Astor Cut Vs. Tiffany | Choosing from the Best of the Best

The diamond industry has historically been highly competitive. However, the past two decades have witnessed a record surge in luxury jewelry and diamond brands, which means that the competition is fiercer than ever. 

For an average customer, this means being bombarded with options. Making the best choice while keeping in view all the technical details and specifications can be a challenge, especially for a layman. 

To make matters easy for you, this article contains a breakdown of two popular diamond collections; the Astor cut by Blue Nile, and Tiffany, and a thorough comparison of the two.

About the Brands

Blue Nile 

Blue Nile is one of the most reputable diamond brands in the market today. Despite being relatively new, the brand has won the trust of millions of customers who swear by it. Blue Nile’s popularity is a result of its massive inventory of stunning diamonds, exceptional quality, and great customer service. 

Tiffany

In the world of diamonds, Tiffany needs no introduction. The brand has been around for centuries and is the go-to for most celebrities and social personalities, which adds to its appeal. 

Tiffany’s superb quality and magnificent designs have contributed to its popularity, although its high price point means that it is not accessible to everyone. Nonetheless, there is no denying that today, Tiffany has become a household name.

Quality and Aesthetics

Astor by Blue Nile

The Astor is Blue Nile’s premium collection of superb quality diamonds. These diamonds are categorized as the best cut diamonds in the brand’s inventory. You can view, sort and filter the entire collection easily by going to the filter menu by clicking here.

The most distinguishing feature of the diamonds in the Astor collection is their superior shine. These diamonds are selected for their exceptional cut, ideal proportions and precise internal symmetry.

Only about 0.1% of all the diamonds fulfill the strict criteria to qualify as an Astor diamond, which explains their uniqueness and rarity. 

These features allow the diamond to reflect maximum amount of light, which results in an unmatched brilliance and fire. The Astor cut diamonds are known to turn heads with their blinding shine. These are available in round, princess and cushion cuts.

Although the Astor cut diamonds are claimed to have an excellent quality, some customers have reported inconsistencies in the standard of the diamonds in this collection. This is an area of concern for the brand.

Tiffany

Tiffany stands way ahead of most other diamond brands on the market when it comes to quality and craftsmanship. The brand has a well-earned reputation for offering only the best cut diamonds that excel in appearance as well.

Tiffany contains only excellent cut diamonds in its inventory, which means that all the diamonds that the brand sells are guaranteed to have near to perfect proportions and symmetry. As a result, these diamonds reflect a high volume of light and appear exceptionally shiny and lustrous. 

This is further enhanced by the brand’s centuries old techniques and skilled craftsmanship, which elevates the quality and brilliance of the diamonds to an unparalleled level.

Grading and Certifications

Astor by Blue Nile

All the diamonds in Blue Nile’s Astor collection are graded by GIA, which is one of the most reputable testing laboratories in the US. This makes the diamonds reliable. 

Furthermore, each Astor diamond is certified by GemEx as having the highest possible brilliance grade. 

Tiffany

Tiffany grades and certifies its diamonds in-house, through Tiffany’s own testing laboratories. These labs are known to have an even stricter criteria than AGS and GIA, and put the diamond through extensive scrutiny before adding it into the collection. 

Nonetheless, customers have raised concerns regarding the possibility of a conflict of interest when grading the diamonds in-house.

Online Shopping Experience

Astor by Blue Nile

Blue Nile has a modern and up to date website that is designed to be user-friendly. All the Astor diamonds are categorized separately on the main page, which makes access to them fairly easy.

Each Astor diamond is listed with its detailed specifications. In addition, there are 360 degree images, as well as diagrams that depict the various measurements for the guidance of the customer. This makes the online shopping experience hassle-free and smooth. 

The site is better than Tiffany’s, in my opinion and you simply have to experience it to understand how easy it is to reach your desired diamond or fine jewelry for the average internet user.

Tiffany

Tiffany also has an appealing website that is easy to navigate. It displays the various categories of products separately under tabs and drop down menus, and there are a number of helpful filters that can be used to narrow down the search.

Tiffany provides detailed images from various angles with its products, which help the customer in making a wise choice. 

Warranty and After Sale Services

Astor by Blue Nile

Blue Nile’s impeccable customer service has won praises over the years, and is one of the brand’s major attractions. 

Blue Nile offers a generous lifetime warranty with these diamonds, as well as a 30 days return policy in case you are not satisfied with the purchase. The brand also provides complimentary resizing of the rings. Moreover, it offers free inspection and cleaning for its diamonds every six months.

Tiffany

Tiffany also offers a lifetime warranty with its products, which shows the brand’s confidence in its quality. In addition, it provides complimentary polishing and multiple other aftersale services that can be utilized by the customers.

In case you change your mind, you can exchange or get a refund for your purchase within 30 days.

Price and Value for Money

Astor by Blue Nile

As mentioned above, Astor cut is Blue Nile’s premium collection. Therefore, these diamonds retail for a relatively higher cost than most other diamonds in Blue Nile’s inventory. 

For reference, this 1.08 ct. VS1, color grade H, round diamond ring, retails for a total of $12,600. It is set in my favorite French Pavé Diamond Crown Solitaire setting and the total carat weight comes out to be 1.21 ct.

You can get a similarly specced diamond from the ideal collection as well. Pertinent to mention here is that most people do not know what to look for in a diamond, when choosing from there. Thus, the Astor Ideal, although costlier, is the safer bet for most people.

To help you out, I made an in-depth comparison between the Astor Ideal and the Ideal cut diamond by Blue Nile. In that, I’ve also mentioned the criterion for the perfect pick among the ideal cuts, if you want to save up some easy bucks.

Tiffany

Tiffany is a luxury brand and lies on the high end side of the spectrum. Thus, its diamonds cost at least 20 to 40% more than most other brands including Blue Nile.

For a fair comparison, a ring with similar specifications as the Astor diamond mentioned above, i.e; H color and VS1 clarity, retails for $15,900. This is significantly higher and a turn-off for most buyers, since the diamond and the ring are essentially the same.

Conclusion

Keeping in view the information provided above, it is fair to say that both the Astor cut and the Tiffany diamonds are among the best ones available in the market. 

However, I would recommend going for the Astor Ideal by Blue Nile because they offer a greater value for money. You simply are better off paying 20 to 40% less for a diamond that is essentially the same but without the industry hype surrounding it.

The GIA certification is an industry-recognized standard these days, which Tiffany fails to offer on its diamonds. Also, the fact that Blue Nile holds a much larger inventory ensures that there is something for everybody.

Some other brand comparisons:

• Verragio Vs. Tiffany | Which One Should You Go With?
• Whiteflash Vs. Tiffany and Co. | Luxury Brand Wars
• Lazare Vs. Tiffany and Co. | Luxury Brand Wars
• James Allen Vs. Yadav | A Comprehensive Comparison
• Brilliant Earth Vs. MoissaniteCo. | Where Should You Buy Moissanite From?
• Forever One Moissanite Vs. Regular Moissanite