How To Purchase Gemstones on the Internet

How To Purchase Gemstones on the Internetinformation and maybe even get some
So...you've been looking to purchase a qualityreferences. Testimonials and referrals represent a
gemstone on the internet and you need somemajor portion of our business and we willingly
help determining what characteristics you shouldshare our customer references/experiences on
be looking for in a quality gem. This article isour site to make our reputation "real" for
intended as a resource to help guide you throughwould-be clients. Good stuff! So, understanding
a successful gemstone purchase by avoidingwho you are about to do business with and
many of the common pitfalls that somewhere they are located provides you with a
consumers become entangled. These pitfalls canfoundation of knowledge from which to proceed
often leave a sour taste in your mouth and makein the process of obtaining your first/next
you a little head- shy about purchasing gems ofgemstone.
various types online.The Gemstone "What"
I am aware that many people have had badThe What question may be answered by simply
previous gemstone purchasing experiences, andtaking a look at the overall quality range of
some, in my opinion, were downright awful. Thegemstones the retailer is offering on their site.
common themes in their communications include:Does the gemstone retailer carry low-grade
*Didn't really "know" the seller as good as I shouldgemstones, high-grade, or a broad range of
have before purchasing my gemstone...quality? This should speak volumes to you. There
*Color in hand was significantly different than theare many retailers that simply carry the lower
gemstone image shown online...grades of gemstones for a cheap price and show
*Didn't read the "fine print" regarding myout the best of these grades as top-quality
gemstone purchase...stones. When you view the pictures of these
*Wanted to return the gemstone and the sellerstones, you may think you are looking at top
charged a hefty re- stocking fee...color, relative to other gemstones listed, when in
*Didn't understand the importance of clarity,tone,fact you may still looking at run-of-the-mill, poorly
hue and saturation before making my gemstonecolored stones that may be slotted a bit higher in
purchase...the color range than the others. And yes, there
And the list goes on and on... If you have notbeenare a LOT of these types of stones available for
through an experience like this, either you're aaround $300/ct by a growing number of vendors.
really web-savvy consumer or you have justThe statements regarding the quality of this
been plain lucky. Many gemstone consumers havematerial are often exaggerated and the pictures
thrown a lot of their hard-earned dollars intoon these stones may not even be close to
gemstones that are of significantly less value thanrepresenting the actual item. Caveat Emptor,
the money they have spent. This is unfortunatewhich is a Latin phrase meaning: "Buyer Beware!"
for them and quite disappointing to the "goodGood advice for us all. Other considerations
guys" within the gemstone industry.related to What include a thorough understanding
How many times have you wanted to know thatof the retailer's "fine print."
you are making the correct assessment of aThe Gemstone "Why"
potential acquisition? I have been asked thisThe Why question is really self- explanatory....
question frequently and I am amazed that a largebecause you want to own a quality gemstone.
percentage of consumers simply do not do theRight? In addition, you probably want to try to
necessary homework before making a buyingunderstand why the company, whose gemstone
decision. Certainly not due to the lack of credibleyou are viewing, is in the gemstone business.
resources that are available to the consumer,What I mean by this is...other than the obvious
many people simply let the "want" of anreason, to sell their product for a profit, do they
immediate purchase get ahead of their goodappear to have a good business interest in the
judgment. Proceed with caution is always the besttype of gemstone you are considering or does
place to begin.the seller just offer it as another line of
Let's start with a generic list of things to considergemstones on their site. Your interests would be
in the process of making a gemstone purchase.best served by shopping with a retailer that has a
The "generic list" includes such items as the "5good stake and large general emphasis in the
W's," namely, Who, What, Where, Why, When. Iftype of material in which you have an interest.
your inquiry covers several or even all of theseThis will provide you with your best chance at
questions, you have made a good start inviewing a nice collection of gems from which to
obtaining the necessary information you need inchoose and competitive pricing. Additionally, I
making a wise purchasing decision on your nextrecommend that you purchase from sellers that
gemstone.are more than happy to work with you on a
The Gemstone "Who" and "Where"custom order. If they are hesitant to do this, it
Who you are considering doing business with andmay indicate that they are getting their
where they are located can tell you much about agemstones from other retailers and don't want to
gemstone retailer. Is the gemstone retailerbother with an order like yours because they
headquartered domestically or are they a foreignsimply can't turn it around quickly. It is then
company with an online presence? This fact ispossible for you to find yourself purchasing a
generally known/disclosed at the time you makestone which is only close to what you really
payment, but not always. The whole foreign vs.desire. Why settle for something "close" when
domestic issue is worthy of another discussionyou are getting ready to drop a chunk of
altogether, but you need to decide in your ownhard-earned change on a fancy gemstone for
mind what you're most comfortable with. Someyourself?
foreign companies use a domestic mail drop toThe Gemstone "When"
ship their gemstones. On the surface, they appearAnd finally, the When question deals with such
to be a domestic company, which would willinglyinquiries as: When will my gemstone order ship
submit to FTC rules and regulations, many ofand by what method (carrier)? Are there any
which protect you as the consumer, but someextra fees when shipping gemstones? When do
foreign companies couldn't care less about theseyou restock your gemstone inventory? When is
guidelines. So, it never hurts to ask the question.the best time of year to purchase a quality
This will help you to avoid the smoke-and-mirrorsgemstone? You get the idea. By asking these
game that many foreign sellers implement in theirtypes of questions, you get to know your
marketing strategy. I know of one company, ingemstone retailer better and can pave the way
particular, marketing gemstones that has manyfor a long-term, successful relationship with your
concurrent reincarnations, as I like to call them, ongemstone dealer.
the internet at the same time. They have manyIn summary, it is important that you have a good
websites, all with different looks, and sellunderstanding of the company from which you
essentially from the same inventory. While thiswish to make a gemstone purchase AND their
type of masked marketing is not in and of itselfquality and price are in keeping with your overall
"bad" nor "dishonest," it sure makes it difficult toexpectations. In our company's experience, we
get the answer to these first couple of questionshave found it amazing how much repeat business
and creates confusion for many gemstonewe have done with our valued clients over the
buyers. Who am I considering doing business withyears by simply providing answers to these basic
and where are they located? You might want toquestions.
cat around on google a bit to find available