When it comes to jewelry, many women and men are turning to the Internet to save time because heading from store-to-store is very time-consuming and you might not even find the jewelry you are looking for, and then off to another store you go. When shopping online, you need to remember that when you want designer jewelry you are going to pay more for it, but in the end, the jewelry lasts a lot longer than fashion jewelry.
First, what kind of jewelry are you looking for? You should keep in mind that many designers, such as Tiffany & Co. only authorize specific retailers to sell their products and they do not go on sale very often, if ever. Therefore, if you are interested in Tiffany jewelry, your best bet is to shop directly on their website because then you know you will be getting authentic jewelry.
Secondly, stick to high-end department stores when it comes to buying designer jewelry online because they are authorized by the designer to sell their products. Stick to Macy's, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus. This way you never have to worry about getting authentic jewelry and you can shop with confidence because these stores will make sure that your credit card information is secure and ship your products directly to your home.
Stay clear of small auction sites online because the majority of what they are selling as designer jewelry is imitations and fakes. If you want imitations, this is an entirely different scenario than if you are specifically looking for designer and end up with a fake, because it is maddening especially when you try to contact the seller and hear nothing but excuses or you cannot contact them at all. If you find that you have purchased a fake and used a credit card for the purchase, contact your credit card company, they can issue a chargeback for the purchase. Make sure you send the merchandise back to the seller.
If you are ever in doubt about an online store that is selling designer jewelry, call them, you should be able to get through to a customer service representative, but if you are unable to do so or they do not call you back, then consider this a red flag and stay clear of buying from them. In addition, if the price is a deep discount from what you know the jewelry retails for, this is also a sign that it is not authentic and you should stay clear of these types of sites.
Shopping online for designer jewelry is a great way to save time and in some cases money, but you have to be a savvy shopper because if you are not, you can end up buying fakes, which can easily be avoided by shopping on the designer's website. Moreover, look for words such as "designer inspired" because this means it is made like the designer but it is not an authentic piece of jewelry. Make shopping online a positive experience by reading all the fine print before placing your order.