Is a KAY Lab-Grown Diamond Good Quality?
KAY Jewelers describes itself as committed to giving its customers high-quality jewelry at an affordable price, a founding and certified member of the Responsible Jewelry Council, selling both natural and lab-created diamonds. Beyond Carat is a women-led, made-to-order lab-grown diamond jeweler working out of the New York Diamond District.
Quality in a diamond is a matter of what the grading report says and what the seller guarantees, so this page prints what each company publishes on both and leaves the judgement to you. Beyond Carat publishes a single band, D, E or F colour with VVS or VS clarity and Excellent cut, and supplies the IGI report with every stone. KAY states that every lab-created diamond it sells is accompanied by an independent laboratory report detailing the 4 Cs, and on its Now + Forever lab-grown solitaire engagement rings it prints the colour and clarity grade in the product title itself.
KAY facts on this page are quoted from kay.com pages read on .
Beyond Carat sells lab-grown diamond jewelry and competes with KAY Jewelers. KAY facts are quoted from kay.com pages read on 11 September 2026; corrections: hello@beyondcarat.com.
What Each Company Publishes
KAY facts quoted from kay.com, read 11 September 2026
| Line item | Beyond Carat | KAY Jewelers |
|---|---|---|
| Diamonds sold | Lab-grown diamonds only, so one published standard covers everything we make. | Natural and lab-created diamonds, including a Lab-Created Diamonds by KAY collection |
| Grading | An IGI report comes in the box with every stone, so the lab that graded it is named on the certificate. | Independent laboratory report of the 4 Cs with every lab-created diamond |
| Laboratories described | IGI grades every stone we sell, and its report is the one you take to an insurer. | Its certifications page describes GSI, AGS, GIA, IGI and GemEx Systems |
| Grade range published | Every piece is D, E or F colour, VVS or VS clarity and Excellent cut, at every carat weight. | Now + Forever lab-grown solitaires print the grade in the title, for example (F/SI2) |
| Return window | 65 days from the ship date, refunded to your card; high jewelry, special orders and custom pieces refund to store credit. | 30 days from the purchase shipment date; exchanges within 60 days |
| Return shipping | A prepaid insured UPS label on U.S. orders, so sending a piece back costs you nothing. | A pre-paid shipping label is offered for returning an online purchase by mail |
| Delivery | Free on U.S. orders by insured UPS 2nd Day Air with a signature, and international delivery is available. | Expedited home delivery free on orders over $199; store pickup free |
| Resizing | Free for one year from shipping on U.S. orders, so the fit can be corrected after the proposal. | Ring sizing covered by the optional add-on Lifetime Protection Plan |
| Warranty | A lifetime manufacturing warranty on materials and workmanship, with no claim fee when you send a piece in. | Lifetime Diamond & Gemstone Guarantee; inspection documented every six months at a KAY store |
| Showrooms | Online, with a free video or phone consultation and a workshop in the NYC Diamond District. | KAY retail stores across the United States, listed in its store finder |
KAY cells are quoted from kay.com pages read 11 September 2026; every page is linked under Sources. Beyond Carat is a competitor of KAY Jewelers and has no commercial tie to it. Something changed? Tell us.
Three Rows Worth a Sentence
Grading and the report
Every Beyond Carat diamond is graded by IGI before it ships, and the report travels with the ring at no extra charge, so the lab that graded your stone is named on paper you keep. Our published band is D, E or F colour, VVS or VS clarity, and Excellent cut on every piece, at every carat weight, which means the same standard applies whether you buy a half-carat pendant or a three-carat solitaire. We are IGI-only; if you specifically want a GIA report, our IGI vs GIA page explains the difference.
KAY's lab-grown diamonds FAQ states that a KAY lab-created diamond is accompanied by an independent laboratory report detailing its 4 Cs, and its certifications page describes five grading laboratories: GSI, AGS, GIA, IGI and GemEx Systems (kay.com, read 11 September 2026).
Where the grade appears
Beyond Carat publishes one band and applies it to the whole catalogue, so the figure on a product page is the same figure on every product page: D, E or F colour, VVS or VS clarity, Excellent cut. The IGI report for the exact stone comes in the box, and you can ask to see it before you order.
On KAY's 1-carat lab-grown diamond ring listing, the Now + Forever lab-grown solitaire engagement rings carry the grade in the product title itself, for example "1 ct tw 14K White Gold (F/SI2)", and that ring's Details panel lists Color: F and Clarity: SI2 (kay.com, read 11 September 2026).
The guarantee
Beyond Carat offers a lifetime manufacturing warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship, with no claim fee, set out on our warranty page. Send a piece in and the assessment, the repair and the paperwork cost you nothing, for as long as you own it.
KAY's Lifetime Diamond & Gemstone Guarantee is complimentary and replaces, free of charge, a covered diamond, emerald, ruby or sapphire that chips, breaks or is lost from its original setting during normal wear, with the stone inspected and the inspection documented every six months by an authorised representative at a KAY Jewelers store and the mounting guaranteed against defects in material or workmanship for twelve months from purchase (kay.com/kay-lifetime-diamond-gemstone-guarantee, read 11 September 2026).
Which Suits You
| If what matters is… | Beyond Carat | KAY Jewelers |
|---|---|---|
| Seeing the grade before you buy | D, E or F colour, VVS or VS clarity and Excellent cut on every piece, at every carat weight. | Grade printed in the title of the Now + Forever lab-grown solitaires |
| The 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. | Independent laboratory report of the 4 Cs with every lab-created diamond |
| 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. | 30 days from the purchase shipment date; exchanges within 60 days |
| Cover on the piece | A lifetime manufacturing warranty on materials and workmanship, with no claim fee to pay at any point. | Lifetime Diamond & Gemstone Guarantee on covered stones; mounting guaranteed twelve months |
| What delivery costs | Every U.S. order ships free by insured UPS 2nd Day Air with a signature, and international delivery is available. | Expedited home delivery free on orders over $199; store pickup free |
| Resizing | Free resizing for one year from shipping on U.S. orders, so the fit can be put right later. | Ring sizing covered by the optional add-on Lifetime Protection Plan |
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
Beyond Carat supplies an IGI report with every stone it sells, in the box with the ring. KAY's lab-grown diamonds FAQ states that KAY lab-created diamonds are graded to the same standards as its natural diamonds, that a lab-created diamond will be accompanied by an independent laboratory report detailing its 4 Cs, and that lab-created diamonds of a fifth of a carat and larger are laser-inscribed on the girdle (kay.com/lab-grown-diamonds-faq, read 11 September 2026).
Beyond Carat publishes one band for every piece it makes: D, E or F colour, VVS or VS clarity and Excellent cut. On the Now + Forever lab-grown solitaire engagement rings in KAY's 1-carat lab-grown diamond ring listing, the grade appears in the product title, for example 'Round-Cut Solitaire Engagement Ring 1 ct tw 14K White Gold (F/SI2)', and that ring's Details panel lists Color: F and Clarity: SI2 (kay.com, read 11 September 2026).
Beyond Carat is IGI-only, and the report travels with the ring. KAY's diamond certifications page describes five grading laboratories: Gemological Science International (GSI), the American Gem Society (AGS), the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the International Gemological Institute (IGI) and GemEx Systems (kay.com/diamond-grading-certificates, read 11 September 2026).
Beyond Carat's window is 65 days from the ship date, refunded to the original payment method, with a prepaid insured UPS label on U.S. orders. KAY's returns and exchanges page states returns within 30 days from the purchase shipment date and exchanges within 60 days of the purchase shipment date for jewelry, with a pre-paid shipping label offered for returning an online purchase by mail (kay.com/kay-returns-exchanges, read 11 September 2026).
Beyond Carat's is a lifetime manufacturing warranty on materials and workmanship with no claim fee. KAY's guarantee page states that it will replace, free of charge, a covered diamond, emerald, ruby or sapphire that chips, breaks or is lost from its original setting during normal wear, with the stone inspected and the inspection documented every six months by an authorised representative at a KAY Jewelers store, and guarantees the mounting against defects in material or workmanship for twelve months from the date of purchase (kay.com/kay-lifetime-diamond-gemstone-guarantee, read 11 September 2026).
Read the Policies
Prices are not compared here because both change; compare complete-ring prices at matching certified grades on the day you buy.
Talk It Through First
Half an hour with our team at no cost, with the IGI report open on screen.
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