The Internet's New Jewelry Mega-Stores

By Rob Bates, Senior Editor

Ready or not, here they come, the second generation of jewelry Web sites. First came those put up by dealers and small retailers. Now the big boys have elbowed their way online, each with Amazon.com-like ambitions.

Diamondtrade.com: An outgrowth of an "upstairs jeweler," it mostly sells loose diamonds. The site employs at least four former Zale executives. Officials say it's sold $250,000 in stones since June.