Buying Jewelry and Watches

So you've read about gemstones, diamonds, and maybe even engagement rings. Now you know what you're looking for. But how do you find it?

You could always go to a jeweler in person, but what about this vast Internet? Everything else is for sale online; why should this be different? Good news. It isn't! If you follow the guide below, you'll know how to buy jewelry online with greater trust and confidence than you would in person.

Why and How to Buy Online

• You will have written documentation of what the e-tailers are promising you. If they lie to you, you can put a chargeback on your credit card and they'll have no defense.
• Any e-tailer worth buying from will gladly send the piece in question to an independent appraiser before you purchase it. Make that a habit.
• Online stores can offer lower prices because they don't have all the brick-and-mortar overhead costs.
• They have larger inventories and a better selection.
• You can shop at your leisure without the pressure of salespeople.
• You can comparison shop without having to worry what snobby passers-by think of you.
• You can take an online price and go to a jeweler in person and haggle a price further down.
• If the piece is incredibly inexpensive and you can't imagine how you got such a deal, you're being cheated. Don't buy it.
• Gemstones need to be appraised and certified by some objective criteria. Given this, their prices are fairly standardized. If something is much less expensive than its brethren, it's of a lower quality.
• You could possibly cut down on some costs by taking your prospective piece's certificate to a brick-and-mortar jeweler and seeing if you can get a lower price.

What to Look For

Diamonds

Darling, if you want diamonds , you simply must read our Diamond Buying Guide. It'll tell you all about the four Cs, and how to find what you like. Make sure you know the stats of your diamond and get it in writing. Diamonds are so highly regulated and evaluated that you will not get an incredibly cheap price on quality, anywhere. The smartest thing you can do is get exactly what you're looking for a haggled down price. Do not be baited and switched.

Gemstones

If you want to buy a gemstone , you're going to have to read our guide. It'll let you know what to look for and what the options are before you. Make sure you know whether stones have been treated for flaws or if they're totally natural. This will affect their price (and value) greatly. Just like with a diamond, make sure you have a certificate documenting everything about your gem's four Cs.

Gold

Gold  can come in so many varieties of quality, online and off. All gold should have a trademark certified by the government. Be suspicious of pieces that do not. Know your terminology: 24 karat  is totally pure but very soft. It won't make the most durable jewelry. 14 karat  is 14 parts gold mixed with 10 parts other metals. The same extends to 18 karat  gold. Solid gold  means the piece is not hollow. It could be any percentage pure, though. Gold plated  means that the jewelry has a layer of gold bonded onto its non-gold surface. This will wear away with time, depending on how thick the plate it. Gold overlay , rolled gold plate (RGP) , and gold-filled  jewelry have a gold plate of at least 10 karats. The piece should have the karats listed as well as the proportion of the piece that is gold, if under 1/20 of the weight. e.g.. -- 1/20 12K Gold Filled Necklace . Gold electroplate  means that there's a layer of at least 10 karat gold at least .175 microns thick secured on a base plate. Gold flashed  and gold washed  jewelry have a layer less than .175 microns thick. This will wear away very quickly. Not a good purchase. If you only buy gold that meets your quality specifications, you won't be disappointed online.

Silver and Platinum

Silver  jewelry is very popular for anything except engagement and wedding rings. (Many people have engagement/wedding rings that are silver, but they're not the same level of popularity.) Just like gold, your silver must have a trademark noting its purity. Something qualifies for the label "silver" if it's 92.5% pure. It may also be labeled 925 Silver. Silverplate  is a layer of silver that is bonded to another metal underneath. As with gold, you risk it rubbing off. Platinum  is more precious than gold or silver. Its purity is measured in parts per thousand. e.g. -- If a piece is 850 Plat or Pt. it is 85% platinum and 15% other metals. It may also be marked with the parts per thousand of pure platinum and the parts of a platinum group metal (like iridium or palladium). This would look like 500 Plat 400 Irid, with 10% being other metals.

Pearls

Pearls can be natural, cultivated, or imitation. Make sure you pay accordingly. Pearls may be impressive colors by nature or by dying them after-the-fact. While the former is rare and incredible, the latter is often regarded as tacky. Know which you're buying. Natural  pearls form inside of oysters from an irritation inside and are harvested in the wild. They are very rare, beautiful, soft, and flawed. Cultivated  pearls are formed when an irritant is purposely introduced into an oyster. They are also beautiful but not nearly as rare or valuable. They are measured by their size and lustre. Imitation  pearls are made of plastic, glass, or other materials and roughly resemble a pearl and size, shape, and color. They are no where near as valued or impressive.

Watches

If a watch is what you need, check out our watch buying guide. Here are a few pointers to get you started. You have your choice of analog , digital , anadigi , and chronograph  watches. Watches come in many styles: dress , sport , casual , retro  and calculator . You can also buy a pocket watch  if you prefer. Mechanical watches  require winding; self-winding watches  wind as you wear them but may need to be reset periodically. Battery-powered watches  are a relatively new invention and never need winding. Watches can be inexpensive with plastic straps  or very expensive, with gold , diamonds ,platinum  or other precious ornamentation.

• Popular Watches that may be just what you're looking for===Important Questions===

Before you fork over any money, make sure to ask these important questions.

• Is this company legitmate? What are its credentials? Its address and phone number?
• Is this real or made in a lab?
• Is it doctored?
• Are the fixes permanent or will they need upkeep?
• How much do the fixes downgrade its value?
• Is the price similarly downgraded?
• Has this been independently appraised?
• By whom?
• Where is the certificate?
• Will you send the piece to an appraiser of my choosing before I buy?
• Will you make this piece to my specifications?