Online shopping is definitely becoming the easiest way to shop these days, no matter what you’re looking for. And with so many digital security features and encryption programs, more consumers are feeling comfortable making big purchases online: everything from vintage cars, to pieces of real estate, to designer engagement rings can be found and purchased online.

But the thing with buying custom jewelry from online jewelers is that it’s much more difficult to assure an item’s authenticity. Most consumers gauge the legitimacy of a piece of jewelry by comparing the weights of multiple pieces, or by testing the piece with a magnet. But when you buy something online, you can’t really use these strategies.

Unfortunately, counterfeit jewelry is on the rise these days because the jewelry industry is so profitable. Questionable online jewelers are easily able to take advantage of consumers and sell them fake items — and when you’re paying hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars for one piece of engraved silver jewelry, you want to make sure that you’re getting exactly what you pay for.

This doesn’t mean that you should stay away from online jewelers entirely; in fact, many great fine jewelers run successful businesses online, and they prefer to do business this way because they’re able to communicate quickly with both buyers and sellers. So if you’re trying to figure out whether or not to purchase a piece of jewelry online, here are a few things to be wary of:

• If the jeweler refuses to show proof of authenticity… Then you could very well be buying a piece of counterfeit jewelry. A good jeweler will have a good reputation and will want to keep it that way. Good jewelers want their customers to feel confident with their purchases, and they’ll answer as many questions as you have. If the jewelry is real, the store has nothing to hide.
  

• If the jeweler doesn’t have bulletproof insurance, delivery, and return policies… Maybe don’t buy your jewelry from that particular store. Legitimate online jewelers will make sure that everything is insured from the moment an item leaves their business to the moment it enters your hands. They’ll also allow customers to return items, and many online jewelers will even handle all the shipping costs for returns/exchanges. Again, their reputation is on the line, and they want their customers to be happy.
  

• If the jeweler doesn’t seem to exist in real life… Their online store probably won’t look so good either. With this tip, it may be as simple as hearing the jeweler advertised on the radio, or perhaps you know someone who has purchased a piece of jewelry from the store before. Never underestimate the power of word of mouth!

Ultimately, if buying a piece of expensive jewelry online just gives you the heebie-jeebies, then don’t do it! It’s your right to feel completely comfortable with big purchases like these. But maybe a bit of digital window shopping wouldn’t hurt at all… Check out this website for more.