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Buying Diamonds Online
With all of the potential for scams
concerning diamonds, buying diamonds online almost seems unthinkable!
However, you actually
can purchase diamonds online, without any problems – as long as you are
careful.
First, think about your reasons for wanting to purchase the diamond
online, as opposed to making a purchase from a local jewelry store. The
most common reason is price. Due to low overhead costs, online jewelers
and wholesalers are able to offer lower prices.
However, you must be careful –sometimes a
price that is too low is a sure indication of a scam.
One of the best things about 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. When you are knowledgeable about
diamonds, it will be harder for a con artist to rip you off. Once you
know more about diamonds, you will be ready to start shopping.
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 doing your investigation. You know about
diamonds, you’ve found a diamond that you love, and you’ve found the
lowest price – but you are still quite a ways away from actually
purchasing that diamond!
Ask about the seller’s credentials, such as professional jewelry
associations that they belong to. View and print the seller’s return,
refund, and upgrade policies. Also inquire 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.
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!
Exotic Jewelries
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How to Buy Diamond Engagement Rings
There is much to consider when purchasing
a diamond – especially diamond engagement rings!
The tradition of presenting a woman with a
diamond engagement ring when proposing began in 1477 when Archduke
Maximilian presented a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy – and in most
cases, the woman you plan to propose to will expect a ring to accompany
that proposal!
First, determine how much ring you can
afford. Most people use the ‘two months
salary’ rule. This means that the ring should cost the equivalent of two
months of your current salary. Because you have other bills to pay,
saving up this amount of money may take quite a bit of time.
You should consider financing. Simply go
to the jeweler of your choice and tell them that you plan to buy an
engagement ring, and that financing will be necessary. Go ahead and get
the credit check out of the way, find out what your payments will be,
and how much of a down
payment is required.
Now, have your mother, sister, or your
girlfriends best friend take your girlfriend
shopping, and make sure that they gaze at the engagement rings to get an
idea of what she might like. Make sure that the jewelry store you buy
the ring from will allow you to return the ring, if that is required, or
allow your girlfriend to exchange it for another if she isn’t happy with
it!
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