What do you think about Blue Nile Signature Diamonds?

[nkc]

Dear mandasand,

My question is directed to those who bought a signature diamond, have in depth knowledge about diamonds or are jewellers. I understand that you would not buy from BN but I'm not you!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Diamondseeker2006,

What's more extensive about the information provided by other vendors? Please don't send me a link. I would prefer if you can tell me what you get out of these reports that is not indicated in GCAL certificate.

Please stick to the fact and don't judge if I'm missing the point or not because you don't read my mind!

Julie said: "AGS is a 3rd party that provides light performance grading. Neither AGS nor GCAL grades h&a."

So you have no proof at all about BN's diamonds being "hearts and arrows". Other vendors do provide hearts images that are adequate to determine if the stones are hearts and arrows. They also provide highly magnified images of the stone which helps one see the clarity and symmetry of the stone. You cannot determine clarity at all from the GCAL photos. The GemEx report shows me more about light return than the GCAL.

You asked a question, "What do you think about Blue Nile Signature Diamonds?", and some of us said we preferred other vendors because they provide a greater amount of information on the stones. I have bought about 8 diamonds since joining PS, and I never considered BN because of the lack of information provided. But you seem to be confident about purchasing there, so our opinions really don't seem to matter.

 

[distracts]

If you prefer GCAL over the info other vendors give you, then just go with Blue Nile and stop asking everyone's opinions, or at least stop getting mad when they differ from yours. Most people on this forum prefer vendors that have magnified images of the actual stone, ASET/Idealscope and H&A pictures, and even futher analyses like GOG. So the answers you get are going to be tilted in that direction. And because most people on this forum prefer those, there are relatively few regulars who own BN Signature diamonds because they'd prefer diamonds from someplace else. Most people I see buying them are just drive-through members getting a stone for a proposal and then leaving. But if you want to ask the same question over and over again to the same people and then be surprised when you get the same answer over and over again, you're welcome to, I guess.

 

[Christina...]

I agree with most of the others but I'll add that trades members wont be able to chime in and offer an opinion. PS rules restrict them from being able to comment on another vendors goods.

It sounds as though YOU are comfortable with purchasing a diamond based on the information BN can provide and that YOU are comfortable is all that really matters in the end. However since this is a consumer forum we offer advice that WE feel is in the best interest of YOU the consumer. You can chose to take it or leave it. But if I were looking for a 'true' HA stone I would only consider GOG WF or BGD. As I understand it there are no industry standards as to what can be called HA. As I'm you know most well cut stones will exhibit a HA pattern....that doesn't make them 'true' HA. There are some here that don't consider some of JA true hearts line to meet the criteria of a HA stone and others that do. That YOU are happy and feel well informed is what's important. We are simply trying to give you as many options as possible, what you do from here is up to you.

 

[yssie]

I would not.

1. They're priced similarly to stones from other vendors with whom I prefer to work.
2. Their upgrade policy requires that you spend double, which is far less generous than other vendors' policies on their signature lines.
3. GCAL is a reputable outfit, and given the option of GIA or AGSL only or GIA/AGS + GCAL I'd obviously prefer the latter - the GCAL provides an extra level of independent reassurance. However, GCAL's reports aren't nearly as clear or informative as actual clear pictures of the stone, which vendors like GOG, WF, BGD, JA, etc. will provide. Their optical symmetry analysis doesn't give me nearly as much information as an actual photo of through a H&A scope. GOG points out the inclusions for you, gives you a full scan that tells you absolutely every measurement of virtually every facet on the stone, which is useful even considering calibration & mechanical errors compared to the averages AGSL and GCAL print (rounded averages in GIA's case).
4. I prefer to buy from a vendor whose employees know more than I do abut diamonds and jewellery. When I talk to BN reps I generally feel the opposite way - I would not buy from them if I was not confident in my ability to choose the right stone *for me* without their assistance. When I talk to the vendors I prefer to buy from I'm confident that I can just tell them what I'm looking for and they'll find it for me.

Your list of reasons might be entirely different.

 

[distracts]

But if I were looking for a 'true' HA stone I would only consider GOG WF or BGD.

I'd add Crafted by Infinity to that... those stones are spectacular.