Blue Nile won''t give photos?

[DIShayley]

I think I''ve found the diamond I want - Just need to try that cut in a shop. But anyway, I''ve whittled it down to 5.

I e-mailed Blue Nile and asked for photos, idealscope pics, etc. of these diamonds and they said they weren''t able to provide photographs of loose diamonds?

The main thing I want to know, well the only thing really, is whether these diamonds are eye-clean as all bar one are SI2 clarity. If I decide to buy without photos and seeing for myself, I''m a bit worried that they''ll go, ''oh yes yes, it''s eye-clean'' when there''s an obvious inclusion there. I suppose I can take advantage of the 30-day return policy if that happens.

My DBF only wants to buy from the UK

and Blue Nile was the best place I found for stuff like this.

I''m not sure if this is a question or just a vent

 

[customcushion]

They likely don''t have it physically in stock to photograph. It''s called "drop shipping" - many stores advertise the stats of one diamond, and when someone buys it, that store buys it and it gets shipped out.

Someone correct me if I''m wrong

 

[Indira-London]

Customcushion is right.
Bluenile is an online broker so that most Blue Nile diamonds are not in their possession, they can call them in from their suppliers when they receive orders.In other words, Blue Nile-UK is but a call-center selling from a list of diamonds.

Re. photos/idealscope...I do not always provide these electronically in advance as all my clients need to come and see us to see the diamonds in person and cross compare them physically and with the idealscope/ASET analyses in person. As we sell 2/3 of our diamonds to other traders/wholesalers/shops and only 1/3 of our diamonds get sold to consumers - we do not photograph each diamond in advance as the traders do not need this level of detail.

 

[dmus]

I bought a SI1 G diamond from BN in December. I was looking at 6 different diamonds. I asked them to check if they were eye clean. They did and verfied for me. One took a day longer I suspect because I assume they had to call it in. So have them check them out. They will do that and unless they are lieing it helps. No ASET or IS will verify whether it''s eyeclean. I bought one and was absolutely thrilled. However, it would have made it a lot easier with idealscopes and ASETS. However, knowing the cut goes a long way towards assuring a good performing diamond. Mine was an AGS000 and it is fabulous. Good luck. I wish BN did provide IS and ASETS. It would make life easier.

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

I think we have to make a distinction between BlueNile UK and their operation in the U.S.

I would suspect that the US does have stock in-house (not the complete inventory listed), but I suppose that the UK-operation absolutely does not. Now, BlueNile is opening up similar websites in various European countries, but they all get re-directed to the UK-website.

Just trying to put things into perspective,

 

[JulieN]

Photos wouldn''t help decide if they were eye-clean, anyway...

 

[kcoursolle]

If you want to buy an eye clean SI2, your best bet is to buy through Whiteflash.com, Goodoldgold.com, or Jamesallen.com. They all can provide images of the stone and have an actual person look at the stone as well. I have purchased two .4 stones through bluenile that were SI1 and just crossed my fingers that they would be eye clean. They were, but I ultimately did this because a return for me would be no big deal, but it would be for you in the UK. SI1''s are also much more likely to be eye clean than an SI2.

I would either go with better clarity, around vS2 through bluenile to ensure an eye clean stone, or I would contact the other vendors mentioned. Jamesallen.com has the most comparable prices to bluenile.

 

[Rhea]

I know BN has a fairly good reputation but this is why I''d have trouble buying there. You can get so much more information shopping at other places.

 

[DIShayley]

Thank you everyone for replying!

I had suspected that all of BN''s stones are in the US, as I had a look to see if they were cheaper and I''m sure some of the stones I looked at were the same.

If I lived in the US, I would absolutely buy from WF, GOG or JA, but DBF is adamant he wants to buy from the UK - probably due to if something (hopefully will not) go wrong, then it will be much easier to sort out.


To everyone who has been following my threads - I went trying rings at lunchtime, trying princess and rounds and I absolutely fell in love with the princess cuts especially with the side stones - so I think I have chosen the ring! Only thing, in the B&M shop the centre wasn''t a solitare but rather a ''cluster'' of 4 small PCs so I will be ordering from BN!!

I have found a stone which seems to be very good (from advice I gained here!) and is VS2, so that makes me feel better about ordering the diamond without seeing it. It''s a .5ct centre anyway so I''m not sure you would be able to see any inclusions that well?


Anyway, I''m rambling! I''ll keep you ladies updated!