The task of selecting where to buy diamonds in the first place can be a daunting one. Selecting from hundreds of sites and online stores can really be another difficult task. This is particularly true for newbie’s in the diamond business. Therefore, this article would help you understand the best places to buy diamonds and the distinctive features of each of these places.

We would examine:

  • Things to look out for before purchasing any diamond:
    • The credibility of the seller
    • The variety offered by the seller
    • The 4Cs of diamonds
    • Inspection of the diamond before purchase
    • Customer service
    • Sales policies
  • Places to buy diamonds
    • James Allen:
      • 30 days money-back guarantee and free shipping
      • Massive collection of diamonds
      • Consistent over time
      • Allow thorough inspection before purchase
      • Exclusive diamond selections
      • 24hrs customer online support
    • Whiteflash:
      • A large collection of diamonds with excellent cuts
      • Strict quality checks for all diamonds that include ASET, AGSL triple ideal, clarity check.
      • Premium collection
      • Best and Award-winning Customer services
      • Best and Award-winning sales policies
    • BLUE NILE:
      • 20 years of delivering quality. Oldest in the online market
      • Largest online selection of diamonds
      • Lowest prices in the market without a reduction in quality
      • Strict quality control
      • Great customer service
      • Best for international customers (Outside US)
    • BRIAN GAVIN:
      • Best place for super ideal cut diamonds
      • Runs on a real and personal inventory, not virtual like other online stores
      • Detailed analysis of every stone
      • Great sales policies

James Allen loose diamonds
Before we examine where to buy, let us examine things to look out for before buying a diamond.

  1. The credibility of the seller: Based on past reviews and how people have either complimented or disliked their services. This is very important. It is risky to buy from sellers who have never sold to anyone! Good reviews are usually reflective of credibility. In addition, some dealers have exclusive contracts because of the consistency and reliability which they have displayed over the years. This kind of contract would result in lower prices for you the customer, so it’s a double win.
  2. The variety offered by the seller: Ensure that the seller offers a wide range of options from which you can select from. This is to ensure you are not forced or coerced to pick just any type of diamond. The more the choices you have, the better your chances of selecting a quality diamond within your budget range.
  3. The 4C’s of the diamond: The cut, clarity, color, and carat. Ensure that all of these are well balanced, based on your preferences and budget. You should combine all of these diamond features to get the best for the grade you need.
  4. Inspection of the diamond before purchase: The diamond seller should give ample opportunity for inspection of the diamond that they sell. High-quality pictures and videos at different angles and under different light conditions.
  5. The customer service of the seller should be very effective in meeting your needs as a potential buyer. Anytime you are stuck or confused on what to do, the customer service must be available.
  6. Sales policy: Ensure that the sales policy favors the buyer. Things such as shipping refund and return policy should be clearly stated and favorable to you. This would give you peace of mind while making your purchase.

There are several online stores where diamonds can be bought. However, topping the charts of diamond sellers are these Big 4:

  1. James Allen
  2. Whiteflash
  3. Blue Nile
  4. Brian Gavin

We would now examine each of these dealers in detail.

  1. JAMES ALLEN:

James Allen was founded in 2006. It was born out of foresight and a desire to make buying of diamonds easier for the customer. The custom of buying diamonds in the past has been to head to a couple of jewelry stores, which usually have a very limited selection of diamonds and then choose one. With James Allen, there has been a revolution in the way things are done. There are more than enough reasons to go for James Allen diamonds. They include:

    1. 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE AND FREE SHIPPING: James Allen makes it possible for you to get your money after 30days if you are not satisfied. Now, that helps you to put your mind at rest when you want to make a purchase. They are that confident of the products that they sell and even offer free shipping to anywhere in the world. If you are in the US they even offer free return shipping! You don’t find this anywhere else!
    2. A MASSIVE SELECTION OF DIAMONDS: James Allen has more than 200, 000 quality diamonds which are up for sale. They have over time built such a massive selection that you can now get a very wide variety of diamonds that suit your taste. You would find what you want with James Allen.
    3. THEY ARE NOT NEWBIES IN THE DIAMOND BUSINESS: Founded in 2006, James Allen has demonstrated consistency in service delivery over the years. They have been able to gain the trust of thousands of people all over the globe who either do business with them or recommend them to others. As a business organization, they have very high ratings and good reviews from so many people. In short, they are credible!
    4. OPPORTUNITY TO THOROUGHLY INSPECT DIAMONDS BEFORE PURCHASE: Some dealers just clump ‘similar’ cut, clarity and color ratings on paper in one category. They do this with the wrong assumption that they should all look the same since they have similar grades. James Allen is not one of such. With HD videos and pictures from different angles, you get the chance to see exactly what you are buying, even without being present physically. James Allen is so particular about giving the buyers a real-life view of the products they are about to get because they understand that no two diamonds are the same, irrespective of what their reports say. They also want all customers satisfied, that what you see is what you get.
    5. EXCLUSIVE DIAMOND SELECTION: In addition to the wide range of regular quality diamonds, there is a premium selection for people who love them. It is called True hearts and this selection has the crème de la crème of diamonds. The diamonds here are meticulously cut and refined and each stage of the production is tracked, starting from origin to polishing.
    6. 24 hours of customer online support: James Allen offers good customer online support so that you are never stranded. Their platforms are very responsive and the customer support is very friendly and helpful. You cannot go wrong with James Allen!

 

  1. WHITEFLASH:

Whiteflash is also another major online dealer in diamonds. If you are looking for diamonds with a supercut, then Whiteflash is the place to go. This dealer has distinguished itself with a super ideal cut signature on its diamonds.

  • WHITEFLASH BOASTS A LARGE COLLECTION OF DIAMONDS WITH EXCELLENT CUTS: They do not stop there; they also provide high technical details of their diamonds that go beyond just the GIA reports. They are so sure of the integrity of their diamonds that they provide details on ASET, hearts and arrows patterning, plus a magnified photograph of the diamond.

These details are mandatory because no two diamonds are the same, even if they are in the same cut grade. A diamond can be rated as excellent, but still, be at the bottom of the excellent grade. Whiteflash provides details that show exactly the quality they talk about!

  • STRICT QUALITY CHECKS: These checks include
  1. AGSL triple ideal
  2. ASET performed by the Whiteflash team
  3. Optical symmetry
  4. Fluorescence, no matter how insignificant
  5. Clarity inspection
  6. The very close range of cutting proportions for their ideal range

Summarily, if Whiteflash calls a diamond ideal, then you can go to the bank with that statement!

  • PREMIUM COLLECTION: ‘A cut above diamonds’ as diamonds from Whiteflash are usually referred to are for exclusives. People who value perfection in craftsmanship and love to stand out on all fronts would find this home. Whiteflash is in a class of its own with this collection of diamonds
  • Best customer services and Sales policies: Whiteflash is ISO 9000 certified. They have very high customer care standards and would always keep the customer as the focus of all their policies.

As a winner of distinction in the BBB awards of Excellence and quality in the workplace 14 years in a row, Whiteflash has exceptional sales policies. These policies absolutely make shopping convenient and comfortable, giving you peace of mind. These policies include:

  1. They have a 30 day money-back guarantee with no questions asked. This goes a long way to reassure you when making a purchase.
  2. Free shipping worldwide
  3. One year service plan: Whiteflash offers free repairs, resizing, polishing or cleaning that covers a whole year after purchase.
  4. One year buyback: Whiteflash allows you to sell all in-house diamonds at 70% of the purchase price in case you want to sell your diamonds.
  5. They also offer a lifetime trade-up plan for purchases which are greater than $1.
  6. They offer a 3 year affordable protection plan that covers common issues like repairs, missing stones, and common damages.

It is obvious that Whiteflash has developed a structure that minimizes risk to the barest minimum when purchasing from them.

  1. BLUE NILE:

Founded in 1999, Blue Nile has risen to be the leader in the online market. Apart from the length of time, they have spent in business – 20 years, their strength of position is also due to their culture of consistency and perfection which has led to large numbers of diamond buyers and manufacturers patronizing them. Below are reasons why you should consider the Blue Nile:

  • 20 YEARS OF DELIVERING QUALITY: Over time, Blue Nile has gained a reputation for quality. They have displayed consistency and reliability in these 20years of service. It is no surprise therefore that they have been able to build strong relationships with the largest diamond wholesalers in the world. As a result, they have exclusive contracts with so many diamond dealers. The Blue Nile has also been able to develop an amazing selection of settings that suit what their customers need. Some outstanding examples are partnerships with world-class designers like Monique Lhuillier and Zac Posen. If you are looking for quality that has been tried, tested and trusted, you are looking for the Blue Nile!
  • LARGEST ONLINE SELECTION OF DIAMONDS: the Blue Nile prides itself as being the largest online diamond retailer. Of course, this means that you are more likely to find what you are looking for, in line with your budget at the Blue Nile. You would also have a wide range of options to choose from so you can explore more for diamonds within your budget range. This is possible because of the exclusive contracts that they have signed with major diamond wholesalers. The Blue Nile ensures that whatever diamonds you see on their site must have been certified by a recognized authority in the Jewellery industry. So, you can be sure of getting quality in large quantities at the Blue Nile.
  • LOWER PRICES FOR SUPER QUALITY: This is one of the hallmarks of Blue Nile. They specialize in offering diamonds which can be as much as 60% lower than what you find in other retail stores. It is often said that if you see another comparable diamond that is certified at a lower price, Blue Nile would match the prize. They have the lowest price ranges in the online market and with no reduction in quality. Therefore, if you are looking to save a lot of money without a reduction in quality, Blue Nile is the place to visit.
  • QUALITY CONTROL: Simply put, Blue Nile is obsessed with quality control. From the craftsmanship to the entire process of the manufacturing of their diamonds, Blue Nile leaves no stone unturned to ensure perfection in all of their diamonds. They are also subscribed to the Kimberley Process, which ensures that none of the diamonds that they sell are conflict diamonds. (Conflict diamonds are diamonds that are mined to help fund civil wars and are usually associated with child labor and unsafe working conditions). The Blue Nile avoids all of that by tracking the source of every diamond that it sells.
  • CUSTOMER SERVICE: the Blue Nile provides very responsive customer service. They offer a live 24/7 chat on their site that is helpful and available to help you if you run into any difficulty or if you just want to make inquiries.
  • INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS: If you are a buyer from outside the US, then the Blue Nile is your best bet. With excellent customer service, they provide shipping and even return shipping for their products to anywhere in the world! Apart from that, they also list the net price for you in your local currency. All of this makes the customer experience amazing. The ease of buying from anywhere in the world is second to none.
  1. BRIAN GAVIN:

Brian Gavin is a pacesetter. He learned the art of diamond cutting as a family craft and took it to the next level, perfecting the act and is now a leader in the jewelry industry. Brian Gavin is known for a line of signature ideal cuts. This diamond retailer is known for producing high-quality diamonds all the way. As a 5th generation cutter, the company is always breaking frontiers in finding new ways to refine diamonds, discovering better cutting techniques and crafting diamonds for better visual performance.

The following are reasons why Brian Gavin always stands out:

  1. SUPER IDEAL CUT DIAMONDS: The kind of cut quality you get with Brian Gavin is not found anywhere else. This is a signature of the brand and it is one of their distinguishing factors. So, if you are looking for diamonds with the best sparkle and scintillation, you are looking for Brian Gavin.
  2. PERSONAL INVENTORY: Brian Gavin owns his own inventory. A real inventory. Unlike so many diamond vendors that have virtual inventories of products that they do not own or have never seen, Brian Gavin maintains a personal inventory and as a result, is able to strictly control the quality of diamonds that are put out for sale. Of course, this means that whatever you are buying from Brian Gavin is top-notch, every day and every time, because they are personally cut and curated.
  3. DETAILED ANALYSIS OF EVERY STONE: Brian Gavin provides you with everything you need to know about every diamond up for sale. From eye-cleanliness to light performance, Brian Gavin says it all. They also provide images and videos of the diamond under normal office illumination and the interaction of the diamond with intense lighting conditions.
  4. GREAT SALES POLICY: Brian Gavin also has good sales policies that help the consumer to buy with ease, no matter where they are. It includes:
  • Shipping: They offer complimentary secure shipping through FedEx to locations within the US. International customers would get their products through FedEx Priority International.
  • Return Policy: Brian Gavin offers a 15-day inspection and returns period for customers to benefit from their risk-free purchase
  • Lifetime upgrade program available for all signature hearts and arrows (100%) and Blue diamonds (95%).
  • Buyback Policy: BGD allows a 1 year buyback program on their diamonds, you get 70% of the purchase price within this period.
  • Financing: BGD also provides plans to help with financing to purchase your diamond with them.
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