Beware of Online Diamond Scams: Things You Must Be Aware Of

If you've ever been cheated before-or your friends had been-you may think that you'll never ever in your life purchase diamonds online again. You're strapped for time and have no shopping opportunities save for online shopping, yet you dare not buy anymore of those sparkling babies online again. Once bitten twice shy, you think! However, I will show you how you can purchase diamonds online and still keep your sanity intact. This will enable you to obtain the jewel you want safely.

Your reason for shopping online, as opposed to taking a trip downtown is time-and price. Online shops do not have the same taxes and brick-and-mortar costs that may be passed down to your gemstone, thus inflating its cost. While it is true that online dealers may save you a bit of money, do beware of those which are impossibly cheap. They may tag their diamonds at a 50% sale-now costing only $100 for a 5 carat diamond. You know that this is a scam because tiny 0.5 carat diamonds already retail at about a few hundreds, at least!

People are attracted to online shopping for many reasons, which are all valid. Firstly, you are free to browse through pages and pages of diamond displays day after day without fearing the snooty looks that might be given to you by a sneering sales assistant. You need not fear that people think you are too poor to purchase a gemstone for yourself! Besides, online shopping gives you a wider range of diamonds to pick from; you are not limited to your local malls. You may even order your diamonds from as far away as England if you wish to!

Before you commit to anything and give out your credit card number, you should read up on diamonds and diamond-buying-the more knowledgeable you are, the less likely you are to be scammed. You need to familiarize yourself with the shape of the diamond, the quality, the color, purity and of course, the carat. When you are no longer a diamond rookie, you may proceed to begin your quest for a beautiful gemstone.

You must, no matter how hard it is, curb impulse-buying. Do not splash out on the first diamond that you have fallen in love with! You need to think with both your head and your heart in this case. Compare with the other websites-do similar diamonds retail for a similar price or not? If it does not, it should sound an alarm in your head.

You also need to take into consideration the retailer's certificates of authenticity. If you purchase from Tiffany & Co, of course you may be guaranteed the cream of the crop. Yet, if you buy from an obscure dealer, do check his credentials-has he been blacklisted by others before? Some online webrings are really helpful in this area. You need to also take note of their policies for guarantees, resale and refund. Sometimes, dealers also offer services like polishing and mounting as a life-time guarantee. If your diamond is of high quality and cost much, you may consider paying just that little bit more to ensure the long term health of the gem.

You may also request a separate diamond scoring from independent companies so that you may be well assured of your diamond's quality. A reputable dealer will not refuse this-and if he does, you ought to be suspicious already. You may obtain your diamond straight from the dealer after it has passed the grading tests-that is the surest way to keep yourself from harm. Of course, please do ensure that your independent grading company is renowned and reputable. Some dealers and grading companies do band together to cheat online customers. Whatever you do, ask for their credentials for safety's sake!

Sources:

Fred Cuellar, "How To Buy A Diamond: Insider Secrets For Getting Your Money's Worth, 5th Edition", Sourcebooks Casablanca

Derek Rake, "Online Commerce Safety, 2006 Edition", Penguin