At this point, I did not adjust the parameters for total depth or table diameter since I dont even know what it looks like yet. After all, the diamond has an excellent cut. Clarity: VS1 Notice how all of the arrows on the Astor Diamond on the left are dark. As a matter of fact, the proportions of this Astor by Blue Nile diamond do not meet my selection criteria. 0.46. Instead of creating a gimmicky special cut to market their diamonds, Blue Nile are simply selecting the highest quality diamonds in their huge inventory and differentiating them from the rest of their selection. The report also provides 5 images of your diamond under 5 different light views, to gauge the diamonds interaction with light. However, I am still doubtful whether these diamonds could compare to the other Hearts and Arrows Diamonds. Be sure to provide all the details, so that we can fully appreciate the dramatic differences. But some people do want more, a cut that goes beyond excellence. Color: G Make sure you can see high contrast brilliance in the arrows pattern. Clarity: VS1 If, however, you want only the best of the best and a branded diamond is more attractive to you, then by all means the Blue Nile Astor Ideal is a great place to take your search. However, we also cannot jump to conclusions based upon the GemEx score for only one diamond. Price: $8,702, ASTOR BY BLUE NILE In contrast, the diamond grading report issued by GCAL is aptly named a "certificate" because they do guarantee the grade. Do you see any signs ofobstruction under the table facet of this Astor by Blue Nile diamond? With that in mind, Im really curious to "Discover how we [Blue Nile] create a diamond for unmatched sparkle. Lets see how many of those diamonds have the proportions within the range that I adhere to. Interestingly enough, the first few GIA diamond grading reports for the Astor by Blue Nile diamonds in the list, do not contain a plotting diagram. Disabling or refusing the use of cookies might cause some elements of the site not to function properly. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. Unmatched in comparison to what standards? They also match the level of services provided by the other retailers. However, these reports do not distinguish the diamonds as True Heart anywhere. Do the diamonds have the same proportions? Although it might be acceptable if the pavilion depth were 43%. The price difference between the two is substantial. Dont pay over the odds for your diamond ring. As you probably noticed, some Astor diamonds are great (when accompanied with reasonable prices), while others cant be recommended in general. Price Comparison True Hearts vs. Astor Ideal True Hearts Certification Astor Ideal Certification Is True Hearts better than Ideal? James Allen is the leader in online diamond sales. You can check that out in the ideal scope images for this diamond below. These breathtaking stones have optimal brilliance, fire, and scintillation (a fancy word for sparkle). Signature Diamonds. Does the degree ofcontrast brilliance appear to be even and consistent? Based on this, they provide a grade from low to very high. By all means, feel free to contact me if you want help with your diamond buying quest. Blue Nile claims that only 1 in every 1000 diamonds has the potential to be an Astor Ideal. A good option if youre looking for a diamond with exceptional cut quality and dont mind paying a premium. As such, they are always looking for new ways to improve the components of their brand and marketing. Cut is the most important factor of diamond buying; thus, I commend any company who attempts to put this crucial feature front and centre for customers. If youre interested in premium cuts with reasonable prices, we recommend you visit Whiteflash and check their A CUT ABOVE collection. VS-2 clarity. I was initially struck by two things. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. However, as youll see in my Blue Nile main review, Im not too impressed with these options and think you should instead opt for the customization options available from Whiteflash. Her commitment to providing personalized guidance has earned her a loyal clientele. This has given him a unique perspective on what information truly helps our readers in their quest for finding the perfect diamond engagement ring or piece of jewelry. GCAL Report for Blue Nile Signature Diamonds. Blue Nile's diamond even has medium fluorescence and Whiteflash's has faint. Which lets face it, is the suits job. Round, princess, heart, oval, radiant, and cushion. So whats different about these diamonds? Below is the GemEx report for this Astor by Blue Nile diamond. While it is still not the absolute highest score Ive ever seen, it is on the higher end of the spectrum. Blue Nile offers Astor Diamonds in three shapes round, princess and cushion. You do get a super ideal cut diamond, I agree, but you can find the same thing in the True Hearts collection as well. The 34.5 degree crown angle should produce a virtual balance of brilliance and dispersion. Ideal and Astor Ideal diamond with similar cut and clarity grades. Our two cents? 25%-40% lower than physical stores. The collection includes some beautiful, very well-cut diamonds and is worth considering if youre looking for the very best. Hunting specifically for premium diamonds can be quite a task, but not when you get exclusive collections of premium diamonds from named and famed retailers like James Allen or the Blue Nile. Otherwise, this kind of thing is like trying to compare Coke & Kool-Aid, instead of Coke & Pepsi. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. (2023 Review). Create the diamond jewelry of your dreams with Blue Nile loose diamonds. You might also want to read our tutorial on How to Conduct a Blue Nile Diamond Search. Slight price premium compared to ideal cut diamonds. I also got my goldsmith education to create my own jewelry. They have the largest exclusive loose diamond inventory online and fantastic prices. The Hearts and Arrows pattern is only found in round, princess, or cushion-cut diamonds, which is why youll find True Hearts in these shapes only. Although Blue Niles Astor collection isnt our top recommendation for most people looking to buy a diamond, its an option thats worth considering if youre searching for an extremely well-cut diamond and can find it at the right price. I stumbled upon this company while asking diamond buying questions on Google. This is backed up by them stating that each Astor diamond receives the highest possible brilliance grade by GemEx yet, as I explained above, this is kind of empty promises and you mustnt ever buy based on a GemEx grade alone. James Allen also offers a selection of over 50,000 lab created diamonds. This collection by the Blue Nile features top-of-the-line diamonds that offer the utmost brilliance, sparkle, and scintillation. This 1.01 carat, H color, VS1 clarity diamond also has a stunning cut that provides unmatched brilliance. At the same time, the eight arrows can be seen from above. The Blue Nile Astor Ideal is a diamond that is cut to precise, mathematical proportions, utilizing advanced technology and expertise. But they all know that Todd Gray from Nice Ice is a perfectionist, who focuses primarily on the niche of super ideal cut diamonds. At the same time, I would like to see an ASET Scope, Ideal Scope, and Hearts & Arrows scope image. So rest-assure that your diamond GIA certificate will not have any indication about this, period. Interestingly enough, the bars for Fire and Sparkle are on the far right side of Very High on the GemEx report. Remember the perfect description? Similarly, a 1.02c. If youve read our review of Hearts on Fire diamonds youll be aware that, in general, were not fans of branded diamonds. For that reason, the Blue Nile Signature diamond was replaced by the Astor by Blue Nile collection in 2017. Probably theMad Men of Marketing. Am I missing something? Summary in a few lines: Blue Nile, like other major retailors, has their premium line of diamonds, in which they guarantee an unmatched sparkle and more than "regular" excellent cut, named Astor by Blue Nile.. Hold on a second! There is no need to pay that much - you can find equally well-cut diamonds with optimal proportions that qualify as GIA Ex/AGS 0 Ideal on your own and save thousands (cut estimator for reference).I've highlighted Blue Nile's diamonds with optimal proportions in my diamond price curves to speed up the search process. Apparently, that is another way to say that the results may vary by 5%, but I digress. Period. Mike started from the bottom, sorting and evaluating hundreds of thousands of diamonds to learn every facet (pun intended) of diamond quality and value. Blue Nile also offers their Lifetime Diamond Upgrade Program and gives you multiple financing options before purchasing. This extreme heat and pressure cause the diamonds to have some imperfection in its structure that isnt noticeable by the naked eye in most cases. One free resizing within the first year of purchase, High quality images of about half of their diamonds, 100% credit towards future upgrades (must be at least double in value). Be that as it may, the GemEx report for the Astor by Blue Nile diamonds to serve a purpose. The plotting diagram for this Astor by Blue Nile diamond looks like a standard round brilliant cut diamond to me. All diamonds come with a GIA certificate only. Buying through any, Blue Niles Astor Collection Diamonds Review. Yet, I dont see that justifying the price difference. That is actually the reason why I chose the 1.00 1.49 carat range for this search. While the offerings by Blue Nile are a little rudimental, the basic certifications are all available. It is a fraction smaller, but still, the price is higher. Have piece of mind that you didnt get ripped off. Still, its worth pondering how the Blue Nile Astor Ideal collection stacks up against the competition and if its worth investing in one. What is the difference? I love to share my diamond buying knowledge with people and see the look of understanding dawn upon their faces. Excellent Cut. 1ct round cut petite side-stone diamond ring in yellow gold from Blue Nile A wide range of 1 carat diamonds exist both in online markets and local, 2023 The Diamond Pro.+412-2501-7829Kernserstrasse 17 / Sarnen, Switzerland CH-6060. A diamonds cut is simply referring to how a diamond is cut from its rough form to its finished form which determines the sparkle and beauty of the diamond. The Blue Nile Astor Ideal collection is the vendor's assortment of top-quality Hearts and Arrows diamonds. This brings me back to one of the questions posed at the beginning of this article. This particular 1 carat cushion hearts and arrows diamond is a rare breed that offers good value for money. "Unmatched Sparkle as compared to what? Because the Light Performance grading platform of the AGSL is far superior to the GIA. Consequently, the next step of the evaluation process is to actually look at the diamond. At the same time, it appears that Blue Nile is no longer providing us with an Optical Symmetry analysis. Blue Nile is famous for the seemingly never-ending assortment of diamonds they offer and thats very important when youre looking for a pricey, high-quality stone. A selection of super ideal diamonds (Astor by Blue Nile and James Allen TrueHearts) A selection of rare fancy colored diamonds; Only lab certified diamonds. Now I was struggling to see this to be the case. One of the tricks that Blue Nile uses to add more credibility to their Astor collection is the certifications. Im certainly left questioning how the Astor by Blue Nile are actually unmatched. Price: $9,814, TRUE HEARTS BY JAMES ALLEN As the Astor Ideal are among the best-cut diamonds Blue Nile has to offer, they are significantly more expensive than other stones, including those that have ideal/excellent cuts. Are we comparing two diamonds which both have an overall cut grade of GIA Excellent? Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Colorless diamonds (only certain shapes) come graded according to their cut quality. Color: G James Allen is not far away either from this, as weve seen the very same case when we thoroughly reviewed True Hearts (Hearts & Arrows) Diamonds of JA , they want to convince you that your diamond is certified as an exceptional diamond by GIA or AGS (True Hearts) or by GIA (Astor), but the most you can get is Excellent on the Cut section on the GIA certificate. However, without the insight provided by hearts, arrows, or optical symmetry scope images. Perhaps Blue Nile will provide us with the patent registration at some point in the future. It goes without saying that the higher the grade the higher the value of the diamond, but not necessarily the best investment as we explained in our article: What is the Best Diamond Clarity? The hallmark of the ideal cut round diamonds with perfect internal symmetry and proportions, with superior gem grading for cut and polish, is what a True Heart diamond is all about. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Here is the GIA report for this Astor diamond: 1- Gemex certificate DOESinclude & confirm an Astor diamond, but Gemex is not as reputable as GIA or AGS, its not even an industry standard, so you cant count much on this. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. What is it that they say? Blue Nile also has the advantage when it comes to the various installment financial plans they offer, as well as an extensive supply of diamond-related information and education they offer to their customers. Which brings me to my usual point of do the Astor by Blue Nile diamonds represent good value for money? They also go on to describe them as being exceptionally rare, and ranked as Excellent Cut from the GIA. How to Conduct a Blue Nile Diamond Search, https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?a_aid=GrayMatter, 1.00 carat, F-color, VS-2 clarity, Blue Nile Astor diamond, Astor by Blue Nile Diamond, 1.00 carat, G-color, VS-2 clarity, 1.00 carat, G-color, VS-2 clarity, Blue Nile Astor diamond, 1.00 carat, G-color, VS-1 clarity, Blue Nile Astor diamond, 1.00 carat, F-color, VS-2 clarity, Astor diamond by Blue Nile, 1.00 carat, G-color, Blue Nile Astor diamond, 1.00 carat, G-color, VS-2 clarity, Astor by Blue Nile diamond, LD09203237: 1.01 carat, F-color. Were talking about 30-50% higher price for Astor compared to a regular ideal cut diamond. It grades them, and is very clear to point out that it isnt a guarantee. Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months, One free resizing within 60 days of purchase, Best-in-class high quality imagery of all diamonds in stock. I urge you to look beyond the branding and instead focus on particular diamonds. It seems to me that if were going to make this kind of comparison, we should consider all the details. Plotting Diagram for an Astor by Blue Nile Diamond. Consequently, Im not a fan of the GemEx system, but to each their own as they say. What is the difference between True Hearts and Astor Ideal? Astor by Blue Nile is, as mentioned above, Blue Nile's exclusive collection of diamonds cut for optimal brilliance. Tiffany Setting vs. Prong Setting Is There a Difference? Before you buy a diamond, get personal buying advice from industry veterans. People sometimes go crazy in carat thinking a 0.8 carat diamond would be very small, truth is, such carat is great for most hands, and weve created a full guide for carat chart showing actual sizes on hand. 2- James Allen is more transparent, the terms they use are more straight-forward than Blue Nile, JamesAllen claims A certificate from one of the worlds top grading laboratories the GIA or AGS accompanies each Hearts and Arrows diamond, verifying its superior quality and thats it, while Blue Nile played it well: Astor by Blue Nile diamonds are independently assessed by two industry experts, assuring their quality and exceptional brilliance, and They are curated and analyzed by two independent industry experts to unlock ultimate brilliance.. However, a true heart diamond can be identified by its spectacular symmetry and proportions. After all, shooting a video of a Porsche 911 speeding past a rusty old pick-up truck doesnt prove a thing. You really do need to make sure the diamond you purchase has certification from the GIA, IGI or AGS. This brings with it a little word of warning. Consequently, the 75% lower girdle facet length should produce larger sparkle that is bolder in appearance. Crucially, it is not a benchmark certification process for the entire diamond industry. In that case, tell me what you see when you look at the arrows pattern of this diamond? Other options worth considering for exceptionally well-cut diamonds include James Allens True Hearts collection and Brian Gavin Diamonds. Im going to be looking at the specific Astor range, which replaces the Blue Nile Signature collection. It is great that Blue Nile offer a collection that claims to focus on cut quality. While one of Blue Niles greatest advantages over their competitors is the enormous size of their collection, this has always had the unintentional drawback of making it harder to navigate through their site and find what youre looking for. Secondly, Im pretty sure some of those images are the exact same ones that were used in their Signature range. Your Perfect Piece An Astor diamond is meant to be worn. In that case, I expect you to prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt and I'll hold you to it. Well cut Asschers are really hard to find because most are cut for weight retention instead of . People generally get to this question because of the price difference, they want to know if its worth to pay the money (which can be in thousands) to get an Astor, when they can get an ideal cut diamond that has great sparkle?
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