Astor Ideal Blue Nile Diamonds vs GIA Excellent Cut

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Astor Ideal Cut Diamonds from Blue Nile are the Signature flagship of their impressive online empire. Many people in the industry refer to Blue Nile as the 800-pound Gorilla in room. At least when it comes to the world of internet diamonds where they command one of the largest market shares.

As such, they are always looking for new ways to improve the components of their brand and marketing. For that reason, the Blue Nile Signature diamond was replaced by the Astor by Blue Nile collection in 2017.

As a matter of fact, Blue Nile did not provide their affiliates with advance notice of the change. In that case, I originally wrote this article "on the fly" on the day the collection was launched. Under those conditions, I wrote this review from the perspective of a customer learning about Astor by Blue Nile diamonds for the first time.

Astor by Blue Nile Diamonds

Astor by Blue Nile Diamonds.

For the record, I'm a professional diamond buyer with 35+ years experience. In that case, I'll approach this Astor Ideal Cut Diamond Review from a slightly different perspective than most. This is definitely going to be interesting because we're going to be evaluating these diamonds together. You might also want to read our tutorial on How to Conduct a Blue Nile Diamond Search.

Let's Search for Astor Ideal Diamonds:

One of the first things you’re going to see is this statement about the Astor by Blue Nile diamond:

What is an Astor by Blue Nile Diamond

What is an Astor by Blue Nile Diamond?

As a matter of fact, this statement raises a very good question. Actually, it raises several very good questions. Not the least of which is:

What is an Astor Ideal Cut Diamond?

The screenshot above is a claim made by Blue Nile on their website. These statements imply several things from my perspective. In the first place, it implies that the Astor by Blue Nile diamond is different than everything else.

It also implies that if I continue to read that page, then I will discover how they create sparkle which is unmatched. In addition, I'm led to believe that no other diamond offers sparkle that is comparable or better.

Astor by Blue Nile claims to offer unmatched sparkle

Astor by Blue Nile is Unmatched.

Under those circumstances, I fully expect to be impressed.  Although I wonder whether this claim will hold water as we move through the evaluation process. Remember that I’m learning about the Astor by Blue Nile diamond right along with you, step by step.

Therefore, this review of the Astor by Blue Nile diamond is going to be more like a casual conversation among friends. That means you get to hear what I really think (the unedited version). With that in mind, this initial statement by Blue Nile got me thinking.

Questions About Astor by Blue Nile Diamonds:

  • What is an Astor by Blue Nile diamond?
  • How is the Astor by Blue Nile diamond different?
  • Did Blue Nile really create a new diamond cut?
  • What are the proportions of the Astor diamond?
  • Does the Astor diamond have a different facet structure?
  • How did Blue Nile determine that it offers unmatched sparkle?
  • Unmatched in comparison to what standards?
  • What scientific standards is Blue Nile using to measure sparkle?

Of course, it's likely that more questions will arise as we move down the page. However, these are the questions that first come to mind. At least as far as we've read thus far which is just the first paragraph.

Naturally, the idea that Blue Nile created a new diamond cut has piqued my curiosity. However, since the Astor by Blue Nile diamond page seems artfully vague. In that case, we're going to ask some tough questions like any good investigative journalist.

Is the Astor Ideal Diamond A New Cut?

The words that Blue Nile uses to peak our interest, did just that. As a result, I'm curious to see how https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?a_aid=GrayMatter is creating diamonds guaranteed to deliver unmatched sparkle. After all, I’ve been at this game since 1985 and the promise of anything new is exciting.

As a matter of fact, the modern round brilliant cut diamond has been the bread and butter of the industry since the mid-1950s. Although that may be true, it is actually a redesign, largely built upon the work of Marcel Tolkowsky's Diamond Design from 1919. With the promise of a new creation nibbling at my curiosity, I ran a patent search for the Astor by Blue Nile diamond:

Astor by Blue Nile diamond Google patent search

Astor by Blue Nile Patent

Astor + Blue + Nile + Diamond = No results found.

Well, Crud. That was anticlimactic.

Introducing the Astor by Blue Nile diamond reviews

Astor by Blue Nile Diamonds.

In my experience, when a diamond cutter creates a new design, they usually file a patent to protect their work. For example, there is a patent for Black by Brian Gavin Diamond because the cutting technique is state-of-the-art.

As a matter of fact, Brian Gavin is the only diamond cutter in the world with a patent for maximizing light performance in the modern round brilliant cut diamond.

Perhaps Blue Nile will provide us with the patent registration at some point in the future. That will enable us to examine the facet structure of the diamond.

In other words, the patent description would enable us easily identify what is unique about it. Since that is not an option, we’re going to have to dissect the Astor by Blue Nile diamond to see what makes it special.

Light Performance of the Astor by Blue Nile diamond:

The next section of the Astor by Blue Nile diamond introduction page looks like this:

Light Performance of the Astor by Blue Nile diamonds, GemEx claim

Astor by Blue Nile Light Performance.

Obviously, I took the liberty of highlighting that sentence in red because this is a pretty hefty claim! Let’s read that again…

"Every Astor by Blue Nile™ diamond receives the highest grade for each by GemEx.”

Let’s break that sentence down:

‘Every’ Astor by Blue Nile diamond receives ‘the highest grade’ for each (category) by GemEx. As you might imagine, I tend to be kind of literal. As such, I assume that this type of product benefits statements is 100% accurate.

Under those circumstances, I interpret the word ‘every’ to mean every single Astor by Blue Nile diamond.

By the same token, I interpret ‘the highest grade’ to mean the highest scores for Light Performance on the GemEx grading platform.

Here is an image from the archives of Nice Ice that show what that looks like:

GemEx report highest scores brilliance, dispersion, scintillation

Excellent Gem Ex Report.

Three blue bars on the far right side of the spectrum of Very High on a Gem Ex Light Performance report. That is what I deem to be "the highest grade” available from GemEx. Would you agree?

Blue Nile Sets The Bars High for the Astor Ideal Diamond:

Now, the reason why I bring up this point is because the way the two diamonds look in the video frame. That first shot of them looks kind of wonky, don’t you think? Thankfully, things straighten up a bit when you click to watch the video:

Video comparison Astor by Blue Nile vs generic round brilliant cut diamond

Astor by Blue Nile vs Round Brilliant Cut Diamond.

As a matter of fact, this is the shot that Blue Nile should be using on the Astor by Blue Nile diamonds page. Because this image clearly shows the difference in how light is reflecting throughout the two diamonds.

Obviously, the Astor by Blue Nile diamond on the left looks better than the diamond on the right. No doubt about it. In fact, if know anything about diamonds, then you can see that the diamond on the right is leaking light. Just look at the edge of the table facet all the way around the diamond on the right.

That’s light leakage, plain as day.

Another thing I want you to notice is the way light is reflecting off of the arrows pattern. Notice how all of the arrows on the Astor Diamond on the left are dark. That is because they are reflecting back the dark color of the camera lens.

While the generic round brilliant cut diamond on the right is not reflecting light evenly. As a matter of fact, some of the arrows are light, while others are dark. Sometimes this optical effect is little more than the alignment of the diamond to the camera lens.

In this case, the arrows will fire as the diamond goes into rotation. Other times, it is a matter of the pavilion main facets being slightly off axis. That is commonly referred to in diamond cutting circles as azimuth shift or facet yaw.

Apples to Oranges Diamond Comparisons:

While I understand the point that Blue Nile is trying to make, it seems more like an apple to oranges comparison. From my perspective, the diamond on the right is clearly not cut well.

While the Astor by Blue Nile diamond on the left appears to be cut much better. That I suppose is the conclusion that Blue Nile wants us to reach. However, I would like to see the diamond grading reports for both diamonds.

Astor by Blue Nile diamonds, comparing apples to oranges video review

Apples to Oranges Comparison

Are we comparing two diamonds which both have an overall cut grade of GIA Excellent? Do the diamonds have the same proportions? Do both round brilliant cut diamonds have the same facet structure?

It seems to me that if we’re going to make this kind of comparison, we should consider all the details. If the focus is on Light Performance, then we should compare super ideals.

Otherwise, this kind of thing is like trying to compare Coke & Kool-Aid, instead of Coke & Pepsi. In that case, we should compare diamonds of equal proportions if we're going to do this right.

In my experience, super ideal hearts and arrows diamonds offer the best light performance. With that in mind, a video of an Astor next to a Black by Brian Gavin Diamond would be more impressive. After all, shooting a video of a Porsche 911 speeding past a rusty old pick-up truck doesn’t prove a thing.

If you want to impress me, show how Astor by Blue Nile diamonds stack up against a hearts and arrows super ideal cut diamond. Be sure to provide all the details, so that we can fully appreciate the dramatic differences.

What are the Proportions of Astor by Blue Nile diamonds?

As we move further down the page for Astor by Blue Nile diamonds, we get to the proportions. Unfortunately, Blue Nile doesn’t really tell us anything about the proportions of the Astor diamonds. Once again, they just giving us a bunch of marketing hype:

"Every Astor by Blue Nile diamond is cut to ideal proportions to reflect light and ensure maximum sparkle.”

Ideal proportions criteria for Astor by Blue Nile diamonds review

Astor by Blue Nile Proportions.

The next paragraph that explains the exceptional symmetry of the Astor by Blue Nile diamond is just as illuminating.

Astor by Blue Nile diamonds optical symmetry parameters

Astor by Blue Nile Optical Precision.

As a matter of fact, these two paragraphs give me hope. Because they suggest that Astor by Blue Nile diamonds exhibit the light performance of a super ideal. According to this, the Astor diamonds are cut to ideal proportions for maximum sparkle. In addition, they have also been cut to achieve precise symmetry for maximum sparkle.

Now we’re talking my language because I live in the world of super ideal hearts and arrows diamonds. Naturally, I can't wait to see the ASET, Ideal Scope, and Hearts & Arrows Scope images for these diamonds.

Are Astor by Blue Nile Diamonds GIA Certified?

To begin with, I openly admit that this next rant is because this is a pet peeve of mine. Despite numerous claims by diamond dealers and jewelry stores all over the world, there is no such thing as a GIA Certified Diamond.

The GIA Gem Trade Laboratory does NOT certify diamonds.

Everybody in the diamond industry should know this because the disclaimer on the back of a GIA diamond grading report says so. But people keep promoting the idea that diamonds are GIA Certified because Joe Blow Public expects them to be. Which I suppose is why we see things like this:

Astor by Blue Nile diamonds, GIA Certified, GemEx dual cert claim

Astor by Blue Nile Diamonds are "Dual Certified".

The correct way to say this would be that Astor by Blue Nile diamonds are graded by two gemological laboratories. Because according to this FAQ response by the GIA, they do not certify anything:

GIA Certified diamonds FAQ

The GIA Does Not Certify Diamonds.

Read the first line: "GIA does not certify or appraise any material submitted for analysis.” With that in mind, why would Blue Nile advertise that their diamonds are dual certified?

My guess is that somebody in the marketing division is trying to meet your expectations. Consequently, people send me requests all the time for GIA Certified Diamonds. Of course, I simply ignore it when consumers do this because they don't know better.

In contrast, the diamond grading report issued by GCAL is aptly named a "certificate" because they do guarantee the grade. In other words, they put their money where their mouth is and back up the grade with a financial guarantee.

Are Astor by Blue Nile Diamonds Certified by GemEx?

To my complete shock, it appears that GemEx is promoting the idea that they certify diamonds. However, if that’s true, why does their disclaimer state that it’s not a guarantee?

According to the dictionary, a certification is a guarantee. Perhaps people don’t use dictionaries anymore, but there is an App for that.

Astor by Blue Nile diamond, GemEx certification disclaimer

GemEx Disclaimer Regarding Diamond Certification.

By the way, read the line right above the section highlighted in red. But only do so if you don’t have any sort of liquid substance in your mouth. I will not be held responsible for damage to your computer equipment:

"Results are repeatable with an accuracy range of +/- 5%. FIVE PERCENT.

Then read the last sentence of that paragraph:

"The images and Light Performance grades on diamonds are viewed and analyzed electronically only and as such are not guaranteed by the company.”

Then what the Freaking Frak are they Certifying?

How to Search for Astor by Blue Nile Diamonds:

With the aforementioned in mind, it's time to run a search for Astor by Blue Nile diamonds. That way we can see what they look like and evaluate them properly. Perhaps doing so will provide us with some quick and easy answers to the questions from above.

Let’s run a search on Blue Nile for Astor Diamonds weighing between 1.00 – 1.49 carats, F-G color, and VS-2 to VS-1 clarity. Here’s a screenshot of the search parameters so that you can follow along:

Blue Nile Astor Diamond reviews, search parameters

How to Search for Astor by Blue Nile Diamonds.

As a matter of fact, it doesn’t seem to matter whether I check or uncheck the box for a 360° view. Nor does it matter whether I adjust the sliders for Excellent polish and symmetry.

In either case, the number of Astor by Blue Nile diamonds available within this range remains constant. At this point, I did not adjust the parameters for total depth or table diameter since I don’t even know what it looks like yet.

Next, we’re going to right-click our mouse over the orange arrows on the right side of the listings. Then you'll open each diamond details page in a new tab in our browser.

Is the Astor by Blue Nile an ideal cut diamond?

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. The diamonds apparently come with a GIA Diamond Dossier, which is kind of weird from my perspective.

The GIA Dossier format is usually reserved for diamonds weighing less than 1.00 carats. Since we’re searching for Astor by Blue Nile diamonds weighing more than 1.00 carats, I expected to see a full format GIA diamond grading report. That is actually the reason why I chose the 1.00 – 1.49 carat range for this search. But check it out for yourself:

And finally, there is this 1.00 carat, G-color, VS-1 clarity, Blue Nile Astor diamond with a plotting diagram! Hold on a second! Does the plotting diagram on the lab report look like a modern round brilliant cut diamond?

Blue Nile Astor diamond reviews, LD09203487, GIA 5253313488

Plotting Diagram for an Astor by Blue Nile Diamond.

The plotting diagram for this Astor by Blue Nile diamond looks like a standard round brilliant cut diamond to me. With that in mind, I’m really curious to "Discover how we [Blue Nile] create a diamond for unmatched sparkle”.

Blue Nile’s use of the word "create” in conjunction with a new brand led me to believe that they had created something new. After all, their Blue Nile Signature round diamonds already offer ideal proportions. Those diamonds also came with diamond grading reports from GCAL that provide images.

Am I missing something? If you see what I’m missing here, please let me know.

Best Proportions for Astor by Blue Nile diamonds:

The plotting diagram of the Astor by Blue Nile diamond on the GIA diamond grading report shows a modern round brilliant. With that in mind, we’re going to rely upon my preferred range of proportions for round ideal cut diamonds.

As a matter of fact, this is the range of proportions that I rely upon as a diamond buyer. In my experience, it creates the potential to produce the best light performance:

Table diameter between 53 – 58%
Crown angle between 34.3 – 35.0 degrees
Pavilion angle between 40.6 – 40.9 degrees
Lower girdle facets between 75 – 80%
Star facets between 40 – 58%
Girdle thickness between thin and slightly thick
Culet: AGS pointed or GIA none

Then we’re going to run through the lab reports again, eliminating all the options that don’t meet my selection criteria. Prior to taking this information into account, there were 27 Astor by Blue Nile diamonds available for our consideration. Let’s see how many of those diamonds have the proportions within the range that I adhere to.

Astor by Blue Nile diamond review, GIA 5253313488:

Blue Nile Astor by Blue Nile diamond review, LD09203487, GIA 5253313488 clarity

Astor by Blue Nile Diamond.

Fortunately the 1.00 carat, G-color, VS-1 clarity, Blue Nile Astor diamond with the plotting diagram has the right proportions. The 40.6 degree pavilion angle should produce a high volume of light return.

While the 34.5 degree crown angle produces a virtual balance of brilliance and dispersion. For the sake of clarification, brilliance is white sparkle and dispersion is colored sparkle or fire.

Consequently, the 75% lower girdle facet length should produce larger sparkle that is bolder in appearance.

As a matter of fact, this looks like a standard round brilliant ideal cut diamond to me. In that case, I’m curious to see how it’s going to produce sparkle that is unmatched by anything else. Because I’ve got to be honest with you, I’m seeing some variances in the size and shape of the pavilion main facets.

Specifically, I’m referring to the arrows pattern and it doesn’t look very symmetrical. That leads me to believe that this diamond is not cut to the higher standards of the super ideal cut classification.

Consequently, that would be perfectly fine, unless you’re going to claim that Astor Diamonds exhibit sparkle that is unmatched. In that case, I expect you to prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt and I'll hold you to it.

GemEx Report #5253313488 for this Astor by Blue Nile diamond:

Below is the GemEx report for this Astor by Blue Nile diamond. In the first place, I see that the new report format does not contain the same images that were available for Blue Nile Signature diamonds.

Astor by Blue Nile diamond reviews, LD09203487, GIA 5253313488 GemEx

GemEx Certified Astor by Blue Nile Diamond.

In other words, the new report for the Astor by Blue Nile diamond does not provide Hearts & Arrows scope images. That is the only way to accurately judge the degree of optical precision.

At the same time, it appears that Blue Nile is no longer providing us with an Optical Symmetry analysis. That is another thing that used to appear on the GemEx reports for their Blue Nile Signature diamonds.

Those images were somewhat useful for judging light leakage and seeing how evenly light was reflecting throughout the diamonds. They weren't quite as insightful as an ASET or Ideal Scope image, but it was better than nothing.

But I have to say that I’m a bit disappointed not to have access to the usual reflector scope images. I have to be honest and admit that I’m not a big fan of this grading platform.

From my perspective, the new GEMEX report for the Astor by Blue Nile diamonds is a giant step backward.

The Original GCAL Report for Blue Nile Signature Diamonds:

Blue Nile Signature round diamond reviews, LD06062346, GIA 7191995426, GCAL 252110267

GCAL Report for Blue Nile Signature Diamonds.

Be that as it may, what I really want to know is this…

Blue Nile Astor diamond reviews, LD09203487, GIA 5253313488n GemEx Score

GemEx Score for Astor by Blue Nile Diamond.

How can Blue Nile possibly claim that a diamond that scores in the low range of very high for SPARKLE delivers "unmatched sparkle”? This is going to keep me up at night.

Not to mention the fact that the diamond got a score in the lower range of very high for brilliance. Perhaps we should just assume that somebody in the marketing division really doesn’t know that much about diamonds?

What is it that they say? When all else fails, give somebody the benefit of the doubt?

Given the position of the bar for the FIRE rating for this diamond, one could argue that this Astor by Blue Nile is a very fiery diamond. However, we also cannot jump to conclusions based upon the GemEx score for only one diamond.

Astor by Blue Nile diamond review, GIA 6262335167:

Going back to the first 3 results for my Astor by Blue Nile diamond search above. This 1.00 carat, F-color, VS-2 clarity, Astor diamond by Blue Nile has an overall cut grade of GIA Excellent.

Astor by Blue Nile diamond reviews, LD09203217, GIA 6262335167 clarity

Astor by Blue Nile Diamond, GIA #6262335167.

The diamond grading report does not feature a plotting diagram of the diamond. Thus there is no indication of where you should look for the inclusions within the diamond. If you have keen eyes, then you might be able to find them within the clarity video.

By the numbers, the 40.8 degree pavilion angle should produce a high volume of light return. While the 34.5 degree crown angle produces a virtual balance of brilliance and dispersion.

The 80% lower girdle facet length is likely to produce pin-fire type sparkle. It is worth mentioning that the GIA rounds this measurement off to the nearest 5%. This is one of the reasons why I prefer the AGS Ideal-0 Light Performance grading platform.

As a matter of fact, the GIA rounds off the crown angle, crown height, and pavilion depth measurements to various degrees. However, that is a topic for another blog post on the differences between the GIA vs the AGS Laboratory.

Contrast Brilliance, Obstruction & Optical Precision:

Consequently, the next step of the evaluation process is to actually look at the diamond. In that case, tell me what you see when you look at the arrows pattern of this diamond? Do the arrows appear to be symmetrical in size and shape?

Astor by Blue Nile diamond reviews, LD09203217, GIA 6262335167 GemEx

GemEx Report for Astor by Blue Nile Diamond.

Does the degree of contrast brilliance appear to be even and consistent? Or does the arrow in the nine o’clock position appear to be different than the rest?

From this vantage point, all of the arrows should be dark because they should be reflecting back the dark color of the camera lens.

Of course, this might be due to the alignment of the camera lens to the surface of the diamond. So what you’ll want to do is click and hold your mouse down over the video and drag the diamond left and right.

Then tell me whether the arrow (pavilion main facet) in the 9 o’clock position ever fires? Or does it remain translucent while the diamond is in the rotation?

Do you see any signs of obstruction under the table facet of this Astor by Blue Nile diamond?

Here's a Hint:

I’m referring to the little black asymmetrical triangles visible between the arrows in the relative 11 o’clock and 3 o’clock regions.

This is usually an indication that the diamond has not been cut to exhibit the highest degree of optical precision. Do I really need to point out that once again, the score for Sparkle is on the edge of High to Very High?

This brings me back to one of the questions posed at the beginning of this article. "Unmatched Sparkle” as compared to what?

Astor by Blue Nile diamond review, GIA #6261269128

This 1.00 carat, G-color, Blue Nile Astor diamond also has an overall cut grade of GIA Excellent. Once again, the diamond grading report does not feature a plotting diagram. As a matter of fact, the proportions of this Astor by Blue Nile diamond do not meet my selection criteria.

Astor by Blue Nile diamond reviews, LD09203186, GIA 6261269128 clarity

Astor by Blue Nile Diamond.

In the first place, the 41.0 degree pavilion angle is too steep for my preferences. Although it might be acceptable if the pavilion depth were 43%.

However, the pavilion depth is 43.5% and that is the critical tipping point where light begins not to strike fully off the pavilion facets.

Secondly, the crown angle of 33.5 degrees is shallower than I prefer. This usually creates a higher degree of brilliance, but at the expense of dispersion.

Interestingly enough, the bars for Fire and Sparkle are on the far right side of Very High on the GemEx report. While the score for Brilliance is down on the line between High to Very High.

That Might Seem Like It Conflicts With What I'm Saying...

However, that might be one of the reasons we returned the GemEx machine after playing with it. As did the majority of my competitors who gave this machine a go a few years ago. The fact of the matter is that we simply found it to be unreliable. Apparently, that is another way to say that the results may vary by ±5%, but I digress.

All right, so once again, take a look at the arrows pattern and tell me what you see. Drag the diamond left and right with your mouse. Look to see whether the translucent arrows ever reflect back the dark color of the camera lens. Do you see any obstruction? It would be very interesting to see ASET and Ideal Scope images for this diamond.

GemEx Light Performance Results for this Astor by Blue Nile Diamond:

As you can plainly see, the Brilliance rating for this diamond is on the line between High to Very High. Once again, I fail to see the correlation between this and the highest score available from GemEx.

Astor by Blue Nile GemEx light performance LD09203186, GIA 6261269128

Astor by Blue Nile GemEx report.

Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the Astor by Blue Nile scores in the higher range? Because a Brilliance score on the mid-line of High to Very High is not ‘the highest’ by any stretch of the imagination.

Be that as it may, the GemEx report for the Astor by Blue Nile diamonds to serve a purpose. You can use them as a basis of comparison for deciding which Astor Diamond to choose.

Stick with the proportions I suggest, and look for diamonds with a higher score. But really, I would like to see Blue Nile go back to the GemEx report with the reflector scope images. There is a lot you can tell about a diamond by looking at those images.

Obviously, if Blue Nile wants to compete in the realm of super ideal cut diamonds, they need to step up and get with the times. On that note, they should also seriously consider sending these diamonds to the AGS Laboratory. Because the Light Performance grading platform of the AGSL is far superior to the GIA.

Astor by Blue Nile diamond reviews, GIA #7263294274

All right, now we’re getting somewhere. Look at the GemEx score for this 1.00 carat, G-color, VS-2 clarity, Astor by Blue Nile diamond. While it is still not the absolute highest score I’ve ever seen, it is on the higher end of the spectrum.

Astor by Blue Nile diamonds reviews, LD09203199, GIA 7263294274 GemEx

GemEx Report for Astor by Blue Nile Diamond.

Keep in mind that every cut grade represents a range or spectrum. Thus there is going to be a low end, a high end and that no-mans land in the middle.

It’s not that I expect every Astor by Blue Nile diamond to exhibit the highest score. As much as I object to their implying that they do when they clearly do not.

This diamond has a 40.8 degree pavilion angle, which should produce a high volume of light return. The 34.5 degree crown angle should produce a virtual balance of brilliance and dispersion.

Consequently, it looks to me like the GemEx score for this diamond reflects this. In addition, the diamond appears to be exhibiting stronger contrast brilliance.

Be that as it may, I would still like to see the plotting diagram for this diamond. At the same time, I would like to see an ASET Scope, Ideal Scope, and Hearts & Arrows scope image. That’s just the type of diamond buyer that I am. I don’t like to buy diamonds blind when these devices are readily available. I’ll bet that GemEx could provide these images if enough of us ask for them.

Other Astor by Blue Nile worth consideration:

The following Astor by Blue Nile diamonds from this search, meet my proportions criteria. Thus they should exhibit a high volume of light return and a virtual balance of brilliance and dispersion. Although this may be true, the GemEx scores are still all over the place.

Suffice to say that I’m all right with that, as long as you simply overlook the marketing department’s use of the term highest. Due to the manner in which the search engines work these days, I’m not going to label each of these an Astor by Blue Nile diamond.

Astor by Blue Nile Diamonds to Consider:

The more you look at the performance insights on the GemEx reports, the more you'll know what to look for. Because you'll begin to see how varying degrees of optical precision affect light performance.

Wrapping up my Astor by Blue Nile diamonds review:

With all due respect to the Gorilla in the room, I don’t see how Blue Nile has created anything new here. As near as I can tell, the Astor by Blue Nile is simply the Blue Nile Signature diamond by a different name.

However, without the insight provided by hearts, arrows, or optical symmetry scope images. Perhaps that is why some of this marketing fluff just rubs me the wrong way:

What is an Astor by Blue Nile Diamond

What is an Astor by Blue Nile Diamond?

Who comes up with this stuff anyway? Probably the Mad Men of Marketing. Which let’s face it, is the suits job. At the same time, my job is to help you circumvent all the marketing hyperbole. In that case, I hope this article helps you cut through the fluff, and bore down into the details that make a difference.

What Does Blue Nile Think of This Review?

Mad Men and Women of Marketing

From the Mad Men Series on Amazon Prime.

In the first place, I have no delusions about how this article is going to be seen by the marketing department. As a matter of fact, I’m certain that I have no more friends in the marketing division at Blue Nile.

There is also the chance that I might have even upset a few of my friends in the diamond division. But they all know that Todd Gray from Nice Ice is a perfectionist, who focuses primarily on the niche of super ideal cut diamonds.

Whereas their job is not to please me as a diamond buyer, but rather to create a diamond brand that attracts the broadest market share. To that regard, they’ve probably accomplished the task.

But if you’re like me, that means you’re super detail-oriented, and you’re going to want to know more. You probably thrive on the details and want the comfort and peace of mind that only comes with knowing you have all the information at your fingertips.

That means that you’re going to want to see those reflector scope images. Obviously, I understand because I wouldn’t be able to make such a large investment without them either.

Buying Tips & Tricks for Astor by Blue Nile Diamonds:

Assuming that you want to buy the best Astor by Blue Nile diamond available, I would look for the following:

  • Table diameter between 53 – 58%.
  • Crown angle between 34.3 – 35.0 degrees.
  • Pavilion angle between 40.6 – 40.9 degrees.
  • Lower girdle facets between 75 – 80%.
  • Star facets between 40 – 58%.
  • Girdle thickness between thin and slightly thick.
  • Culet: AGS pointed or GIA none.
  • GemEx Scores in the Middle to Far Right..
  • High Contrast Brilliance in the Arrows Pattern.
  • Minimal Obstruction between the Arrows.

One thing that I’ve learned throughout the years, is not to buy into the illusion created by a brand name. By my standards, most brands of ideal cut diamonds leave a lot of wiggle room for proportions. If you were keeping count, only 16 of the 27 Astor by Blue Nile diamonds made the cut.

That is why each diamond must be considered on its own merits. Regardless of what we call it, or the name we give it, a diamond is a 3-dimensional model. The factor that separates one diamond from the next is Light Performance.

That is not something that I rely upon GemEx to measure for me. Consequently, I’m not a fan of the GemEx system, but to each their own as they say. It’s still better than nothing.

Final Thoughts About Astor by Blue Nile Diamonds:

I hope that you found this article to be illuminating. The reality is that you don’t know what you don’t know until you know more. Chew on that concept for a moment and let it sink in. I love to share my diamond buying knowledge with people and see the look of understanding dawn upon their faces.

Perhaps you had a few of those A-ha moments while reading this article. If so, I hope that you’ll take a moment to leave a comment below. By all means, feel free to contact me if you want help with your diamond buying quest.

Super Charge Your Diamond Buying Skills:

Follow the Steps in The Nice Ice® Diamond Buying Blueprint™ and Unlock the Secret for Maximizing Sparkle Factor and Light Performance. These are the Tips & Tricks from the back office of Nice Ice Diamonds.