory and better prices. But, importantly, also better access to evaluate lab diamonds.
If you visit any jeweler, you might notice the special lightning they use. This accentuates the diamond’s brilliance, often overstating its appearance. In addition, you’ll not be able to study the diamonds in detail.
On the other hand, shopping online allows you to compare diamonds side by side and view high-definition images and videos of magnified diamonds. That means you can study the diamonds in much greater detail, and you won’t be fooled by engineered lighting (or pressured by pushy salespeople).
Shopping for lab-grown diamonds at Kimaï is a mixed bag. As we have already noted, you are not able to decide on the exact diamond you want and compare between loose diamonds. For that reason, we’ll not analyze the diamond inspection features as we would normally do in our lab-grown diamond jeweler reviews.
Instead, we’ll focus on the shopping experience of buying pre-set diamond jewelry at Kimaï.
Kimaï’s website is straightforward to navigate, it offers excellent high-quality images and often videos of their jewelry pieces. The website feels as premium as their jewelry (and prices).
Where the shopping experience on the website is lacking is access to information and structuring it. As we have already noted previously in our Kimaï review, diamond quality is listed in various places, and it’s far from consistent or complete.
Further, the filters are very limited, meaning that it’s harder to narrow down and search for jewelry. However, since the jewelry selection is limited, it’s less of an issue compared with sites with many more product options.
Overall, shopping at Kimaï’s site is an enjoyable experience due to its user-friendly interface and beautiful designs. The website is easy to navigate and provides great visuals of the jewelry, making it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for, but better filters would help.
And, as mentioned, Kimaï does not provide any kind of inspection services such as HD images or 360-degree views of diamonds nor access to diamond certificates which can be found with other retailers like James Allen and Ritani. Kimaï also does not offer customization options.
These are all features that other stores provide and which we recommend shoppers should use as critical inputs in their buying decision.
At Kimaï, they keep the website is very simple and you are guided through the diamond buying process. The options you are presented with, e.g., the diamond you can choose for your engagement ring, are limited. That can be helpful for some shoppers, because decision-making is simpler.
But perhaps it’s a little too simple. It reminds us a little of Ada Diamonds, where you only choose the lab diamond quality “starndard” or “premium”. As you can read in our Ada Diamonds review, this can be great if you trust the jeweler to pick the best diamonds. Ada Diamonds generally do this, which is why we recommend them as a white glove service, but one that comes at a high cost.
Let’s continue our Kimaï review by learning if their service is indeed a white-glove service similar to that of Ada Diamonds.
Customer service and support
The customer service and support at Kimaï is good. It’s very friendly and fairly knowledgeable, though you do have to pry some answers from them (as you will experience most places). Prompted for answers such as the minimum cut grades or diamond grading institutes used, you’ll have to ask as few time before you get a complete answer.
And of prompt. Kimaï does not have the most responsive customer service. This is partly explaining by Kimaï being a UK/Belgian company based in Europe, partly because they are a smalller jewelers, and probably also becuase they are geared more towards store hours. We suspect their customer service perhaps works out of their London shop.
So don’t expect a reply during late hours or the weekend or holidays. We tested the response times and compared with one of our best-rated lab jewelers, Clean Origin. We purposefylly sent a message (email) during off hours to test the response times. Kimaï took 4 days, Clean Origin responsed the next morning.
Contacting Kimaï customer service is also a little more challenging than expected. They do not have a live chat feature, but they do have a whatsapp link. However, that link and number do not work. We tried through Facebook, but never received a reply.
The contact form also does not work. We’ve tested it in all major browsers, but to no avail. Instead, we used the trusty old medium of email. Which worked, but it took a few days to receive a reply.
Where Kimaï customer service does a great job is in guiding you through the purchase process. They’ll help you find a diamond that fit your needs and can even share lab diamond grading certificates, but you have to ask first (similarly to Grown Brilliance).
Where they differ is in Grown Brilliance (and our other recommended lab diamond jewelers) making it possible to compare thousands of diamonds online, while at Kimaï you’re limited to their suggestion. So in that sense, they are more like Ada Diamonds.
Kimaï also offers private consultations during which they will guide you through the sometimes complicated diamond-buying process. We recommend trying it, but also prepare in advance so you know what to ask and have a good grasp of what you are looking for. You can read our engagement ring buying guide for tips.
Shipping and Return Policy at Kimaï
The last aspects we consider in our Kimaï review are their shipping and return policies.
Kimaï shipping
Shipping costs between $9.99 and $29.99 to the US, depending on the country but regardless of order size. Shipping (carbon neutral) to the US costs $19.99. That is pretty poor, given the high prices at Kimaï, which should allow for free shipping. In fairness, orders are shipping from Europe, but if you are paying $2000 for a piece of jewelry, Kimaï should be able to find 1% for free shipping.
All orders are shipped with DHL Express from Belgium, which normally takes 1-3 days (internationally).
When reviewing countless other lab diamond jewelers, only the so-called mall jewelers such as Kay, Helzberg, and Zales charge for shipping for all orders. However, these retailers ship domestically in the US. So, a little disappointing that you pay for shipping, but it is international, quick, and reliable
Kimaï returns and exchanges
Kimaï has a 5-day return policy, meaning that you have 5 days to send back the purchased item. That is by far the most restrictive return policy we have seen. You also have to pay for return shipping costs.
The return policy does not cover rings, which is also very uncommon. It also does not cover custom items, but that is more normal since customized jewelry pieces normally cannot be resold.
Exchanges are possible, but again it does not cover rings, and you have to pay for shipping.
This return policy is far from the industry standard of 30 days and far from Clean Origin’s gracious 100-day return period. All our recommended lab diamond jewelers offer at least 30 days and free, risk-free returns.
The reason for this restrictive policy may be that Kimaï does not stock products, have fewer items, and more frequently retire designs for new ones. That limits their ability to resell the returned items. That said, from a consumer standpoint, usually shopping online, a risk-free return policy is critical. So be very sure before you purchase at Kimaï!
Summary of Kimaï Review – should you buy?
Throughout our Kimaï review, we’ve been both impressed and disappointed. Evaluating Kimaï has turned out to be more challenging than we thought.
Comparing Kimaï to our usual best places to buy lab-grown diamond jewelry does not favor Kimaï. Primarily because of their high prices. But also because of the lack of diamond quality information, inspection options, and possibilities for customizing and picking your own lab diamond.
But, perhaps, Kimaï should be seen as the Tiffany or Cartier of lab-grown diamonds. In that regard, the closest lab-grown diamond competitors are Ada or Vrai. In our review of Ada, we noted the high cost of the premium service and quality. We did not experience the same level of service at Kimaï, but the premium experience and brand are similar.
Vrai, perhaps, comes closer. As you can read in our Vrai review, they are similarly celebrity-endorsed, offer unique and stunning designs, and focus on jewelry rather than diamonds. And they also are not super transparent with their diamond quality. However, Vrai is generally more reasonably priced. You pay extra for the premium jewelry designs, but not excessively, as we think you might do at Kimaï.
3 diamond jewelers we like better than Kimaï Jewelry
In conclusion, Kimaï Jewelry is of great quality but comes at a high price. While they do not provide the same customization options as Ritani or Grown Brilliance or the shopping experience of James Allen, their designs are unique and gorgeous. Ritani and Clean Origin offer cheaper alternatives, while Brilliant Earth is more sustainable yet also affordable.
For those looking for luxurious lab-grown diamond jewelry and gorgeous and unique designs, Kimaï’s could be a great option. So although they might not be the most budget-friendly option available, if you’re looking for unique designs combined with quality materials and craftsmanship, then Kimaï could still be an excellent choice worth considering.
Kimai offers luxurious and unique jewelry designs crafted with high-quality lab-grown diamonds at a higher price point than some of its competitors. Nevertheless, if one desires top-notch craftsmanship and exceptional design features, Kimaï may be worth the extra cost.
Alternatives to Kimaï
Kimaï jewelry and lab-grown diamonds offer great design quality as well as high-quality diamonds backed by IGI certification for larger stones. However, it’s important to note that their prices are on the higher side compared to other brands like Vrai and Brilliant Earth – a critical factor worth considering when making your decision. Below, see how we think Kimaï stacks up to our favorite lab-grown diamond retailers.
Vrai vs. Kimai
Vrai is a well-known brand in the lab-grown diamond industry that offers beautiful designs similar to Kimaï’s unique pieces. However, one key difference between these two brands is customization options. Vrai allows customers to select their own loose diamonds from an inventory of available stones, while Kimaï does not offer this option. This gives shoppers more control over the final product at Vrai compared to Kimaï. And the prices are lower at Vrai than at Kimaï.
Ritani vs. Kimaï
Ritani, a reputable fine jewelry retailer known for its engagement rings and wedding bands, also offers lab-grown diamonds at lower prices than those found at Kimaï without compromising on quality or design aesthetics. So if you’re looking to save without compromising on quality and design, Ritani is the better choice than Kimaï.
Clean Origin vs. Kimaï
Another competitor in the market is Clean Origin. They specialize in providing ethical and sustainable lab-grown diamonds at competitive prices compared to traditionally mined diamonds as well as other lab-created alternatives like those offered by Kimaï Jewelry. While Kimaï offers stunning designs and high-quality diamonds, Clean Origin’s lower prices may appeal to those looking for a more affordable option.
James Allen vs. Kimaï
James Allen is an online jewelry retailer that offers an exceptional shopping experience. They offer mined and lab-grown diamonds along with customization options, allowing customers to choose their preferred diamond shape, carat weight, color grade, and clarity grade. Compared to Kimaï’s limited selection process, James Allen provides a more comprehensive and user-friendly platform that makes it easier (and cheaper) for shoppers to find the perfect piece of jewelry or loose diamond according to their preferences.
Brilliant Earth vs. Kimaï
Last but not least is Brilliant Earth, another popular brand known for its commitment to sustainability and ethical sourcing in the fine jewelry industry. Brilliant Earth offers lab-grown diamonds at lower prices than Kimaï Jewelry while maintaining similar design quality standards. In addition, Brilliant Earth has gone a step further by using recycled precious metals in its products and packaging, making them an appealing choice for eco-conscious shoppers.
