Despite the fact that there are a lot of jewelry stores, boutiques and shops all over urban areas, those who live outside of the city may find it difficult to look for fine jewelry in their locality. There are a lot of jewelry stores yes, but buying quality, fine jewelry, handcrafted to perfection are very hard to find. It is a good thing that the internet has provided us not just with information technology, but online jewelry shops as well. There are some of these online jewelry stores which cell low quality items, but it is not difficult to look for those which do offer quality. But before just going online and buying the first items on sale, it is important to know what to do before regret sets in.

First of all, you need to read about the measurements of precious metals like gold, silver and platinum. It is also good to get familiar with the measurements of precious and semi-precious stones. Once you know the differences between the carats and the karats, then you can go online.

Second step is to use trusted search engines like Google and Yahoo. Type in the keyword you need to open links like "jewelry" or "rings," "earrings," "gold," etcetera. Once the search results page comes out check out the different links one at a time. There are some sites which offer branded or top-end designs and then there are sites which only sell fashion jewelry. Make your choice, if you want real go for the top-end, if you want fashion jewelry then go there.

Third, look over the guarantees, ordering processes and security as well as possible returns of items or money back guarantees. If you are thinking of buying top-end real jewelry, treat it as an investment so make sure you are getting your investment’s worth. If the site offers certificates of authenticity, check them out. This is especially important for diamonds.

Look for the piece or pieces that attract your attention, choose the sites which are only guaranteed by other buyers. There are some blogs and sites which discuss the reliability of these e-jewelry stores. Once you make your choice, place your order, but make sure to pay attention to the details of the piece or pieces you are buying. If there are images, click on it to make sure that the item is really what you want. Finally, when paying, make sure to only use a site which offers secure payment choices like PayPal.