Whiteflash is particularly well known for their A CUT ABOVE® (ACA) signature line diamonds that enjoy an outstanding reputation in the diamond industry for their super ideal cut.
If you are somewhat educated on diamonds you surely know that the most important thing in a diamond is the diamond cut. Whiteflash concentrates on exactly that with their A CUT ABOVE® signature line diamonds. By the way, the name “A CUT ABOVE ®” was coined to indicate that “of the elite diamonds in the world A CUT ABOVE ® stands above the rest.” In my Whiteflash Review I will have a thorough look at whether the ACA diamonds can really live up to that reputation.
Whiteflash provides exceptional information on each Diamond
Before one can perform an in-depth analysis of a diamond one needs to have in-depth data. Apart from the diamond proportions taken from a reliable grading report one needs to have an Idealscope image, ASET image and an image taken through a hearts and arrows viewer. Or at least one would need to have all that to make a superbly educated decision without any guesswork involved! Whiteflash provides all that and even adds a simplified Sarin report for each diamond by default! Now, that is really exceptional!
Most diamond vendors are not able to offer extensive information like that. If they are able to offer any information, it has to be asked for and is not provided by default.
We will see that the data provided by Whiteflash will be of much use in determining whether a diamond really has a superior light performance.
Now, the simplified Sarin report is not really of much use in my opinion but it is a nice little bonus. It can be used to verify the diamond proportions determined by AGS. A full Sarin report for instance would show the individual measurements for every single crown and pavilion angle instead of averaged measurements that are typically shown on grading reports.
This is not a big deal however as Whiteflash provides grading reports by AGS for all its signature diamonds. AGS grading reports are always spot on and very reliable.
How is Whiteflash exactly able to provide that many data? Quite easy: all their signature line diamonds, namely A CUT ABOVE®, Expert Select diamonds and Premium Select diamonds are all held in-house!
This might sound like it is no big deal but in fact most online retailers are dropshipping their diamonds and only listing the diamonds that are actually in the possession of their suppliers. The big advantage therefore is that Whiteflash is able to provide exceptionally detailed data on all their diamonds.
For instance, Whiteflash is also evaluating whether their diamonds are eye-clean or not. All diamonds that are to be found eye-clean have the eye-clean label.
The definition for eye-clean by Whiteflash is as follows: “No inclusions visible to the naked eye of a person with 20/20 vision when viewing the diamond in the face-up position at a distance of approximately 10 inches under normal overhead lighting.” This becomes especially important for SI graded diamonds because as good as all VS graded diamonds by GIA or AGS are eye-clean.
The eye-clean label by Whiteflash is therefore not a guarantee that the diamond will really be eye-clean. In my experience with Whiteflash however it is very likely that a diamond with the eye-clean label will be eye clean. Even if you hold the diamond directly in front of your eyes from another angle.
A CUT ABOVE® diamonds Review
So, let’s have a look at three randomly selected A CUT ABOVE® diamonds:
I have come up with diamond 1, diamond 2 and diamond 3. The exact specifications of the diamonds are as follows:
Let’s compare these to the super ideal proportions suggested by myself:
It is apparent that all diamonds fall within my suggested proportions which are already very strict! Except diamond 2 because of the thin to slightly thick faceted girdle. Now, grading labs such as GIA and AGS also give excellent cut grades to diamonds with slight thickness, therefore it is not such a big deal. But in this case I would prefer to choose either diamond 1 or 3. Nearly all Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® diamonds do have a thin to medium girdle thickness, though.
Let us check each diamond’s Idealscope image:
All three Idealscope images are about as perfect as an Idealscope image can get. Basically, the Idealscope images are red to the core without any spots of white that would indicate light leakage.
Usual diamonds all exhibit some spots of white (light leakage) in an Idealscope image. Only truly exceptional diamonds are virtually all red on an Idealscope image! This is for instance an Idealscope chart for different qualities of diamonds:
Read my article about Idealscope image evaluation if you want to know more precisely how to analyse an Idealscope image.
Let us further move on to the ASET images of all three diamonds:
On the ASET images of all three diamonds you can see a lot of red/orange color and this is exactly what you are looking for in an ASET image. The red color symbolizes light return and is the number one color you should be looking for. Diamonds with white or dark spots indicate light leakage and should strictly to be avoided. In our case however, all ASET images make a really first-class impression.
Now, but even among the best diamonds, you can still find the very best! In case you did not yet see it clearly enough in the Idealscope image: diamond 1 is the one with the best light performance because in the center you can basically only make out red color. Diamond 2 and diamond 3 have VERY slight spots of white and green shining through. Admittedly, they are all still diamonds with a perfect light performance but diamond 1 has the best light performance among the chosen diamonds. By the way, if you are wondering about the green point in the middle, you just have to be aware that this is only a reflection of the table by the pavilion facets.
This is exactly why I consider shopping at Whiteflash to be so advantageous. The fact that all these images are provided by default makes it easy to make a really educated choice on a diamond!
Let’s have a look at the hearts images viewed through the hearts and arrows viewer:
There is no flaw whatsoever that I can find with these hearts images of all three diamonds. There are no clefs, the hearts are uniform, equal and symmetrical. Furthermore, all hearts are distinct and separated from the arrowheads by a crisp and clear gap. If you want to know more on what to pay attention to in hearts and arrows diamonds, please read my post on hearts and arrows diamonds.
As a conclusion it does have to be noted that all the diamonds among the A CUT ABOVE® signature line are super excellent diamonds that have entirely convinced me. The Idealscope, ASET and hearts images furthermore enable the customer to choose a true masterpiece among those super excellent diamonds.
Features of an A CUT ABOVE® diamond
Whiteflash offers quite some extensive features and guarantees for their CUT ABOVE® signature diamonds:
- AGSL Triple Ideal rating
- Branded Platinum Certificate
- Negligible Fluorescence
- Laser Inscription
- Lifetime 100% Trade-Up
- Light Performance Imaging
- ISO 9000 Certified Review
- Ultimate Cut Craftsmanship
What I like is the standard laser inscription of the grading report number on the diamond girdle. This actually makes it easier to resell your diamond and adds some additional certaintly that the diamond you are holding in your hand is the one that is graded on your grading report.
The fact that all A CUT ABOVE® diamonds only exhibit negligible fluorescence is certainly something that is valued by the market because there are strong prejudices against diamonds with fluorescence. The label “negligible fluorescence” by AGS actually means that there basically is no fluorescence.
Furthermore, the cut criteria for A CUT ABOVE® diamonds are exceedingly strict. In the table below I am comparing my own cut standards – that are very strict – to GIA’s and a A CUT ABOVE®’ standards:
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Measurements
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GIA Excellent
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A CUT ABOVE®
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Your Diamond Teacher
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Depth %
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58.6-62.9
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59.5 – 62.0
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61.0 – 62.5
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Table %
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52-62
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53 – 58
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53 – 58
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Girdle
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T-M-ST
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T-M-ST
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T-M
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Culet
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N-P-S-M
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N-P-S
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N-P
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Polish Grade
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EX-VG
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Ideal
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Ideal
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Symmetry Grade
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EX-VG
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Ideal
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Ideal
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Crown Angle
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31.5-36.5
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34 – 35
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34 – 35
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Pavilion Angle
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40.6-41.8
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40.6 – 40.9
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40.6 – 41.0
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Star %
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45-65
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48 – 55
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48 – 55
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Lower Half %
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70-85
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76 – 80
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76 – 80
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As you can see most of A CUT ABOVE® diamonds cut standards are in line with my very strict cut standard recommendation. Some times they are even slightly stricter than my very own standards which is for instance the case with the pavilion angle!
All in all, I would say that the A CUT ABOVE® diamonds are real world-class quality diamonds that are easily on par with anything out there that belongs to the best of the best.
Apart from the A CUT ABOVE® diamonds Whiteflash also offers their so-called Expert Select diamonds and Premium Selection diamonds. These diamonds particularly target a more price-sensitive audience. In my review on the Whiteflash Expert Select diamonds and Premium Selection diamonds on the next page I thoroughly describe the differences between the A CUT ABOVE® diamonds.
Whiteflash offers custom-design ring settings and designer ring settings
So far, there can be no doubt that Whiteflash has superior diamonds to offer!
But apart from that Whiteflash also offers the possibility to custom-design your very own ring setting! This is especially something for people who want a unique ring-setting that they cannot find anywhere else.
You basically contact Whiteflash’s design team and introduce your project. You will then be provided a firm quote which you can accept or not accept. If you accept the offer you will have to provide a full payment of the custom-made ring setting and your diamond. Then the Whiteflash design team will design your ring setting in CAD (Computer aided design) and get back to you via mail. You can also demand at least one change for in the CAD for free. I think that this is a great.
Other than that Whiteflash has very well-known designer labels such as Tacori, Simon G., Verragio, Ritani, Vatche and Benchmark Rings to offer:
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This is a truly broad selection of ring settings where you should be able to find any ring setting you desire: very simple ones and also very sophisticated and unusual designs.
In case you want to buy a Whiteflash diamond but want another ring setting than the ones offered Whiteflash will most likely also be able to help you out with that.
Whiteflash Customer Service
What I really like about the Whiteflash customer service is how professional it is. You can always reach it easily via chat and expect absolutely professional diamond expert advice. In fact, so far the customer service was always able to answer all the questions I had. And sometimes I asked very difficult questions!
This is mainly due to the fact that among the Whiteflash customer service staff are several GIA Diamond Graduates and even some GIA Graduate Gemologists! These are people who dedicated half a year of their life to a full-time on campus educational program on diamonds! Consequently, you can just ask straight away and can even expect to have your most complicated answers to be answered correctly.
Furthermore, the Whiteflash customer service will go to great length to provide full customer satisfaction. In one case it even provided me with a full Sarin report when I asked for it. In my eyes this makes Whiteflash’s customer service really outstanding!
The value package accompanying Whiteflash diamonds
Whiteflash offers the following terms and conditions:
- Free insured shipping worldwide
- Free 30-day returns on all in-house diamonds (A CUT ABOVE®, Whiteflash Expert Select diamonds and Premium Selection diamonds)
- Free 10-day returns on all diamonds from their virtual inventory
- One Year Buy Back Guarantee on all in-house diamonds: After the 30-day return period has expired Whiteflash will still buy your diamond back for 70% of the purchase price. This may seem like not much but I have described in my post on selling diamondsLINK that you always use a massive amount of money when selling your diamond.
- Lifetime Trade Up Guarantee: You may trade a Whiteflash in-house diamond at any time for any other single in-house diamond of equal or greater value
That is really good value you are getting there. The only thing that you have to bear in mind is that Whiteflash does not offer free return shippings.
Luckily, Whiteflash’s pricing policies for return shipments are very transparent: Comestic insured return shipping rates are $35 + 0.3% of the price of the item. For Example: return shipping for an item priced at $10,000.00 wil be $35 + 30 (10.000 x .003) = $65 total.
International shipping and insurance rates are $50 plus 1% of the value of the order. For Example: shipping for an item priced at $10,000.00 will be $50 + $100 (7500 x .01) = $150 total.
Conclusion of my Whiteflash Review
As a conclusion of my Whiteflash Review I feel like Whiteflash is an excellent place to shop for super ideal diamonds! Basically, you can just choose any diamond from their A CUT ABOVE® signature line and be sure to get a true hearts and arrows diamonds that belongs to the top 1% of all produced diamonds. Go and check out the superior A CUT ABOVE® diamonds for yourself.
If you have any specific questions on a Whiteflash diamond or just need some help, please feel free to leave me a comment or drop me a mail.
On the next page I will be closely reviewing the Whiteflash Expert Select diamonds and Premium Selection diamonds. These diamonds might be particularly interesting for people on the lookout for a good deal!
Read on to find out more…
