My husband just proposed and we have been looking around at rings together. He recently found a really good offer on a ring that I really like online, but it's not being sold by a retailer. It's really expensive and I am nervous we are getting ripped off. I just don't know if its trustworthy to buy diamond jewelry online especially if we can't be sure if it's certified or not. What are your opinions? It's a really unique cut that I haven't been able to find at any store.

I think you should buy from a reputable diamond dealer or jeweler you trust.

I would also  suggest you buy only a certified diamond,one that is easily identifible  as the diamond in the report.

Beware of bogus appraisals and "certifications " from no  name labs.Stick with GIA, EGL and those  easily  verified.

Make sure you have a return policy  should the diamond not live up to your expectations ( if purchased on line) Some dealers also offer  trade up polices, check those out throroughly!

Use a credit card for additional protection and check out he company  via BBB ,even google them for complaints.

I have sucessfully purchased quite a few pricey high end items on the web  but always buy from trusted vendors, where I get their expert opinion and I have not been disappointed.

Good luck with your search

HI Everyone!
Some great advice given.
In terms of buying from an individual: Compare it to buying a used car.
If a reputable dealer has a used car, it will come with guarantees. Plus, a dealership has to be concerned about their reputation.
A guy with a car in his driveway sells a used car AS IS ( I love watching People's Court- Judge Marilyn...)
Anyway the guy selling the car is offering a lot less- therefore, his price had better be a lot less than a reputable dealer offing a used vehicle.

When considering a diamond, the same rules apply. If you purchase from a reputable dealer, make sure they offer a money back guarantee. The price a private individual charges should be WAY less - at least 25%- if not more- than you'd pay a competitive internet dealer.

It's true that many of the offers you see online are bogus- but I walk down 47th Street to our office every day and find quite a few brick and mortar stores showing questionable ethics as well.
In some ways, online sellers may be easier to check out. For one thing, a bogus sales pitch - written on the internet- is pretty easy to spot.
As Red hatter suggested, "Google" them.
Also a good suggestion is choosing a merchant that accepts Credit cards directly. PayPal is useful for private individuals who want to sell things and accept credit cards- but you have better protection if you purchase from a merchant who can accept your card directly.

I do disagree with RedHatter regarding what she terms "Certified" diamonds- diamonds are NOT certified.
There are labs that issue "Reports" identifying diamonds, but no lab "certifies" a diamond.

RedHatter mentioned two labs, but dealers trust only ONE lab - GIA- for the bulk of high dollar diamonds ( NOTE: the only suitable alternative is AGS- but they specialize mainly in "Ideal" cut round diamonds. You'll find 100 stones with GIA report for every AGS report you'll see)

SO- If you see a seller pushing diamond with ANY OTHER REPORT- and they are not letting you know that the report is not taken seriously in the trade-RUN, do not walk away.

Dear Saqsay -

From what I understand, AGS is as reputable lab as is GIA but not as nearly well known due to the fact that GIA grades a much larger number of stones.  They were also the first to assess cut before the GIA started doing this.  I think AGS invented the ideal cut proportions for RB, EC and princess cuts.  AGS doesn't assign a color grade for fancy colored diamonds, though. 

Anyone out there, please correct me if I've misstated anything here.

Mikla

I stand corrected- apparently I was mistaken!