Online vs. In Store

[my_precious]

 

[Ellen]

Hi mp,

If you are wanting pros and cons, you can do a search on here and loads of info will come up!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I tried to give local jewelers the opportunity to get my business. I told them I wanted excellent cut, GIA or AGS certified, and a range of color and clarity. What they came up with were nice stones which were not top cut at a price that was as high or higher than the top cuts available online. Some had no access to AGS0/hearts and arrows stones. So my decision was made for me. We bought a ring diamond from Good Old Gold and two diamonds for earrings from WhiteFlash and I know we couldn''t have matched the quality for the price at regular jewelry stores. I''ll never buy another diamond anywhere else.

 

[mrssalvo]

can you be a little more specific in what it is you want to know?

 

[jstarfireb]

My engagement ring diamond came from Whiteflash online, and I can''t see myself ever buying a diamond from a B&M store, not counting Costco, which actually has some nice diamonds for near-online prices. The markup is just so big at jewelry stores, especially mall stores. I do, however, buy colored gemstones from stores all the time.

 

[In the rough]

Online is a great way to go...Try WF, GOG and JA...I am not sure if this answers the meaning of your question, but I hope it helps...

 

[MyBling]

Depends on what is important to you and what works for your needs. When we finally picked a Verragio E-ring and Wedding band 4+ years ago, it was a local jeweler gave us the best price quote, (and I got several from online retailers).. I was quite surprised. Needless to say, we had the best of both worlds in that situation. Fast forward a few years and now we''re upgrading the center stone. When shopping stats and price, it was no doubt cheaper to buy online. I know many have great return policies, and I understand there are many are great ones to work with. I would have gone that route too if I felt it was the all-over best option for us. I believe our local jeweler did herself a favor by being competitive a few years ago, it got us to call her back for a shot at an upgrade.

I looked online and was able to share with her what I was seeing price-wise for the stones with the stats we were interested in, I knew She was competitive before, and thought she may be again, especially if she knew what she was competing with. (FYI, This was not a chain or mall jeweler, it was a small reputable family owned operation) She offered to "Broker" a stone for us at a buying show she was attending. We would pay a percentage over her cost. (She was essentially being a personal shopper so to speak) She used her trained skills to find us a stand out stone. We could turn it down and she would start over if we didn''t care for it. In the end, She returned with one she was excited about, and we loved it too. We paid a premium over the online prices we saw for similar stats, but it wasn''t THAT much more, and I was okay with it. I was happy to keep it local, where I know I can go back if needed, where I will be remembered. I can drop in for free checks and cleanings.... I feel good about the way we decided to go, but I think that was because it was THIS Jeweler. I wouldn''t have felt the same at most of the B&M stores we''ve shopped in before. She is also handling the removal of the old and the setting of the new stones, an updated appraisal, and a year of insurance included in the price.

If I were starting fresh, and just buying a diamond, I would have probably ended up buying online, but only from a reputable company with a great return policy.

 

[my_precious]

Thank you to everyone who replied. It would appear that I must have accidently submitted this post for viewing without realizing because I didn''t actually have a chance to type what I had intended. Sorry for the mix-up. I''me going to post again under the subject "Ritani oval or Scott Kay 3-stone- HELP PLEASE".