Advice on Blue Nile vs. PS Online Sources?

[firsttimer90036]

I am torn between going with Blue Nile or one of the sources you guys offer here on PS and the associated websites and options. Could someone break down for me the difference btw purchasing from BN and some of these other options that have come up with PS? Any experience with both? Thanks!

 

[MarionC]

I started at Blue Nile and ended up at James Allen where I could see videos of the stones. Also I had a few glitches with BN, for instance, when I sent back the two diamonds I had out on approval at first they said there was only one in the shipment, which was scary, and then it took about 6 weeks to get the refund. Also, I noticed that their settings were not as well-made/refined as JA's.
I have found JA to be helpful, professional and timely. I've gotten some beautiful diamonds from them in the past two years.

 

[firsttimer90036]

I started at Blue Nile and ended up at James Allen where I could see videos of the stones. Also I had a few glitches with BN, for instance, when I sent back the two diamonds I had out on approval at first they said there was only one in the shipment, which was scary, and then it took about 6 weeks to get the refund. Also, I noticed that their settings were not as well-made/refined as JA's.
I have found JA to be helpful, professional and timely. I've gotten some beautiful diamonds from them in the past two years.

Thank you! Comparison in pricing? Quality of experience overall?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Blue Nile is one of the online vendors on PriceScope, too! I just prefer a vendor who provides magnified images of the stones as well as proof of light performance. I have bought diamonds from both Good Old Gold and WhiteFlash, and they both carry top cut quality diamonds and have an outstanding selection of fine settings. In addition, they offer lifetime trade-in policies, which I have used!

Pricing may be slightly less on BN, but when spending thousands of dollars, I wouldn't consider without even seeing a picture of the stone! I am happy to pay the slight extra amount for photos, idealscope images, and GOG will do video comparisons of 2 or 3 stones, as well.

 

[LetItShine]

I am very happy with the Bluenile stone I have (Signature Ideal) and the level of customer service they gave me. They don't provide all the images as other PS vendors and I believe you pay a premium for that. At the time I was shopping and the inventory available at the time, I know I saved a lot of money by purchasing with Bluenile. I suggest you shop around and see what's available in your desired specs. I shopped off the numbers...HCA score, cut class, and AGS ideal parameters. The Signature Ideal line is carried in-house and are more carefully selected stones. They provide a GCAL certificate that analyzes light performance and I think that is better than nothing. They also have a good return policy so you can always ship it back if not satisfied. Also, different vendors offer different upgrade policies. If you ever plan on upgrading the diamond and trading it in for another needs to be considered. Some vendors require you pay 2x the original purchase towards a new stone (Bluenile does).

 

[Laila619]

I have two Blue Nile rings, and their prices were virtually unbeatable. I saved a lot of money going with them, and I'm really happy with my diamonds.

 

[WinkHPD]

Letitshine makes some very good points.

Another important issue is what is the buy back policy?

Buy backs amongst vendors here range from no buy back to 80%. Some hold their buy back for a year, some for longer.

No one anticipates needing to sell their diamond back when they are buying it, but the reasons that many do eventually take advantage of a buy back range from financial difficulties to divorce and sadly to illness in the family requiring money for doctors etc. Trust me, if you have a sick child or spouse the last thing you want is to find that your precious diamond is now worth ten to twenty percent of what you bought it for if your vendor does not have a buy back policy.

There are many different levels of both service and value ads, it is not easy always to find them all without looking and asking, but they are important questions to ask.

Wink

 

[FirstTimeBuyer128]

I bought a signature ideal diamond from Blue Nile. It is true they don't post online the pictures that other vendors do. I spent a good deal on my diamond, so I wanted to make sure the diamond I received from them was a great performer - once Blue Nile shipped me my diamond I went to an independent diamond appraiser and we assessed the light performance of the diamond in person (using all the techniques described in PS).

I found Blue Nile's prices to be very competitive, including the price of the additional appraiser (which I wouldn't have to do if I went with a vendor like Whiteflash). I also found Blue Nile's customer service fantastic and helpful. That being said, I didn't feel comfortable buying a diamond with Blue Nile until I made sure the diamond truly was hearts & arrows and the ASET and idealscope held up.

 

[Allie88]

I'm still waiting to receive my ring and also another loose stone I ordered, but my experience with James Allen has been great so far. When picking a cushion cut, I combed through both JA and BN and worked with a couple people from both. I narrowed down to 2-3 stones on each site. With JA, I was able to see the pictures on the website, and selected 2 diamonds. On BN, I worked with a CSR and was able to get static images of the diamonds I was looking at within 1-2 days of requesting them. The images weren't as good as JA, and certainly not as helpful as the 360 videos, but they did give an idea of cut and faceting. In the end, I have decided to go with JA and should receive my items by the end of the week.

 

[GeorgeStevens]

It also depends on what you're buying. Some diamonds are easier to buy by the certificate, including RBCs in my opinion, which I know is counter to the conventional wisdom here. I would never buy a pear, oval, or fancy colored diamond, nor an SI2, from Blue Nile. In the case of pears and ovals, the shape matters tremendously to its beauty and value. For fancy colored diamonds, all that really matters is the color (hue, saturation). For SI2's, it might well have a big spot of carbon in a visible place.

 

[Christina...]

I think it matters tremendously what your expectations are of the stone. If your hope is to purchase a 100% eye clean stone (to YOUR standards) if optically symmetry matters to you, if you want some assurance as to the stone light performance, then I would suggest that you only work with vendors that can provide you with the information necessary to make these determinations. It's true that BN can have their gemologists view their signature ideals to help determine if they are eye clean, but without the other tools necessary, you are still in the dark regarding light performance and optical symmetry. Likewise, I think it's important that you consider the additional 'add ons' offered by each vendor. These add ons offer (or not) an additional value to the consumer. They may be important to you...or not. It's really important to assess what YOUR needs are.

 

[Laila619]

I think it matters tremendously what your expectations are of the stone. If your hope is to purchase a 100% eye clean stone (to YOUR standards) if optically symmetry matters to you, if you want some assurance as to the stone light performance, then I would suggest that you only work with vendors that can provide you with the information necessary to make these determinations. It's true that BN can have their gemologists view their signature ideals to help determine if they are eye clean, but without the other tools necessary, you are still in the dark regarding light performance and optical symmetry. Likewise, I think it's important that you consider the additional 'add ons' offered by each vendor. These add ons offer (or not) an additional value to the consumer. They may be important to you...or not. It's really important to assess what YOUR needs are.

Nicely said.

The most important thing to me was paying rock bottom price and while I wanted an ideal cut stone, I didn't care about branding, so I was willing to forgo all the bells and whistles and buy back options. Others may want all the extras and are willing to pay for them. In the past, I purchased from WF, and got to see an ASET and Idealscope of my stone. The Blue Nile diamonds I bought sight unseen are just as pretty as my old WF stone. Each vendor has its pluses and minuses, so decide what's most important to you.