What is Kohl’s?

Kohl’s is an American department store retail chain. It is operated by Kohl’s corporation. It is the largest department store chain in the U.S.

Kohl’s has more than 1,100 stores across the U.S except in the state of Hawaii.

What does it offer?

Kohl’s offers shoes, clothing, home décor items, bedding, toys and much more.

In the jewellery category, Kohl’s offers bracelets, earrings, rings, necklaces, anklets, beads and charms, body jewellery, jewellery sets and pins.

Good jewellery criteria

Does Kohl’s compare with other high-street brands? Is its offering of the same quality as big jewellery brands.

For that, let’s look into the criteria of good jewellery. What is it that makes any jewellery set unique and high-quality?

Stones

You would be surprised how easily stones can give away any piece of jewellery. A real precious stone will never be perfect. It will have naturally formed flecks in it.

The same goes for diamonds. They are naturally made too and you can see the natural imperfections through a magnifying glass.

A fake gemstone or diamond will often be created using plastic and glass. Its overly smooth appearance can tell you about its quality.

Weight

If you are buying gold or silver chains, they will tend to be heavier than if made from cheaper metals like brass and pewter.

If you come across a gold chain feeling lighter than any similar gold chain, it most likely is fake.

Prongs

Fine jewellery uses prongs. Fake or imitation jewellery sometimes uses prongs but it also has stones glued into the place.

Such kind of costume jewellery is not very valuable.

Stamping

If you are buying gold or silver jewellery, you will be looking for its proof of authenticity too. Look for the stamps.

If it is gold, see if it has 10K, 14K, 18K or 22K stamping on it.

A silver jewellery item will sport the 925 stamps indicating that it is sterling silver. It can also be indicated by the STG stamp.

If you are buying platinum jewellery, look for stamping of 0.950 or PLT.

So now we circle back to the same question.

Is Kohl’s jewellery good quality?

Kohl’s is a reputable brand. Since it was founded, it has mushroomed into a billion-dollar company.

Its jewellery may not be the best out there, but it does present decent choices when shopping for accessories, at affordable prices.

Value for money

Kohl’s provides value for money. Many customers are satisfied with their jewellery containing good quality stones and have reported that the items have reasonable prices.

Kohl’s also has a discounted jewellery section where you can get jewellery items at bargain prices.

You can score good deals on exclusive jewellery collections from designers like Vera Wang and Lauren Conrad.

Many jewellery items are under $10, making them must-haves in your jewellery collection.

Hence, if you are a budget buyer, then yes, Kohl’s does offer good jewellery within your budget. You can further cut down on the costs by using their limited-time coupons. Kohl’s also offers a rewards program and Kohl’s Cash program which allows you to earn cash-back bonuses.

Real jewellery

Kohl’s sells real silver and gold jewellery. It claims that its sterling silver jewellery items are resistant to breaking, bending, tarnish and corrosion.

Lack of finishing

Kohl’s has its cons too.

Everything that is mass-produced will generally be made by cutting costs and using low-quality materials.

Some customers have reported that the jewellery lacked finishing. For instance, the diamond jewellery had a poor cut job or the diamonds lacked sparkle.

Another customer complained about the ring not having a smooth finish in the shank and gallery. As a result, the ring had rough edges and it was uncomfortable to wear. 

Kohl’s was once in the news for marking up its prices and then putting the items on sale to make them look more affordable and great value for money.

According to a news report, a woman bought two pairs of diamond earrings worth $550 and $320. Both were at a 60% discount.

When she went home, she discovered their original prices were $425 and $250!. The old price tags were covered by new price tags.

Types of gold

This is not exactly a con of buying from Kohl’s but you need to know the different types of gold jewellery that Kohl’s has to offer.

If you are buying gold jewellery from Kohl’s, it also sells everlasting gold.

Everlasting gold is real but it is gold mixed with other metals such as platinum to make it more durable and scratch-resistant for years.

Plus, you get a wide variety of gold jewellery such as white gold, yellow gold and rose gold tones.

While this type of jewellery is available in different colours and also requires low upkeep, it can also lead to metal allergies. If you are allergic to nickel, you need to look out when shopping for jewellery here.

Some of the customers have found nickel-free jewellery at Kohl’s as well, at their clearance rack.

Are the diamonds at Kohl’s real?

Kohl’s also sells diamonds. It deals in real diamonds.

However, not all diamonds are certified. Some diamonds may also be certified by an independent gemological laboratory.

The certification tells you about the characteristics and quality of the diamond and any treatments carried out for enhancing the colour and clarity of the stone.

A good thing about Kohl’s diamond jewellery collection is that it does not deal in conflict diamonds. 

Conflict diamonds are illegally sourced diamonds sold by rebel groups for funding military action against recognized governments.

Kohl’s has a Social Responsible Product Sourcing Policy and requires its suppliers to comply with the Clean Diamonds Trade Act and the Kimberly Process Certification.

Conclusion:

If you want to get imitation jewellery or jewellery for everyday use, Kohl’s is a good place to shop.

However, for expensive jewellery and engagement rings especially gold, Moissanite Rings, and diamond rings, almost all customers have recommended online to get it from a renowned brand instead of Kohl’s.

The customers held the opinion that a jewellery speciality retailer can provide a warranty and better quality jewellery as compared to Kohl’s.