{"id":356,"date":"2018-01-02T17:32:15","date_gmt":"2018-01-02T22:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/?p=356"},"modified":"2018-01-11T13:38:04","modified_gmt":"2018-01-11T18:38:04","slug":"truth-blue-nile-internet-diamonds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/truth-blue-nile-internet-diamonds\/","title":{"rendered":"The Truth about Blue Nile and Internet Diamond Companies."},"content":{"rendered":"

There is no doubt within the jewelry industry that online sellers such as Blue Nile have revolutionized the ways that many consumers purchase their engagement diamond.\u00a0 Blue Nile, as well as a multitude of other online sellers, offers a virtual database of diamonds to internet shoppers at prices that were once considered to be below traditional retail prices. I add the phrase “once considered” in the previous statement in an acknowledgement to the shifts in pricing structure that have transpired through the retail jewelry landscape as a result of Blue Nile and other internet sellers.<\/p>\n

The problem with Blue Nile and other internet diamond sellers is the process itself<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Internet diamond companies, unlike traditional retail jewelers, have no eyes-on knowledge of any diamond that they sell.\u00a0 These companies are simply online brokers between diamond wholesalers and consumers.\u00a0 No one in the “process” between Blue Nile and the ultimate diamond consumer has any real knowledge of what the diamond looks like.<\/p>\n

There are two inherent deficiencies in buying a diamond in this manner.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Firstly, the process itself is based on the diamond grading report – usually a GIA report.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>It is wrong to assume that a GIA diamond grading report conveys the most important aspect of what a diamond is all about – what the diamond really looks like.\u00a0 In reality, this is a very significant misperception amongst diamond buying consumers.<\/strong><\/p>\n

To illustrate my point, here are two actual un-retouched photos of two different diamonds:<\/p>\n

The diamond below is typical of what the internet shopper buys based on the GIA report. This diamond is a 1.70 carat Cushion Cut.\"\"<\/p>\n

The GIA report looks great as this diamond meets the proper depth and table proportions. Additionally, it is graded by GIA as “Excellent” Polish and “Excellent” Symmetry.<\/p>\n

Despite these “paper” qualities, the diamond is severely lacking the “fire”\u00a0and “brilliance”and”scintillation” that makes a diamond beautiful. This diamond is actually dead and dark in the center.<\/p>\n

The diamond pictured on the right is a 1.72 carat Cushion Cut diamond in which the depth and table proportions are also within the “proper” range. This diamond has a Symmetry grade of “Good” and a Polish grade of “Excellent”.\"\"<\/p>\n

Though it is somewhat difficult to tell in the two photos, I can assure you that this diamond is much more beautiful than the other.\u00a0 The “faceting” of this diamond creates much more “life” and “brilliance” and “scintillation”.\u00a0 This diamond appears much whiter and brighter than the other diamond despite the fact that is graded as “I” color and the diamond above is graded as “G” color.<\/p>\n

in this example, I guarantee you that the lower graded diamond is much nicer and more beautiful than the better graded diamond. \u00a0I know this for a fact. \u00a0I have seen both of these diamonds with my eyes. \u00a0It is why I am writing this article.<\/p>\n

A GIA certificate does not describe the beauty of a diamond on even what a diamond looks like to the human eye.\u00a0 <\/strong>The GIA certificate is essentially a document of scientific characteristics and terminology that measure minute differences in gradations that, in most cases, are beyond the limitations of what a consumer using his\/her human eyes can ascertain without proper conditions and equipment.<\/p>\n

While it is true that a “D \/ Flawless” diamond will undoubtedly be more beautiful than a “M \/ I2” diamond, It is often the case that a diamond of a lesser grade in terms of it’s GIA grading may be as beautiful or perhaps more beautiful than a diamond that has a “better” GIA grade.\u00a0 This is particularly true in the case of fancy shape diamonds where the color and clarity grades have little significance to the overall appearance of the diamond.<\/p>\n

The second deficiency of the online buying process is that the internet consumer is often searching for the lowest price as opposed to understanding that a diamond is supposed to be about the beauty and scintillation of something that is extraordinary and exceptional.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether searching Blue Nile or another online diamond site, without the ability to see and understand the subtle differentiations that make one diamond more magnificent than another diamond, it is easy to fall into the trap of searching only for low price with no understanding that “Value” is something different from low price.<\/p>\n

Buying a diamond simply based on lowest price is similar to buying a $5.99 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon!\u00a0 This is not to say that one must pay $50.00 or $150.00 for a bottle of wine.\u00a0 I do know, from experience, that there are very good bottles of wine that can be purchased for $15.00 to $25.00.\u00a0 I also know that the $5.99 are, for the most part, going to taste bad and will not be enjoyed nearly as much!<\/p>\n

In my\u00a0 wholesale business I often ask this question to retail jewelry store operators: “What sells better in your store?\u00a0 .\u00a0 . The low price diamond?\u00a0 .\u00a0 . Or the nice diamond?”\u00a0 \u00a0The answer is almost universally\u00a0 “The nicer diamond!”.\u00a0 I agree with this answer.<\/p>\n

I know from experience that a diamond consumer –\u00a0 when given the opportunity to learn about diamonds and see diamonds with his\/her eyes –\u00a0 will almost never purchase the lowest price diamond and will, in many cases, choose the most expensive diamond!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Getting back to the subject title of this post, I do not have a problem with Blue Nile or other internet diamond sites.\u00a0 Honestly, I was a supplier to the company that grew to be Blue Nile. I have also supplied James Allen and other internet diamond companies.<\/p>\n

On the subject of internet diamond companies, I have a story that my mind will never let me forget.\u00a0 I was in the process of “getting into” an internet diamond company when the person on the operating end of the internet business asked me the following question:\u00a0 “How good are you at playing the game?”\u00a0 I knew what he meant but I asked him to clarify.\u00a0 He made it clear to me that the internet shopper only looks at the first page or two of diamond data.\u00a0 These are the diamonds that are the lowest price diamonds.<\/p>\n

He and I both understood that the “game” was all about giving these buyers diamonds with “issues” that make them inexpensive. With a wink and a nod, the conversation was an affirmation that the internet shopper does not understand any more than that of low price\u00a0 and that the idea was to give such a shopper what they are looking for.<\/p>\n

Whether it is Blue Nile or any other internet site, a consumer\u00a0must understand that Blue Nile is simply providing a list of diamonds and diamond data that the consumer will never fully understand. The consumer must understand that Blue Nile is simply an intermediary web operation company that, in most cases, doesn’t know or care what any particular diamond looks like. They simply showcase a database of diamonds, collect your money and then arrange for the diamond to be shipped to you. Their interest is in making an additional internet sale and not in making sure that the consumer\/buyer is acquiring a beautiful diamond.<\/p>\n

It is possible to buy a beautiful diamond from Blue Nile or any other web diamond seller.\u00a0 Most importantly, the consumer should question why similarly graded diamonds on Blue Nile are priced 20% or 30% or more than 50% higher others of the same GIA grade.\u00a0 After all, it is the same seller who is selling the diamonds! \u00a0The consumer must understand that low price usually means a diamond that is not as beautiful as another diamond – and, in some cases, a diamond that is not beautiful at all.<\/p>\n

Perhaps you are happy drinking that $5.99 bottle of wine!\u00a0\u00a0Or perhaps you understand that low prices are just that and there are reasons why the price is low.<\/p>\n

I offer these two bits of advice.\u00a0 Go to a jewelry store and see what I am talking about. Buy with your eyes and not with your mouse.\u00a0 And if you insist on buying with your mouse, understand that low price usually means a trade-off in terms of beauty. \u00a0Understand that \u201cvalue\u201d is a matter of quality and beauty in relation to price.<\/p>\n

The purchase of a diamond is one of the most significant purchases of a lifetime – and one that you will enjoy for many years and\u00a0 hopefully a lifetime!\u00a0 Make it the right diamond.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

NEIL REIFF<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is no doubt within the jewelry industry that online sellers such as Blue Nile have revolutionized the ways that many consumers purchase their engagement diamond.\u00a0 Blue Nile, as well as a multitude of other online sellers, offers a virtual database of diamonds to internet shoppers at prices that were once considered to be below […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[24,26,23,10,25,27,28],"yoast_head":"\nThe Truth About Blue Nile and Internet Diamonds<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Blue Nile has revolutionized the engagement process but beware of caveats.\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/truth-blue-nile-internet-diamonds\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Truth About Blue Nile and Internet Diamonds\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Blue Nile has revolutionized the engagement process but beware of caveats.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/truth-blue-nile-internet-diamonds\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"N D Reiff Company - Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/NDReiffCompany\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-01-02T22:32:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-01-11T18:38:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/1.70-CushionASISmall.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"7 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"N D Reiff Company - Blog\",\"description\":\"A Place for Serious Diamond Discussion\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/truth-blue-nile-internet-diamonds\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/1.70-CushionASISmall.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/truth-blue-nile-internet-diamonds\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/truth-blue-nile-internet-diamonds\/\",\"name\":\"The Truth About Blue Nile and Internet Diamonds\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/truth-blue-nile-internet-diamonds\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2018-01-02T22:32:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-01-11T18:38:04+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/1930bf609d766acf629ae47cbb1f25d5\"},\"description\":\"Blue Nile has revolutionized the engagement process but beware of caveats.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/truth-blue-nile-internet-diamonds\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/truth-blue-nile-internet-diamonds\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/truth-blue-nile-internet-diamonds\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"item\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Home\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"item\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/truth-blue-nile-internet-diamonds\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/truth-blue-nile-internet-diamonds\/\",\"name\":\"The Truth about Blue Nile and Internet Diamond Companies.\"}}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/1930bf609d766acf629ae47cbb1f25d5\",\"name\":\"NDR\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e5f456146f319f2c86d99c9f272debd?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"NDR\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5WQK3-5K","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":264,"url":"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/insanity-of-the-diamond-industry\/","url_meta":{"origin":356,"position":0},"title":"Insanity of the Diamond Industry","date":"August 22, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Op-Ed: Insanity of the Diamond Industry By Neil Reiff \u00a0 Published: \u00a0\"RapNet - The Diamond Market\" - \u00a0August, 2015 Published: \u00a0\"World Diamond Magazine\" - \u00a0January, 2016 RAPAPORT... Veteran Philadelphia, Pennsylvania jeweler Neil Reiff last month published the following commentary on LinkedIn. With \u201cInsanity of the Diamond Industry\u201d, the president of\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":83,"url":"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/lowest-price-gia-diamonds\/","url_meta":{"origin":356,"position":1},"title":"Lowest price - GIA certified diamonds.","date":"June 8, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Lowest Price - GIA Diamonds. Many internet shoppers are under the mistaken belief that buying a GIA certified diamond on the internet is similar to purchasing a flat screen TV. Simple, \u00a0You just find the model number that you want. Then you go to the internet and you buy it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "GIA Cert"","img":{"alt_text":"Document (1)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Document-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":470,"url":"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/good-deal-ugly-diamond-is-not-good-deal\/","url_meta":{"origin":356,"position":2},"title":"A Good Deal on a Ugly Diamond is not a Good Deal.","date":"April 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I have written several posts over time regarding the diamond purchase process and the Internet. Those who do not know me may think my repeated postings on the subject are a case of sour grapes in that the internet has changed the diamond business.\u00a0 Though the internet has changed the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"best deal\"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/NassauCushionCut-2-300x281.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":80,"url":"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/gia-diamond-grading-simplified\/","url_meta":{"origin":356,"position":3},"title":"GIA Diamond Grading - SIMPLIFIED","date":"June 9, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"GIA Diamond Grading - SIMPLIFIED. As I have stated in my previous posts, it is my opinion that the GIA grading system is ridiculous. This opinion is based on the fact that there are nearly 200 possible grade combinations of color and clarity. \u00a0To the human eye, under \"normal life\"\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"4Cs\"","img":{"alt_text":"NDR DiamondGrading Chart REV2","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/NDR-DiamondGrading-Chart-REV2.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":201,"url":"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/fraud-and-deception-in-internet-jewelry-stores\/","url_meta":{"origin":356,"position":4},"title":"Fraud and Deception in Internet Jewelry Stores","date":"October 30, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The idea of fraud and deception within the retail jewelry business is not a topic that I am comfortable discussing. \u00a0After all, I have spent a lifetime within the wholesale diamond trade. There comes a time, however, when at the potential expense of harming the industry as a whole, it\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"Pompei Eng Ring","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Pompei-Eng-Ring.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":334,"url":"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/right-diamond-right-price\/","url_meta":{"origin":356,"position":5},"title":"The Right Diamond at the Right Price.","date":"October 23, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Since 1994, N D Reiff Company has used the tagline \"The Right Diamond at the Right Price\" in many of our promotional materials - whether it be a business card or in industry advertising materials. To me, this is not just a tagline for advertising purposes.\u00a0 It reflects a commitment\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Diamond"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/356"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=356"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/356\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":403,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/356\/revisions\/403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndrdiamond.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}