Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Your Guide to Online Jewelry Stores - Getting the Right Ring At the Right Price

It is completely understandable that when you look for an engagement ring online, you want to know that you are looking at the best site and selection that you can right? You want to know who the best online jewelry stores are - and with good reason.

Buying an engagement ring takes a substantial financial and emotional investment, so of course you want to make sure that you have it right first time.

There are hundreds of sites that have thousands of rings available and just trying to sort one ring from the next can become a real nightmare if you don't know what you are looking for.

Before we go any further, I need to know just how much you know about buying a diamond ring.

  • If the terms cathedral, pave' and channel set make no sense to you,
  • You don't understand why one diamond can be worth tens of thousands of dollars more than another or
  • the fact that a ring that has half a dozen diamonds may be far cheaper than a ring that has just one solitaire diamond,

Then before you go through any jewelry stores, either online or offline then you need to learn a bit about diamonds and diamond rings.

Until you know this, you can not hope to be able to make a decent comparison between online jewelry stores, or between rings anywhere. You may even open yourself up to buying a ring that is both disappointing and worth far less than the price that you paid for it.

There are some great diamond education centers online and learning how to choose a great diamond ring will only take a few minutes of your time, but could potentially save you thousands.

Once you understand about the type of ring and diamond that you are looking for the next thing that you need to look at is finding online jewelry stores who meet certain criteria. These criteria will ensure that you are dealing with stores that are respected, knowledgeable, accountable and honest.

Most online jewelry stores are members of some sort of public organization, or advertise as being recommended by a public group - like 'As Seen on Oprah', 'Top 100 Site' 'iVouch' and 'BizRate' recommended. These badges of honor are very hard to get, and are definitely independently evaluated so are pretty hard to argue with.

Online jewelry stores should also only have certified diamonds for sale and proper guarantees in place to protect your investment. In fact if you do your research properly you are far less likely to be duped by an online store, than your regular store, thanks largely to these certificates, guarantees and recommendations.

To really get the right ring at the right price from online jewelry stores you need to know two things - whether your ring meets your clinical expectations and whether it meets your emotional expectations.

It is easy on paper to compare diamonds and settings with other rings both online and off. To be able to do this, you need to know about;

  1. the grade of the diamond Clarity, Carat, Color and Carat,
  2. the type and carat of precious metal and
  3. the type of setting of your ring, including the type of band setting or style

All of which you would have found out at your education center. A picture of your diamond is also critical to your research.

When it comes to the emotional expectations, nothing is worse than thinking that you have bought a stunning ring but only to find that it disappoints you when you see it in real life.

The only real way to avoid this is to see it in real life before you buy it but some online jewelry stores go the extra mile and have 3-D and movie technology, allowing you to see your ring from all angles and on your fiancés virtual finger. This technology is invaluable for getting a 'feel' for your ring.

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5 Things to Expect from a Jewelry Store

There are many circumstances in life where decisions should be made seriously. That is why I had put together the 5 most important things to expect from a jewelry store when hunting for your next piece of ornament. I have always been of the idea that buying jewelry is an investment that you make for yourself or for others. Here are the 5 important things to expect from a jewelry store:

  • Service -
  • Service includes: from store presentation to how the "expert" treats you. The person behind the counter should be able to give you a sense of trust, if you know what I mean. Buying jewelry is something to take seriously, not only when buying the ring you already saw once before or even when starting to look for the perfect jewelry from the very beginning.

    Before going to a jewelry store or browsing on jewelry stores online, one should always have an idea of what you are looking for, be it a ring, necklace or pendant.

  • Knowledge -
  • "Once you are in front of a person that is taking care of you at the jewelry store, you will have a very short time on making your decision". That was what a friend told me once when I was going shopping for jewelry a few years ago. I am the kind of person that shops very, very fast, doesn't matter what it is. But really, shopping for jewelry means that you are "investing" on a gift or on a personal treat. Take you time, ask questions, if you didn't do your research before launching yourself to the jewelry store. Ask questions until you feel comfortable with what you are buying.

  • Quality and Store Popularity -
  • Always ask yourself, is this store certified? Will it be here next time to fix my bracelet if something happens to it? Believe it or not, many of us try to get stuff cheap by visiting "the corner jewelry store". Granted! You got your fabulous white and yellow gold dolphin pendant... and at a really cheap price. WOW!

    Suddenly you notice that you dolphin's skin starts pealing off, the white and yellow gold is turning to a pale white or even rusty. Oh no! it is fantasy. You go back to the store and they don't have a quality policy or worst... they are just not there.

    Find a store that you heard about before. You will feel better purchasing your jewelry and will have a peace of mind.

  • Value -
  • Value is a very important point when purchasing jewelry. There are a few factors that need to be considered when finding the value of jewelry. What kind of jewelry are you buying? Pearls, diamonds, gold, silver, any other metals? My advise on this, other than doing your research before going out to purchase your jewelry, like I wrote before... ask questions related to the piece of jewelry you are considering.

  • Selection -
  • A good jewelry store should have a wide selection of jewelry to choose from including jewelry collections, jewelry sets, matching sets, colors, gems, pearls, diamonds, gold, silver, titanium, platinum, tungsten and more and more types of jewelry. There are some materials used for making jewelry that are still being introduced to the public such as tungsten carbide and timascus, so there will be some jewelry stores that probably won't carry them at this time.

    As a conclusion, I believe that the more you educate yourself on buying jewelry, the more you will enjoy your purchase. Keep high expectations when visiting a jewelry store online or at the physical location. Always ask questions, the answers may lead you to making a better decision on your purchase. Pay attention to details related to the jewelry store, the jeweler, and the jewelry you are contemplating at that moment.

    No matter what your final decision is, you should always feel comfortable and happy at the end of your journey.

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    Diamond Jewelry: Buy Diamonds From Online Stores

    Diamond jewelry is a popular gift not only for weddings, but also for anniversaries, birthdays and other happy occasions. It is a fact that it is the most popular type of jewelry and people (especially women and girls) are very passionate about owning it. Diamonds are also considered a great investment and saving option. With more and more Online Diamond Stores coming up, it has become very easy for you to shop for diamonds despite a busy schedule. One of the benefits about buying jewelry online is the variety and large number of options. If you shop offline, you are restricted to the selection carried by the brick and mortar stores in your general area. However, if you shop online, there is no such restriction. Another benefit of an online purchase is that whether you buy loose diamonds or diamond engagement rings, all these stones have usually been graded, tested and certified by a gemologist. If your diamonds come with a certificate, be assured of the authenticity of the diamond as well as the quality of the diamonds.

    In this article I have tried to list a few tips that one should keep in mind while buying diamonds online:

    • Before you decide to buy diamond jewelry online, be sure about the 4C's (color, cut, clarity and carat) which define the diamond quality.
    • Since there are ample credible online jewelry stores, please don't be in a hurry while picking yours. Do your comparison shopping and purchase the one that suits you the best.
    • Check if the website offers live customer service. Check on how the product will be shipped and if the company insures the shipment and offers replacement in case of damage during shipping.
    • You must always check the return policy and make sure to read the fine print.
    • Carefully read the terms & conditions of the online store you wish to purchase the diamond jewelry from. Find out if the online store is the member of a certified jewelry association or not.
    • Check whether the store offers certified diamonds. Be sure to check the BBB Online rating.
    • Don't rush into this purchase and buy the first diamond that catches your eye. Continue searching for similar diamonds and diamond jewelry to be certain that you are getting the best quality and price.
    • Since there are a large number of diamonds to choose from, you need to do your homework so that you know which designs and styles you like.
    • Once you have decided upon the style, start narrowing your Diamond choices based on price.
    • Check online stores by sending email messages to them. Instant reply to your call or email will give you an indication as to how much this company values you as a customer
    • When buying diamond jewelry online, it's advisable to use your credit card for purchase. There are some credit card companies who would mediate if the product purchased or site is fraudulent.

    In closing, I would like to mention that there are plenty of online diamond stores selling genuine diamonds and diamond jewelry fat aggressive prices. For finding an established and reputed one, you can search "Online Diamond Store" through the internet. These stores also offer free shipment and a good return policy to attract prospective customers and maintain existing ones.

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