Finding A Site You Can Trust When Buying DiamondsOnline (NAPS)—The Internet now makes it possible to buy almost shopping bag home customer servic OM nen = anything you want online—fast and easy. Diamonds and other luxury items are no exception. The online marketplace for luxury items and diamondsis expected to reach $2.2 billion in sales by 2005. With an array of Web sites now catering to this online demand for luxury, the most important deci- sion when purchasing an item as significant as diamondsis finding a site you can trust. How To Select A Site You Can Trust: Secure purchasing trans- actions. The site should provide customers with a secure purchasing transaction by confirming and Nordstrom.com offers DiamondGuide. purchase of a certain amount is made, customers should expect a jewelry industry as “brilliance” verifying the purchase. Once a call from a personal shopper who will verify things such as to whom the items will be shipped, as well as confirm all credit or personal information for the customer’s protection. Around-the-clock service whether it is by phone or email. Because buying a diamond can be an emotional and meaning- ful purchase, it is also important to find a site that walks you through the diamond-buying process by offering assistance by phone and e-mail at any time dur- and “fire.” Color refers to the degree of color (or lack of color) in a diamond. A diamond’s lack of color makesit more rare, and therefore more valuable. Carat weight is the measure- ment of the diamond’s size. Bigger is not necessarily better. A loose measurement to rememberis that for most popular diamondcuts, if a diamond is well cut, a carat equals approximately 6.5mm. Easy returns and exchanges. Shop sites that offer a ing the purchase. Nordstrom.com, no hassle return policy and allow customers to return or exchange of Customer Service Personal Shoppers 24 hours a day, 7 days a venient to them. Nordstrom.com, for instance, offers customers the for example, offers the assistance week. Educates and empowers. After choosing a site that fits the first two criteria, it is important to also educate yourself about how to choose a quality diamond. Shop sites that not only offer you a large selection of diamond jewelry but also provide you with informa- tion that helps you choose a diamond of the utmost quality. The four C’s remain the measurements by which the quality and value of items in the way that is most con- ability to return items to any store nationwide and also provides customers with a pre-addressed enve- lope and mailing label that arrives with the purchase. Simply place the label on the box and drop it off at a USPS mailbox. Your credit card will be debited the standard $3.95 shipping charge and the merchandise will be credited to your account when you use a Nordstrom card or Nordstrom Visa card. diamonds are determined. The four C’s includeclarity, cut, color “We want our customers to know we will be there for them strom.com’s Diamond Guide to when making a purchaseassignificant as diamonds,” said Lisa and carat. You can visit Nord- learn more aboutthe Four C’s. Clarity is determined by the number of inclusions—imperfections such as spots called crystals, feathers and knots that occurred naturally when the diamond was throughout the complete process Battistoni, lead jewelry merchant. “Not only are our diamondsof the highest quality since we purchase them directly from the finest dia- formed millions of years ago. mond merchants worldwide, but we also want our customers to the diamond, as well as the result- their shopping experience to be just as important.” Cut refers to the faceting process, the resulting cuts made on ing shape of the gem. A master cutter will choose the cuts and the resulting shape that allows the diamondto reflect the most light, creating scintillation and sparkle. The sparkle is referred to in the know weconsider the quality of Nordstrom.com’s diamonds of weights greater than a carat come with certification by the Gemological Institute of America. For more information, visit www.nordstrom.com.
