In today’s point and click world, many people are letting the mouse do the walking before they enter a store. You can get great ideas as well as an overwhelming amount of information in just a few sites. You can learn about diamonds, coloured stones, metals and designers on your own so that by the time you get to the store, you know exactly what you want and just need a knowledgeable sales associate to help you make your jewelry dreams a reality. It is a tremendous time-saver. You can see more jewelry styles and designs online than any store would dream of having in stock. Many engagement ring shoppers are finding very competitive pricing on line for loose diamonds. What they may not realize is that the pricing in the DC area is also very competitive and many stores can match or beat the online prices.
Another area to keep in mind when buying online is that you really can’t see the quality of the stones or workmanship. Never buy from a site that does not have a no-questions-asked return policy, particularly with rings. Imagine buying a ring from a site that has no return policy and then finding out that it can’t be sized due to structure problems.
One other thing to keep in mind when shopping on the Internet is to always have your purchases appraised by a qualified gemologist/appraiser to make sure you got what you paid for and to verify the quality. Two things the brick and mortar store provides that the Internet does not are the personal touch and interest in you and a willingness to stand by their products. These are priceless.
Yantz Bradbury Associates
P.O. Box 10123
Rockville, Maryland 20850
Office: (301) 335-6687
Serving MD, VA and DC Metro Area