Potentially one can save thousands of dollars buying a diamond ring on eBay. From the diamond cutters/manufacturers to the exporters, importers, distributors and eventually the jewelers and the end consumer, the price rises drastically as each stage takes their profits. By buying directly from the manufacturers/importers selling on eBay you can save a small fortune – but at what risk?
 

Applying caution when buying diamonds online is the key; yes you can save a lot of money this way, but only if you know what to look for and what to avoid. "Dirty tricks" by some dishonest sellers allow them to offer diamonds at affordable prices, but how are they doing it? Simple - by over-grading the diamonds.
 

For most consumers (and many jewelers), there is no way of seeing the difference between a diamond color graded F (high grade white) to an H grade (slightly lower). The same applies to the clarity of the diamond; an eye clean grade of VS (high grade) and an eye clean grade of SI are very difficult to differentiate with the untrained eye, however these two diamond characteristics (color and clarity) make a huge difference in price. Dishonest sellers can play on this lack of expert knowledge and sell similar looking diamonds for more than they are worth. Worse still, they may sell even lower graded diamonds with visible inclusions and near colorless/off-white diamonds with the near certainty that the consumer will not be able to tell the difference. Some buyers realized too late and have left comments like:

 

"Fraudulent eBay Store claimed diamonds were F in Color when they were K-L"

"Advertised F-VS1 actually G-I1"

"Nice, but much poorer color and clarity"

"Diamond carat and clarity mis-stated"

"Product received not quality described "

"Had to return diamond. Appraised color M not H"

"2 grades lower in clarity"

"Setting was beautiful, center stone was not even close to advertised"

(Actual comments left on eBay for dishonest sellers)
 

If you want to save those thousands of dollars, but not be on the receiving side of a scam, then the rule is simple: make sure your diamonds come with an independent certificate (not just an in-house appraisal), from a reputable laboratory like GIA, EGL, IGC or IGI.

However also be aware of local jewelers and appraisal houses (usually affiliated with jewelers, or also sell diamonds themselves) who have significant reason to under-grade diamonds in order to persuade you to return the diamond or to buy from them instead of online where they cannot compete with prices. Independent certification from one of the above laboratories can give you a guarantee of the quality of the stone, and a local jeweler should be consulted to do no more than compare the stone to the certificate to see that it matches.

Make sure you know what you want by understanding the simple color and clarity grading (most sellers/sites provide guides), make a decision on what you want, and ensure you get exactly what you paid for by getting an independent certificate.

Some recommended sellers, selling good quality diamonds with independent certification include:

Diamond Innovation

Diamonds On Web

Diamonds by Lauren

Apex Jewelry