Buying fine jewelry online: 8 things to check before you pay

Most fine jewelry today is bought over chat: look at photos, ask the price, transfer the money, wait for delivery. It is convenient, but the buyer never holds the piece before paying — so everything that would normally be checked by eye has to be checked through information and documents. Here are eight things to have clear before you pay, whoever the seller is.

1. Who is the seller?

A trustworthy seller can be verified in several ways:

• A specific showroom or workshop address, and a willingness to book a visit.
• Official channels — website, social pages, phone number — that match each other.
• Photos of pieces, clients and the making process that are consistent over time, not a new page with a handful of images.
• A willingness to show the piece on a video call.

If you cannot visit, a video call showing the showroom and the actual piece already tells you a great deal.

2. Are the photos and videos of the actual piece?

Catalog photos, 3D renders and borrowed images all look good, but they are not what will arrive. Ask for:

• One continuous video of the piece in ordinary light, turned through several angles.
• A close-up of the karat stamp on the piece.
• A photo of the piece on a scale, with the weight in grams visible.
• For made-to-order pieces: photos or video of the finished piece before paying the balance.

A 3D render is very useful for approving a design, as long as it is called what it is: a render, not a photo of the real piece.

3. What is the karat, and where is it marked?

The answer should be a specific number: 10K, 14K or 18K. Under Vietnam’s current regulation on gold jewelry quality (Circular 22/2013/TT-BKHCN), the gold content must be declared and shown on the piece or its label — usually as 416, 585 or 750 stamped inside a ring or near a clasp.

Answers such as “Western gold”, “Italian gold” or “premium gold” are not a karat. The explanation is in 10K, 14K or 18K: how to choose your gold karat.

4. What is the gold weight?

Distinguish two figures:

• The total weight of the piece, stones included.
• The gold weight after the stones are subtracted.

Only the second is used to work out gold value. On heavily set pieces, the difference can be significant. Ask for the estimated gold weight before ordering and the actual weight on completion.

5. What is the gemstone, and what are its specifications?

The gemstone type must be stated in words, clearly: Moissanite, Lab Diamond or natural diamond. The three differ many times over in price, and they cannot be told apart in photos.

• For a center stone: millimeter measurements, carat weight, and a certificate with a number you can look up.
• For accent stones: type, count and size.

Be wary of vague terms such as “artificial diamond”, “premium stone” or “American stone”. How to check the paperwork is covered in How to read a gemstone certificate.

6. How is the price calculated?

A transparent quote tells you:

• Whether the price is fixed or moves with the daily gold price.
• Whether it includes stones, craftsmanship, box and documents.
• Any extras: shipping, insurance, resizing, engraving.

A quick test: multiply the gold weight by the gold content, then by the price of pure gold at that time, and you have the raw gold value of the piece. If the selling price is below that figure, something does not add up — the karat, the weight, or both.

7. Documents and payment

Before sending money, have a written order confirmation — an order form, invoice or summary message — stating:

• The name and description of the piece, with a photo.
• Karat, gold color and estimated gold weight.
• Gemstone type and specifications.
• Size.
• Price, deposit, balance and when each is due.
• Completion time and delivery method.
• Warranty, resizing and exchange terms.

On payment:

• Transfer to an account whose holder’s name matches the seller, and check through an official channel if the account number differs from last time.
• Write a clear transfer reference and keep the receipt.
• For made-to-order pieces, ask about the refund terms for the deposit before paying it.

Under Vietnam’s 2023 Law on Protection of Consumer Rights, in force since July 1, 2024, sellers in remote transactions are responsible for providing information on the product, the price, and the payment and delivery methods. Asking these questions is the buyer’s right.

8. Delivery and after-sales

• Shipping: how the piece is sent, whether it is insured, and who is responsible if it is lost.
• Inspection on delivery: whether you may open and check the parcel before signing.
• After receipt: what happens, and within what time, if the piece does not match its description.
• In the long run: what the warranty covers, how resizing and refinishing work, and whether there is an exchange policy.

All of this belongs in the written confirmation, not only in conversation.

Five things to do on receipt

1. Film one continuous video from the sealed parcel to the opened box.
2. Find the karat stamp on the piece and compare it with the order.
3. Weigh the piece if you have a precision scale, and compare with the stated weight.
4. Check the certificate: look up the number, compare gemstone type and measurements.
5. Inspect under light: all stones present, none tilted or loose, no scratches on the surface.

If anything does not match, tell the seller at once, with the video, before wearing the piece.

Signs that you should stop

• A price unusually low compared with the gold value of the piece itself.
• Evasive answers about karat, gold weight or gemstone type.
• Photos only, with no video of the real piece.
• Pressure to transfer “to hold the price” or because “only one is left”.
• A request to pay into a personal account unrelated to the seller.
• A very cheap “diamond” with no certificate you can look up.
• No address, no visits, no video call.

At T Gold

Ordering at T Gold follows four steps: choose your piece, configure it with a specialist, confirm and craft, receive your piece. Whether you choose a ready design or a Custom idea, every detail is confirmed clearly before work begins, and each piece states its karat, gold weight, gemstone type and gemstone specifications, with certification according to the gemstone.

If you would like to see pieces in person before deciding, you can book a visit to the showroom. Each step is described on the How to order page; after-sales terms are on the Warranty & care page.