When it comes to buying diamonds, most people’s first go-to is the online store option, obviously because of the convenience and cheap rates. Still, many diamond buyers would be contemplating the safety in choosing to buy diamonds online. After all, diamonds are really expensive, and you could easily lose significant money if something went wrong. The added fear that you might not be able to see or touch the diamonds you paid for, considering the rise in cyber crimes each day. However, you can nail your online diamond purchase and stay secure, if you consider certain things. Some of the main safety points to keep in mind when you buy diamonds online, are given below.
Do Proper Research
There are numerous online diamond store options out, there and you must do proper research in order to identify the credible ones. For this, you may refer to the online customer as well as the BBB (Better Business Bureau) reviews. The latter reviews the services and products offered by different online stores on the basis of government actions, existing complaints, and advertising reviews. Furthermore, consider factors such as whether the company belongs to a jewelry trade association, how long it has been in the business, whether the transactions are secure, the cooperation of the representatives, return policy, shipment method, etc when you buy diamonds online.
Educate Yourself
Once you choose your online diamond store, the next important step is to educate yourself on the qualities of a diamond. Note that a diamond is qualified mainly on the basis of four characteristics; the cut, clarity, carat weight, and color, or collectively, the 4C’s of diamonds. When you buy diamonds online, these specifics, along with your budget, would drive your purchase. Hence, learning about these factors is significant to understanding what exactly you are buying.
Out of the 4C’s, the cut of a diamond is the most important factor. The cut refers to the faceting pattern and its proportions. This is the main factor that affects light performance of the diamond. Needless to say, an ideal cut diamond will reflect a maximum amount of light. On the other hand, a poorly cut diamond would trap or leak too much light, making it appear dull or lifeless. Hence, you must never compromise on the cut quality of your diamond.
Clarity is determined on the basis of the number of inclusions present inside the stone. A good quality diamond would be flawless, or would have the least number of inclusions. However, you may choose a diamond that is eye-clean in order to trim down your diamond buying expense. Make sure that the diamond that you choose does not contain any inclusion that would weaken its internal structure.
The color quality of a diamond is determined on the basis of the yellow tints present in it. The one without any trace of such hues is regarded as the best option. Nevertheless, you can choose something that is visually flawless so as to tackle your budget, just like choosing the clarity grade of a diamond.
As far as the carat weight of a diamond is concerned, it is absolutely up to the personal preference of the buyer. Still, it would be better to steer away from the popular cart weight choices such as 1 ct, 3 ct, 5 ct, etc., if you are looking for an affordable purchase.
Verify the Grading Report
The grading report of a diamond documents its 4C’s, and this is important to ensure the authenticity of a diamond. It is strongly recommended to choose diamonds that are accredited by credible laboratories such as AGS and GIA. In addition, look up your diamond details on the Report Check, to see if it is GIA certified. The Report Check is the secure online database put up by GIA, where you can easily search for your diamond by entering its GIA code and then, compare it with the online diamond description.
Check the Laser Inscription
The grading report number of every diamond would be inscribed on its girdle. When you buy diamonds online, make sure to look for a laser inscription on your diamond. Note that you can view this unique identification code only with the help of a magnifier with 10X zoom or more. Thankfully, most reputable online diamond sites offer a full-angle view as well as a 40X magnified view of the diamonds. Finally, match this number with the one given in your grading report in order to ensure its authenticity.
Payment Options
The payment option for different online diamond sites vary. Usually, there would be options like cash on delivery, credit card payments, cheque payment, etc available, and you get to choose the one that is convenient for you. It is worth noting that most credit card companies out there tend to offer a helping hand if there follow any issues in the payment process. Hence, credit card payment is often better than a cheque. You need to check whether the online diamond store has a Verified Merchant Status. This would indicate that the website offers supreme quality when it comes to transaction security, customer information confidentiality, and combating frauds.