How to Shop for Diamonds: Don’t Get Catfished Online Edition
Did you buy a diamond online and cringe at first sight? Buying diamonds online by descriptions and single images is like finding a match on dating apps. Swipe left, swipe right — is this supermodel real?
Don’t get catfished, there are benefits to shopping for diamonds in person. More savings, less effort, no disappointment awaits when you learn how to shop for diamonds.
When buying diamonds online it can be difficult and time consuming to nail the 4 C’s and the other details they don’t tell you about. There are internal characteristics, interpreting grading reports, verifying the seller and more. Our professionals are constantly learning to stay up to date. Do you have that time?
Take lawyers for example. You don’t get a traffic ticket, read a book on law, and decide, “Okay, I’m ready to fight this case on my own.” No, you hire a lawyer who spent the 4 years in school and has the professional experience and background. You also trust them to get the job done right and save you the time you would spend doing the research and paperwork.
GIA Certified Diamond Experts are no different when it comes to buying a diamond ring online or shopping for diamond studs from a large online inventory. Professionals in store will guide you through how to shop for diamonds the right way so you don’t have to waste your valuable time. A staff member will talk you through the basics with examples you can hold and inspect with the naked eye and magnification.
These tips from the Gemological Institute of America include all the research from diamonds to the seller, verifying grading reports, laser inscriptions, and appraisals. Their last tip is to view the diamond in person! Why not skip the hassle and try shopping for diamonds at a trusted jeweler in store first?
That gorgeous round one carat, F color, VS1 is yellow and has a giraffe-shaped inclusion smack dab in the center. Grading reports like a GIA Certificate give you the technical details that encompass a wide range of different appearing diamonds for the same paper description. Seeing diamonds in a store can help experts compare your ideal diamond visually to those deceptive dating profiles. We will match-make for you!
The best part of buying diamonds in-store is inventory specialists know how to shop for diamonds, and will help you find exactly what you’re looking for. They sift through your matches for you and show you, in person, the best ones that meet your criteria — while helping you get to the root of what’s really important to you in a diamond. They find as close to the desired size, color, clarity, and price that multiple vendors have to offer and present the best three to five choices, or go back to search again until it’s a perfect match.
At Nelson Coleman Jewelers, our inventory specialist, Amie, will travel to jewelry shows, NY partners to sort diamonds, and have vendors send in criteria matching diamonds. We source multiple vendors and will send diamonds back until we find yours.
They had the perfect engagement ring and diamond for cheap on an online shop? Be prepared to pay shipping each time the ring needs to be resized. Be prepared to be charged repair fees for anything not covered by a manufacturer’s warranty. If it’s not the online shop’s fault, they won’t give you anything for free.
You don’t get the same customer experience and expert diamond help shopping online, and chances are you aren’t going to buy something until you see it in person anyway. Why not start at the source: the jewelry store you want to buy from and can trust for years to come.
Ready to start your diamond buying journey? Contact Nelson Coleman today, or stop by to visit us at our Towson location!
Your Time is Money
When buying diamonds online it can be difficult and time consuming to nail the 4 C’s and the other details they don’t tell you about. There are internal characteristics, interpreting grading reports, verifying the seller and more. Our professionals are constantly learning to stay up to date. Do you have that time?
Take lawyers for example. You don’t get a traffic ticket, read a book on law, and decide, “Okay, I’m ready to fight this case on my own.” No, you hire a lawyer who spent the 4 years in school and has the professional experience and background. You also trust them to get the job done right and save you the time you would spend doing the research and paperwork.
GIA Certified Diamond Experts are no different when it comes to buying a diamond ring online or shopping for diamond studs from a large online inventory. Professionals in store will guide you through how to shop for diamonds the right way so you don’t have to waste your valuable time. A staff member will talk you through the basics with examples you can hold and inspect with the naked eye and magnification.
These tips from the Gemological Institute of America include all the research from diamonds to the seller, verifying grading reports, laser inscriptions, and appraisals. Their last tip is to view the diamond in person! Why not skip the hassle and try shopping for diamonds at a trusted jeweler in store first?
Online Deceptions
Descriptions
Buying a diamond ring or diamonds online is like sifting through hundreds of matches on dating sites. That “swimsuit model” says they’re athletic, punctual, and a bookworm. Why won’t they video chat or meet you in person? Because he’s a catfish named Bob and he works at a fast food restaurant. What’s the real story to buying diamonds online?
That gorgeous round one carat, F color, VS1 is yellow and has a giraffe-shaped inclusion smack dab in the center. Grading reports like a GIA Certificate give you the technical details that encompass a wide range of different appearing diamonds for the same paper description. Seeing diamonds in a store can help experts compare your ideal diamond visually to those deceptive dating profiles. We will match-make for you!
Online Images
The best places to buy diamonds online have images, even 360 views. How useful are they really? It’s like character creation in the Sims, but you can’t zoom on the 360 view. It’s also not freely manipulative to be viewed from any angle like Black Desert Online character creation. Images when buying diamonds online can be sample images or even renderings, not the diamond you’re buying. The worst part is higher quality diamonds online will usually be a higher quality and close up image, unlike the lower quality diamonds that are further away in the image. This showcases pricey diamonds flawlessness while reducing the visual impact of flaws in cheaper diamonds.Match-Making Made Easy
The best part of buying diamonds in-store is inventory specialists know how to shop for diamonds, and will help you find exactly what you’re looking for. They sift through your matches for you and show you, in person, the best ones that meet your criteria — while helping you get to the root of what’s really important to you in a diamond. They find as close to the desired size, color, clarity, and price that multiple vendors have to offer and present the best three to five choices, or go back to search again until it’s a perfect match.
At Nelson Coleman Jewelers, our inventory specialist, Amie, will travel to jewelry shows, NY partners to sort diamonds, and have vendors send in criteria matching diamonds. We source multiple vendors and will send diamonds back until we find yours.
Buying More Than Diamonds
Unforseen Fees
Yes, diamonds can be cheaper online. Shopping for diamonds online allows companies to cut down costs like not having an inventory and not having a storefront. But what’s the catch? Even when you know how to shop for diamonds like an expert, diamonds can easily end up being more expensive online. Yes, even with the shipping cost the diamond is cheaper, but after that the fees start to add up. If you are unhappy with the diamond you’ll have to pay more shipping fees to send it back and the new diamond’s shipping fee. If something falls under the manufacturer's warranty, you pay shipping. Very little is covered with online diamond shop warranties.
They had the perfect engagement ring and diamond for cheap on an online shop? Be prepared to pay shipping each time the ring needs to be resized. Be prepared to be charged repair fees for anything not covered by a manufacturer’s warranty. If it’s not the online shop’s fault, they won’t give you anything for free.
Peace of Mind
The best place to buy a diamond ring is at a trusted jeweler in store. At Nelson Coleman Jewelers we love our customers and have a lot of complementary services, like a free personal shopper, appraisal with purchase, first ring size, stone setting, consultations for modification, sketch and CAD for custom jewelry! We also do most repairs in-house and offer an extra Peace of Mind warranty. This warranty covers normal wear repairs, unlike online diamond stores! Bring in your diamond ring for free cleaning and check-up, refinishing of prongs, replacements of damaged gemstones and much more. Be worry free when you drop off your cherished jewelry with a smiling face you can trust, rather than shipping it away to a faceless website.When Shopping for Diamonds
There’s no need for the stress, cost, and risk of getting catfished. Find the best place to buy a diamond ring or loose diamonds for you and tell a trusted jeweler what you want. They’ll sort through millions of diamonds to show you the best matches. Some will even order the online diamond you had your eye on to compare with their hand-selected match.
You don’t get the same customer experience and expert diamond help shopping online, and chances are you aren’t going to buy something until you see it in person anyway. Why not start at the source: the jewelry store you want to buy from and can trust for years to come.
Ready to start your diamond buying journey? Contact Nelson Coleman today, or stop by to visit us at our Towson location!