Buying jewelry online is safe, convenient and can also save you money.

There are many benefits in choosing to shop for your jewelry online, rather than at a conventional bricks-and-mortar jewelers. Firstly, a far wider selection of jewelry, sizes and styles is readily available, due to the fact that an online jeweler can keep a far larger amount of stock ready to ship than it would be possible to display in a physical shop. You can find anything you might want, from an inexpensive $5 silver ring, to an exquisite $30,000 diamond necklace. Whether you`re looking for an engagement ring, an anniversary gift, a beautiful pair of earrings or an elegant gemstone bracelet, your bound to find a huge selection to choose from.

Buying jewelry online is often also cheaper, as online jewelers have fewer overheads to pay, and so they are able to offer their goods at lower prices than conventional retailers. Add to this the convenience and speed of shopping from home over the web, and it`s easy to see why more and more people are choosing to buy their jewelry online.

Making an online purchase is completely safe, as the most up to date software and technology is used to encrypt your payment details and prevent any unauthorised access. Shipment is also safe, as only insured carriers are used to deliver your order.

Precious Metals

Most fine jewelry is made of either sterling silver, 14 karat gold or 18 karat gold.

Gold

Gold jewelry is usually an alloy of gold combined with another less expensive metal. The reason for this is that pure gold is very soft, and so metals such as copper, nickel, silver and zinc are alloyed with it to make the jewelry more durable.

The ratio of gold used in these alloys is expressed in karats(K).

Pure gold is 24K. Therefore a 14K gold ring consists of 14 parts out of 24 gold, meaning that ten parts come from another metal. An 18K gold ring would be 18 parts gold to 6 parts alloy metal. Obviously, jewelry with a higher carat rating is more expensive.

While 10 Karats is by US law the minimum gold content which can be classified as gold, most quality gold jewelry is either 14K (58% gold) or 18K (75% gold).

Gold is also available in different colours, apart from the standard yellow/gold color. These include white, rose and green. These colors are dependant on what other metal is used to produce the gold alloy.

Sterling Silver

Like gold, silver is too soft to be used for jewelry in its pure state, so it is alloyed with other metals such as copper to make it stronger.

By law, sterling silver must be at least 92.5% silver.

Silver is cheaper to buy than gold, but it does need to be taken care of to prevent the build up of tarnish over time.

Buying Diamond Jewelry

No two diamonds are alike. Each has it`s own unique characteristics which contribute to its overall brilliance and beauty. When purchasing diamond jewelry, for example a diamond engagement ring, it is important to consider the four C`s. These are: cut, color, carat weight and clarity. Not only do these factors affect the diamond`s overall appearance, they also have a great bearing on its value.

Cut

Cut often refers to both the shape of the diamond and its cut- the arrangement of its facets (each individual flat surface of a diamond is known as a facet). There are eight main diamond shapes used in jewelry: round, oval, pear, heart, marquise, princess, emerald and radiant. There are also three main types of cut: Brilliant, step and mixed.

The cut and shape of a diamond has a big impact on its overall beauty and how it reflects light. The most popular shape/cut of diamond is the round brilliant, and this is often used for engagement rings.

Color

A common misconception is that all diamonds are white/ colorless. In fact, diamonds come in a range of colors, including green, yellow, brown and grey. While these color differences are often faint, there are nonetheless significant differences in appearance, so it is worth considering alternatives to the traditional, and more expensive, white/ colorless diamond.

There are also diamonds which are more spectacularly and brightly colored, though these are rare, and so command much higher price tags.

Carat Weight

Carat weight refers to the size and weight of the diamond. Larger diamonds are more expensive, due to their rarity.

Clarity

The clarity of a diamond is also known as it`s quality, and it refers to how well the diamond allows light to pass through it, and how pure it is. Most diamonds contain inclusions (impurities which impede the passage of light through the diamond), many of which are invisible to the naked eye.

The clarity of a diamond is one of the most important factors affecting its brilliance, beauty and value.

Gemstone Jewelry

Gemstone jewelry, such as ruby, opal and emerald may be cheaper than diamonds, yet these precious stones each have their own unique beauty and are great when given as gifts for anniversaries, birthdays and special occasions, or just to show that special someone what they mean to you. Take a look at our article on Wedding Anniversary Gifts for modern and traditional lists of what gems to buy and when.