Before bidding on any diamond or precious gem (such as emerald,
ruby or sapphire), make sure you understand how value is
determined for that particular stone. There’s no excuse for not
being an educated shopper. If eBay sellers don’t address these
characteristics in their auction listings, click on the “Ask
seller a question” link and get answers before you bid!

Determining Value

For diamonds, that means evaluating the four Cs: clarity, color,
carat and cut.

Clarity is the term used to describe the size and number of
inclusions (minute traces of non-crystallized carbon) in a
diamond. Most are invisible to the naked eye; the larger and
more numerous the inclusions are, the less valuable the diamond.

Diamond color grades start at D and go up through the alphabet.
Truly colorless stones, graded D, are extremely rare and very
valuable. The closer a diamond is to being colorless, the rarer
and more valuable it is and the more it will shine.

Carat is how the weight of a diamond is measured. The larger
the diamond (the rarer) the more expensive per carat it will be.
Carat refers to weight, not size or diameter, although diamonds
of identical weight can look larger or smaller depending on the
cut.

The cut of a diamond determines how it refracts and reflects the
light; a well-cut diamond will seem brighter and properly cut.

To find the best diamond that fits within your price range it
essentially comes down to a compromise between the 4Cs and your
consideration of which factors are most important to you.

There is a “fifth” C, or Certificate. A certificate diamond has
a “report card” that grades the four traits mentioned above,
including listing specific items about that particular diamond
that are unique to it. A certificate goes a long way towards
establishing the trustworthiness of an online diamond seller.

Gemstones such as rubies, emeralds, and sapphires usually
undergo treatments to enhance color and fill cracks. The jewelry
industry considers treatment of these three gemstones standard
practice. Such treatments include oil and resin treatments; heat
treatment, and chemical or “diffusion treatment.”

Most eBay sellers will provide details about any treatment
applied to their gemstones. If they don't, request the details
before bidding on the item.

As you can see, what to look for specifically depends on the
type of stone you’re looking for – and it's not possible to
explain all that in one article – but this is the type of info
to look for, especially if you intend to spend very much money.

Finding Deals

Finding a deal on a diamond or expensive gemstone requires some
counter-intuitive thinking. You’re looking for listings that
won’t attract a lot of bids. Lots of bids means lots of
competitors and a higher final price.

How to find these less-popular listings? Try searching for
misspelled words (e.g. “dimond” instead of “diamond”). Look for
items that end at odd times (say, 3:00 AM), when most bidders
are in bed. And listings without pictures don’t attract as
much attention, either – you may find a real “gem” by taking the
time to look.

Who to Trust and What to Look For

As with any eBay auction, the seller’s rating is extremely
important. This is an aggregate score based on how other
customers have rated them. Look for sellers with a very high
rating (I suggest over 98%) and look at the customer feedback
they’ve gotten. Sellers with lots of happy customers are pretty
reliable.

Second, check for any return or exchange policies. A reputable
seller wants repeat business and repeat business means happy
customers who leave positive ratings. Getting that means they
need to bend over backwards on returns and exchanges to avoid
getting negative ratings on eBay’s services.

Third, see if the seller has an “About Me” page (look for the
word me in blue and red letters in the “Meet the Seller” section)
or an eBay store (there will be a link that says “Visit seller’s
store”) or an “About Me” page.

Many times, the store or About Me page includes further
information on the eBay seller. Often you’ll find addresses or
phone numbers of a physical brick-and-mortar store, which can be
very reassuring. Don’t hesitate to call and ask questions!

Protecting Yourself When Paying

Figure delivery costs into your final price – and look for
suspiciously high shipping costs (a sign of an unscrupulous
seller). If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will
insure the item when it ships.

When paying, use a credit card – preferably through PayPal.
PayPal allows you to pay securely with your credit card and it’s
owned by eBay, which makes it the preferred payment mechanism
for eBay sales. And there’s additional protection when buying
through PayPal, up to $1,000 in value.

Following the steps above should help ensure a hassle-free
diamond or gemstone buying experience on eBay. Good luck!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author and "Online Shopping Insider" Diana Ratliff has released
a new e-book that will show YOU how to save time, money, and
hassle while shopping SAFELY online - special section on eBay!
Free Savvy Shopper email course.  A MUST for anyone who buys
online - or wants to.
Check out ==> http://www.InsidersGuideToShoppingOnline.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Copyright 2006 Diana Ratliff, All Rights Reserved Worldwide.