( 
)So many sellers, so many beautiful pieces... How to decide who to trust and which gems are real?
Jewelry (or "jewellery" as we spell it here in Canada) is a non-essential part of life, yet also a facinating and delightful passion many of us have. The internet is filled with amazing images of pieces that seem to be real gemstones or real antiques... but how do you really know what you are buying?
(1) Feedback is key. The first obvious clue, at least on eBay, is our course the feedback ratings and volume of sales of a seller. A fairly new seller (like myself) may not have high volumes yet, but if the feedback scores are extremely high, chances are you are getting quality. Occasionally a great seller gets one or two negative feedback comments that do not reflect the true picture. Either because one particular buyer did not read the item description, but still complained. Or perhaps an uninsured item left the seller in mint condition, but got damaged by the mail carrier. Have you ever met someone who is impossible to please, and complains no matter what (yes, mothers-in-law do count)? Well if you've met one in real life, chances are such a person is on eBay, leaving negative feedback for you or I, as we speak. But the important thing is the trend: are there consistent glowing thank-yous and praise? Overall, if you see a feedback score of 95-100% and at the seller has sold to least 50 customers, chances are your seller is reputable and trustworthy.
(2) Pay attention as well to the integrity of the photos and descriptions. Does the seller show close-ups, so you would know if there is a flaw or break in the stone or its findings? Inspect the close-ups carefully. Are the descriptions detailed? Or a one-line generalisation? Does the seller seem to know a lot about the origin (e.g. Thai Tribe Silver, African Quartz), creation process and quality (e.g. Freshwater Pearls, Silver Over Copper), and technical specifications (e.g. carats) of the gems? Beware of vague "Nice Blue Stone"-type of listings. If the seller doesn't know what it is, how will you?
(3) Honesty is the best policy. Does the seller tend to tell it like it is? If an item is imperfect in the photo, do they acknowledge that in the description? Are they upfront about whether something is a real antique or a reproduction? Do they tell you the approximate year (or at least decade) and origin? If a seller chooses to sell an item that is "faux", "simulated", "artificial", "man made", "lab grown", etc... Are they using these words in the listing? If so, then at least they are being upfront with you, which is a good sign of integrity and honesty. Remember, it is the sellers job to describe the item properly, but it is also YOUR JOB to read it thoroughly!
(4) Does the price make sense? If the item is supposedly an antique diamond worth 3 Million, that Marilyn Monroe wore the day she died, why is it for sale for $12? On the other hand, sellers with extremely high sales volumes and stunning feedback ratings are able to sell real, authentic gems at crazy low prices because they buy in bulk to get excellent wholesale discounts. They often buy direct from mines and factories, so they can cut costs by not having to pay a middleman. Also, e-Bay sellers do not have the huge overhead of paying rent for a store in a mall, or on a trendy street. And we don't have to pay a whole team of sales staff. Such sellers often explain how their prices are so low in the listings, or somewhere on their site (for example on an "About Our Company"-type of page). The bottom line is: if a price seems very low, don't make an assumption one way or the other. Educate yourself about the seller, their source, and the true value of the stone or metal iteself. If you are in love with an item but the price seems steep, find out why. Maybe it is a very rare stone, maybe the way the metal is shaped is painstakingly detailed by hand.
(5) Or maybe the piece is just special because it is one-of-a-kind. Don't forget the value of labour: if a true artist is sitting there designing and planning and hand-making this one unique piece... Then your feeling of wearing something hand-made out of love and creativity may feel much more special than a similar item, churned out by the hundreds in a factory. In a highly impersonal world, creativity and the personal touch have a difficult-to-measure, but yet ever-present value.
(6) Send an E-Mail or Skype to the seller. When in doubt, JUST ASK! It is suprising how many of us tend to wonder and hem and haw over an item ("Should I bid on it? I can't decide!") without just e-mailing the seller to ask for more info. But that's what the e-mail is there for! Not only will you get more info about the item, but you will get a feel for the seller themselves. Are they prompt, courteous and detailed in their replies? If they never get back to you or tap-dance around the question, that's a red flag.
(7) Customer service is almost dead. In an age of mass-production and recorded voice-response messages, customer service has become a distant memory. How a seller responds to their customers needs and questions says a lot about their idea of quality. If their communication is terrible, it is very likely their merchandise will disappoint you as well. If their communications (e-mail responses, listing discriptions, personalised notes in invoices) seem like they put in a lot of effort, then it is likely they will give the same amount of care to the quality of their products. Don't accept poor customer service as a norm of our society, expect quality and professionalism. If you don't get that type of service, move on to find a seller that cares about quality.
Thank you for voting. If your vote meets our 
