Purchasing off eBay?

[blahhhhh]

Is it a bad idea to purchase diamonds on ebay without viewing in person? I'm watching this listing in particular https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/323816722821

 

[monipod]

Hiya. It's no longer available so did you end up buying it or the listing got pulled?

I'm an Australian so always stalking eBay for bargains overseas as most rings and diamonds are overpriced domestically. I recently bought a ring from a US seller and while I took my chances on it, it wasn't a super expensive ring so I wouldn't have cried if something went really wrong. The seller had 100% positive feedback over hundreds of sales so I felt comfortable though. The ring arrived promptly and was exactly as described. The seller posted a lot of photos and had all available information in the listing. I am looking at buying a few rings out of Japan this year also via eBay.

I think as long as the listing has a good amount of details about the item and many photos, it's a great way to buy jewellery. Don't be afraid to ask questions and for more photos if needed. Also, if you're looking at a big purchase then make sure it comes with a GIA report and valuations certificates. That way you can double check things.

I think some people will suggest not buying significant purchases via eBay but so far I haven't been put off.

 

[WillyDiamond]

I always say, when you buy from eBay you have to be prepared to lose all the money. If it is a few dollars, worth the risk, a few thousand dollars, no way.
Good luck.

 

[MollyMalone]

I always say, when you buy from eBay you have to be prepared to lose all the money. If it is a few dollars, worth the risk, a few thousand dollars, no way.
Good luck.

There are still a goodly number of eBay vendors (including those who offering fine jewelry, loose diamonds, colored gems) who will accept returns, no questions asked. Those are the only ones I'll consider doing business with, when the purchase price is more than I care to gamble.

The seller of the $2500 AUD ring in the OP's post does not accept returns, so that would be a deal breaker for me. But I'm certainly keeping my fingers crossed for @blahhhhh !

 

[Nikki1415]

Personally, I'm willing to buy when the seller answers all my questions. I would ask them to make a video of it in different light conditions and to message you the link to the video.

 

[sledge]

I think 2 key points apply here:

1. eBay is just a mechanism to sell stuff, and is neither good nor bad.

2. People buy diamonds rather often without seeing them in-person. The difference being they may buy directly via a vendor's website such as BlueNile (BN), James Allen (JA), etc.

That said, you should always use common sense when buying in general, rather online or not. If you don't fully understand what you are buying, you are probably wise to just not purchase unless you can afford (and are okay) with potentially losing some or all the money.

With eBay, assuming you feel comfortable with the product portion of the dilemma, you then need to consider the seller, their reputation & also their return/refund/exchange policies (or lack thereof).

For instance, are you are aware that some major retailers not only offer products through their main websites and stores, but also on eBay? I've bought stuff from BestBuy, NewEgg and a Dodge dealer (when I had my Challenger) using eBay. As strange as it may sound, they sometimes offer even better deals on eBay than if you buy direct. Same product & same warranty....just a different procurement method.

Obviously if you are dealing with an individual you have to be a little more conscious. In the case of jewelry I would want the seller to be open to using a 3rd party independent appraiser to confirm the item(s) you purchased are as stated and authentic. Assuming it checks out, you complete the transaction. If not, you can walk free of any burden or charges.

 

[sledge]

In regards to the specific piece you inquired about I would have a few concerns.

First off, look at the GIA cert. You will notice it has strong fluorescence, and also only very good symmetry as opposed to excellent.

Not to scare anyone, but we know there is a possibility a stone with strong fluor can have transparency issues such as being hazy/milky/oily looking in various lighting conditions. Also, because it's blue, it will likely produce a blue tint when exposed to heavy UV environments such as being outdoors.

With zero doubt, there are stones with strong fluor that are not a problem. But you always want to check.

Also, I'd note this is a G color stone, and as color improves most people prefer to see lower levels of fluor, or possibly none/faint/negligible.




Moving on. Now look at this photo. The diamond does not appear to have transparency issues in this photo. But it also looks like maybe it was taken indoors.





However, have a look at this photo. Here the stone definitely looks hazy to me. Maybe it's a dirty stone. Or maybe it's the strong fluor rearing its ugly head. Either way I'm now concerned. FWIW, it does appear the light source is different than the previous picture.

Now I am concerned about this stone, and would personally be less interested. Obviously you could ask the seller additional questions. Or maybe they would meet you somewhere to look in-person, or they may agree to a 3rd party appraisal inspection as condition to making the final sale.

But I'm not a "buy it now" buyer on this stone. It needs additional clarification for me to get warm & fuzzy about spending my dollars on it.

 

[distracts]

I would make sure you reverse image search the pictures, ask the seller for more info and other pictures, preferably with some sort of identifying info, and consider whether you are ok with dealing with a difficult return should anything go wrong up to potentially losing everything you spent. Given the seller feedback is all previously for purchasing, I'd suspect this is a personal ring they don't know how to sell and so are trying ebay, so they aren't going to be used to dealing with returns, etc, but it may also be a decent deal (I haven't looked up pricing)