James Allen Vs Blue Nile Diamonds Review
Every sector has an identity that is created specifically for the mass market of frugal consumers. Target is a retailer, Starbucks is a coffee shop, and then you have James Allen and Blue Nile that are both highly rated places to buy diamonds.
However, most people are only going to make their purchase one or the other, so the question is, which is better? This review will give the pros and cons of both James Allen and Blue Nile Diamonds. You can check reviews online, and according to Your Diamond Teacher, choosing the right diamond is not that easy. You can also see how they stack up against each other.
Current Drop-Shipping Technique
A significant player in the internet diamond industry is Blue Nile. Since 1999, they have been a publicly listed corporation with its headquarters in Seattle. They were the first to start trading diamonds online, in fact.
Currently, Blue Nile has an incredible 270,000 diamonds to pick from, making it the largest online diamond selection. Like the majority of online diamond sellers, Blue Nile operates as an entirely pure drop-shipping company. This indicates that none of the diamonds advertised on their website are actually in their possession. They can also display a large number of diamonds for this purpose.
The supplier will send the diamond and ring setting you have selected to the jeweler who will set it. Your stones will be installed there before being delivered to you. Insofar as the costs are more affordable than other models, this one is favorable.
However, this additionally means that no member of the Blue Nile team will inspect your diamond or ring before dispatch. Basically, the only people who will view the diamond when you receive it are the diamond supplier as well as the person who will set the ring.
As a result, you should not count on receiving a professional assessment from Blue Nile’s team notifying you that, for some reason, they would prefer that you purchase another diamond. In all honesty, for as long you and others are aware of it, this is acceptable.
James Allen employs a “modified” drop-shipping business strategy. Thus, the diamonds displayed on the website are not actually theirs. How then is James Allen able to sell you these gems?
In order to photograph and quality-control diamonds around-the-clock, they employ the following strategy: vendors are located close to their JA New York workplaces, and all manufacturing locations have photography centers. This enables JA to offer 360° HD footage for all of its jewels.
The diamond is now transferred to the James Allen office once an order is placed, where it is examined by their in-house gemologist to assure quality before being dispatched to you.
James Allen also works to get exclusive deals with their suppliers to guarantee the same gems will not appear on other websites. James Allen is able to give highly aggressive pricing since they do not have to acquire every single diamond up front.
They simply have to cover the costs of website upkeep, personnel for photos and videos, customer care, and diamond experts. It does not take a great deal of imagination to see why a physical store will need larger markups on each transaction if it needs to pay for pricey showrooms, representatives, and diamonds in stock.
Offline gems with the same 4Cs would cost between 30% and 70% more than internet diamonds. There is no question that the price given by James Allen is going to be far lower than the amount you would pay at any physical store.
James Allen is not actually more expensive as compared to other internet retailers such as Blue Nile, for example. The average price of all diamonds suggests that they are about the same.
Diamond Availability and Pricing
Blue Nile sells all varieties of diamonds. So, there are excellent diamonds, whereas there are also dreadful ones, which is not surprising given their wide variety.
Every diamond has a GIA or AGS certification. This means that only trustworthy grading laboratories’ diamonds are offered by Blue Nile. Therefore, you do not have to be concerned about getting a poor stone.
They are excellent, especially in settings for engagement rings. There are almost 1400 different options for engagement rings. Additionally, they have all 10 of the most common diamond forms. They also have over 1000 exquisite-colored diamonds available. These are often uncommon and difficult to locate.
As opposed to James Allen availability and pricing, the size of the selection is vastly different. It is simple to include poorly cut stones within the mix when there are more than 150,000 diamonds of various shapes and the 4Cs.
However, they made certain that even these Good Cut diamonds, which are more affordable, may still be excellent diamonds. If you want to possess the true best of the best, James Allen also has Canada Mark Diamonds plus their own trademark collection called True Hearts.
They provide fancy-colored diamonds in addition to classic white diamonds. Although they have a little variety, the items are amazing.
AGS and GIA
James Allen not only talks the talk, but also walks the walk by providing GIA and AGS grading reports, which guarantee the quality of diamonds. By selecting a properly graded GIA or AGS diamond, you may be sure that the stone’s 4Cs, cut, color, clarity, as well as carat weight, as well as its monetary value, will meet or even exceed your expectations.
Color of Diamonds for Blue Nile
You will not need to be concerned about purchasing a treated diamond because every fancy-colored diamond offered by Blue Nile is natural. Having several alternatives to pick from is typically a positive thing. Click here to learn more about colored diamonds.
Although the sheer number of choices might be overwhelming, especially when looking at well-liked diamond forms like the round shaped diamond. Trying to compare a single diamond to another might be difficult. Fortunately, Blue Nile provides the appropriate filter tool.
Website Usability for Blue Nile and James Allen
Although you’re able to view a sample image at both of the sites, James Allen is the one of the two vendors who can get an actual photo of the gemstone for you to view. Unfortunately, Blue Nile doesn’t have the capability at this time to do so.
With Blue Nile, you would not know how your diamond will seem in real life. When you tap on a gemstone, only a sample image that has no relation to the actual diamond will appear. Furthermore, fancy shaped diamonds suffer the most from the lack of genuine diamond images. You cannot determine if a marquise, pear, or oval will display the bow tie look from the grading report.
You may get the GIA and AGS certification report from Blue Nile. However, a report on such grading will only include the technical information. You will not learn anything about the appearance itself from it:
Now that they do not have attractive showrooms, internet stores try to entice you with their presence on the web. Their website serves as their exhibit, and a simple, modern website allows them to engage with the Facebook generation locally and globally. The James Allen Blog & education center is able to stay up with the blogging era as seen by its appearances on digital behemoths including Forbes, Huffington Post, as well as The Knot.
Blue Nile does seem to have introduced some new video technology which allows site visitors to take a look at some of the actual gemstones, but it isn’t as flashy or up to date as James Allen and their technology is. Although the graphics are not as excellent as James Allen’s, at least each diamond’s information is now accompanied by the appropriate image of a diamond.
Blue Nile Has Introduced New Packaging
Another visual pleasure comes with their completely novel viewing technology in the shape of their most recent package. Like with other companies, the ring includes paperwork. Ironically, the box featuring the most basic of all designs is now the center of attention.
Although it isn’t a big addition, it does lend to the overall experience of the purchase. Compared to the previous packaging, it appears more understated yet has a more upscale feel. It does definitely maintain the Blue Nile’s elegant simplicity and vintage comfort.
A Verdict
In the world of diamonds, both of these vendors are excellent suppliers. James Allen carries a much larger selection, but Blue Nile offers some gemstones that can’t be found with other retailers.
