Something Smelly in the Blue Nile

[bluedenile]

Since I wrote the following I have filed a complaint with the BBB in Oregon. An independent appraiser in Chicago has verified my claim to be true and this is also documented with the BBB. Blue Nile still denies everything. I have also written a very well received review of my experience with Blue Nile for epinions.com. Since I wrote that review in August of 2004, 236 people have reviewed it and rated it helpful. The complaint with the BBB was not resolved, meaning that Blue Nile chooses to live with the stain of a major complaint.
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In February of 2004 I purchased a diamond from BlueNile.com. The diamond I purchased was categorized by Blue Nile and their "Foremost Authority in Gemology", the GIA, as a SI-2 clarity grade diamond. According to the definitions set forth by the GIA, (Gemological Institute of America), a diamond of SI-2 clarity grade "will contain several small inclusions visible with 10x magnification". A diamond of I-3 clarity grade "will contain inclusions that MAY be visible to the naked eye for a trained observer". The inclusion on the diamond I received from Blue Nile and certified by the GIA, can easily be seen with the naked eye.

It would seem that Blue Nile is selling I3 diamonds at the SI-2 clarity grade level and counting on the mystical GIA clarity grade scale to cover their tracks. Since the diamond has arrived, my fiance has noticed the visible crack in the table (the top polished surface) of the diamond which I did not initially see. Other, untrained observers have seen the crack and have asked what it is. The diamond I purchased is simply not at the SI-2 grade. I have written to Blue Nile, described my concerns and asked for an exchange. I received some customer slime-speak and a reminder that the 30-day return policy had expired. They concluded their communication with the following: "At this point, the only thing that sending back your diamond would likely result in would be an expert opinion on the condition of the stone. Our jewelers would probably also polish it up and tighten the prongs for you. This would be a free service, you''d just have to cover the shipping to us. This is usually about $20. We would ship it back to you via FedEx Priority Overnight for free. This is really all you''ll probably get out of sending back the ring."

I also called the GIA about this. It''s amazing to me that this organization is considered "The Worlds Foremost Authority on Gemology". I was transferred to a "gemologist" by the name of Tony located in NYC. I gave Tony my GIA report number and received mystical answers on how diamonds are graded for clarity. My conversation with Tony the "gemologist" included my recital of GIA''s own clarity grading definitions. Tony asked, "where I got those". "From your website", I responded. "Don''t YOU know the grading definitions?", I asked. "Uh, yeah, but the definitions are loose, everything revolves around the nature of the inclusion". He also said, contrary to the definitions on their website, that SI-2 diamonds "could have inclusions visible to the naked eye". In other words, the "science" involved with grading diamonds can change in order to accommodate the sellers'' interests - SELLING MORE DIAMONDS!

My advice would be not to purchase a diamond at all. They are NOT a precious stone! The whole industry seems to be one big sting, from the DeBeers monopoly and price-fixing of the diamond trade, to Blue Nile the front-man, to Tony the "Gemologist" with GIA in NY, the cover guys.

Diamonds are the product of advertising genius that created a fixed market for a virtually worthless rock. Visit http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/82feb/8202diamond1.htm for a complete history on the DeBeers diamond cartel and the fabricated value of diamonds.

If you are going to buy a diamond, seriously consider a man-made. Definitely don''t buy online and stay far away from BlueNile.com.

 

[Todd07]

It's sad you didn't have the fortune of educating yourself on this site before you bought. It's common knowledge here that even SI1 stones may have visible inclusions to the naked eye. Hence we always advise people to verify the stone is eye clean before purchase plus use an independent appraiser to check the stone within the return window.




Since BN has a generous return window, why didn't you take advantage of it?




To be candid, I find nothing in your post that indicates BN acted inappropriately

 

[Nicrez]

Hi Bluedenile! Welcome to Pricescope!

I am sorry to hear that your diamond shopping experience was not pleasant. It is always a shame when people can not enjoy such a moment.

I can say nothing about what Blue Nile or GIA told you, but it is common place to find many SI1 and SI2 stones to have visibly noticeable inclusions. The only inclusions which are invisible to the naked eye (no loupe) are the VS2, VS1, VVS2, VVS1, IF, F stones. Getting an SI2 almost always means that inclusions WILL be visible to the naked eye, so many people like to check the plots of the certifications before buying them to see if these obvious inclusions can be covered with prongs or a setting. The absence of inclusions in the center are called "eye clean stones".

As with color and clarity, most of these such judgements are done with the human eye, and can be judged differently from person to person. Out of all the labs, GIA is one of the most uniform and has the strictest standards, and as such has upheld their high standards for many years. This may be one of the reasons why GIA is actually so popular and so well noted.

With color and grading being somewhat subjective, appraisers can also vary. If you took the stone to several appraisers, you may get several answers. Also, always keep in mind that one grade difference from a certificate and an average of appraisers guesstimates is common, but not illegal. If weight (which is directly quantiifiable) is misrepresented significantly, or color and clarity are over 2 grades difference, I think your case may be stronger.

I can show you two stones with different lab gradings saying they are a VS2, and one can be significantly more included than the other. GIA tends to be the best in grading color and clarty, and so it is preferred.

I hope that you can find a resolution to your problem, or even find a way to enjoy the lovely stone I am sure you have. As you know inclusions are ways of detecting if a stone is real or synthetic. In essence, they are a diamond's most obvious "fingerprints" and add character and life to the stone. They also help you identify your stone!

Natural diamonds to me are like art work from the ground, produced by the strongest forces on earth, and so unique and individual that each stone has a life of it's own, even before it is cut! The skill of a lapidary can further propel the life and personality of the stone by cut, in all types of shapes and styles. To each his own, but I personally can never find a decent substitute for a beautiful diamond... believe me I HAVE tried!

Good luck with your stone, and I would love if you could post some pictures of it, as I am sure it will be lovely, despite it's inclusion!

 

[KBerly]

todd, that avatar winked at me...scary at 1:30am!!

 

[Blueman33]

----------------
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According to the definitions set forth by the GIA, (Gemological Institute of America), a diamond of SI-2 clarity grade 'will contain several small inclusions visible with 10x magnification'. A diamond of I-3 clarity grade 'will contain inclusions that MAY be visible to the naked eye for a trained observer'.

This is incorrect. The SI3, not the I-3 is that definition. I am just telling you if they sold you an SI2 and it was graded an SI3, that's the subjectivity of grading. I bought the cleanest looking SI1 I have ever seen (AGS) and it was graded VS2. It works both ways. AN I3 is not fit for jewelry, it' junk with black inclusions, chips, and total trash. Your definiton is only ONE grad from what they sold you.

~~~
SI-1 = Slightly Included 1 -- small inclusions visible with 10x magnification

SI-2 = Slightly Included 2 -- several small inclusions visible with 10x magnification

SI-3 = Slightly Included 3 -- inclusions that may be visible to the naked eye for a trained observer

I-1 = Included 1 -- flaws that are visible to the naked eye

I-2 = Included 2 -- many flaws clearly visible to the naked eye that also decrease the brilliance

I-3 = Included 3 -- many flaws clearly visible to the naked eye which decrease the brilliance and compromise the structure of the diamond, making it more easily cracked or chipped

NOTE: there are variances in definition, but SI 2 can be visible with the hawk eye, but not visible from a foot away or whatever the parameter is. NO QUESTION: THERE ARE SI stones with eye visible inclusions, but most GIA SI's are clean, and AGS are cleaner.......oh, IMO
~~~

I am not a Blue Nile customer, but this makes no sense. Either they sold you an I2 and you think it's an I3 or they sold you an SI2 and you think it's an SI3. I do not see how any company with their reputation would sell an SI2, which was FOUR GRADES OFF and was I3, total junk.

I also called the GIA about this. .....

The GIA is well respected. There is no way Blue Nile sold you a stone as SI2 and it was a splintered imperfect piece of junk at I3, this makes no sense. Blue Nile is not a PS vendor, but no one has ever (to my knowledge) called them complete cheats. And no one has ever accused the GIA of being FOUR grades off on clarity.

Who graded it as I3?

 

[strmrdr]

Welcome to the world of diamonds.
It wouldnt be the first time nor the last that
a lab sold out a consumer.
More than a few dealers have said that some of
todays si-1 was 5 years ago i1-i2.

Now as far as bluenile goes guess what no one that
works for them was ever likely to have even
seen your diamond.

Only buy from stocking dealers that have earned a
good reputation then have it checked by an
independant appraiser within the return period.
You need the appraisal for your insurance anyway.

That goes for both b&m bought stones and
for internet bought diamonds.

Now about recourse if they can get an expert to say
they are within 2 clarity grades you might be out of luck
in a lot of cases.
The laws regulating that area have been bought
and paid for by the diamond industry to favor them.

 

[croziermd]

Quoting blue nile''s website "SI1, SI2 Diamonds: Slightly Included: Inclusions are visible under 10x magnification, and may be visible with the unaided eye. A good diamond value"

Quoting gia''s website "(SI1 and SI2) SLIGHTLY INCLUDED Contains inclusions (clouds, included crystals, knots, cavities, and feathers) that are noticeable to an experienced grader under 10X magnification"

GIA grades clarity with 10x magnification, therefore there definitions are set accordingly. It does not say that inclusions can not be seen with the naked eye, because that makes assumptions regarding conditions on how it is viewed, it simply states that their graders using 10x mag can see inclusions. Blue Nile, a retailer, goes one step farther and tells the consumer that the inclusions in an SI1/2 diamond may in fact be visible with the unaided eye.

That being said, I think it is very unfortunate that you are dissatisfied with your diamond, but I do not think blue nile is at fault, unless of course the diamond is actually closer to an I2/3 but it think perhaps those diamonds would look worse than you expect, check ebay for some good pics.

http://www.gia.edu/microsite/10652/clarity.cfm
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond_clarity.asp?track=c2m1&elem=text&mod=basic

 

[abradabra]

I'm sorry you had such an awful purchasing experience during an event that is supposed to be such a happy time!

However, I think that this thread is a perfect example of why consumers should absolutely take their diamond to an independent appraiser within the window their return period. In this case, the appraiser could have alerted bluedenile to the crack under the table in time to return diamond. Since grading is not an exact science, sitting down with an appraiser allows the non-expert consumer to understand what they have received and compare that information with what they felt they were receiving to determine whether or not to keep the stone. Also, it is a good lesson that you really should be careful buying an SI or below stone without seeing/inspecting it first (in person, via clarity photographs or through a trusted pair of eyes--appraiser or jeweler).

 

[bluedenile]

Dear Blue Nile, (um, I mean Todd, aka Ricardo, aka Cowboy)

What''s sad is that you need to moniter and seed these sites with your public relataions peons.

Just knowing that I''ve kept even 3 people from buying a diamond from Blue Nile is enough for me, but I think it''s many more than that based on the number of people that have read my epinions review.

Have a good day.

 

[bluedenile]

It wasn''t just an inclusion. It''s an inclusion that breaks the surface of the table, which isn''t in the GIA report, which is requiered. The independent appraiser thinks that the damage to the stone may have happened when Blue Nile set the stone, after the GIA grading.

 

[bluedenile]

Please re-read my post before responding.

 

[reena]

Date: 10/28/2004 10:20:55 AM
Author: bluedenile
Dear Blue Nile, (um, I mean Todd, aka Ricardo, aka Cowboy)

What''s sad is that you need to moniter and seed these sites with your public relataions peons.

Just knowing that I''ve kept even 3 people from buying a diamond from Blue Nile is enough for me, but I think it''s many more than that based on the number of people that have read my epinions review.

Have a good day.

i''m sorry that you had a rough time buying a diamond, but as a newcomer to this site you''ve put yourself in a precarious position by accusing another member of being a blue nile representative simply because he didn''t agree with your point of view. i''m happy to vouch for todd as NOT being associated with bluenile.com.

Have a good day, yourself.

 

[bluedenile]

Please re-read my post before responding.

 

[alexah]

Date: 10/28/2004 10:20:55 AM
Author: bluedenile
Dear Blue Nile, (um, I mean Todd, aka Ricardo, aka Cowboy)

What's sad is that you need to moniter and seed these sites with your public relataions peons.

Just knowing that I've kept even 3 people from buying a diamond from Blue Nile is enough for me, but I think it's many more than that based on the number of people that have read my epinions review.

Have a good day.

Whatever credibility you may have had, goes out the window when you get so defensive as to attack Todd, who is most definately not associated w BN.

Chill... we got your message - you're unhappy - thanks for sharing.

 

[Todd07]

Date: 10/28/2004 10:20:55 AM
Author: bluedenile
Dear Blue Nile, (um, I mean Todd, aka Ricardo, aka Cowboy)

What''s sad is that you need to moniter and seed these sites with your public relataions peons.

Just knowing that I''ve kept even 3 people from buying a diamond from Blue Nile is enough for me, but I think it''s many more than that based on the number of people that have read my epinions review.

Have a good day.

Actually, I bought my e-ring from White Flash. If you take the time to skim my posts, you''ll find I''m not a fan of Blue Nile due to their higher pricing.

If you are going to bash a vendor, you should provide your facts!!! You talked alot about being a stud on eopinions yet mentioned almost no details on what your appraiser said or the timing of your issues.

If your stone doesn''t match the cert and hasn''t been reset, you should ship it back to BN for verification and if they don''t respond to your satisfaction, take BN to small claims court.

If this is the way you communicated with BN, I''m not suprised they did not believe your claim and fix the problem.

 

[Todd07]

Date: 10/28/2004 12:21:46 AM
Author:bluedenile
I have filed a complaint with the BBB in Oregon. An independent appraiser in Chicago has verified my claim to be true and this is also documented with the BBB. Blue Nile still denies everything.
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In February of 2004 I purchased a diamond from BlueNile. The diamond was a SI-2 clarity grade diamond
The inclusion on the diamond I received from Blue Nile and certified by the GIA, can easily be seen with the naked eye.
Since the diamond has arrived, my fiance has noticed the visible crack in the table (the top polished surface) of the diamond which I did not initially see.
I have written to Blue Nile, described my concerns and asked for an exchange.
(BN replied) that the 30-day return policy had expired.
They concluded their communication with the following: ''At this point, the only thing that sending back your diamond would likely result in would be an expert opinion on the condition of the stone.

Bluedenile,
Hope you don''t mind that I trimmed the fat out of your story so people could clearly see the facts you provided.

All, there is a very important reminder in this story. Always get an independent appraisal within the return window. With the limited info provided, it doesn''t appear possible for Bluednile to prove the crack/scratch was in the stone when shipped.

 

[denverappraiser]

Bluedenile,

This thread has wandered all over the place.I’ll try to inject a few helpful comments as a disinterested third party since I’m not the seller, the customer or even the appraiser in this case.

You are mad because your stone is not what you expected and are lashing out at everyone who is involved.This is not helping your case and it’s likely that BN has already shut down the communication link because of your behavior. Your case is not very good and you are basically asking for a favor.

The core issue seems to be one of grading, and BN is quoting GIA for the grading.Since you aren’t disputing that the stone you received is the one described in the GIA report, I see four potential issues.

1)GIA made an error: GIA policy states: the Gemological Institute of America does not certify anyone or anything. Neither a student nor a graduate who has been awarded a certificate or diploma, nor a gem which has been graded or identified by the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory has been "certified" by GIA. The presence of the GIA report indicates no more or less than the opinion of a particular GIA employee, on a particular day. If you were unhappy with or disagree with their opinions, you are welcome to ignore them. GIA can, and does, assign different grades to the same stone when examined on a different day.Read the ‘Grading Lab Survey’ on the front page of pricescope. This very issue came up. If this is the case, BN has clearly done nothing wrong. They gave a generous window for you to decide if you agree with GIA’s opinions or not and offered a full refund for the entire time.

2)BN, or someone else, damaged the stone between the time when GIA examined it and when you received it: This leads to an interesting claim against BN that what they sold you was not what they represented it to be.This is a difficult issue to prove since you are beyond the 30 day examination window and the ring has now been worn for quite some time.A damage report from your appraiser may be helpful in making this claim but it’s likely that BN will argue that the damage was done after they delivered the piece. In any case, the claim that the stone has been damaged clearly absolved GIA of any wrongdoing.

3)You, or someone else, damaged the stone after you took possession.Assuming that you have a valid insurance policy, this may be grounds for a claim. Again, a damage report from your appraiser may be helpful but since you didn’t get a pre-loss appraisal, it’s likely that they will disallow the claim on this basis. Your appraiser should be able to give you some guidance on this issue as well..Don’t they included something they call an appraisal with everything they sell?This document may be useful if you want to try to file an insurance claim because it presumably describes the pre-loss condition.


4) The stone is exactly as described and you are unhappy for other reasons that are unrelated to the diamond. Obviously this doesn''t relate to the subject at hand but I thought I should list it because I''m sure it''s in the minds of both the BN people and readers of the above series of posts. I have no problem asuming that this isn''t the case but you should know that the other parties in your potential cases here might not be as generous as me and will be considering this as a potential scenerio. The report from GIA and your appraiser should be helpful in disproving this.


Neil Beaty, GG ISA
Independent Appraisals in Denver
http://www.gemlab.us

 

[kevinng]

I''m definitely not a fan of BlueNile for other reasons... but in this case, I think you (Bluedenile) have not acted in your own interest. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Everyone here knows that SI diamonds can have visible inclusions. Why did you not not return the diamond if it bothers you? Why did you not send the diamond to an independent appraiser within the 30-day window?

This forum is fair. Where the issue is grey, you can be sure that we will be arguing about it. If everyone here is of the same opinion, I think you should re-examine your actions. Why are you hitting out at Blue Nile when the fault was clearly yours? In addition, you gloat about your vindictive ways and think that you are helping a lot of people by writing about your ''grievances''.

 

[researcher]

I feel bad for you, Bluedenile, but I have to agree with what everyone else has said. Eye clean SI1/2 stones are considered as such when held like 10 inches from your face and looking through the table only. I was fortunate enough to get an SI1 stone that has no visible inclusions, but I''ve seen TONS that do have visible inclusions. I guess my point is that you need to understand what eye clean means, the types of inclusions, etc. before buying a stone--in other words, be well-informed. Like others have said here, you had your chance to get your money back and blew it. Why should you blame the vendor?

 

[phoenixgirl]

I think Blue Nile was pretty generous in offering to clean up the stone and setting and ship it back to you for free. What I take away from this experience is that Blue Nile must have pretty good customer service (despite the complaints of a certain somebody who was upset that he couldn't buy a $10,000 diamond for $1, or whatever the case was).

If grading clarity were that cut and dry, we'd just pop the stone in a machine and let it be graded that way. There are numerous factors to take into consideration (the fact that what is visible to one person may not be to another is one).

By the way, the GIA doesn't grade any stone as being "SI3" clarity, so I don't know where you got that chart from. That's a grade used by the EGL. It basically means "an I1 that doesn't suck as much as some other I1's."

Additionally, the crack in the table very well could have been a recent "addition" due to a hard knock. It's unlikely that it would have taken you that long to notice it if it were there when you received it.

P.S. Good luck with that BBB mediation!

 

[Bagpuss]

I agree that Bluedenile had ample time to examine her diamond and send it back if she wasn''t happy. Most of her problems stem from leaving things for too long.

I do feel that the grading scales are confusing for first time buyers. I, when I first started looking for a diamond, was under the impression that SI/1/2 diamonds should be eyeclean. That''s what all the locally available charts said and that''s what all the jewellers I spoke to said. It was only after I did extensive research on the Internet that I realised that this was not always the case. I eventually bought an SI2 stone and since then have bought other SI1 stones, all of which I made sure were high quality eyeclean stones, and I am very happy with my purchases. But I can understand a complete noobie, who is relying on the general run-of-the-mill info, being lulled into a false sense of security.

It''s a hard lesson to learn and an expensive one, but you must do your homework very thoroughly before you buy any high ticket item.

 

[pearcrazy]

It''s a shame that you have a negative experience associated with the purchase of such an important and sentimental piece of jewelry. That said, it''s really not BlueNile''s fault that you let your 30 day return window expire. If you check around other vendors you''ll find that a 30 day return period is pretty generous. Most offer 10-15 days. You should have taken the diamond immediately to be appraised or at the very least examined by a jeweler who could have spotted the problems. I was warned by a PS vendor when shopping for my diamond that SI2''s can be all over the board as far as how included they are that is why I decided to go with a VS2 to feel more comfortable buying sight unseen.

 

[baltneu]

Bludenile

When you received the diamond from Blue Nile, did you have it appaised by an independent appriasor?
This was not clear in your original post or I just did not see it. thanks.

 

[nicknomo]

I bought my stone from bluenile, and I was extremely pleased. Like all corporations though, not every transaction goes through how the customer planned. Bad things happen. Sometimes the corporation is at fault, other times the consumer is at fault.

Regardless, here is how to approach it if you are unhappy with any internet purchase.

Step 1) Verify that there is indeed a problem. In this case you would take it to an appraiser, and verify the stone is likely to be misgraded. Get this in wiritng from the appraiser. If you are just unhappy with it, and the stone is as advertised, then you may not have a case. I read your post but unfortunately, the grading descriptions are those of the GIA. As you have noticed, the descriptions are mostl ikely improper. I class inclusions are not the only ones that can be seen with a naked eye. Some Vs2 inclusions can be seen with the naked eye, especially in fancy cuts. This really isn''t BN''s fault. It''s more a fault of the general definition given to the clarity grades. In all honesty, SI2 grading are not unlikely to have visible inclusions.

Step 2) Contact Blue Nile, regardless of the return policy window and explain your case. Speak with a manager. If you have recently discovered the grading was incorrect (and have this in writing), or if the ring was possibly damaged when set then explain this to the BN rep. If you explain that you have this information in writing by a professional, your word will carry more weight.

Step 3) If talking to the company fails, and you paid via credit card, file a dispute. It is your right to file a dispute, and despite whatever the CC rep says, make them file a dispute. If it''s been less than 60 days, you have a good chance of getting your money back. Past 90 days, the credit card company can do less on your behalf. Technically you can dispute anything up to 6 months after purchase, but if you have been wearing it for five months, do not expect any money back.

If all else fails, you can try a lawsuit, which would usually not be worth it... however, considering the cost of diamonds, it could be within your best interest.

It all depends on how reasonable your case is. The key is to act quickly. It sounds as if you let some time pass, which I can''t understand considering Blue Nile''s long return policy. Still, as long as it''s been under two months, I strongly suggest that you act aggressively to get a refund if you feel you deserve it.

 

[Kaili]

I have heard on this board that sometimes inclusions are seen more easily when a diamond is dirty. Have you tried to clean it to bring it back to the state in which you purchased it? The state in which, for 30 days, you did not see the inclusions? 30 days does seem ample time to have had a diamond appraised and examined by you. I had a 14 day return period in which I had the stone appraised and looked it over.

 

[Bruce M]

For a reason I''ll get to at the end, I''m sort of sympathetic to Blue DeNile in one way, his frustration with the diamond biz. I can relate.

Otherwise he comes across as a little bit hasty and maybe even sloppy. He referred us at the end of his piece to an article in the Atlantic about the diamond cartel. I tried the link, but it tells me access is denied unless I''m a registered user. So Blue DeN didn''t try out the link. Not the end of the world, but a little careless.

I went to epinions.com to see the review of Blue Nile he refers to at the beginning of his complaint. A guy named Shopwell posted something virtually identical to this in early August at http://www.epinions.com/content_150084423300.

But I couldn''t find any evidence for 236 people having reviewed it and found it helpful, despite what Blue DeN claims. If you go to the bottom of his review it says there are 8 comments about his review. When you click on that link and read those comments, 5 of the 8 are by Shopwell himself. The remaining 3 are from two other people. Both of whom posted exactly what he heard here, that Blue Nile is a good vendor and he should''ve had it appraised or returned it earlier.

So there are 2 contrary opinions posted to his review and none in agreement, and no sign of 236 people saying it was helpful. His epinions profile (http://www.epinions.com/user-shopwell) shows 237 total visits to the review about Blue Nile, I guess including me now. Not 236 favourable reviews, just 237 visits.

Maybe logged-in members of epinions.com can see things I can''t, and I''m mixing it up. But that''s the way it looks right now. So from what I can see Blue DeN seriously mixed up, or misrepresented to us, how favourably received his review on epinions.com was in August. If I''m reading it right, he got 2 comments disagreeing with him and no others. If so that''s another sign of a guy who''s a little careless with the facts.

He also hasn''t responded here to the substance of basic queries about his facts, which undermines his credibility further to me because this is supposed to be a place to exchange opinions. For example he quoted from a definition for I3 diamonds that says they "will contain inclusions that MAY be visible to the naked eye for a trained observer". As at least one other person pointed out, this is nuts. Even I, neophyte that I am with one diamond under my belt (and hopefully that''s the LAST one!), know I3''s are terrible diamonds full of visible inclusions. If he meant SI3, someone said GIA doesn''t have that grade, but he didn''t respond. (And I don''t know the answer to that one.)

Some of his confusion and bitterness may be attributable to the bad advice he may have received from his appraiser. He said in one of his comments on the epinions.com site the appraiser told him he shouldn''t see an inclusion without magnification in an SI 2. As noted above, that is simply wrong. Someone mixed things up badly. Maybe appraisers use charts which say what they see under 10x magnification, but I picked up quickly from this site that SI2''s run the risk of very visible inclusions.
Despite all this carelessness or malice on Blue DeN''s part, I have some sympathy for his frustration at this whole business. He wrote the following on August 3 on the epinions.com site, which gives a little more insight into what happened "Although I did not see the line on the table at first, my fiance did notice it. She just didn''t have the heart to mention anything to me until it was too late. To me, that''s understandable. She didn''t want to hurt my feelings."

He hasn''t come back to confirm it here, but that could easily explain how the 30 day return window was missed. Any guy in love today who wants to bite the bullet and get hitched runs into the big brick wall called "diamond engagement ring". It''s just crazy because young guys especially often don''t have the money for such a frivolous purchase, and have less knowledge and even less interest.

We soon discover it''s a hurdle which must be crossed, because it turns out the DeBeers marketing machine has been working on our gals since they were 3 years old about the importance of a diamond, and to them it''s as important as having a car is to us. Fine, that''s how they feel.

But I don''t forget my feelings either, and I was more than a bit ticked off at how I had to spend hours and hours reading up on diamonds and fine jewellery so I can propose. We''re all pretending to be rich people with time on our hands and money to burn, when we really need to be spending time getting on with our relationships, jobs, and life.

And, if we trust people and just go for something, we run the risk of being seriously burned and feeling like we let our fiancees down, like happened to Blue DeN here. Somehow his diamond ended up with this inclusion or mark on it. He seems insufficiently careful about various things to be able to say for sure what happened. But that just shows how unpleasant the whole business is for many men. Many of us aren''t diamond and jewellery afficionados and we don''t want to be.

So if he missed the importance of an independent appraisal within the 30 day period, I don''t blame him. First-time buyers in every area make mistakes, and I think the diamond industry preys on us. Which is why this site is so good. Unfortunately Blue DeN didn''t find it in time.

As someone else noted, he probably hasn''t helped his situation with his argumentative and belligerent attitude if it came across to the vendor. Yet he wrote on epinions.com in one of his comments he was asking them only to "bend the rules a little and exchange the diamond. I wasn''t asking for a return and, on top of that, I was even offering to go up a grade and give them more money!" I can understand a guy feeling burned when he offers to do something like that, even though the vendor is under no legal obligation to do so.

 

[pearcrazy]

BlueDeNile states that the diamond was purchased in February and the review was posted in August. One would assume that the complaint was filed after that. It's interesting that he says that the review was well received but from what I've read of it he was getting a lot of the same "why did you wait so long..." type of responses that are being posted here. I wouldn't really call that well received. Those who came out in defense of Blue Nile were accused of working for the company as they are here. (and NO I don't work for Blue Nile either, have never purchased from them nor do I intend to)

Anyone can FILE a complaint with the BBB and they will RECEIVE the complaint and make a record of it. The record will remain on file for any interested party to view. That doesn't mean that the person who filed it is necessarily right, just that they have a neutral third party to help mediate a resolution if both parties agree.

If the inclusions are as ugly and obvious (and an I2-3 would be VERY obvious) as posted why would one even need a professional to review the diamond? Any sensible person would have taken one look, said YUK!!, and returned the diamond immediately.

 

[nicknomo]

I do sort of feel bad for him... I can sort of understand how he would not like bluenile for it, and blame them... Unfortunately though time has long since passed to return it.

I do share the disgust with a large portion of the diamond industry. If he thinks blue nile is bad he should have visited a few of my local jewelers. "Yes, this diamond with a 64% depth % is and IDEAL proportioned cut".

I do think that the clarity descriptions need to be a little les misleading. It''s a good point that shouldn''t be forgotten.

 

[Maryam]

I do think that people are being a little tough on Bluedenile here. I mean, A CRACK in the table -- that is serious. Why do people just keep talking like it was a little inclusion - that for this grade, you can sometimes see visible inclusions, etc., etc.? If this were my ring, I would be DEVASTATED. I think that the reason he gives for not seeing it within the 30 day period are reasonable.

I bought my diamond and my ring from another vendor here. And read posts daily. But I think that people should be able to post their opinions without made to feel badly for doing so. I personally have a lot of sympathy for this person and his situation.

 

[Maryam]

And let me just add that I personally won''t be shopping at Blue Nile after reading his post and I bet some others feel the same way.........who just aren''t posting here....