Buying Diamonds Online

Buying diamonds online can be a very pleasant experience. While there is great value in having a local jeweler whom you trust for setting your diamond, cleanings, maintenance, repairs, etc., the greatest variety of well-cut diamonds at the best prices can be found on the Internet.

Although it may seem like a risky venture, buying diamonds online can be a very safe way to buy the most beautifully cut diamonds at the best prices. There are some advantages and some disadvantages of buying diamonds online.

Advantages of buying diamonds online:

• Selection - By shopping online, you can find the best-cut (most beautiful) diamonds. This is because many Internet vendors list entire wholesaler inventories, whereas most stores that buy diamonds to have in stock can only buy so many and may not have the knowledge or desire to stock the best-cut diamonds.
• Prices - The Internet prices are highly competitive because of lower operation cost for some and many dealers are competing to sell the very same diamonds. (There are some Internet or brick and click vendors who maintain their own inventory). In addition, you can save on taxes by getting the diamond shipped to you from another state.
• Flexibility - One benefit of Internet shopping is the ability to have diamonds shipped to you where you can view them in the lighting conditions where they will be worn. Consumers can also take a diamond shipped to them to a local jeweler to make comparisons. Just be aware of the return policy of the vendor from whom you buy.

Disadvantages of buying diamonds online:

• Uncertainty – How can I be sure that I'll get what I'm paying for?
• Lack of trust – How do I know whether the vendor whom I've never met will provide what he promised?
• Doubts – How can I be sure that I’ll be able to get my money back if I am not satisfied?

To take advantage of the pros and avoid the cons we suggest you to consider these simple rules:

Educate yourself:

Before you shop, you need to get a good education about diamonds and what makes one more valuable and beautiful than the next. Get advanced information about the 4 Cs of a diamond (i.e cut, color, clarity and carat weight).

Pay special attention to crown and pavilion angles which are not shown on GIA reports. The beauty of the diamonds depends crucially on these parameters.

Compare prices:

Use the search results as a general indication of price for the parameters entered. Be aware that many vendors list the same diamonds from wholesaler lists, so some diamonds may not be available when you call to inquire about them. They may have been sold by another dealer, or they may be out on inspection only to be returned by a customer at a later date. Check the vendors' references, credentials and services

A few things you should consider:
Vendor's credentials and associations with professional and public organizations. E.g. Jeweler's Board of Trade. Do not hesitate to inquire about a vendor's credentials if you cannot find them on his/her website. Return and upgrade policies, as well as other services provided such as free shipping, solitaire setting, etc.

Evaluation:

Make sure the diamonds you are considering come with a diamond grading report from an independent laboratory. GIA, AGS, EGL and HRD are the best known. Many experts consider GIA and AGS to be the most consistent and reliable in their grading. This is why you will find that, in the US, diamonds with an EGL report are less expensive. There is a big difference in price for increases in diamond clarity and color grades. If a diamond is truly a G SI1 but is incorrectly graded to show an E VS2, the consumer is paying a much higher price for that diamond than he/she should be.

The cut adviser describes how brilliant, fiery, scintillating and spread the diamonds you are considering will be. You can save a lot of money by finding a diamond that rates well on the adviser, but does not fall into the well-known, but sometimes faulty AGS 0 ideal cut standards for which a premium is charged.

Independent appraisers:

There are excellent independent appraisers who accept diamonds to evaluate before the customer has paid for them. (Of course, customers who have already paid for their diamond can also send their stones to these appraisers to be evaluated before the return date.) Just ask the vendor you are working with if they will agree to these terms. The customer does have to pay the appraiser fee (by carat weight-the fee should never be based on the price of the diamond), but you need an appraisal for insurance purposes anyway.

The independent appraisers will make sure that the diamond matches the independent grading lab's grading report, check for structural problems with the stone, determine if the price was appropriate for the market in which it was bought, evaluate the diamond's beauty based on expertise and the use of special equipment, etc.