The next time you add a piece of fine jewelry to your collection, consider shopping online. Whether for bridal jewelry, diamonds or gemstones; bracelets, earrings or pendants, there are a number of reasons that a jewelry purchase is particularly well-suited for the online shopping environment.

1. Price. First and foremost, you’ll want to check prices online before you buy anywhere. A number of reputable online jewelers make it easy to purchase beautiful certified diamonds and shipping is often free. Because online stores often have less overhead than their offline counterparts, they are sometimes able to sell the same jewelry for much lower prices, in some cases as much as 70% less.

Some online jewelers (such as Mondera) have frequently updating coupon codes, which can help you save even more. Other jewelry stores (such as Tanzanite.com and Szul) have Deals of the Day with significant savings. It’s all a matter of keeping your eyes out for the best deals and knowing where and when to look.

2. It’s easy to compare selections across multiple jewelers. When you browse online, it’s easy to check out several of your favorite online jewelers at once to see both the selection and prices. You’ll see each item in great detail. Because jewelry is rated according to specific quality standards, it’s easy to know exactly what you are getting. If you are looking for a 2 carat yellow princess cut diamond with a clarity rating between VVS1 and VS1, you’ll be able to find exactly that at more than one jeweler, and you can then make your decision based on price.

3. Time to make informed decisions. The best online jewelers have a great deal of consumer education on jewelry buying, so you can take your time and read through at your leisure. You won’t have jewelers who are trying to intimidate you or trying to talk you into spending more than you can afford.

More Tips for Buying Jewelry Online

* Before you shop online for jewelry, educate yourself about industry standards for quality. Know how jewelers rate gold and diamonds so you know exactly what you are looking at before you buy. Know your Four C’s before you buy any diamonds.

* You will also need to know the size of jewelry you need before you purchase. Know your ring size before you begin shopping, for example.

* Have a tape measure near the computer so that you can see the size of necklaces, earrings, and bracelets relative to your wrists, neck, and ears. Jewelry tends to be smaller in reality than it appears on the computer screen.