Jewelry Business Articles & News

Web sites can help teach how to buy fine jewelry

March 27th, 2006

Web sites can help teach how to buy fine jewelry
Akron Beacon Journal

Few purchases are more mystifying for first-time buyers than fine jewelry. There’s more information out there than ever — from jewelers’ Web sites and online forums to nearly ubiquitous grading reports from independent labs. But buying expensive gems and precious metals is still largely a matter of trust between you and the jeweler.

First, educate yourself on the basics. For diamonds, that means the four Cs: cut, color, clarity and carat weight. For gold, platinum and silver, it means purity.

You can find helpful information on these fundamentals from the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov) and the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org). The Gemological Institute of America, the most prominent diamond grading agency, provides tutorials on buying diamonds and colored gems at (www.gia.edu).

But there is still no substitute for a reliable dealer with an established reputation.

Entry Filed under: Jewelry World