UPDATE - Buyer's remorse - Did I buy a bad diamond?

[misticocean]

Dear all

I should be very grateful for your help and expert opinion

You may remember me from the following post - https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/buyers-remorse-did-i-buy-a-bad-diamond.258075/

I got an email today from Blue Nile that "the supplier holding your diamond, LD13959010 (https://www.bluenile.com/uk/diamond-details/LD13959010), has not been responsive to our requests for shipping and we are uncertain if they will be able to provide the diamond at all."

I am a little upset because I took so much time to find the right diamond to be now told that it is not available. I am still looking to propose to my girlfriend soon and do not want this to be delayed - life is too short with COVID-19!

I have been offered the following diamonds:

1. https://www.bluenile.com/uk/diamond-details/LD11707358
2. https://www.bluenile.com/uk/diamond-details/LD13373134

In my mind, they just don't feel right in terms of quality - also they are about £250/$320 cheaper than the original diamond.

I should be grateful for any advice and whether the diamonds they have suggested are good and I should accept one of them or choose an entirely different diamond?

Is it common that Blue Nile changes the diamond? Is it bad luck? It is a once-in-a-lifetime decision so I just want to give her the very best.

Many thanks.

 

[daisygrl]

Dear all

I should be very grateful for your help and expert opinion

You may remember me from the following post - https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/buyers-remorse-did-i-buy-a-bad-diamond.258075/

I got an email today from Blue Nile that "the supplier holding your diamond, LD13959010 (https://www.bluenile.com/uk/diamond-details/LD13959010), has not been responsive to our requests for shipping and we are uncertain if they will be able to provide the diamond at all."

I am a little upset because I took so much time to find the right diamond to be now told that it is not available. I am still looking to propose to my girlfriend soon and do not want this to be delayed - life is too short with COVID-19!

I have been offered the following diamonds:

1. https://www.bluenile.com/uk/diamond-details/LD11707358
2. https://www.bluenile.com/uk/diamond-details/LD13373134

In my mind, they just don't feel right in terms of quality - also they are about £250/$320 cheaper than the original diamond.

I should be grateful for any advice and whether the diamonds they have suggested are good and I should accept one of them or choose an entirely different diamond?

Is it common that Blue Nile changes the diamond? Is it bad luck? It is a once-in-a-lifetime decision so I just want to give her the very best.

Many thanks.

Sorry to hear about your unpleasant experience. Blue Nile isa drop-ship kind of a dealer, thus this kind of uncertainty/cancellation of a stone might occasionally occur. Are you set on Blue Nile only? Would you be open to a different vendor?
I know that CBI (Crafted By Infinity) resides in Europe (Belgium) and they do have suppliers in many parts of Europe. They do provide a super ideal cut, so the price will reflect that but they are 100% reliable and have all their diamonds in stock.
Another vendor (not super-ideal cut) to consider is James Allen. They also are a drop-ship dealer but they often have their stones in hand.

 

[mrs-b]

Sorry to hear about your unpleasant experience. Blue Nile isa drop-ship kind of a dealer, thus this kind of uncertainty/cancellation of a stone might occasionally occur. Are you set on Blue Nile only? Would you be open to a different vendor?
I know that CBI (Crafted By Infinity) resides in Europe (Belgium) and they do have suppliers in many parts of Europe. They do provide a super ideal cut, so the price will reflect that but they are 100% reliable and have all their diamonds in stock.
Another vendor (not super-ideal cut) to consider is James Allen. They also are a drop-ship dealer but they often have their stones in hand.

No. Blue Nile is NOT a drop shipper. They were originally, but haven't been for a couple of years now.

 

[lovedogs]

Dear all

I should be very grateful for your help and expert opinion

You may remember me from the following post - https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/buyers-remorse-did-i-buy-a-bad-diamond.258075/

I got an email today from Blue Nile that "the supplier holding your diamond, LD13959010 (https://www.bluenile.com/uk/diamond-details/LD13959010), has not been responsive to our requests for shipping and we are uncertain if they will be able to provide the diamond at all."

I am a little upset because I took so much time to find the right diamond to be now told that it is not available. I am still looking to propose to my girlfriend soon and do not want this to be delayed - life is too short with COVID-19!

I have been offered the following diamonds:

1. https://www.bluenile.com/uk/diamond-details/LD11707358
2. https://www.bluenile.com/uk/diamond-details/LD13373134

In my mind, they just don't feel right in terms of quality - also they are about £250/$320 cheaper than the original diamond.

I should be grateful for any advice and whether the diamonds they have suggested are good and I should accept one of them or choose an entirely different diamond?

Is it common that Blue Nile changes the diamond? Is it bad luck? It is a once-in-a-lifetime decision so I just want to give her the very best.

Many thanks.

I'm sorry this happened As the other poster said, BN is a drop shipper so they don't physically have their diamonds on hand. So what this means is that the supplier likely already sold it (or is shut down due to COVID). I wouldn't accept either of their "suggestions". Neither is great. I would start again (sorry!)

@mrs-b : they no longer drop ship at all? I know they hold some inventory, but I thought they drop ship a lot of it.

 

[daisygrl]

No. Blue Nile is NOT a drop shipper. They were originally, but haven't been for a couple of years now.

I was just going by what BN told me over the phone last December 2019 when I inquired and almost purchased a stone from them. The reason I backed out was because of that drop-ship reason. They confirmed it themselves when Covid-19 happened.

 

[mwilliamanderson]

Of the two they’re offering I prefer the first. I searched Pricescope for the specs of your original diamond and here are the results. Any of them should be amazing.

Diamond Search Results | Real-time Information on 1,000,000+ Diamonds | PriceScope

PriceScope's Diamond Search is the best place to find the best diamond prices. Search and compare over a million natural, lab and fancy color diamonds.

www.pricescope.com

 

[mrs-b]

I was just going by what BN told me over the phone last December 2019 when I inquired and almost purchased a stone from them. The reason I backed out was because of that drop-ship reason. They confirmed it themselves when Covid-19 happened.

Curious. Not what they've been telling me for some time now. In fact, they are pretty pleased with the fact that their diamonds are checked in house by 4 people prior to shipping. I actually started a thread on this back when their policy changed. It's on PS somewhere.

 

[mrs-b]

Here's the thread I started when they told me they were no longer drop shipping.

Blue Nile - NOT a drop shipper.

Was just on the phone with BN ordering a new stone for a small project I'm doing. Got into conversation with the sales person who told me that BN phased out drop shipping some years ago and that EVERY stone now goes through QA in front of 3 certified GG's (Graduate Gemologists). It seems to me...

www.pricescope.com

 

[daisygrl]

Curious. Not what they've been telling me for some time now. In fact, they are pretty pleased with the fact that their diamonds are checked in house by 4 people prior to shipping. I actually started a thread on this back when their policy changed. It's on PS somewhere.

That is interesting. When I was ordering the stone in late '19, they told me that a wait time would be about 2-3 weeks for them to get it (according to them, it was on a different continent - which led me to not pursue the purchase.) I know they have inventory of around 270,000+ stones and I just do not see how they could all be in the U.S.

I am not confident to trust them, to be honest, as they often tend to misinterpret things. For instance right now, the two diamonds they suggested to OP as "good ones" when, indeed, they are really just average. Similar thing happened to me when I inquired about the diamond I picked. They assured me it was a stunner. It had a depth 62.8, so no, not a stunner.

 

[mrs-b]

Dear all

I should be very grateful for your help and expert opinion

You may remember me from the following post - https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/buyers-remorse-did-i-buy-a-bad-diamond.258075/

I got an email today from Blue Nile that "the supplier holding your diamond, LD13959010 (https://www.bluenile.com/uk/diamond-details/LD13959010), has not been responsive to our requests for shipping and we are uncertain if they will be able to provide the diamond at all."

I am a little upset because I took so much time to find the right diamond to be now told that it is not available. I am still looking to propose to my girlfriend soon and do not want this to be delayed - life is too short with COVID-19!

I have been offered the following diamonds:

1. https://www.bluenile.com/uk/diamond-details/LD11707358
2. https://www.bluenile.com/uk/diamond-details/LD13373134

In my mind, they just don't feel right in terms of quality - also they are about £250/$320 cheaper than the original diamond.

I should be grateful for any advice and whether the diamonds they have suggested are good and I should accept one of them or choose an entirely different diamond?

Is it common that Blue Nile changes the diamond? Is it bad luck? It is a once-in-a-lifetime decision so I just want to give her the very best.

Many thanks.

Hi @misticocean -

Both diamonds are not bad, but neither would qualify as super-ideals. The first diamond is graded 'Very Good' for polish, so that rules it out from super-ideal immediately. Both diamonds are overly deep, meaning you're losing visual spread, and both are a tad high on their crown angle. The pavilion angle on the second one is a little deep.

Both are white and clean, and neither is *badly* cut - they're just not great. Would you see a difference? Compared side-by-side to a super-ideal, probably / perhaps. otherwise? Probably not.

The first stone gets an HCA score of 1.8, meaning that it's worth considering, but that doesn't automatically mean it's a good stone to buy. But for what it's worth, I've had diamonds with Very Good polish grades, and they've often still been lovely and I'd be willing to buy them again.

The second diamond, on the other hand, scored 3.7 on the HCA, and that would make it an automatic reject for most people here; it would most likely be visibly lower performing on fire and scintillation. So of the two, as @mwilliamanderson said - the first diamond is the best.

You can always start again and could probably get something better than the first one, but it might start to jack your budget. Are you flexible on that at all? We're happy to help you!

ETA Either way, I'm sure it's not bad luck!

 

[mrs-b]

Re drop shipping - do BN own all their diamonds? No. But drop shipping is when the diamonds don't pass through the broker's hands and come to the purchaser directly from the owner. This changed back in 2017. Altho BN does NOT own all their diamonds and are, still, for most of their diamonds a middle man, all the stones they sell are sent to them first, inspected by their own GIA qualified gemologists on site, then shipped by BN out of their offices in Seattle. This is a marked change to their previous practice.

The exception is their Signature Astor Ideals, which are cut in NY, are owned by BN, and are shipped by them and only by them.

I've done literally scores of purchases with BN over the last 10+ years. I've found them to be very reliable and highly trustworthy. I've asked them for inspections prior to purchasing many times, and they've never let me down. However, for diamonds that aren't their Astor Ideals, you run the risk of putting a stone on hold, then it not being available, as their normal stock inventory is not owned by them. On the other hand, this is true for most large diamond retailers, and happens a lot, regardless of retailer, unless you're working with a retailer who sells ONLY their own diamonds. When you work with diamond sellers who cut and sell only their own product, you begin to run into higher prices. So it's a case of what's important to you as a purchaser. With BN, I've returned stones a number of times and it's never a problem, tho be aware - you, as the purchaser, pay the shipping.

@lovedogs - hope this helps. People can tend to confuse brokers with drop-shippers, or assume a company that's one will also be the other. But BN has gone to some effort to eradicate the issues associated with being a broker by no longer drop shipping and by introducing photos. I think they've done a pretty good job. Now if they could only do something about their (generally) horrible prong work....

 

[kb1gra]

I believe that description would still qualify them to be a "drop shipper" such as it is in the world of diamonds. They do not own the stones and are subject to the whims and in this case, existence of the stone's owner in another country. This in contrast to places like Whiteflash which hold all their own inventory in house. I would consider them to be a drop shipper/broker of virtual inventory, but I suppose it's splitting hairs.

 

[flyingpig]

BN and JA are not dropshippers. If they were, WF and BG would be dropshippers as well.
All these companies offer both in-house and virtual inventory diamonds. In fact, BN and JA have significantly more in-house diamonds than WF and BG do. It is their focus that is different.

 

[tyty333]

Will an H work? Its also an IF which should be impressive...not required but nice to have.

0.56-Carat Round Cut Diamond | Blue Nile UK

www.bluenile.com

 

[Dancing Fire]

I only deal with inhouse vendors. Inhouse vendors offer the best upgrade policies.

 

[mrs-b]

Will an H work? Its also an IF which should be impressive...not required but nice to have.

0.56-Carat Round Cut Diamond | Blue Nile UK

www.bluenile.com

That's a beauty! At .56ct, an H will look lovely and white. The HCA score is 1.6. And - as you say - IF is a lovely bonus!

 

[daisygrl]

How do you feel about these?

0.54-Carat Round Cut Diamond | Blue Nile UK

www.bluenile.com

0.57-Carat Round Cut Diamond | Blue Nile UK

www.bluenile.com

 

[lovedogs]

I believe that description would still qualify them to be a "drop shipper" such as it is in the world of diamonds. They do not own the stones and are subject to the whims and in this case, existence of the stone's owner in another country. This in contrast to places like Whiteflash which hold all their own inventory in house. I would consider them to be a drop shipper/broker of virtual inventory, but I suppose it's splitting hairs.

I thought the above was the definition of a drop shipper. As @mrs-b Stated above, I think I was mistaken in my definition. Sorry about that!

 

[misticocean]

Sorry to hear about your unpleasant experience. Blue Nile isa drop-ship kind of a dealer, thus this kind of uncertainty/cancellation of a stone might occasionally occur. Are you set on Blue Nile only? Would you be open to a different vendor?
I know that CBI (Crafted By Infinity) resides in Europe (Belgium) and they do have suppliers in many parts of Europe. They do provide a super ideal cut, so the price will reflect that but they are 100% reliable and have all their diamonds in stock.
Another vendor (not super-ideal cut) to consider is James Allen. They also are a drop-ship dealer but they often have their stones in hand.

Thank you daisygrl - I was hoping that the next time I would post on this great forum would be a picture of the finished ring! I am only set on Blue Nile because I am based in the UK so I don't really want to deal with import taxes, customs, etc. I search CBI but I didn't quite find anything apart from HPI diamonds?? I am open to increasing the budget for a good ring

 

[misticocean]

I'm sorry this happened As the other poster said, BN is a drop shipper so they don't physically have their diamonds on hand. So what this means is that the supplier likely already sold it (or is shut down due to COVID). I wouldn't accept either of their "suggestions". Neither is great. I would start again (sorry!)

@mrs-b : they no longer drop ship at all? I know they hold some inventory, but I thought they drop ship a lot of it.

Thanks lovedogs - I remember your helpful comments from my other post. As mentioned, I was hoping that the next time I would post on this forum would be pictures of the finished product! Obviously I am not a diamond expert but I just didn't have a good feeling about the diamonds they suggested.

I guess it is back to square one - I am grateful for any suggestions. I remember there was a general theme in my last post that I could have got a larger carat size with a little compromise with clarity. The budget can be up to £2000/$2500 - give or take.

 

[tyty333]

@misticocean @daisygrl and I posted 3 nice stones. We stuck to a budget like your original stone. Can you comment on those...

 

[misticocean]

Of the two they’re offering I prefer the first. I searched Pricescope for the specs of your original diamond and here are the results. Any of them should be amazing.

Diamond Search Results | Real-time Information on 1,000,000+ Diamonds | PriceScope

PriceScope's Diamond Search is the best place to find the best diamond prices. Search and compare over a million natural, lab and fancy color diamonds.

www.pricescope.com

Thank you mwilliamanderson for your suggestions - they all look great! I am looking at Blue Nile because I am based in the UK so I don't really want to deal with import taxes, customs, etc. The Whiteflash diamonds look amazing but with the import taxes, it might be a little out of budget - also the 6 prong platinum ring seems a little pricey (or maybe it's just me being silly!).

The budget can be up to £2000/$2500 - can be a little more

 

[misticocean]

Hi @misticocean -

Both diamonds are not bad, but neither would qualify as super-ideals. The first diamond is graded 'Very Good' for polish, so that rules it out from super-ideal immediately. Both diamonds are overly deep, meaning you're losing visual spread, and both are a tad high on their crown angle. The pavilion angle on the second one is a little deep.

Both are white and clean, and neither is *badly* cut - they're just not great. Would you see a difference? Compared side-by-side to a super-ideal, probably / perhaps. otherwise? Probably not.

The first stone gets an HCA score of 1.8, meaning that it's worth considering, but that doesn't automatically mean it's a good stone to buy. But for what it's worth, I've had diamonds with Very Good polish grades, and they've often still been lovely and I'd be willing to buy them again.

The second diamond, on the other hand, scored 3.7 on the HCA, and that would make it an automatic reject for most people here; it would most likely be visibly lower performing on fire and scintillation. So of the two, as @mwilliamanderson said - the first diamond is the best.

You can always start again and could probably get something better than the first one, but it might start to jack your budget. Are you flexible on that at all? We're happy to help you!

ETA Either way, I'm sure it's not bad luck!

Thank you mrs-b for your analysis of the Blue Nile suggestions and your kind words! My girlfriend is quite sensitive to colour (after seeing a colleague's ring showing a yellow tinge she was put off) so ideally a G colour would be best.

I am looking at Blue Nile because I am based in the UK so I don't really want to deal with import taxes, customs, etc. I am open to starting from the beginning with a even better diamond than the original one! The budget can be up to £2000/$2500 - can be more Grateful for any help

 

[misticocean]

Will an H work? Its also an IF which should be impressive...not required but nice to have.

0.56-Carat Round Cut Diamond | Blue Nile UK

www.bluenile.com

Thank you tyty333 for your suggestion - never expected to see a internally flawless diamond at that size! My only reservation (might not even be a valid one!) is that it is H colour - my girlfriend is supposedly quite colour sensitive and wouldn't like a yellow tinge. Also it is marginally smaller in size so I am worried that it might appear quite small (although she is only size 5).

The budget can be up to £2000/$2500 - can be a little more (eek!). I am looking at Blue Nile because I am based in the UK so I don't really want to deal with import taxes, customs, etc.

 

[misticocean]

How do you feel about these?

0.54-Carat Round Cut Diamond | Blue Nile UK

www.bluenile.com

0.57-Carat Round Cut Diamond | Blue Nile UK

www.bluenile.com

Many thanks for your suggestions daisygrl - they look great! Just they same comment as mentioned I am not sure about the H colour - could it be an issue? Also the second diamond you suggested seems to have the GIA report dated from May 2016 - does it mean it has been kick-around for a long time (might not be a valid concern as diamonds are billions of years old!)?

The budge can be upped to £2000/$2500 - can be a little more

 

[misticocean]

How do you feel about these?

0.54-Carat Round Cut Diamond | Blue Nile UK

www.bluenile.com

0.57-Carat Round Cut Diamond | Blue Nile UK

www.bluenile.com

Many thanks for your suggestions daisygrl - they look great! Just they same comment as mentioned I am not sure about the H colour - could it be an issue? Also the second diamond you suggested seems to have the GIA report dated from May 2016 - does it mean it has been kick-around for a long time (might not be a valid concern as diamonds are billions of years old!)?

The budge can be upped to £2000/$2500 - can be a little more!

 

[kb1gra]

FYI, Durham Rose in the UK carries CBI.

However for that budget you are unlikely to get what you want from them, I think.

 

[barbie86]

77 Diamonds and Quality Diamonds may also be worth a look. Both UK based and competitively priced.

Re colour, you shouldn't see colour in an H at that size of it is well cut. Her friend's stone may have been a lower colour grade, larger, or not particularly well cut (or a combination of all 3).

 

[daisygrl]

Many thanks for your suggestions daisygrl - they look great! Just they same comment as mentioned I am not sure about the H colour - could it be an issue? Also the second diamond you suggested seems to have the GIA report dated from May 2016 - does it mean it has been kick-around for a long time (might not be a valid concern as diamonds are billions of years old!)?

The budge can be upped to £2000/$2500 - can be a little more

With your chosen size, I do believe that the H color will not be an issue - meaning, it will not be visible at all. It will face up white and bright (since the cut is decent.) If I were you, I would rather spend money on size but while I am European, I live in the US and "the bigger the better" is popular over here.

As far as the "old" diamond issue... most diamonds are old, they are just sent back to a lab to be re-certificated, meaning a new certificate with a fresh date is issued for them. That does not mean they are brand new. They just might appear so.

 

[misticocean]

With your chosen size, I do believe that the H color will not be an issue - meaning, it will not be visible at all. It will face up white and bright (since the cut is decent.) If I were you, I would rather spend money on size but while I am European, I live in the US and "the bigger the better" is popular over here.

As far as the "old" diamond issue... most diamonds are old, they are just sent back to a lab to be re-certificated, meaning a new certificate with a fresh date is issued for them. That does not mean they are brand new. They just might appear so.

Thanks daisygrl - I have now been offered the follow diamond from Blue Nile, any thoughts? - https://www.bluenile.com/uk/diamond-details/LD13346151 -