Many people go shopping online to skip the hassle of moving from one store to another and asking the same questions to various store staff repeatedly.
With online shopping, you can browse through different stores and simultaneously ask questions to several jewelers all without leaving your home. It saves a lot of time and energy, so you can focus on more important things, such as learning about the diamond jewelry you want to buy, researching about store reputation, and reading customer reviews.
Buying a diamond jewelry online has many benefits. You will find more choices, find better deals, and save more on your purchase when you shop online. However, there are also risks that need to be taken into account. You may not get the product you expected, or it may not arrive on schedule.
Fortunately, you can mitigate these risks by doing your research, asking questions, and looking out for anything suspicious. If you still have lingering doubts about buying jewelry online, there are several steps you can take to ensure that you won’t regret your online purchase.
Research the Website
The internet is filled with online shops where you can find everything you want and need. You’ll find online jewelers who sell all kinds of jewelry, while others specialize on certain kinds of accessories, such as engagement and wedding sets, vintage jewelry, custom-made pieces, and many others.
If you’re buying a ring for a proposal, you can narrow down your search to stores that specialize in engagements and weddings. Many of these shops offer wedding sets and special promotions, which can save you from more expenses and more hassle later on.
After you’ve compiled a list of online jewelers, you have to check their websites one by one to ascertain that they’re trustworthy. Check the security and business permits of the website. You must have heard horror stories when personal information was stolen from websites and used for fraudulent activities. On the address bar of your browser, you should see a lock symbol before the URL and “https” as part of it.
Look for website security certifications and business permits to make sure that there are no malware, spyware, computer virus, and phishing programs that can steal your personal information. Read the website’s privacy policy to know the information you gave will be shared or used. If you find any red flags or suspicious content, scratch that website from your list immediately.
Check the Diamond Source
Diamonds have a complicated history. They’ve been used to fund wars and conflicts, which have resulted in millions of deaths. Before buying diamond jewelry, you should make sure that it’s from legal sources and harvested through legitimate means. In other words, make sure you’re not buying blood diamonds.
Search for information on the jeweler’s supplier and manufacturer. If it’s not written on the website, call customer service, and ask where they source their metals and diamonds. They should be able to give a thorough answer.
Read Reviews
Not all satisfied customers will write reviews after purchasing a product, but most, if not all, unsatisfied customers will take the time to share their complaints and bad experiences with a product or a business. Reviews are good indicators of a business’s legitimacy, product quality, and level of accuracy. Well, that is if they’re authentic.
Before you get swayed by all the five-star ratings and glowing recommendations, you should check the authenticity of the reviews first. Some businesses actually create fake reviews on their websites or pay people to write to them to bolster their reputation. Save yourself from the trouble, and avoid buying from these shops.
A diamond piece is not something you can buy every day. You probably had to save for months and weeks to afford it. That’s why you have to be sure that you’re getting the quality and service you paid for, and you’ll know that if you read customer reviews.
Compare Prices
The online market is saturated with legitimate jewelers that sell authentic, quality products. So which one do you choose? The answer depends on several things, but the primary consideration is usually the pricing. You can find plenty of genuine and affordable diamond rings, bracelets, and necklaces that cost 40 to 50 percent less than the ones you find in brick-and-mortar shops.
Online jewelers can offer you better prices because they don’t have to pay as much for inventory expenses and upkeep, and they source directly from the manufacturer. It’s a fact that it’s cheaper to buy jewelry from online shops, but you shouldn’t buy right away from the first reputable and affordable jeweler you find.
Browse through various stores, and compare prices. You’re sure to find a better deal than the first one you saw. If you don’t, you can always go back to the first store you found.
Examine the Photos
Not having the actual product is one of the most difficult parts of buying jewelry online. But that’s a sacrifice you have to make for wider selections, better terms, and lower prices. Since you can’t examine the product in person, what you can do is to look through high-resolution photos of the product. By now you should know that diamond quality is evaluated according to the 4Cs, which are cut, color, clarity, and carat.
You’ll find the details about the diamond on the jewelry report or certificate. The document can give the grade for each quality, but it won’t show you the actual brilliance, clearness, and size of the diamond. A report can be very reassuring, but it can’t replace the experience of seeing the diamond yourself. And since that’s not possible for online products, the next best thing is seeing actual photos.
Don’t be satisfied with the images you see on the website. Ask for more close-up shots of the jewelry so you can see for yourself how good it looks. Don’t hesitate to ask if there’s a way to check the jewelry in person.
Ask Questions
The online marketplace is rapidly growing every year. More businesses are heading to the internet to sell their products, and even more, people are shopping online.
Despite these developments, the inherent risks of purchasing things from the internet remain. You won’t be completely certain if you will get the product you saw on the pictures or if you’ll receive something at all. This is why it’s crucial to ascertain the legitimacy and reputation of the business and the authenticity of the product before you place any order.
If you’ve researched the website and made sure that it’s legal and safe, what you can do next is to ask questions. For a purchase like this, you need to be absolutely certain you are satisfied with the product or that you get your money back if you’re not. In addition, you should be able to ask your jeweler these important questions and receive thorough answers.
Final Word
Buying jewelry is very different from shopping for groceries or clothes. A single piece can cause hundreds or thousands of dollars, so there’s more at stake. A diamond ring can last for several lifetimes, so your purchase is a decision that you have to live with for the rest of your life.
Moreover, you probably don’t buy one on a whim. Chances are, it was bought for someone special to you or it’s something you got yourself to mark an important event. Either way, diamond jewelry is an investment.
You have to be cautious about where you buy. You will save more and have a wider selection if you buy it online, but you’ll have to deal with some dangers. Remember to do a background check of the seller or business before placing any orders. Read reviews, and compare prices to make sure you’re getting value for your money.
Finally, don’t hesitate to contact their customer service department if you need more details about the product. Your hard-earned money is at stake, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.
