Diamond History Shapes New Traditions in Valentine's Day Gift Giving

SEATTLE, Jan. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- How did Chris Evert's 1987 U.S. Open appearance change jewelry history? Is it true that more than 50 million Americans wear a little piece of Archduke Maximilian on their left hand? With nearly 50,000 men popping the question during the week of Valentine's Day, leading online jeweler Blue Nile presents "Diamonds Through Time," the history and events that have shaped today's most enduring diamond jewelry traditions.

"Many of today's most popular trends, such as Asscher and cushion cut diamonds, platinum metals and ornate designs, were popular 50, 75 or 100 years ago," said John Baird, diamond and engagement expert for Blue Nile. "Though settings, cuts and metal preferences change over the years, the diamond remains the classic symbol of love and romance after centuries of tradition."

Some of the key findings in Blue Nile's "Diamonds Through Time" research include:

  * Ancient Egypt: The tradition of wearing the engagement ring on the
    fourth finger of the left hand stems from the ancient belief that the
    finger contains a vein connected directly to the heart.

  * 1477: Archduke Maximilian of Austria presents the first diamond
    engagement ring to Mary of Burgundy, uniting the houses of Habsburg and
    Burgundy and forever binding diamonds to the expression of love.

  * 1920s: The Art Deco movement transforms art and architecture across
    America, and influences jewelry styles along the way.  Geometric shapes
    and baguette diamonds come into vogue as lacy platinum designs become
    outmoded.

  * 1953: Hollywood bombshell Marilyn Monroe sings "Diamonds are a Girl's
    Best Friend" in the movie Gentleman Prefer Blondes.  The popularity of
    lavish jewelry explodes as women try to emulate her glamorous look.

  * 1987: The U.S. Open comes to a halt when tennis star Chris Evert loses
    her diamond bracelet.  After the event, diamond bracelets are known as
    "tennis bracelets" and become a jewelry classic.

  * 2000s: Celebrity engagement rings, such as those of Kate Hudson and
    Ashley Judd, inspire a revival of vintage cuts.  Asscher and cushion
    shapes, passe for more than half a century, become all the rage again.

  * 2002: Jennifer Lopez's 6.1 carat, $1.2 million pink diamond engagement
    ring mesmerizes paparazzi and sends consumers in search of rare colored
    diamonds.  The lofty price and dissolution of the engagement make
    colored diamonds a glamorous, but short-lived trend.

"This Valentine's Day will extend the trend in vintage jewelry," said Baird. "Expect to see engagement rings with filigree detail and pave-set diamonds. Whether interested in new jewelry trends or classic designs, suitors still need to become educated on how to select the most important part of any ring -- the diamond."

For those planning to purchase a diamond this Valentine's Day, Baird offers the following tips:

  * Research, Research, Research: Buying a diamond is not rocket science.
    Web sites like BlueNile.com have thorough education sections. With a
    little research men can quickly become experts and buy like a
    professional diamond buyer.

  * Buy Certified: All diamonds are not created equal. The best have been
    graded by independent gem laboratories. Insist your diamond is
    accompanied by an independent grading report from either the GIA
    (Gemological Institute of America) or AGSL (American Gem Society
    Laboratories). Diamonds accompanied by grading reports from these labs
    are the most highly valued, as their quality is considered guaranteed.

  * Of "The Four C's," Don't Sacrifice on Cut: A diamond has four major
    characteristics -- cut, color, clarity, and carat weight, known as "The
    Four Cs."  These characteristics determine the diamond's quality and
    price. All are important, but a diamond's cut is the most critical
    because it creates the most sparkle. Even a diamond with perfect color
    and clarity, but a poor cut, will appear dull.

  * It's OK to be Shy: Diamond prices jump at the carat and half-carat
    marks, so try to buy just shy of these levels. For example, instead of a
    1 carat, look for a .95 carat diamond. You'll save a significant amount
    of money and the slight size difference will never be noticed.

  * The Sweet Spots: As color and clarity grades improve, diamond prices
    increase. However, above certain color and clarity grades the human eye
    cannot detect these subtle differences. In effect, you're paying for
    something that you can't see. For example, to achieve the best value
    consider a near-colorless (G-H) instead of a colorless (D, E, F) diamond
    or a VS2 (Very Slightly Included) clarity grade as opposed to an FL
    (Flawless) clarity grade.

All Blue Nile orders are shipped absolutely free. Customers can place orders for most items as late as Monday, February 13 at 3 p.m. ET, to receive free overnight shipping in time for Valentine's Day.

Blue Nile's Web site offers more than 60,000 certified diamonds in addition to pearl, gold, gemstone and sterling silver jewelry. Customers can choose jewelry gifts starting at $40 or build their own custom diamond rings, earrings or pendants using Blue Nile's "Build Your Own" feature.

About Blue Nile, Inc.

Founded in 1999, Blue Nile is the leading online retailer of diamonds and fine jewelry. It has built a well respected brand by providing consumers with a better way to buy diamonds and fine jewelry. Blue Nile has established some of the highest quality standards in the industry and provides consumers with in-depth educational materials and unique online tools that place consumers in control of the jewelry shopping process. The Blue Nile Web site showcases more than 60,000 independently certified diamonds and more than 1,000 styles of fine jewelry at prices significantly below traditional retail. Blue Nile can be found online at http://www.bluenile.com/, http://www.bluenile.ca/ and http://www.bluenile.co.uk/. Blue Nile's shares are traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol NILE.

FCMN Contact: johnb@bluenile.com