One of the most comprehensive ways to assess the quality of a jeweller’s products is by reading through real customer reviews about how well their rings have held up through everyday wear.
Our team has spent considerable time reading through customer reviews mentioning Blue Nile’s ring quality, and we didn’t find the results encouraging. We came across numerous accounts of loose stones, stones falling out, and settings cracking. These issues are significant red flags in our opinion, as a ring should withstand daily wear without compromising its integrity.
We’ve included screenshots of some of the reviews for you to read through.
When we unboxed our Blue Nile ring, we found it to be a smooth, pleasant, and intuitive experience. We considered the packaging to be nicer than what was offered by some of the other jewellers, and the ring came in its own box that was separate from the outer packaging. It had a nice texture and consistent branding, and felt quite sturdy in our opinion. It also contained all of the necessary documents, including a GIA certificate for the lab grown diamond centre stone.
Upon unboxing the ring, we assessed the polish before there was any chance that we might damage it with our tests. We didn’t observe any major porosity or a resizing solder join near the base of the shank, which we found encouraging to see. We did, however, notice a few areas that needed a little more polishing- namely the centrestone claws and the inside of the shank. We were able to observe slight porosity in the prongs, and the inside of the shank was slightly scuffed. There was an area which had been completely missed. There were also a few lines and scratches, and a small sharp line near the 18K stamp. In our opinion, the polish was nothing special, but it wasn’t the worst we’ve seen.
After examining the polish, we looked over the rest of the ring under a 50x microscope. Overall, we weren’t too impressed with what we saw. Luckily, there were a few things that Blue Nile did well- we confirmed that all of the melee stones were set securely, with no bezzling, and they all had a metal cutout from beneath them, allowing for easy cleaning. There was also no sign of cracking anywhere in the metal. We did, however, notice that the centrestone claws were too inclined towards the inside of the centrestone, and there was a slight gap between the centrestone and two of the claws, compromising the security of the stone. Despite this, we found that the claws were thick enough, had a nice amount of metal on them, and had been cut to fit exactly to the centrestone in our opinion. Unfortunately, the centre stone wasn’t sitting completely centrally in the setting. When we examined the hidden halo, all of the claws were looking overpolished on both the top and bottom, in our opinion, making them more likely to fall out. When it came to the melee stones, their claws had enough metal on them, but in some areas, we considered that a little too much metal had been taken away from the inside of the settings.
When we rubbed a cloth over the face of the centre stone, the claws didn’t catch any fibres, and passed the test. Despite passing the test, we were still concerned by the fact that the claws weren’t sitting flush with the stone.
Our drop test yielded interesting results. We didn’t find any loose stones in the ring prior to dropping it, but after dropping it five times from a height of one metre, the hidden halo stones had moved down quite a bit, and there were a few that were loose. One of the melee stones had come slightly loose, and another had come very loose. After ten drops, one hidden halo stone fell out. This was the only ring to have a stone fall out in our drop test, and this is likely due to the overpolishing of the hidden halo prongs. The rest of the hidden halo stones were extremely loose, with one on the verge of falling out. There were also four loose melee stones, and the centrestone had come slightly loose
After bending one claw backwards, we could see that the centrestone was moving quite a bit. The metal was slightly stretched, but this wasn’t unexpected given the trauma we’d put it through.
Sawing through the band, we were able to confirm that the metal was solid, and it was also hallmarked as advertised.
Overall, we found Blue Nile’s ring to be slightly lower than the average of the rings we have tested so far.
We found Blue Nile’s overall value to be below average when compared to the rest of the jewellers we researched. In order to assess the value of a ring, we take into account the price of the ring, the quality, the shipping policy, the cost of repairs and servicing, the cost of resizing, and the cost of duties and taxes. We weight each category accordingly to ensure that our ratings are accurate and reflective of the overall value of a jeweller’s offerings.
When we compared the cost of their rings with the average cost of those we researched , we found Blue Nile to be approximately 16% less affordable. Blue Nile additionally has some of the lowest-rated customer reviews when it comes to ring quality, as well as a poor duties and taxes policy. Despite above average shipping, resizing, and cleaning/servicing policies, in comparison to the other jewellers that we’ve reviewed, we consider the value of Blue Nile’s offerings to be below average.
We sent a 3rd party mystery shopper to Blue Nile to review their customer service during appointments, and they reported a relatively good experience. It was nothing special, but also wasn’t bad.
The mystery shopper shared that they were greeted warmly by the sales consultants, which made them feel welcome. Although the sales consultant was friendly and was dressed professionally, they didn’t provide much information on the individual engagement ring designs. They did, however, provide guidance on the 4Cs, and ran the mystery shopper through the online purchase process. The main drawback, in our opinion, was the lack of information on designs and an inability to share why the mystery shopper should make a purchase from Blue Nile in comparison to their other competitors. The mystery shopper didn’t report any pressure to make a purchase, which we consider to be a positive.
Our interactions with Blue Nile online were also rather varied. The response times through their online chat were impressively quick in our experience, with a chatbot immediately replying. However, we found the effectiveness of these responses to be inconsistent. At times, we needed to ask a question multiple different ways to receive a response that we considered to be helpful. We also couldn’t contact a human sales representative, having sent multiple emails with no response. We did, however, receive follow-up communications after booking and cancelling an appointment, but they didn’t address our original enquiry. We found the booking confirmation email to be prompt, with all the necessary details and a reminder the day before our appointment.
In our experience, reading through the reviews that mentioned Blue Nile’s customer service revealed a variety of encounters. Customers praised the friendly and helpful service, with unrushed appointments and staff who were willing to share their knowledge. These positive reviews were consistent, as detailed below.
However, there were also mentions of the occasional customer feeling unwelcome during appointments or not feeling well accommodated. In our opinion, there seems to be some inconsistency here, and this might be a potential area for improvement on Blue Nile’s behalf.
We sent a 3rd party mystery shopper to have an in-person appointment at Blue Nile, and they reported that they were greeted warmly by the staff. Their sales consultant was professional and friendly, and their communication skills were reportedly excellent. Although they asked some good questions about the mystery shopper’s preferences and attentively listened to the responses, they didn’t provide much information about the engagement ring designs in question. Despite this, they were transparent about the pricing, and didn’t apply any pressure to make a purchase, which we consider to be very positive.
The 3rd party mystery shopper reported that the cabinets were clean and that the atmosphere of the store was relaxed and not intimidating, with an enjoyable temperature, a nice fragrance in the air, and appropriate content and volume of music. When we had a look at publicly available images of Blue Nile’s showrooms, we considered the store design to look relatively modern, but slightly clinical.
The mystery shopper mentioned that there were approximately 10-50 engagement rings on display. They shared that the rings were attractively presented in a well-organised jewellery cabinet. The rings, however, were set with cubic zirconia instead of genuine diamonds, which in our opinion, makes it difficult for the client to form an accurate idea of what the finished product would look like. We could also see from the mystery shopper’s photos that the rings had large tags attached to them, which we consider to take away from the authentic feeling of trying on the rings.
The standard duration for appointments at Blue Nile is one hour, which, in our opinion, allows more than enough time for an engagement ring appointment. Additionally, the mystery shopper found the store easy to find. The mystery shopper described the appointment as private, and said that the temperature in the store was comfortable.
The mystery shopper noted that the sales consultant described the 4Cs, and advised on the range to choose from within each category. They also demonstrated the differences between the colours of each diamond. However, they did not mention anything about the crafting process.
We found it straightforward and easy to change the ring size and add an engraving a few days after placing the order. These alterations were quickly accommodated by the Blue Nile.
Blue Nile sent a CAD design prior to beginning the production of the ring, however, they didn’t send a video of the finished ring prior to shipping it to us.
Blue Nile didn’t provide us with a completion date or a shipping date.
When using the Blue Nile website, we found it to be updated and decently designed, with an easily navigable homepage. The menu system is extensive and functional, making it straightforward to find products in our opinion. We found that each product page offered plenty of information, but the bottom of the product list pages could do with some improvement, with strangely laid out FAQ sections. When we accessed the site on a mobile device, we found that it functioned quite well. The menu system was effective, responsive and intuitive, and all elements were correctly resized in our opinion. The process of choosing a diamond and a setting worked well, and was responsive and efficient in our experience.
When it came to the product imagery on Blue Nile’s website, we found that the images often inaccurately represented the metal colours, appearing very dark, and not matching the angles of the settings. In our opinion, the stones weren’t accurately represented either, and the limited number of product angles and lack of functional zoom ability detracted from the shopping experience. While the 360-degree view feature was useful in our experience, it fell short without a zoom function. We also found the lifestyle images to be poor quality, with rings superimposed onto stock photos in an unrealistic manner. In our opinion, this uniform approach to lifestyle imagery doesn’t provide an accurate representation of how the products will look in-person.
We found the educational content on Blue Nile’s website to be mostly good. While there was a substantial amount of material covering topics like the 4Cs of diamonds, the characteristics of lab-grown diamonds, mined diamonds, and metals could be elaborated on, and the readability of the blogs could be improved in our opinion. That being said, we consider that the educational resources could still benefit from more detail on purchasing diamonds, including aspects like ratios, proportions, fluorescence, and the bow-tie effect, as well as insights into their customisation process.
We considered the process of booking an appointment through Blue Nile’s website to be straightforward. After booking, we received an immediate confirmation with all the necessary details about the location and time, followed by a reminder the day before the appointment.
We found that Blue Nile provides clear pricing on their website, and it’s straightforward to make an online purchase. They also offered a variety of payment options, but, in our opinion, had limited financing options- only offering a Blue Nile credit card. We consider this to be a drawback for those looking for flexible financing plans. Additionally, we found that the site often features substantial discounts on lab grown diamonds. Although this may be appealing to some customers, it raises our concerns about whether they are looking to clear out excess inventory or encourage customers to make an impulse purchase. In our opinion, this can often also reveal initially high markups that make the discounts seem more significant than they truly are.
Blue Nile responded quickly via the online chatbot, responding within 5 minutes. However, the effectiveness of these responses varied significantly, with us needing to send multiple iterations of one question to receive a helpful response. We found it difficult to get in contact with a human, having sent multiple emails, and receiving no response in return. In some instances, the answers were thorough and helpful, while in others, they were brief and lacked useful information. The follow-up emails after we booked and cancelled an appointment were prompt, but didn’t address our original query, even when we mentioned that no one had responded to us. Compared to the other jewellers we’ve researched, Blue Nile’s online communication leaves us disappointed, and concerned for customers who need to get in contact with them for time-sensitive matters.
We received a booking confirmation immediately after scheduling our appointment, including all relevant details and a reminder the day before. This prompt and clear communication left us well-prepared for our visit, in our opinion.
Reading through customer reviews about Blue Nile’s online communication confirmed some of the concerns that we had after conducting our own communication tests. There certainly were positive reviews (accompanying ratings of four stars and over), with customers mentioning effective and timely communication after purchase. However, there were also reports of the company failing to respond to calls or emails, and being unwilling to honour return policies. We consider that these reviews could be a sign of inconsistent post-purchase care, and could be problematic for customers needing assistance with returns or product issues.
Blue Nile offers a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty, which is likely reassuring for customers concerned about potential defects, and is excellent when compared to other jewellers who don’t offer a warranty. The warranty covers issues related to materials and workmanship, providing repairs or replacements if flaws arise from the manufacturing process. We found the warranty details to be clearly outlined on their website, making it easy for customers to understand what is covered.
Blue Nile has a 30-day return policy for unworn and uncustomised items, with free return shipping. We consider this to be a good policy, giving customers ample time to decide if they are satisfied with their purchase. Engraved items can also be returned, for a USD$25 polishing charge. Items purchased on sale aren’t eligible for return. We appreciated the clarity of this policy, which was easy to find on their website.
Blue Nile offers free resizing within the first 12 months of purchase, which, in our opinion, is beneficial for ensuring a perfect fit. After the initial year, customers will need to pay for resizing services. We find that this period is generous when compared with many of the other jewellers we’ve reviewed, and gives plenty of time to ensure a customer is satisfied with the fit of their ring.
We were pleased to learn that Blue Nile provides complimentary lifetime cleaning and product check-ups under the lifetime warranty, which includes deep cleaning, inspection, prong tightening, repolishing, and rhodium plating (according to their website chatbot). This ongoing care is crucial for maintaining the longevity and beauty of jewellery purchased from them. Having the option for free cleaning services shows a commitment to customer satisfaction well beyond the initial purchase. It’s worth noting, however, that shipping costs associated with these services are not included.
Our team read through customer reviews focused on post-purchase care, and we found them to be discouraging. Numerous reports indicated that Blue Nile often didn’t honour their return policies, making it difficult for customers to get refunds. Additionally, there were complaints about issues with resizing and a general lack of support in resolving customer problems. In our opinion, this inconsistency in post-purchase service is troubling and something that potential buyers should consider seriously.
During the appointment, the sales consultant explained the 4Cs of diamonds, which was helpful, but there was no discussion about the crafting process or the impact of bespoke design choices.
In our opinion, Blue Nile’s website offers a substantial amount of educational material, including information on the 4Cs, the characteristics of lab grown and mined diamonds, metals, and more. Despite this, we found that the readability of their blogs could be improved a little, by enhancing the guides with more detailed information on diamond purchasing, such as ratios, proportions, fluorescence, and bow ties, as well as insights into the customisation process.
There was no mention of the crafting process or the impact of bespoke design choices during the mystery shopper’s interactions with a sales representative. In our opinion, including this information could significantly enhance the educational value provided to customers, helping them understand what goes into creating their unique pieces.
As a team committed to promoting environmentally conscious practices, we were disappointed to find that Blue Nile doesn’t participate in any carbon offset strategies. If you’re looking for carbon-neutral products, Blue Nile may not be for you. This is definitely an area for them to improve, in our opinion.
Blue Nile complies with the Kimberley Process, which aims to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the market, but we consider that it doesn’t do enough to combat the harms of diamond mining. Blue Nile is also a signatory of EarthWorks’ No Dirty Gold Golden Rules, and some of their packaging is recycled. Blue Nile offers lab grown diamonds, which is a sustainable and ethical option, however, they also offer mined diamonds, which are proven to be environmentally and socially harmful.
We found Blue Nile to fall short in their community engagement practices. Our inquiries revealed that they don’t contribute to any charities or participate in community initiatives. At Compare Jewellers, we believe in the importance of giving back, and, in our opinion, this is an area where Blue Nile could greatly improve.
Blue Nile’s website states that most custom designs, once approved, are completed within an 8-12 week timeframe. This duration is fairly standard in comparison to the other jewellers we’ve reviewed, and in our opinion, it’s essential to factor this into your planning if you have a specific proposal date in mind.
Blue Nile doesn’t display expedited production options on their website, and their online chatbot confirmed that they can’t speed up the production time.
We found a few negative reviews (accompanying ratings of two stars and under) regarding the production time when we were doing our research, with some customers expressing dissatisfaction about how long it took for their rings to be crafted. Though a small number, these reviews suggest to us that while the production time is standard, actual experiences may vary, and delays can occur.
Blue Nile offers an extensive range of diamonds with various shapes and carat sizes. This offers plenty of diamond options. While settings can be mixed with all stone shapes, customisation outside of metal type and engraving is limited. We consider the engraving service to be great, but the ability to customise band thickness through the website isn’t available.
The online customisation process, while functional, isn’t the most user-friendly in our opinion. At times, we found it difficult to keep track of the selections we made, which could be improved for a smoother experience.
The mystery shopper shared that the sales consultant demonstrated how to use the website to choose a diamond, but they didn’t mention how to customise the specific engagement ring design or explain the crafting process.
Blue Nile offers a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty, covering defects in materials and workmanship. This warranty provides repair or replacement for flaws arising from the manufacturing process, though it typically excludes damage from accidents, misuse, normal wear and tear, or unauthorised repairs. When we enquired, the Blue Nile chatbot confirmed that the warranty covers issues with prong setting, polishing, plating, or overall craftsmanship when the client receives their piece.
We found the details of the warranty to be clearly presented on Blue Nile’s website, making it easy for customers to understand what is covered and how to claim the warranty if needed.
Blue Nile offers free and secure shipping on all orders, including international ones. Orders over USD$500 are shipped faster, which, in our opinion, is a nice perk for higher-value purchases.
We read through customer reviews regarding Blue Nile’s shipping, and found them to be troubling. Customers reported delays and issues with import duties and taxes. For international orders that need resizing, customers must pay import taxes each time, which can add significant costs, inconveniencing international clients in our opinion. We consider that this needs to be addressed by Blue Nile.
Blue Nile offers a 30-day return or exchange policy for unworn and uncustomised items, with free return shipping included. Engraved items can be returned, but there is a USD$25 polishing charge. Items purchased on sale can’t be returned, which is a common practice among the other jewellers we’ve reviewed.
In our opinion, the return policy details are easy to find and clearly outlined on Blue Nile’s website. We find that this transparency helps customers to understand the conditions under which they can return their purchases.
Blue Nile offers shipping to Australia, Austria, Bermuda, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Guam, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macau, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Virgin Islands.
The website doesn’t provide information on whether Blue Nile insures their international orders for free. A representative confirmed that they ship fully insured to many international destinations. We consider that it may be worth confirming this in writing prior to making a purchase.
There wasn’t any information on Blue Nile’s website about delivery duties and taxes at the time of our research, so we reached out to a sales representative. They confirmed that taxes and duties payable will depend on the shipping destination and in all cases are paid locally to USP who will manage the import for the client. It is therefore the customer’s responsibility to estimate and pay for delivery and import costs, which we find to be disappointing when compared to what’s offered by the other jewellers we’ve researched.
At the time of our research, there wasn’t any information on Blue Nile’s website about service-related shipping costs, so we had to reach out to a sales representative. They confirmed that customers are responsible for paying any costs associated with service-related shipping to and from Blue Nile, which, in our opinion, is rather inconsiderate of international clients.
A representative confirmed that having a third-party jeweller work on a Blue Nile ring would void the warranty.
International orders over USD$500 in value are shipped overnight via Secure Carrier, and international orders under USD$500 in value are shipped Two Day via Secure Carrier. A signature is required upon delivery.
At the time of our research, Blue Nile had an average rating of about 4.3 stars across just over 20 stores on Google. Customers seemed to generally appreciate the wide selection of products and the ability to customise their rings. However, there were recurring issues related to returns, refunds, customer service, and product quality, which are all critical aspects to consider when choosing a jeweller.
On Trustpilot, Blue Nile had a rating of 4.0 stars based on nearly 1,000 reviews at the time of our research. Similar to Google reviews, customers praised the product variety and customisation options, but frequently mentioned problems with returns, refunds, customer service, and product quality. In our opinion, these concerns highlight significant ways for Blue Nile to improve the service they offer.
Reading through the reviews that mentioned Blue Nile’s customer service revealed a variety of experiences. Customers praised the friendly and helpful service, with knowledgeable staff and unrushed appointments, which we were pleased to see. We saw these positive reviews consistently, and have included them for you to read.
However, there were also mentions of the occasional customer feeling unwelcome during appointments, or not feeling well accommodated. There seems to be some inconsistency here in our opinion, and is a potential area for improvement on Blue Nile’s behalf.
In our opinion, reading through reviews about online communication is a helpful insight into how well a jeweller communicates online during and after a purchase. When we read through Blue Nile’s, we found that some customers reported that their calls or emails went unanswered, which we find to be a significant issue, especially when dealing with product problems or return requests. We recommend that this be considered prior to purchasing, as it can be difficult to discern how your chosen jeweller will communicate post-purchase.
Reviews focusing on Blue Nile’s post-purchase care were quite concerning from our perspective. Customers reported difficulties in successfully ensuring Blue Nile honoured their return policies, issues with resizing rings, and a general lack of support in resolving problems. These negative experiences trouble us, and should be taken into account prior to making a purchase.
We looked for reviews about Blue Nile’s production time, and at the time of our research there were two mentions of negative experiences (accompanying ratings of 2 stars or below). This isn’t much information, but it indicates that some customers were dissatisfied with how long it took for their rings to be crafted.
Shipping isn’t usually under the control of the jeweller after sending a ring, but shipping reviews for Blue Nile highlighted some concerns, with many customers reporting delays and issues related to import taxes. For international orders needing resizing, customers had to pay import taxes each time, which isn’t ideal. In our opinion, this should be communicated well to the customer before making a purchase, and by the surprised tone evident in these reviews, this clearly isn’t the case. Please feel welcome to read more about how Blue Nile takes care of their international clients in the International Accessibility category.
According to reviews on Glassdoor at the time of our research, Blue Nile had an average rating of 3.4 stars based on nearly 350 reviews from employees. Positive aspects included a pleasant work environment and employee discounts. However, many employees reported issues with management, limited growth opportunities, and understaffing, which we consider to be indications of potential internal challenges.
If reading this review has left you wondering where to look next, your're not alone. Read the review on our Top Rated jeweller, Cullen Jewellery - known for exceptional craftsmanship, lab-grown diamonds, and service that goes above and beyond.
