Updated September 29, 2022

Leibish Review

Read more about Leibish
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Leibish offers fancy color diamonds at all price points. But is it legit? Read this in-depth review for the pros and cons.

5-point scale (the higher, the better)

Pros and Cons

  • Colored diamond expert
  • 30-day refunds
  • Personalized customer service
  • Pricier settings
  • No buyback program

Bottom Line

Best online jewelry retailer for fancy colored diamonds

If you're here, you're probably considering a colored diamond for your engagement ring or jewelry.

Fancy colored diamonds are prized for their stunning, vibrant hues. But because of their rarity, it's unlikely that you can just walk into your local jeweler and view a large selection. And you need a trusted jeweler who understands how to work with these rare stones.

Leibish is world-renowned as the fancy colored diamond experts. It offers both unmatched expertise and one of the largest selections. Anyone looking for a colored diamond should start their search with Leibish.

Read on to learn what Leibish offers to see if it's right for you.

Leibish at a Glance:

  • Over 40 years of experience in the diamond industry
  • Over 3,300 loose natural fancy colored diamonds
  • Custom-designed jewelry for each diamond
  • All diamonds are conflict-free and have lab reports

About Leibish & Co.

A modest family business established in 1979, Leibish & Co. has become the leading supplier of natural fancy colored diamonds. Because of their expertise in this niche market, Leibish has developed a reputation for high-quality, one-of-a-kind colored diamond jewelry.

In 1995, Leibish became one of the first jewelers to sell diamonds online in order to reach customers worldwide. The company also designs and makes its own jewelry. Each piece is specially designed to showcase the beauty of the diamond.

Leibish is headquartered in New York and Israel, with global offices in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen.

How Leibish was born:
In 1979, Leibish Polnauer (a young diamond polisher whose factory just shut down) was traveling on a train to London when he saw an ad from the royal crown jeweler Garrard, seeking a specific rare diamond. Leibish decided to call and offer his services—though he didn't actually have any diamonds to sell.

Over the next couple of weeks, Leibish traveled between Tel Aviv and New York to procure the rare diamond plus other orders from Garrard. Thus began his love affair with fancy diamonds, and Leibish & Co. was born.

Leibish Pros & Cons

Pros

  • 100% natural colored diamonds
  • 3,300+ loose diamonds in all colors and price points
  • Custom-designed setting for each diamond
  • 360-degree video of the actual diamond
  • No questions asked 30-day return policy
  • Lifetime warranty
  • Free, fully insured shipping and returns
  • Dedicated diamond expert to help you at every step

Cons

  • Settings are pricier than other online jewelers
  • Only a few offices around the world
  • Customer service is not 24/7
  • No buyback/upgrade program

Now let's go more into detail about what Leibish offers and the shopping experience.

What Leibish Offers

Before we get into the meat of the review, here's an overview of what Leibish offers:

  • Loose Fancy Colored Diamonds
    Leibish has over 3,300 loose fancy colored diamonds in just about all colors imaginable.

  • Pre-set Colored Diamond Jewelry
    Leibish also has a selection of pre-set engagement rings and other fine jewelry. Each piece is specially designed to bring out the beauty of the stones.

  • Gemstones
    If you want something more budget-friendly, Leibish carries rubies, sapphires, emeralds, tanzanite, aquamarine, and other semi-precious gemstones, available in both loose and pre-set jewelry. All gemstones are ethically sourced.

  • Bridal Sets
    You can purchase a perfectly matching engagement and wedding ring set.

  • Men's Rings
    Men have a small selection of colored diamond and gemstone wedding rings as well. Who said only women can wear color!

  • Custom design jewelry
    If you don't see a setting you like, you can work with Leibish to custom design your dream ring (or other jewelry). If there's a particular stone you want, Leibish will even do their best to source it for you.

  • Leibish Vault Collection
    This is Leibish's exclusive collection of the rarest and most unique colored diamonds, gemstones, and jewelry.

Leibish owns and stocks all their diamonds and gemstones in-house. They are not a dropship seller. Because they actually own all their diamonds, they can vouch for the value and quality of the stones. They can also provide detailed information, as well as actual photos and videos.

Leibish's Fancy Colored Diamonds

Since Leibish is known for fancy colored diamonds, that's what we're going to focus on in this review.

All of Leibish's loose fancy colored diamonds are:

  • Completely natural—not treated or enhanced in any way

  • Certified by GIA, IGI, AGT, Argyle, or by their in-house GIA gemologist

  • Conflict-free

Leibish currently has over 3,300 diamonds in all colors, hues, and saturations .

Within the above color categories, you can also find just about every combination of colors, such as Gray Violet, Yellow Green, Orangey Pink, etc.

Some diamond colors are very rare to find in nature, such as green, blue, purple, pink, and red. Your local jewelers may not have any at all. Leibish has a larger selection than most due to their connections.

Leibish has a large selection of Pink Argyle diamonds. Pink Argyle diamonds come from the Argyle Mine in West Australia and are known for their vibrant pink hue. Argyle has become a prestigious brand with their own certification. True Argyle diamonds are very rare and valuable and are great investment pieces.

The company has an annual exclusive invitation-only Argyle Tender for selected jewelers and collectors. Leibish is one of the heaviest buyers at these annual events.

Leibish offers diamonds in 10 shapes:

Fancy colored diamonds are most prized for their color (instead of clarity or cut). Instead of focusing on perfect proportion, the diamond's shape and cut are determined based on how to bring out the most color.

This is why most colored diamonds are not round. Fancy colored diamonds usually display a more intense color when they're cut into another shape, such as oval, pear, or radiant.

Most of Leibish's diamonds are graded by GIA. You'll also find stones graded by IGI, AGT, Argyle, and by Leibish's in-house GIA gemologist. Generally, lower-priced stones are graded in-house in order to keep the cost low.

But if you want your stone certified by GIA, Leibish can send it to GIA for you for a fee. The cost starts at $150, depending on the size of the stone.[1]

Custom Settings & Expert Craftsmanship

Any jeweler can sell colored diamonds. But turning them into beautiful pieces of jewelry requires skill. This is where Leibish's expertise becomes important.

For colored diamonds, the setting design is super important. It can make a huge impact on the overall beauty of the jewelry. The same diamond can appear to be different colors in different settings.

As mentioned before, colored diamonds are cut in a way to bring out the most color. The setting also needs to perfectly complement it. Leibish custom designs each and every single setting to best showcase that specific stone.

This includes:

  • 3D scan of the stone in order to custom design the basket
  • A reflector beneath the stone to maximize its beauty
  • Custom composition of metal color to best complement the stone

For example, yellow diamonds will appear even more yellow and intense with yellow gold prongs and basket. Pinkish diamonds will look best with rose gold prongs and basket. Leibish can even custom mix the rose gold composition to complement the stone's tone.

The rest of your ring can be made in whatever metal color you like the most.

For example, the ring below is a classic 3-stone with a yellow diamond center. The yellow diamond is mounted in yellow gold prongs and basket, which help bring out more intense color. The triangle side stones and the rest of the ring are set in platinum and contrast beautifully with the yellow stone.

Leibish really pays attention to the smallest details and goes above and beyond to make sure each piece is as beautiful as it can be. Each jewelry piece is made with the highest craftsmanship and care.

Online Shopping Experience

Shopping for a diamond online can be scary, let alone a fancy colored diamond. Leibish aims to make it as non-intimidating as possible.

You can either:

  1. Design your own ring by choosing your own stone and setting
  2. Choose from their selection of pre-made fancy color jewelry
  3. Tell Leibish your ideas and create a unique custom piece

Let's go over Leibish's website and how you would design your own ring (option 1).

  1. Select the Loose Diamond
    When it comes to fancy colored diamonds, it's best to choose the loose diamond first. Filter your search results to find a stone you like within your budget.

    Unless you're a millionaire looking for an investment diamond, just choose a color and shape that you like. Things like clarity and symmetry aren't important for colored diamonds. What's most important is picking a color you love.

    For each diamond, you can see:

    • Full details of the diamond
    • Actual photos with zoom
    • 360-degree video
    • Lab report

    It's great that you can see a video of the diamond, so you spin and view it from every angle. You can see how the color changes at different angles.

    Leibish does its best to make sure the photos and video are true to color.

    Reserve a stone. Inventory moves fast on Leibish. And because each colored diamond is one-of-a-kind, if you see one you like, you can reserve it for a 10% deposit.[2] You have up to a week to complete the rest of the payment.

  2. Select Your Setting
    After you have chosen the loose diamond, it's time to add it to a setting. Leibish will show you setting options that can be mounted with the diamond.

    The only thing is that Leibish doesn't immediately show you is a mockup of your final ring. So you can't see how your stone looks in the setting. However, you can request a free mockup of your design, and they'll send it by email.

    Overall, Leibish's website is very user-friendly and easy to navigate. They also have real reps available for live chat if you need help.

How long does this entire process take?
It takes up to 22 business days to custom-make each piece of jewelry from scratch (from when payment is received). And then about 2–5 business days for shipping. So order your ring about 1 month in advance to get it on time.

Diamonds for All Budgets

Leibish's pricing is fair, despite the fact that they own all their diamonds and must account for inventory costs. Colored diamonds are rare and are often one-of-a-kind items, so Leibish prices their diamonds accordingly.

It's not true that all colored diamonds are super expensive. Many colored diamonds are actually very affordable. For example, light yellow, champagne, and black diamonds are often a lot cheaper than white diamonds. Even if you're on a smaller budget, you'll find plenty of options.

The price largely depends on how rare the color is and the color intensity. Green, blue, purple, pink, and red diamonds are very rare and are often investment pieces.

Leibish's settings are pricier than other online jewelers. However, remember that each setting is custom-made for that specific diamond. Because of their level of care and craftsmanship, the higher price is justified.

Customer Service

Leibish gets an A+ for customer service.

Leibish really aims to put their customers' needs first. From your first contact, you will be connected to a jewelry expert who will become your dedicated person during the entire process. You will not be shuffled from person to person.

This person will understand exactly what you're looking for and help you find the ring or jewelry of your dreams.

Customer service is also available by phone and live chat during office hours. However, it's not 24/7.

If you prefer to speak to a live person, you can reach Leibish at 1-888-443 8360 during office hours Eastern Time.

Diamond Preview Before Buying

If you're nervous about buying a diamond sight unseen and want to see it first, Leibish offers a preview service in certain areas.

For a small fee, you can have the diamond shipped to one of their global offices or to a Malca Amit viewing station. Malca Amit provides secure logistic solutions for luxury goods and has offices worldwide.

Leibish does have a 30-day, no-questions-asked return policy. So if a preview is not an option for you, you can always purchase upfront and return it if you're not happy.

Returns, Warranty, and Other Policies

  • Shipping
    Leibish offers free, fully insured shipping worldwide. For customers returning items within the U.S., you get free, fully insured return shipping as well.[3]

  • Returns
    If you're not happy with your purchase, Leibish offers a 30-day, no-questions-asked money back guarantee. The item must be in its original condition with the original certificate. Custom-designed jewelry cannot be returned.[4]

  • Resizing
    If the ring isn't a perfect fit, Leibish will provide one free resizing within 2 years.[5]

  • Warranty
    Leibish offers a lifetime warranty. It covers repairs needed from normal wear, such as cleaning, rhodium plating, and loose prongs. You'll be responsible for shipping and insurance to a Leibish office.

  • Appraisal
    If you'd like a professional appraisal of your diamond, gemstone, or jewelry, Leibish will provide (upon request) a professional appraisal report from GIA for free. The appraisal will authenticate the item and provide a value that can be used for insurance purposes.[6]

  • Diamond Buyback
    As of now, Leibish does not offer a diamond buyback program.

Bottom Line

Leibish is the leading expert for fancy colored diamonds. If you are considering one, your search should start with Leibish—if only to learn about colored diamonds and compare prices.

Fancy colored diamonds are valued for different qualities. So it's important to buy from a jeweler with knowledge and expertise. Leibish's expertise means that they will know how to properly set the diamond to best display its beauty.

With fair pricing, unmatched expertise, high craftsmanship, and a large selection, we'd recommend Leibish to anyone looking for something a little more extraordinary.

References

  1. ^ Leibish. Can you send it to GIA to be certified? Is there a fee for such a service?, Retrieved 9/25/2022
  2. ^ Leibish. How do online reservations work?, Retrieved 9/25/2022
  3. ^ Leibish. Shipping, Retrieved 9/25/2022
  4. ^ Leibish. Return Policy, Retrieved 9/25/2022
  5. ^ Leibish. Jewelry Lifetime Warranty and Service Policy, Retrieved 9/25/2022
  6. ^ Leibish. Professional Appraisals, Retrieved 9/25/2022

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