I can't understand why so many people apparently buy jewelry online...

I know it seems like buying your diamond engagement ring at a jewelry store is the more natural, safer choice, but you'd be surprised to find that online jewelry shopping is actually safer! The main disadvantage of buying at a jewelry store is that you might not be able to get your money back if you paid in cash or with a check or money order. If the jeweler is unwilling to provide you with a refund, your only option is to take him / her to court to try and get your money back. Meanwhile, if you purchase jewelry online via credit card, PayPal or any other 3rd party, these forms of payment offer much better protection of your purchase and your rights, including protection from fraud, etc.

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According to a survey recently published by BlueNile (in February 2009), jewelry remains one of the most popular Valentine’s Day gifts. 28% of men indicated that jewelry is the gift they would most like to give, and 22% of women indicated that jewelry is the gift they would most like to receive.
61% of the survey's participants (who were in a relationship at the time of the survey) indicated that they would be more inclined to buy jewelry if the jewelry prices were lower and if the overall shopping experience was better. They mentioned wanting to know that they were getting a good value, having confidence in the jewelry's quality, wanting to learn more about the jewelry that they were purchasing during the buying process and being able to shop in a pressure-less jewelry shopping environment.
BlueNile wrote in this PR, that where brick-and-mortar jewelry stores often mark up their diamonds as much as by 100%, jewelry retailers on the internet like BlueNile sell diamonds (typically of higher quality) at prices that are between 20% to 40% lower. This could translate to someone purchasing a diamond engagement ring and saving up to $4,000 for a one-carat diamond if they were to buy the diamond ring online as opposed to a regular jewelry store.

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Consumers buy online for three main reasons: convenience, price and broad selection. It's as simple as that. It doesn't matter if it's a book at Amazon, running shoes at Zappos or a diamond engagement ring at BlueNile.
Many consumers (like you) prefer stores because many internet stores have not yet mastered basics such as comprehensive product descriptions, accurate product availability, perfect customer support, reliable delivery, and so forth. The amazing growth of players that have mastered these elements (e.g., Amazon.com, Blue Nile, Zappos.com, etc) is the proof that consumers do prefer purchasing (jewelry/engagement rings/food/clothes/...) online, provided that retailers are able to meet and exceed their expectations. Note the energy that BlueNile for example is focusing on their products' images/photos. A basic search on the internet reveals that such high quality jewelry photography could exceed $30 per each diamond engagement ring.

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