Would You Trust and/or Buy From a Vendor Who...

[teobdl]

Metatrix-re: SI2's being cleaner at local jewelers
In the past a few veteran PSers remarked that this is, in fact the case. They attributed it to the fact that pro diamond buyers pick through most of the inventory before it hits the online sites so many of the good SI2s are bought up before online shoppers ever see them listed. I don't know how true this is anymore, eg whether supply chains have shifted as a result of a growing proportion of online buyers.

 

[metatrix]

Metatrix-re: SI2's being cleaner at local jewelers
In the past a few veteran PSers remarked that this is, in fact the case. They attributed it to the fact that pro diamond buyers pick through most of the inventory before it hits the online sites so many of the good SI2s are bought up before online shoppers ever see them listed. I don't know how true this is anymore, eg whether supply chains have shifted as a result of a growing proportion of online buyers.

Lol this is exactly what my two fave local jewellers said, although I didn't take them seriously because, well, of course they would say that!!

I know the general wisdom on PS is that buying online is cheaper than buying local, but both these guys I worked with are the same price or cheaper than JA, and definitely cheaper than any of the 'signature' or 'pre-selected' lines from online vendors such as BGD, GOG, whiteflash, or HPD. At least for the range of stones I was looking at (3 ct SIs). Of course, I can also think of a couple well respected, independent B&Ms in my city that are outrageously expensive for no discernible reason. One of my jewellers said it's because they are still charging the same margins that they did 20 years ago, before the rise of online vendors, and also they apply the exact same margin to big stones as they do to small stones (which becomes ridiculous when scaled up). But some local jewellers *are* reducing their margins (and overhead) to compete with online vendors.