Helzberg Alternatives
Helzberg Diamonds describes itself as a jewelry retailer that has been "for you since 1915", founded in Kansas City by Morris Helzberg and now a Berkshire Hathaway company and an American Gem Society member. This page puts its published policies beside four other jewelers selling lab-grown diamond jewelry: Beyond Carat, KAY Jewelers, Keyzar and Rare Carat.
Every row below is a policy each company publishes itself: what it sells, who writes the grading report, how long you have to return, what the warranty covers, where you can see a piece in person, and where it ships.
All facts quoted from each company's own pages, read on .
Beyond Carat sells lab-grown diamond jewelry and competes with Helzberg Diamonds and with every other company listed here. Their facts are quoted from their own pages read on 11 September 2026; corrections: hello@beyondcarat.com.
Five Jewelers, Five Published Policies
Helzberg, KAY, Keyzar and Rare Carat facts quoted from helzberg.com, kay.com, keyzarjewelry.com and rarecarat.com, read 11 September 2026
| Jeweler | Diamonds sold | Grading | Return window | Warranty | Showrooms | Ships to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beyond Carat | Lab-grown diamonds only, so one published standard covers everything we make. | An IGI report travels in the box with every stone, and every piece is D, E or F colour, VVS or VS clarity and Excellent cut. | 65 days from the ship date, refunded to your card, with a prepaid insured UPS label on U.S. orders. | A lifetime manufacturing warranty on materials and workmanship, with no claim fee at any point. | Online, with a free video or phone consultation and a workshop in the NYC Diamond District. | Free on U.S. orders by insured UPS 2nd Day Air with a signature, and international delivery is available. |
| Helzberg Diamonds | Natural and lab grown diamonds; a Kansas City house founded in 1915 | Helzberg lab grown diamonds certified with GCAL and IGI; an American Gem Society member | 30 days of the original purchase date, in store or online, unworn and new | Twelve-month guarantee on the mounting, plus an optional Lifetime Care Plan for services and repairs | Helzberg Diamonds stores across the United States, listed in its store locator | Continental United States; free standard shipping on purchases of $99 or more |
| KAY Jewelers | Natural and lab-created diamonds, including a Lab-Created Diamonds by KAY collection | Independent laboratory report of the 4 Cs with every lab-created diamond | 30 days from the shipment date for jewelry; exchanges within 60 days | Lifetime Diamond & Gemstone Guarantee, with an inspection documented every six months in store | KAY retail stores across the United States, listed in its store finder | United States; expedited home delivery free on orders over $199, free store pickup |
| Keyzar | Lab-grown and natural diamonds | Lab and natural diamonds certified by GIA and IGI | 30 days from the shipping confirmation date, with a prepaid insured label | Lifetime Warranty covering rhodium dipping, prong tightening and cleaning; first resize free within a year | New York showroom, 1 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 1110 | Free shipping worldwide, insured for full value, signature required |
| Rare Carat | Natural and lab-grown diamonds from vetted suppliers, with jewelry handcrafted in New York | Diamonds certified by GIA, GCAL or IGI and verified in-house by Rare Carat | 30 days from shipment with a prepaid label; one free resize within a year | Lifetime manufacturer's warranty on all rings and jewelry sold | Online, with live chat staffed by GIA Graduate Gemologists | All 50 US states and Canada, insured, with adult signature required |
Every cell other than Beyond Carat's is quoted from that company's own pages, read 11 September 2026; every page is linked under Sources. Beyond Carat competes with all four and has no commercial tie to any of them. Something changed? Tell us.
What Each Company Publishes
Beyond Carat
Ours · lab-grown only · made to orderBeyond Carat is a women-led, lab-grown-only jeweler making every piece to order in the New York Diamond District. An IGI report is supplied with every stone and travels in the box, and the published band is D, E or F colour, VVS or VS clarity and Excellent cut on every piece, at every carat weight, so the same standard applies whatever you buy. U.S. orders ship free by insured UPS 2nd Day Air with a signature on delivery, and international delivery is available. Returns run 65 days from the ship date with a prepaid insured UPS label on U.S. orders, with high jewelry, special orders and truly custom pieces refunding as store credit; resizing is free for a year from shipping on U.S. orders, and the lifetime manufacturing warranty on materials and workmanship carries no claim fee. If you would like a person to walk you through a stone, a free video or phone consultation puts the report on screen with you.
Helzberg Diamonds
US stores · trade-up programmeHelzberg's about page dates the house to Kansas City in 1915 and records its acquisition by Berkshire Hathaway, and its lab grown diamonds page states that it works with the Gem Certification & Assurance Lab (GCAL) and the International Gemological Institute (IGI) to certify its lab grown diamonds. Its jewelry guarantee publishes 30 days from the original purchase date for merchandise in unworn and new condition, a twelve-month guarantee of material and workmanship on the mounting, free standard shipping on purchases of $99 or more within the continental U.S., and an optional Lifetime Care Plan covering services and eligible repairs.
KAY Jewelers
Natural and lab-created · US storesKAY's lab-grown diamonds FAQ states that each lab-created diamond is accompanied by an independent laboratory report detailing its 4 Cs, with stones of a fifth of a carat and larger laser-inscribed on the girdle. Returns run 30 days from the purchase shipment date and exchanges 60 days, and the complimentary Lifetime Diamond & Gemstone Guarantee replaces a covered stone chipped, broken or lost from its setting during normal wear where the inspection is documented every six months at a KAY store, with the mounting guaranteed for twelve months.
Keyzar
Lab-grown and natural · worldwide shippingKeyzar's FAQ states that its lab and natural diamonds are certified by the Gemological Institute of America and the International Gemological Institute, with certificates supplied as a soft or hard copy or both. Its policies publish free shipping worldwide insured for full value with a signature on delivery, returns within thirty days of the shipping confirmation date on an insured prepaid label, a Lifetime Warranty covering rhodium dipping, prong tightening, cleaning and repolishing with the first resize free within the first year, and appointments offered virtually or at its New York showroom at 1 Rockefeller Plaza.
Rare Carat
Marketplace · US and CanadaRare Carat's What Is Rare Carat page describes a direct-to-consumer diamond retailer and merchant of record, and states that each lab grown diamond is certified by IGI, GIA or GCAL, with every diamond vetted in-house by its team in New York. Its guarantee page and FAQ publish 30 days from shipment with a prepaid label, free insured FedEx or UPS delivery with adult signature required to all 50 US states and Canada, one free resize within the first year, and a lifetime manufacturer's warranty on all rings and jewelry sold.
Which Suits You
| If what matters is… | Beyond Carat | Others compared here |
|---|---|---|
| A third-party report with the stone | An IGI report comes in the box with every stone, so the lab that graded it is named on the certificate. | Keyzar: GIA and IGI; Rare Carat: GIA, GCAL or IGI; Helzberg: GCAL and IGI |
| A long window to decide | 65 days from the ship date, refunded to your card, with a prepaid insured UPS label on U.S. orders. | Helzberg, KAY, Keyzar and Rare Carat: 30 days |
| Cover that runs on past year one | A lifetime manufacturing warranty on materials and workmanship, with no claim fee to pay at any point. | Keyzar and Rare Carat: lifetime warranties; Helzberg: optional Lifetime Care Plan |
| What delivery costs | Every U.S. order ships free by insured UPS 2nd Day Air with a signature, and international delivery is available. | Keyzar: free worldwide insured shipping; Helzberg: free over $99 in the continental US |
| Resizing | Free resizing for one year from shipping on U.S. orders, so the fit can be put right later. | Keyzar and Rare Carat: first resize free within the first year |
| A published grade band | D, E or F colour, VVS or VS clarity and Excellent cut on every piece, at every carat weight. | Keyzar: colour filters J to D, clarity SI1 to FL in its lab search |
About Beyond Carat
Beyond Carat is a women-led, lab-grown-only jeweler. Every piece is made to order in the New York Diamond District, and every stone arrives with its IGI report in the box. Our published band is D, E or F colour, VVS or VS clarity and Excellent cut, on every piece, at every carat weight, so you can hold us to the same standard whatever you buy.
U.S. orders ship free by insured UPS 2nd Day Air with a signature on delivery, and international delivery is available. You have 65 days from the ship date to return, with a prepaid insured UPS label on U.S. orders; high jewelry, special orders and truly custom pieces refund as store credit. Resizing is free for a year from shipping on U.S. orders, and a lifetime manufacturing warranty on materials and workmanship carries no claim fee.
If you would like a person to walk you through a stone, book a free video or phone consultation and we will open the report on screen with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Helzberg Diamonds, Beyond Carat, KAY Jewelers, Keyzar and Rare Carat. Each fact is quoted from that company's own published pages, read on 11 September 2026, and every page used is linked under Sources.
Beyond Carat supplies an IGI report with every stone, in the box with the ring. Helzberg states that it works with the Gem Certification & Assurance Lab and the International Gemological Institute to certify its lab grown diamonds, and that it is an American Gem Society member. KAY states an independent laboratory report of the 4 Cs with every lab-created diamond. Keyzar states that its lab and natural diamonds are certified by GIA and IGI. Rare Carat states diamonds certified by GIA, GCAL or IGI and verified in-house. All read 11 September 2026.
Beyond Carat: 65 days from the ship date, with a prepaid insured UPS label on U.S. orders. Helzberg: 30 days of the original purchase date, in store or online, in unworn and new condition. KAY: 30 days from the purchase shipment date, with exchanges within 60 days. Keyzar: 30 days from the shipping confirmation date. Rare Carat: 30 days from shipment. All read 11 September 2026.
Beyond Carat's is a lifetime manufacturing warranty on materials and workmanship with no claim fee. Helzberg's jewelry guarantee page publishes a twelve-month guarantee of the material and workmanship of a purchase, under which it will repair or replace the mounting without charge, alongside an optional Lifetime Care Plan available with a jewelry purchase (helzberg.com/jewelry-guarantee, read 11 September 2026).
Read the Policies
All pages read 11 September 2026.
Helzberg Diamonds: free shipping and returns, jewelry guarantee, lab grown diamonds, trade-up program, store locator, about us.
KAY Jewelers: lab-grown diamonds FAQ, diamond certifications, returns and exchanges, shipping, lifetime diamond and gemstone guarantee.
Keyzar: FAQ, refund policy, shipping policy, lab diamonds search.
Prices are not compared here because both change; compare complete-ring prices at matching certified grades on the day you buy.
See It On a Screen First
A free half-hour by video or telephone, with the IGI report open on both screens.
Related: KAY Jewelers Alternatives · Keyzar Alternatives · Rare Carat Alternatives