Online Merchants... Reliable??

[mishamish]

Hello,

Welcome to day one of my diamond hunt. I went into a physical brick and mortar store locally today and found some nice stones. Upon returning to work and starting the virtual portion of my search, i came across some sites such as Blue Nile, James Allen, and Abazia. Wow!! There is a big price difference, and what I’ve learned is that my dollar goes much farther online.

Are these companies as reputable as the local mom and pop shop? Also, is it ok for me to buy a diamond based on specs as opposed to physically holding and looking at the stone? It seems a little shady to me, but i guess thats the world we live in today..

thanks!

- rookie

 

[spike13]

Good Old Gold is a mom and pop shop, they just happened to also have an solid online presence. I consider myself a newbie/novice as well, in my search I found the regular shops were LESS informative than Good Old Gold.
GOG also has a very good return policy and upgrade policy.

I recommend checking out their website even if you don''t buy from them because there''s a lot of great educational videos.

Before I purchased my diamond Jonathon even made a video of the one I selected. Overall I felt that I received much better service than I would have if I went to any other place including Tiffany''s or Cartier.

http://www.goodoldgold.com

 

[dockman3]

Yes, some online retailers are very good buys. The prices are definitely lower. There are pros and cons to buying online and if you search on this forum you will find many threads regarding online vs B&M. I personally bought at a local store and don''t feel like I was cheated at all. Many, many people here have bought online and love it. You can buy a round brilliant diamond online with just the specs and maybe a picture or two. Princess cuts can be purchased online safely with minimal info. Other cuts, such as cushion, radiant, emerald, pear, all need to be seen in extensive pictures and preferably in person. Many people have bought those shapes here online and would be happy to help you in your search. Just let us know what you are looking for and what your budget is and we''ll help you find the diamond for you!