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Brian Gavin
Whiteflash Review
Whiteflash is one of the few online jewelers that offers a line of in-house diamonds alongside a wider selection of virtual inventory, a concept pioneered by Blue Nile that is now ubiquitous amongst online jewelers. Whiteflash's in-house diamonds are on the more expensive end and offer a superior degree of cut quality which are referred to as super ideal cut diamonds. The virtual inventory is more affordable and is similar to the inventory available from larger online jewelers like Blue Nile and Ritani.
Best For
Super Ideal Cut Diamonds
Based In
Houston, TX
Established
2000
Jeweler Overview & Ratings
Pricing: 3.5/5
To understand Whiteflash's pricing you need to first understand the difference between their in-house and virtual diamond inventory. Whiteflash is best known for their super ideal cut diamonds which are hand selected as diamond rough before Whiteflash cuts them according to their proprietary cutting methods. These diamonds are then sent to the AGS (American Gem Society) for grading and are branded as A CUT ABOVE® diamonds, a brand exclusive to Whiteflash.
These diamonds are known as ‘in-house' diamond inventory and will typically command a significant premium (fairly or not) over a similar diamond available from one of the larger online jewelers. The diamonds consistently have outstanding cut quality scores (falling in the top 10% of all GIA certified excellent cut diamonds we've studied) but the prices are often as sky high as their cut quality scores. If you're looking for the highest cut quality regardless of price, these are the diamonds for you.
Most online jewelers focus entirely on virtual inventory which means they carry aggregated inventories from dealers and manufacturers and don't actually own the stones themselves. The majority of online jewelers now follow this model and it allows them to pass on significant savings to their customers but also means they aren't necessarily putting their money where their mouth is, investing in diamonds they believe in. Whiteflash's virtual inventory is priced in line with the top online jewelers we've studied, but these diamonds don't often carry real images of videos at present. When you see Whiteflash come up in one of StoneAlgo's Searches, typically that diamond is going to be part of Whiteflash's virtual inventory, though their in-house diamonds are occasionally priced attractively enough to make it into our top recommendations.
Diamond Selection: 3.5/5
Whiteflash is one of just a select few online jewelers that offer both virtual inventory and an in-house line of diamonds cut to their precise specifications. Whiteflash inventory consists of about 650 in-house diamonds at this time, with an additional 35,000 diamonds in their virtual inventory. This currently pales in comparison to the top online jewelers we've researched but still offers a significant improvement over brands like Zales. What we do like about Whiteflash's diamond inventory is the fact that users can search both a robust virtual inventory as well as Whiteflash's higher end in-house cut diamonds. This is a unique aspect of their site and really only Brian Gavin diamonds currently offers something similar, albeit with a smaller virtual inventory than Whiteflash offers.
Whiteflash may not carry as many options as the larger online jewelers we've studied, but they still carry more than enough options for the average diamond buyer to consider. We also like that they focus on offering unique diamonds (their in-house selection) that users can't find anywhere else. There are a lot of online jewelers who simply offer the same 50,000 diamonds that everyone else is offering (known as co-listing) because they are all pulling from similar virtual inventories. While Whiteflash does carry inventory that overlaps with other online jewelers, the addition of unique diamonds drives up the value that their selection presents to diamond shoppers.
Engagement Ring Selection: 4/5
Whiteflash has a wide selection of diamond engagement rings including a full line of Whiteflash branded rings in classic styles like 4 and 6 prong solitaire, three stone, and pavé settings. Whiteflash also has a wide variety of designer engagement rings from top brands like Tacori and A. Jaffe. They even carry about 80 engagement ring settings from top online jeweler and engagement ring specialist Ritani (read the Ritani review here). Overall, Whiteflash has a wide selection of engagement ring settings but they aren't priced as aggressively as most of the top online jewelers we've studied but purchasing from Whiteflash is more about quality than price to begin with.
User Experience: 3/5
Whiteflash has a simple interface that doesn't offer many frills. The website is definitely not as flashy as sites like Ritani or Parcel & Stone but it does offer HD images, 3D videos, and full light performance imaging (including ideal-scope and ASET images) for all of Whiteflash's in-house diamonds. The site also features a diamond comparison feature that allows users to easily compare their favorite diamonds by their various specifications, side-by-side (see below). Beyond that the site is simple and intuitive to navigate, nothing more or less than you'd need to find a diamond.
The Policies & Warranties: 3.5/5
One Year Service Guarantee
All Whiteflash jewelry orders are backed by their one year service plan which covers refinishing and repairs to the metal and side diamonds on your jewelry. Whiteflash believes this is a superior guarantee to the ‘lifetime warranties' that most companies offer as these are at the sole discretion of the jeweler to determine what qualifies and what doesn't.
Whiteflash Does Not Diamond Price Match
Whiteflash states that its pricing is so highly competitive and their full value proposition (trade-up/buyback guarantees, one year service plan, and referral program) so extensive that they choose not to offer a diamond price match since other companies may undercut them on price but offer less in terms of services and quality control.
Whiteflash Offers Free Shipping
Whiteflash offers free, insured Fed Ex shipping to over 70 international countries. Secure shipping is typically provided via FedEx 2nd Day shipping. All items must be shipped to an Authorized FedEx “hold for Pickup” location. Your can learn more on Whiteflash's website.
30 Day and 10 Day Money Back Guarantees
Whiteflash offers a “no questions asked” 30 day 100% money back guarantee (including free shipping) on all in-house Whiteflash certified diamonds and the settings in which the diamonds are mounted. Certified diamonds from the virtual inventory (those diamonds that Whiteflash does not hold in house) are similarly backed by a shorter, 10 day money back guarantee.
Whiteflash Diamond Upgrade Program
Whiteflash allows customers to upgrade their diamond at any time and receive 100% of the original purchase price of any of their in-house diamonds as credit toward the new diamond purchase (the customer must trade in their original diamond). For example, if you purchased a $10,000 diamond for an engagement ring setting but eventually want to upgrade to a $15,000 diamond in the future, Whiteflash will credit you $10,000 if you trade in the original diamond in exchange for the new one. You pay the difference of $5,000.
The Final Verdict
Whiteflash has long been known as a high end jeweler focused on super ideal cut diamonds and a high degree of customer service. This of course meant above average prices as their diamonds and overall value proposition were not comparable to some discount online jewelers. However, Whiteflash has begun to spread out more into virtual inventory, allowing them to show diamonds at prices similar to their larger (and cheaper) online competitors. Today Whiteflash offers a mix of ultra-high quality diamonds from their in-house inventory and less expensive virtual inventory. Their virtual inventory is about what you could get from other brands and does not carry a 30-day money back guarantee, but their super ideal cut diamonds are a good choice for the most discerning diamond buyers who are willing to pay a premium for a truly special degree of diamond cut quality.
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