The Internet is for … choice!
Online shopping can seem a little intimidating sometimes, especially when you’re dealing with jewelry. How can you buy something so valuable and so personal sight unseen, right?
Would you buy your engagement ring online? If you were looking for a completely natural blue sapphire engagement ring for 5K or less, you might want to consider it ….
Speaking purely as a jewelry aficionado (a lifelong affliction become an avocation), I’ve got to say: unless you live in one of the jewelry capitols of the world – Antwerp, New York, Tel Aviv, Mumbai, to name only a few – finding really specific pieces can be a challenge. Want a “blue-white” diamond, as they used to be called? A conch pearl? A tsavorite garnet with a true “horse-tail” inclusion, or an alexandrite from the Ural Mountains? Or, perhaps a natural pigeon’s-blood ruby, Kashmir blue sapphire, or padparadscha sapphire? Then unless you want to limit your options to a fraction of what they could be, embrace the internet! Like any other marketplace, it’s all about how you approach it.
A pink star sapphire of 30+ carats is a rarity that it might be hard to locate … at least, if you were trying to shop with your feet alone.
So how do you choose your online retailer? Even if are lucky enough to live in one of the world’s jewelry capitols, finding something that meets your specific desires can still be tough! The online option really expands the possibilities. I work in the jewelry district in NY, so between proximity and connections you’d think I’d never buy elsewhere, but my own last big purchase was made online with a company that’s located hundreds of miles away: they had what I wanted for a great price, I trusted their certificate for the basics, their sales representative to tell me the truth about whether the stone was eye-clean … and, their return policy perhaps most of all, just in case I’d misjudged any of the above. I’d say those are the basic requirements for a satisfying online shopping experience: if you’re looking for something that’s hard to find a good selection of in-person, with the added bonus of lower prices because of lower overheard, online shopping can be a lifesaver if you can find a place with policies that make you comfortable. Checking out consumer internet forums to see if the place you’re considering is reputable can also be reassuring.
All of this goes for online shopping in general (consider it a public service announcement), but coming back to us, specifically? Well, The Natural Sapphire Company has been in business for 70 years, largely because we do try to do everything we can to put the customer first. We have an enormous selection of loose natural sapphires of every hue – blue sapphires, yellow sapphires, pink sapphires, to name only our biggest categories – and rubies, and our finished inventory of natural blue sapphire engagement rings, weddings bands, and other jewelry pieces is unparalleled. Since we’ve adapted to the internet, that means we perform the most complete testing and analysis of our stones on the market, and put the results online for your perusal: we’ll happily take photographs of pieces you’re considering from every angle; if you’re thinking of custom work with us, we’ll do 3D CAD models and send the waxes out to you for approval; if you’re hesitating between stones, we’ll mail a selection out to you for approval, so that you can choose in person. An inspection period is built into every purchase, and we are quite willing to adapt our policies in whatever way will make you most comfortable.
Consider the possibility of a ripe green sapphire pear set in one of our custom jewelry settings ….
Even if you never buy with us, if you’re nervous about internet shopping I hope you’ll reconsider: after all, choosing for choice is always the way to go, right?