Changing consumer trends were illustrated recently when a prospective groom purchased a diamond engagement ring worth $300,000 from Blue Nile, using the Internet  jewelry retailer’s iPhone app.

“While an extraordinary purchase, large jewelry purchases, running from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, via smartphones happen quite frequently,” says John Baird, director of brand and corporate communications at Blue Nile, speaking to Internet Retailer. “When it comes to diamonds and fine jewelry, Blue Nile’s mobile shopping site and iPhone app are extremely powerful tools.”

According to JCK, Blue Nile reports that its mobile app already drives about 25 percent of the traffic to its site.