This is a guest post by Spencer Wong of the blog Sunflower Rings.
Photo by Brooke Cagle
Now, we can buy almost anything we want on the Internet, including jewelry. Buying jewelry online has brought so much convenience to our lives. A significantly lower price than Retail Stores, many choices, honest reviews from other customers, etc. But the truth is, not everyone trusts those online jewelers. Indeed, it is impossible to guarantee that we can get exactly what we want without touching the real jewelry.
You may hesitate regarding something important, like an engagement ring (diamonds or gold). Some related research may be required if you buy jewelry online, like diamonds or gold.
Step 1. Perform Research
Before you buy anything, learn some fundamental information.
For example, if you buy a diamond ring, you must know what 4C is, which is essential knowledge about diamonds. 4C is an abbreviation that means: Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat Weight. Simply speaking, you may want to know how many levels each C has, how people define these levels, which level you are looking for, etc.
Research can help you qualify the gem you want to buy and better understand which market price is considered fair.
Step 2. Find Reputable Sites
All your doubts are because of TRUST, and nothing is wrong with that. So, finding a site with a good reputation can help you a lot. First, look for online stores which have been established for at least five years. The more history it has, the more trustworthy it would be.
Make sure you can contact the sellers, either by email or phone. Usually, those owners are experts in their respective industries, they would gladly share their knowledge with you and answer your questions. If the seller does not reply, it is probably not a good idea to buy from them.
Searching for posts on social media might be another way to help you to confirm their reputation. You can see the comments from other customers and the brands’ number of followers.
Step 3. Is a Money Back, Secure Payment System Guaranteed?
Due to the lack of dealing with real jewelry, you will probably get something you didn’t expect at first. Wrong size, shallow cut, it looks different from the images online, etc. These problems are hard to avoid, requiring you to pay attention to the Return Policy before you buy. Make sure the policy is guaranteed! Online sellers usually offer 30-day returns, depending on other situations. In addition, online jewelry sellers provide multiple payment offers, such as PayPal, Credit Card, Debit Card, Alipay, etc. It brings us much convenience.
After you find a respective site, make sure they offer a secure payment system. All of the payments should go through a secure payment system, and a respectable carrier company should do the delivery.
Step 4. Ask for the Required Certification
Unless you are buying antique jewelry, you must make sure there is a certification coming with it. Usually, those respectable jewelry sellers will offer it.
Ask the seller if the diamond has been certified by GIA (Gemological Institute of America). Usually, diamonds with GIA certification are more expensive than those with other certifications.
Step 5. Read the Purchasing Reviews
One of the advantages of buying jewelry online is that you can read reviews from other customers. You may get more honest information (which the seller won’t tell), even some problems you ignored from the reviews.
Step 6. Make More Comparisons!
Conclusion
Until my next post, fashionistas! Check out Sunflower Rings for more jewelry tips and tricks! As always, I love my lovely readers!
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Lauren Hochman is the owner and founder of Lifestyle on a Budget (formerly THE TEEN RUNWAY).
Buying jewelry is a very difficult task, especially when it comes to buying online. I love the way you described all aspects that one should keep in mind while buying jewelry. Thanks for sharing this helpful guide, and looking forward to more in future.
It helped when you said to contact the sellers. My sister’s birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks, and her husband talked about how he wanted to get her some earrings as a gift so he needed my help. I’ll pass these tips along to him as he searches for an online jewelry shop to get earrings from.
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Hi, Kate! I’m glad you found the post helpful. Have a great day! xx, Lauren Hochman
Awesome article about buying the jewelry online and I really liked it so thanks for sharing it with us.
Very helpful post, thank you very much for sharing with us.
My wife’s birthday is coming up in a few months. I’d love to buy her a nice piece of jewelry. I love your tip about making sure to find reputable sites.
Hi, Sam! Thanks, I’m sure she’s going to love it! 🙂 xx, Lauren
These tips are really helpful. Thanks for sharing and keep posting more.
Very interesting post, These pictures are beautiful and they do an amazing job of capturing the way they are arranged! Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful work of jewelry !
I’m looking into getting my girlfriend jewelry for her upcoming birthday. I thought you made a good point how it’s important for me to do proper research before buying online so I know exactly what I want. Seeing as how you also mention it will ensure I know what a proper fair market price is, I’ll definitely use this tip for my search.
I do like that your article emphasizes the importance of comparing jewelry; after all, that is one of the major benefits you have for buying jewelry online. By looking at different pieces online you can immediately compare them on different websites. This will make it much easier for you to determine whether or not you are getting the best deal for what you want to buy.
These are admirable and incredible!
Your advice to research and figure out the type of gem you want and to get an understanding of a good price is a good idea. This could also help you learn about the reputation of the online jewelry store by reading reviews and learning about the quality of their products. You could also talk to people you know about the stores they’ve used, which could give you the chance to see their jewelry in person and figure out if it’s a good quality.