If you search for jewelry online, you will be flooded with literally millions of hits offering you every kind of gem you could possibly think of, but is buying jewelry online the right move?
In this day and age, you can buy just about anything online in a few minutes. It’s convenient and quick and often more affordable, but is buying your jewelry the same way you buy your clothes or impulse purchases a smart choice?
Here are some of the differences you might find between shopping for jewelry online vs. in-store.
Cost
In general, brick and mortar stores have a lot more overhead. They have to pay for employees, rent, utilities, as well as display space for the jewelry and security to keep it safe. Online stores don’t have this problem, which is why you can often find jewelry for better prices online than you would in stores. Also, large-scale retailers sometimes offer much better discounts online than they do in their brick and mortar stores, which means you can find surprising savings on the same items being offered in the store.
However, it’s important to gauge whether a deal is “too good to be true”. If you’re shopping online and you find pictures of a gorgeous piece of jewelry whose comparable price on other websites is 10 times the amount, then you might be dealing with a knock off.
Choice
Online stores similar to Adinas Fashion Jewelry Store can offer a lot more choice than brick and mortar stores. This is because online stores don’t have to worry about the room or the insurance of carrying extra stock. Online stores can offer so much more because they don’t need to find room for all of it to display–and they do need to display it! Merchandise sitting in the back isn’t doing much to make a sale. Online, everything can be easily displayed on product pages.
Feel
This is one spot where brick and mortar stores win over online stores. Unfortunately, online stores simply can’t offer the ability to physically handle the jewelry or see how it looks when it’s on. In this case, if you still want to shop online, try to find similar pieces in store to find out what looks best on you. Then you can order the pieces online, double-checking to make sure the store’s return policy allows you to return items that didn’t look the way you wanted. For more help on buying jewelry online see this guide.
Worth
If you’re shopping for precious gems online, it’s important that you research the kind of stone you’re looking for before you set down money. In fact, this is important even if you’re shopping in stores. Trade terms describing the worth and value of stones can seem like another language to the uninitiated. Before you start shopping, have a general idea of the terms you may encounter and what those actually mean in real-world practice. Clarity, cut, and even obscure things like oiled emeralds are things you might hear when you’re shopping for gems. Understanding these will help you better understand price points and know what you should be paying.
