Buying a ring online is a document exercise before it is a visual one. Photographs are optimized; reports and measurements are not.
1. Demand millimetres, not just carats
The setting seat is cut in millimetres. A listing that gives only carat weight is hiding the number that determines how the stone looks. Ask for diameter and depth for rounds, length and width for fancy shapes.
2. Check the certificate number
For a lab-grown diamond, the IGI report number should match the laser inscription. For moissanite, the GRA card's weight and dimensions should match the stone. If the seller cannot supply the number before payment, walk away.
3. Ask for a daylight video
Studio photos use controlled light that flatters every stone. A phone video near a window shows the real colour, the bow-tie in an oval, and the fire in moissanite. Ask for it rotating, not static.
4. Read the return terms for what is excluded
“30-day returns” often excludes engraved and bespoke pieces — which is most custom work. Check the exclusions before you order, not after.
5. Confirm the metal stamp
Look for 925, 14K, 18K or PT950, and ask whether white gold is plated. “Gold” without a karat and “silver tone” are not specifications.
6. Ask who makes it
A manufacturer can answer questions about the setting and the seat. A reseller forwards them. If the answers are vague about production, the ring is probably being drop-shipped from a catalogue.
7. Check the size policy
Custom rings are made to a size; changing it later may mean a resize or a remake. Confirm the size in writing before production, and ask what a resize costs.
Pay in a way that protects you
Use a payment method with buyer protection, and avoid bank transfer to a personal account. A business PayPal invoice or a hosted card checkout leaves a record.
What good service looks like
Answers within a day, a dimensioned render before casting, a photograph of the finished piece before shipping, and a tracking number. If any of those is missing, the price is not the only thing you are negotiating. Ask us anything →
The people who cut the stones and set the rings. We publish what we can verify on our own bench, and link to the certificate or the guide when a number needs a source.
