Ace Jewellery looks at your options.

It’s no secret that in these tough economic times we all need our money to stretch a little further. Being able to buy online answers that need perfectly, and will continue to do so long after the tough times are over.

Many more practical products lend themselves well to being bought online, but others such as engagement rings are much more sentimental.

We sometimes have customers call in with a stone they’ve bought online and visit us to have it set into their choice of ring mount. We can see how this could be viewed as a more financially savvy way to do things. So, the question is, is it better to buy your gemstone online and have it set in a Jewellery shop, or buy the whole ring in store?

The truth is there is no absolute correct answer to this question, because it very much depends on what your most important emotional triggers are – saving money or that first personal try-on of your ring.

In this blog, diamond expert and co-owner of Ace Jewellery, Edward Peters looks at why he feels that buying your whole ring in a Jewellery shop offers you a much better buying experience.

Stone love?

So you’ve done your homework, read up about The 4C’s of Diamond Buying and bought your perfect gemstone online. With their much lower overheads, an online retailer can offer you huge savings. You also didn’t have to trundle from shop to shop trying to find the best price, or deal with over-zealous sales people.

You also checked with the retailer that if you weren’t happy with your purchase you could return it for a full refund. So far so good! What then can happen when your gemstone arrives and things aren’t quite right?

You could be unhappy for all kinds of reasons. Perhaps the stone doesn’t quite sparkle or catch the light the way you thought it would. Or perhaps the over-sized photo made it look much bigger than it actually is. “So all I have to do is return it, right?” is what you’re probably thinking, but sadly this can be where the “fun” starts!

Although online retailers may offer you a full refund, this only happens once they’ve received the item back, and complying with their returns policies isn’t always easy. Firstly, with something of such value you will need to arrange insurance for the item and send it back in some form of secured way, such as Special Delivery. Although some retailers will cover these costs as part of the returns policy, not everyone does. So as well as a trip to the post office, you will also have to pay extra costs.

Also, some companies charge “re-stocking fees” when you return items. Suddenly that “bargain” is now starting to feel anything but a bargain! After all that, you’re then back to square one with no Engagement Ring!

What if you’ve set your heart on a particular ring mount?

Another key component of your Engagement Ring is the ring mount. Another thing we find that isn’t always explained to internet buyers is how your gemstone might look in your chosen ring mount. For example, yellow gold will be much more forgiving to a less than colourless diamond than platinum or white gold ring mounts. Similarly, emeralds should preferably be set with yellow gold claws.

Also, different settings let in different amounts of light, and you might find that your chosen gemstone simply won’t catch the light in the way you want it to.

There’s no substitute for personal service

Compare this to buying in a Jewellery shop. Unlike buying online, when you buy in person you receive the more personal aspects of buying from a Jeweller. The kind of expert advice and guidance that you only get with face to face customer service. You also know exactly what you’re buying and you get to try on a range of rings until you find the perfect one.

Unlike “buying blind” you can actually see how your gemstone looks in natural light, and you could look at it with an eye glass if you choose to. You also can make sure that the size of stone you’ve chosen looks correct for your size of hand. Ultimately you’ll be seeing your finished ring “in the flesh”, and will be confident that all its components work together to give you that perfect looking ring.

Another advantage to buying your engagement ring from a Jeweller is the after-sales service. From our years of experience we understand how important this is to customers. So when you purchase an engagement ring from us, you receive a card that entitles you to a free polish and cleaning of a yellow gold or platinum ring. Or a polish and rhodium plating of white gold rings.

Buying online isn’t always the cheapest option

Along with the above advantages, you can sometimes find that an independent Jeweller can actually offer very competitive prices. For instance, at Ace Jewellery because we have such low overheads we can often beat internet prices. We also have a very honest and straightforward exchange policy.

In summary, if you’re the type of person who relies heavily on your gut when making “personal” buying decisions, we suggest buying your Engagement Ring from a Jewellers shop. In our experience we feel that you will need to try on a number of different rings to be sure you’ve found the right one.

For you guys out there who are thinking of proposing, shopping in person is the perfect option, as it usually just involves one trip and you’ll know your fiancé will be happy with her ring!

One last thing to remember is the valuation certificate. When you buy your ring from Ace Jewellery we will provide you with a valuation certificate, and whenever you require a re-valuation we will value it free of charge.

If you’re thinking about buying an engagement ring or any jewellery online and experienced any problems, we’d be interested to hear from you. Please feel free to leave us a comment below. You might also like some of our other blog posts:

Palladium Engagement Rings – The affordable yet stunning luxury

5 Top Tips for getting the Diamond look of the stars without the price tag

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