The online jewelry market is massively growing with the increasing trend of eCommerce and online shopping. Every year the sales generated through online jewelry stores are worth multi-billions. Still, the market is growing every year, with approximately a 15% increase in sales. It is more convenient for people to buy jewelry online rather than spending their time in physical stores.
Gemstones and fine jewelry are dominating in online jewelry sales. However, many people avoid buying gemstone jewelry online because of the bad experiences and rumors. There is no doubt that buying jewelry online is a real struggle, but if you know a few things about buying gemstone jewelry online, you can easily buy the right piece at a reasonable price.
Today, we are going to explore a few important things that you need to consider while buying gemstone jewelry online. You can make your experience worthy if you know these things. Let's start the discussion.
The first and most important thing for buying the right gemstone jewelry is finding a reliable jeweler. There are thousands of online jewelry stores, but you need to pick the reputable one.
Reliability can only be achieved through hard and loyal work. No one becomes reputable for selling a low-grade product. If you are eager to buy gemstone jewelry, you must look for some reliable jewelers and do not hesitate to ask your friends for recommendations. Check the online reviews and reputation of the brand. Once you are satisfied, you can make the purchase.
No one wants to pour money down the drain, so it is better to look for a reliable source. Nowadays, it is hard to differentiate between real and artificial gemstones, and only a reliable jeweler can help you in that case.
The best-sellers are those who provide you all the necessary details along with the gemstone laboratory certificate/report for its authenticity. The dealing should be crystal clear and clearly defined from payment to the shipment. Moreover, make sure to understand the refund, replacement, and warranty policies.
Technology has become so advanced that it is difficult to differentiate between real and imitated gemstones. Previously, only the genuine gemstones had impurities and cracks within them that helped in their identification. But now, the synthetic and fake gemstones also have these impurities and inclusions. It is quite difficult for the buyer to decide whether the gemstone is real or fake. However, some gemstones have certifications/reports that make everything clear. If you are buying a diamond, you must get GIA certification. You can also consider AGS certifications for gemstones. For colored gemstones, GIA provides identification and origin reports.
The synthetic gemstones appear shinier than the real ones and are relatively cheaper. So, if you find any low-cost gemstone with the same looks, you should look for the other factors as well.
If you are buying from a reputable seller, then you will definitely get the real deal. Reliable jewelers have a transparent quality checking system and original certifications/reports of the gemstone.
You can also request the real pictures and certifications to have a look before purchasing any piece.
One of the essentials before buying gemstone jewelry is to check its color. The color of the gemstone is also an important factor for its price.
When it comes to diamonds, its color is very important. Colorless diamonds have more value than yellowish diamonds. The right color is predicted by the grading. You can check this grading in the certification. The color grading chart is from D to Z. Every letter has a specific importance and price tag. D to F are the most expensive ones because they do not have any color in them. You can say they are transparent. After F, the yellowish color starts to appear. However, it is unnoticeable in G-J. Similarly, the grading goes on. Only the independent certification can tell you the right color grading, so it is quite essential to check the grading in the first place.
In the case of other gemstones, most of the time, it is difficult to know the true colors from pictures. So, you need an authentic document to check the colors. You can check GIA reports for gemstones because it tells the true color of the gemstone. For instance, if the Sapphire is blue, then it will be mentioned in the report. Some gemstones also have a changing color, such as bluish-green changing to grayish purple, and such changing color is also mentioned in the report. This ensures what you are paying for, and you will get what you need. GIA and some other lab service providers offer colored gemstone identification and origin reports.
It is hard to find a gemstone with 100% clarity. Most of the gemstones have little inclusions in them, and minor inclusion does not affect the gemstones' value. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has set grading codes to check the clarity of diamonds. There are ten gradings on the scale that includes,
The clearest diamond is graded as Flawless. The clarity decreases down the scale, which means I3 is the least clear one. The beauty and value of a diamond rely on its clarity. Some inclusions are easily visible, while some are only visible under a microscope. Flawless and Internally Flawless are quite expensive because they do not have inclusions. However, people prefer VS1-VS2 because their inclusions are only visible under a microscope, and they are less expensive. So, before you buy any diamond, you need to check the clarity, which is mentioned in the certification.
When it comes to gemstones other than diamonds, such as Sapphire, Emerald, Ruby, Red Spinel, Tourmaline, and Alexandrite, you can look at the identification report. The report includes a transparency column, which states whether the gemstone is transparent or not. But there is no grading in the case of these gemstones.
The cut of gemstones is also a contributing factor in the look of a diamond. No doubt, color and clarity are important, but the actual brilliance comes from the cut quality. The symmetry, length, width, depth, and table play an important role.
The cut quality of a diamond is something that you cannot forget or underestimate. It is among the 4Cs of diamonds. It gives brilliance to the diamond, which is its identity. If a diamond's cut quality is excellent, it will look stunning. But cut quality is not something that you can determine on your own. It includes various calculations for dimensions, angles, and percentages. However, you can find all these things in the certification. You can also refer to the cut grade chart.
The weight of a gemstone is the most important factor of all, but we are discussing it in the end because almost everyone knows its importance. Carat weight is the first thing that sellers and customers consider. The only thing that you should keep in mind is to match the carat weight in the report/certificate because many sellers charge for a higher weight, but the actual weight is less in the certificate or report.
We have discussed everything about the gemstones in detail, which is enough for buying loose gemstones. But when it comes to jewelry, these gemstones are mounted on a metallic base. The final thing that you need to consider is the base for the gemstone. For instance, you are buying a ring, you need to select whether you want the gemstone on a gold ring or platinum ring. Selecting a base is not that difficult; it depends on the preferences. Once you have your preference, you can check the price. Make sure to check the current price of that base.
Before investing in gemstone jewelry, you need to do a lot of research so that you could get the real deal. We have shared some of the most important factors that you need to consider. You should select a reliable jeweler, and the next important thing is the report and certificate. We have explained everything in detail, and we hope you will have a good experience buying jewelry online.