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Thinking about purchasing a diamond through an online retailer? Well you might want check out the new tax law that just passed before doing so. As of December 1, 2018, online retailers will need to begin collecting and remitting sales tax for online orders placed by consumers.

This new mandate comes from the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision this past June 2018, in the legal battle between South Dakota v. Wayfair. The outcome will have a major impact on many online retailers. Money-starved states are gearing up to require online retailers to collect and remit sales taxes on purchases made by residents—a skill only about one-third of the largest online retailers have in place for all 45 states where there is a sales tax, according to exclusive Internet Retailer research.

According to Jason Brewer, Executive Vice President, Communications and State Affairs at the Retail Industry Leaders Association, “In putting new online sales tax laws into effect, the states are reclaiming their authority over sales tax collection. States, in their own way, are implementing either via regulation or statute what they need to promote or compel sellers to comply.”

But not to worry- you didn’t lose your opportunity to purchase a reasonably priced diamond. As a matter of fact, it’s an all too common misconception that purchasing a diamond online is cheaper than ordering one through a brick and mortar retailer. This misconception stemmed mostly from the lack of sales tax for online purchases. The truth is, there’s a lot more to consider than just the listed price on the website. Check out our recently blog post titled: 5 Reasons to Think Twice Before Purchasing a Diamond Online to understand why.

At La Bijouterie, our goal is to find a diamond that makes sense for you. There is no hard upsell, and we often shy customers away from buying more expensive diamonds if they’re not the best value. Curious to learn more? Book an appointment today and check out our reviews on Yelp. We’re here to help!

~ LB

Shopping online is great for many things… purchasing gifts, clothes, heck even groceries. Best of all, shopping online typically means you’re finding the best deal around. But there is one thing you might want to forego jumping online to purchase, and that is a diamond for your sweetie. Why you ask? Check out our Top 5 Reasons you may want to think twice before adding that diamond to your online cart.

1. Lack of Trust- Did you know that online diamond stores do not offer any quality guarantee? If something is in fact wrong with the diamond you purchased, (say an imperfection you weren’t expecting, or the color is off), it would result in you overpaying for a diamond you thought was a great deal. The truth is there is a lot to consider outside of the 4Cs that someone who isn’t in the diamond profession would have no way of knowing.
2. Quality - A diamond should be inspected top to bottom with a magnifying glass so you have a clear understanding of what you’re actually purchasing. An online website has no pressure to offer you a top quality diamond at a reasonable price since you’re not meeting them face to face after all...which bring us to our next point.
3. The Customer Experience- Buying a diamond online means making one of the biggest financial purchases of your life completely blind. As you might imagine, it takes years to understand and learn how to evaluate a diamond, which is why buying online can be so tricky and unforgiving. Sure you can try to pawn off a faulty diamond, but you will end up losing hundreds, if not thousands in the process. Do yourself a favor and go with a jeweler that prides themselves on the customer service they offer, and has many repeat customers. 
4. Cost- Purchasing a diamond online means you’re not able to work with an experienced jeweler to come up with a diamond ring, (setting and all), that fits within your budget. It’s a common misconception that a shopping online will get you a better deal. An experienced jeweler can help you prioritize what is most important to you and your significant other, (say diamond size perhaps), and find you the best options given your criteria and budget.
5. It’s Confusing- Even searching by ideal cut, grade, clarity, carat and cost, will render you a vast amount conflicting results. How can you then make an educated decision on which diamond is best?

We encourage clients considering the online route do conduct a little experiment...

1. Go to a well-known online diamond retailer website.
2. Enter in the a carat size, color, clarity, and cut into the provided filters (the 4 C's). If you're unsure where to begin, we recommend entering in a carat weight of 1.00, color G, clarity VVS1, and excellent cut. Press search.
3. Notice the results they give you are vast. Even though the diamonds you are seeing have the exact same specifications, their prices range by the thousands.
4. Decide which one should you choose and why.

Of course this is easier said than done.The idea of this exercise is to simply show you how complicated it is to choose a diamond. At La Bijouterie, we love helping our customers find the exact diamond that fits any budget and any style, and one that will impress the person on the receiving end.

When it comes to customer experience, you can rest assured that your satisfaction is our utmost concern and that your happiness is our singular focus. Curious to learn more? Book an appointment today and check out our reviews on Yelp.

~ LB

Ah yes, the smell of summer is in the air and with that comes the excitement of summer proposals. Although summer isn’t the most popular time to propose, (that would be winter, more specifically, Christmas Day), it is when many who are hoping for a summer wedding wish they would be proposed to.

Typically speaking, planning a wedding takes roughly a year, so whichever month you decide to propose often times determines the season of your upcoming nuptials. This is because most vendors require you to book at least a year out.

Instead of using a cliche holiday like Valentine’s Day or your significant other’s Birthday to pop the question, try finding a special date that the two of you can celebrate and reminisce on each year.

There is no right or wrong time to propose since it is so personal to each couple. Perhaps hinting to find out if a snowy white proposal vs. a beach proposal is something your person might prefer and working off of that. Are you planning an upcoming trip with just the two of you? That might also be a great time to get down on one knee. Does your love like being the center of attention? If so, do we dare suggest a dance mob as part of their ultimate proposal.  On the flip side, a more reserved, private person might just prefer a quiet in home proposal.

One helpful tip that can make a lasting impression is finding out if having family nearby is important to them once they do get proposed to. Meeting up with both of your families can be the grand finale to a wonderful day!

Whatever the type of proposal or time of year you decide, when it comes from the heart there is little else that matters.

Cheers!

-LB