When searching for diamonds online, the first thing you should do before you set out to buy your precious piece of jewelry is to acquire proper and substantial information about the vendors.
This means that you are most likely to rummage through tons of articles and reviews to check the selection, prices, customer service and so on.
If you are ready and about to start your quest, be sure that one of the first retailers you check out is Whiteflash.
To save you time and effort in collecting bits and pieces from various sources, we’ve compiled and written a full and comprehensive review, which will enable you to see whether Whiteflash is the right company for you.
Whiteflash diamonds in 360
Some more structured and detailed information follows below.
Whiteflash is an ultra-modern online diamond and bridal jewelry retailer, which specializes in ideal diamonds and designer engagement rings and offers a wide selection of the best known brands and luxury styles in the bridal market. They are the developers and sole distributors of A CUT ABOVE® super ideal diamonds, considered to be among the finest diamonds available today.
If you are searching for an engagement ring of the best and top quality, you can be certain that you will find plenty of choice at Whiteflash, as they are an authorized distributor for some of the top designer brands, and they even manufacture their own signature designs.
They have a standing reputation and dominate the premium online diamond market by offering extremely high quality both in production and selection of diamonds at the most affordable price point possible. This is confirmed by the numerous customer testimonials that can be found on Google, Yelp, Ivouch and similar sites. Even the iconic Kiplinger’s Magazine refers to them as being ”Lord of the Online Rings”.
In the large in-stock inventory of diamond rings they possess, you will find engagement ring settings from Tacori, Verragio, Simon G, A. Jaffe, Ritani and Danhov, brands which are not likely to be found at many places.
Whiteflash designer enagement rings
Whiteflash are a member of the American Gem Society, a well-known leader in Cut Quality analysis that has as members some of the finest jewelers in the United States and Canada, so most Whiteflash diamonds have AGS Laboratory certificates that testify for the premium quality.
They are committed to providing the best consumer education and protection, which is noted in their numerous educational and informative articles pertaining to diamonds and jewelry.
What’s more, they are co-authors of a major series of articles that cover the topic of diamond grading at the AGSL.
So, be sure that you will find comprehensive and accurate information regarding the 4 C’s (Color, Clarity, Carat, and Cut).
The History
Whiteflash is an online jewelry retailer based in Houston, Texas, with a customer base that spans around the USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Founded in 2000, it is one of the pioneers in the online diamond industry. Although they are an online retailer, they do have an impressive brick-and-mortar store in Sugar Land, for which they earned the title of ‘Best Jewelers in Houston’ by winning the coveted Pinnacle Award from the Better Business Bureau.
Whiteflash BBB Award Winner
Over the years, they have acquired an outstanding international reputation for the first class quality of their precision cut diamonds and for their flawless collection of designer engagement rings.
They are exceptionally proud on the fact that this reputation was built organically, through customer referrals, and not through spending vast amount of money on marketing. The reason for this is mainly put down to them having thoroughly vetted all of their diamonds, providing a full set of light performance images and HD video for every in-stock diamond, complemented with a full laboratory report on their website.
They are said to have in possession one of the largest inventory of certified super-ideal round and princess cut diamonds of any retailer anywhere. Their signature diamond brand, the A CUT ABOVE®, is considered to be one of the world’s best super-ideal diamonds and is internationally acclaimed as the most beautiful precision cut diamonds that can be found on the market.
Starting in 2004, Whiteflash have annually received high honors from the Better Business Bureau, culminating with the highest honor in 2018, when they received the 2018 BBB Pinnacle Award.
When it comes to the business model, the way that Whiteflash run their business is rather specific. Even though they are an online retailer, their inventory is actually in-stock, which is not quite common among online retailers. This has enabled them to have a professional photo taken of each and every in-house diamond, which is later displayed on their website for sale.
In case you want to double check if the professional photographer has done justice to the diamonds, there is a showroom in Sugar Land, Texas, where the diamonds are exhibited.
Whiteflash Houston Jewelry Showroom
Their business model can be best described as a combination of the warmth of a small traditional family-business and the standards and qualities of a large corporation.
Their in-house team is comprised of GIA trained jewelry and diamond experts including GIA Graduate Gemologists, and AGS Certified Gemologists. Owning and having the diamonds in-stock enabled them to provide full diagnostics up front, and the mentioned light performance images and HD videos are accompanied by a full laboratory report, which is how they have made sure to provide the best set of assurance policies in the industry.
Their dedication and seriousness can be noted from their ISO 9000 certification. If you are not quite familiar with this international best-practice standard for quality control and continual improvement, here are some more details:
The ISO 9000 certification guarantees that when you buy a diamond from the particular retailer, the information they have presented you with is absolutely accurate and you always get what you ordered. In order to acquire this certification, an organization has to comply with international standards and is also a subject to an annual external audit. This ensures that the organization follows only the best practices in quality control and has set processes for continuous improvement. As this is not an actual prerequisite to have, majority of the jewelers do not obtain this certification.
Knowing this is really comforting and reassuring, especially for making online purchases for substantial amounts of money.
As the website is the first point of contact, Whiteflash have made sure it is bold, elegant, neat, and eye-catching.
The dark tone with red touches adds to the chic look and even makes the diamonds stand out more.
Apart from the looks, they have made sure that the navigation through the site is easy and very user-friendly. The homepage features a streamlined navigation menu bar with a few basic drop-down menus that provide information in terms of available diamonds and jewels, educational page, and company services, which lets you find what you were searching for in just a couple of clicks. The design seems to be carefully planned as all the information is clearly displayed without any unnecessary tabs or menus, preventing a potential overload with images or text. Moreover, the website is mobile-friendly so you can access it on the go.
When you are ready to start your quest for diamonds, you will find the navigation menu on the left-hand side really useful and simple for filtering the desired characteristics. They have employed quite an efficient diamond – search tool that lets you limit the search to only A CUT ABOVE®, Expert Selection, Premium Select or virtual selection stones in case you are only interested in a specific category. What’s more, the search box is designed to store your queries in order to make your return visits easier.
Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE Round Diamonds
Once on the diamond detail page, the first thing you will notice are all of the images of the diamond that will help in your choice. You will also see that the details feature clear icons that show to which category a certain diamond belongs, its grading authority, and whether Whiteflash staff have judged the diamond to be eye clean.Before you dive into the search, it is good to note one thing. In the column ‘eye clean’ you will see that for some diamonds it says ‘inquire’ rather than ‘yes’. Let this not put you off that diamond, as this doesn’t mean that when people look at the diamond there will be visible inclusions. It is only a reflection of the company’s high level of transparency and attempt to be as accurate as possible. Their actual test for inclusions involves inspecting a diamond at a distance of 8-10 inches in normal lighting. And if the diamond is placed in a ring setting, their highly-trained gemologists can pick up inclusions on close inspection. However, for a layman, the diamond may actually be eye clean and no inclusions will be visible.
So, for the stones that have been marked as ‘inquire’, you can get additional details by Whiteflash. They will provide a detailed description of the nature of the inclusions, and customers can get a more clear idea of what might be visible, how visible it will be, and from which directions and distances. This will allow you to decide whether the diamond is ‘clean and perfect’ enough to be the one.
Point is, don’t be hasty to disregard a diamond which isn’t immediately marked to be clean. Make sure you contact Whiteflash and inquire for the inclusions and how severe they are, you might be surprised with the outcome.
As for the images and videos they provide of the stones, one can say that they’ve put quite an effort to accurately and vividly display the jewels. For each diamond you can find an ideal scope image (used to show areas of light leakage), a Hearts & Arrows image (shows the incredibly symmetrical hearts that are formed by perfect facet placement of the diamond), and an ASET image (shows the intensity of the light as well as light leakage). There is a 360-degree HD video for each diamond they have in stock. Additionally, they provide a Sarine report for each stone. This report is an advanced digital report of the particular diamond’s scan. A great number of online retailers do not provide this information unless asked, and some do not provide it at all.
All of this screams transparency and simplicity. Whiteflash seem to have gone to great lengths to provide the most accurate and best view of their products on offer. So, what you see is what you get. This is quite reassuring for online purchases.
Whiteflash have made sure the customers find the window-shopping experience pleasant and stress-free. They offer a 24/7 chat system to assist you with the choice and discuss your requirements and there is a simplified shopping cart which makes checkout available for different devices.
Now comes their educational part and Whiteflash’s vast educational section. While all the diamond knowledge and information may seem overwhelming at first, you should consider their homepage as a comprehensive library where you can find answers to all of your questions relating to and about diamonds. It is apparent that they possess a high level of expertise that they are not hesitant to show and share with customers. You will find detailed explanations of what makes their ‘ A CUT ABOVE® range so exceptional, then you can see the grading process in detail, something which is not that common. Shortly, you’ll know for sure what you’re paying for.
Apart from the blog, they feature quite engaging guides and superb infographics with high clarity. You can even use the site as a resource tool for discovering the latest designs on offer. The FAQ section offers quite clear and simple answers in terms that any layman can understand. Also, if you find the educational section a bit too much, make sure to check out the quick Diamond Buying Guide where the crucial aspects of what you need to look for in a diamond are covered.
You can be sure that all of the items Whiteflash offer on their website are of the finest quality, regardless whether it’s custom made by them or obtained from a world’s top designer. The diamond experts at Whiteflash ensure that the diamonds they offer are the best combination of the 4C’s – color, clarity, carat, and cut. If one aspect of the 4C’s is lacking, the stone is simply not considered. Apart from the stone quality, they make sure that the design of the setting also matches and complements the stone. No wonder how they gained their reputation.
In terms of the quality and budget we can distinguish 4 tiers of diamonds at Whiteflash, the first three of which are all in-stock, fully vetted, and available for immediate purchase:
The A CUT ABOVE®is a super ideal diamond that is exclusive to Whiteflash.. There are strict requirements and conditions under which the diamonds in this line are cut in order to result in the best angles,proportions, and light performance. The Collection Series is the very ‘best of the best’; Super ideal cut, Internally flawless to VVS2, and D,E,F in color.
To be qualified for the status of a Hearts and Arrows diamond, a round stone has to possess a perfect hearts and arrows pattern and display an impeccable three-dimensional alignment of facets. You can see arrows when you look at the diamond down from the top and the hearts when you look at it from the bottom. For the diamond to have a perfect optical symmetry each facet must be perfectly aligned so that the hearts and arrows will be well-defined and completely symmetrical. However, note that if a diamond has perfect symmetry it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s an ideal cut.
Interesting to note: Only around 1% of the diamonds in the world can be considered true hearts and arrows diamond.
Next, the parameters of the stone must be within the limits of the AGS stringent criteria, so that it can earn the AGS Ideal certification.The stone must achieve the AGS triple zero rating – excellence in light performance, polish, and symmetry. On top of that, it must pass the even stricter requirements posed by Whiteflash. So, having the perfect hearts and arrows combined with perfect light performance makes a diamond super ideal.
Finally, the stone has to be photogenic. Jokes aside, there is an image testing with which they check the stone’s light performance when captured on camera. These images are posted on the website and serve as an actual proof and display of the brilliance and superiority of craftsmanship. They are complemented with the full gemological data. Taken this into account, you shouldn’t be surprised that they are the most expensive line.
The A CUT ABOVE® category doesn’t only consist of the round (hearts and arrows) super ideals but also of the princess cut super ideals. Similarly to the round diamonds, the princess cut diamonds also follow strict qualification criteria. The diamond must be a square princess with a length/width ratio within 1.03; the overall cut grade must be AGS0; there must be no inclusions that affect the durability of the corners; there must be no light leakage in the center of the diamond.
The Expert Selection category consists of diamonds that almost achieved the stature of A CUT ABOVE®. All of them have acquired the triple zero rating from AGS, however they did not pass all the technical requirements by Whiteflash for the top brand. This selection is a quite good balance of price and quality as the average person will not be able to tell them apart.
The Premium Select category consists of diamonds that belong to GIA’s qualification of Triple Excellent diamonds. They are in the group of highest quality diamonds and possess premium features, among which is the highest cut grade given by GIA. The stones also display a quite distinct Hearts and Arrows pattern. The only reason they are in the third place in the categorization by Whiteflash is that Whiteflash prefer AGS certified diamonds to GIA. According to them, AGS perform deeper cut quality analysis, which is why only AGS Platinum certificate diamonds may qualify for the A CUT ABOVE® or the Expert Selection.
Apart from their in-house inventory, Whiteflash also offer a virtual selection that comes from the global network of suppliers. While the images for the in-house items are available at any time, Whiteflash can only provide an image for a diamond from the virtual selection once they bring it in for evaluation. This does not mean that they are less in quality, as there are stones in this group that are graded as Excellent cut by the GIA and may even have excellent symmetry and polish . This category is designed for customers looking for different shapes or qualities that Whiteflash does not carry in stock.
In addition to the high quality and service they offer, Whiteflash hold themselves to a high moral standard. All of the diamonds they sell are ethically-sourced in accordance with the Kimberley Process, a framework that strives to prevent the flow of conflict diamonds. What’s more, Whiteflash go even further in their attempts to raise awareness and make a positive impact. They are a member of the UN Global Compact and the Diamond Development Initiative, both of which support human rights and fair labor efforts. As for the impact, they have established a special jewelry line known as the Dreams of Africa Collection with all profits going to Jewelers for Children, a charity that gets support from participating members of the jewelry industry in their efforts to help children in need.
When searching for a diamond, it is important to know that you will have a specialist to consult with before making your decision. This is where Whiteflash excel. Their staff consists of accredited jewelry professionals, diamond graduates and graduate gemologists, all of them with GIA credentials, so you can be sure that any doubts or questions you may have will be most certainly addressed.
The moment you decide to get in touch with them, you will be assigned one of their diamond consultants to assist you with all the queries you may have. Confirmed by hundreds of testimonials online, their consultants are highly professional, polite, and pleasure to talk with. The consultants are available 24/7 over phone and live chat, so you don’t need to worry about closing times. In case you have some longer or more detailed query you can choose to email them and even add any attachments to get the most out of their help. You can be sure that each customer receives special attention, as you will not only be assigned a professional consultant, but they will also provide you with additional complimentary professional photos of the chosen ring so that you can share it with friends and family.
In case you are still in doubts about your choice of diamond, you can decide to reserve the particular stone for 24 hours either via email or simply by talking to someone from the representatives. This proves really useful as it saves you from the fear that by the time you make your decision someone else gets to your diamond first.
On top of all this, they employ an advanced customer management system that will keep track of your project so if by any chance your initial consultant becomes unavailable for any reason, you will not have to go over everything with another representative, as they will be already familiar with it, which definitely saves time and nerves.
Once you are done reading about and choosing a diamond, it is time for the purchase. Whiteflash have made sure that the shopping experience they provide is smooth and the purchase process is seamless and easy. They provide several payment options for purchases within the USA and Canada, which include all major credit cards, Paypal, and Bank Wire Transfer (with a discount offered if you opt for it). They even have free international shipping included in the service, which contributes to the positive shopping experience.
When you have already purchased your stone, Whiteflash strives to dispatch it as soon as possible, which can even be the same day for the diamonds they have on-site. In case you opt for some of the stones from the ‘virtual selection’, it can take a few days as the diamond will have to be sent from the chosen company to Whiteflash, where they will inspect it carefully and mount it in a ring.
If your shipping order is within the US, it will be delivered by Fedex, with a full insurance and a tracking number for payments made by wire transfer. However, for payments over a certain amount with a credit card tracking will be done by your consultant.
In case your purchase is made outside the US, you may not find it as seamless. The prices can only be displayed in US$ and for payments outside the USA and Canada only bank wire transfer is available. While it is not something that is too complicated or impossible to be done, it’s just a bit more hassle than just inputting the card details. To ease things, Whiteflash have included a widget that will calculate the shipping and tax for each country that shipping is available to. The price for shipping outside the US is $50 to which 1% of the value of the order is added. So, if your ring costs $8,000.00, shipping will be $50 + $80 (8000x 0.01) = $130 total.
So, taking this in consideration, your shopping experience might not feel quite as enjoyable if you’re buying outside the US, however, if you have set your mind on one of the A CUT ABOVE® or Expert Selection, this is something that will be well worthwhile.
So, upon finalizing your quest for the perfect ring it is time for you to sit and wait for your package to arrive. You can sleep tight and carefree, as when you order a particular diamond from Whiteflash there is no chance that you might receive something else instead. Their staff inspects the order in every department it is sent to. Whiteflash have put limits on how many pieces can be handled at one point and everything is being filmed. Before the diamond is sent off, the quality assurance team checks the lab report number and then the diamond is packaged in a special designated area, filmed with three separate cameras.
Whiteflash Ring Box
Now, the package is a story for itself. Whiteflash score highly in this area as well, and they have made sure that a high quality stone doesn’t come in any sort of box. The stone is placed in a high quality lacquered cherrywood box with black motif. This chic exterior is matched by the exquisite satin interior. Their logo is fairly unobtrusive and can be found on the inside of the lid. This elegant and tasteful combination has proved to be a worthy holder of the precious stone inside.
Additional Info
- Service guarantee: While diamonds are long lasting, the metals that hold them in place are affected by wear and tear. Whiteflash provide a one-year service plan for each ring they sell. This covers sizing, cleaning, re-polishing and any necessary repairs for the metals.
- Additional 3 year and Lifetime Service Plans are also available for reasonable fees and can be purchased at checkout.
- Lifetime trade-ups: In case you decide that you want to upgrade the diamond you have bought and would rather get a bigger, better, or simply different one, Whiteflash offer to swap the diamonds for a stone that costs the same or more. The trade-up on the in-house diamonds is 100% of the purchase price, and they even offer a trade-up benefitfor designer engagement rings – 50%.
- Money back guarantee: Whiteflash allow you to change your mind within the first 30 days, and will refund you 100% of the price, which includes the paid insured postage.
- One–year buyback option:In the event that those 30 days have passed, and you still decide to return your stone, Whiteflash will buy it back for 70% of what you paid for a period up to one year since the original purchase date. This applies to all in-house diamonds that are in their original condition.
- Reward program:Some of the customer benefits that Whiteflash offer is the referral program. Each time that you refer a friend and they make a purchase, Whiteflash will reward you with $100. They also give a repeat customer $100 loyalty discount for every new purchase that is worth $2,000 or more.
In your search for the perfect diamond, you are sure to come across a few well-known names in the world of diamonds. Among the top online jewelry retailers apart from Whiteflash you will most certainly hear of JamesAllen and Blue Nile.
Each has something peculiar that distinguishes them from others.
First and foremost, the images provided. The Diamond Display Technology that James Allen has is unparalleled as they offer a 360-degree, high-definition view of each diamond that is in their collection.
However, Whiteflash are the only ones who provide the Idealscope, ASET, or H&A imagery as well as HD video. James Allen will provide 3 free Idealscope images, but it needs to be requested separately. In this regard, Blue Nile is a little behind, as they don’t have actual images for many of the stones, even though they have introduced a video technology of displaying diamonds in an attempt to catch up.
When it comes to inventory, there are a couple of things that set the companies apart.
While Blue Nile and James Allen have a vast selection of diamonds in offer that goes over 100 000+, Whiteflash has ‘only’ 33 000+ diamonds to choose from. And yet, Whiteflash is the only one that actually has diamonds in-stock. If you are searching for a particular shape, you will find a wide inventory of all diamond shapes at James Allen. In case you are searching for a colored diamond, then Blue Nile will be your choice of retailer.
If you are on a budget, you’d better check Blue Nile and James Allen, as they have some stones that are quite more affordable than Whiteflash. Not having the diamonds in stock allows both James Allen and Blue Nile to be competitive in prices.
| Blue Nile | Whiteflash | James Allen | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
|
| 360 Degree | Yes | No | Yes |
| Physical Store | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Business Founded | 1999 | 2000 | 2006 |
| Return Policy | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Certification | GIA / GemEx | GIA / AGS | GIA / IGI / AGS |
| Customer Service | Chat / Phone / Email | Chat / Phone / Email | Chat / Phone / Email |
On the other hand, in case quality and security is your primary goal, Whiteflash should be your choice, as being in possession of the diamonds has allowed their experts to actually have inspected the diamonds and vouch for the highest quality, and there is no risk of not being able to get the diamond you have so carefully selected.
When it comes to customer support, there is not much to compare, as all of them excel at it. Customers’ reviews speak highly of the polite and highly knowledgeable staff that is available 24/7.
After the purchase comes the packaging. While Blue Nile prefer simplicity and elegance, James Allen and Whiteflash have made sure that the package is as impressive as the stone inside. Whiteflash will send your diamond in a high quality lacquered cherry wood box with satin interior and James Allen will send it in a large and luxurious jewelry box.
In the area of return policies, Blue Nile and James Allen offer a full 30-day return policy. Whiteflash do offer a 30-day return policy on their in-house diamonds and all jewelry products. For the virtual diamond inventory, they only allow 10 days for the return.
As for the buyback, Blue Nile returns the amount based on the rings value, which may increase or decrease in time, whereas Whiteflash guarantees to pay 70% of the original purchase price.