Buying Jewellery Online? — Here's What You Need To Know.
Worried about buying online? We get it. Nothing beats the face-to-face (or ring-to-finger) factor and we're the first ones to admit it. Today, however, we've all had to adjust our lives quite a bit.
In an effort to go with the flow in 2021, it is no surprise that online shopping is becoming the norm. In fact, between February and May of 2020, online sales almost doubled across the globe.
Shopping for jewellery online is not something you should need to worry about. It often offers advantages such as wider variety, easy price comparisons, and less pressure to buy! We go over some of the things you need to look out for when shopping online for jewellery - the good, the bad and the ugly!
We know that if something in the jewellery world is too good to be true... it probably is.
While there are a lot of positives to buying jewellery online, you might run into a few stumbling blocks you need to look out for.
Is The Online Jewellery Store Staying Up to Date with the Latest Trends?
When it comes to buying jewellery online, you want to look for modern, up-to-date jewellery suppliers who can guide you along with the industry's latest fashion. At Austen Jewellers, two generations are doing the buying— so all angels are covered, from the current and trendy to the simple classics we all know & love.
Is There Open Communication With The Online Jewellery Shop?
Jewellery is typically advertised as a luxury item, and we have found that some online stores lack one crucial thing — a means for communication, and the encouragement to do so. You need to be able to trust the people you are buying from, a lack of contact information should be a big red flag.
We do the opposite, inviting you to open a conversation with us at any time, message us from our website, use our chat button, call or email... We know you might have a lot of questions and we are here to put your mind at ease.
General Buying Insights:
Not all rings can be resized. Most rings can only be manipulated from 1 to 1.5 sizes larger than their original size without compromising the integrity of the diamonds.
It is usually easier to SIZE UP than down.
Some rings may be too thin to hold up a stone.
Some stones might be valued too low.
The 4 C's may decrease a ring's shine—learn more about shopping for diamonds here).
You CANNOT turn white gold into yellow gold or vice versa!
Did you know that most online sources for diamonds get to choose their diamond pieces AFTER the big industry leaders!?!
A reputable diamond dealer has a seat at the diamond buying table. They sell to retailers like us, who in turn sell to our customers. The online suppliers that are below us on the pecking order get the “leftovers” which always have something amiss, or they would have been sold to the larger suppliers in the first place.
When It Comes to Jewellery, It Should Always Be Quality over Quantity
When you see online jewellery stores and suppliers offering diamond rings, 5,000 of them…remember this - it is always quality over quantity. If you need help weeding out the bad seeds, let us know, we are here for you!
Most online jewellery items are mass-produced, quality is hard to maintain - we want to kindly remind you that ALL repairs are completed by hand.
Handcrafted pieces are often bought as gifts for loved ones, and so they're built to last — at least, they should be. Nothing beats a custom-made piece designed and built for you with a lifetime of wear in mind.
Things Aren’t Always What They Seem.
The strength of the ring lies in the bottom half (also referred to as the "shank”),
Thin shanks & claws are a style, but their strength can be compromised.
Hollow rings are often not disclosed to the consumer in the item description.
Did you know that hollow rings are almost impossible to re-size? Imagine spending money on something you can’t wear, return, or wasn’t what you expected it to be?
What it means to see 10K, 14K, or 18K followed by GF
GF means gold-filled. The phrase 10K GF means that a piece of jewellery is brass and covered with gold on the outside.
The takeaway being - you cannot FEEL the quality from a photograph, you have to have a lot of trust for the store you are purchasing from. We want you to have confidence in your purchase & your jewellery, it holds such a special place in all our hearts.
Visit Austen Jewellers' Online Shop
We're all learning as we go in this day and age. Still, we do have to mention that nothing beats professional guidance from a seasoned expert, face to face. Austen Jewellers is here to assist you with both your online and in-person jewellery shopping needs - we are at your service for any questions you may have. Good things take time and our online store is forever a work in progress. We have a huge selection of jewellery in-store, BUT it takes a lot of careful thought and effort in choosing which items to show you online.
We are working on fine-tuning our online shopping processes. Sometimes we finally decide on the perfect piece to show you online, get the item photographed, a description is written and all of the information is then loaded into the website…. and the same day… the item is sold! YIKES!
Our online jewellery store is up and running, with a peek into what we have available for you to purchase both online and in-store. At Austen Jewellers, many of our clients have built lifelong relationships with our warm and experienced staff.
What You Won't Get When Buying Jewellery Online:
There's no reason why luxury goods like jewellery shouldn't be part of the wave of online shopping… Or is there?
We'll say it again: Nothing beats in-person shopping. In particular, you can't hand over an old piece of jewellery to any online store for them to renew it. At Austen Jewellers, we take pride in redesigning our customers' old jewellery and making it brand new again.
We want you to use and enjoy everything in your jewellery box! We take your ideas and transpose them into a wearable reality! (Learn more about our jewellery customization services and how we can revamp your outdated piece, we are only a phone call away.)
People want to touch and feel a piece of jewellery before they decide to purchase. It's all part of the unique experience that defines the jewellery industry!
Uphold Quality for All Your Jewellery Pieces
Restyling jewellery shouldn't mean you have to sacrifice its strength or quality. They should be safe to pass down to future generations.
Nor should it mean keeping the same look (unless that's what you're going for).
Work together with us to learn what new trends you can use to inspire an updated piece. Nowadays, we're seeing lots of yellow gold and vintage flairs and uniquely-shaped diamonds.
Restoring your antiques is a totally different ballgame & we would love to guide you through this.
Contact us today, and let's get started!
