Buying jewellery was once seen as something that simply had to be done in-store. With such expensive yet meaningful items, being able to see the pieces in person was considered an essential part of the sales process.
However, in recent years the trend towards online shopping has very much taken off in the jewellery sector. Jewellers have become far better at showcasing their products online and providing customers with all of the images and information they need to make an informed purchase.
Nevertheless, if you are thinking of buying a piece of jewellery online, it is important that you do your research, and understand the smartest ways to go about the purchase. In this blog, we provide a guide to making jewellery purchases online.
Buy from a quality jeweller
When buying in-store, it was traditional that you could rely on the quality of a jeweller, especially if it had been in business for a long time. Jewellery shops selling inferior products don’t last long on the high street. Online, however, it is a different matter.
Anyone can pay to create a website that looks extremely impressive – but just because the site looks good, it doesn’t necessarily mean the quality of the jewellery is too.
It is essential that you research the company that you are thinking of buying from. Look into customer reviews (especially those on external sites) and read into the history of the company. Do they have a reputation for providing great jewellery, or is it a matter of style over substance?
Understand the product
When shopping online it can be very easy to be drawn in by beautiful photos of a piece and becoming enamoured with an item before you know anything about it.
Indeed, a stunning piece might look like a bargain compared to a similar piece on another site. But unless you do your research, it may not be clear why this is the case. Jewellery prices can be affected by a huge range of factors, and you need to understand what this means for the piece.
For example, understanding the clarity, cut, and colour of a diamond can help you to understand why one piece is significantly more expensive than another. Stores generally won’t hide information about lower quality items, but they likely won’t have this information front and centre, so do take the time to research the product you’re thinking of buying.
Brand names aren’t everything
Many of the big jewellery brands do produce eye-catching pieces, and of course, there is nothing wrong with opting for a branded product. However, it is important to recognise that if you are buying a big brand product online because you feel it is a hallmark of quality, you should also be aware that you will pay a premium for the name.
For a comparable product, you will generally save a significant amount of money by opting for a non-brand product while still getting the same level of quality that you would expect. If you have always preferred to shop for brand names, it could well be worth taking a look at independent shops to see the kind of savings you can make.
Look for detailed photographs
It’s important to pay attention to the images provided by the seller. The images should be high-quality, detailed, and provide a good representation of the piece you’re considering. Here are a few things to look for when evaluating the images:
Zoom in feature – look for a zoom feature on the seller’s website so you can see the jewellery up close and in detail.
Multiple images – make sure the seller provides multiple images of the jewellery from different angles. This will give you a better idea of what the piece looks like and help you identify any imperfections or defects.
Lighting – the images should be well-lit, so that you can see the jewellery clearly. If the images are too dark or too bright, it can be difficult to get a good sense of the piece.
Consistency – compare the images provided by the seller with the product description and ensure they match.
Shop for something specific
It is important to go into online shopping with a decent idea of what you might be interested in buying. Doing so can help you to really narrow down what you are looking for. Having a very broad goal like an engagement ring is much harder to search for than if you know you want an 18 carat rose gold solitaire ring with a blue diamond.
This allows you to actually compare like-for-like rather than trying to make an arbitrary decision around price. Naturally you want to get the ring you want for a great price but establishing what is a good price can be very challenging if all of the rings you consider are completely different.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions
High quality jewellers are always happy to answer questions about their products – and this is true whether you’re shopping in store or online. If you’ve got a query about a necklace don’t hesitate to either send it over in an email or call up the store.
If a jeweller is evasive in answering your questions or doesn’t seem to have the answer to the question that you’re asking, it can be a warning sign that this might not be the ideal company to buy from.
Check shipping and returns policies
It is important to understand the shipping costs and returns policy of the business that you are buying for. If a piece of jewellery is £20 cheaper on a site, but they charged an extra £25 for delivery, you’re actually worse off.
Additionally, it is important to understand what happens if the piece of jewellery arrives and you don’t like it. Can you get a refund? Do you have to pay to ship the item back? Is there anything hidden in the small print?
If you’re interested in buying from a high-quality online jewellery store, Cry For The Moon has been operating both online and from a store for many years. If you have any questions we would be happy to help – get in contact with our friendly team today.
