Blue Nile vs. WF

Date: 5/15/2006 7:36:03 AM
Author:kysersohse
Sorry if this is a topic that has been discussed all too often but I am new to the board and would appreciate some help. I have been looking for a 2.0 - 2.3 carat, princess-cut diamond for months. I would prefer a G - H color, and a VVS2 - VS2 rating. I have exhausted (I think) my local resources in Houston and have not been satisfied; thus, I have looked online with some very intriguing results. I have noticed many of the patrons of Pricescope have had great success with WF, but not so many of you have purchased from Blue Nile. I have been especially drawn to the Blue Nile ''Signature'' cuts and am wondering if anyone has any experience with these stones? The other diamonds of great interest are the Whiteflash ''Expert Selections.'' I am convinced that there are certainly very good deals to be had online and am quite convinced this is my best value, am I correct in that assessment? Any advice or recommendation would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you for your help, KS.

Whiteflash is in Houston.

BlueNile does not provide enough information to assess light performance, and when spending this much money, most people want more than just "numbers."

You may put blue nile signature princess into the PS search and see what you get.

Interestingly, they do have some in house that fit your criteria.

http://www.whiteflash.com/princess/Princess-cut-diamond-2361971.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/princess/Princess-cut-diamond-2371015.htm, an SI1, but once you get to see them in person (lucky you!) you''ll know if the inclusions are minor.

Wink Jones is a good source for AGS0 princess cuts.

I believe GoodOldGold carries them, too, as well as square cut Hearts and Arrows stones....

Bill at Ice Mine also has the AGS0 princess cuts.


I agree with Diamondseeker about why we don''t see a lot of BlueNile purchases. There have been a few and most people are pleased. they also have a very nice return period.

Many time where you buy your stone will be determined by who actually has what you are looking for in stock.

HOUSTON!?  No FREAKIN'' way! Thank you, appointment on Thursday with Brian.

LUCKY!

I was in Houston on biz last September, and was able to visit and check stones out in person. I picked a gorgeous princess, and went back to report to my FI.  He took over at that point and was comfortable buying it sight unseen (he totally trusted me). 
Brian was great.  You''ll learn tons!

Hello. This is my very first post here, although I''ve been reading Price Scope for over a year :-)

I would like to comment on three different e-rings I''ve seen that were purchased from Blue Nile. On all three rings, the prongs were too big for the diamonds. These rings were about .45-.70 carats, and the oversized prongs looked like a big "X". They also stuck up too far from the top of the diamonds. They actually made the diamonds look smaller.

The diamonds were very nice, though, although I don''t know the specs or the prices.

Whiteflash offers 100% of the price of the stone on an upgrade. Also, Whiteflash will send a stone to an approved appraiser where you can see the stone and have it appraised before you pay.
I beliieve Blue Nile does have a money back guarantee but you have to pay for the stone and then send it back for a refund. You would need insurance during the time you have the stone until you send it back and some insurance companies wll not insure a loose stone.

If you have the stone sent to an appraiser, the insurance is covered until you actually take possession of the stone.

I bought my ring from Whiteflash and it was a completely trouble free transaction. I saw the stone at the appraisers and then had the appraiser send the stone back to Whiteflash for setting. I did not have to pay until the ring was ready to be shipped to me.

I am sure Blue Nile is reliable and people have gotten very nice stones from them. But you will see the frequently mentioned vendors here are Whiteflash, GOG, Wink, James Allen and a few others. If you ever think you might want to upgrade, you should look for a vendor with a good trade in policy.

Mara, who posts here frequently, just upgraded through Whiteflash again and I am sure the trade-in was a great help because selling a ring on your own in order to upgrade can be a very costly venture.