Worries of buying online

[firebirdgold]

Everyone here seems so confident about buying diamonds online and so happy with their purchases. Is this because you guys focus solely on ideal cut diamonds?
I ran about a bit yesterday to a few local B&M's in search of a live EC and was, as always, surprised at how different all the diamonds seem to me. There's just so much personal preference involved, and they all seem to have their own personalities. With no one local offering cut info I can't say for certain why I would so strongly prefer one diamond ring over another, but most rings I just pass on by with an 'eh' and a shrug. And the rings I pick out are not always what I would have online. Sometimes it just seems like there's this ineffable quality about diamonds.


This worries me because none of my bf's and mine online diamond options are really ideal cuts. In fact most of them are OEC's with often no more cut info than 'I only pick nicely cut and sparkly diamonds'. Which I'm sure he does, but what about that elusive diamond personality?
It seems like such a leap of faith to order a diamond ring sight-unseen and feel confident that I'll love it. (And there's no way I could ever return the engagement ring my beloved picks for me, he'd be devestated).

Has anyone else worried about your online diamond ring not appealing to you when it actually showed up?

 

[belle]

for a modern rb... with the right information, no worries whatsoever.
for any other cut, i would want to get as much information as possible including idealscope images and hopefully even aset.

above all, there needs to be a nice return policy.

after that you''re all good.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 6/7/2006 4:54:46 PM
Author: belle
for a modern rb... with the right information, no worries whatsoever.
for any other cut, i would want to get as much information as possible including idealscope images and hopefully even aset.

above all, there needs to be a nice return policy.

after that you''re all good.

I agree. With my first cushion, I was nervous but I felt I got good info from WF to make a decision. I also had it sent to an appraiser to I could see it loose and would have returned it if I didn''t love it. I also looked at cushions at a couple of stores that had them beforehand to see what I thought of them.

With my mom''s cushion, I went kind of blind. I had already seen my cushion and felt that the numbers on the mom''s cushion''s cert looked pretty good. That coupled with the fact that I decided to trust Mark at ERD''s eyes helped. In a perfect world, I would have wanted the stone to be less deep with a thinner girdle, but everything else worked and it''s really hard to find cushions with the specs I wanted. I was not disappointed in my purchase.

Research research research is the key. Not only here, but out in jewelry stores. Part of the research also goes into checking into the vendor to see if there are any complaints with BBB, etc. "R&R" is the key to buying online, in my opinion...and that would stand for "Research and Realistic expectations!"

 

[Mara]

yeah if i was buying a fancy i would not be as casual about purchasing as with a RB...it's much more about personality with fancies AND getting as much information as possible...and even then it's still hit or miss on if you will like them IMO. but just get a vendor with a good return policy!!

 

[Gypsy]

With fancies I would not buy from someone who didn''t give me pics and lots of them, and sarin, and well... anything I can think of. But I would buy one from someplace like GOG, even though their prices are a little higher because they would provide all the information I needed, and a good customer service to back it up.

 

[sam3232]

I know how you feel.
I live in the pacific north west and the local supply here is limited at best.
I also had fears about going on line but my crdit card company gives me 100% protection from fraud. Somthing they do not give you when purchasing locally. ( I think)
Anyway I just got the ring I purchased and it is great. No one local could come close to the price.
I think the internet is the future and the fatser we take advantage of it the better.
There are just as many rip-offs off line than there are online. Maybe more.
Oh by the way I got my ring from www.thediamond.com in NY.
Good luck.
Sam

 

[firebirdgold]

I''m not at all worried about getting ripped off!

I''m worried about buying a diamond engagment ring based solely on internet pics and the vendor''s eye, and then not loving it in person.

So what I''m hearing is that what enables you guys to be confident in buying diamond rings online is a combo of massive amounts of data on the cut and a good return policy.
Good to know, but not terribly reassuring to me. It looks like he''s going to go for the antique-style rings without that kind of data.. or sometimes any data on cut. Also as I said, I wouldn''t ever have the heart to tell him that the ring isn''t perfect unless it''s totally hideous!

Of course the ring won''t be ugly so the return policy is of no use to me.

I guess I''ll just have to trust to my luck (and the vendor''s eye) that my future engagement ring will take my breath away. I have very very good luck, after all I have a guy who takes my breath away

so the rest is just icing on the cake.

 

[ladykemma]

are emerald cuts in general making you go ehh, or old european cuts?

you will know it when you see it. angels will weep, the chorus will sing, etc.

and hunney not all ideal cut stones are pretty.

have you considered used emerald cuts, or going around to places that sell used diamonds? might take a while, but worth a shot.

 

[Gypsy]

Well, is there anyway that you can tell you FI that while you like the look of older rings... you would prefer a reproduction??? And tell him that the lack of information on the older stones is making you uncomfortable. Also... give me a sec and I'll go find the vendor I found the other day with nice older rings... they seemed to have some good information, and people have bought from them.


ETA:

This one doesn't have a ton of information, but they have some nicer rings than may of the other vendors, and you could call and ask they seemed receptive to questions when I called...


http://www.singlestone.com/ringselection/

http://www.estatediamondjewelry.com/item.cfm?int_item_id=27&cat_id=1

http://www.solovey.com/Engage_I_Gallery.html

http://www.wannabuyawatch.com/ http://www.wannabuyawatch.com/indpages/23174.html

Information on Antique diamonds and also a very lovely bright ring selection: http://www.stardustantiques.com/How%20to%20Buy%20a%20Ring/buying_antique_diamondring.html

Nice reproductions : http://www.gordonclark.com/shop7c28.html?catID=7 and http://www.fusarojewelry.com/