The holiday season is approaching fast and furious, with Christmas only a few short weeks away. Whether you’re shopping for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, the winter solstice, or some other winter holiday, you’re sure to be on the lookout for special deals and purchases to help stretch your hard-earned cash.
Before you begin your shopping, especially if you’re looking to gift sparkly jewelry this festive season, you might want to keep a few things in mind. While price is certainly an important component of the gift shopping experience, there are other factors that can make the difference between a highly satisfying and disappointing jewelry shopping experience.
To that end, we offer seven smart seasonal shopping tips for you to consider:
Shop around: This year is definitely going to be challenging for some consumers in light of current economic conditions. However, tough times for retailers mean there will be plenty of bargains waiting for savvy shoppers. Prices for many luxury items, including jewelry, haven’t been this low in years, giving the opportunistic shopper a great opportunity to get more sparkle for less.
Compare Stores: Should You Shop At The Mall Or Should You Shop Online? Many consumers do both, but have become accustomed to shopping online to find the best values. Online jewelry stores offer a wide selection of diamonds, pearls, silver, gold, precious stones, and other desirable gift items. However, not all stores have a wide selection and not all stores pass your savings on to you. Online prices should be lower, especially if you’re dealing directly with the jeweler instead of going through a middleman. Additionally, select online merchants operate with lower overhead than physical stores and pass these savings back to you, the consumer.
Browse inventory: If money is tight but you still want to buy your partner a memorable gift, consider choosing a slightly lower grade metal or gem. Instead of a platinum band, why not go with white gold? If you buy a diamond, which of the four C’s do you value most: cut, clarity, color or carat weight? If cut is most important, consider choosing a diamond with a lower carat weight. Even a small variation in size from what you would like to purchase could provide a stunning sparkler diamond that will win your approval.
Consider silver: silver prices have stabilized and are certainly much lower than gold. Silver is also in vogue and is something that you may very well prefer to other precious metals. To that end, the Hot Diamonds Collection is one of the trendiest and most sought after designs, offering a unique look at affordable prices. Special note to the ladies: Hot Diamonds also has a collection of cufflinks, necklaces, rings and bracelets for the man in your life!
Hunt for Pearls: Once only royalty and the wealthy were within easy reach, pearls are now plentiful thanks to modern farming techniques. As a result, prices for cultured pearls have fallen significantly and continue to fall, especially for smaller pearls. Prices are determined by size, color, gloss, quality, shape, and surface markings. Compare various strands, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and studs to find the perfect pearl jewelry for your loved one.
Gemstone Trading – If you know she has her eye on diamonds, but her budget is closer to topaz, why not commit? There are many designer jewelers that mix and match gemstones, adding a ruby with a diamond and a pearl to create a fabulous and strikingly alluring design that will take your breath away. Best of all, when she shops online, she’ll save money and, in some cases, she won’t be charged sales tax!
Estimate time: The last piece of advice is more for your emotional well-being: relax! When shopping for the perfect diamond ring or exquisite pearl drop earrings or other gift item, you just don’t want to rush. An anxious buyer is a dissatisfied consumer, someone who will doubt his decision and regret his purchase. If you’re not sure what to buy, contact a trained jewelry expert who will be happy to guide you through the buying process. If you’re shopping for diamond jewelry, you can design whatever she wants, allowing you to play an important role in the gift shopping experience.
The holidays will soon be here and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you bought the right gift at the right price for the person who means the most in your life.