Blue Nile

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Blue Nile Review

Gentlemen, buying a diamond online is simply the best way to get the most for your money. Compared to traditional brick-and-mortar jewelry stores, you may pay 50% to 200% more for the same diamond depending on the brand. Buying online will give you a far larger selection of diamonds to choose from and you will actually receive better (more honest, more helpful) customer service. The best part is that you can do all of this from the comfort of your own home. If you are looking for a wide selection of diamonds, top-notch customer service and the most for your money you will definitely want to check out BlueNile.com.

I did countless hours of research, visited many brick-and-mortar diamond retailers, and searched online for months before finally deciding where to make the largest purchase of my life. Blue Nile was the company that won my engagement ring purchase. This company truly separates itself from its competition through its unrivaled lowest price guarantee, massive selection, and quality diamonds. Blue Nile customer service members are excellent and genuinely want to help you get the most for your money. They have free financing options for those of you who would like to spread your payments out and offer outstanding benefit to their customers. See below for more details about Blue Nile, why they were the company for me and my overall experience.

Overview

How was Blue Nile started?

Blue Nile was founded by Mark Vadon in 1999 after finding his own engagement ring buying process much less than ideal. His experience was not customer focused and he found going from one brick-and-mortar retailer to another too tedious. With this era being the rise of the internet, he thought that he could bring an improved diamond business model to the web. His idea was to make finding, buying, and learning about diamonds easier and accessible to everyone via an internet connection. This was the birth of Bluenile.com.

What is Blue Nile?

Blue Nile is the top online diamond retailer in the world. The company provides a user-friendly online platform for diamond suppliers and wholesalers to directly post their products to. This innovative business platform allows Blue Nile to have hundreds of thousands of diamonds available and to offer the lowest prices on the market. Blue Nile prides itself with offering the most affordable diamonds on the market and stands behind this claim by matching the price of any lower priced, equally graded diamond found. This along with the amazing quality their diamonds have has increase their sales each year.

Blue Nile Business Model

Blue Nile has built its business around conveniently giving its clients the best value for their money. They do not try to trick you into paying a massive markup like other companies do by trying to sell you “premium” diamonds. Blue Nile simply offers the lowest price of all levels of quality diamonds; doing so as conveniently as possible. With Blue Nile you will never need to leave the comfort of your own home. All research, consultation, and purchasing is done online.

5 Reasons Why I chose Blue Nile (My Experience)

Introduction

I grew up in a very frugal home and have hated spending money my entire life. I was always taught to save my money and that I did not need to buy the nicest things. Searching for the ring to give to the women I loved completely flipped this way of thinking on its head. If I were buying something for me, I would have bought only what was necessary, but because it was for her I needed to get her the best.

1)  Blue Nile gave me the most for my money

With my frugal upbringing, I was obsessed with getting the most for my money. This was the most expensive purchase of my life and I did not want to be ripped-off. This obsession led me on a long search to find the best diamond for the best price. I started as most people do, in the local jewelry store. I browsed through their options and checked other local stores to compare prices. I started to notice that very similarly graded diamonds could have a very different price. This led me online where I found Blue Nile. I was very surprised to see that Blue Nile prices were at least 30% cheaper than the prices I was quoted in brick-and-mortar stores. Even when comparing Blue Nile to other online diamond retailers I found Blue Nile was the most affordable. Knowing that I was getting the very best for my money through Blue Nile gave me peace-of-mind when I made the largest investment of my life for my Fiancé’s wedding ring.

2)  Blue Nile had exactly what I wanted

After doing months of research, I found out exactly the ring I wanted to give my Fiancé. A basic solitary round diamond ring with a platinum band was not for her. She needed something more elegant, edgy, and interesting. I pondered on many shapes before finally deciding that a pear cut diamond was the right shape for her. The sharp tip with round base complemented her style and would give her finger an elegant and slender appearance. I mounted the diamond in a thin halo setting with a slender micro pave ring. Even something as specific and uncommon as a ring like this is available on Blue Nile. Their massive selection has virtually any combination of ring type, setting, and quality of diamond anyone wants. Brick-and-mortar jewelers like Tiffany’s or Robbins Brother’s will not have options like this for you. Blue Nile had exactly what I wanted and that’s one of the reasons they won my purchase.

3)  Blue Nile helped me find my diamond

I found my diamond on Blue Nile after doing months of research and was ready to make my purchase. Even with the knowledge I had, I had not picked the best diamond for my money. Part of the check-out process on Blue Nile is talking to a customer service staff member. The customer service members of Blue Nile are very knowledgeable and helpful. The woman I spoke to asked me about what I wanted in my center stone and pointed out I was paying more than I needed to. She showed me some other diamonds that would give me more for my money and I selected a diamond based on her recommendation. Her suggestion actually saved me money on my original budget while increasing the presentation of my diamond/ring. Blue Nile is truly a special company which takes pride in their service to their clients. Thinking back on this moment in the purchasing process I am so thankful for Blue Nile’s customer service staff member. Even with all my research I almost purchased a diamond hundreds of dollars more with less visual appeal.

4)  I financed my ring from Blue Nile for 0% interest

While I could have bought my ring from Blue Nile out right, the purchase would have essentially taken all the cash I had at the time. I did not want to put myself in a situation where I did not have any rainy-day fund if some sort of misfortune hit me financially. I used Blue Nile’s 18-month 0% interest plan with a large down payment to push my payments out so that I did not have to run this risk. I was able to keep a substantial rainy-day fund while having the ability to give the woman I loved the ring she wanted without having to wait till I had even more funds. This was a huge game changer because I was able to do this without having to pay interest on the money I was borrowing. I can confidently say that you will not find this type of option at with almost any other retailer, brick-and-mortar or online.

5)  The Blue Nile ring I received was incredible

One major fear I had when ordering my ring from Blue Nile was that the final product I receive would not be what I had pictured before making my purchase. I was apprehensive when I received the package from Blue Nile. I carefully opened the package and what I found inside was incredible. Blue Nile custom makes each ring according to your specifications. I did have to wait about a month to receive the ring I ordered but when I did I was stunned. The product was even better than I could have imagined. The diamond was brilliant and as clean (no inclusions) as I saw in the pictures before I ordered. The ring and setting was exactly as described. Everything matched, and the continuity of the ring was seamless.

Blue Nile Benefits

  • Diamond Price Matching

Blue Nile will guarantee lowest price for diamonds graded equally by the GIA (Geological Institute of America).

  • Free Lifetime Warranty

Blue Nile stands behind their products and will warranty the work they have done on your ring. They cannot warranty work others have done on your ring. Please be sure any service you get on your ring is through Blue Nile.

  • Free, Secure, and Discreet Shipping

A common fear with purchasing diamond online is having your package stolen. Blue Nile’s has a simple solution is provided free of charge. Packages are shipped unmarked with anything that would give away the content inside and insures the package’s delivery.

  • Free Gift Packaging

Blue Nile will wrap your package and provide a free card according to your specifications.

  • Conflict Free Diamonds Only

Blue Nile is passionate about human rights and the ethical diamond trade. The company ensures that all diamonds listed on BlueNile.com are from companies that use the Kimberley Process. This process tracks diamonds from the mine to market, preventing the sale of illegal diamonds.

  • Diamond Upgrade Program

There is no time limit on this offer as diamonds are timeless. Blue Nile will offer you 100% of the price you paid as credit for the diamond you would like to upgrade to. This program will allow you to use your current setting or will allow you to upgrade your setting as well.

  • Flexible Financing Options

Blue Nile has their own credit card which provides its clients with even more value. The card offers you its own set of benefits including no annual fee, exclusive promotional rates and special access. If you use this card to purchase a diamond you will not pay interest if the balance it paid in full under 18 months. If you need to extend your payments more than 18 months, card members will pay 9.99% APR which is much lower than a typical credit card.

  • Jewelry Insurance

Blue Nile has arranged jewelry insurance for all of their jewelry. While this benefit does come at an extra cost, you will be getting the service more conveniently and at a better rate then you typically would otherwise.

  • Free Return Policy

Blue Nile’s commitment to you does not end once your diamond is in hand. If you are unsatisfied with your product you can send it back to Blue Nile free of charge and with a full refund.

If you want to buy from Blue Nile

If you would like to purchase a ring from Blue Nile but are new to diamonds and want more information on the 4c’s (Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat) and each diamond shape, please click the links below.

            What are the 4c’s? How do they affect my wallet?

            What is the best diamond shape? Bang for your buck!

If you want to check out what Blue Nile has available now, please click here.

Feel free to reach out to me personally if you have any questions or concerns. I would be happy to personally share more information if you have more questions.