Blue Nile Review

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Overall Score:4.5
Blue Nile
Price:4		Selection:4.5		Customer Service:5
Pros	Sufficiently large exclusive inventory of diamonds Super efficient fullfilment Best in class customer service High quality images on thousands of diamonds
Cons	Only about 60% of diamonds in inventory have images Standard packaging Diamonds are more expensive than James Allen

Blue Nile Review – Bottom Line Recommendation

We’ll get into the details below, but Blue Nile offers fantastic quality at phenomenal value. Compare a couple of their offerings to that of some major retailers. For example, we purchased a half carat round diamond in a solitaire setting from Tiffany & Co. For the same price, we could have gotten this stunning diamond that is 80% larger and put it in a similar setting for the same price with out sacrificing anything in the quality department. 

Another example is this gorgeous 3/4ct diamond from Blue Nile. We compared this to what was offered at Costco. Costco, known for their fantastic prices, should have had the cheaper option. Yet the Blue Nile diamond was almost 30% less.

It’s best to begin your search on Blue Nile with a visit to their Recently Purchased Engagement Rings page to help you choose your setting. The setting type/color will determine the minimum quality of diamond you’ll need.

The History of Blue Nile

Bluenile.com was founded in 1999 by Mark Vadon.  The story goes that around that time Mr. Vadon was shopping for an engagement ring and was fed up with his options.

He felt that diamonds were essentially a commodity, and that all he needed to do was learn about this commodity and then shop for the best price.

He discovered a site online called internet diamonds.com and was intrigued.  He contacted the owner, formed a partnership, and shopped around his idea to the venture capital circuit.  The rest, as they say, is history.

Blue Nile’s Revolutionary Business Model

Blue Nile’s business model (speaking now only of their engagement ring business which is overwhelmingly their primary source of revenue) is a fairly simple one. It was an idea they thought up of at the start and has now become mainstream for online diamond jewelers. Without this business model there would be no way for an online retailer to have a 1.6 million dollar round diamond in their inventory.  

Instead of purchasing diamond inventory and reselling it on their site, Blue Nile lists diamonds virtually directly from the diamond manufacturer and wholesalers. This allows them to offer an enormous inventory on razor thin margins. We cover the advantages of this business model thoroughly in this article. This means that Blue Nile diamonds are as competitively priced as can be and you have ample selection to find the perfect diamond. 

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Blue Nile’s Showroom Experience

Melding Blue Nile’s virtual inventory and phenomenal products to a physical showroom has given people an extraordinary option to buy their engagement ring from. You still get fantastic pricing, but you are able to have the experience of trying things on and speaking with a salesperson in person.

Not everyone wants to buy a ring online. I had the opportunity to visit three Blue Nile showrooms; Austin, Seattle and New Jersey . In all three locations I was met with knowledgeable and helpful experts and a modern, upscale shopping experience.

We shot a video at the Garden State Plaza (New Jersey) location to give you an idea of what to expect.

Blue Nile’s Market Reputation

Blue Nile has an impeccable reputation. Consumers can rest assured that Blue Nile is the place to find any diamond jewelry. You will even see consumers buying stunning $50,000 engagement rings from Blue Nile.

Blue Nile’s reputation as the leader in the online market has made them an ideal place to buy diamonds. It has also allowed them to nurture relationships with the largest legit diamond wholesalers in the world. This has further given Blue Nile a strong advantage over the competition by signing exclusivity contracts.

Their long term position has also allowed them to develop a fantastic selection of settings to meet consumers’ needs. They have partnered with some fantastic designers like Zac Posen (who makes my favorite solitaire setting).

Blue Nile Diamonds – Using The Gold Standard in Certification

All loose diamonds on Blue Nile. com are either GIA or AGS certified. You can rest assured that when you are buying Blue Nile diamonds, you are getting exactly what they claim. You can read more about the importance of a GIA or AGS certificate here. 

Catching up on the Technology Side

For a long time Blue Nile seemed to be missing out on one simple fact. Consumers want to be able to see the diamond before buying. This allowed some of their competitors to make large gains in the market as consumers searched for the best tools to purchase diamonds. As we explain in our clarity article you are best of buying an eye-clean SI diamond for the best bang for your buck.

Well Blue Nile is not second fiddle in that regard anymore. At the end of 2016 Blue Nile introduced their own video technology for their loose diamonds.  These images are a different style to the hyper-clear James Allen images.  For us, trained diamond experts, we prefer the James Allen images as it’s the closest thing you can get to looking a diamond through a jeweler’s loupe. But we understand that consumers might feel more at ease with Blue Nile’s style of images that show more of the diamond’s beauty, and offer a less clear view of the flaws. This can make it easier to take the leap of faith that your diamond will be eye clean (once you see the inclusions super zoomed in, its hard to convince yourself that it will look fine in real life).

Take a look at this stunning 1.00ct J SI1 loose diamond from Blue Nile. After putting in all of my cut filters in, I was able to start looking for the cheapest eye-clean diamond. This was the 14th diamond on the list. So while those other 13 were cheaper and had the same clarity grade, they were not eye-clean (like this one for example).

Eye-Cleanliness is Paramount

In our opinion, a consumer’s goal should be to find the cheapest (in regards to clarity; other factors matter as well) “eye-clean” diamond you can find. We use “eye-clean” to describe diamonds that may have inclusions if you look at them with a magnifying glass (or microscope or loupe), but the typical person can’t see the inclusion with their naked eye.

We have recently developed Ringo, a patented artificial intelligence model, that can examine videos of diamonds and determine if they are eye-clean. Ringo will also filter for other parameters like making sure the diamond is well-cut, doesn’t have fluorescence issues and will match the style setting you choose.

Ringo™ Approved Eye Clean Diamonds

What is Ringo?

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  Carat Weight 1.20

  Color I

  Clarity SI2

  Check Price
• 
  

  Carat Weight 1.14

  Color J

  Clarity VS1

  Check Price
• 
  

  Carat Weight 1.12

  Color J

  Clarity VS2

  Check Price

Blue Nile’s Quality: Fanatical Obsession with Fulfillment

In our previous review, we noted that they seem to be outsourcing a lot of their jewelry manufacturing to a company in Kentucky. We were not a fan of this as it means they lose control over the process.

Well I can say that Blue Nile rediscovered their passion for quality control. We first met with the BN team at their corporate headquarters in Seattle. Instead of being argumentative on the topic (which would be understandable, given that our review was less than thrilling), they addressed the issues head on. They explained the steps they took to improve the situation.

Ira, Hide, and Mike

This culminated in a fantastic trip to their fulfillment center. There we were introduced to Hide, who oversees operations there. He showed us around. Ira and I have many years experience in the business and have met with countless jewelry companies at all levels of the industry (from mining down to small mom and pop stores). Hide’s pride and focus on quality was very apparent and you can see that the whole team follows his example.

Ira and I were both impressed not only with the quality and craftsmanship of Blue Nile’s pieces, but with their institutional focus on quality control to ensure consistency of product. I’m sure there will be mistakes as there is no such thing as perfection. But it’s clear that Blue Nile is striving for that impossible ideal of perfection; a hallmark of a great company.

Blue Nile’s Customer Service: Impressive Feedback

Since we started recommending them recently, the feedback from our readers has been overwhelmingly positive about the quality of diamond rings from Blue Nile. In our most recent secret shopping (we do them regularly to keep our information current), we decided to do a test on the street.

We compared two rings from Blue Nile to a classic 0.5 ct I VVS2 round diamond solitaire ring from Tiffany & Co. The first ring was virtually identical to the one we purchased from Tiffany, yet it was almost 60% less. The second one was double the size of the Tiffany ring, yet still came in at 10% less.

The consensus was that the Blue Nile rings were every bit as beautiful and high quality as the Tiffany ring. Every person we asked said they’d rather purchase a ring from Blue Nile and get better bang for their buck.

Blue Nile Diamonds

Does Blue Nile have high quality diamonds? Blue Nile Diamonds stack up with the best in the world from a quality perspective. Blue Nile only offers GIA and AGS certified diamonds. As you can see from our ‘on the street’ video comparing Blue Nile to Tiffany, everyone felt the qualities were identical. Following our guidelines you can buy an incredible diamond from Blue Nile at an extremely competitive price.

It’s easy to be impressed when Blue Nile is giving us a tour showing us their best behavior. But does the customer experience actually match what they showed us? We weren’t just going to take their word for it. In fact, we shopped them twice; once internationally to test their service overseas as well as their stud earrings for our earring review. The next time we secret shopped them in the United States testing them on the bread and butter of their business: An engagement ring.

Let’s get some quick things out of the way. We found Blue Nile to be the best option, by far, if you are shopping from Europe. They have a base in Ireland which allows for seamless processing and shipping. And you can read how much we loved their earrings in our diamond stud review. Now on to the main event.

Putting Blue Nile’s Enagagement Rings to the Test

For this shopping I settled on a setting that many of our readers seem to gravitate toward. It’s a nice tapered pave 14kt white gold setting. I settled on this beautiful 0.70ct I SI1 round diamond. As you can see from the specs, the cut on this diamond is absolutely brilliant. And from Blue Nile’s new video technology you can see that the diamond is perfectly eye-clean.

The selection to choose from is breathtaking. Blue Nile has been the industry leader for quite some time and have used that position of strength to cultivate strong partnerships both in diamond and setting supplies. They have a vast inventory of diamonds to choose from and now, with the addition of videos, the tools to help you narrow down your selection.

Secret Shopping Blue Nile: Customer Service

I reached out to Blue Nile via live chat and started a conversation with Gen. Gen was incredibly helpful. Even with a somewhat more complicated order (I live overseas and needed her hold the ring until right before I flew to the US then ship it to a FedEx location for me to pick it up), Gen was quick to answer my questions with spot on responses.

I didn’t need much help picking a diamond (most of our readers already have one selected after contacting us), but she confirmed that I made a great choice. When I arrived in NYC, my first stop was to pick up the package.

International Company

While talking about their customer service, I feel a need to give a shout out to our international readers. Blue Nile is, by far, the best company to work with if you are ordering overseas (even if you are just purchasing from overseas and picking it up in the US).

Not only does their site list the net price for you in your local currency, but the customer service was seamless. They even arranged return shipping from the Czech Republic back to their European base in Ireland.

From a European perspective, Blue Nile perfectly meshed the experience of buying locally with the far more competitive pricing you see in the US.

Blue Nile Canada

Blue nile has been the best option for Canadian consumers. Thousands of our readers have purchased diamonds to be shipped to Canada and Blue Nile Canada has been a seemless experience for them. Blue Nile Canada offers diamonds at more competive prices than your typical retailer in Canada.

Blue Nile’s New and Improved Packaging

Documentation Coming with Ring

As we mentioned earlier, our secret shopping at the end of 2016 made us change our tune. We were very impressed with them then, but we don’t want to sit on our laurels. We just secret shopped them again and there were a few nice little surprises.

Most notable was their new packaging. Last time we were disappointed with their packaging and wrote about it. Blue Nile let us know that they heard us and were going to step up their game. They definitely did. It’s nice to see a company that takes criticism dispassionately and works to fix the problems.

New & Improved Blue Nile Packaging

The new packaging looks exactly the way a luxury purchase should look. The box was simple, yet elegant with modern clean lines. It’s not quite as fancy or elaborate as James Allen’s packaging, but it is perfectly acceptable. Some people may prefer the more minimalist approach that Blue Nile took.

Blue Nile’s Engagement Ring

But what is most important is what was inside the package. This is where Blue Nile shines. The ring was gorgeous. Despite the tapered pave not being one of their more expensive settings, the craftsmanship was fantastic and easily apparent.

The diamond was eye-clean in person (confirming my thoughts when I ordered it), the cut was stunning and the I color appeared white in ring. It was set well and the whole ring “popped” with brilliance.

I was actually visiting my old colleagues at one of the largest manufacturers in the world and opened the package there. I was able to show it to them before bringing it over to a photographer. They were very impressed with the ring, especially given the value.

Ring we purchased

Blue Nile’s Engagement Ring: The Value

The total price for this ring came out to under $2,600. As you can see if you nose around our site, we have compared Blue Nile to many different companies. The price is always at or near the most competitive you can get from anyone online. Their business model has allowed them to continue to work on sharp margins which translates to the great prices for the consumer.

Stacking up vs. the Competition

As we explain in this article, no physical retailer can compete with Blue Nile when it comes to price. It’s not even close. We have consistently stacked them up against physical retailers of all shapes and sizes. You can read a couple of examples we used in reviews such as Jared and Shane Co. We’ve shown you can save quite a bit of money while getting a superior product at the same time.

Blue Nile is also consistently the cheapest or within a few percent when it comes to their competition online. They, along with James Allen, consistently offer the best bang for your buck for the overwhelming majority of our readers.

Head to Head Comparison to James Allen

People often ask about sites like Blue Nile. Since James Allen and Blue Nile stand head and shoulders above the rest of the competition, we felt it might be useful to have a chart directly comparing the benefits of working with each company.

Blue Nile Return Policy

No review is complete without discussing the return process. After all, you never know. Well the service was just as quick and useful returning the ring. My return was processed smoothly and my card was credited without a problem.

Blue Nile offers a full money back return within 30 days of receiving the product. If you are in the United States, you will receive an insured return label for hassle free returns. If the return is more than $500, you need to contact them in advance. As I mentioned, this was not an issue at all when I secret shopped them.

Blue Nile Financing

Blue Nile has a couple of finance options. Your best option to finance a diamond from Blue Nile would be through the Blue Nile Credit Card. They offer interest fee for 6, 12 or 18 months (depending on the value and/or product. 

Blue Nile Diamonds – How to Find the Perfect Stone

Is Blue Nile a good place to buy a ring? If you’ve gotten this far in the review, you can probably guess that our answer is an unequivocal ‘absolutely’. Blue Nile is a fantastic option for the overwhelming majority of our readers. So how to go about purchasing a Blue Nile diamond?

Buying a diamond can be confusing. While we have many articles that help you better understand every aspect of the diamond and its relationship, it’s still difficult to put it all together on your own.

The easiest way to find the right diamond is to contact us directly. We’ll be happy to guide you through the process and make specific recommendations. Otherwise, here is a quick guideline for finding the right diamond on Blue Nile.

When buying a diamond, there are three questions to answer that will determine which diamond is best for you.

These are questions we can’t answer for you:

• What is your budget?
• What shape diamond you want as your center stone?
• What type of setting will you be putting it in?

Let’s start with the obvious one. We can’t help you choose your budget. De Beers started a campaign in the 80s trying to convince people that the “right” number to spend is two months salary, but that is just an ad campaign. You should spend whatever you are comfortable to spend.

You also have to determine which shape diamond you prefer. There are objective values when it comes to comparing the shapes. For example an oval will usually look the biggest per carat weight and a round will be the most brilliant. The most important aspect though, the fashion and personal style, are far more important.

Finally you need to settle on a style of setting. This way you’ll know how much you have left in your budget for the diamond. It also lets you narrow down which color grades to focus on (as we explain here). If you are interested in some inspiration, you can look at some of Blue Nile’s recently purchased rings. 

Once you have the answer to these three questions, all that is left is to put the proper filters in Blue Nile’s diamond search. Be sure to follow our cut, certificate and fluorescence guidelines as a mistake here will negatively impact the look of your diamond. You also need to limit your search to diamonds that have Blue Nile’s 360 degree imagery.

Once you have the search filters put in, the final step is pick out the cheapest eye-clean diamond in your range. This is the most difficult part of the process and is more of an art than a science. Our diamond consultants have selected tens of thousands of diamonds each and there is still a little bit of grey area for them. If you are unsure about your selection, don’t hesitate to contact us and we can confirm if the diamond is eye-clean or not. Also, check Blue Nile’s latest coupon and promo codes to save some bucks.

My Impression of Blue Nile

Blue Nile is clearly a powerhouse company. They are the leader in online jewelry sales. 

Blue Nile has mated their strong position in the industry with an almost fanatical obsession with quality and fulfillment. Throw in the advances they recently made on the technology side by adding videos, and they truly are a force to be reckoned with in the industry.

SUMMARY

• Fantastic selection of settings
• Good customer service
• Obsession with quality control
• Very competitive pricing

Blue Nile Blue Nile is the largest and most well known internet jewelry seller. They have a very large exclusive online inventory. Their high quality images are catching up to James Allens' and their prices are amazing. Blue Nile have generously offered our readers an exclusive one-time use coupon. (Click Here to save $100 off $1000 purchase)

Please enter your email address to receive your personal one-time use unique coupon code:

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What we love about them:

• No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. Blue Nile will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
• Lifetime Warranty
• Free Shipping
• Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
• Provide insurance appraisal
• One free resizing within the first year of purchase
• High quality images of about half of their diamonds
• 24/7 Customer Service
• 100% credit towards future upgrades (must be at least double in value)
• Best in class fulfillment

About the author

Michael Fried Mike Fried has over 25 years experience in the diamond industry working with Leo Schachter Diamonds, Moshe Namdar Diamonds, and joining The Diamond Pro in 2007. He is recognized as an industry expert and has been quoted in publications such as Us, People, Page Six, The Next Web and more.