James Allen Vs. Blue Nile Diamond Stud Earrings- What You Need to Know Before Buying

As exciting as it may sound, purchasing the perfect pair of diamond stud earrings that strike the right balance between value and beauty can be challenging. With the availability of multiple online stores like James Allen and Blue Nile, the options can become easily overwhelming.

However, a detailed analysis of these renowned retailers can help you make an informed decision. Whether you’re a diamond enthusiast or a first-time buyer, this guide offers all there is to know about James Allen vs. Blue Nile diamond stud earrings.

Table of Contents

James Allen Vs. Blue Nile: Diamond Studs Collection

Both James Allen and Blue Nile offer a stunning collection of diamond stud earrings featuring lab-grown and natural diamonds.

James Allen Lab Grown Vs. Natural Diamonds

While Blue Nile does offer a larger inventory of pre-made studs, James Allen’s collection that caters to a wide range of style and budget preferences is hard to beat.

Since both of these are competitor brands with an established reputation in the diamond industry, you can expect similar offerings for diamond stud earrings from them.

Available Diamond Shapes and Sizes

You can find a diverse range of diamond shapes at James Allen and Blue Nile. In addition to multiple options in the ever-so-famous round brilliant diamonds, choices in other exciting diamond shapes, such as emerald, asscher, princess, pear, oval, and cushion cuts are also available.

When it comes to sizes or diamond carat weight, Blue Nile has an edge over James Allen. It offers diamond studs of up to 4 ct. tw. in contrast to James Allen that offers 2.5 ct. tw. at most. I would, however, say that earrings over 2 carat weight are too big for most people.

Diamond Setting and Metal Choices

Most diamond stud earrings at Blue Nile feature a traditional four prong or bezel setting. On the other hand, James Allen offers quite a few options, including but not limited to five prong, double prong, and basket settings.

While their setting options are not as flexible, Blue Nile stands out in terms of metal types, particularly for the rose gold fans out there. In contrast to James Allen where options are limited to white gold, yellow gold, and platinum, Blue Nile offers an exquisite collection of diamond stud earrings in rose gold too.

Quality Comparison

While the overall quality of James Allen and Blue Nile diamonds is quite comparable, their diamond studs are not the same.

Most stud earrings at Blue Nile feature diamonds with inclusions and fall on the Included (I1 or I2) category on the diamond clarity scale. The color grades of these diamonds are not particularly impressive either. As a result, the light performance, brilliance, and overall appearance of Blue Nile’s diamond stud earrings may not compare well against high quality diamond studs.

James Allen, in contrast, offers all sorts of diamonds in their stud earrings, ranging from ‘Very Slightly Included’ to ‘Included’ categories and ‘D to I’ color grades, offering something for everyone.

If you have made up your mind about buying from James Allen, you might also want to read our James Allen Diamond Stud Earrings Review.

However, it’s pertinent to mention that we’re only talking about the preset stud earrings at both retailers. You can always go for custom-made pieces and choose better diamonds for your stud earrings.

Price and Value for Money

Since the diamond studs from both retailers have been comparable so far, the differences in their pricing have come off as a surprise. The diamond stud earrings at Blue Nile are priced higher as compared to James Allen, which seems unfair, especially when comparing their earrings side-by-side.

A pair of 1 ct. tw diamond studs (Good Cut, I color, I1 clarity) at Blue Nile cost a whopping $2056. On the contrary, a pair of 1 ct. tw. diamond studs (Excellent Cut, F-G color, VS2-SI1 clarity) at James Allen will cost you $1125. I had them configured in 14K white gold for both of them. Considering the better color and cut grade of James Allen’s diamond, the price gap is unjustifiable.

For more perspective, we looked up earrings with better quality diamonds, and the result wasn’t any different. A pair of 1ct. diamond studs (Good, H,VS2) at Blue Nile is $3712, whereas at James Allen, a pair of 1 ct. diamond studs (Excellent, F-G, VS1-VS2) are priced at $3200. Again, the cut and color of James Allen’s earrings is better.

So the edge clearly goes to James Allen in terms of pricing. Not only do they offer better preset diamond studs, but also provide competitive prices. On the other hand, the prices at Blue Nile seem disproportionately high considering their lower quality pieces in comparison to James Allen.

Customization Services

Both James Allen and Blue Nile offer a ‘Design Your Own Stud Earrings’ service. You can choose the diamond of your choice from their versatile inventories and have it set in your favorite choice of metal setting.

Designing diamond studs is a three step process at James Allen and Blue Nile. You choose a diamond, select a setting, and review your final piece to place an order. The overall customization experience at both stores is a breeze, considering you can look for a specific type of diamond or setting using various filters within seconds.

Having said that, Blue Nile does have a significant advantage over James Allen in terms of shipping time of custom pieces. James Allen can take around 30 days to deliver customized earrings, while Blue Nile takes only three.

Customer Support and Return Policy

The customer support services at James Allen and Blue Nile are top-notch. They offer free consultation services with expert gemologists to ensure a fine shopping experience for every customer. To examine your diamond up close, you can book a real time consultation at James Allen or better yet, visit a Blue Nile showroom to try your jewelry.

Here’s a customer review for both on Reddit:

The return policy at both stores is customer-friendly, with an option to return or exchange diamonds/jewelry within 30 days, in case you’re not satisfied. In addition to all these perks, their diamonds are backed by a lifetime warranty with complimentary cleaning and inspection services.

James Allen Vs. Blue Nile Diamond Stud Earrings: Which is a Better Choice?

When comparing James Allen and Blue Nile for diamond stud earrings, James Allen turns out as a clear winner in several aspects. From a better selection of preset diamond studs to attractive pricing, James Allen provides more value hands down.

If you agree with me, click here to view and sort the entire collection of diamond stud earrings offered by James Allen. By doing so, you’ll also support my blog.

While Blue Nile also has a solid set of strengths, it seems a little overpriced considering the quality of its stud earrings compared to James Allen. Nonetheless, you must do thorough research before making a purchase as your preferences may differ from our analysis.