Blue Nile, Seattle, Wash., an online retailer of diamonds and fine jewelry, said that April revenues jumped by 41% compared with the same time last year, cementing another profitable month for the company.

Extremely strong sales of large diamonds, which Blue Nile defines as two cts. or more, nearly tripled for the month, helping to drive the company’s strong growth, the company reported. Large diamond sales included a $48,000, 4.4 ct., emerald cut diamond, and a $53,000, 3.72 ct., round cut diamond.

“April is typically not a high-volume sales month in the jewelry industry, so we’re thrilled with these growth numbers,” Blue Nile Chief Executive Officer Mark Vadon, said in a statement.

Blue Nile’s record April comes on the heels of two consecutive operationally profitable quarters, the company said.

The company reported the following highlights for the month:

* A 41* revenue increase

* A 164% increase in large diamond sales

* And 1.3 million unique visitors to the Blue Nile Web site, more than double the amount from a year ago

The Blue Nile Web site is www.bluenile.com

JCK