Comparison


An efficient way to present this analysis is in a chart format, which clearly and quickly spells out the pros and cons:

Online – Pro	Mall – Pro	Custom – Pro	Online – Con	Mall – Con	Custom – Con
Purchase from home	Many stores & locations	Custom designed/made. Individualized jewellery. Infinite design possibilities	Pre-made, mass produced	Pre-made, mass produced	Usually no pre-made items
Selection of diamonds	Sales staff for guidance	Knowledgeable & experienced. Fit your budget	Delivery charge. Duty fees. Exchange rates	High markups	Usually no sales or promotions
Reasonable guarantees. Offers secure payment	Reasonable guarantees. Always secure payment	Service oriented, both pre- & post-sales. Always secure payment	No person to consult with. Difficult to gain trust	Sales staff for selling. Sometimes lack of help or too much selling	Trends: asking, comparison shopping or research
Usually offer GIA diamond certificates	Seasonal promotions	Normally offer GIA & other internationally recognized diamond cert.	Cannot physically see the diamonds	Usually lack of internationally recognized diamond certificates	-
-	Can see the jewellery in the store. Sometimes possible to look at loose diamonds	Can see the jewellery in any phase: design, casted, finished. Normally can see loose diamonds	Cannot see the jewellery until after delivered	-	-
Easy to comparison shop, and usually selection of items	Easy to comparison shop, and usually selection of items	Made in Canada (or your country of residence)	Made in?	Made in?	-
Helpful in following jewellery trends	Helpful in following jewellery trends	Small to medium sized companies – service and value focused. Emphasis on client interaction and input. Focus on quality and value, and client satisfaction	Usually large corporations – bottom-line mandate. No client interaction or input	Usually medium to large corporations – usually bottom-line oriented. Minimal client interaction and no input	-