"Local Stores" means regular "bricks-and-mortar" retail jewelry stores. They can be jewelry chains (such as Kay's) or independently-owned. Note: Many local stores also have online stores operating as well, which may appear in the online-stores channel.

"Online Stores" are businesses that exclusively sell online, or at least are set up to sell online as a primary sales channel. They are generally not dependent on geography. Example: Blue Nile

"Luxury Retailers" is a subjective category, but generally refers to a retail jeweler who specializes in very high end, luxury merchandise. There are a finite number of such stores, globally, and geography is less important if this is the type of merchandise you are seeking. (Example: Tiffany's)

Many shoppers prefer to shop by brand. In this channel, we present brand websites, which generally include links to how to find the item locally, either from a retail boutique for that brand, or from a local authorized store.

Almost every jewelry store will buy jewelry from consumers and many stores have at least some pieces of estate (quality, pre-owned) jewelry for sale. In Gemfling, the "Estate Dealers" category refers to the industry's primary, high-end estate buyers whose business model is focused almost entirely on buying estates and then re-selling to other specialists and/or by appointment to consumers. Example: Kazanjian Bros., Beverly Hills, CA.

Comparison sites bring together multiple vendors in one place, so their selection and prices can be compared easily. Examples include: Ebay.com, and Pricescope.com

Specialty sites generally do not sell jewelry outright. Rather, their purpose is educational, promotional, or some other niche. Jewelry industry sites that fall into this category include "Gemological Institute of America," and "World Gold Council."