Cufflinks - Getting What you Pay For

Buying cufflinks online can be a difficult process, with lots of factors to worry about, apart from the way they look. There are a number of simple things to remember to ensure that you are not taken advantage of. Following these points will save you time and money.

1) Base Material. The first thing to consider is the material that the cufflinks are made out of. Generally, cufflinks are made of some metal, inlaid with glass or in certain cases gemstones. Make sure that you are getting the right metal regardless of whether the retailer is offline or online. Generally it will be gold or silver, or a composite metal, but make sure you are getting what you are paying for. For good quality gold cufflinks, dependent of carats, you can generally expect to pay over $500. You should also be able to get some certification authenticating the cufflinks. This should give you some piece of mind that the cufflinks are genuine, and may help if at a later date you decide to re-sell them. If you are buying expensive jewlery like cufflinks (over $500) online, request some form of authentication or guarantee before you purchase.

2) Stones. Once you are certain about the metal, consider whether you want to have cufflinks that contain gemstones, or glass. In general, dependant on the usage of the cufflinks, I would recommend glass, as it is much less costly and tends to look just as good. In addition, cufflinks can often become lost, and you'd hate to misplace a pair containing expensive diamonds. However, if you are set on getting cufflinks with gemstones in them, treat these the same way as you would the metal when purchasing - that is, ensure that they are authenticated and guaranteed. Don't pay for diamonds and get glass!

3) Retailer Reliability. If you doubt the retailers authenticity, double check them. There have been instances of offline retailers selling fake goods, and then closing within 24 hours. Thankfully, it doesn't happen very often - however it doesn't hurt to be careful, especially as operating like this is much easier online. Ask around, find someone who has bought from them before. If you can't find out anything about the store, don't buy from them. If you're making a substantial purchase, it also doesn't hurt to ask the store for a reference.

4) Shop Around. This is one of the great things about shopping online. You have a number of excellent stores at your fingertips. So, use this to your advantage and shop around! Unless the cufflinks that you are looking for really are unique, you should be able to find them in more than one store. If there is a store that you have used before, and are happy with their service, but they have a more expensive price, it doesn't hurt to email them and ask for a reduced price in line with what the competition are offering. They will, in most cases, thank you for buying.

Remember these points and buying cufflinks online should be easy. Though these pointers are simple, they are often ignored.

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Dean Richards is a well recognised fashion expert, having worked in the industry for 15 years. He is currently one of the leading writers for Men's Fashion Online - the premier online resource for men's fashion.

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