Should you Buy your Engagement Ring Online or via a Physical Jewellery Store

Buying an engagement ring is a special process. It is not a decision one should take lightly. For in addition to the cost, the emotional significance of this event is something that is meant to last (hopefully) a lifetime. Getting the purchasing decision right from the outset is key when it comes to making your proposal a special and memorable day. When seeking a potential jeweller or jewellery company for your potential or imminent purchase of your engagement ring, it is right that you start by getting the fundamentals right. Whilst there are a number of factors that go into the decision of buying a top-quality engagement ring, the type of store or outlet from which you purchase your precious ring would be important for a number of decisions, that go beyond the moment of purchase and proposal. Here we will put some of the key points you need to consider for the shop of choice when going for your engagement ring:

Can Your Jewellery Outlet of Choice Meet Key Engagement Ring Requirements?

When it comes to buying your engagement ring, know what you are looking for in the jewel: This would come down to price, gemstone type, metal, and stylistic character of the ring. In other words, there are options. Or rather there ought to be a range of options for you to choose from when it comes to selecting your engagement ring. This means your jeweller of choice, either in-store or online must have a range of products, styles, and designs in addition to being able to meet the right price point for your engagement ring. This is a key consideration that you must get right from the start, for not all jewellers are able to provide what you are looking for, in terms of wearable specifications. For when it comes to the world of fine jewellery, and especially when it comes to fine engagement rings, your jewel of choice is almost always likely to undergo some variation or even modification. What is advertised on the jewellery storefront on the online store’s web page, whilst potentially very specific in its specifications, are likely to require customer-specific additions. So once you have decided on a set of engagement ring specifications: gemstone type, metal, gemstone cut, ring style and importantly the price, next you need to know how open is your jewellery when it comes to making changes, slight modifications to size, width and smaller additions like engravings. This takes us to the key aspect of jewellery buying: which is engagement ring customization.

Engagement Ring Customization: Who can Deliver it Better?

Ring customization is a vital part of the engagement ring buying process. In addition to being able to make basic changes that incrementally improve or alter the character of the ring: from width size, metal type, the type of gemstone cut, making the ring fit looser or firmer on the finger. However, another key addition is the ability to make specific changes to the ring design that is particular to your requirements. This may mean taking a basic ring design that is advertised on the store, or online and then being able to make significant changes: either to use the advertised or showcased design as a template for something new: in terms of ideas, concepts etc. Or to build an entirely new ring design from the ground up, by using your ideas or some blueprint of an engagement ring you may have in your possession. The ability of the jeweller to use this information, and be able to produce a quality engagement ring in good time, is determining factor. Since virtually all engagement rings involve some degree of customization or at least personification, so to do it in a timely manner is key. When it comes to online stores there is always a time factor, as involves additional logistical questions with respect to production and delivery. However, advances in modern transport and delivery systems have simplified these greatly. Further, online stores have the advantage of tapping into their wider networks online to meet the very specific design requirements of the buyer. With physical stores, the time factor is usually shorter. 

Strengths and Weakness of Online and Physical Jewellery Stores

Strengths of Physical Jewellery Stores

When it comes to the strengths of physical stores the real-life engagement: where face to face contact with a real person is the most assuring factor and arguably the greatest strength when picking this option. Fine jewellery purchases are usually an expensive decision, and the buyer would likely want to know that person, company or business they getting their jewellery from is real! That is there is an actual jewellery company in place, and not some fake thing conjured online. Next, the ability to speak with a real representative from the organization adds to the element of trust, and knowing that the physical store is not going to go away anytime soon, will certainly help their cause. In addition, when there is confusion over the final products and delivery, you have an actual place to visit. As opposed to online, where the physical presence of the company could be in another country.

Strengths of Online Jewellery Stores

When it comes to online stores, their strengths lie in their ability to provide a large range of products, in this case, engagement rings that can vary in terms of ring design, gemstone type, metals, gemstone cuts, gemstone carats, the use of accent stones, gemstone simulants and even artificial or lab created stones, which tend to be cheaper. Further, online jewellery stores tend to operate globally, and have a vast presence online, which is needed to compete with major players around the world. This means their product range not only need to be bigger but also of a higher quality as they seek to match the standards of international companies, some of which are well-known names like Tiffany. Hence the natural strength of online jewellery companies, are the range of choices, the ability to request very specific customizations: which are enabled via technologies such as filling out very specific requests online. This means the element of ring personalization is potentially stronger, as the online systems can then communicate your very specific requirements to the jeweller who could start working on them. When it comes to price, which is arguably the most important factor, online jewellers may have an advantage owing to their larger global presence and stronger inventories that may enable them to reap economies of scale, which will reflect in a cheaper final product. And finally online stores today are heavily focused on building their online reputation in terms of security and reliability of service, which is needed when competing online and to soothe customer concerns when it comes to the quality of the product.