THE NITTY GRITTY : Blue Nile offers amazing pricing and large selections. This benefit is ideal when you start narrowing down your criteria. I help my clients dial in settings so a large inventory gives you tons of options after filtering is applied. Blue Nile was the original who started this online craze so when it comes to time on the scene and top-quality reputation, they are the undisputed champ. Click here to see this gorgeous stone that Jared and Zales priced 40%-50% higher.
Tip 1: Get inspired!
View their recently purchased rings page. You are able to sort by price, diamond shape and engagement ring. This shows real goods as they were delivered and more importantly, can reflect what your purchase can look like. You will quickly learn what you like and don’t like, this includes diamond carat size in proportion to the ring. This can help you manage expectations. People are often hesitant to buy online because they can’t see the product. This helps lower your guard and see the engagement rings under normal lighting conditions. When you walk into a retail store you are hit with specialized lights that can make a poorly cut diamond sparkle.
TIP 2 : Narrow Down Your Diamond Carat Goal and Shape
This is an easy one. Sometimes you know what your significant others favorite. Other times this is a complete surprise and you’re looking for inspiration. Step one should help narrow that down. Seeing customer’s diamonds, the carat sizes, and what they paid helps you obtain a realistic budget for your carat goals. If you are on the fence, ROUND DIAMONDS are still a popular choice due to their brilliance. They are considered the most brilliant cut available. If your significant other likes a fancy cut. Princess cuts are a favorite. Emeralds, Pears, Ovals, and Radiants give you the largest-looking diamond.
TIP 3 : LEARN HOW TO PROPERLY USE THE FILTERS
GET THE BEST CUT AND AVOID OVERSPENDING
PRICE FILTER
Leave this as is. You don’t want to narrow so finely that you miss a diamond that is under budget or over budget.
CARAT FILTER
Move the left slider to your goal weight. Leave the high end unchanged for the same logic as before. You maybe pleasantly surprised to see a deal on a larger carat weight.
CUT FILTER
For Round diamonds you want to move the left slider to Ideal. For any other cut, Ideal may not be available for selection. In that case, very good should be selected.
COLOR FILTER
For Round, a great starting point is I color. Depending your findings/budget, you can move up to H/G color. For fancy shapes, a starting point of H may be ideal. This is a great starting point to gauge a price point.
CLARITY FILTER
From a value standpoint, SI1 clarity is ideal for both quality and savings. The trick, search the stones for eye clean finds. Try to avoid large black defects near the center of the diamond. If you see a small defect, this will not be visible by the human eye. See sample SI1’s below.
FLOURESCENCE
I select medium to none. Avoid strong and very strong. This is a safe approach. Read more about Fluorescence HERE. Extremely high colors G-D will be discounted heavily with strong flour. Stones with lower colors like K or J can benefit from a strong flour.
VERY IMPORTANT - MORE FILTERS TAB
click on the MORE FILTERS tab to expand on the most important hidden search features.
Depth & Table Percentage
One of the two key factors in choosing a diamond. The depth and table percentage is important in relation to the cut and width or the diamond. Each cut has different rules that apply. Use the table below to find your diamond shapes ideal depth & Table percentage.
| Diamond Shape | Ideal Depth & Table Percentage | Click link for filtered ideal stones |
|---|---|---|
| Round | Table: 53-58% Depth: 59-63% | FILTERED ROUND IDEAL CUTS |
| Princess | Table: 67-73% Depth: 64-75% | FILTERED PRINCESS IDEAL CUTS |
| Oval | Table: 53-62% Depth: 58-63% | FILTERED OVAL IDEAL CUTS |
| Pear | Table: 53-63% Depth: 55-62% | FILTERED PEAR IDEAL CUTS |
| Cushion | Table: 61-67% Depth: 61-67% | FILTERED CUSHION IDEAL CUTS |
| Emerald | Table: 61-69% Depth: 61-67% | FILTERED EMERALD IDEAL CUTS |
| Radiant | Table: 61-69% Depth: 61-70% | FILTERED RADIANT IDEAL CUTS |
| Asscher | Table: 61-69% Depth: 61-67% | FILTERED ASSCHER IDEAL CUTS |
L/W Length to Width Ratio
L/W ratios are key to the cut and size of the diamond. Rounds and princess cuts are easy, as a perfect circle or square are ideal. Fancy shapes have infinite combinations of l/w and it’s important in relation to the cut and size of the diamond. Each cut has different rules that apply. Use the table below to find your diamond shapes ideal L/W ratio
| Diamond Shape | Ideal L/W | Click link To View Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Round | 1.00-1.03 | Click Here to view ideal Round |
| Princess | 1.00-1.03 | Click Here to view Ideal Princess |
| Oval | 1.35-1.50 | Click Here to view Ideal Oval |
| Pear | 1.45-1.55 | Click Here to view Ideal Pear |
| Cushion | 1.00-1.03 | Click Here to view Ideal Cushion |
| Emerald | 1.40-1.50 | Click to view Ideal Emerald |
| Radiant | Square: 1-1.03 Rectangle 1.20-1.30 | Click to view Ideal Radiant |
| Asscher | 1.00-1.03 | Click Here to view ideal Asscher |
TIP 4 : Understanding clarity
Si1 is Ideal. However its not always the prettiest. You have to search through options to find the right one. An eye clean SI1 diamond doesn’t effect a diamonds beauty, it only effects what your spending. Certain diamonds like Emerald need a a VS2 minimal, all other diamonds can start by searching at SI1.
Views the images below for an example of a great si1 and a bad si1.
The diamond on the left is eye clean with no noticeable inclusions so this is considered a great si1. The stone on the right has a more noticeable black inclusion center and corner of the diamond. The corner isn’t a big issue as you can mount a prong on top of. The center of the diamond is the most sensitive. If the same inclusion on the center was moved closer to the edge of the table this would be a non issue.
You are always free to go to vs2 if your budget allows and you have hit your target color and carat weight.
TIP #5 : Understand The Priority Of Your Selections
Selecting a diamond with optimal value and quality, you want to prioritize your filters. If your selections are over or under budget, you need to know what to tweak first. You must choose carat weight first, cut second, adjust table, depth and L/W ratios 3rd, then choose color and clarity. If you feel its to expensive, play with clarity first. Then color. If still to important, lower the carat weight. I advise you always choose cut and proportions over anything else. If you feel you are under budget, then adjust color and carat weight.
TIP 6: Selecting your ring
This is purely subjective. Know your significant others preference. If you dont know, you cant go wrong with a halo ring or solitaire with side stones. I suggest visiting the recently purchased page for inspiration.
TIP 7 : ENJOY YOUR BEAUTIFUL DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING
Thanks for stopping by. I hope this article helped you in your search. If you follow these steps, I assure you a high quality, well priced diamond. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.
Recommended Places To Buy
For me to recommend any business, they must meet certain criteria. They must prove valuable to my clients in regards to How to buy a diamond savings and selection | EXPECT 20%-40% LOWER PRICES THAN TRADITIONAL JEWELERS |, time doing business(legitimacy), reputation, and return policy.
James Allen has the highest volume in diamond sales in the web and now have 500,000 diamonds in their inventory. They have industry leading diamond viewing technology. The ability to see your diamond more clearly than in a physical retail store is a massive plus for you. JA has incredible costumer service and have a massive Lab created diamond consisting of HPHT diamonds in their inventory.
They have free shipping domestic + international – free ring resizing – no questions asked money back return 30 days – provides insurance appraisals – lifetime warranty
Blue Nile was the original online giant that opened in 1999! They have the industry-leading largest available exclusive online inventory. They have incredible prices and their images are catching up to James Allen.
No questions asked money back 30 day guarantee – Free shipping – Free ring sizing – Provide insurance appraisals – Lifetime warranty – 100% future credit towards upgrades
Feel free to reach out and send me a message. Do you want buying advice on How to buy a diamond or have you found a stone you wish for me to evaluate. Feel free to drop me a line and say hello. Advice is free.
