5 Top Tips for Buying Antique Jewelry Online

Shopping online for antique jewelry pieces broadens a persons choice and can prove the most cost effective means of buying antique jewelry. When shopping online though, there are a few tips to abide by in order to make sure you get the best deal and to avoid buying a fake antique.

Research Where to Buy

When shopping online as well as or instead of on the high street, it is important to research and know where to shop. Shopping on the internet, in contrast to shopping on your local high street, is a far less straight forward. Because the internet permits individuals to shop from stores located all over the globe, knowing where to turn and who to trust can prove tricky. Therefore, it is imperative to do your research, ideally before doing any browsing in order to stay safe and avoid falling in love with something which is not as it migt initially appear.

Questions to Ask Yourself

The best way to learn where to shop, what you are buying and so how much to pay for an antique jewelry piece sold online, is to ask questions. Not only will asking any questions you might have put you at ease and assure you of an online jeweller or jewelry stores authenticity, it too should go a long way in safeguarding you against purchasing a fake or unauthentic item this is especially true when buying antiques.

So, if you think you have found the perfect piece at a reputable online store, ask yourself the following questions:

How do I know this is genuine?

Indicators of an items authenticity, such as carat, dimensions, size, cut, materials, gem weight and ring size should be clearly stated in the description of a piece. Further, look at the country the store owner(s) is working from, take note of how well written and designed their website is and read their about page if they feature one as this will usually give you an idea of how long the business has been operating and its history.

What makes me think this online store is reputable?

Many online businesses, even antique jewelry stores, will have received reviews and feedback via third party websites or discussed online, for example.

Is the price too good to be true?

If the answer is yes, then you can be almost certain the answer is as to whether the antique is genuine is no.

Speak With a Jeweller or Store Before Buying

All reputable online antique jewelry stores will feature contact information via which you can type and send your questions. Take a look at our own contact page here at Royal Antique jewelry for an example of the information a reputable online jewelry store will always feature.

Emailing or submitting website contact forms means that when asking questions as to an item that you are interested in you can do so without having to think on the spot. Also, receiving written or typed answers, you will be able to read and re-read them carefully. Emailing questions wills also, depending on the response you receive, provide a good indication as to whether a store knows what they are speaking about.

Picking up the phone is not an alternative to typing and emailing any questions you might have. Instead, speaking in person with a store, especially when shopping for expensive items such as jewelry, is a must-do. Generally, it is best to do this after you have emailed questions as you may have more questions, need issues clarifying or have decided one way or another whether to shop via the store already, and based on their response to your initial questions.

Some questions worth asking include:

Any questions about an item not listed in the description or provided in response to your initial enquiry.

Any questions you have having received a written response to your initial enquiry.

Any questions you might not have been able to find answers to through online research as to the credentials of a jeweller or the expertise of their staff or team. For example, if they have listed antique items, who is responsible for authenticating their antique pieces and valuing them?

Take A closer Look

If you feel you have no questions to ask as to any specific jewelry item, it is still advisable to make the call. The manner your call is dealt with will almost certainly give you some indication as to how professional the business is. As well, it is the perfect opportunity, if you havent asked already, to request some photographs of any jewelry piece you are interested in buying.

One of the most obvious downsides of purchasing antique jewelry online is that you do not get to see or handle a piece before you own it. Hence, either when making initial enquires or when speaking on the phone, it is prudent to request further photographs of any items that have caught your eye. This is especially important if the item(s) you are interested in has been listed or described as bearing any faults or defects.

Shop Securely and Pay Securely

Finally, if you have found that perfect antique jewelry piece, or pieces, done all that is possible to establish its authenticity and are happy with where you are purchasing from, you will probably be eager to pay for and receive it. Then, do not let your heart rule your head at the final hurdle.

As is clearly stated via our own Payment Options page here at Royal Antique Jewelry, we accept payments securely via Paypal, SAGEPAY, Mastercard, Maestro, Visa and BACS. All reputable and legitimate online jewelry stores should accept payments made via one, if not all, of these methods.