Just Ask Leslie: Jewelry Tips

Dear Leslie,I notice you link to Ice.com for jewelry examples. Is there an advantage to shopping online as opposed to in a physical store? It’s hard to shop without being able to try jewelry on sometimes.

Dear Rachel,

You’re smart to ask. The reason I support online retailers like Ice.com is that buying jewelry online from a large jewelry website is almost like buying it wholesale.

You see, a major online retailer moves enough product that it can afford to keep prices lower and still make a profit. Your local jeweler is a smaller business and as such jewelry you buy in a store in a mall or shopping center will be significantly marked up, much more than the markup on a large online store. That’s how the business works.

Of course, you’re also right about not being able to try before you buy, but that’s what free return-and-exchange policies are for, right?