Being in the Midwest??

[abbymax825]

My boyfriend and I live in Indianapolis. He is very concerned about purchasing a diamond over the internet. My question is, of those of you who have purchased diamonds through gog or other sites through pricescope, did you ever see the diamond in person, or rely soley on the information provided and pictures? Any suggestions aobut putting his mind at ease?? There are return policies with full refunds, right??? Do you take it to an appraiser as soon as you get it to be sure the diamond and reports match up???

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

I purchased over the net and relied on the data...




Mainly I browsed the testomonials and saw who offered the most technical data and had a sound repuation..




A vendors reputation is on the line with internet vending more so because the market feedback is also posted on the world wide web...




You can have the stone shipped to an independent appraiser for varification before purchase and in most cases can also have the stone shipped to you to look at before making the purchase...




There are ways to make a secure tranaction and in my opinion there are more options available than typical B&M stores..

Repuatation, consistency, and good customer feedback is what I would first look for. If your still in doubt have the sale contingent upon the evaluation of an independent appraiser..

Hope this gets you started...

 

[Mara]

Our first two purchases were offline, with the first being solely offline with no Internet research and the second being almost an internet purchase but ended up being offline as well. However, now that I have hung around here enough and know what I know now...I honestly can say I don't think that any future purchases are going to be offline. From what I have seen online, the quality and caliber of stones outrivals anything you will see at a B&M for the *same price*. Local B&M's maybe have H&A Stones but I can almost guarantee they don't have the full workup of information that most of the reputable online vendors do. And for the whole 'seeing is believing' thing, I don't think I know one person who ended up purchasing online after doing the appropriate research who REGRETTED their purchase after the fact. Now how many offline regrets do we see? Alot! Mostly because of lack of research. Any online purchase is going to have more research behind it, innate nature of the internet.




How to make a smart purchase on the internet? Do your homework, find a reputable vendor who has many accolades, a good return policy, who will not mind shipping the stone pre-purchase to the independent appraiser of your choice for final approval. Shop around and find out who has the best selection of stones, the best prices, the most information. Figure out what your priorities are in terms of a happy purchase, is it the best deal on a great stone, is it the toppest-notch cut for a good price, is it a good blend of all the c's...etc. Is cut your top priority with color and clarity falling after that? What is your budget. Determining all of that up front in conjunction with the research will make you both more comfortable with your purchase.




You will find people more than willing to help steer you in the 'right direction' (means different things for all of us), and people may not always agree, but you will get lots of opinions and I think in the end that helps cover all your bases...so good luck and start reading the tutorial!

 

[pqcollectibles]

When I bought from White Flash, I had picked one particular diamond I was interested in. After talking with Brian Gavin, the cutter, he suggested another diamond for me to consider. Soooo I had both shipped, previewed them personally, had them evaluated by an independent appraiser locally, then made my decision.

Do your homework. Read the PS Tutorial. Use the search engine to compare diamonds in your price range. Get out and look locally. Get a feel for what different carat weights look like and what color range appeals to you. Post possibles that are of interest to you on the Forum. Folks here will be more than glad to help out. These people made my decision making process a whole lot easier and I had a wonderful buying experience.

Surf the different Vendors' websites. Compare return/refund/upgrade policies. Search past PS threads by Vendor name to review testimonials of buyers. Call or email and chat with a few. Find one you are comfortable working with. The Vendor you select will be your eyes in the initial screening. You can also have the diamond shipped to an approved, independent appraiser, many times without paying in advance. Ultimately, diamond selection comes down to your eye. Does the diamond speak to you?

#1 tho,.... Don't get stressed. Enjoy the diamond buying experience!

 

[abbymax825]

I had no idea that you can preview and have it shipped before you buy, or that it could be sent to an independant appraiser before you buy. With the vendores that you all know, what are typical payment options. My bf likes to pay cash, but are their payment options other than credit card?? (I'm sure that is a little to cleshay (sp??) to ask in such an informal setting, but I was just curious if anyone knew anyting informally without that being a first question that I ask someone I am about to do business with, it should come up in do time. I just wasn't sure about etiquete(sp??) Thanks guys for everything, VERY HELPFUL!!!

 

[pqcollectibles]

Most all the Vendors take wire transfers and credit cards. So you have options on how you choose to pay.

There have been stories where Vendors have "held" diamonds for people. For example,.... You have a bonus, stock dividend, or income tax refund coming in a month, but you find your diamond tomorrow. The Vendor might let you put down a good faith deposit to hold the diamond. Then you pay the remainder within the agreed upon period of time.

Be sure to discuss something like this in advance with the Vendor you select. They all have different policies.

 

[diamondsman]

your best bet is to call upon different vendors,and get a feel of what they offer as far as returns are concerned, many of them offer consumers to send the stone to an independent appraiser or a well known laboratory,to verfiy that the stone you have purchased is the right stone, and after such verification the appraiser or the laboratory will send it directly to you.giving you the confidence that you are getting the right stone.

good luck

 

[pricescope]

The first what comes to mind is Corey England (aka Iceman) MidwestGems.com, Moline, IL.