I have seen jewelry online selling for way below estimated retail value. Why is this true of only jewelry?

I have seen jewelry online selling for way below estimated retail value. Why is this true of only jewelry? I have seen jewelry online selling for way below estimated retail value.

Why is this true of only jewelry? For example, a ring with an estimated retail replacement value of $4,100.00 may sell for about $500.00. Jewelry is one of those markets where the 'value' is mostly set by intangible factors like appearance, reputation and sometimes quality and cost of materials.

Why can one jeweler make a piece using $100 of materials and sell it for $1000 and another jeweler use the same $100 worth of materials and sell his creation for only $200. I have seen jewelry at a street fair offered for sale by a local artist that was far superior to most jewelry store products at a fraction of the cost. Sometimes it is craftsmanship and quality, sometimes it is marketing and hype.

Why do you think every shopping mall has jewelry stores in the highest rent corner locations near the entrance... the profits on the stuff can be obscene. I have only purchased one diamond in my life, on my wife's engagement ring. There are semi-precious stones that can be prettier and more interesting in a well made piece, far less expensive, and far more satisfying to see in my wife's ear.

It is also less likely that some poor soul slaved away his life to mine it while some local warlord profited. My advice... buy from low cost or low overhead sources where you are not paying for ridiculous rents and piles of advertising, just the jewelry. Local artists are often the best source of quality stuff.

Internet sources can be good but you never know for certain.