Buying jewelry online—the smart way.
As of 2026, roughly one-quarter to one-third of all engagement ring purchases are made online1. Some purchasers visited a store to see pieces in person first but many of them did not. On top of that, within the past decade, lab grown diamonds have become increasingly available and increasingly affordable. The sheer amount of options can leave people overwhelmed—What do I get? Where do I get it? How do I know I'm not getting ripped off?
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you embark on one of the most exciting purchases of your life!
It's okay for both of you to be involved in the process!
Selecting an engagement ring is one of the most personal and emotional decisions of your life. It’s okay and even encouraged for both of you to be involved in making that decision! An estimated 79% of ring recipients are involved in the process in some way, and 25% of all engagement ring purchases were made on a joint trip to a store.
Figure out the size — without spoiling the surprise.
If you're going the surprise route, sizing is one of the trickiest parts of buying a ring online. A few strategies that work well: borrow a ring your partner already wears on their ring finger and have it sized at a local jeweler (they'll measure it in seconds for free), ask a close friend or family member who might already know, or simply propose with a placeholder and resize afterward. Most reputable jewelers — us included — offer at least one free or low-cost resize, so don't let uncertainty about size stop you from moving forward. Pro tip: when you buy a ring from us, the first sizing is free!
If you can't see it in person, try it on virtually!
Slipping a ring on your finger is the best way to know what feels right for you, but a virtual try-on is the next best thing. We offer this service on our website, and it's incredibly useful for determining the scale of the ring and how it will look on your hand. Gauging the size of jewelry is very, very difficult to do online and it's important to remember that these pieces are very small and photographed with the camera about 4 inches away. In fact, this phenomenon even has a name: scale misperception. It's a reality of the human brain.
Know who you're buying from.
This one applies to any significant online purchase, but it really matters with jewelry. Before you buy, take a few minutes to look at reviews — not just the star rating but what people actually say, especially about communication and how the seller handled any issues. How long have they been in business? Do they respond promptly to questions? Are they transparent about their pieces and their policies? A trustworthy seller should be easy to reach and happy to answer your questions before, during, and after the sale. If something feels off — vague descriptions, pressure tactics, reluctance to provide additional photos — trust your instincts.
Understand the return and exchange policy before you buy.
This should honestly be the first thing you look at. A confident, reputable seller will have a clear, fair return policy. Know ahead of time: How many days do you have? Does the piece need to be in original condition? Is there a restocking fee? For estate jewelry in particular, it's worth understanding whether exchanges are offered in addition to returns — sometimes finding the right piece takes a little back and forth, and a good seller understands that.
In fact, our return policy for online purchases is more generous than our return policy for in-store purchases! We understand how important seeing a piece of jewelry is before you commit to buy it, so you get a three day try-on period with the option to return it for an exchange or refund.
Lab certifications are important... but they aren't the whole picture.
A lot of people get caught up on "the paper." What's the color? What's the clarity? What's the carat weight? What's the cut quality? Is it symmetrical? Yes, these are important questions to ask... but they're not everything. Not even close.
It's worth remembering that the GIA only gives a cut grade to round diamonds, and that cut grade is based on the ideal proportions of a modern round brilliant diamond. No other shapes—and absolutely no colored stones—get a cut quality because there are too many factors at play to boil it down to mere millimeters and angles. Dealing in antique and vintage jewelry as we do, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that the antique stones (like the European for instance) are not perfectly symmetrical—and that's the point! They were hand cut with comparatively primitive tools. They shouldn't be symmetrical... and that's not why people love them!
A lot of antique stones also "face-up" whiter than their grade. Diamonds are color graded upside down and from the side. It's a feature of antique stones, however, that they "face-up" (ie: their appearance from the top down) whiter than their grade. We've seen a lot of J-K color stones that look like G-H.
Finally, grading reports don't show a lot of important features like graining (visible lines
caused by uneven crystal growth) and other inclusions because they only show the
inclusions that contributed to the clarity grade, and not all of them do!
Yes, lab certificates are important, but there's a lot more to a stone than its specs. We frequently encourage customers to do their research, but in the end the answers to only two questions are important: "Will he or she love it?" and "Can I afford it?"
1 Source: The Knot Real Weddings Story (2026)