If you’re in the market for fine jewelry, especially diamond engagement rings, you’ve probably come across Angara and Blue Nile. As two of the biggest names in online jewelry, these companies have a lot to offer. But with so many options to choose from, how do you decide which one is right for you?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down the key differences between Angara and Blue Nile to help you make the best choice for your needs and budget. We’ll compare their selection, pricing, customization options, shopping experience, and more.
A Brief Comparison Table
| Category | Angara | Blue Nile |
| Diamond Quality | GIA or AGS certified; Primarily D-F color, VS2-IF clarity | GIA certified; Astor collection with highest standards beyond GIA; Primarily D-J color, VS2-IF clarity |
| Style Selection | ~7,000 pieces; Wide variety including colored gemstones and unique designs | 200,000+ diamonds and jewelry; Extensive diamond inventory, especially engagement rings |
| Customization | Some modifications to existing designs | Create your own rings, pendants, earrings from scratch |
| Website Interface | Visual inventory with detailed product descriptions | HD videos of jewelry; Advanced diamond search and filters |
| Purchase Process | Free shipping; 30 day returns | Free shipping; 60 day returns and price matching |
| Pricing | 30-50% below retail | 35-40% below retail; Astor diamonds at a premium |
| Customer Service | 24/7 phone, email, live chat | 24/7 phone, email, chat; 1-on-1 consultations |
| Ethics | Conflict-free, sustainable sourcing and manufacturing | Conflict-free; Lab-grown Lightbox diamonds available |
Overview of Angara and Blue Nile
First, let’s get familiar with each of these online jewelry retailers.
- Angara
Founded in 2005, Angara is a family-owned company based in Los Angeles, CA.
They specialize in fine diamond and gemstone jewelry, with a focus on engagement rings and other sentimental pieces.
Angara works directly with diamond cutters and jewelers to bring high-quality pieces directly to consumers online.
By cutting out the middlemen, they’re able to keep costs low while still using ethical, conflict-free diamonds.
Angara’s selection includes engagement and wedding rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and more. They have a wide variety of diamond and gemstone pieces at multiple price points. Their inventory includes both classic and trendy styles.
A unique aspect of Angara is their gemstone expertise. They have an extensive collection of colored gemstone jewelry if you’re looking for something beyond traditional diamonds.
Also Read: Comparison Between Crown of Light And Hearts on Fire
- Blue Nile
Operating since 1999, Blue Nile is one of the pioneers in online engagement ring sales. This Seattle-based company offers one of the largest inventories of diamond jewelry on the web.
Blue Nile works closely with diamond wholesalers to source stones at competitive prices. Their business model enables competitive pricing while still ensuring quality and ethics.
Their selection includes engagement rings, wedding bands, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings primarily featuring natural diamonds. Blue Nile has a range of styles from timeless to on-trend. As one of the largest online diamond retailers, their collection is truly expansive.
A standout for Blue Nile is their signature line of Astor by Blue Nile diamonds. These stones meet very specific cut standards for maximum brilliance and fire.
Key Differences Between Angara And Blue Nile
Now that we’ve got the basics down, let’s compare these two retailers across a few key factors:
- Jewelry Selection
One of the most important aspects of choosing an online jeweler is the available inventory. Both Angara and Blue Nile have extensive collections, but there are some differences in what they offer.
- Diamond Quality
When buying diamond jewelry, especially for an engagement ring, stone quality is paramount. Both Angara and Blue Nile deal in high-quality diamonds graded by respected third-party organizations like GIA and AGS.
Angara states that all of their diamonds are GIA or AGS certified. They also note that the vast majority of their diamond stock is rated D-F for color and VS2-IF for clarity.
These ratings represent colorless to near colorless stones with very minor or no inclusions. So you can generally expect very fine diamond quality from Angara.
At Blue Nile, they take diamond quality a step further with their Astor by Blue Nile line. These diamonds are specially selected based on cut, polish, and symmetry for extraordinary brilliance.
Going through this extra screening provides an added degree of quality assurance. Outside the Astor collection, Blue Nile also deals primarily in D-J colored and VS2-IF clarity diamonds.
Both retailers deal in high-caliber diamond stock and take measures to ensure quality. Blue Nile’s added Astor line gives them a leg up for customers wanting the utmost diamond selection.
- Style Selection
Style preferences often come down to personal taste. Angara and Blue Nile have collections ranging from classic to modern to trendy.
Angara has about 7,000 products available across rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and more.
Their selection includes both traditional solitaires and more unique styles like floral designs and cocktail rings.
One advantage they have is the ability to incorporate colored gemstones like sapphires, emeralds, and rubies alongside diamonds in their designs.
Meanwhile, Blue Nile boasts an inventory of over 200,000 diamonds and fine jewelry pieces.
Given their specialization in diamonds, Blue Nile has an exceptional range of diamond engagement rings.
They offer exclusive trademarked designs along with classics and customizable settings. Their overall inventory leans more traditional but still includes fashion-forward pieces.
With its colorful gemstone options and unique designs, Angara likely has the edge for shoppers wanting something different and eye-catching. Blue Nile shines when it comes to all-diamond traditional engagement ring designs.
- Customization and Personalization
A major perk of buying jewelry online is the ability to customize or personalize pieces. How do Angara and Blue Nile compare when it comes to tailoring jewelry to your preferences?
Angara provides a few customization options directly through their website. You can choose your preferred metal type, diamond shape, and engraving for jewelry. Their team can also help modify existing designs to your unique tastes.
Blue Nile takes customization much further with their Create Your Own feature. You can easily choose your ideal setting, diamond shape, metal type, engraving style, and more. The customization possibilities are impressive for everything from engagement rings to necklaces and earrings.
If you imagine designing your perfect piece from scratch, Blue Nile is tough to beat. Angara still allows modifications to existing styles but doesn’t offer the full bespoke experience.
- Shopping Experience
How does the actual shopping experience compare between these leading online jewelers? From browsing to purchase, here are some key differences:
Website Interface
Angara and Blue Nile both have attractive, professional websites that make browsing easy. Angara’s darker color scheme lends an elegant vibe. Their homepage features a few spotlighted designs with dropdowns to access the full collection. Blue Nile opts for a brighter white interface. Their homepage instantly lets you start browsing the full inventory or shop bestsellers.
Angara’s website has lots of photos and detailed descriptions for each piece. Blue Nile enhances the shopping experience with 360° HD videos of many items so you can see the sparkle and details from every angle.
One advantage of Blue Nile is the ease of filtering and comparing diamond stock. You can filter by price, shape, color, clarity and more to find the perfect stone. Angara’s interface makes comparison shopping a bit trickier.
Purchase Process
When it comes time to purchase, Angara and Blue Nile both offer clear checkout processes with secured payment, shipping, and return policies.
Angara provides complimentary shipping within the U.S. You can choose standard free shipping or faster delivery starting at $25. Their returns allow 30 days from ship date for a full refund.
Blue Nile also provides free standard U.S. shipping. Expedited delivery ranges from $10-$55 based on method. Their returns extend up to 60 days after purchase. One neat feature is their Price Match Guarantee. If you find a lower authorized price on your jewelry within 60 days, Blue Nile will match the price.
The purchase and returns processes are smooth and transparent at both retailers. Blue Nile has the edge for shipping speed options and return policy.
Also Read: Differences Between Kay Jewelers And Reeds Jewelers.
- Pricing and Value
Pricing often weighs heavily when choosing fine jewelry. How do costs compare between these two brands?
As online-only retailers, Angara and Blue Nile can generally offer lower prices than brick-and-mortar jewelers. They pass the savings from no physical store costs directly to customers.
Angara aims to provide quality diamond jewelry at 30-50% below regular retail pricing. Reviewing their collection, engagement rings and other diamond pieces are very competitively priced.
Blue Nile also highlights cost savings in the range of 35-40% compared to traditional jewelers. Their large diamond inventory enables competitive pricing, especially for engagement rings. The Astor collection does come at a premium for the extra quality assurance.
When comparing similar custom solitaire diamond rings, Angara and Blue Nile are aligned on pricing. You’ll get excellent bang for your buck from either. Top-notch jewelry below retail is their joint value proposition.
- Customer Service
Buying fine jewelry often involves needing advice from jewelry experts. How do Angara and Blue Nile accommodate customer questions and concerns?
Angara provides customer support via phone, email, and live online chat. Their jewelry specialists are available 24/7 to help customers through questions about purchases, returns, repairs, and more.
Blue Nile also has 24/7 support via phone, email, and real-time chat. Their jewelry consultants can give guidance on custom designs, gifts, and purchases. For even more insight, you can request free one-on-one consultations with diamond experts.
Both companies emphasize accessible, personalized support. This helps instill confidence for major fine jewelry purchases online.
- Ethics and Sustainability
Ethical and sustainable practices are important considerations for today’s consumers. Here’s how Angara and Blue Nile approach these issues:
Angara states their commitment to conflict-free and responsibly-sourced diamonds and gemstones. Their suppliers comply with the Kimberley Process to verify origins. Angara also aims to reduce environmental impact by working with green manufacturing partners.
Similarly, Blue Nile guarantees their diamonds are conflict-free per the Kimberley Process. They also offer an exclusive line of eco-conscious Lightbox lab-grown diamonds. These man-made diamonds are rated chemically, optically, and physically identical to mined diamonds, but with lower environmental impact.
Based on provided information, both Angara and Blue Nile take ethical sourcing and environmental efforts seriously. Ultimately, they aim to bring you quality jewelry you can feel good about.
Which Should You Choose?
Now that we’ve compared these two giants across several categories, which one comes out on top?
Here are a few key takeaways to guide your decision between Angara and Blue Nile:
- Blue Nile shines brighter for diamond quality with their selective Astor assortment. Their overall inventory scale and breadth can’t be matched.
- Angara takes the lead on unique styles and colored gemstones beyond traditional diamonds.
- Customization capabilities go much further with Blue Nile’s bespoke design studio.
- Both offer competitive pricing, but Blue Nile edges out with price matching.
- Customer service and shopping experiences are excellent all-around. Blue Nile has a slight advantage.
- Ethics and sustainability commitments are strong from both brands.
Also Read: Comparison of Kendra Scott And Kate Spade Jewelry.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Still have some questions? Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about Angara and Blue Nile:
Yes, Angara is a trusted and reputable jewelry retailer. They are an accredited BBB business with an A+ rating. Angara has also been featured in many major media outlets like Forbes, US News, and Business Insider. Their quality, pricing, and service makes them a recommended online jeweler.
Blue Nile is highly regarded as one of the most reputable online diamond jewelers. They are a BBB accredited business with A+ rating. Blue Nile pioneered online engagement ring sales back in 1999 and have maintained a sterling reputation since. Their conflict-free diamonds, quality craftsmanship, and lifetime warranty provide further peace of mind.
Some of Angara’s main competitors in online jewelry sales include Blue Nile, James Allen, and Brilliant Earth. Local jewelers can also compete for sales. Angara sets themselves apart with quality gemstones, unique designs, customization, and competitive pricing.
Yes, the diamonds and gemstones sold by Angara do come with GIA certification. This confirms the quality ratings of each stone. The laser inscription on the diamond will include the GIA number that matches the certification. GIA, along with AGS, are considered the top diamond grading authorities.
Final Thoughts
In summary, Blue Nile is the way to go for a wide range of traditional fine diamond jewelry, especially engagement rings. Their Astor diamonds raise the bar for quality too. Opt for Angara if you want more colorful and uniquely styled pieces or coveted gemstones beyond diamonds.
Either retailer promises beautiful, ethical jewelry paired with a top-notch shopping experience.
Whichever you choose, you can have confidence you’re getting high-caliber jewelry at a fair price. Do your research, look for promotions, and leverage their customer service to find the perfect pieces for life’s special moments.