Online diamond jewelry retailer Blue Nile, Inc. has launched a Japanese language version of its website. The new site allows customers in Japan to shop on Blue Nile in their native language for the first time.

"Blue Nile began serving Japan in 2008, and has developed a loyal customer following over the last four years," says Vijay Talwar, Blue Nile President and General Manager of International. "The launch of our Japanese language site improves our ability to serve our existing customers in that region and attract new customers."

Blue Nile's entire collection of fine jewelry is available in Japan, considered to be the second-largest luxury goods market in the world, after the United States, and accounts for 10 percent of diamond jewelry sales, says the Seattle-based company. Japanese customers will have the ability to select a diamond from Blue Nile's collection of more than 80,000 and create a custom-made diamond engagement ring using Blue Nile's Build Your Own Ring tool. They will also find a full line of jewelry in diamond, platinum, pearl and yellow and white gold.

Shipping to Japan is free, with most products arrivi g in approximately three days, notes Blue Nile. Japanese consumers can transact on the Blue Nile website using Japanese yen.

Blue Nile will support the launch through its Japanese Twitter account, @bluenilejp.

In addition to Japanese, the company also operates a foreign language site in Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.