Whether you’re looking to purchase an engagement ring for the first time or want to upgrade an existing jewelry piece with a nicer diamond, you’re going to want to find the best possible diamond within your budget. So where should you look to find this diamond? Well, two options are your local jewelry store or online. Here’s everything you should keep in mind when deciding whether to shop for diamonds in-person or through the web.

• Some people choose to shop for diamonds online because they think they’ll find the best deals there. However, that’s usually not the case. Diamond dealers sell lower-quality diamonds to online jewelers because they know novice customers will be buying them without seeing them in person before. They’ll often list inexpensive diamonds to entice people to buy them even though they’re likely not even worth the price. Most local jewelers, on the other hand, handpick each diamond they sell in order to ensure they always have the best, most valuable options available.
• It’s always a good idea to educate yourself on the 4 C’s when looking to purchase a diamond. But it’s also important to note that these four quality characteristics don’t tell the whole story. If you search online for a two carat diamond with F color and SI1 clarity, there’s a $12,000 difference between the highest and lowest cost. A diamond’s certificate doesn’t tell you how much that diamond sparkles or how it will look in different lights. Every diamond is unique so you should never buy one based on its quality characteristics alone. After all, the 4 C’s are just a simplified characterization of a rather complex item.
• When you shop for diamonds online, you won’t be able to see the diamond and compare it to others before you buy it. Without actually seeing the diamond in person, you’ll never really know what you’re getting. You may think you’re getting a gem the size of a typical one carat diamond, but depending on how it’s cut, it may not be as large as you anticipated. If a larger weight portion than usual is hidden in the diamond’s girdle, the overall size of the diamond will appear smaller. So even though you may be purchasing a one carat diamond, it could look like a 3/4 carat. It takes a diamond buying expert to know which diamonds have an excellent make and which ones don’t.
• One of the main reasons people shop online is the amount of additional options that are available there compared to a brick and mortar store. While this is definitely a benefit for certain products, it’s not for diamonds. Jewelers have access to long lists of diamonds as well but they spend the time sifting through those lists to find only the best of the best diamonds to show their clients. They have the knowledge and experience to know which diamonds have the best value and which diamonds should be left on the list.
• When searching for diamonds online, you may notice the same diamond on multiple different websites. This is because most online diamond retailers show you a list of diamonds, even if they don’t actually own them. So what happens when you find a diamond you want, you purchase it, but it already sold on a different site? Well, the online retailer you bought from may just send you a similar diamond instead of the one you actually wanted. So you can never really be sure that the diamond you’re getting is the one you actually bought.
• You won’t find the same level of service online that you would at a local jewelry store. When you visit a jewelry store, the jeweler will take the time to really understand what you’re looking for. And once they’ve helped you pick out the best possible diamond in your budget, they’ll be there for you when you need any after-sales services, like ring resizing, polishing, tightening of any gemstones, etc..

For many individuals, buying a diamond is one of the biggest purchases they’ll make in their lifetime. You don’t want to overpay on something so substantial. That’s why we always recommend visiting your local jeweler and working with a diamond buying expert who can help you find a diamond worth wearing every day. After all, they know what to look for. If you have any questions about buying a diamond, contact Kloiber Jewelers at 414-276-2457 or info@kloiberjewelers.com.