Whiteflash vs. Blue Nile
A thorough comparison of Blue Nile and Whiteflash, to help you decide which is best for you
Whiteflash and Blue Nile are among some of the most popular diamond retailers today.
Whiteflash is known for their expertise of well-cut diamonds with superior brilliance, while Blue Nile is recognized for catering to every budget with competitive pricing.
In this guide, I’ll take you through everything both of these retailers have to offer based on my knowledge of what diamond buyers really need to think about, based on my 9 years of experience helping people buy diamonds.
I’ll look at diamond quality, setting selection, and additional services to help you select the perfect retailer for your engagement ring.
Whiteflash was established in 2000 by Deborah Wexler and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company aims to provide customers with excellent cut diamonds with a focus on light performance and brilliance.
With this superior cut quality comes a multitude of extra documents and authentication not provided by other diamond retailers. Customers who value brilliance and sparkle in their engagement rings gravitate toward Whiteflash’s selection of diamonds.
Visit Whiteflash to explore their exquisite collection and see the high-quality imagery that sets them apart.
Blue Nile was established in 1999, positioning itself as the first online diamond retailer. They prioritize meeting customers of every budget by providing a vast selection of diamonds and fine jewelry.
Blue Nile is one of the many diamond retailers owned by Signet Jewelers and is based in Seattle, Washington. They are one of the most popular front-runners in the online jewelry retailer industry.
Explore Blue Nile’s extensive collection and experience their user-friendly platform that simplifies the diamond buying journey.
Diamond Selection and Quality
If you’ve started looking at diamonds, you likely know that before choosing a diamond, you should evaluate it according to the 4Cs of diamond quality: cut, clarity, color, and carat weight. By choosing a balance of these grades that’s right for you, you’re able to guarantee a high-quality diamond.
Up next, let’s explore the diamond selection offered by Blue Nile and Whiteflash.
Natural vs. Lab-Grown Diamonds
While natural diamonds were the only choice for many years, over the last 4 years, the interest in lab-grown diamonds has exploded into the diamond market.
Whiteflash provides customers with a selection of 12,273 natural diamonds of varying diamond grades to choose from.
While they previously only offered natural diamonds, Whiteflash has recently expanded to provide around 2,394 lab grown diamonds for those looking for a more sustainable and affordable diamond buying option.
While Whiteflash specializes in excellent cut quality and super ideal cut diamonds, they still provide loose diamonds of many different grades and qualities.
Blue Nile provides a much larger selection of natural and lab-grown diamonds than Whiteflash. With 157,678 natural diamonds and 14,743 lab-grown diamonds to choose from, there is a diamond for every type of budget and preference.
Certifications and Ethical Sourcing
It is imperative to purchase certified diamonds from reputable grading labs like the American Gem Society (AGS), Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and International Gemological Institute (IGI).
Diamonds with grading reports ensure you are getting exactly what you are paying for by verifying the diamond’s cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. I don’t recommend purchasing any center stone without a grading report.
Whiteflash provides AGS and GIA certifications for their natural diamonds and IGI certifications for their lab-grown diamonds. AGS was traditionally viewed as the most strict diamond grading authority, but merged with GIA in 2023, so it is yet to be seen whether their stringent standards have been maintained.
Blue Nile also provides GIA and IGI certifications. If you are choosing a natural diamond from Blue Nile, I usually recommend you select a diamond graded by the GIA.
Both retailers are committed to sourcing diamonds responsibly, adhering to the Kimberley Process to ensure their diamonds are conflict-free.
Diamond Pricing
The 4Cs of diamond quality play a significant role in diamond prices, but they aren’t the only factors. In addition to diamond cut, clarity, color, and carat weight, attributes like certification, origin, and retailer mark-up all contribute to the overall price of a diamond.
Whiteflash has their own line of premium-cut diamonds known as the A Cut Above diamonds. The ACA diamonds at Whiteflash are a curated collection of under 100 super ideal cut diamonds.
When viewed under a special tool (known as the Angular Spectrum Evaluation Tool – ASET), customers are able to see hearts and arrows depicted in their diamond, as well as where light may potentially ‘leak’. This is a reflection of the precise symmetry and cut quality within the collection and allow potential buyers to compare different diamonds and understand how brilliant each will be relative to the others – something that is difficult to do with other diamonds.
ACA diamonds come with a lot of paperwork, ensuring the cut quality and authenticity. These diamonds come with extreme precision, surpassing that of the GIA triple excellent and AGS ideal cut diamonds.
The ACA collection from Whiteflash doesn’t not exhibit any surface blemishes or other cutting defects found in standard ideal cut diamonds. These diamonds do not have fluorescence either.
While most branded super ideal collections only use round brilliant cut diamonds, Whiteflash has extended their ACA collection to include princess cut diamonds as well.
A 1.04 carat A Cut Above ideal diamond with VS1 clarity and a G color grade will cost around $7,975.
Blue Nile has its own collection of dual-graded diamonds called the Astor Ideal collection. These ideal cut diamonds are graded as GIA triple excellent diamonds for precise cut, symmetry, and polish.
Alongside a GIA certificate, the Blue Nile Astor Collection also comes with a GemEx certificate. The GemEx laboratory is a global leader in providing documentation for diamond brilliance, and is an alternative way of assessing the sparkle of a diamond to ASET.
Using a tool called the Brilliant Scope, five different images of your selected Astor Ideal diamond are taken and used to determine the sparkle and brilliance of the stone. The certificate also features a bar graph that allows you to see how your diamond’s brilliance measures up to other diamonds in the world.
A 1.04ct Astor Ideal cut diamond with G color and VS1 clarity from Blue Nile costs around $12,520.
When given the choice between a Blue Nile Astor Ideal and a Whiteflash A Cut Above Diamond, the ACA diamonds from Whiteflash come out as the less expensive diamond.
In my opinion, Whiteflash does a much better job of explaining the quality of their ACA diamonds. They go beyond Blue Nile’s Astor Ideal GIA Triple Excellent. The Blue Nile Astor collection has a GemEx certificate, but so do GSI graded diamonds at Kay Jewelers. There’s nothing significant about the Blue Nile Astor Ideal that would make it worth the extra cost.
But when you compare one of Blue Nile’s standard Ideal Cut Diamonds with a standard Whiteflash diamond, you may find yourself leaning toward Blue Nile’s diamonds. A standard ideal cut diamond from Blue Nile costs a lot less than a Whiteflash Expert Selection hearts and arrows diamond does.
The 1.00ct ideal cut diamond with G color grades and VS2 clarity from Blue Nile costs around $4,120. The 1 carat hearts and arrows diamond with excellent cut quality, G color grade, and VS2 clarity from Whiteflash’s diamonds is $6,795.00.
For somebody wanting a high-quality diamond for an affordable price, the Blue Nile ideal cut diamond would suit them better. For someone wanting a diamond with prestigious brilliance and the willingness to pay for it may find Whiteflash a more suitable place to purchase diamonds from.
Both Whiteflash and Blue Nile score a 4.5/5 on the value for money scale. This score reflects a balanced offering of quality and competitive pricing provided by both retailers.
Website and User Experience
Blue Nile and Whiteflash offer easy-to-use websites suitable for users of all ages. Customers are able to narrow down their selection according to various filters.
Whiteflash offers customers various options when it comes to diamond imagery. In addition to HD images, they have two kinds of 360Ëš videos to show sparkle and brilliance.
They also provide ASET and Ideal-scope images to show you exactly how much light is reflected through the diamond. They also include a comprehensive section on their site to educate customers on how each type of image relates to the overall beauty of your diamond.
Blue Nile offers 360Ëš video on all of their diamonds and has HD images available upon request. They do not provide the extensive documentation on sparkle like Whiteflash. Instead, Blue Nile provides a diagram of the different proportions of the diamond, as well as a carat weight preview seen best from a smartphone.
Customization and Design Options
Both Whiteflash and Blue Nile allow you to select from an inventory of loose diamonds and ring settings that resonate with your style. The easy-to-follow steps allow you to narrow down your selections by grades, price, or carat weight.
The step-by-step customization process on both platforms guides you through selecting the diamond shape, setting design, metal type, and other design elements, ensuring the final piece is a reflection of your personal taste.
Variety of Rings Settings and Precious Metals
Whiteflash offers a selection of 530 settings, while Blue Nile provides a more extensive range with 1,169 settings.
Whether you prefer a classic solitaire setting, a vintage-inspired design, or a modern halo setting, the range of options available at Blue Nile provides a wider selection than at Whiteflash.
Whiteflash, while having a lesser variety, also offers a curated selection of high-quality settings that complement their well-cut diamonds. Many of these settings are designer engagement ring settings.
The choice of metals and side stones further enhances the customization options. Both retailers offer a range of metals including white gold, yellow gold, rose gold, and platinum, along with a variety of side stones to accentuate the center diamond.
Service and Customer Support
The journey of purchasing a diamond doesn’t end at the click of the ‘buy’ button. Excellent customer support and services are important to the diamond buying experience.
Whiteflash scores 4.5/5, while Blue Nile slightly edges out with a score of 5.5 in service policies, indicating a high level of customer satisfaction and support.
A quick search on platforms like TrustPilot can provide insights into the level of satisfaction among past Whiteflash and Blue Nile customers. Keep in mind that these reviews are usually one-sided and should not be the determining factor in your buying experience.
Customer Service
Both Whiteflash and Blue Nile offer 24/7 customer service, ensuring you have support at every step of your buying journey.
Both retailers offer a range of additional services to enhance your shopping experience:
- Engraving: Whiteflash offers engraving services at a charge of $39 for most items, while Blue Nile provides free engraving on selected rings.
- Financing: Financing options are available at both retailers, making it easier to manage the cost of your purchase.
- Shipping: Whiteflash offers free shipping, but return shipping is at your cost. Blue Nile provides free and insured shipping both ways, adding an extra layer of security and convenience.
- Resizing: Both retailers offer free resizing for up to one year, ensuring a perfect fit.
- Returns Period: Whiteflash has a 30-day or 10-day return period depending on the item, while Blue Nile offers a 30-day return period, extended over holiday periods.
- Warranty: Lifetime warranties, with some exclusions, are provided by both retailers, ensuring the longevity and maintenance of your jewelry.
- Upgrade: Whiteflash offers a lifetime trade-up guarantee, while Blue Nile provides credit for 100% of the original price if the new diamond is priced at twice the value.
Payment and Financing Options
Both Whiteflash and Blue Nile offer financing options and a variety of payment methods accepted.
- Whiteflash Financing: Whiteflash offers financing through Affirm, which allows you to split payments into 3, 6, or 12 monthly installments with financing rates as low as 10% APR.
- Blue Nile Financing: Blue Nile also offers financing options through the Blue Nile credit card. You may choose from no-interest options if paid in 6 or 12 months as well as 9.99% APR with 24 monthly payments.
Shipping and Returns
Whiteflash offers free shipping, but does not offer free return shipping. Blue Nile provides free and insured shipping both ways. Both retailers also offer international shipping options, expanding their reach to customers worldwide.
Return and Exchange Policies
Whiteflash offers a return period of 30 days or 10 days, depending on the item. It is important to review the return policies on your item before making your purchase to determine which return window is applicable.
Blue Nile provides a return period of 30 days, which is further extended during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
Physical Store Experience
Whiteflash has a singular location based in Houston, Texas. This showroom provides a serene and professional ambiance where you can view their exquisite collection of diamonds and jewelry in person.
Those looking for an expanded physical presence may opt for one of Blue Nile’s 25 stores across the United States. The ambiance in Blue Nile stores is designed to be welcoming and informative, allowing you to explore their offerings in a comfortable setting.
The physical presence of these retailers provides an opportunity for you to interact with their products and knowledgeable staff, enhancing the buying experience.
Conclusion
Both Whiteflash and Blue Nile have carved a niche in the online diamond retail space, each with its unique strengths and offerings.
If you prioritize diamond cut quality Whiteflash could be the better fit for you. Their ASET and Ideal Scope imaging provide authentication beyond diamond certification.
On the other hand, if a vast selection and a variety of design options appeal to you, Blue Nile might be the right choice.
In the end, both diamond retailers are reputable and customer-centric, ensuring that you will be well taken care of, regardless of your choice.
FAQs
What are the main differences between Whiteflash and Blue Nile?
Whiteflash is known for high-quality and superior cut diamonds, while Blue Nile has a broader selection and more physical store locations.
Which retailer offers better pricing, Whiteflash or Blue Nile?
Pricing can vary based on the specific diamond and setting you choose. On average, Whiteflash’s diamonds cost more than Blue Nile’s due to their premium pricing and retailer mark-up.
Do Whiteflash and Blue Nile offer engraving services?
Yes, Whiteflash offers engraving services at a charge of $39 for most items, while Blue Nile provides free engraving on selected rings.
- More diamonds to choose from and wider selection of settings
- Better imagery of ‘regular’ diamonds
- More physical locations to see diamonds in-person
- ‘A Cut Above’ diamonds are the highest cut quality available
- ASET and Idealscope imagery available
- Customer service is provided by genuine experts