Pros and Cons of Online Jewelry Shopping

Buying jewelry online as opposed to in a physical store has many advantages. The most obvious benefit is that the selection is much wider due to the unrestricted geographic market, and the fact that they can access inventories at other jewelers. It also comes with the ease of 24 hour access without a pushy salesperson trying to make commission. Different styles and prices from various locations can be compared with a simple click of a button. Traditional jewelry stores cannot provide such a vast selection, and often are more expensive. Online jewelry stores do not have to mark up there prices to cover maintenance, rent, or utilities for the store.

Despite these benefits, buying jewelry online is not without disadvantages. The buyer does not have the option of trying on the jewelry before purchasing, or examining the quality. The shipping process costs extra money as well as time, and returns are more difficult. The picture the website shows may not be the actual piece the buyer will receive. Also, the transaction is done entirely electronically; questions may have to be emailed without an immediate response, or a call to customer service may be answered by a less-than-knowledgeable operator. With any purchase made over the internet, there is a chance of fraud. The owner of the site may simply be trying to obtain credit card numbers, or send diamond replicas at the cost of the real thing without accepting returns. However, these problems will surely be avoided by buying jewelry online from only stores that have built a positive reputation for themselves.