Fine jewelry is an expensive commodity in this day and age, as gemstone and gold prices have tripled, or even quadrupled in the last 100 years.
Discount stores like Walmart make everything accessible and affordable, but you might be wondering: Is Walmart jewelry real? Are their diamonds real diamonds? Is their gold real gold? Here is the answer you seek.
Key Takeaways
Is Walmart Jewelry Real In 2022?
Walmart jewelry is real and is considered to be on par with jewelry you would find in a mall jewelry store. Though the gold and diamonds are all real, however, shoppers should be aware that Walmart tends to carry low-grade versions of each, neither of which comes with third-party certification attesting to quality.
To learn more about whether Walmart gold and diamonds are real, if Walmart is a good place to buy an engagement ring and whether or not Walmart jewelry will turn your finger green, keep reading!
Is Walmart Gold Real Gold?
Walmart gold is real gold, but before you go out and buy up their stock of inexpensive necklaces, read the rest of this.
Perhaps the best example of Walmart’s approach to gold is their Simply Gold collection.
The name itself leads you to believe this is a straight-forward collection of high-quality gold pieces at truly affordable prices.
However, the vast majority of their gold comes in 10-karat. At this karat, you only have about 40 percent actual gold; the other 60 percent is made up of different metals.
Another thing you need to watch out for are the abbreviations GP, RGP, GEP, etc.
While they look innocuous enough, what they indicate is that the piece of jewelry is actually gold-plated.
That means the core of the piece is some other metal, while a thin veneer of gold has been added on top to give it that gold look.
If you view Walmart’s jewelry with a keen eye, you will surely find some real pieces that aren’t gold-plated and may even rank as 12K or 14K.
Are Walmart Diamonds Real Diamonds?
Walmart’s diamonds are indeed real diamonds, but like the gold at this retailer, those precious gemstones come with some caveats.
According to a former retail associate at a high-end jewelry store, Walmart’s max out around the middle-grade of diamonds.
She writes, “I would also watch for how the stones are set; prongs are, more often than not, uneven and will catch on fabrics.”
An expert on DiamondCuttersIntl.com agrees that Walmart sells real diamonds, but writes, “…they typically sell…the crummy stuff.”
In his opinion, Walmart’s diamonds are merely a step up from “costume jewelry.”
He also adds that there is not much hope of reselling Walmart’s diamond jewelry, as it is already priced so low and the quality is not worth it to appraisers.
If you buy a Walmart diamond, it is very unlikely you will ever see any financial return on that investment down the road.
Walmart does sell synthetic diamonds and stones that look like diamonds (think: white topaz, cubic zirconia, etc.) as well.
But to their credit, Walmart makes no attempt to fool the buyer, and these diamond-lookalikes are clearly marked both in-store and online.
Is Walmart A Good Place To Buy Engagement Rings?
One brand that you will see a lot of on Walmart’s website is Pompeii3.
This line promises beautiful engagement rings, necklaces, earrings and more, selling for jaw-droppingly low prices.
(Consider a one-and-three-fourths carat diamond engagement ring in 14K white gold for only $1500.)
Prices like these have led some to wonder if they were better off buying their wedding sets from Walmart, versus a fancy fine jeweler.
So how does Pompeii3 sell everything at such a low cost?
Yet again, the devil is in the details.
What looks good on paper or on-screen does not meet actual fine jewelry industry standards.
For example, 18K is actually the industry standard for gold. And Pompeii3’s diamonds tend to clock in at the very lowest quality.
Diamonds are ranked for inclusions on a scale that ranges from F or IF to SI1-SI2 or I1-I2.
Unfortunately, most of Pompeii3’s diamonds clock in around S1-S2 – not the very lowest quality, but the next lowest ranking.
As the writer at Blush & Bar points out, too, Pomeii3’s diamonds are only appraised by a gemologist employed by Pompeii3.
What are the chances that the diamonds are receiving an impartial appraisal?
The only way for that to occur would be for Pompeii3 to submit their diamonds to a third-party appraiser, as the high-end jewelers do.
Then you also have to consider the setting. As I already noted, the quality of Walmart’s diamond settings is an issue.
Imagine giving your fiancée a ring, only for the prong to snag her favorite sweater!
Or worse, for a prong to be so weak that it breaks all together and the stone is at risk.
You’ll have to pay for it to be fixed, and that could end up costing you what you saved on a cheap diamond. Or she’ll lose the diamond if it falls out.
Does Walmart Jewelry Turn Your Finger Green?
Gold jewelry from Walmart should not turn your finger green.
Gold jewelry that is officially marked with its karat value (commonly on the inside of a ring) is real gold, even at the low Walmart price.
If it turns your finger green and you thought it was real gold, you might want to find the description for the item online and ensure you didn’t accidentally get gold-plated.
If you want to know more about Walmart’s jewelry, you can also read our related posts on whether or not Walmart wedding rings are fake or real, the Walmart jewelry return policy, and if Walmart resizes rings.
Conclusion
While Walmart’s gold and diamond jewelry is real where stated, you unfortunately do get what you pay for.
Those lower prices mean that the gold is lower-karat, and the diamonds generally feature many inclusions and won’t look much like the brilliant photos.
However, if you are shopping for fine jewelry on a budget, Walmart’s real jewelry will save you some serious cash, provided you understand the trade-off on quality.