Online diamond & engagement ring shopping guide

Online shopping has become a huge phenomenon. In the diamond and jewelry industry, online shopping has increased competition and benefited consumers by offering them more choices and more competitive prices.

For me, when I walk into a jewelry store, I personally feel like I've walked into a lion's cage, as dinner. That’s one thing the online retailers try to offer: shop at the comfort of your own home, without pressure from the salespeople. The flipside, of course, is that you don’t see the diamond first hand when you make the purchase. Many of the online stores though, are offering different solutions to that. (Check out the “Interviews with the Jewelers” below). For me that’s not very important because I am not a gemologist and even if I look at the diamond under a microscope, I still have to trust the store’s salesperson to explain to me what I’m seeing. Whether buying from a traditional physical store or online, I would take it to an independent appraiser for an appraisal.

Choose a retailer that offers a minimum 30-day no-questions-asked money-back guarantee, and have the stone or ring appraised immediately.

Interview with Scott Anderson, President & CEO of Union Diamond

Interview with Chris Sanderson, Marketing Manager of Mondera