SOME PEOPLE STILL WON’T BUY A DIAMOND ONLINE. WHY?

Shopping online?

Some people shop online, others don’t. Won’t! They refuse too…

Some will only buy small trinkets online, cheap bracelets, silver rings, 10 buck things…

But when it comes to big purchases, like diamond engagement rings, they’d rather go to the local jewelry store, see them in person, hold them, touch them, try them on…

I get it…

It’s a lot of money, and spending that much online without seeing the real product first is scary and intimidating. People don’t want to get ripped off.

But I’m here to say, there is nothing to fear of shopping online;

That’s if you shop smart, and buy wisely.

Because the reasons why you should consider it, outweigh the reasons not to.

So let’s jump in…

First things first… Only buy from reputable places! Stores like James Allen, Blue Nile, Kay Jewelers, Jareds, Fred Meyer Jewelers, Helzberg, Zales; the big national chain stores.

These are places that have been around for eons and have excellent warranties, guarantees, and return policies.

(A return policy allows you to get the diamond checked out and verified… Just to assure yourself that everything is on the up and up).

And the best way to do this:

BUY CERTIFIED!

Okay, a brief pause… These stones aren’t actually “certified“, they’re only graded by outside independent source (like GIA, AGS, EGL, IGI…), and they come with a slick diamond grading report (actually called a “diamond report“)…

But everyone still calls them “certified“, and there’s really no way to change people’s minds. It’s just easier to say “certified” since that’s what they’ve been taught for over 100 years.

“BUY CERTIFIED!” “BUY CERTIFIED!”

But, and here’s a BIG BUT… Be careful of which diamond report you get. For there is only ONE that I would truly recommend: GIA.

GIA is the Gemological Institute of America. They are the experts that wrote and devised the 4C’s. They made the grading system that all of America uses to grade diamonds by:

Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat Weight.

They are the most strict, most technologically advanced company in the world. Meaning, when they say a diamond is a certain color and clarity, you can be assured that it’s truthful and accurate.

All of the other grading companies (especially IGI and EGL) are much more lax and not so precise (and this is just my opinion through 30 years of experience). Their grades are usually “bumped higher” and questionable. I wouldn’t trust them.

So the #1 rule to buying online is:

Only Buy GIA Diamonds!

That’s the #1 way to prevent getting ripped off and not be taken or scammed.

By buying GIA loose diamonds, you can not only preview the diamond report online, but also verify the actual findings with GIA themselves.

GIA’s Online Checker

GIA has an online report checker that lets you put the diamond report number in (listed right on the diamond report), and it will pull up the exact diamond grades for that particular diamond.

Like the example below…

It’s a wonderful system that allows anyone, at anytime, to verify their diamond.

And it doesn’t matter if you buy it from a local jewelry store, or buy it online. Their website checker checks and confirms that GIA diamond report number and pulls up the official grades in their data system.

It’s Awesome!

Being able to check your diamond is peace of mind.

But the BEST reason to shop online:

The PRICE!

When you cut out the middle man, cut your overhead… You CUT the price down plenty.

Compare the Prices Below…

You see, the savings are real! (James Allen and Blue Nile are so much cheaper for the same diamond qualities: 1 Carat Round, SI1, E…)

So my Advice is this:

Buy a loose certified GIA diamond through James Allen or Blue Nile (and I lean more towards James Allen because you can see the real diamond online, magnified in 360°, before you buy it).

And then, after you select which diamond you want (I usually advise a quality of SI1+, G-H+, Triple Excellent Cut, with No Fluorescence)… Have it set into the mounting of your choice (I’d opt for the solitaire mountings, pave mountings, or halo mountings)… Get the stone and LOVE it!

That truly is the best way to shop online, and the best way to buy a diamond engagement ring (and save money at the same time).

So Happy Diamond Shopping!

See my recommended loose diamonds HERE at James Allen.

Cheers! :)