How to read a jewelry listing before you buy
What a listing should tell you, and what to ask when it does not.
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Mined or laboratory-grown
The FTC says a laboratory-created diamond should be named with "laboratory-grown", "laboratory-created", or "[manufacturer name]-created" immediately before "diamond". Look for those words in the title and the description.
Treatments
Some diamonds and gemstones are treated. Ask the seller and read the description and report. A note to section 23.24 says an online listing should disclose a treatment in the description.
Weight
Under section 23.18, a fractional weight should come with a note that it is not exact and the range or tolerance used, and points should also be given in decimal carats.
Metal marks
Look for the karat before the word "gold", and for terms such as gold filled, vermeil, sterling, or platinum 950. Our metals guides explain each mark under sections 23.3 to 23.6.
Grades
A note to section 23.1 says a listing that states a grade should name the grading system used.
Photo size
A note to section 23.1 says a picture that shows a stone larger than its actual size may mislead unless the true size is disclosed.
Sourcing
If sourcing matters to you, ask the seller what it can document, and read that documentation yourself.
Save the listing
We suggest saving a copy of the listing and reading the return policy before you buy. That is our tip, not a source's.
Sources: eCFR, 16 CFR Part 23, Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries; FTC, In the Loupe: Advertising Diamond, Gemstones and Pearls.
FAQ
General information only. We are not a jeweler, appraiser, or gemological lab, and we do not grade, appraise, or verify any stone or metal. Before you buy, read the seller's full description, including whether a diamond is mined or laboratory-grown, any treatment, the metal's karat or fineness, and the weight, and check any grading report with the lab that issued it.
Next: grading reports
Read the report, then check it.
