The following is a comprehensive review of Whiteflash.
We shall look at:
- Who is Whiteflash?
- What is unique about Whiteflash?
- Key features of Whiteflash online shop
- What is likable in Whiteflash
- The dislikes about Whiteflash
- Are their diamonds worth the price?
- And much more
Let’s jump right in!
Whiteflash Review: What is Whiteflash?
Whiteflash is a renowned online diamond store that concentrates on diamond production with expertise in the best cuts that give maximum flash to the stone.
A diamond sparkles in the light. This sparkle is a result of how the diamond is cut. The cut is such that light gets into the diamond and is reflected as white and colored sparkles. This is referred to as a light return.
The white flashes of light in a diamond stone are called flash scintillation and the colored flashes are known as fire scintillation.
If the diamond is not cut properly, the light will leak and the stone will either have little or no flash at all, even if the diamond is clean or big in terms of clarity or carat size respectively.
All diamonds at Whiteflash are branded “A CUT ABOVE®” which is their best cut of diamonds that reflect the highest amount of light. This is where the name “Whiteflash” comes from.
The Whiteflash brand is determined and dedicated to producing diamonds that have the best cuts at affordable prices.
What is Unique About Whiteflash?
There are many diamond selling stores, but two distinct things make Whiteflash a unique seller:
- Their commitment to producing diamonds with the best cut possible, hence giving the diamond incredible sparkle and flash. This is notable from their diamond line referred to as A CUT ABOVE®.
- Excellent customer satisfaction/service and corporate social responsibility.
Let’s look at each of these separately.
What is A CUT ABOVE ® Diamond?
Before we explain what this is, keep in mind that a diamond is a product. This simply means that a diamond remains to be a diamond no matter its origin.
Unfortunately, this alone does not help push for the sale of diamonds in the market.
Because of these, diamond sellers pick one particular aspect of a diamond that they can gain control over and use to create a brand for themselves. This in turn helps to promote the commodity and eventually sell.
This is where Whiteflash’s “A CUT ABOVE®” (ACA) comes in.
Previously, this was thought off simply as a marketing strategy, but upon in-depth study, Whiteflash capitalizes on this to create a market niche for all its jewelry pieces.
With that in mind, there are 5 things you ought to know about diamonds that have been branded ACA.
#1. To Stand Out In the Diamond Market
Whiteflash picked the most important C out of the 4Cs of diamonds to gain a competitive advantage over the other diamond sellers in the market.
The Cut.
Carat, color, and clarity are the other 3Cs. They are also important but nothing beats a diamond that reflects light and illuminates the room.
#2. Partnering With Gemstone Labs
Whiteflash teamed up with American Gem Society Labs. This is one of the reputable gem labs that specialize in grading a diamond’s cut; it does that more than GIA.
Whiteflash makes it a point to get the best cut-graded diamonds from this lab. Such diamonds normally carry a Triple Zero Cut that has a platinum certificate. They then list hearts and arrows from this category of diamonds.
At Whiteflash, you will hear them refer to this as “hitting the bull’s eye”
#3. Hearts and Arrows Make a Perfect Optical Symmetry
The hearts and arrows is a pattern found in diamonds. This pattern is only clearly visible if the diamond has been faceted and aligned in three dimensions. The diamond must also have outstanding optical symmetry.
The image below shows a diamond that has been capture from the top. You can clearly see the “hearts” on the left side of the diamond which is brought about by the optical symmetry that the facets have.
If you look at the diamond on the right above, its “hearts” are not perfect and therefore cannot bear the brand A CUT ABOVE®.
Whiteflash only brands A CUT ABOVE® the diamonds that have a perfect score from AGSL and have been cut with excellent optical symmetry.
You will hear this being referred to as super ideal diamonds.
While other jewelry stores will stop here, Whiteflash takes it a step further by using more filters.
#4. No Clarity Defects
Whiteflash vets super ideal diamonds further to sieve out those that have any clarity issues. Diamonds that have inclusions create some effects which tend to snatch flash and fire from the diamond. Subtle
#5. No Cut Defects or fluorescence
Diamonds that have scratches or chips acquired from the process of cutting do not pass the test at Whiteflash.
Natural diamonds normally have fluorescence that affects how it performs in light. Whiteflash employs UV light to test and filter diamonds whose fluoresce is not acceptable.
The video below will give you an idea of what it means for Whiteflash to adhere to diamond cuts. You will see the flash of an A CUT ABOVE® Whiteflash diamond compared to a Triple Excellent Cut Diamond from GIA.
It is important to note that diamond cutting is done by humans who use complex machines, especially if you want perfectly cut diamonds.
A skilled diamond cutter has to spend a lot of time, energy, and effort in carving and polishing the diamond to achieve a perfect hearts and arrows pattern.
This is how it is…
For the perfect hearts and arrows pattern to come out, a diamond cutter has to slash a considerable content of diamond rough. This process reduces the carat weight, which in turn lowers the market value of the diamond.
The final price of a super ideal diamond is high since it requires skilled craftsmanship to cut the stone and make up for the lost carat weight. A CUT ABOVE ® will even be more valuable because of the high-quality standards at Whiteflash.
However…
The good news is you will have a diamond that has the best cut that you can find on the market. Furthermore, it has an incredible flash that you will not forget soon.
Also, this is a brand exclusively owned by Whiteflash and how they stand out in the market.
RECOMMENDED: Does Whiteflash Offer Jewelry Financing?
Whiteflash Customer Service
When it comes to diamond purchasing, you will encounter pushy sales staff, scam artists, and blood diamonds that have been sourced unethically. It becomes hard to trust just any shop that is selling diamonds.
You will even come across people who argue that diamond certification bodies give high scores to diamonds that have defects.
With that in mind, Whiteflash understands the impact of this problem in the jewelry industry and responds to customers with all attention. As a result, they get constant recognition and praise from major stakeholders in the industry.
14 BBB Awards for Excellence
Whiteflash has been awarded BBB Award for Excellence in customer satisfaction 14 times in a row.
This might not be a great award for some people; I mean some people feel like it is the kind of an award that is “just” given to a store. However, getting the same award 14 times consecutively must surely mean something.
In 2018, 295 various companies got this particular award. From Whiteflash’s website, they state that this award is given to
“BBB Accredited Businesses and Charity Members that maintain a superior commitment to ethics, overall excellence, and quality in the workplace at the 2018 Awards for Excellence event.”
I looked around for the set of criteria considered for a company to get this award, but I did not get any. So, you can imagine.
Something worth noting is that this award is also given to businesses that have been accredited in Greater Houston as well as the South Texas branch of BBB.
So, this is probably not the best award that a business can get. However, it is nice to be recognized and also shows that there is some degree of effort put in building a credible jewelry business.
ISO 9000:2008 Certified
From a BBB award to an ISO 9000 certification! This is something big.
This is one award that makes Whiteflash stand out from the rest of the jewelry sellers. It boosts the company’s credibility and trustworthiness when it comes to customer-centered operations.
In simple language, the ISO: 9000 certification means that Whiteflash has done a wonderful job considering the reviews got from third parties. They have always offered high-quality products and a hassle-free shopping process.
This award may not mean anything to customers. However, to a store like Whiteflash, it is a testament to the company of its intentions of being customer-centric. It is not easy to get a third party to recognize your sales process through a certificate.
Did you know that Whiteflash is the first jewelry company and also the only one to get this kind of certification? Now you know.
Conflict Free Diamond Sourcing
Some other jewelry sellers get ethical diamonds, but Whiteflash has a thorough process of sourcing for conflict-free diamonds.
In case you do not know, “conflict diamonds” or otherwise known as “blood diamonds” are gotten from rebel groups who sell diamonds and use the proceeds to fund wars against their governments.
In the past, this sourcing process was a big problem to the jewelry industry, but fortunately, through the Kimberly Process, the issue was addressed. This process made it hard for any blood-stained diamonds to be sold freely in the market.
Whiteflash gets all its diamonds from suppliers whose regions are free from conflicts. This process is, however, improved by taking extra steps like:
- Being part of the UN Global Compact, an organization that focuses on issues to do with human rights, anti-corruption, and labor on a global base.
- Being part of the Diamond Development Initiative which makes sure that the communities taking part in mining gold benefit from their effort.
- Donating the profits they make from the Dream of Africa jewelry collection to the Jewelers for Children non-profit.
These are just a few of the areas where Whiteflash channels their resource and time to.
To say the least, these are some of the gestures I like to see in a company that is socially responsible.
Whiteflash Review: What we Like
We already know what makes this diamond seller unique, but what exactly is there to like about Whiteflash?
What is this that will make you choose to buy diamonds from Whiteflash and not any other jewelry store?
Let’s look at it!
A CUT ABOVE® Diamonds
The first thing you will definitely like is the store’s ACA collection of diamonds. The cut is the most important of all the Cs of a diamond.
To be honest, if you look at a diamond from a distance, you will not be able to tell the diamond’s color, clarity, or carat weight. But, the cut can be spotted from right across the room and you will not fail to see the sparkle.
Nothing attracts the eyes more than the flash oozed from diamonds.
Look at it like this…..
Getting a perfectly cut diamond is like assembling a high-performance engine or cooking a mouthwatering meal that is well balanced with spice and flavor.
For you to get the same feeling as diamonds, a diamond cutter has t carve and polish the diamond skillfully to get the right optical symmetry. When this is achieved, all the light entering the diamond will be reflected back to the observer in either colored flashes of white light. If the diamond is poorly cut, all the light will be lost.
The admirable thing about Whiteflash is that they dedicate themselves to producing high-quality cut diamonds.
If you are going to buy diamonds and cut is your #1 consideration, think about buying from Whiteflash. I have not come across any other diamond producer that invests in getting perfectly cut diamonds.
Diamond Certification (Transparency)
I also like that Whiteflash provides diamond certificates to customers without talking to anyone. The certificates are available for both the online sock and the physical jewelry in the store.
This is a commendable gesture of commitment to transparency. It is a good way for Whiteflash to let their customers in on what grades of diamonds they have.
The diamond reports are out there for customers to read and get all the information and even analyze if they so wish.
If you want a more detailed report of the diamond you wish to buy, there is a Sarine Report just for that.
For most customers, reading these reports is not in their to-do list, not to talk about the comprehension of what is in there. However, just how readily available these reports are a clear sign of trust and transparency.
James Allen is one of the other preferred stores, but you will not get diamond certificates without their staff talking to someone first. This in my thinking is their strategy to get the customer to talk to a sales representative.
This may appear minor but making certificates readily available for customers who may need puts Whiteflash at an advantage.
Before and After Sales Support
Some customers are skeptical about buying anything online. To minimize the risk with online buying that people already perceive, an online store must provide necessary support before, during, and after the sale of a particular product.
This is very true when buying anything that has an emotional attachment or is worth a lot of money, for example, a diamond necklace, bracelet, earring, pendant, or ring.
From Whiteflash, you will get:
- Shipping is free and insured, whether domestic or international
- Round the clock online chat plus a follow-up via email
- Return in-house diamonds within 30 days of purchase and get a full refund
- Return diamonds from virtual inventory within 10 days of purchase and get a full refund
Such are simple things that any online jewelry company should provide. Whiteflash offers easy diamond returns and free shipping, isn’t that likable?
Lifetime Trade-Up
I particularly like Whiteflash since if you buy any diamond from their physical store; you qualify for an upgrade any time in the future utilizing the diamond’s full value.
This simply means if you buy a diamond piece of jewelry costing $4,000 and wish to upgrade to a $6,000 diamond, you only need to top up the deficit.
If you buy from other shops like Blue Nile and James Allen, you will be required to select a diamond that is twice the value of the diamond you originally bought for you to upgrade. This means if you have a $4,000 diamond, you have to choose $8,000 for a trade-up.
Remember, Whiteflash only has this offer for their in-house diamonds, so ensure you do not buy from their online inventory for you to benefit.
One-Year Buy Back
Finally yet importantly on what is there to like about Whiteflash is the 1-year buyback program for diamonds bought in-house. There is no other diamond seller that offers this.
If you feel like you are not for the sale anymore after a year, you can take the diamond back to Whiteflash for a 70% of the value refund.
Now, this is something worth liking!
Look at it like this…
Whiteflash helps you lower the risk of a huge investment. You have 3o days to return the diamond for a full refund; in addition, there are 11 months within which you can get a 70% of your initial investment back if you still want to take the diamond back.
Whiteflash Review: What We Don’t Like
Disclaimer: the dislikes about Whiteflash in this article are personal views that were generated after comparing Whiteflash to other sellers in the jewelry market.
I tried to be non-partisan and objective. Let us look at the dislikes!
Online Shopping Experience (No 360-Degree Viewing)
Out of all the things at Whiteflash, this is the area they really need to work on.
Any store that sells products online is supposed to make sure the buying process is very simple. It should also provide the buyer with all the necessary information to make an informed purchase.
While Whiteflash will provide you with all the certificates you need, measurements, and images of the diamonds, they still do not have video clips.
The in-house diamonds have videos. The videos, however, do not actually enable you to view and assess all the diamond characteristics properly.
See below for exactly what you will get at Whiteflash when you want to see an in-house diamond:
You can see from the image how great the flash scintillation is. This shows how good the cut is. However, you cannot clearly view any blemishes or inclusions.
Blue Nile and James Allen provide their customers with 360-degree HD images of their diamonds. This makes it possible to view all the characteristics of the diamond up close before closing a sale.
This is an important experience for customers who want to see how many and where exactly the inclusions are before buying the diamond.
See below how James Allen makes t easy for you to view a diamond as well as its features.
We still hope that Whiteflash will improve its diamond viewing technology to make the buying experience more informative for the buyer.
Choice of Settings
You may be surprised to learn that Whiteflash only has four setting styles, all of them traditional.
- Solitaire
- Halo
- Pave & Side Stones
- 3-Stone Set
When we compare this to James Allen and Blue Nile, the former has * while the latter has 12.
It would be better if the number of settings went up at Whiteflash to accommodate more other styles that are far from traditional.
Inventory in the Physical Stores
Whiteflash is not a big diamond seller if you compare it to other big shops. This means their collection is relatively low.
At the time of writing this article, there were only 911 diamonds in the physical stores of Whiteflash, 825 out of these being round style.
This is noteworthy since all the benefits we have talked about earlier are good for the diamonds found in-house.
If you do not like a round-style diamond, you are better off shopping elsewhere as you will not find other fancy cuts like marquise and princess at Whiteflash. Blue Nile and James Allen are the best places to get those other fancy diamond shapes.
No Synthetic Diamonds
How I wish Whiteflash had lab-created diamonds, and more specifically their ACUT ABOVE® brand lab diamonds.
Because of concerns with ethics, lab-grown diamonds are becoming more accepted. Lab diamonds possess the same characteristics as real diamonds, only that they are manufactured in the lab and not extracted from deep in the earth.
Lab diamonds are not to be mistaken for cubic zirconia. Cubic zirconia is not diamond. Lab diamonds are “real” diamonds created in the lab.
A lab diamond is about 20-40% less expensive than real diamonds but has the same attributes.
Since they are gaining popularity, it would be nice if Whiteflash had lab-grown diamonds as part of their in-house collection.
Diamond Prices At Whiteflash
Let us get into how diamond prices are determined at Whiteflash compared to other big jewelry sellers like James Allen and Blue Nile.
Keep in mind that Whiteflash has both in-house and virtual stocks of diamond. In-house diamonds are those carried in the stores while virtual diamonds are those they sell via their trading partners.
The in-house diamonds are classified into three as follows:
- A CUT ABOVE ® Diamonds: This is the best category of diamonds you will find at Whiteflash. For a diamond to get this distinction, it has to be awarded a Triple Zero Cut rating accompanied by a platinum certificate by AGSL. In addition, it must have the hearts and arrows pattern that is reviewed by the jewelers at Whiteflash.
- Premium Select Diamonds: These are the second-best diamonds and get a Triple Excellent rating from GIA. They also have the hearts and arrows pattern and reviewed by Whiteflash as well.
- Expert Select Diamonds: Like the first class of diamonds, these also have AGSL’s Triple Zero Cut ranking only that they do not meet the requirements of ACA. They also miss the hearts and arrows.
To help you understand this better, I got a diamond from each of these categories from each retailer.
It is important to note that both James Allen and Blue Nile do not get their diamonds graded by AGSL like the one Whiteflash does for their A CUT ABOVE® certifications.
James Allen and Blue Nile get diamond certifications from GIA. The same body certifies the Premium Select diamonds for Whiteflash.
For purposes of testing, I went out of my way to get one diamond from “true Hearts” at James Allen, another diamond from “Astor” at Blue Nile, and the last from “Premium Select” at Whiteflash. All these three diamonds have been certified by GIA.
For a fair comparison, all the diamonds have similar characteristics that were:
- Color grade: G
- Carat weight: 1.04-carat
- Cut grade: Best Cut by brand or Super Ideal
- Clarity Grade: VS2
Below is what I gathered.
Whiteflash Pricing Compared to Blue Nile
There was no 1.04-carat stone, but I got a 1.05. This is a slightly higher weight but it will do for comparison.
The price is up at $7,589!
Something discouraging about Blue Nile is that they are very mean with information about their Astor diamonds. The only thing you will hear is that “these are the best diamonds we have” and that they have been reviewed by Blue Nile to be the best. This is somewhat lame.
If you dig for more information about any “Astor” diamond, you will get to learn that they are not hearts and arrows diamonds.
I think this high price at Blue Nile means you are actually paying for the brand and not the diamond only.
Whiteflash Pricing Compared to James Allen
Blue Nile’s diamond price was up the ceiling, so what about James Allen.
James Allen sells their ideal diamonds with hearts and arrows at a reasonable price.
I found the same diamond characteristics, only that this is GIA certified triple excellent stone with no fluorescence.
I purposely left out fluorescence since most jewelry companies give discounts to diamonds that have fluorescence because it is seen as a defect.
Pricing Compared at Whiteflash
We have prices from both James Allen and Blue Nile, so what about that at Whiteflash?
Looking at the pricing below, you can see that James Allen is a bit more expensive but not crazy.
In general, Whiteflash and James Allen have reasonable diamond prices and provide almost the same value.
From the face value, I can’t seem to really point out why Blue Nile charges an extra $1,400 for the same diamond quality, even if the carat weight is more by a mere .01 carat.
With all that is said, I prefer to buy diamonds from White flash because I can rely on their cut expertise and total transparency when offering services. I also like that I can sell the diamond back to them or upgrade whenever I want, James Allen is somehow strict with their upgrade program.
If your budget is limited or you want to save a few bucks, you can shop at James Allen and rest assured of having the same diamond quality at a great price.
Whiteflash Review: Are their Diamonds Worth the Price?
If you are shopping for a diamond for the first time and you would like to concentrate more on the “cut”, then Whiteflash is the store to head to. This diamond seller is worth the price.
At first, you may think it is just like any other shop, but nothing can determine the value of a diamond more than its cut.
To say the least, if I am working on a budget, I would with no doubt sacrifice color, carat weight, and clarity but not cut.
Whiteflash dedicates its money, time, and other resources to deliver the best-cut diamonds ever, and this should make buying from them not an issue to debate.
In addition, their level of transparency goes a long way in helping new and even seasoned shoppers understand more about the diamonds they are about to buy.
Whiteflash defends all of their diamonds’ quality with a lifetime upgrade program as well as a one-year buyback. Most jewelry retailers do not offer these.
The only drawback with Whiteflash is that they have a limited stock (only 911 in-house) and only 825 in round style.
If you like your diamond in a fancier shape like marquise, oval, princess, or any other, you will find more luck at James Allen.
If you love round-cut diamonds like me, then Whiteflash is the best place.
What about You?
That is all I have to say about Whiteflash. I would also like to hear from you.
Have you bought a diamond from Whiteflash in the past? If yes, what was your experience like? Good? Bad? Or somewhere in the middle?
Whatever the case, let us know. Leave a comment below before you leave.
