Let me begin by stating that I am not an expert but a person who purchases gemstones on Ebay.  With this out of the way, I feel I have something to say. 

For a year now, which is not very long, I have purchased hundreds of items from Ebay and have been pleasantly pleased with the majority of them.  The ones I was not pleased with were the ones I need to talk about to help others avoid my costly mistakes.

I feel there are 3 basic rules to purchasing gemstones on Ebay.  Once you adopt these basics then your purchasing experience will be wonderfully experienced and rewarding.

1.  Always look at pictures and realize that a picture does sell !!  If there is a lousy picture then you are taking a major chance that the gemstone will not be as you hoped.  It takes time and lots of time to acquire a clear picture of any item.  A good seller will explain why the picture is not clear.  Please be wary of unclear pictures.

2.  Every gemstone listing should explain the gemstone, plain and simple.  Where did it come from? What is its size, carat weight, clarity, luster, treatment and hardness.  If a seller cannot tell you this or does not explain why they do not know this, then it is probably a fake gemstone or it will not be the gemstone you were hoping for.  A good seller will explain all of these descriptions or will tell you how they acquired it and that they do not know any description.  Anyone can take the time to measure a gemstone to give at least an estimate of its size.

3.  Be very aware of return policy !!!   Will the seller allow you to return it  if  it  is not what you expected or wanted??  Will the seller take off a restocking fee, refund your shipping cost or will they accept a return for any reason??  These are important as you may actually lose money by returning the gemstone and haven't you been disappointed already with it??  A good example is that you purchased a gemstone from a dealer overseas for $9.99 and they charged you $8 for shipping.  You get the gemstone and it is not at all what you wanted.  You did not read the return policy to see that they charge a 20% restocking fee and will not refund the shipping.  You have paid $17.99 for the gemstone.  You pack it  up and take it to the post office to return it.  The restocking fee is $2 so now you will get a refund of $7.99; but the cost to ship it is $2 and another $12 to insure it or obtain a delivery confirmation.  You are already in the hole.  It would be cheaper and more beneficial for you to list the gemstone yourself and be honest about it and try to sell it at your own auction.

Experts can tell you more about how to buy on Ebay and have a pleasant experience but they cannot explain why some sellers chose to be dishonest and ruin many buying experiences.  It is unfortunate for us as buyers and for us as sellers that these types of dealers degrade the Ebay system and take advantage of the whole experience.

It is with great respect for Ebay and the idea of a pleasant transaction that I felt I needed to write this guide.  I am naive and only a beginner with Ebay but if this guide can help someone else and this guide can save a bad transaction for someone then I felt it was my responsibility as a buyer and seller to inform anyone who wanted to listen.

Maybe as a member of the Ebay community, we, all together can weed out the bad dealers and sellers and help all of us to experience wonderful, safe and enjoyable Ebay transactions.

Thanks for reading and hope you have pleasant experiences on Ebay.