Fine jewelry is expensive now because the prices of gemstones and gold have tripled or even quadrupled in the last 100 years.
Everything is easy to find and cheap at Walmart, but you may be wondering: Is the jewelry there real? Are those stones real? Is that gold for real? Here’s how to solve the problem.
Will Walmart still sell jewelry in 2022?
People think that the jewelry at Walmart is just as good as the jewelry at a mall jewelry shop. Even though the gold and diamonds are real, customers should know that Walmart often sells low-quality versions of both that don’t have third-party certification proving their quality.
Read on to find out if the gold and diamonds at Walmart are real if Walmart is a good place to buy an engagement ring, and if jewelry from Walmart can turn your finger green.
Is the gold at Walmart real gold?
Walmart’s gold is real gold, but before you run out and buy a bunch of cheap necklaces from them, read this whole article.
The Simply Gold line might be the best example of how Walmart feels about gold.
The name makes it sound like this is a simple collection of high-quality gold items that cost very little.
But the vast majority of their gold is 10-karat. Only about 40% of the metal at this karat is gold. The other 60% is made up of other metals.
Another thing to watch out for is the use of acronyms like GP, RGP, GEP, etc.
Even though they look harmless, they suggest that the jewelry is actually gold-plated.
That means the piece is made mostly of a different metal, and a thin layer of gold is put on top to make it look like gold.
If you look closely at the jewelry at Walmart, you can find some real pieces that aren’t gold-plated and might even be 12Kor 14K.
Are the diamonds at Walmart real?
Walmart’s diamonds are real diamonds, but, like the store’s gold, they come with a few caveats.
A former salesperson at a high-end jewelry store says that Walmart only sells diamonds that are in the middle of the quality scale.
She says, “I would also look at how the stones are set. The prongs are often uneven and will catch on fabrics.”
A DiamondCuttersIntl.com expert says that Walmart does sell real diamonds, but “they often sell the bad stuff.”
From his point of view, the diamonds at Walmart are the same as “costume jewelry.”
He also says that there isn’t much chance of reselling Walmart’s diamond jewelry because it’s already so cheap and appraisers don’t think the quality is worth it.
If you buy a Walmart diamond, it’s very unlikely that you’ll ever get any money back on your purchase.
Walmart also sells diamond-like stones and diamonds that aren’t real (for example, white topaz, cubic zirconia, and so on).
14k white gold engagement ring with a band of pave-set diamonds
Can you find good engagement rings at Walmart?
You’ll see a lot of the brand Pompeii3 on Walmart’s website.
This store sells beautiful engagement rings, necklaces, earrings, and more at prices that are hard to believe.
(For $1500, you could get a one-and-a-third-quarter-carat diamond ring set in 14K white gold.)
Some people are wondering if they would be better off buying their wedding sets from Walmart instead of a high-end fine jeweler because of these prices.
So, how is it that Pompeii3 is able to sell things at such low prices?
Again, it’s the small things that matter.
What looks good on paper or on TV doesn’t meet the real requirements of the fine jewelry industry.
For example, 18K is the standard for gold in the business world. And most of the diamonds in Pompeii aren’t very good.
On a scale that goes from F to IF to SI1-SI2 or I1-I2, diamonds with flaws are given a grade.
Most of the gems in Pompeii3 are rated S1 or S2, which is not the lowest grade but the next lowest.
The writer at Blush & Bar points out that Pompeii3’s diamonds are only looked at by a gemologist who has been hired by Pompeii3.
How likely is it that the gems will be valued in a fair way?
Only if Pompeii3 sends their gems to a third-party appraiser as high-end jewelers do, will it happen.
Then there’s the question of where it will be. As was already said, there is a problem with the quality of the diamond settings at Walmart.
Think about giving your fiancée a ring and having the prong catch on her favorite sweater.
Even worse, one of the prongs could be so weak that it breaks completely, putting the stone in danger.
You’ll have to pay to have it fixed, which could end up costing more than the cheap diamond saved you. Otherwise, she will lose the diamond if it falls out.
Does the thought of Walmart Jewelry make your finger turn green?
Your finger shouldn’t turn green when you wear gold jewelry from Walmart.
If you want to know more about Walmart’s jewelry, check out our linked stories about whether or not Walmart wedding rings are real, how to return jewelry to Walmart, and whether or not Walmart can resize rings.
Conclusion
Even though Walmart’s gold and diamond jewelry is real when it says it is, you pay for what you get.
Because the prices are lower, the gold is of a lower karat, and the diamonds often have many flaws and won’t look as good as the pictures.
But if you want good jewelry on a budget, the real jewelry at Walmart can save you a lot of money as long as you know the quality will be lower.