I buy lots of things on ebay. I always check feedback and sometimes I send the seller a question about the item to see how well they communicate with buyers.

I have bought jewelry on ebay. None of it was fine jewelry but it was not advertised as such. I don't think I paid over $25 for any jewelry item.

I have had good experiences with sellers in China. Several years ago I bought a wallet from an ebay seller in China. My sister's dog chewed it up recently so I ordered two recently (one as gift for son).

If you use Paypal you are protected as long as you file a complaint within 45 days from purchase. As a seller I did get scammed once when a girl worked at a prison as a counselor and she was buying lots of things from ebay and paying with prison funds. She got caught eventually and Paypal took the money back from my account and refunded the prison so I was without the ~$115 and she would not return the item to me. Ebay closed her account but that didn't help me.