By : Helene Hoffman

INTRODUCTION

  • Vancouver:
    • The largest city in the province of British Columbia
    • Third largest metropolitan city in Canada
    • The highest Population density in Canada
  • Vancouver is home to several diamond stores
  • Some diamond stores have been existing for decades showing the rich heritage and culture of the city
  • There has been a shift to the world of online businesses
  • This shift has also affected diamond businesses, online stores are taking over

WHY ONLINE BUYING IS BETTER

  • AVAILABILITY
      • Offline stores cannot be available for you all the time. They have opening and closing hours
      • Other events like public holidays can affect offline local stores
      • Online stores never close. They are always open for business
  • LARGE COLLECTION OF DIAMONDS:
      • Shopping online gives you access to a large collection of quality diamonds
      • You get to see more that help you know what you want
      • You also feel satisfied with the decision you made since you had a lot of options
  • DIAMOND EDUCATION
      • Online stores provide you with materials that would help you to understand the basics of diamonds. Topics like
        • The 4Cs of diamond
        • Diamond brilliance
        • Diamond scintillation are well addressed online
        • You get the advantage of having all these arranged and structured well for your learning
        • Free e-books are also available for download
  • EFFICIENCY: Online stores allow you to be efficient with:
    • Money: avoid extra expenses associated with offline stores
    • Time: You can save more time with online stores,
    • Effort: Avoid unnecessary stress by buying your diamonds online
  • SECRECY: Online buying of diamonds is the perfect stealth mode!
    • You can buy diamonds for your beloved and no one knows.
    • It fits for the perfect surprise.
    • Everything is on your laptop and you receive it at your doorstep!
  • CUSTOMER SERVICES:
    • Great customer services to meet your every need
    • Speedy quality responses to all your questions

 

RECOMMENDED ONLINE STORES

    • James Allen:
      • Large inventory of diamonds
      • The first to introduce High definition videos and pictures for each diamond:
      • Conflict free diamonds
      • Adequate information on every diamond is provided by James Allen
      • 30 days return on every diamond bought
    • Blue Nile: Oldest in the online diamond selling business
      • You get as much as 30% off the price you get in other diamond stores
      • Numerous exclusive deals with various manufacturers which translate into better offers for customers
      • Largest online collection of diamonds
      • Best online store for international buyers
    • Whiteflash: Focused diamond sales brand
      • Finest Ideal diamonds
      • Massive diamond collection
      • Detailed Analysis of every stone
      • Quality Control: They have the most strenuous quality control in the world
      • Excellent Customer Service: The 2018 BBB Pinnacle Award was by the White flash team.
      • They also provide free shipping services and offer a lifetime 100% trade-up guarantee on all of their products.
      • AGS certificate for all their diamonds
    • Brian Gavin: Known for designing a new grading system for Hearts and Arrows diamonds
  • Super Ideal Cut diamonds
  • Several signatures cut to make you stand out
  • Personally curated inventory
  • Great Sales policies that make the customer experience smooth and memorable

INTRODUCTION: Buying Diamonds in Vancouver

Vancouver is the largest city in the province of British Columbia. It is home to over 2 million people of diverse cultures and ethnicity. It is the third-largest metropolitan city and the city with the highest population density in Canada.

You would agree with me that a lot of people live here for sure… And that is good for business, very good for the diamond business because more people means more engagements and more engagements means more demand for diamonds.

It is not surprising, therefore, that Vancouver is home to large diamond stores. Some of these diamond stores have been existing for decades and they have built reputations that speak for them. Many other companies just emerging in the world of diamond businesses are also trying to prove their worth in Vancouver. It is a fertile land for diamond sales to a teeming population.

As pleasant as this may sound, the tide is shifting to online stores and offline diamond stores are being left behind. Offline diamond stores are finding it difficult to keep up with the online stores and here are the reasons:

  1. AVAILABILITY: One of the first rules of success in business is to be there every time you are needed. It is only an online business that can meet this demand. Local stores would have times that they open and close. This means that customers that need their services during the periods they are closed have to wait for them or look somewhere else. Not to talk about public holidays. Online diamond stores are available for your patronage 24/7. You do not need to plan a specific ‘window of opportunity’ to meet them, because they are always available for you. Wouldn’t you want to shop with someone you know would always be there for you at every point? Online stores are practically saying: we are always available!
  2. A LARGE DIAMOND COLLECTION: Shopping online for diamonds gives you access to a large collection of the best quality diamonds. When you visit a local store, how many diamonds do you get to see? Actually, the question to ask is: how many diamonds do they have in total? I bet they are not up to a quarter of what some online stores like the Blue Nile and James Allen offer. On a single set of specifications, you can have as much as 500 or more diamonds that match. You could spend the whole day just looking at different diamonds and their prices. The truth is, with online stores, there is no end to your range of options. The good thing about this is that, the more you see, the more you have a better idea of what you want and the more you feel like you made the best decision when you finally purchase one! It is just logical, someone goes through 20 wedding rings and then selects one. If they had the opportunity of going through 100, perhaps, they might have made a different decision on which to pick!
  3. DIAMOND EDUCATION: There are certain features of diamonds that influence the brilliance, scintillation, and fire that is observed when you look at them. A good example is the 4Cs of diamond. They were put forward by the GIA which put a lot of research into understanding them. Online stores have better structures for educating you on things like this. You cannot know beyond what you expose yourself to. Offline stores can try, but you cannot compare sitting down to read a full article on a topic like the 4cs on the diamond to listening to what a vendor in a local store would say. There would always be something left out or not said. Besides, online stores have a host of topics for you to read, without rush or pressure and at your own pace.
  4. EFFICIENCY: When it comes to efficiency, online stores have no rivals. They help you to conserve money, time and effort. Instead of going from shop to shop, expending energy that can be put to other uses, you can easily surf online and check out different types of diamonds that would suit your taste. You also get to save more time with online stores. You can spend hours on the road if you have a particular store you want to visit, especially if you are coming from another city. You might also have to go from one diamond store to the other before you find what you are looking for and still, you might not find it! Instead of doing all that, you can visit online stores that would save you time. Money spent on transport and other associated expenses can be saved up for more important things.
  5. CUSTOMER CARE: Customer care in online stores is very deliberate and planned. They want you to feel like they are there with you and can understand what you need. All your questions are answered speedily and you can be guaranteed of quality responses that would ultimately help you make the best decisions on what to buy.
  6. SECRECY: One of the major reasons people want to purchase diamonds is to express their love or feelings to a beloved one. More often than not, they usually prefer the person who is unaware and it comes as a surprise. The online business is the perfect stealth buying mode. You do not have to leave where you are to purchase the diamond. Research has shown that many people order their diamonds online during work hours! So everyone just assumes you are working on your laptop. It helps to preserve the surprise of the whole package!

 

Now that we are convinced about the online method of buying and selling, we can examine the best stores in the online business of selling diamonds. We would examine various aspects of their services like years of experience, uniqueness, quality of their cuts and other special services that they offer which are worth mentioning.

James Allen:

James Allen started selling diamonds in 2006 and has since grown to one of the leading online stores today. They have revolutionized the way diamond buying and selling is done today as a result of their obsession with creating the perfect diamond store to serve you well.

What makes them stand out?

  • Large inventory of diamonds: Think of about 200,000 diamonds. That is absolutely fantastic. You can keep going on, checking each diamonds for weeks on end. You have a far higher chance of getting what you want because there is a wide array of options to select from
  • High definition videos and pictures for each diamond: James Allen was the first to introduce the 360 degrees technology that enables viewers to see exactly what they are buying. This is so important because even though reports are good, you must see what you are buying!
  • Conflict free diamonds: Unlike some other online stores, James Allen ensures that every diamond they put up for display is all conflict-free, sourcing only diamonds that have proven and clean origins, so you have no need to fear ever buying wrong with them.
  • Adequate information on every diamond is provided by James Allen
  • 30 days return on every diamond bought

Blue Nile:

Two decades of selling diamonds are no joke. It is therefore not surprising that Blue Nile today has risen to be the leader in the online diamond selling business. They have perfected the art of delivering quality and leaving their clients satisfied. Below are some of the reasons to try them out:

  • They offer quality diamonds at the cheapest prices: Blue Nile diamonds are the cheapest online. Simple. In fact stats have shown that you can actually get products as much as 50% lower than other online vendors without sacrificing quality.
  • Exclusive deals: Perhaps one of the things that come with age, Blue Nile has been able to achieve this feat and have left other online stores behind. Instead of listing diamonds from inventories they purchased on their site, the Blue Nile simply head to manufacturers and directly list diamonds from them. This means they can cut prices to the barest minimum and offer you, the client mouth-watering prices for quality diamonds. This way you are also not bothered about buying conflict-free diamonds! They practically get the diamond from the manufacturers, so their source is definitely always clean and easily traceable.
  • LARGEST INVENTORY ONLINE: the Blue Nile is the leader not only in quality but in number! A massive collection of diamonds for you to choose from, you would definitely find what you are looking for.
  • BEST FRIEND FOR INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS: Blue Nile is the best online vendor for international customers outside the US. They make it all easy and simple, from payment to pick up.
  • The Blue Nile has amazing customer services

White Flash:

Whiteflash is a boss in the game. They have a reputation for rigorous and extremely superb quality. Their standards are really set high and they do not take chances in the quality of their diamonds. They have received international acclaim for their ideal diamonds. In addition:

  • Finest Ideal diamonds: Whiteflash is famous for the quality of its ideal cuts. They refer to them as ‘A Cut Above’ and truly the diamonds live up to that name.
  • Massive diamond collection: With an extensive collection of diamonds, you would find whatever it is you are looking for.
  • Detailed Analysis of every stone: When we say extremely rigorous analysis of every stone, with the aim of achieving perfection on all fronts, we are discussing Whiteflash diamonds. ASET imaging, dual light map certificate and other reflector imaging tests.
  • Quality Control: They have the most strenuous quality control in the world
  • Excellent Customer Service: The 2018 BBB Pinnacle Award was won by the White flash team. It is not surprising because of the dedication and effort they put towards ensuring that they always deliver quality irrespective of the difficulties involved.
  • They also provide free shipping services and offer a lifetime 100% trade-up guarantee on all of their products.
  • AGS certificate for all their diamonds

Brian Gavin:

From a family business to a name that resonates far and wide in the jewelry world, Brian Gavin is in a class of his own. He began to cut and sell diamonds in his younger days and was known for his perfectionism. He was constantly seeking a way to make things better and it is evident in all he has achieved. In 2004, he published a system of grading Hearts and Arrows which is now used by several diamond appraisers and laboratories around the world

  • Super Ideal Cut diamonds: There is no other cut like Brian Gavin’s cuts anywhere in the world. He decided that fancy cuts did not need to have lesser brilliance than round cuts and decided to cut fancy cuts that have the same level of brilliance as round cuts. You do not find any other dealer that does this!
  • Several signature cuts: He has a wide selection of signature cuts for you, like the Hearts and Arrows collection, his signature emerald cuts, the Brian Gavin Blue and Black by Brian Gavin. These cuts are not found anywhere else so if you love to look exclusive and outstanding, then Brian Gavin is the place for you!
  • Personally curated inventory: Most other online dealers get their diamonds from manufacturers. Brian Gavin cuts and curates all his diamonds. This means he can tell you exactly what went into each. He can guarantee you of whatever he sells to you
  • Great Sales policies that make the customer experience smooth and memorable

 

We have examined 4 top online stores in the world of online diamond selling. You should also go through their sites and decide which is best for you. They all have areas where they specialize and you can explore these areas to your advantage.

Remember, inspecting diamonds does not cost you anything in the online world. So you can take as much time as you like to go through all the options available before making a selection.

It is time to start buying diamonds with ease; it is time to start buying your diamonds online!

 

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