With all of the potential for scams concerning diamonds, buying diamonds online almost seems unthinkable! However, you can actually purchase diamonds online, without any problems – as long as you are careful.
Firstly you should consider your reasons for wanting to purchase the diamond online, as opposed to your local jewelry store.
The most common reason is price. Due to low overhead costs, online jewellers and wholesalers are able to offer lower prices. Always beware that a price that is too low is a sure indication of a scam and you should never scrimp when buying diamonds.
One of the major benefits of purchasing online is the unlimited selection. When shopping offline, you are limited to the selection in the stores in your general area. Online, there are no limits. But again, you must use a great deal of care and consideration before handing your money over to someone that you cannot see and have never met!
Before shopping, learn as much as you can about diamonds – especially cut, color, clarity and carat weights. (This website should help you out!)
When you are knowledgeable about diamonds, it will be much harder for a con artist to rip you off.
Take your time. Don’t purchase the first diamond that you see that interests you. Instead, look for similar diamonds for sale. Do some comparison shopping to find the lowest prices. Once you have found the lowest price, start investigating. You know about diamonds, you’ve found a diamond that you love, and you’ve found the lowest price – but there are still a few checks you should carry out.
Ask about the seller’s credentials, such as professional jewellery associations that they belong to. View and print the seller’s return, refund, and upgrade policies. Also enquire about additional services, such as settings and mountings, sizing, and free shipping. Do a search for customer reviews on this particular company around the Internet. (This is a very important point and you should get in the habit of doing this for any and every purchase you make online, above and beyond diamonds!) Also check with the BBB Online to see if there have been any complaints.
Ask for a diamond grading report from an independent laboratory such as GIA, HRD, EGL or AGS. You should see this before making a purchase. Finally, use a reputable escrow service for high dollar diamonds – preferably one that will have the diamond appraised while it is in their possession. The seller sends the diamond to the escrow service, and you send the money to pay for the diamond to the escrow service. The escrow service has the diamond appraised, sends the diamond to you, and sends the money to the seller. This is the surest way to protect yourself…again, make sure that you use a reputable escrow service!