Thinking of buying a diamond engagement ring but aren’t sure if you should make the purchase online or in a physical store? We, we get why your struggle – on the one hand, you have the option of walking into a number of physical stores where you will be able to try out the engagement ring that looks perfect on your (or your fiancé’s) fingers, but at a higher price tag, and possibly access to fewer options.
On the other hand, you have the option of buying your engagement ring online for a lot less – most online stores sell the best engagement rings affordably, at 30 to 40% less than the price of the same rings in physical stores.
Now, while the price difference means that you would almost immediately opt to make the purchase of your diamond engagement ring online, there is the issue of safety. Which brings forth the question, would you rather spend less money on a diamond engagement ring that costs less, but risk buying unsafe pieces of jewelry, or are there jewelry stores online that you can trust?
In this article, we take a look at jewelry buying online and offline to help you make the best purchase decision for your diamond engagement ring.
Pros of buying engagement rings online?
Today, more and more of us are making purchases online, all thanks to the convenience of not having to leave your home to go shopping when you don’t want to.
Besides the time saved, the online shopping space offers so many more options and a bigger product variety, which is why buying your engagement ring online might not be the worst idea ever for you.
Generally, buying your engagement ring online offers a good range of benefits and advantages, all listed below.
1.Safety
While most of us would feel jittery about buying expensive diamond engagement rings online (we’ve been made paranoid because of negative experiences from shopping online), the truth is that buying your engagement ring online might not be the worst decision you make, and it’s generally safe to spend your savings online.
But you shouldn’t complete your order with your eyes closed; your safety shopping online lies in buying for reputable brands/ vendors. Buying an engagement ring online would be entirely safe for you, but only if you work with or buy from reputable companies.
To determine whether you should trust a brand or not, you need to look at the vendor’s return policies, reviews from past customers, and whether they provide certifications for their products or not. Speaking of certifications, the best engagement rings, specifically the diamond rings, are certified by the Gemological Institute of America or GIA, as well as the American Gem Society (AGS). These two offer the most trusted and stringent grading labs/ standards.
You don’t want to be stuck with a diamond engagement ring you don’t like, which is why it would be a good idea to only settle on a company with the best return policies. Some of the reputable companies, for example, Blue Nile, offer a 30-day no returns policy for all their diamonds.
They also offer the best non-commissioned consultations 24/7, and they will answer all your questions, no questions asked.
Besides the shipping policies, you also need to take into account shipping offered by the vendor you wish to buy the engagement ring from.
You need a secure shipping company to handle the engagement ring delivery, and you can tell more about the security of a vendor and the shipping service by asking whether they insure their packages or not, and most importantly, the shipping bags shouldn’t give away what’s in the package.
2.The rings are cheaper online
One of the primary reasons why it would be a good idea for you to buy your engagement ring online is that the online vendors sell the rings more affordable than the physical jewelry stores.
In most cases, the online stores sell engagement rings 20-40% cheaper than the physical stores. The primary reason for this has to do with the selling processes and the distribution of the diamonds.
Generally, there is a bigger selection of beautifully-set diamonds, and diamond engagement rings online. There also are more conflict-free diamonds sold online, and they are all sold at very competitive prices.
3.Limitless choices
The other reason why you’d want to buy your engagement ring online is that the online space gives you unlimited options, compared to the physical jewelry stores.
The internet gives you limitless options, and there are numerous collections that you could choose from. Buying engagement rings online is also a good option that offers a painless and completely transparent experience.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of diamond engagement ring options for you to choose from.
4.Extensive Knowledge
The internet offers access to a vast amount of educational resources, all accessible to anyone looking for them, meaning that if you are planning to buy a stunning diamond engagement ring, but you just don’t know what makes the best diamond rings, the internet will give you all the information you need on 4Cs, diamond settings, designs, styles, the pricing, as well as the choice of metals that the diamonds are set on.
Basically, you get all the information you need online without having to worry about being lied to.
5.Convenience
Shopping for your diamond engagement ring or anything else online would be the best decision you make because of the convenience that comes with shopping online, from the comfort of your home.
Cons of buying engagement rings online?
The main reason why buying an engagement ring online would be an issue is because the internet is just that, the internet. It is a large marketplace that is very much unregulated, and you will find the good and also the bad merchants – it also means that there are sellers of good and bad diamond engagement rings.
In most cases, some of these engagement rings are made of fake/ counterfeit diamonds that would mean your financial loss.
Then there is the fact that if you don’t know what you are looking for, you will have a great deal of legwork for you to find the best ring, but it also comes with the risk of being ripped off.
You could be overcharged easily if you don’t know about the right pricing for the engagement rings, and since the diamond market prices are unpredictable and also steep, you might spend more than you needed to.
Pros of buying engagement rings in store
While the convenience and the versatility that comes with buying engagement rings online makes the online space seemingly the best place to shop, there are advantages of buying your engagement rings in-store.
1.You get to see the design, color, and quality of the ring, in person.
One of the biggest advantages that come from buying a diamond engagement ring in person and in-store that you can see the exact state and the specifications of the ring in person.
All the important details of the ring, from the color, polish, clarity, and the cut of the ring, etc. will be there in front of your eyes, verifying all the ring details in person rather than having to believe the information shared on the website.
You can also fit the ring to see if it fits right.
2.Better guidance
The other advantage of buying your engagement ring in a store is that the staff at the jewelry store will always point you in the right direction, offering their expert guidance to ensure that the ring you settle on is the one that fits your taste.
3.After-sale care
You also get to enjoy the best after-sale services when you buy your engagement ring online—some of these services re-sizing, re-plating, cleaning, and polishing the ring.
Most online stores fail to provide these services, and even when they do, the turnaround time is more than a few days.
Cons of buying engagement rings in store
- The biggest challenge with buying diamonds in the store is that if you forget a tiny little detail about the ring, you end up with the wrong ring
- In-store purchases are also more expensive
- Some retailers with undesirable diamonds will do their best to make sure that you walk out of the store with that undesirable piece, something that the best online stores will not do.
Is it better to buy a diamond engagement ring online or in-store? Why?
Whether you choose to buy the diamond engagement ring online or offline, the most important thing that you need to know is that you need to get the best quality diamond engagement ring at the best price.
Now, if you are worried about ring fittings, you might want to research first online so that you walk into the store knowing exactly what you need.
Generally, the online space is the best place for you to start off your search, all thanks to the variety and the affordable prices.
The online stores also give you more variety, and thanks to an increase in the number of online vendors who sell certified diamonds only, it would be a good idea to shop online.
Conclusion
It might be confusing to decide where to buy your engagement ring, especially if it’s a diamond, but if you are looking to save money while buying the best quality rings, the online space is the best place for you to shop from. For more buying tips or useful tips, please visit this page for more.
Stephanie is a jewelry lover when she was a teenager. Her major was fashion design when she was in college. She is a jewelry designer at SOQ Jewelry and other design companies. Now she is also a writer for our website. She writes a lot of designs&brands posts with very actionable tips.