Newbie Curious: Blue Nile? Yay or Nay?

[Taxman]

Has anyone had a good experience with Blue Nile as a source for diamonds? Whether they''re good or bad in terms of quality or price? Are there any other online sources that people feel comfortable with? Many thanks in advance!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 5/28/2009 1:17:01 PM
Author:Taxman
Has anyone had a good experience with Blue Nile as a source for diamonds? Whether they''re good or bad in terms of quality or price? Are there any other online sources that people feel comfortable with? Many thanks in advance!

I think Bluenile is a good resource if you are willing to do the legwork yourself. They are a diamond drop shipper, which means that the diamonds they list on their site are not in their hot little hands. So there is no one available to tell you whether the inclusions are visible to the naked eye, or to provide real photos of the diamond or to provide information like IS images etc. That said, I have persoanlly noticed that the prices *can* be lower than some other preferred PS vendors who DO provide the services I mentioned, because those vendors have the diamonds in their hands and inspect them. Also, BN does not have an upgrade policy, so if you think that at some point in the future you will want a larger diamond, then BN is not a good option.

So the choice is yours: go with BN, in which case you need to choose ideal cut grade and then run all the numbers through the HCA and see if the diamond checks out that way. Then you can call BN and ask them to call their supplier and check if someone can verify that the diamond is or is not eye-clean (i.e., you cannot see inclusions from 8 inches face up), then you can have it shipped to you or an independent appraiser you trust who can be your eyes and tell you if it is a dud or not. BN has a good return policy, so if things don;t pan out you can send it back!

Or you can save yourself a hassel and spend a little more (typically) and buy from:

www.goodoldgold.com
www.whiteflash.com
www.highperformancediamonds.com
www.jamesallen.com

All of these vendors provide lots of information that make assessing the quality of a diamond very easy, and they have the diamond in house. Their customer service is also top knotch. All have good return policies and upgrade policies.

Personally, I would buy a smaller diamond from BN but would use the vendors I linked for an important or more expenisve purchase.

 

[Abril]

I say ''yay.'' Finding a well-cut diamond is a more labor-intensive process than at other vendors, but if you''re willing to put in the effort (i.e., screen for a couple of good ones with potential by plugging in 4-5 numbers into the HCA) and have a little faith, then you''ll get a pretty good price and likely a beautiful diamond. They have a generous 30-day return policy so you don''t have to agonize about buyer''s remorse. During that time, see how you like it, have it evaluated by an independent appraiser, etc.

There are many PSers who have a bias against Blue Nile, citing lack of upgrade policy, no Idealscope images, blah blah blah. Take all advice, including mine, with a grain of salt.

 

[kittybean]

My engagement ring is from Blue Nile (see my avatar <---), and my fiance and I had a great experience purchasing it. We had it appraised after he proposed (well within the 30-day return period), and it turned out to be exactly as promised. We both loved the look of the stone, so it stayed

.

However, if you want more assurance that the stone you are buying is exactly what you want (e.g. ideal cut, eye clean, etc.), and you don't want to mess with potentially having to return it, I would suggest you go with one of the Pricescope vendors that dreamer mentioned above. They will provide you with a lot more information up front about the stone and help you to make an informed decision on your purchase.

ETA: So my vote is "yay," provided you understand that you will need to do the extra work once you get the stone to determine it is exactly what you want. Good luck with your proposal!

 

[phoenixgirl]

Just an FYI . . . if this is for the 1.5-2.0 carat pear for your wife''s pendant, that might change some people''s recommendations. You can''t use the Holloway Cut Adviser on fancy shapes and seeing the stone in person is more important, so it''s more difficult to choose a stone from numbers alone.

That said, I''ve had a good experience with BlueNile and also with Mondera ordering sight unseen.

 

[Ellen]

You've gotten lots of good/relevant advice. My suggestions based on helping people/reading testamonies is this.


1. Stick to their Signature selection, they seem to be the better cuts. Having a GCAL report is a big plus, but not essential. It just gives one a better idea on the angles, which are important in assessing light return.

2. Use the HCA to get a score of 2 or less, ideally with the x falling in the AGS/GIA overlap, or close to.

3. Stick to VS2 or above for confidense in eyecleanliness so no need to spend time and money on return.

4. Ask opinions once you find a potential or two.

ETA If it's a fancy, yes, that changes the whole ballgame. That requires an experienced vendor.

 

[stone-cold11]

For similar price range, I would go with JA which I found to be mostly comparable if not cheaper than BN, unless I cannot really find anything with them. JA at least provide a magnified image and an IS image on request.

 

[Ryon]

James Allen and GOG!

GOG will be a little higher, but they have the best service and some nice settings with H&A diamonds in them

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/28/2009 5:15:57 PM
Author: Ellen
You''ve gotten lots of good/relevant advice. My suggestions based on helping people/reading testamonies is this.


1. Stick to their Signature selection, they seem to be the better cuts. Having a GCAL report is a big plus, but not essential. It just gives one a better idea on the angles, which are important in assessing light return.

2. Use the HCA to get a score of 2 or less, ideally with the x falling in the AGS/GIA overlap, or close to.

3. Stick to VS2 or above for confidense in eyecleanliness so no need to spend time and money on return.

4. Ask opinions once you find a potential or two.

ETA If it''s a fancy, yes, that changes the whole ballgame. That requires an experienced vendor.

Ditto above.