Shopping for fine jewelry can be very expensive, no matter your budget. Fortunately, many of the largest national jewelry chains offer credit cards with special financing options to make large jewelry purchases more affordable. Many are available for customers with credit scores in the fair to good range.

Most jewelry store credit cards come with interest-free periods, during which you can make regular monthly payments and pay off your purchase without paying extra in fees or interest. Keep in mind, however, that store credit cards come with higher APRs than other types of credit cards, and interest will accrue if you haven’t paid off your items by the end of the special financing period. Below, you’ll find the details about credit card financing options at some of the most popular fine jewelry stores and online retailers.

Terms to Know Before Choosing a Jewelry Store Credit Card

APR: This stands for “Annual Percentage Rate.” APR is the annual rate of interest charged on all or part of the balance on a credit card. If you pay off your balance on the credit card every month, you won’t need to worry about a card’s APR.

Closed loop vs. open loop: “Closed loop” refers to credit cards that are only accepted by the company that issued the card. For example, the Zales credit card is only usable at Zales locations and other stores owned by the same company. “Open loop” cards are accepted anywhere, like any standard Visa or Mastercard. The majority of jewelry store credit cards are closed loop, including all of the cards we list below.

Credit score: An analysis of your credit history will determine your creditworthiness. This information helps a lender decide how much credit to offer, and how high or low of an interest rate to charge. The better your credit history, the lower your interest rate will be, and vice versa. Typically, credit scores are supplied by one of three credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax. Credit scores have a numerical score on a scale of 300 to 850. Below is a rough breakdown of how credit scores are viewed as a reflection of your credit history:

  • Excellent: 750 and higher
  • Good: 700 to 749
  • Fair: 650 to 699
  • Poor: 550 to 649
  • Bad: 549 and under

One other important thing to note is that most store credit cards come with some sort of interest-free financing period. Another way to describe this is deferred interest. If you pay off your purchase in full during this time period, you will not accrue interest. However, if you fail to pay off the full balance, the deferred interest from the beginning of the financing period will be applied to your account (i.e., one full year of interest).

What We Recommend

Blue Nile has a reputation as a positively-rated online jewelry store that offers high-quality products at discounted prices, and it offers a credit card with relatively quick and easy approval. It offers interest-free financing for up to one year and reduced APRs for up to 60 months.

If you prefer to shop in person, consider a major jewelry retail chain like Reeds, Kay, or Zales. All three offer similar credit card terms, with approval for customers with fair credit scores.

Comparison Table

You can use the table below to compare our list of jewelry store credit cards. Click the arrows at the top of each column to sort the table. You can click each store name or scroll down to our list for more details on each store’s card.

Store Retail Locations? Open/Closed Loop Instant Approval Available? Credit Requirement Standard APR Zero-Interest Options Minimum Purchase Requirements Annual Fee Late Fee
Blue Nile No Closed Yes Fair 29% Six-month and 12-month options available For six months with no interest, $500 purchase minimum None Up to $35
Reeds Jewelers Yes Closed Yes Fair 30% No interest if paid in full within six or 12 months $299 for six-month no-interest option, $1,000 for 12-month option None Varies
Kay Jewelers Yes Closed Yes Fair 5% to 25% 12 months with no interest for purchases of $500 or more 20% down payment required None Up to $37
Zales Yes Closed Yes Fair 30% Six-month, 12-month, and 18-month options available $300 minimum purchase for six-month no-interest option, $750 minimum for 12-month no-interest option, $3,000 minimum for 18-month no-interest option None Up to $37
Jared Yes Closed Yes Good 17% to 24% Diamond Plan: no interest on purchases of $1,000 or more, if paid in full in 12 months. Platinum plan: no interest for 12 months for any purchase of $5,000 minimum 20% down for Diamond and Platinum plans None Up to $37
Helzburg Diamonds Yes Closed Yes Fair 28% Six, 12, and 18-month plans available No interest on any purchase of $749 or more if paid in full in 12 months; no interest on any purchase of $4,999 or more if paid in full in 18 months None Up to $35
Tiffany & Co. Yes Closed Yes Fair 8% to 21% Depends on credit approval $1,000 for interest-free financing on engagement rings; $2,500 for all other products None Up to $10
Crown Jewelers No Closed Yes No credit check required N/A None All accounts opened without a credit check require a small down payment. None $25
The Jewelry Exchange Yes Closed No Fair 30% No interest on purchases of $500 or more if paid in full within six months $500 for six-month no-interest option None $37

The List

The following jewelry stores offer store credit cards, and we’ve included relevant information about minimum purchase requirements and typical associated fees. We’ve ordered the list starting with the best overall options.

1. Blue Nile

  • Retail locations? No
  • Instant approval available: Yes, through Comenity Bank[1]
  • Credit requirement: Fair, per approved customer reports
  • Standard APR: Around 29%[2]
  • Zero-interest options: Six months interest-free for purchases of $500 to $1,499.99 if paid in full; 12 months for purchases over $1,500 if paid in full; 18 months for purchases over $2,000 if paid in full[2]
  • Minimum purchase requirements: For six months no interest, a $500 purchase minimum. For 12 months no interest, $1,500. For a reduced interest rate (as long as it is paid in full by the end of the time period), $2,000 minimum for a 24-month plan, $3,000 for a 36-month plan, $4,000 for a 48-month plan, and $6,000 for a 60-month plan[2]
  • Annual fee: None[3]
  • Late fee: Up to $35[3]
  • Find out more or apply

2. Reeds Jewelers

  • Retail locations? Yes
  • Instant approval available: Yes, through Synchrony Bank[4]
  • Credit requirement: Fair, per approved customer reports
  • Standard APR: Around 30%[4]
  • Zero-interest options: No interest if paid in full within six, 12, or 18 months (depending on purchase amount); reduced APR for 24, 36, 48, or 60 months[4]
  • Minimum purchase requirement: $299 for six-month no-interest option, $1,000 for 12-month option, $500 for other plans[4]
  • Annual fee: None[4]
  • Late fee: Varies
  • Find out more or apply

3. Kay Jewelers

  • Retail locations? Yes
  • Instant approval available: Yes, through Comenity Bank[1]
  • Credit requirement: Fair, per approved customer reports
  • Standard APR: Around 5% to 25%[5]
  • Zero-interest options: 12 months interest-free, available for a total purchase of $500 or more[6]
  • Minimum purchase requirements: No minimum purchase; 20% down payment required[5]
  • Annual fee: None[5]
  • Late fee: Up to $35[5]
  • Find out more or apply

4. Zales

  • Retail locations? Yes
  • Instant approval available: Yes, through Comenity Bank[1]
  • Credit requirement: Fair, per approved customer reports
  • Standard APR: Around 30%[7]
  • Zero-interest options: Six months interest-free, available for purchases of $300 or more with the Diamond Card; 12 months interest-free, available for purchases of $750 or more with the Diamond Card; 18 months interest-free for purchases of $3,000 or more with the Diamond Card[7]
  • Minimum purchase requirements: $300 minimum purchase for six-month no-interest option, $750 minimum for 12-month no-interest option, $3,000 minimum for 18-month no-interest option[7]
  • Annual fee: None[7]
  • Late fee: Up to $40[7]
  • Find out more or apply

5. Jared The Galleria of Jewelry

  • Retail locations? Yes
  • Instant approval available: Yes, through Comenity Bank[1]
  • Credit requirement: Good, per approved customer reports
  • Standard APR: Around 17% to 24%[8]
  • Zero-interest options: For the Diamond Plan, no interest on purchases of $1,000 or more, if paid in full in 12 months. For the Platinum, no interest for 12 months for any purchase of $5,000 minimum, then six months of interest at 9.9%.[9]
  • Minimum purchase requirements: 20% down payment for Diamond and Platinum plans[9]
  • Annual fee: None[8]
  • Late fee: Up to $37[8]
  • Find out more or apply

6. Helzberg Diamonds

  • Retail locations? Yes
  • Instant approval available: Yes, through Comenity Bank[1]
  • Credit requirement: Fair, per approved customer reports
  • Standard APR: Around 28%[10]
  • Zero-interest options: Credit plans are available for six, 12, or 18 months of interest-free periods, depending on the amount of the purchase.[11]
  • Minimum purchase requirements: No interest on any purchase of $749 or more if paid in full in 12 months. No interest on any purchase of $4,999 or more if paid in full in 18 months.[11]
  • Annual fee: None[10]
  • Late fee: Up to $40[10]
  • Find out more or apply

7. Tiffany & Co.

  • Retail locations? Yes
  • Instant approval available: Yes[12]
  • Credit requirement: Fair, per approved customer reports
  • Standard APR: Around 8% to 21%[13]
  • Zero-interest options: Depends on your credit approval[14]
  • Minimum purchase requirements: $1,000 minimum for interest-free financing on engagement rings and Tiffany watches; $2,500 minimum for all other products[13]
  • Annual fee: None[13]
  • Late fee: Up to $10[13]
  • Find out more or apply

8. Crown Jewelers

  • Retail locations? No
  • Instant approval available: Yes[15]
  • Credit requirement: No credit check required
  • Standard APR: Around 21%[16]
  • Zero-interest options: None
  • Minimum purchase requirements: All accounts opened without a credit check will initially require a small down payment; payment is determined individually. After making at least one purchase, with your account remaining in good standing for six months and an available balance on the account, you could be eligible for a “zero-down account.”[15]
  • Annual fee: None[16]
  • Late fee: $25[16]
  • Find out more or apply

9. The Jewelry Exchange

  • Retail locations? Yes
  • Instant approval available: No, unless you apply in-store[17]
  • Credit requirement: Fair, per approved customer reports
  • Standard APR: Around 30%[18]
  • Zero-interest options: Available for any qualifying purchase if paid in full within six months
  • Minimum purchase requirements: $500 minimum purchase for six-month no-interest option[18]
  • Annual fee: None
  • Late fee: $37[18]
  • Find out more or apply (approval can take up to 72 hours)

In Summary

Jewelry store credit cards can be a good way to finance large jewelry purchases and pay for them over time using a special financing plan. Blue Nile — an online-only jewelry retailer — offers a credit card that is fairly easy to get approved for, and the store is known for its high-quality jewelry sold at reasonable prices.

Stores like Reeds Jewelers, Kay, and Zales also offer credit cards with similar terms, and you can use them at store locations across the country. Before applying for a card, keep in mind that APRs for store credit cards tend to be higher than other types of credit cards, so you may end up spending a great deal more in the long run than you intended. Be sure to understand a card’s full structure of fees and interest so you can be sure that you can afford to pay back the full amount of the purchase.

For more about jewelry financing, you may be interested in our list of stores that do engagement ring financing or our list of buy now, pay later jewelry stores (many with no deposit needed).

  1. https://comenity.com/faq[][][][][]
  2. https://www.bluenile.com/services/blue-nile-credit-card[][][]
  3. https://c.comenity.net/bluenile/common/Legal/disclosures.xhtml[][]
  4. https://www.reeds.com/reeds-credit-card.html[][][][][]
  5. http://levian.kay.com/lwp/wcm/connect/Kay/Instant+Credit+Application/Credit+Terms+and+Conditions/[][][][]
  6. https://www.kay.com/credit-landing[]
  7. https://d.comenity.net/zales/public/apply/Apply.xhtml[][][][][]
  8. https://c.comenity.net/ac/jared/public/help/apr-and-fees[][][]
  9. https://www.jared.com/credit-landing?icid=COL_EGBUDGET:CS2:Financing[][]
  10. https://d.comenity.net/helzberg/pub/requestCca/requestCca.xhtml[][][]
  11. https://www.helzberg.com/jewelry-financing-and-payments[][]
  12. https://financing.tiffany.com/TKOAdminFE/index.php/app/tiffany_us_en[]
  13. https://www.tiffany.com/Local/en-Us/PDF/TCO_Retail_Installment_Credit_Agreement.pdf[][][][]
  14. https://www.tiffany.com/faq/#credit-card-account-faq/[]
  15. https://www.crownjewelers.com/NoCreditCheck.html[][]
  16. https://www.crownjewelers.com/print-agreememt.htm[][][]
  17. https://www.jewelryexchange.com/Synchrony-sp#:~:text=For%20new%20accounts%3A%20Purchase%20APR,agreement%20for%20their%20applicable%20terms.[]
  18. https://www.jewelryexchange.com/Synchrony-sp[][][]

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