You can purchase gold jewelry from numerous outlets today for different purposes, such as engagement rings, wedding bands, bracelets, or earrings. Costco is among these numerous options, and they offer several choices despite not many people thinking of them as a jewelry store.
The history of Costco precedes them, so there is not much need to study the company in depth. Their history with jewelry was also excellent, as they were famous for their impressive quality control; but now things have changed and you may wonder if it is worth it getting gold jewelry or other jewelry options from them.
I will answer these questions and more in this article, basing it on my experiences shopping in their jewelry section.
Is Costco gold real?
In most cases, Costco will offer gold jewelry in either 18k or 14k gold, as well as platinum options for jewelry pieces such as wedding rings.
They do not customize the metals according to customer preferences, so you should look for other jeweler options if that is a deal-breaker for you.
You can get several gold styles when you buy from Costco – yellow gold, rose gold, and white gold. The gold they sell through their jewelry pieces is real, although it is not pure solid gold – also known as the 24k gold type.
24k gold is rarely used in jewelry making because of its softness, so it is mixed with other metals to give it some hardness and add durability. For instance, white gold is a mixture of gold and rhodium, which gives it its characteristic bright white color.
Is Costco gold jewelry good quality?
Their jewelry options include bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and rings, as well as sunglasses, watches, and jewelry organizers.
The prices vary as well, as they aim to offer jewelry for those on a budget as well as high-end buyers, and there is a wide range of designs in each category – including their gold options.
This is also due to their unique policy, where all their fine goods – including jewelry, wine, and art – only have 15% markups. This makes them significantly cheaper compared to other retailers.
The lack of selection is the biggest problem, as they tend to have few choices and no customization options despite the high craftsmanship quality.
Their prices are affordable though, even though the lack of variety is a serious drawback to the shopping experience.
To purchase from them, you will need to know the fine points of jewelry and know exactly what you want, as their staff is not as well-versed in jewelry and the different types that are out there.
The overall view is that Costco does have good quality jewelry, as long as you know what you want and do not require extra consultation in making your choice. Although the quality of their items is good, you will not get the highest value for your money in all cases, so you should look at other stores if this is a major priority for you.
Is it worth buying gold jewelry?
In many ways, gold jewelry is very valuable and it is worth spending some money on, with reasons legitimizing it including:
- Its resistance to tarnishing makes it durable
- It instantly gives you social status
- The demand for gold jewelry remains high in the global market
Gold jewelry on Costco will come in two types:
- 14k gold– this has 58% gold, and the rest is comprised of alloy metals to strengthen it for daily or regular use. Each piece of this jewelry will either have a 585 or 14k stamp.
- 18k gold– this has 75% gold in its composition and lower amounts of alloy metals, which makes it softer and heavier than 14k gold. It will either have a 750 or 18k stamp.
Tips for buying gold jewelry on Costco
1. Search their inventory
You can always find good jewelry if you take some time to look through Costco’s inventory, despite the limited collections. Regardless of whether you want a piece you can wear every day or something elegant and simple for a special occasion, you are likely to find it in this store.
2. Get the jewelry inspected by an independent jeweler
Although Costco does not have a separate jewelry site on their website and will put all their offerings on their main site, you can still get something worthwhile.
Their online display showcases plenty of options and HD imagery you can use to select, so this will give you a good first impression – but the best recommendation is to take the jewelry pieces to a jeweler to inspect them.
Another reason to do this is due to Costco not offering extra services, which include polishing, bespoke customizations, resizing, and engraving, and their staff may not know the intricacies of jewelry; so it is worth getting an independent opinion from an experienced jeweler just before or soon after purchasing from the store.
3. Ensure your sizing fits their specifications
As Costco does not offer resizing services or other customization choices, you need to ensure the sizing of their jewelry fits you or the person you are buying for. For instance, men’s rings will come in a size 10, while women’s rings will come in a size 7.
If the jewelry on offer fails to fit your specifications, you will need to have a resize elsewhere, do your customizations somewhere else, or shop at another jewelry store.
4. The online shop and warehouse jewelry can be different
Another element many Costco shoppers may be unaware of is the differences between Costco’s stores and the online inventory.
Their stores tend to have much smaller selections than what you may find in their online listings, so the warehouses can allow you to see or try on the pieces before buying them.
Conclusion
Costco is a warehouse store, so they will have a decent collection of jewelry options, even though they do not match up to legendary jewelry-specialty sellers because of their limited customization and stock.
They offer good gold options as well as other pieces, so you cannot miss something within your budget as long as you like it.
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Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.