Online Buying Tips for Engagement Rings

An engagement ring has always been one of the most important things a man would buy in his lifetime, the quandary has always been where exactly to buy the ring, where you can be sure of getting a high quality diamond ring, all for a price that won’t empty out your pockets and accounts completely.

In the past, diamond sales were done exclusively in-store, with salespeople hovering around your back and trying to convince you that every single diamond ring would be the perfect one for your bride to be. The prices of the diamonds were usually very high, no thanks to the high-markup that the stores had to fix in order to cover their overheard costs. Today though, online shopping provides a perfect solution, enabling you to browse through vast offerings, analyze the features of each, decide on and buy the perfect diamond engagement ring from home, all at an affordable price, because they have only a small fraction of the overhead that physical stores do. Despite the obvious advantages conferred by buying your diamond engagement ring online, care still has to be taken and there are some tips and guidelines you should follow in order to get the best possible deal on a high quality diamond engagement ring:

Diamond Certificates

Diamond certificates are given by a variety of jewelry labs and this may cause some confusion as you try to make sense of all the different acronyms and grades. A good rule of thumb would be to buy from stores that offer either American Gem Society (AGS) or Gemological Institute of America (GIA) certificates along with their diamonds. These labs are the world’s top jewelry labs and you can be sure that whatever is contained in their certificates is as accurate as humanly possible. Don’t let yourself be carried away too far though; keep it at the back of your mind that diamond certificates do not add to the value of the diamonds, but rather just certify the specifications of the stone. Some stores also offer their own certification grades but these should be taken with a pinch of salt, for obvious reasons. Lastly, although one can sometimes find some lovely diamonds that lack certification, if you are not a gemstone dealer and are just looking to make a one-time purchase, it’s much better for the sake of your peace of mind, to simply go for a certified diamond engagement ring.

Customer Service

Although one of the advantages of shopping for your diamond engagement ring online is that you get to avoid the pushy salespeople that you’d normally come in contact with at physical stores, customer service is still an integral part of the online shopping experience. What if you want to ask a question? Or you want to quickly communicate some change of mind you’ve had about certain specifications of the diamond? A good store to shop for your diamond engagement ring online would be one that has a number you can call in order to communicate directly with staff. You can’t reasonably expect them to be online 24/7 so be sure to verify their working hours and crosscheck the time-zones.

Return Policy

Read the return policy of the online store very carefully and ensure you get them to clarify any part you’re not sure about. Standard return periods are usually between 15-30 days but you have to be aware of the nifty details: stores usually charge a “re-stocking” fee that could reach the 50% mark. Again, clarify all the details so you know exactly what protection you have.

Secure Transactions/Privacy policy

In today’s world of personality theft, hackers and online fraud, it is important to know the extent to which the store is protecting your personal contact and financial details. Check and ask if the website has encryption features to protect your data and also review their privacy policy to be sure they won’t be selling your private information to marketing companies that’ll flood your inbox with spam.

Shipment Policy

The method via which your diamond engagement ring will be shipped is an important consideration. Top carriers like FedEx, UPS or Express Mail are fully insured in the event of lost or damaged goods.

Don’t forget to check out our unique engagement rings, halo engagement rings, wholesale diamonds, engagement ring settings, and custom build options…